Girls’ Hockey Falters at New Hampton
The Big Red girls’ hockey team fell short this past weekend, losing to a highly-skilled team from the New Hampton School. New Hampton, known for their torrential conditions and un-ethical style of play, was a tough opponent to play. The rink at New Hampton has only two walls, so the cold winter air is free to flow throughout, making it hard for the visiting teams to adjust. The girls battled hard, but between New Hampton’s physical style of play and the frigid atmospheric conditions, the game ended in a loss for Exeter.
“We played pretty well and battled hard for the puck.”
Lower Bonnie Labonte recapped the game by stating, “It was 1-3. New Hampton scored an empty-netted goal. We played hard—it was a big difference [from] how we played on Wednesday. Allegra [Grant] had a great game and moved the puck incredibly well. Clara [Gilbert] and Carly [Perreault] played a standout game. It got a little chippy starting in the second period, but we kept our poise. It was disappointing to lose, but we fought hard all game.”
The girls did their best, but sadly, New Hampton brought their A game and wanted it more that day. That said, there were some positive notes for the team. Upper goaltender Allegra Grant tried to keep spirits high saying, “We played pretty well and battled hard for the puck.”
Lower Kat Dumoulin added to the game recap, “Allegra had a great game as usual, making some key saves that kept us in the game until the end. We outworked them the entire game but couldn’t finish. The first period was rough. We had the momentum all throughout the second and third.”
Looking to the future for Big Red girls’ hockey, the hometown team has a few very big games. Opponents such as Northfield Mount Hermon, Berwick Academy and Winchendon are all tough competitors and will come ready to play. The team aims to take this in stride and grind it out for the next few weeks all leading up to the big game. For over a century, the bad blood and competitive nature has run thick through Exeter against Andover. Two titans going head to head over where the superior athletes reside. The Exeter hockey program only has a little under two weeks to be in tip top shape for their biggest game of the season. In preparation as the game draws nearer, the girls will skate harder, shoot faster and visualize the win longer than ever before. The classic game of Phillips Exeter Academy versus Phillips Academy is almost upon us.