Boys’ Hockey Breaks Win Streak, Still Undefeated
It was a tough week for boys’ hockey. After besting both Andover and Tabor last week, Exeter went up against some strong competition in Dexter and Hotchkiss. With the puck drops separated by little more than 24 hours, quite a daunting task confronted the team. A two game weekend is not unusual for Big Red hockey but is exhausting nonetheless.
Big Red faced off against the very talented Dexter team on Friday night. It was an exciting game, and for once, Exeter never held the lead for long. Finishing in a 2-2 tie, it was the first time the team hadn’t won this season.
“They were a good team,” lower Graham Rutledge said, “and we didn't play our best. However, we are certainly happy to come away with a tie. In the playoff standings, a tie is much better than a loss.” While this may have the been the first time that the team hadn’t won, lower Bradley Ingersoll said, “[the team] remained positive and looked at the fact that we still hadn't lost.”
“They were a good team...and we didn't play our best. However, we are certainly happy to come away with a tie. In the playoff standings, a tie is much better than a loss.”
They took this mentality down to Trinity College to square off against Hotchkiss on Saturday night. It was another grind for the boys. Both teams played with passion and vigor. Exeter ultimately came away with a 1-0 victory, and improved their record to 16-0-1.
Plagued with injury, the team has suffered huge setbacks, especially on the back end with the loss of upper Peter Christie, one of Exeter’s best defensemen.
“Peter plays a big role in our team’s success, so losing him is hard,” Rutledge said. The team also lost third-line defenseman Greg Shapiro to a foot injury, forcing a rearrangement of the lineup.
The team does have one thing going for them amidst all these injuries, though: their depth. “Some of the younger players have been stepping into bigger roles, and we’re still finding a way to win games,” upper Trevor Cosgrove said.
“We’ve had guys step up and play great without skipping a beat, and it hasn’t hurt the team’s success so far,” Rutledge said.
The season is far from over, and Exeter still has a long way to go before the playoffs. What can we expect from the team moving forward?
“The game [against Dexter] was good for our team to motivate us for the rest of the season,” Cosgrove said.
Ingersoll agreed with Cosgrove by saying, “We’re using our frustration from the Dexter game as motivation for the games to come.”
While the team looks to re-energize, their schedule shows no sign of slowing down. With two more games on tap this weekend, Exeter braves yet another grueling week of play.
“We need to sit back and refocus on our three games upcoming this week. We play KUA, Cushing and St. Sebastian's, three top ranked teams in New England,” Rutledge said. And that’s exactly what the team plans to do: sit back for now, then come out flying against their opponents.
The next game will be the home-field thrill against Cushing Academy. It will be the first game in the second straight Friday-Saturday doubleheader for Big Red, and the puck drops at 5 p.m. for the matchup between two New England titans.