Puck “Packs the Barn” and Crushes Cushing
It was “Pack The Barn” on Friday night as Exeter hockey took on one of its biggest rivals, Cushing Academy. After beating the Purple Penguins in Ashburnham, the boys looked to put on a show in front of their faithful crowd. While many may view Exeter/Andover as the largest rivalry, the friction between Cushing and Big Red runs deep.
“We’re not really worrying about our unbeaten record. We are just focused on the next game and taking care of business.”
“Exeter/Cushing historically has been a high-intensity rivalry,” senior and assistant captain Sterling Weatherbie said. “Cushing is easily the hardest place to play.” Looking to match the Cushings’ fans high intensity, the boys took to social media to hype up their Friday night matchup. Students filled the student section as Exeter steamrolled Cushing 4-1. This was only the second time that Exeter had defeated Cushing twice in the same year going back to 2006.
When asked about the mentality going into their game against Cushing, lower Collin Shapiro said, “We knew exactly what we were in for. [Cushing’s] first line does all the damage, so if we shut them down our chances of winning increase substantially.”
Lower Rudi Ying agreed with Shapiro, but also noted that the crowd helped Exeter gather momentum. “Being able to play our second game against Cushing at home was certainly an advantage. The home crowd gave us the energy we needed to beat them a second time.”
The team enjoyed its victory over Cushing, but was also focused on the next game. St. Sebastian’s, a team that started out hot but has slowed down a little bit, arrived at Exeter hoping to deliver the team’s first loss. Unfortunately for the Arrows, Exeter was ready to play. After a quick goal by upper Benjamin Solin, Exeter never looked back, ultimately scoring five goals. Post-graduate goaltender Bryan Botcher refused to let one passed him, securing Big Red’s 5-0 victory.
“I think the key to success was just sticking to our game plan,” senior Mitchell Shenette said. “Every single guy on the team gives it his all each shift.”
Weatherbie attributed the team’s weekend success to their defense. “In both games, the key was really just to defend; play two-way hockey,” he said.
Ying also strongly felt that the team’s defense was a significant part in its success this weekend. “We played well in the offensive zone, but more importantly, we took care of things in the defensive zone.”
After another tie last Wednesday against KUA and a pair of weekend wins, the team improves to 18-0-2, the best in New England. While the team’s undefeated streak came to an end, the locker room mindset has stayed consistent.
“[We’re not] really worrying about our unbeaten record,” Shapiro said. “We are just focused on the next game and taking care of business.”
Shennette echoed Shapiro’s opinions, saying that the key is taking one step at a time. “Obviously we are thrilled to remain undefeated going into February, but we just need to focus on each upcoming game without thinking about our overall record,” he said.
Upper Peter Christie said, “Our goal wasn’t ever to have a perfect season. Our goal is to take home the hardware at the end of playoffs.”
And that is exactly what the team plans to do as they take on Milton Academy this Saturday. With only a few home games left, the team hopes to attract a large crowd.