Martlets Defeat Hotchkiss

The Martlets headed up to the northwest corner of the Nutmeg State – via a curious, circuitous route that treated the boys to some pleasant countryside – to take on the Hotchkiss Bearcats. Arriving with just enough time to lace ‘em up, the JVs skated to a 5-2 victory. While the coaches wouldn’t say this was the team’s best outing, a win’s a win and we’ll gladly take it. Even though we had a productive practice the day before, many on the roster looked a little rusty after the long weekend (no doubt Hotchkiss was feeling a little bit of the same). Max Simpson ‘24 opened the scoring for the Black and Gold at the 3:39 mark of the first period, firing a wrist shot from the near point through heavy traffic – it’s unlikely the capable Bearcat keeper even saw the puck. Defensive partner Matty Hanrahan ‘26 assisted on that play, picking up the puck on the far wall and walking the blue line before slipping a pass to Simpson. The game settled in after that early goal, with the Martlets generating some good offensive pressure. But to the consternation of this old coach, the play was too often a little, well, blah. Too many risky plays, a little too slow to the puck, and a lack of will in critical puck battles allowed Hotchkiss to generate their share of chances as well. Fortunately for the JVs, stalwart netminder Jake Holland ‘24 was between the pipes, and, like the Spartans at Thermopylae, he proved equal to every Bearcat attack through two periods. Holland posted 24 saves on the afternoon, including a few that Gump Worsley himself would have admired (for their part the Martlets fired 42 on the hard-pressed but strong Hotchkiss goalie – that young man certainly earned a second helping of dessert tonight). Daniel Venture ‘24 made it 2-0 when he took a perfect cross-ice pass from linemate Dylan Ness ‘26 and cooly one-timed the puck into the net. Ness had collected the puck in the corner and inside-outed a Bearcat defenseman (or two) in the far corner before zipping the puck cross-ice to Venture. The first period ended with the Martlets in control by that score. Urged on by the coaches to find their rhythm from before the short vacation, the JVs took the ice in the second frame and played somewhat better – but so did the Bearcats. The scoreless second featured several chances in both ends, but the goalies played well and kept the game close. Again, a somewhat casual commitment to defense led to several Hotchkiss chances, and Holland probably had more work in the second than he deserved (perhaps his teammates could treat him to some dinner in lieu of a formal apologia). Heading into the third, the team was flatly challenged by the coaches, and they did respond: Drew Knight ‘24 lifted the Martlets to a 3-0 lead when he collected a pass from Benji Hanson ‘27 in neutral ice and streaked in alone. Knight made a little move right, then left, sold the feint and a used car in the bargain, and deftly slipped the puck under the goalie's pads. That goal came just 2:46 into the final stanza, and the Martlets were lifted a bit. Anthony DiBartolomeo ‘25, who once again played a solid game overall, made it 4-0 Westminster on a similar goal: Reid Bulger ‘24 picked up the puck behind Holland and fired it up to Jack Grahling ‘25 on the near boards below the blue line; Grahling cleverly tipped the puck out of the zone to a flying DiBartolemeo, who went in on a breakaway, cleanly beat the Hotchkiss defensemen on the right side, cutting inside and roofing a backhand over the keeper – a highlight reel goal. But with the game seemingly in hand, the JVs relaxed a little too much and the Bearcats took full advantage. A bad miscue on the offensive blue line led to a 2-on-1 against Holland; a rebound led to a goal against, and that spoiled Holland’s afternoon: 4-1 Westminster. The Martlets regained the 4-goal lead when Hanson potted his first goal of the season on a smart pass from Knight as both crashed the Bearcat net on their own 2-on-1. Hanson’s tally came with six minutes on the clock, and the Martlets fixed on killing the game. Frustratingly, another defensive miscue in neutral ice led to the final goal on the afternoon, a Bearcat gino to make the score 5-2. The Martlets will have to grapple with a so-so effort and a 2-2 third-period tie – not the way the coaches would like the team to finish a game, and this third was a little too eerily like last Wednesday's third (a period the team has agreed to think of often, but to speak of never). But in the end, the team will take the win on the road against a scrappy and hardworking Bearcat team. Hanson earned the hard hat for his 2-point afternoon and his first Black and Gold goal. The Martlets will have tomorrow and Friday to regain their form and prepare for a rematch with the Choate Wild Boars on Saturday. The early December matchup was a tight affair, so the game promises to be a humdinger. The JVs are the featured event on a busy day at Jackson Rink: 6 pm after two early warm-up contests. Those Martlet faithful in the know are already reserving their tickets, and insiders have staked out spots and parking spots (no truth to the rumor that diehard fans will be camping out all day Saturday to make sure of their priority seating). See you at the rink!