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Martlets Win Shootout at NMH
Playing their sixth game in eight days, the Martlets dramatically broke out of their scoring slump and played with real grit to come from behind and defeat a scrappy Hogger team. In an exciting back-and-forth game, the victory took the full 45 minutes of play as the teams combined for 13 goals and four lead changes. The Seconds played a much tighter, smarter and all-around stronger game then they did the night before, and the coaches are proud of the way the team responded to that loss. In particular, the Martlets did a much better job staying out of the penalty box — and killed off all four penalties assessed against them – and scored three times on the power play and had a short-handed tally late in the game to make the special teams battle the story of the win. Fully 11 Martlets participated in the scoring, but everyone wearing the Westminster sweater contributed to the victory. The game began auspiciously for the Seconds, as they repeatedly worked the puck into the Hogger end and generated several good scoring chances. But the hosts withstood the attack, and taking advantage of a favorable bounce and some of their own tough and smart play on the Westminster blueline beat goalie Will Scott '20 twice to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room at the end of the first period. After a few defensive adjustments, and rightfully feeling pretty good about the first period overall, the Seconds came roaring out for the middle stanza and scored four unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead. Newt Cutler '22 started the scoring with a wrister from the left face-off circle that clanged off the inside of the far post; defensemen Rex Flinn '21 (playing his usual intelligent, steady game) had started that play by keeping the puck in the NMH end and finding Cutler. Less than a minute later the Martlets lit the lamp again, as blueliner Jack Rockefeller '23 collected a pass from Willie Noble '20 in the near corner and ripped a shot over the Hogger keeper's left shoulder. Defensive partner Beck Winsor '21 also assisted on that play when he fired the puck in to Noble. Now dominating play, the Martlets struck again roughly three minutes later with another well-placed shot from the point when Keegan Bankoff '22 scored a carbon-copy of Rockefeller's goal after a nifty play from Nate Stevens '21 following an Oscar Ball '22 clean face-off win (Ball was seemingly unbeatable on face-offs this afternoon). That gave the Seconds the lead for the first time; they padded that lead 30 seconds later when Cutler scored his second of the game after a scramble in front of the net following a Stevens blast from the point. But the Hoggers were not to be denied and mounted a rally of their own, scoring twice to end the second period with the score knotted 4-4. NMH's strong play continued in the third period, and they scored twice more in the first four minutes of the final frame to take a 4-6 lead. But the Martlets dug in, killed off a couple of penalties, and regained their footing. Keep in mind that this was their 18th period of hockey in just over a week, but a stout heart can overcome tired legs anytime. Ball brought the team to within one, combining with Sawyer von Jess '22 on a neat give-and-go before beating the NMH goalie cleanly just under the crossbar. The next several minutes were back and forth, but the ice was decidedly tipped in Westminster's favor. Scott made several big saves to keep the Seconds in the game, including an energizing glove save on a Hogger breakaway with the Martlets still trailing by a goal. That save added real urgency to Westminster's play, and the puck spent plenty of time in the Hogger end from thence forward. An aggressive Martlet forecheck led to a penalty, however, and the team found itself a man down with barely three minutes to go and trailing by a goal. Penalty killers Will Rizzo '21 and Xander Cardia '21, however, were equal to the task, and working hard forced a turnover in neutral ice that Cardia pounced on. Breaking in alone, Cardia made a quick inside-out move that left the Hogger keeper off his line, and he coolly slid the puck in for the tying goal with 1:45 on the clock. After a Westminster time out to collectively catch their breaths, the game resumed with end-to-end play. With a face-off to the left of the NMH keeper and with about 30 seconds remaining, the line of Ball, Cutler and Will Mazzaro '21 and defensemen Stevens and Rockefeller took the ice. Though the Black and Gold lost the face-off, all five Martlets ferociously forechecked to keep the puck in the Hogger end. After the puck was chipped to the far wall, Cutler scooped up the loose biscuit and beat his man in the right corner before cutting back to the goal below the goal line. Mazzaro, who played a high-energy impact game all afternoon, crashed the net, muscled in front of a Hogger defenseman, and hammered home a perfect Cutler pass with barely seven seconds to go for the game winner. After an exultant and well-deserved Martlet celebration, the final ticks of the clock were a bit anticlimactic. The game ended with the Seconds celebrating their first victory of the season and the host Hoggers understandably stunned. Overall, a strong team effort from the entire roster, with every player contributing strong shifts, good defensive play, killed penalties and so sharing equally in the victory. A real lesson in how it takes every guy on the bench to win a hockey game. Special congratulations to newly-elected tri-captains Rizzo, Scott and Stevens, all of whom well-deserve the recognition and who all received strong support from their teammates. The Martlets head into the winter holiday on a high note after a tough start to the season, and will look to build off this victory in the new year. This coach, for one, has rarely savored a more satisfying victory, and looks forward to the rest of the season.
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