12/13: Andover 4, New Hampton 3
12/16: Andover 4, Groton 2
On Saturday, Boys Hockey played New Hampton School, grabbing victory in a thrilling 3-goal comeback overtime win thanks to goals from Nate Kreppner ’27, Michael Barrett ’28, Kieran McIntosh ’27, and the game winner from Captain David O’Neill ’26. On Tuesday, Andover maintained its form with a win away at Groton, with great performances from the entire team.
Despite a quick start for Andover, the tide quickly flipped as New Hampton put away three goals in quick succession. Following an inspirational speech from senior goalie Edouard Lord ’26, the tone across the team shifted going into the third period. Kreppner described the excitement in the arena and the goal by his teammate McIntosh in the third period.
“Right at the start of the puck drop to begin the third, we knew we had them. They were babbling every dump. Every pass they tried to make was jittery. They weren’t holding onto the puck very well. They were playing scared, and our student section was giving it to them. They were loud and were cheering for us. It was really cool to see. We just had all the momentum, and eventually we got that goal. Kieran picked the puck off on a pass, cut to the middle, shot it for a goal,” said Kreppner.
Kreppner pointed out that the momentum carried into overtime, where Andover was able to complete its comeback victory with a goal from O’Neill, nicknamed ‘Captain Clutch’ for his late-game performances.
“After scoring with five minutes left in the third period, we had all the momentum; it felt like we could’ve ended it there. But we went into overtime, where our captain David O’Neill was able to put one away, which was just an all-time moment,” said Kreppner.
After Boys Hockey’s overtime loss last week, the win reenergized the team. Senji Kimura ’29 described the electric feeling of completing the comeback goal.
“The game-winning goal was crazy. With such a big student section, the place was going nuts. That was the craziest game I’ve ever been in. Going back to the locker room after the win was really energetic,” said Kimura.
Kreppner shouted out the student section’s Christmas theme with red and white spread across the crowd, emphasizing the importance of an invested crowd. Following every goal, the crowd would light up, fueling Andover’s comeback effort.
“It goes under the radar how much student support means. It’s that little boost that tells you to give that extra bit. You’re not just showing up to a job; you’re playing for your school, which means a lot to us. We put the people on our backs and were able to come away with the win. We weren’t going to disappoint them for showing up and creating a great atmosphere,” said Kreppner.
On Tuesday, Boys Hockey brought this momentum into a 4-2 win against Groton. O’Neill praised Assistant Captain Louis-Felix Beaulieu ’26 for his great game, putting himself all across the board.
“Today’s star player was definitely Louis. He had a great game. He scored his first goal of the season and had two assists as well, so three points, which is great to see. He also made some solid defensive plays as the game got closer to the end. He was the player of the game today,” said O’Neill.
Coming off two strong wins, Andover will look to carry its momentum through the annual Flood Marr tournament, looking to defend their stance as champions following their win last season.
