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Winter Sports Highlights 12.17.18

Hockey - First Boys'
Dec. 10: Hockey - First Boys’ 2 vs. Trinity-Pawling School 2
The gear had barely dried and the boys were back at it Dec. 10 against a very good Trinity-Pawling team. The coaches were pleased with how Westminster started the game. The pace was good and the ozone time was solid. However, after 18 minutes of play the team found itself down 1-0 after a late goal by TP. The Martlets came out quick again to start the second and about six minutes in, on a very nice individual effort, Ned Blanchard ’20 tied the game at 1-1, beating the solid TP goaltender glove side high. Not wanting to play with the lead for too long. The team gave up a goal on the ensuing shift and found itself down 2-1 going into the third period. Westminster’s game, all night long, was solid but was not getting the results. Down 2-1 with the third period winding down, the team found itself on a power play. With the tender pulled and an extra attacker on the ice, Westminster pushed hard. Blanchard found Jake Monroe ’20 to the tender's left with just about seven seconds to play. Monroe fired a shot that was turned aside but the rebound danced around the crease. Nate Pane ’19 batted the loose puck past the tender with just as the buzzer sounded to tie the game up and send it to OT. Westminster had a few good looks in the extra frame but OT ended with both teams skating to a 2-2 tie. Ian Shane ’20 made some incredible, highlight-film saves that kept the team tight throughout. Shane turned away 32 of 34 attempts.
 
Holiday Athletics Tournaments
 
First Boys' Basketball
Kingswood Oxford Invitational Tournament at Kingswood Oxford School, Dec. 14-16
Dec. 14: Basketball - First Boys’ 59 vs. Berkshire School 63
In the first game in the KO Holiday tournament, the Martlets took on a good Berkshire squad. The game was back and forth the entire time. In the end, Berkshire made a few more plays down the stretch. Chris Robinson ‘20, Joel Pullen ‘20 and Kyle Hoffman ‘19 all played well for the Martlets.

Dec. 15: Basketball - First Boys’ 52 vs. Pomfret School 51
In the second game of the KO Holiday tournament, the Martlets found themselves in a barnburner with Pomfret. Even though the Martlets were down a starter it was the same for the opposing team. The game went into overtime. In the closing seconds of OT, Chris Robinson ‘20 scored a deep game-winning three point shot for the win. Jalen Sears ‘19 had a solid game on both ends of the court.

Dec. 16: Basketball - First Boys’ 50 vs. Storm King 62
In the third game of the KO tournament, the Martlets played Storm King. The Martlets came out on fire to start the game. Even into the second half, the Martlets controlled the game. Deep in the second half, Storm King took advantage of its size advantage and won the game on the glass. Chris Robinson ‘20 and Jalen Sears ‘19 carried the Martlets on offense. Kyle Hoffman ‘19 had a steady game on the defense end and he ended the game with a double double!
 
First Girls' Basketball
The Ethel Walker School Holiday Invitational at Ethel Walker School, Dec. 14 and 15
Dec. 14: Basketball - First Girls’ 31 vs. Beaver Country Day School 66
Westminster competed early but ran out of gas late in the second half and found itself down by 16 at the half. Too many turnovers and missed open shots enabled BCD to extend its lead, and the game was essentially over with 10 minutes left. Ridgely Green '20 and Bethany Winters '20 led the team in scoring. Bella Tawney '22 led the team in rebounds and blocked shots, and Margaret Kennedy '22 had her best game of the year.
 
Dec. 15: Basketball - First Girls’ 22 vs. Hotchkiss School 37
This game was much closer than the score indicates. The team was down 16-11 at the half, and the deficit remained five or six points for most of the second half. Ultimately, the team missed too many open shots and made too many turnovers. Margaret Kennedy '22, Bethany Winters '20 and Bella Tawney '22 were leading scorers; Tawney and Ridgely Green '20 led the team in rebounding.
 
