READING, Mass. – Another big game in the Middlesex League ends up muddying things even further as the Liberty Division logjam continues, thanks to Reading’s 3-0 takedown of Winchester on Saturday.

It was a command performance for the Rockets who limited the division leaders to just ten shots on the night and in the process pulled within one point of the Sachems.

“This game was huge,” said Reading captain Liam O’Neill. “Everyone knew coming in that if we got a win that we’d be one step closer to winning the league. It’s a close race. I think a point separates a bunch of teams at the top. … Everybody was fired up to beat these guys. They beat us the first time [2-0 on Jan. 9], now we got the best of them here in our rink.”

From the jump the hosts were in charge, holding Winchester to just two shots in the first fifteen minutes of the game, both of which came in the final minute of the first period.

Yet the Sachems, behind another big effort from goalie Christy Redler (27 saves), kept it scoreless through one and looked to change the tempo at the start of the second when they pounced on a break which looked to be finished by a brilliant shot from Andrew McCarthy just 55 seconds in.

After the celebration Winchester was befuddled to find that the goal was disallowed after the referee deemed that it never crossed the line after hitting the crossbar.

“There was no one in position to really see it,” said Winchester coach Bob Lavin. “If you’re not there to see it, it’s hard to make a call. Unless you’re right on the goal line. That’s how it goes. It happens all the time. It’s just the way it is.”

With their first golden opportunity waved off, the Sachems played a bit deflated and continued their struggle to get quality shots on net.

Meanwhile the Rockets picked up their pressure, firing twelve salvos on goal in the second period, the key one being that off the stick of Nick Miele who sent in a long, low shot from the left point for a 1-0 lead at 10:23 of the second.

“Miele put a nice shot on the ice,” said O’Neill. “We got some traffic in front and it slid right in. It was a big weight lifted off our shoulders. Everybody just relaxed and we were able to play our game the rest of the way.”

The third period provided a bit more of a tug-of-war between the two, but Winchester looked to gain a major advantage when Reading, clinging to their one goal lead, picked up two penalties less than thirty seconds apart from each other.

In the opening seconds of 5-on-3 play, McCarthy picked up a slashing penalty and was then doubled up on the minors after being cited for unsportsmanlike conduct in the process.

That ultimately turned the advantage in Reading’s favor after they got both of their men out of the box, the latter being Kevin Tobin who worked with a man advantage in his team’s favor, using the extra ice to put the Rockets up 2-0 with a blistering end-to-end rush that he finished on the right doorstep with under five minutes in regulation.

”We weren’t getting pucks to the net as much as we had been,” said Lavin. “It makes it harder. Most of our shots were from the perimeter. Most of theirs were inside the paint. That’s a good team.”

Matt Thomson found the empty net in the final minute to cap the scoring and Sean Dynan stopped all ten shots on the night for his seventh shutout of the season.

“The kids worked hard, good intensity,” said Reading coach Mark Doherty who addressed the strength of the Middlesex League across the board. “You’ve got Woburn, Burlington, Winchester, Arlington, we’re all pretty good. It’s going to make us all better prepared for the tournament.”

TOP TWOS: The Rockets top d-pair of Miele and Jordan were difference makers on the night, working endlessly to clog up the middle and break up at least as many shots as Winchester was able to get off.

It was also fitting that the pair was involved in what turned out to be the game-winning goal on the evening with Jordan initially firing a blast from the right point which Redler did not see before it deflected off his mask and around the back of the net, before making its way to Miele.

“They give it their all every shift,” said O’Neill. “They give us a chance to win every night. They’re back there battling, making plays defensively, hopping up in the offense and getting shots on net. They’re just solid back there.”

The duo also set the tone physically, delivering clean, punishing hits along the boards that rattled the Sachems and helped set the skilled Rockets attackers up the ice.

“They logged a lot of minutes and we’re going to need them to,” said Doherty. “They’re big, they’re strong, they’re both physical. That’s what we need back there.”

FINAL FOR FIVE: It was Senior Night at Burbank Ice Arena where five Rockets lined up for the final Middlesex League home game of their career.

O’Neill, Jordan, John Tierney, Colin Doherty and Jason Ewing were all recognized prior to the start of the game and at its conclusion their coach praised the ability of the group to provide cohesion within a young team.

“Quite honestly this year they’ve done a great job,” said Doherty. “The locker room is great, the attitude is great, they’re always having fun…It’s a small senior group so the fact that the locker room is so good is a credit to them. It’s been a fun year from a locker room perspective.”

Ewing, who has been unable to play all season due to concussion issues, did dress for the affair and also received high praise from Doherty who noted that “he would have been a huge asset” for the Rockets this year.

"They’re all good kids," said the Reading coach. "They’re all good citizens and ultimately that’s more important."