Sports

Boys Skate Over Proctor; Goalie Ward Sharp in Net

Boys Hockey started off the week on a three-game winning streak. The boys went on to rack up a 4-0 victory over Proctor and then suffered a tough loss to the third-ranked Cushing Academy. Andover freshman goalie Matt Ward ’06 earned his first full-game shutout victory against Proctor while Cory Schneider ’04 endured the heartbreaking loss to Cushing. The Big Blue’s record now stands at 15-4-3, and they have risen in the New England Prep Poll from ninth to eighth. Last Saturday, the Proctor boys hockey team came to the Ted Harrison hockey rink to do battle with the boys in blue. At the game’s onset, the contest appeared very close as Proctor was able to hold Andover in check until the dwindling minutes of the first period. With just 4:25 left to play, Nick Mazzolini ’03 scored from just about the blue line with a well timed slap shot that put Andover up 1-0. In the second period the Proctor defense stepped it up and was able to fend off a PA shooting spree as neither team could score all period. The Big Blue was finally able to break through the Proctor defense in the third period and secure the game in their favor. John Doherty ’03 scored the first goal of the period on a shot that went five-hole. A little more than a minute later, Chris Cahill ’06 scored an unassisted goal stick side that gave Andover a 3-0 lead and ensured the win. In the end the Big Blue, despite being out-shot twenty-seven to twenty-four, were victorious and racked up their fifteenth win of the season. On Wednesday the boys in blue traveled to Ashburnham to play the Cushing Penguins. In the first two periods Cushing skated all over the Big Blue and at the end of the second Cushing was absolutely dominating. When the second period buzzer sounded the score was 5-0 in favor of the penguins. Down by five and a little discouraged, the Big Blue emerged from the locker rooms and took the ice for the third and final period. The third period was nothing like the first two periods for Andover as the entire PA team came out on the ice playing better than they had all game. In a matter of minutes Cahill, on a tip, scored the first Andover goal of the game. Eleven minutes after Cahill’s goal, Drew Ward ’03 scored off a shot from the blue line that went glove side into the upper corner of the net. Tommy Dignard ’06 and Doherty both scored goals bringing Andover to within one score. However, with 1:16 left in the game after Doherty’s goal, the Big Blue simply couldn’t put the biscuit in the basket and the game ended 5-4 in favor of the Penguins. The boys hockey team is looking forward to facing off against Tabor Academy at home today.