Dec. 15: Basketball - First Girls’ 45 vs. Canterbury School 52
This was a disappointing loss because Westminster literally missed eight or nine open breakaway layups that would have put the team on top. But, this was also a nice effort by an undermanned team that was missing, due to injury and family obligations, three of its top six players. Bella Tawney '22, who was named representative to the all-tournament team, led Westminster with 16 points and 20 rebounds; Margaret Kennedy '22 also came up big with 11 points and a lot of steals. Tori Kline '19 added a career-high six points, and seven of eight players scored while everyone contributed to the second-half comeback effort.
 
First Boys' Hockey
Flood-Marr Tournament, Dec. 14-16
Dec. 14: Hockey - First Boys’ 1 vs. Phillips Academy 3, at Noble and Greenough
Westminster faced off against Andover in its first game of the Flood Marr tournament at Nobles Dec. 14. In a one-sided affair in everything except the outcome, the Martlets emerged with a lot to feel good about from this game. Westminster outshot Andover 38-13 in the game, controlled offensive zone time and played an effective team game in all three zones. Andover’s goalie was exceptional in this game. Andover scored first in the second period off a broken play and then again on a power play to take a 2-0 lead. Before the second ended the Martlets cut their lead to one off a very nice one-timer by Jordie McKenna ‘19. The third period was much the same as the first two, with strong offensive zone presence and ample opportunities to score. Andover got another tally in the open net at the end of the third.
 
Dec. 15: Hockey - First Boys’ 3 vs. Hotchkiss School 0, at Milton Academy
The Martlets faced off against the undefeated Bearcats in their second game of the Flood Marr Holiday Tournament. The Martlets got off to a slow start, but took control of the game through steady offensive zone pressure and consistent attention to detail. Sean Clarke ‘19 scored late in the first period on the power play off a great feed from Ned Blanchard ‘20, who found Clarke on the back post. Clarke would find the back of the net again in the second period when he buried a rebound in tight on the net. Near the end of the second period Iggy Belov ‘20 put the Martlets up three when he corralled a loose puck and got it behind the Hotchkiss tender. Belov was rewarded for his persistence on this play, as his first attempt was saved and then he recovered his own rebound. The Martlets played their best game of the tournament so far and knocked off an undefeated team. Ian Shane ‘20 was great in net making a few big saves in this one to keep Hotchkiss at bay.
 
Dec. 15: Hockey - First Boys’ 8 vs. Milton Academy 1, at Milton Academy
So far, scoring has been hard to come by for the Martlets in 2018. However, the team finished out a great day at the Flood Marr by scoring 11 points in two games (Hotchkiss and Milton), matching the total from all of its previous games combined. Hopefully this will be a confidence booster for the Martlets, as with their strong goaltending, pumping a few more into the opposing nets will help Sunday at the tournament, as well as in 2019. The game opened up very slowly, and at times it looked like Milton was carrying the play. Perhaps the second game and 5 p.m. start caught a few players off-guard. After a great performance in the morning, this opening was tough to see. The second period was a different story, and it was obvious after a few minutes that Milton simply didn’t have the calvary to match the Martlets. Westminster opened the scoring, and Milton would earn its only tally on a penalty shot a few minutes later. From there it was all black and gold. The Martlets scored seven unanswered goals to walk away with an 8-1 win Saturday night. Ian Shane ‘20 was great in net again, stopping 23 of 24.
 
Dec. 16: Hockey - First Boys’ 5 vs. Noble and Greenough 3, at Noble and Greenough
 
First Girls' Hockey
Harrington Invitational, Dec. 14-16
Dec. 14: Hockey - First Girls’ 0 vs. Noble and Greenough 2, at Milton Academy
Westminster entered the Harrington Tournament ready to compete. Their first opponent was a tough Nobles team. To start, Westminster worked the nerves out and developed a nice rhythm. Nobles was able to strike twice in the first, but Westminster regrouped in between periods and took to the ice focused with the task at hand. Forward Megan Rittenhouse '20 set the example as she demonstrated grit on her back checks and in the corners. Westminster's hustle resulted in drawing consecutive penalties. Abby Munger '20 did a great job feeding the puck in front and the scoring opportunities further fueled the team. Defenseman Sam DeLeo '21 was solid in the back, but took every chance to shoot from the point. The third period was the fastest yet. Goalie Mandy Busky '21 gave her teammates the momentum by coming up with a great save in traffic. As the time ticked down, Westminster put the pressure on, yet Nobles was able to hang on. The score didn't go Westminster's way, but the Martlets certainly used this game as an opportunity to get better as a team.
 
