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TAUNTON - Twice sophomore defenseman Joe Bruno flung the puck on net, hoping that somehow the rubber sphere would wind up in the net belonging to the Attleboro High hockey team.

Fortunately for the Bishop Feehan High Shamrocks, Bruno twice set up goals - and they were cherished too because that was the margin of victory, a 2-0 decision over crosstown rival Attleboro High at the Aleixo Arena Wednesday.

Bruno scored the go-ahead goal for the Shamrocks after 19:18 of nearly non-stop action and then set up an insurance tally, senior captain Mike McGee deflecting the advancement with five minutes left as Bishop Feehan (8-3-1) just mustered enough offense to hold off the Bombardiers.

Tyler Holske, Bishop Feehan's sophomore goalie, made 24 saves - eight in each period - to record the shutout, but mostly all of those were well seen, the Bombardiers being allowed few chances in slot, even fewer on rebounds as a result of Shamrock defensemen Devin Cornetta, Pat Hannon and Bruno taking charge inside the blue line.

"It's always a battle, the in-town rivalry," said Bishop Feehan coach Phil Hulbig, whose Shamrocks were outshot 8-2 and outskated as well by the Bombardiers during the first period. "Attleboro has a good skating club. Attleboro came to play." But, the Bombardiers did not create a true scoring chance during the first period, even with one powerplay advantage; had two good chances nullified by Holske in the second period; and were unable to make a dent at the Shamrock goal despite yanking goalie Derek Goulet (18 saves) in favor of a sixth attacker with 81 seconds remaining.

"Plain and simple, we can't score," said Attleboro coach Joe Verderber, "the net is our nemesis. Holske made 99 percent of the first saves, the shots weren't challenging."

In the second period, Tim Keane whistled a blistering wrist shot that Holske handily covered at the three-minute mark. A minute later, Kyle Dion buzzed a shot in through a screen, which Derek Burns narrowly missed getting his stick on for a deflection. Then in the ninth minute, Derek Beauregard jammed a shot in close which Holske covered.

Twice in the third period, Attleboro had potential game-tying chances too - Josh Dyer ripping a shot from the right wing in the fourth minute and Tyler Dias unloading a shot in the slot, through a screen, both times Holske being in position.

"Defense and Holske is the key to the team," praised Hulbig of the Shamrocks inside the blue line. The Shamrocks allowed Attleboro just one powerplay chance too. "Cornetta drives us back there and Eric Larsen and Bruno are solid."

Bruno put Bishop Feehan into the lead at 4:18 of the second period, flipping a shot from the right point through a screen, hardly a scorcher, but the lower drive eluded everyone.

Similarly on the Shamrocks' second score, Bruno drove the puck in from the blue line and this time, McGee got his stick on it for the deflection and breath-of-air tally at 9:54 of the third period.

The Shamrocks, skating without flu-ridden Jon Casali, Barret Eliott and Pat Smith, nearly stole the lead when Alex Roczniak nearly scored on a short-handed bid in the second minute and then Evan McMorrow whistled a shot through a crowd in the 12th minute, both in the first period.

The Shamrocks hit a pair of posts too, McGee tagging the left side in the 12th minute of the second period and Larry Flynn finding the left pipe four minutes into the third period. Then too, the Bombardiers' defensive corps - Jesse Lee, Chad Caldwell and Dion - did a terrific job of moving the puck along the boards through the first two periods, Andrew Haselhurst, Keane and Beauregard then lugging it into the attacking zone.

"We were a little sloppy in the first period," added Hulbig. "From the second period on, we got a little more organized, we had our lines straightened out better." The Bombardiers (2-10) return to Taunton Saturday evening at 6 for a game against New Bedford. The Shamrocks are off until a Jan. 31 non-league game at the Aleixo Rink against Marian.