Rui Han ’25 squares up against Brooks in the first quarter.
2/21 – Andover: 3, Brooks: 1
2/22 – Andover: 3, Pingree: 2
2/26 – Andover: 5, NMH: 1
Boys Hockey (16-9-3) has bounced back from last Wednesday’s tough overtime loss with three straight wins. The streak began with a 3-1 victory over Brooks on Senior Night, followed by a hard-fought 3-2 overtime win against Pingree. A dominant 5-1 road win against Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) added to the team’s momentum, which they aim to carry into Saturday’s matchup at Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter).
Tyler Miocevich ’26 reflected on the team’s mindset heading into the Brooks game after the loss against Cushing last Wednesday. He emphasized that preparation had been key to beating Brooks in regulation and Pingree in overtime.
“We were reeling from our loss on Wednesday, which was a tough overtime loss. We [came] into the games knowing that they were must win games, and we had to come out of the weekend with those under our belt. The preparation towards the games reflected that. Leading into the games, we were super prepared and focused for the task of getting two wins,” said Miocevich. “They were both within a couple goals throughout the whole game so it was a lot of back-and-forth play, not getting too high when we would score, [and] not getting too low when they would score.”
The game against NMH on Wednesday was much more one-sided, as Boys Hockey rolled to a 5-1 victory. Danny Collins PG ’25 played a key role with a two-point night. Kieran McIntosh ’27 also praised co-captain Peyton Militello ’25, who just recovered from Norovirus, and broke down four of the goals in the high-scoring game.
“First goal, nice shot from the point by number nine, Chas Sabre [’25], Danny Collins, in the dirty area, tipped it in, took it home, first goal. Second goal, of course, Danny Collins again, pass to Alex Small [’26]. [He] dekes the goalie, goes around, shoots off the back of the goalie, in the net. Bing, bang, boom, that’s two. Third goal, a beauty scored in front of the net. Nathan Kreppner [’27] to Alex Theodore [’27]. Alex Theodore does as he does. Greasy tucks in front of the net. And fifth goal, Grayden Robertson Palmer [’25]. Empty net merchant just tucked an empty netter,” said McIntosh.
Edouard Lord ’26, who tended the net against Pingree and NMH, highlighted the team’s improved ability to close out games. Despite struggling to hold leads at times this season, the team managed to secure two tight victories against Brooks and Pingree.
“One of our strengths was just being able to close out some close games. We’ve dropped a few this season, in the late moments of games that we feel like we should have won. It was nice to come out on top in two very close games and be able to finish the job at the end. So that was a strong point of our team,” said Lord.
Throughout the game, the team’s physicality and penalty kill were key factors in their dominant win over NMH. Andover’s relentless pressure and strong defensive play helped put the game out of reach by the second period.
“At the start of the game, we kind of started off slow, and we were letting them bounce us around. They’re a pretty big team. But during the second period, we got our feet underneath us and started to lay some big hits. Shout out to Zachary Skowronek [’25]… He’s an animal. That really got us going,” said Kreppner.
McIntosh expressed his excitement for the upcoming Exeter game, hyping up the matchup and emphasizing the team’s momentum as a potential edge over their rivals. With confidence and energy, he made it clear that the team is ready for the challenge.
“Don’t even get me started. This one’s gonna be a tilt. One for the ages. You all should be there. Who’s Exeter? Who’s Exeter? Who’s Exeter? No, but realistically, we’re gonna carry this momentum from our past three games. We’re on a good streak right now, we’ve been scoring some goals, [and] having some fun. We’re gonna have two good practices, and then we’re gonna go and give them hell,” said McIntosh.
Boys Hockey will face off Exeter away this Saturday.
