With thirty seconds remaining in the Andover-Exeter hockey game, Garnet Hathaway ’10 sent a blazing wrist shot past the Exeter goalie to bring Andover within one goal. Andover was unable to find the net again, however, and lost to its rival 3-4. Fans packed Harrison Rink on Saturday in anticipation of the intense rivalry game. For Andover, a bit of bad luck was the difference between a win and a loss. Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard early in the game, thanks to very strong defense from both sides. Exeter scored the first goal with four minutes left in the first period with a slapshot from the point. Andover held the opposition from scoring again until the middle of the second period, when Exeter netted two consecutive rebound goals to make the score 3-0. “Early in the game, [Exeter] got a couple lucky bounces that resulted in goals and we weren’t able to get anything going offensively until late,” said Keith MacDonald ’10. Eddie Ellis ’13 finally put Andover on the board in the third period with a snapshot past the Exeter goalie. Unfortunately, Andover was forced to pull its goalie and Exeter took advantage shortly after with an empty net goal. In the final minute, Andover crashed the net and tried to do anything to get the puck past the goalie. MacDonald scored on a rebound from a shot by Will Gray ’10, and Hathaway sniped another with thirty seconds left from the slot to make the score 4-3. The score remained that way for the final thirty seconds, as Andover couldn’t keep the momentum going. The team felt that it played better than it did in its 2-1 loss to Exeter earlier in the year. It outshot Exeter 37-22 on Saturday, but in the first game Andover was outshot 42-35. “We came really close to getting goals in the first and second periods, but couldn’t take advantage of our opportunities. The puck was bouncing their way,” said Gray. Despite its thirteen losses, Andover qualified for the New England Prep School playoffs. The team was quickly knocked out Wednesday by Choate in a 4-0 loss. Choate scored a goal in the first and three goals in the second to quickly eliminate any chances of an Andover victory. This week marks the end of a long and successful season for Andover hockey. Ending the season at 15-13, the team exceeded expectations yet again. “Initially, I thought we would have a very rough season, with all the Seniors we lost. I figured we might not even be a .500 team, but a lot of guys stepped up,” said Yoon. Gray said, “Despite many injuries that we fought through, we had a very successful season.” The seniors have said their farewells to Andover hockey, but with no regrets. “I will never forget this team. No matter where our seniors end up playing next year, there is nothing quite as special as high school hockey,” said Redmond Colson ‘10 Gray said, “There was a lot of great leadership on this team and I think that is what I will remember most. We were a team of hardworking players and the coaches really helped us grow.”
