Winter Sports Highlights 12.12.16

First Girls’ Basketball lost to Loomis Chaffee on Dec.7, as it faced a very skilled team. Each Loomis player is taller than Westminster’s and Loomis is very athletic, tough and competitive. Westminster gave a reasonably good effort. Every individual player can point to at least a few moments of hustle and intensity, but the Martlets also didn’t control everything they could control as well as they could have. Sophie Tawney '17 led the team in scoring and rebounding in her season debut. 

 

The Martlets lost a tough one down in New Haven. The girls played much better than in the team’s first two games and gave a solid effort for all 32 minutes. Westminster built a 26-21 halftime lead, but poor shooting and defensive rebounding facilitated a Hopkins run that found us down 28-35 with about eight minutes to go. Westminster redoubled its efforts and went on a run of its own, but ultimately the team missed too many open shots and gave Hopkins too many second chances. Paige Phillips '20 had the best all-around game of her young career and led the team with 14 points, while Gaby Salgar '18 added nine. Sophie Tawney '17 had 10 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals, and co-captain McKenna Burelle '17 played almost the entire game and ran the offense with aplomb.

‪Dec. 7: Basketball-First Boys' 52 vs Trinity-Pawling School 62

The Martlets got off to a strong start against a stubborn Trinity Pawling team. Not only was Westminster playing well on offense but the defense was off to a great start against an athletic Trinity Pawling team. Westminster led going into halftime 27-26. Trinity Pawling came into the second half with a purpose and once they took the lead they never looked back. The Martlets hung tough through the game but the size of TP was overwhelming. Max Brigham '18 and Josiah Green '18 had solid performances. Delando Clarke '17 also played hard defense down the stretch. In the end, the Martlets didn't have enough firepower to close out the game. 

   

The Martlets came out hot against a tough Deerfield team. The Martlets took the lead early and never looked back. Third Former Chris Robinson '20, did a very nice job on offense and defense throughout the entire game. Sixth Formers Devonte McCall '17 and Daniel Kong '17, also had a nice all around game for the Martlets. Deerfield made a run in the late minutes of the second half, but it wasn't enough to top the Martlets. Max Brigham'18 played one of his best games of the season. 

   

The Martlets took on the Pelicans Dec. 7 at home and secured a 36-10 win. The team jumped to an early lead with excellent passing, communication and hustle. They finished the first half ahead 22-8 and headed into the second half with unwavering energy. They held onto the solid lead throughout the second half and scored 14 more points to Loomis' two points. Eight different players added points to the board for Westminster. Most notably Ridgely Green '20 scored eight points, Brenna Monroe '17 and Alayna Tawney '19 both had six points, and Becca Gavel '18 and Sophia Gasser '18 both had four points each.

The girls played exceptionally well with hard work on defense, great passing and communication, and lots of shots. Hopkins' defense was tough, but the girls didn't let that slow them down. In the first half the team jumped to an early lead that they were able to hold onto for the rest of the game. The team put lots of defensive pressure on Hopkins and was able to get lots of steals and force many turnovers. Though the second half started a bit slow for the Martlets, eventually they found their momentum and finished with a 50-13 win. Seven different players contributed to the score. Most notably, Brenna Monroe '17 scored 16 points, Ridgely Green '20 had eight points, Alayna Tawney '19 and Becca Gavel '18 both had seven points. Sophie Salgar '20 scored her first baskets for Westminster with five points. 

 

Westminster put forth a good effort but lost to a talented Trinity Pawling team on the road. The Martlets began by showing an ability to break the press and play solid defense. However, Trinity Pawling forced the Black and Gold into numerous costly turnovers in the last eight minutes of the first half. The team had a long dry spell without a field goal and fell behind by 20 points at the intermission. Better offensive ball movement and improved communication on defense led to a more encouraging second half. Matt Marciano '19 hit a couple nice shots and sank five free throws to finish with nine points. Liam Seeley '20 added five points in the half, and Chris Whipple '18 sank a three. Andrew Lee '17 played a scrappy defense and led the Martlets in rebounds.

