Martlets Fall to AOF

The Martlets jumped in a pair of toasters and headed south on the old College Highway (Connecticut Route 10 on your maps) to meet the Winged Beavers of Avon Old Farms for the 2nd leg of the annual home-and-home series with our nearest rival. The JVs had bested AOF at Jackson Rink a few weeks ago, and this old coach knew well from long Founders League experience that beating Avon twice in one season is a tall order—and if accomplished, something of a hockey Holy Grail (that is to say, fabled, elusive, and earned by only the most worthy).  And so it was, as the team ran into a bit of buzzsaw this afternoon. From the opening puck drop, the home side proved that they had come to play today, pushing the pace and winning races and puck battles all over the ice. It was not so much that the Black & Gold weren’t prepared or made too many assumptions as it was that the Winged Beavers, defending home ice and looking to avenge their defeat earlier in the season, simply wanted it more today. Sometimes, as Coach van Dolah observed after the game, you just get outworked. The Martlets struck first when Mikey Wang ‘28 banged home a loose puck on a scramble in front of the Avon net; Paul Coccaro ‘28 assisted on that goal. In truth, that early lead came after several hard shifts from Avon, which required netminder Teddy Pemberton ‘29 to come up with more than one big save. Unfortunately, Avon came right back off the ensuing faceoff, when the Martlets were caught flat-footed, and Avon tied the score less than 30 seconds after Wang’s tally. That was a clear signal to the JVs that they’d better buckle up and get to work: this Avon team meant business. Westminster made it 2-1 late in the 1st when Connor Quinn ‘29 fired a wrist shot from the high slot past the keeper; Quinn had picked up the puck just inside the Avon blue line before pivoting, taking a few steps, and using an Avon defender to screen the goalie. When the 1st period ended, and the teams went to their locker rooms, the coaches hoped that the break and a chance to refocus would encourage the Martlets to meet the Winged Beavers head-on. And so it was, as the game settled into a more balanced, back-and-forth affair. The Black & Gold had their chances, but each time the Avon keeper, who got stronger as the game went on, turned aside the bid. Ultimately, the Martlets outshot the hosts 35-24, but the bounces weren’t there, and the JVs just couldn’t seem to penetrate the determined Avon defense. The Winged Beavers did a terrific job collapsing down on their net to protect their goalie, blocking shots and mounting quick counters off changes of possession. Avon scored the next 3 goals late in the 2nd and early in the 3rd to build a 2-4 lead, and most of those goals came off odd-man breaks after periods of Westminster possession or from winning neutral ice puck battles and charging into the Black & Gold zone. Still, the Black & Gold battled and hoped to turn the tide of the game. Westminster made it 4-3 when Dylan Zapata ‘27 broke in alone and slipped the puck between the Avon keeper's pads (with Carsten Matthews ‘28 assisting), but that was as close as the Martlets got. Less than a minute after Zapata’s goal, Avon restored their 2 goal lead on the power play when the JVs failed to clear a loose puck in front of Pemberton. The final minutes were marred by a series of penalties for both teams—perhaps passions were running high in this intense, long-standing rivalry—but that prevented the Martlets from mounting a sustained effort to climb back into the game. And so the buzzer sounded, and that’s how the day ended, with the Black & Gold on the short side of a 3-5 score. Full credit to Avon, who played the full 48 minutes with energy and intensity—exactly what one would expect from a Winged Beaver team playing at home. The JVs will lick their wounds and get back to work tomorrow in preparation for the final game of this overall successful season: the always-tough Deerfield Big Green will be coming to town. This is always a terrific game, and a great finale to the season. Ticket sales are already brisk—the puck drop is at 2:30 pm for the highlight contest of the day at Jackson Rink—and parking will be at a premium. Plan ahead to support the 11-7 Martlets as they take on Deerfield, which sports an eerily similar record. US 91 bragging rights are on the line. See you at the rink!