Note: The game consisted of three fifteen minute periods. Kevin O’Connor 6 shots / 5 saves
November 17-18Double wins On Parents' Day weekendOur Parents' Day weekend allowed the team to enjoy two consecutive wins and get back on track. On Saturday afternoon the boys played Academie St-Louis in front of a packed house and took a two-goal lead but let ASL get back in the game and even things up. We played well in the first period but then took far too many penalties and essentially wound up having to kill almost half of the game down at least one man. With the score tied at two, the boys rallied and Olivier Charette banged home his second of the game to give the team a 3-2 win. We completely outshot ASL and really controlled the game early on but ended up in big trouble because of our lack of discipline. Fortunately, we managed to come away with a win. We hope everyone understands the importance of playing disciplined hockey. Sunday’s game against Kimball Union Academy was a huge success, for the boys moved the puck more than in any other game this year and really put forward a team effort. We finished the first period with a 1-0 lead and then enjoyed a sound second period scoring four more. We added a couple in the third and ended up getting production from all lines in the end. I think this victory was what the team needed, for we were able to get much needed confidence and come together as a team. I now hope we can feed off of this positive energy and take it with us as we prepare to leave for the Shady Side Academy Tournament in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this coming weekend. Congratulations to all members of the team and specifically Logan Vanasse on earning his first shutout as a Spartan. Solid weekend, boys! Saturday, November 17
Note: The game consisted of three twenty minute periods. Cedric Moore 19 shots / 17 saves
Sunday, November 18
Note: The game consisted of three seventeen minute periods. Logan Vanasse 14 shots / 14 saves
Back to topWednesday, November 14Spartans lose To Phillips Exeter AcademyThis afternoon the team traveled to Exeter, New Hampshire to play their first-ever game against Phillips Exeter Academy. Although the bus ride was long, the team arrived poised and prepared to play an exciting Wednesday afternoon match-up. After going up 1-0 early, the team failed to recognize the third man high and got caught puck-watching on similar transitional plays to allow PEA to take a 3-1 lead after the first period. With the score 4-1 midway through the second the boys rallied and took over the play to get to within two. However, PEA banged home a demoralizing fifth goal to take a 5-2 lead after the second. Unfortunately, the third period saw much of the same, as PEA scored two more powerplay goals to take a commanding 7-2 lead before we managed one of our own to cap the scoring at 7-3. Although the scoreboard does not indicate the tempo of the game, the reality is that our guys battled physically and held the play for large sequences of time. However, a plethora of penalty calls and poor defensive zone coverage against a very fast team proved to be the deciding factor in this game. Unfortunately, we lost more than just a hockey game today, for Graham Cheezo, a senior defenseman, tragically fractured his ankle on an early shift in the first period. Graham was enjoying a stellar start to the season and will be a huge loss for our team. Our thoughts and prayers are with him in this difficult time.
SC 3 Phillips Exeter Academy 7
Note: The game consisted of three twenty minute periods. Kevin O’Connor 28 shots / 21 saves
November 8-11New England road trip
This past weekend the team traveled through New England to play three junior teams and visit a series of New England universities. Our first stop was at Norwich University, where we played the Green Mountain Glades. The boys were treated to a tour of the facility and then unfortunately lost a close fought game 2-1 in overtime. The second day of our trip took us to Dover, New Hampshire to visit the University of New Hampshire. The team enjoyed a first class tour of the school, town and hockey facility, while also getting a chance to attend the game that evening against UMASS Lowell. We then continued our journey and arrived in Enfield, Connecticut late that evening before preparing to play the New England Falcons on Saturday afternoon. The team showed signs of fatigue but played a gritty game nonetheless. Although the score remained tied at one goal apiece for the longest time, we again lost 2-1 on a rather flukey goal in the dying minutes of the final period. However, the boys brushed off the loss and enjoyed the rest of the day, for we visited Quinnipiac University later on that afternoon before watching the Bobcats tie St. Lawrence in a tight ECAC match-up. It was clearly amazing for the team to be able to witness the energy and excitement of two college hockey games. Our final game of the weekend was played against the Springfield Jr. Pics on Sunday afternoon. Although we had numerous chances to put the game away, we could only manage a 2-2 tie in the end. The positive side of things was that the boys battled hard all weekend and competed against physical teams in very close games. The final visit of our trip was a superb tour of Middlebury College. The boys enjoyed a tour of the campus from a handful of friendly players, as well as a chance to see the hockey facility. In the end, our players were able to visit DI and DIII schools, meet college coaches and players, and witness college hockey first hand. We hope this experience proved to be insightful and allowed our players to more fully grasp what US college hockey is all about. From a hockey performance standpoint, it is clear that we would have liked to have been more successful this past weekend. However, our sound goaltending and better defensive play will no doubt help us as we move forward.
Thursday, November 8 SC 1 Green Mountain Jr. Glades (Empire) 2 (OT)
Note: The game consisted of three twenty minute periods. Cedric Moore 28 shots / 26 saves
Saturday, November 10 SC 1 New England Junior Falcons (Empire) 2
Note: The game consisted of two twenty-five minute periods. Kevin O’Connor 24 shots / 22 saves
Sunday, November 11 SC 2 Springfield Jr. Pics 2
Note: The game consisted of three twenty minute periods. Logan Vanasse 42 shots / 40 saves
November 3-4Spartans Start Season 2-0 Against NorthwoodOur home-opener was a huge success, with the team coming out of the gates with fire in their eyes and much grit in the first few minutes of the game. It was terrific to see such a huge crowd at the rink and wonderful opening ceremony organized by Mr. Chandler and his capable student assistants. The introductions, music and play-by-play made for warm atmosphere and lead to a really intense and entertaining hockey game between two traditional rivals.
Although Northwood began strong, we capitalized on our chances early on and took a two-goal lead. Northwood came back to make the game interesting but we pulled away at the end of the second and took advantage of our chances on the powerplay. The line of Perrotta, Halikas and Bedard combined for eight points, while the line of Smith, Lefort and Charette united for four points. We generated a plethora of scoring chances today but Northwood’s solid physical play and quick counter attacks gave us some trouble early on. Cedric Moore did a terrific job making key saves at timely moments and played a solid first game. SC 8 Northwood School 3
Note: The game consisted of three twenty minute periods. Cedric Moore 29 shots / 26 saves
On Sunday, the boys finished off our two-game homestand against Northwood School by continuing their winning streak and taking the game 6-4. The positive aspects of the game were our offensive ability to put the puck in the net and the strong play of the Gagnon-Sckoropad, Jean and Vinet line, who combined for three goals and four assists. However, we certainly lacked poise in our end today and will have to improve our defensive zone coverage. The team allowed 49 shots against, which is far too many. Had it not been for the brilliant play of newcomer Logan Vanasse between the pipes the game could have turned out much differently. That being said, a win is a win and the boys have begun the season with a 2-0 start and appear ready to battle hard all year. Solid beginning boys! SC 6 Northwood School 4
Note: The game consisted of three twenty minute periods. Logan Vanasse 49 shots / 45 saves
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