Boys' Hockey Bashes Andover
Exeter Boys Varsity Hockey pushed onto the ice to face off against Exeter’s well-known rival, Phillips Academy Andover, on Saturday. The anticipation of an electrifying game drew immense crowds to the stands of the ice rinks of the George H. Love gymnasium to support Big Red Hockey. Players and spectators were in for an exciting game, and Big Red did not disappoint.
In a blur of goals, fouls, and timeouts, Exeter capped off the game with a final winning score of 6-3, stepping off the ice with a 10-5-1 record. Head coach Dana Barbin, who has led Big Red to countless victories throughout his career, noted that “a win over your archrival is always a sweet win.”
The team entered the face-off confident and determined following an overtime win at Governor’s, Team Manager and senior Isabel Hou noted. “The team really brought momentum into the Andover game, and it showed,” Hou said.
The team finished the first period 2-0 and maintained a steady pace of scoring throughout the rest of the game. On the other side of the neutral zone, Barbin recognized senior co-captain and star goalie Ryan Welch. “Welch is the only goaltender to be a four year starter in the 107 year history of Boys Hockey at Exeter! No surprise that he played terrific on Saturday, we’ve seen it before,” he said.
Welch’s fellow captains also had standout performances— both senior Danny Colon and senior Reese Ramirez scored goals. Upper Tommy Gannon spoke highly of his captains' efforts throughout the game, describing how Ramirez “was always working to push the puck up the ice and into the offensive zone. [Colon] was always on his hustle, back-checking as soon as the puck was turned over and tearing up Andover’s fast breaks one after another.”
Under its captains’ consistent leadership, the whole team that came together for the win. Senior Tom Chmielewski, lower Kurt Gurkan, and Gannon each scored a goal of their own. Hou also emphasized the work put in by upper Michael Young, who has “been having a great season so far.”
By the time the final whistle blew, it was obvious that the game had been “a total team effort,” Barbin noted.
Upper Mark Peracchia echoed Babrin’s sentiments. “The whole game really felt like a team effort, and a team win,” Peracchia said. “And now we’re all that much more hyped up for the rest of the season, to keep improving our record.” With an OT win against Governor’s and a victory against Andover now under its belt, the team is looking to continue their winning streak.
Looking forward, the team will face off with Hotchkiss this Saturday, January 25 at Cushing before returning to Big Red’s home stage to play New England Champions Kimball Union Academy in a highly anticipated game. Each of these challenges, however, will only prepare the team better for its face-off against Andover at the end of the season. Barbin concluded, “our goal is always the same, play the next game!”