Martlets Fall to AOF

The Martlets suffered a tough loss at the hands of the visiting Winged Beavers at home at Jackson Rink. On the eve of the long weekend, and with only fifteen players in the Black and Gold – injury and illness continue to thin the ranks – the Martlets built a 4-2 lead early in the third period before surrendering four unanswered goals, including the coup de grȃce empty-netter with three seconds to play, to fall to the visitors 4-6. Credit to the well-coached and scrappy Avon side, who kept battling and bottled the Martlets up in their end, forcing several turnovers. Jake Holland ‘24 played a terrific game, turning aside 35 shots and bailing his team out time and again. On the offensive side, the Martlets had several long stretches of good offensive zone possession and fired 28 shots of their own on the Winged Beaver cage, but despite a desperate bid for the equalizer late in the game the effort came to naught. The game had started with some promise, and the gathered Jackson Rink faithful were on their feet as Westminster got off to a fast start. Barely a minute into the game, Daniel Venture ‘24 fired a low, hard shot on the Avon net from just inside the blue line and beat the Avon goalie on the stick side. Dylan Ness ‘26, who improves with every game and was seemingly everywhere and “Untouchable” again today, assisted on Venture’s goal. The game settled into an even, back-and-forth contest, as Avon shook off their bus legs and started to play well. But it was Anthony DiBartolomeo ‘25 who made it 2-0 Westminster at the 6:41 mark of the first when, on the powerplay, he took a breakout pass from defenseman Reid Bulger ‘24 and streaked up the far side before cutting around an Avon blueliner and slipping the puck under the Avon netminder. The Martlets were flying after that goal, but as hockey fans all know, a two-goal advantage is the worst lead in hockey, and Avon proved that point when a defensive coverage miscue on a bad line change left a Winged Beaver all along in the right high slot in front of Holland. A quick shot up under the crossbar cut the Martlet lead in half, and the first stanza came to an end with the Black and Gold on top, 2-1. The confident Martlets rested up during the break and were ready for the next period. Avon was, too. A scoreless second frame ensued, with the Farmington Valley rivals exchanging powerplays and both goalies making big saves in key spots, setting the stage for the fateful third period. The finale started with the rink abuzz and the full house on the edges of their seats. Avon sent an early message that they would not go quietly into this good night, scoring the tying goal barely a minute into the third. Here again, Westminster's failure to gain the defensive blue line was the cause, and Avon’s pressure earned them an extra chance which they took full advantage of. Disappointing, to be sure, but the Martlets gathered themselves, however, and the response was quick: Venture restored the Westminster lead less than a minute later when he received a breakout pass from Richard Kim ‘25 and flew up the near boards on a 2-on-1. With linemate Xavier Kahn ‘27 crashing the net, Venture blistered a shot up and over the Avon tender’s right shoulder: 3-2, Martlets. With that momentum, DiBartolomeo made it 4-2 three minutes later when good forechecking and combination passing led to a Jack Grahling ‘25 pass from below the goal line to DiBartolomeo in front, who made no mistake and lifted the puck up and over the Winged Beaver goalie. That goal came with ten minutes left in the game, but the short bench, high pace, and physicality of the game – again, credit to Avon’s energy – started to wear on the Martlets. Avon then did to Westminster what Westminster did to Kent last Saturday, scoring four unanswered goals and skating away with the victory. The narrative of those goals is still too painful for this old coach to recount, but suffice it to say that tired Martlet legs, a puck bounce or two, and a let-’em-play approach from the officials all seemed to favor the Winged Beavers. Despite a Westminster timeout called with around four minutes to go to catch our breath, the Martlets could not stem the tide. The near-200-foot empty netter felt like a dull, rusty knife through the heart. The boys were certainly gassed, and disappointed, when the final horn sounded. But the coaches knew the depleted team had emptied their tanks, and that’s all we can really ask of ourselves. This one might sting for a bit, but that’s not always a bad thing. Sports, that pure meritocracy, is about looking ahead, not looking back. As you might expect, the locker room was subdued after the game, but the team will try to learn from the experience, rest up over the much-deserved long weekend, and get back to work next week and prepare for the Hotchkiss Bearcats, on the road in Lakeville [the team will get a chance at a rematch with Avon in a couple of weeks (mark your calendars – I have: February 21st)]. Venture earned the hard hat for his good work. The Avon head coach – who shares a roughly 20-year history with this coach – remarked that over the years this has always been a great game, no matter the record or the roster, and they’ve had their moments and we’ve had ours. Absolutely true. We’ll be ready to make it ours again next time out. At any rate, Farmington Valley hockey fans were treated to an exciting game, even though the home side came out on the short end. Enjoy the long weekend with your Martlet. There’s no game this Saturday, of course, so Martlet loyalists may have to pick up a book or stare wistfully into the distance, dreaming of saucer passes and silky mitts. See you at the rink!