Martlets Fall to Eaglebrook

The Martlets opened their 2023-24 campaign by hosting the Eagles for the annual Friday night tilt at Jackson Rink. Westminster, coming off two days of tryouts and only one day of practice as a team, was at a disadvantage against an Eaglebrook squad with a few weeks and several games in hand. The JVs did not get off to a strong start, conceding three goals in the first period. Breakdowns in defensive zone coverage and other miscues – to be expected on a team with so many players new to the JV team – were to blame. Goaltender Jake Holland ‘24, making his first start between the JV pipes, made several strong saves, and 18 overall, but was too often left on his own in that first period. The Martlets collected themselves at the break and played much better in both the second and third periods. Ultimately outshooting the visitors with a total of 26 shots of their own, the JVs were kept off the board by a combination of strong saves from the Eagle netminder, some hard shots off the posts, and near-misses. Strong performances were turned in by the line of Jack Grahling ‘25, Anthony DiBartolomeo ‘25, and Jackson Alpaugh ‘24, who did everything well but couldn’t find the back of the net, and defensemen Reid Bulger ‘24 and Ben Norten ‘25. Richard Kim ‘25 and Lane Gallagher ‘25 also contributed on the blue line. Also deserving of mention are three JV rookies: Reed Ghriskey ‘26, Zac Jainchill ‘25, and Benji Hanson ‘27 all played with energy and grit. Overall, while certainly a disappointing result, the game gave the JVs a pretty good idea of where the bar is in this competitive league. There’ll be little time to adjust, as the Martlets will have to rest their legs, regroup, and double down on their defensive and offensive responsibilities to get ready for an always-competitive Cardigan Mountain team tomorrow. The puck drops at 5:30 pm in Jackson Rink. Good opportunity for the Martlets to show what they’re capable of achieving.