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Martlets Clipped by Winged Beavers

The Martlets welcomed rival Avon Old Farms for an afternoon game at Jackson rink. The talented visitors brought with them a 13-1 record and some impressive scores against Founders League teams. The Seconds spent the last two days of practice working to implement some new systems and formations in hopes of blunting the Avon attack. The good news is those efforts paid off, as the Seconds played strong defense against Avon, forced turnovers in neutral ice, and generated some sustained pressure in the Avon end. The bad news is the Winged Beavers were able to keep the home side off the scoreboard. The team matched Avon's intensity for 45 minutes, battling hard on both sides of the puck. Goaltender Will Scott '20 played a terrific game, ultimately turning aside 29 Avon shots (for their part, Westminster produced 21, all of which the capable Avon keeper saved in earning the shutout). The game was an even affair throughout, and all three of Avon's goals game on scrambles in front of the net that the Martlets were unable to clear. Avon got on the board late in the first period when a Westminster defenseman failed to clear the puck deep in the near corner, hitting an oncoming Avon forechecker. The ensuing bounce found its way to the front of the Martlet net where, after several swipes by both teams and a general scrum, Avon was able to force the puck past Scott. The score remained 0-1 for most of the rest of the game. The contest was back-and-forth, and the Seconds managed several good plays that created offensive chances — but all went begging. With five minutes to play in the game, a battle for the puck behind the Martlet net led to a crazy bounce off several players that settled right next to Scott's right post; an opportunistic Avon forward was able to jam it home to make the score 0-2. But the Martlets battled on, again producing a string of good shifts in the Avon end. The pressure produced a Westminster power play, which the Martlets pressed, but Avon was able to deflect the puck into neutral ice. That play led to a 2-on-1 shorthanded break against the Martlets. Scott made the first save, with the rebound popping straight up in the air. In a crazy bit of bad puck-luck, a backchecking Westminster defenseman attempted to kick the puck to the corner, but instead deflected the puck directly into the Martlet net giving Avon a 0-3 lead with about two minutes to go. Westminster pulled Scott, and with another Avon penalty had a 6-on-4 advantage for the final minutes of the game. Several shots found their way to the Avon net, but the Martlets were stymied repeatedly. The final buzzer sounded with the home side still working hard, but to no avail. Overall, the coaches were pleased with the entire team's efforts, particularly given the introduction of a new system. Despite coming out on the losing end, the team should be proud of holding arguably the best team in the league to task. A puck bounce here or there could have led to an entirely different result. Credit to the line of Will Rizzo '21, Ryan Huntley '21 and Xander Cardia '21 who all played a strong game and were often matched against Avon's top line. But they weren't the only Martlets playing with real grit this afternoon: Jack Adams '23 had a very good game, as did his linemates Peter Diorio '23 and David Harris '21. The same could be said for the line of Oscar Ball '22, Newt Cutler '22 and Will Mazzaro '21. Kudos to the Seconds' defensive corps for their hard-nosed play against the speedy and skilled Avon forwards: Nate Stevens '21, Jack Rockefeller '23, Rex Flinn '21, Sawyer von Jess '22 and Ben Michaud '22 anchored the blueline throughout the game. The coaches appreciate, too, the willingness of Keegan Bankoff '22 and Beck Winsor '21 to play out of position in order for the team to draw up a lineup that gave the Martlets the best chance to win. Together with linemate Nick Mascolo '21 (who had to leave the game early with an injury), that trio played strong defense and killed off a pair of critical Westminster penalties early in the third period. In sum, a tough loss against a strong local rival — but lots to feel good about in terms of the team's play and hard work. The Martlets head into a well-deserved midwinter break tonight. The team will be back at work after the long weekend, and are headed to Lakeville to take on league rival Hotchkiss next Wednesday.
 
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