Rushing down the ice on a 2-on-1 break, Assistant Captain Michael Lata ’14 fed the puck to Tommy Bishop ’14 who fired it short side past the goalie for Andover’s first goal of the night. Andover Boys Hockey went on to win 3-0 against Tilton Academy, propelling the team to a 6-3 record this season. “It was a good win to start the second half of the season with. It was a solid effort,” said Bryan Ackil ’14. Andover played high quality hockey for three periods in all three zones. In each period, the team scored a goal while preventing Tilton from gaining an extended foothold in Andover’s defensive zone. “We battled down low really well in the defensive zone and at point in the offensive zone. There’s a lot of good teamwork and chemistry in all the lines,” said Peter Bensen ’14. Offensively, the theme of effective production continued. Three different players scored and each line moved the puck well. Bishop scored in the first period, Rob Devaney ’14 in the second and Gordon Coulter ’16 in the third. Defensively, Andover had an airtight night. Blocking shot after shot and pushing the puck up the ice quickly forced Tilton to play at Andover’s demanding pace of hockey. Goalie Erik Wurman ’15 did not allow a single shot to get past him on the way to his second shutout of the season. “Wurman played unbelievably today, he came up with a bunch of great saves,” said Bensen. While Andover had trouble staying out of the penalty box earlier in the season, the amount of penalties have dropped. The team did not have penalty trouble at Flood Marr tournament and only received three against Tilton. “We need to keep it up, we’ve been playing well and obviously this game is going to mean a bit more,” said Lata. Coulter added, “The key is pushing the puck forward, which we did well against Tilton. Shots on net are what we need and we have been doing that.” “Our defense has been winning battles down low and getting the puck out of our zone, and that needs to continue,” said Bensen. Overall, it was exactly the performance that Andover had been looking for. Improving each facet of its game, the team impressed all just a few days before a crucial match up against Exeter. Lata concluded, “The hour bus ride is enough to start preparing. Everyone feels different, everyone has a little extra jump when they play Exeter. I’m sure we’ll be fine.” The game against Tilton gives Andover momentum and confidence as the team prepares to play Exeter away on Saturday.