Dec. 15: Hockey - First Girls’ 0 vs. Williston Northampton School 1, at Noble and Greenough
The Martlets flew together Dec. 15, as they took on top ranked Williston Northampton School at the Harrington Tournament. The play was fast from the start as forward Megan Rittenhouse '20 energized the forecheck. Nina Ausperger '19 and Hannah Carbone '19 kept things steady in the back and goalie Kayla Ireland '22 kept her team in it through a flurry of shots at the end of the first. With the score locked at 0-0 heading into the second, each team prepared for an even greater effort. Williston took to the ice with incredible speed putting the pressure on early. Westminster fell back and were outshot 5-0 in the first five minutes. Slowly, the Martlets found their momentum by keeping their game simple and shifts short. Incredible short-handed chances by Hailey Tullo '22 and a well-executed offensive rush by Jenny Guider '20 and Taylor Adams '20 gave Westminster the edge, but not the lead heading into the final period. Westminster had a much better start to the third period and as the second ticked away, each team took more chances to get the lead. In the final minute, Williston broke free and slid one into the net to go ahead 1-0 with only 38 seconds to go. Westminster pulled the goalie, but Williston held tough till the final buzzer. It was the team's best, most complete effort yet.
 
Dec. 15: Hockey - First Girls’ 5 vs. Middlesex School 3, at Noble and Greenough
Westminster battled for the win Dec. 15 against a tough Middlesex team at the Harrington Tournament. The first period was back and forth as both teams worked to find their strength in the second game of the day. Incredible efforts by Casey Winslow '21 led to a turnover behind the net. Winslow gained possession and sent the perfect pass out front to Jill Parsons '19 who buried the puck on a one-timer. The second period brought some adversity for the Martlets as Middlesex turned up the tempo. Westminster fell behind 2-1 by the middle of the period and needed to dig deep to get control of the game. Forward Hailey Tullo '22 stepped up and executed the perfect face-off play to even the score with just seven minutes remaining in the period. Emma Gurnell '21 struck again off a beautiful regroup play from Abby Munger '20 and Nina Ausperger '19. With the score tied at 2-2, Megan Rittenhouse '20 worked hard to break up a play and beat a sliding Middlesex goalie to give the Martlets the lead by the end of the second. The third period was more back and forth play as each team fought through fatigue. Finally, at the five minute mark, Parsons passed to Sam DeLeo '21 who sent a beautiful shot over the shoulder of the goalie to make the score 5-2. Middlesex would not be denied, however, and managed to put the team on its heels, scoring in the final minute to make it 5-3
 
Dec. 16: Hockey - First Girls’ 1 vs. St. Mark's School 2, at Milton Academy
Westminster faced off against St. Mark's for the second time this season during the final game of the Harrington Tournament. The Martlets struggled to find their focus in the first period, and as a result fell to a 1-0 deficit heading into the second. Despite gaining possession to start the period, St. Mark's went on the counter attack and scored again just 40 seconds in to make it 2-0. With their back against the wall, the Martlets looked to each other to find their rhythm. Steady play by forward Margaret Sadak '22 helped produced turnovers that gave the team much-needed momentum. Finally, at the 11-minute mark, Taylor Adams '20 made a crafty play off a pass from Casey Winslow '21 to get Westminster on the board and within one. The third period proved more chaotic than hoped as penalties plagued both teams and incredible power play opportunities rang off the posts and bounced just wide. Westminster played to the buzzer, but could not even the score. It was a tough one after a full weekend. All in all, the team got better in this difficult tournament. Losses aside, the Martlets enjoyed the opportunity to play some of the best hockey New England has to offer.
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