RANDOLPH –– In the preseason, Braintree senior goaltender Ryan Cochrane remained at the bottom of the depth chart.
After a hamstring injury forced senior captain Jack Fitzgerald out of the lineup, the former three-year junior varsity goaltender controlled the crease.
In front of a crowd of 987 at Zapustas Arena, Cochrane tallied a 17-save shutout and senior Charlie DiMartino tapped in a back-door pass from junior defensemen Joe Joyce with just over three minutes to play, lifting 11th-seeded Braintree to a 1-0 Division 1 first-round victory over No. 22 Weymouth. The third meeting between the Bay State Conference Herget rivals this season was the only contest not to go to overtime.
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“Starting from basically a third string to working my way up to being a starter, I couldn’t dream of it any better,” said Cochrane.
In a hard-hitting affair, the two teams traded blows before DiMartino struck. Braintree coach Dave Fasano pumped his fist in the air triumphantly as the Wamps swarmed in celebration in front of their own bench.
“When it’s 0-0 with five minutes left in the game, anything can happen,” said Fasano. “That’s what high school hockey is all about — two public schools really battling hard in front of a soldout crowd here.”
Junior goaltender Grady Saltify played exceptionally well, making 32 saves for the Wildcats (12-9-2).
“The season as a whole, we had a major culture change in a positive direction,” said Weymouth coach Pat Kennedy. “I think the younger kids saw what leaders look like.”
For the Wamps (13-6-2), the first line of junior Larry Graziano, senior captain Nick Fasano, and DiMartino incorporated their speed to create chances. DiMartino drove to the back post after a turnover on an odd-man opportunity as the Wamps won the most important game of the season series.
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“It’s just the best feeling ever,” said DiMartino. “Rivalry game, in our home barn – there’s nothing like it.”
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.