Andrew Lee '17 led all scorers with 21 points and Hayden Fox '19 pulled down 10 rebounds as the Martlets defeated Deerfield in Simsbury. Westminster fell behind in the opening minutes, but a strong defensive effort soon slowed the Deerfield attack. In the first half, Lee had nine points, Myles Hamm '17 hit three field goals, and Matt Marciano '19 added five points as the Black and Gold took a 22-14 lead. Nikola Kostic '18 had two timely baskets and five rebounds, and Souley Ballo '19 played a strong game defensively for Westminster. Deerfield made a late effort to close the scoring gap, but Lee sealed the victory with impressive drives to the hoop in the closing minutes.

Westminster faced a talented Kent team on Dec. 7. The team fell behind early, but never stopped battling. While Westminster struggled to get on the board, it certainly had chances as smart passes by defensemen Emma Lange '18 and Ashlee White '18 sent forwards Lilly Holmes '18 and Taylor Adams ’20 in on breakaways. In the end, it was not Westminster's night. Despite the adversity the girls faced, they faced it together and were a true example of Grit and Grace until the last seconds.

 

It was an exciting night in Jackson Rink as Westminster First Girls’ Hockey took on a tough and talented Gunnery squad. From the first shift, Westminster set the tempo. Lilly Holmes '18 found the back of the net on a beautiful power play goal. Ashlee White '18 kept the momentum going as she stepped up on a play with just three minutes left and took a hard shot that rebounded to the stick of Holmes who tallied her second of the game. The Gunnery was not about to sit back and rallied to get on the board. With just 58 seconds left in the first, a Gunnery forward shot through the screen and slipped the puck past Westminster goalie Leah Klassen '17. Westminster struggled to find the momentum in the second period. A string of penalties broke the rhythm and the team worked to regain the tempo. The Gunnery capitalized on its tough play scoring a goal to tie it up, followed by a go-ahead goal at the 10-minute mark. This sudden loss of the lead woke Westminster up. From the center face-off defenseman Emma Lange '18 took the puck wide to gain the offensive zone. Lange moved the puck to Taylor Adams '20 who took a quick shot. The rebound bounced to the far side to a crashing Megan Rittenhouse '20 who scored her first career goal. Westminster has tied it up in less than 30 seconds. Hannah Stone '18 took her spot between the pipes for Westminster and kept her team in it as the puck went end to end. Overtime started with 4-on-4 play. Captain Lily von Stade '17 cut to receive a perfect breakout pass. She gained the neutral zone, but when confronted with pressure, dumped the puck deep. von Stade proceeded to beat the Gunnery defenseman to the puck behind the net. From there she walked in front and let go a perfectly placed top-shelf far side shot to win the game for her team. The goal was the product of smart, aggressive play that is a true example for her teammates to follow.

 

Westminster played its best game of the season tonight as the team fell to a tough Loomis Chaffee team. The first period was full of back and forth play as both teams tried to reach and then exceed the tempo of the other. Excellent offensive zone play by forwards Cynnie White '17 and Mackenzie Griffith '17 challenged a talented Loomis goalie early on. As both teams went to the locker rooms after the first period, it was clear to all that this would be a fight to the finish. Westminster approached the second period with a "one shift at a time" game plan. Jill Parsons '19 and Hannah Carbone '19 helped set the tone to this end as they each made key defensive plays that supported swift breakouts. Finally, with just under a minute left, Lilly Holmes '18 beat a Loomis player to a loose puck in the neutral zone. Holmes took her opponent wide and used her body to protect the puck as she drove hard to the net. Holmes took a quick shot that bounced right back onto her stick. Seconds before she skated by the net she was able to slip it by the goalie to put Westminster up 1-0. The team struggled to control the tempo in the first minutes of the third period. Westminster goalie Leah Klassen '17 made a few outstanding saves that helped keep her team in the lead. Loomis would not give up as it capitalized on a turnover along the boards and tied up the game 1-1. Westminster woke up and forward Megan Rittenhouse '20 stepped up her game in the offensive zone; perfectly executing the team forecheck. Despite the renewed effort, Loomis stepped up on a breakout pass and scored to take the lead with just six minutes left. As the clock ticked down, Westminster called a time-out and pulled the goalie. Westminster's six players put on the pressure earning two shots in the final minute. Unfortunately, the team could not get the lucky bounce and the clocked timed out leaving Westminster with the loss. Despite falling short in a hard fought battle, the team has a lot to be proud of as it made some incredible progress.

