Martlets Win Opener

On always exciting early December Friday evening, the Martlets hosted the visiting Eagles for the opening contest of the 2022-23 campaign. After two days of tryouts and one day of practice as a team – and with a few players on the injured reserve list – the Black and Gold headed into the game with the dual challenge of getting organized with good systems in place and playing shorthanded. But the team was equal to the challenge, playing with good energy and team spirit to post a solid 3-2 win against a strong Eaglebrook side. The Martlets twice came back from a one-goal deficit to earn the victory. The Eagles struck first barely three minutes into the game, jumping on a loose puck to the right of keeper Sebastien Blanc ‘23 and finding the back of the net. Blanc, who played well in the first half of the game, made the first two saves, but Westminster’s failure to pick up bodies and sticks in front of the home net left him exposed. That first goal was on the five skaters in front of him. Overall, Blanc played well and  had 15 saves, many of them strong, during his tenure between the pipes. The Martlets responded well to that early mistake, however, and earned the equalizer five minutes later when, after a succession of productive shifts in the offensive zone, Jake Timone ‘25 collected a pass from Jack Carter ‘23 and deftly fired the puck past the Eaglebrook keeper. Westminster kept the pressure on, but a missed opportunity late in the opening stanza to clear the Westminster zone led to a turnover and a quick 2-on-1 against Blanc; the Eagle’s forwards made no mistake and Eaglebrook regained the lead. The first period ended with the Eagles up 2-1 over the home team, but that was all the goals the Martlets would concede on the evening. Coming back out for the second period, Westminster played with renewed purpose, engaging physically and playing with much more structure and balance in all three zones of the ice. Usually the “long change” in the middle frame can be a challenge, but the Martlets played well and consistently pressured the visitor’s end. The solid play led to two quick Martlet tallies: Cameron Freeman ‘25 tied the game when he grabbed a rebound of a Jayden Lee ‘25 shot and fired it home midway through the period and Augie Barrett ‘24 gave the Black and Gold the lead only a few minutes later when he seized a rebound off a Stuart Dorman ‘23 slapper. Max Hausman ‘25, who assumed goaltending duties at the halfway mark of the second, immediately made his presence felt as the Eagles mounted a significant push to tie the game. Hausman had 19 saves for his night of work. The second period ended with the home team up 3-2, setting the stage for a hard-fought third. The Eagles certainly did their best, pressing the Martlets repeatedly, forcing turnovers, and causing more than a little consternation for the coaches. But Hausman bailed the team out on each occasion, and the Martlets were able to regain their footing (edges?) and hold on. The last minutes of the third were played with the Eagles’s net empty, and the 6-on-5 advantage was used to great effect by the visitors – but ultimately to no avail as the Martlet defense and Hausman held. The entire team contributed to the effort, but of particular note is the work of defensemen Jack Rockefeller ‘23 and Evin Curtiss ‘24, both of whom played strong, physical games in the Martlet end. Overall, the coaches were very pleased with the team’s efforts and chemistry: after only a few days together the team showed real promise. There will be little time to savor the victory however, as the Martlets will have to rest up and prepare for the second game of the season tomorrow against an always tough Cardigan Mountain team. The puck drops at 4 pm at Jackson Rink. Many thanks to the Kim family for the post-game snacks!