Big Red celebrate 2024 Senior Class

On “senior night” in the Hockey Center, the St. Paul’ School boys varsity hockey program recognized eight members of the Form of 2024 that have all made significant contributions to the boys varsity hockey team and the School. This year’s Sixth Form players were led by captain Brad Cox, and assistants Jack Stadheim and Christian Yi. The remaining five senior skaters: Conley Bohan, Jonas Eisman, Mathieu Goldenberg, AJ True, and Lino Viau were instrumental in the success of the 2023 - 2024 boys varsity hockey season. On January 17, 2023, the team had hit a low with a record of 4 wins, 12 losses, and 1 tie. After that date, the team went on to win 8 of their last 10 games and finish third in the Lakes Region Hockey conference regular season standings with a record of 8 wins and 6 losses—quite a testament to Form of 2024’s persistence and resilience in the face of adversity.

For the first half of the last regular season game, it had looked like the boys varsity hockey team was going to pull off the upset of the Holderness School “Bulls,” the sixth ranked team in New England Prep School Hockey, and finish their regular season with a record of 13 wins and 13 losses. Ironically, Jaden Ficek ̕26 who suffered a significant upper body injury earlier in the season (Manchester, NH) got the home team on the board early with his first goal as a varsity hockey player. Matt Vohra ̕25 (Valley, NS) and Ficek capitalized on a Holderness neutral zone turnover and they broke in on the “Bulls'' defense two versus one, Vohra skating down the right side of the rink and Ficek ̕26, coming down the left, received the pass on his backhand and then fired the puck by the Holderness goalkeeper. Ficek’s goal energized the team and enabled the “Pelicans'' to put together a great first period of play. Around the halfway point of the second period, with a little less than nine minutes to play, three Holderness players took advantage of a St. Paul’s School turnover in the high ice of the Holderness defensive zone and broke through the neural zone to attack “Big Red'' netminder, Blake Truchon ̕26 (South Burlington, VT) three versus one. Brad Cox ̕24 (Livingston, MT), defenseman, did the best he could to stop the break, but the “Bulls'' moved the puck well between their triumvirate and they beat Truchon ̕26 to tie the game at one. While the tying goal was significant, the bigger implication was Truchon sustaining a significant upper body injury, which removed him from the game. Treva Murphy ̕25, the “Pelicans'' other magical goalkeeper was unable to play as well because he had suffered a significant lower body injury in late January that ended his Fifth Form hockey season early. Newcomer William Birks ̕26 (Westmount, QC) was thrusted into his first live varsity game experience, and he did a great job of keeping the game close. In fact, in the first minute of play in the third period, Vohra’s ̕25 shorthanded goal from a Harry Dermody ̕26 (Bedford, NH) pass made the game 3 - 2 with only seventeen minutes to play—the “Big Red” had every opportunity for the upset.

Unfortunately, an offensive miscue on the power play breakout led to a fourth Holderness goal and the team began to lose their composure and confidence in their team play; the game just got away from them in the last seven minutes on an emotional night of hockey for all of the St. Paul’s School skaters.

The team did not get the outcome they were looking for, but their third place finish in the league standings gives them an opportunity to travel up to Plymouth next Friday night for another opportunity at trying to knock off one of the top school boy hockey teams in New England!

Lastly, thank you again to all of the Sixth Formers for what you have done for St. Paul’s School and St. Paul’s School hockey! Brad, Jack, Christian, Conley, Jonas, Mathieau, AJ, and Lino - you all have held “the torch” high!