‪Dec. 7: Hockey-First Boys' 7 vs Choate Rosemary Hall 3

Choate played a fast, physical game at Jackson rink on Dec. 7. The Martlets looked a little scattered in the opening frame, but they were able to match Choate’s energy and held Choate to two goals heading into the second period (2-1). Kai Edmonds ‘20 was confident and consistent in net, making several excellent saves to keep Westminster close. Choate and Westminster traded goals until the Martlets were able to seize the momentum and pull ahead at the end of the second period (4-3). Westminster finished the game with three more tallies in the third. Peter Horsfall ‘17, Jake Kirby ‘17, Patrick Dawson ‘18 and Tasso Housakos ‘18 each scored one goal. Jack Flanagan ‘17 scored a hat trick on the evening.

 

Traveling to Greenwich on Dec. 10, Westminster knew it would face a challenging atmosphere and a capable team in Brunswick. The game did not disappoint. The Martlets went down early but battled back to even things in the first period with a goal by Peter Horsfall ‘17. Westminster and Brunswick traded goals in the second period with Jake Kirby ‘17 scoring for the Martlets. The tie held throughout the third period. Ian Shane ‘20 replaced Kai Edmonds ‘19 late in the third after Edmonds’s skate broke. Shane made several key saves and withstood the pressure from Brunswick. Westminster also had many chances, but was unable to capitalize. Brunswick dug the puck out of the corner with only a few seconds remaining and was able to score the winning tally with under a second remaining. Penalties were even, though Westminster did have the edge in shots 32-29.

 

‪Dec. 7: Hockey-Second Girls’ 5 vs Deerfield Academy 3

Second Girls’ Hockey took on its first prep school opponent, Deerfield, and walked away with a 5-3 win. Several of the players made their hockey debut as Martlets and wore the black and gold well. Deerfield came out strong and scored two goals in the first period, leaving Westminster with a score of 0-2 going into the second. Kendall Brown ‘17 broke the dry spell with an unassisted goal off the crossbar that rang out through the rink. From there, the team picked up momentum. Brown, assisted by Maddy Paro ’17, scored again to start the third period and Susie Mahoney ‘20 followed up with two goals in one shift to take Westminster from 2-2 to 4-2. Mahoney rounded out the period with a third goal, and the team let one more sneak by to end the game 5-3. Lily Farriss ‘19 had another exceptional game logging 32 saves between the posts!

 

Second Girls’ Hockey played a very talented Mid Fairfield U13 team on Dec. 10. The Martlets rose to the challenge and played their best hockey so far this season. Highlights include Lily Farriss ‘19 making 43 saves in goal, while only letting three shots gets past her. Susie Mahoney’s ‘20 goal in the third period was off an assist from Kendall Brown ‘17. The goal came after a particularly good few shifts where the Martlets got several good shots off but were denied by the Mid Fairfield goalie. The final score was 1-3, but the girls should be proud of the game they played.

Second Boys’ Hockey hosted Choate at Jackson Rink and beat the Wild Boars by a score of 8-2. Choate, playing in its first game of this season, had trouble matching the Martlet speed and skill but the visitors hung tough and played a stronger final period. Westminster scored three goals in the first period. Quinn Armstrong '20 opened the scoring with Conor Brennan '17 earning the assist. Darian Benchich '20 had his wrister redirected into the opponent's net by Jack Griffith '17 for a 2-0 lead. Then Brett Daubert '20 dented the cords after a tape-to-tape pass from his linemate, Armstrong. The Black and Gold produced five more goals in the second frame. Jack Griffith scored twice more to complete a hat-trick with Jeffery Guiliano '17, Benchich, Max Powers '17 and Alex Biedron '18 figuring in on the assists. Armstrong and Powers added to their individual point totals with two pretty unassisted goals. Finally, Wyatt Pastor '20 got on the board following a good puck movement sequence by Charlie Flam '20 and Jake Szykowny '17. With the game firmly in hand, the host's intensity level dipped while the visitors pressed for their first goal of the young season. Choate was rewarded for its effort with two late period goals for an 8-2 final score. Alex Gadowski '18 made 13 saves on the afternoon.

