Martlets Fall to AOF

The Martlets fell to the visiting Winged Beavers by a lopsided score of 1-10, struggling to play with any consistent structure or to match Avon’s speed and intensity. Perhaps it was the promise of the Hill Holiday the next day, or perhaps it was simply an off day, but the Black & Gold, despite scoring first, couldn’t quite find their legs as they chased the visitors all afternoon. The shot totals tell the tale: Avon outshot Westminster by a margin of 2 to 1, and while netminder Danny Maher ‘26 made 43 saves, he was pressured throughout the game and too often left facing odd-man rushes or uncovered men in front of his net. The team has been working on defensive systems and in-zone coverage all season, but in this game, the JVs had a hard time – particularly in the 1st period when the team yielded five goals – defending effectively. That, a few too many chances taken by Martlets when a more cautious, defensive play was called for, is the story of this contest. This old coach knows all too well that if you’re not playing with good structure and balance, and the puck’s not staying on your stick, it’s going to be a long afternoon. The game started okay for the Black & Gold, with more or less even play in the first many minutes. The always competitive Dylan Zapata ‘27 got the Martlets the early lead when he hammered home a rebound of a Xavier Kahn ‘27 shot; Kahn drove the net down the near side, broke around the Avon defensemen to get the puck on the net, which ricocheted right into the slot where Zapata was crashing the net. Unfortunately, as has happened more than once to the Martlets, Avon came right back down the ice after the ensuing faceoff to even the score less than a minute later. After that, it was pretty much all Avon. With the score 1-5, the 1st period came to an end and the Martlets retreated to the locker room to regroup. The 2nd and 3rd periods were better from a systems standpoint, but Avon continued to press and added to their lead: two goals in the middle frame and three in the final stanza. Even though the JVs found themselves on the powerplay multiple times, including two 5-on-3s, the team couldn’t find the back of the Avon net on this frustrating afternoon. Many thanks to our Sixth Form parents for hosting a gathering honoring our Sixth Formers in their final game at Jackson Rink, and especially to Caroline and Jim Gallagher for organizing the event. The team has the day off to rest and recover, then it’ll be back to work on Friday to prepare for our final game of the season on the road at Deerfield. That contest will certainly be another test for the Martlets, and we’ll try to finish the season on a high note. The Pioneer Valley offers a host of attractions for the intrepid road trip hockey fan, so make a day of it; the puck drop at Deerfield is at 2:30 pm (a change from the originally scheduled 1 pm start). We’ll see you at the rink!