Boys’ Hockey Emerges Victorious
Boys’ varsity hockey drove down to Connecticut this past Saturday, facing both sub-zero temperatures and Choate Rosemary Hall. The 2-1 win marked the seventh win in a row for Big Red. With only four regular season games left, the team will have to keep up their winning streak in order to host playoff games.Even after a three-hour bus ride, the boys entered the rink ready to roll. Within minutes of the first period, upper Ryan Moore worked his way up the wall to create a two-in-one. With the pass from Moore, upper Noah Maercklein buried the first goal for Exeter. Lower Sam Stone mentioned how the goal came from a great shift in energy. “Starting the game off of a long bus ride was tough, especially with such a cold rink, but we settled in and won the first period,” said Stone.Although the Choate Boars started the game with a packed rink, the chirps didn’t start until the second period. The remarks from the opposing team’s fan section didn’t faze Big Red. Postgraduate Joe Lazzaro admitted that he barely noticed the insults. “As a goalie, I try not to pay attention to the chirping,” Lazzaro said. “I didn’t even know it was going on!”
“Trevor Cosgrove has really stepped up as our captain and lead the team by example, he’s been unbelievable all season.”
As a result of Lazzaro’s several saves, neither team scored in the second period. This lead to a lot of energy buildup coming into the third. Both teams were anxious to get the puck into the back of their opponent’s net.With only seven minutes left in the game, Choate snuck in their first goal. Their fan section roared louder and continued to chirp Big Red. With seconds left in the third, upper Matthew McShea went bar down from the top of the circle and won the game for Big Red. The last-minute goal silenced the rink.McShea explained that the team lives for moments when they can put down insults by coming through with a win. “Their chirping got some good energy in the building, and there’s nothing better than quieting a fan section with a late goal,” he said.For Choate, the game will be remembered wistfully in the hearts of their seniors, as it was their school’s Senior Night. However, for Exeter, the win reminded the boys that their seniors are only a few games away from their last.One of the two preps on the team, Hunter McCoy, appreciates the seniors for their leadership and how they are “great role models” for the younger players. McCoy pointed out one senior in particular. “Trevor Cosgrove has really stepped up as our captain and lead the team by example, he’s been unbelievable all season,” McCoy said. “I don’t know where we would be without him. Sometimes he looks like a man amongst boys on the ice.”Upper Greg Shapiro described how, for him, hockey means both family and friendship. “It was really cool playing at Choate, as my uncle is their coach and my cousin is on their team,” he said, who has played for Exeter since his prep year. “I love my seniors and I’m gonna miss them especially some of my best friends: Devin [Moore] and the captains Peter [Christie] and Trevor [Cosgrove].”The team’s last regular season home game will be Saturday, Feb. 20 against Deerfield Academy. This could be the last chance to see the 2015-2016 Exeter boys’ varsity hockey team play on their own ice, so come out and support Big Red.