 

Boys’ Second Hockey had its annual scrimmage with Malden Catholic (perennially one of the premier teams in Massachusetts) and fell by a score of 4-1. Conor Brennan '17 scored the Martlets lone goal with Quinn Armstrong '20 earning the assist. Ian Shane '20, playing in his first Westminster game, was solid in net making 25 stops. It was a great learning experience for the team. 

With an elapsed time of just 17 hours between the Malden Catholic scrimmage and hosting Simsbury High School varsity, Boys’ Second Hockey was not as fresh and sharp as it had been the night before. Nevertheless, the team managed to defeat the hometown rivals 2-1 in this highly anticipated game. Westminster's Darion Benchich '20 opened the scoring at the 10-minute mark of the first period after newly elected captain Jack Griffith '17, fed a cross-slot pass to the waiting Benchich. With only 47 seconds left in the first frame, Simsbury countered with a severe angle shot from the wall, tying the game at one apiece. During the second period, the Martlets retook the lead for good when Ken Mazzaro '17 and Brendan Jacobs '17 converted on a shorthanded two versus one opportunity. Mazzaro slid the puck over to Jacobs who stuffed home his own rebound for a one-goal advantage. Despite outshooting Simsbury by a margin of 23 to nine for the game, the home team couldn't extend the lead in the final period. This resulted in several anxious seconds at the very end of the game. With the Simsbury netminder on the bench, the visitors managed to get a puck down to the Westminster goalmouth, which was swept away just in the nick of time, preserving the 2-1 victory. Alex Gadowski '18 and Spencer Rellinger '17 shared eight saves on the day. Despite the win, the coaches weren't pleased with the sloppy play and undisciplined decisions made by a few members of the team. This resulted in nine Westminster penalties that turned a game that should have been firmly in-hand into a game that was up for grabs. Nonetheless, the team goes into the holiday break with a 4-0 record.

‪Dec. 5: Westminster School 5 vs Conn. Chiefs 4

As Malcolm Kleban '20 sprinted towards the Martlets’ bench in the waning minutes of the game, Ryan Szykowny '18 jumped the boards as the sixth attacker. With the Martlet net empty, the Chiefs turned the puck over at neutral ice, and Szykowny scooped it up and initiated what would be Westminster's final counter attack of regulation. Entering the zone, Szykowny deftly eluded several defenders before sliding a nice pass to Josh Cosentino '18 whose heavy wrist shot found daylight between the tender's pads. With the score tied ‪at 4-4, the Martlets suddenly had new life and entered the overtime stanza with energy and focus. Several shifts later and following some fierce fore-checking, the puck bounced to Willie Noble '20 in the high slot who used traffic in front to create a screen and rocket his shot over the goalie's blocker to seal the victory. This game was fast-paced and exciting from the opening whistle as the Martlets had to match a young team of solid players, already 35 games into its season. During the course of this contest, the Martlets three-goal lead had very leading staying power as the Chiefs responded with four unanswered goals and appeared to be ready to notch another victory, one ultimately that the Martlets would deny. Cosentino led the scoring with two, SK Lee went one, one, and both Grant Noble 18 and Willie Noble ' 20 contributed goals to the effort. All the blueliners -- Jackson Schopp'19, Lee, Szykowny, Aidan Wood '20 and Wes Oltsch '20 -- anchored what was a team win to be sure. Both goalies played well and made some key saves throughout the game. 

