Big Blue outlast Big Red
On Friday afternoon, the boys varsity hockey team traveled south down Interstate 93 to take on
longtime rival Andover Academy for a 6:00 pm puck drop in Harrington Rink. The contest
marked the traditional “Big Red” versus the “Big Blue.” The St. Paul’s School skaters started
this game well, and saw them play arguably their best first period of the year. They defended
well, goaltender Treva Murphy ̕25 (Manchester, NH) made key saves when necessary, and the
offense clicked as the forwards created scoring chances in transition and from offensive zone pla
deep in the Andover end. Despite all of the positive elements in play for the “Pelicans” during
the first eighteen minutes of play, neither team was able to get the puck past their opposing
goaltender and the period ended zero to zero.
Seventeen seconds into the second period, Anderson Kilbourne ̕26 (Duxbury, MA) opened the
scoring for the game. When the “Big Red” were on the power-play, Kilbourne caught a
breakaway pass from Matt Vohra ̕25 (Valley, NS), splitting the Andover defense and beating the
“Big Blue” netminder through the “five hole.” Andover—a good prep hockey team with a record
of 8 wins, 3 losses and 1 tie coming into tonight’s contest—showed why they have the record
they do and responded with a goal of their own in less than 90 seconds to tie the game. With the
game tied at one, there was lots of neutral zone play and neither team created long periods of
sustained offense in their opponents defensive zone. Later, the “Pelicans” went on the power play
for a second time. In the closing seconds of the man advantage situation, defenseman Chistian Yi
̕24 (Lake Forest, CA) fired home a slap shot from the right point with great net presence from
Tommy Humphreys ̕25 (Simsbury, CT) and Lino Viau ̕24 (Los Angeles, CA) to give the “Big
Red” the lead once again. Two and a half minutes later, a painful recurrence for St. Paul’s School
hockey fans, the “Big Blue” would score their second goal and tie the game at two goals apiece.
For the last five minutes of the middle period, both teams skated frantically up and down the rink
unable to convert on any of their scoring opportunities.
In the third period, Andover played with a little more conviction, camaraderie, and cohesiveness
than the St. Paul’s School skaters and with ten minutes to play in the game, they got their go
ahead goal, scoring off a two-on-two line rush with a deflection by the “Big Red” netminder. In
the last five minutes of play, “Big Blue” would do it again, this time off a neutral zone turnover
to move the score to 4 - 2 in the closing minutes of play. For forty-nine minutes this was a well
played hockey game by both sides. The game just game away from the visitors from Concord in
the last five minutes of play, and they were never able to get their game recentered underneath
them. The final score was Andover 6, St. Paul’s 2.
The St. Paul’s School icemen will have another opportunity to improve their individual and team
game on Saturday afternoon as they will play host to the number two ranked team in New
England, the Kimball Union “Wildcats” at 4:00 pm in the Hockey Center. We hope to see you
there!
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