Martlets Fall to AOF

Westminster faced traditional rival Avon Old Farms on the eve of the long winter weekend. Unfortunately, this matchup was controlled by the Winged Beavers for long stretches as the Martlets struggled to match the visitor’s intensity. This Avon side – undefeated, well-coached, and determined – put the hosts on their heels from the opening whistle. Stalwart goaltender Alec Rosenbaum ‘23 did everything he could, ultimately turning aside 33 shots on the afternoon, but even his often-stellar play could not generate any Black and Gold momentum. Avon opened the scoring midway through the first period when Westminster failed to pick up a free man just off the near post; they doubled their lead about 5 minutes later when a 3-on-2 break led to a goal (a little more back-pressure from the Martlet forwards was called for). The Martlets showed some life in the 2nd period when Jack DeGulis ‘23 took a pass in the slot from Luke Reiter ‘23 from below the Avon goal line and fired a quick snap shot up under the cross bar. Easton Masse ‘25 also assisted on the play, which came after several strong shifts that were rare bright spots on an otherwise desultory afternoon. The coaches often say that one of the most important shifts in a hockey game is the shift after a goal, for or against, and that was clearly true today: on the very next shift, the Winged Beavers won the face off, worked the puck deep, won the forechecking battle, and slammed a rebound past Rosenbaum: 1-3, Avon. That goal seemed to really deflate the Martlets, and while Rosenbaum kept the home side in the game, Westminster never really threatened the Avon lead (the Martlets managed only 14 shots for the game). Avon would add 2 more goals in the 3rd period to pad their lead and give them a well-earned 1-5 victory. As the team leaves for their well-deserved break – there’s no question the players are tired, a little beat up, out of sync, and the lineup was missing a few key members – we’ll lick our proverbial wounds and look forward to getting back to work upon our return. This team has a lot of talent and potential, but also room to grow and hopefully learned a little bit about competing at the highest level in this league today. The good news: the JVs can look forward to a rematch with Avon later this month . . . it’ll be an excellent chance to measure their progress. But first: Hotchkiss on the road on February 9th.