Third Boys' 0-3 loss against a quick and skilled Rumsey squad reflects an emerging pattern and inevitably a season ahead of closely matched teams competing hard. The Martlets demonstrated good energy and a high compete level through three stanzas and played well enough to win. However, impressive goal tending at both ends of the rink appeared to be the order of the day, with both Will Scott '20 and Malcolm Kleban '20 playing brilliantly and turning away plenty of good shots, many coming from close in. While Rumsey was able to notch two goals on two good shots, as well as an open net goal in the final minute, the Martlets were never able to crack the Rumsey tender who, similar to Scott and Kleban, played outstanding. Among other strong performances, the defensive corps of Jackson Schopp '19, SK Lee '18, Aidan Wood '20 and Wes Oltsch '20 managed the puck well all afternoon. At forward, Wick Carter '19, Carson Roth '19, and Ethan Puhala '18 had a little extra in their strides. 

   

Third Boys’ Hockey ran into a deep, skilled and physical junior varsity team from Northfield and came out on the short end of a 3-7 game. While the Martlets were able to stay close to the Hoggers for two periods, the unceasing offensive onslaught proved too much in the third. The Martlets, however, kept battling until the end and will inevitably become an even better, more experienced team. Offensive highlights included an SK Lee '18 rush with a pretty back hander that eluded the NMH goaltender. Later, Willie Noble '20 blasted a hard, low shot that presented a rebound that Josh Cosentino '18 banged home. Cosentino would strike again on the goalie's doorstep, finding the handle on a Ryan Szykowny ’18 rip from the high slot. Both Cosentino and John Murdock '19 played strong games at the center position, rotating between three lines and helping the defense manage the lower part of the zone. Mason Horrigan '18 provided a physical presence all over the ice. 

The girls moved to 2-0 with a 5-2 win at Westover, taking advantage of an advantage in experience and power. With number one player Abby Leblanc ’17 forced to sit the match out, everyone had to play up a spot. It was too tall an order for Caroline Percival '19 and Katie Kosior '18 at numbers one and two, as both lost in three. At number three, Caroline Miller '18 dropped her first game before forcing her opponent to the back in sweeping the next three. The bottom four matches were not close, as Dora Mitchel '17, Caroline Kelter '19, Annabel Bradley '19 and Rebecca Sargent '20 all won their matches giving up no more than four points per game.

‪Dec. 7: Squash-First Boys’ 3 vs Berkshire School 4

The Martlets traveled to Sheffield, Mass. to take on Berkshire on a cold, windy day in their brand new 10-court facility. Berkshire’s new courts are light and airy and play well. The Westminster boys played well but fell just short of a victory. In the end, Westminster won the top of the ladder matches 1, 2, 3, while Berkshire won the bottom four, though not without some stiff resistance. Connor Seeley ’18 was down 6-10 in his first game and stormed back to win 12-10. He was unable to garner another game, however. Matthew Swenson ’17 made some adjustments after his first game and soon found himself at one all, seven all. Unfortunately, Swenson lost the third game and a close fourth game. Even closer was Chanler Miller's ’18 match, which went back and forth. Miller won the first game and lost the next two, relying too heavily on his drop shots. Going back to length, Miller won the fourth game and battled in the fifth game but came up just short. At 1 and 2, Aly Tolba ’18 and Will Leathers ’17 played with control and command and won their matches in three games. At 3, Andrew Doucette ’18 found himself down 0-2, but battled back in a thrilling match to win 3-2. Doucette had to fight off two match balls in game four.

Second Girls’ Squash took the long trip to Millbrook and fell by a 7-0 score. Annabel Bradley '19 and Rebecca Sargent '20 were competitive at the number one and two slots respectively but the Millbrook girls were too strong. 

 

Second Girls’ Squash went on the road for the second straight match to compete against Westover and came away with a 7-0 victory. Lily Mahoney '17, Nikki Armour '18, Georgia Swank '19 and Sam Monte '17 got the girls off to a 4-0 lead after the first round of matches. Mahoney won at the #2 position 11-2, 11-2, and 11-6, while Armour won at #4 by a 11-3,11-0, 11-2 score. Swank played the #6 slot and prevailed 11-3, 11-3, and 11-4, while Monte outlasted her opponent 11-1, 11-0, and 11-3 at #7. The second round of matches included wins by Annie Hicks '17, Brinley Cuddeback '17 and Elaina Comia '19. Hicks had a relatively tight match at #1, winning 11-6,11-7, 11-7, while Cuddeback was victorious at #3, 11-1, 11-2 and 11-3. Comia finished off the scoring at #5, prevailing 11-2, 11-1, 11-2. The girls are done with matches for 2016 and will hit the courts again after the winter break.

