Strikingly often in Boys Varsity Hockey games, Andrew Cox ’08 kills penalties, cycles the power play, and wins face-offs, in all playing a large role on the squad. The left-shot center from Lombardy, Ontario—just south of Ottawa—has the second most points for Andover with 22 this season’s 21 games. Cox has netted 11 goals and provided 11 assists on the season. He also notched points in 13 of the last 15 games, including last Friday’s 5-4 loss to Governor’s Academy. The Phillipian sat down for a conversation with him last Wednesday: Phillipian Sports: Coming to the US and the New England Prep League, what have the adjustments been like, and what are the differences between playing in Canada and the U.S.? Andrew Cox: Well, I spent my freshman year of high school at St. George’s in Rhode Island, where I got kind of acclimated to the pace of the game, but that was Division 2 prep hockey. Division 1 is a big step up in competition, and the game also gets a lot quicker. I’d say here at Andover, the speed is as quick as the level I played at in Canada. PS: What attracted you to Andover? AC: After a year at St. George’s, I went back home to play for a year, but I realized I wanted to go the college route and come back to prep school. Coach Boylan was really honest about what he expected out of his players, and I liked the guys I met and how the team played when I visited. It was a pretty welcoming community and I liked how it gave me an opportunity to thrive academically as well. PS: Are there any things you took away from last year, in getting acclimated to the school and team? AC: One guy I looked to a lot was Chris [Cahill ‘06] because he taught me that it’s best to keep your head up and make solid plays instead of focusing on your mistakes. It was nice playing on a line with him and J.J. [McGregor ‘08]. He gave us a lot of depth and chemistry. Tommy Dignard [‘06] always displayed a lot of composure as well, and even as an upper, Joe [Smith ‘07] showed a lot of leadership and helped us bond together. PS: What skills have you worked on improving since last year? AC: I think I’ve gotten better at face-offs and penalty kills since last year. Face-offs take a lot of practice, and I put in some work on them this summer. You can pick up how NHL players take their draws, and in our own games, I try to pick up on opponents’ tactics early in the game. Winning face-offs is about outsmarting your opponent, so come 3rd period in a crucial time, I’ve adjusted to their moves and have a much better chance of winning the draw. I’ve worked on improving my composure with the puck, remembering to keep my head up, and I think this also comes with maturity and age. You have to realize that there is more time to think than it seems, and now that the game has slowed down a step or so for me, it gives me the ability to make better decisions. I want to get stronger this summer and put on some weight to play better in the corners and around the boards as well. PS: Is there any player you model your game after? AC: That’s tough, because there are different things to take away from a lot of players. I like how Patrice Bergeron can do it all: shoot, pass, kill, and he’s got good vision on the ice. I think my favorite player is Danny Briere, but there are good parts to each player’s game that you can pick and choose. PS: What are your thoughts on this team and the future for Andover? AC: This year it’s great that everyone on the team has been pulling more for the team and for one another, and the younger guys have a lot of respect for the older guys. We’ve don’t have that great of a record this year, but I think we have the talent to be a great team and get back to the playoffs next year.