‪Dec. 7: Squash-Third Girls’ 0 vs Hopkins School 7

Westminster won its home opener in a tightly played contest against the Crimson Knights. Both Spencer Organ ’18 and Travis Paulsen ’20 went the full five games. Organ was up 2-1, with each of the first three games extending to 12-10, but couldn’t close out the match as his opponent battled back to take the final two games. Meanwhile, Paulsen reversed that scenario, eking out a 12-10 win in the fourth game after being down 2-1, and then sealing his match with an 11-6 victory in the fifth and decisive set. Jack Hajdukiewicz ’19 and Vincent Wang ’19, playing consistent and steady squash, won in straight sets. The Truong brothers, Dinh ’19 and Quoc ’20, also swept their matches. In the previous match, Quoc had limped off the court with various scrapes and bruises, but this time is was the older sibling Dinh who suffered the battle scars. Although they each lost their match in straight sets, Will Carlisle ’19 and Carter Henshaw ’20 showed great improvement over their first contests. When Carlisle’s serve was on, it was unreturnable. Ryan Lee ’18 and Scott Lee ’20 found themselves in tight, evenly played matches. Up 2-1 after three games, but with their respective opponents hanging tough in the fourth, they managed to close out their matches with the slimmest of two-point victories. In perhaps the match of the day, Boyan Alipiev ’19, brand new to squash —

playing his first match after only two practices — lost his first game 9-11, and then rallied back to get the victory.

 

It was a tough day for the Martlets. At the top of the ladder, Spencer Organ ’18, Jack Hajdukiewicz ’18 and Ryan Lee ’18 all played hard but went down in defeat, 0-3. Organ and Lee, who spent the morning taking the ACTs, had nothing more to give on the courts in the afternoon. Likewise, Will Carlisle ’19, Carter Henshaw ’20, Quoc Truong ’20 and Dinh Truong ’19 were unable to win a game in their matches, although Carlisle and the younger Truong came close in each game. Scott Lee ’20, playing up a rung at #7, split the first two frames, and then lost a nail-biter, 11-13, in the third  and simply ran out of steam. Travis Paulsen ’20 started strong and found himself up 2-1, but couldn’t close out the match as his opponent refused to go quietly into the night and came back to win the next two. For the second consecutive match, Vincent Wang ’19 disposed of his opponent in straight sets, although the first two games were quite close. Finally, Boyan Alipiev ‘19, looking like he’s been playing squash all his life, as opposed to six days, won convincingly with sheer determination and athleticism.

 

The Westminster boys finished sixth at Trinity College in a deep field of seven teams. Co-captain Jordan Gabbidon '17 lead the way for the Martlets with a second place finish in the 100 back and a third in the 100 fly. Matt Norris '19 was fourth in the 200 IM and third in the 500 free. Albert Gao '18 swam a good 200 free (fifth) and Emmett de Kanter '19 continued to drop time, swimming on two A relays in his second-ever meet. Jack Detwiler '19, David DeFronzo '19, Hayden Cathcart '18, and co-captain Gary Simons ’17 also had strong efforts throughout the afternoon, and co-captain Joel Groves ’17 was fourth in the diving. 

 

The Westminster girls finished third in a field of seven teams behind Williston and Milton in this special format invitational at Trinity College. Co-captain Elizabeth Brewer '17, co-captain Leta Giordano '17, Alex Lin '19, and Liza Lennox '18 finished third in the 200 Medley Relay to kick things off. Giordano placed second in both the 200 freestyle and 100 fly, and Lin placed second in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free. Jane Ogden '19 placed third in the diving. Natalie Fay '19, Clea Guerrand-Hermes '19, Mary Su '18, Mary Kille '18 and Shannon Keefe '19 all had great swims to help the team.