Martlets Fall to Hillside

The Martlets had their hands full this evening as a talented Hillside Hawks team visited Jackson Rink. Hillside certainly had the better of the play for long stretches, but the Martlets had their share of their own. The score does not tell the full story: the Black & Gold competed hard and generated plenty of scoring opportunities, but once again – in what is becoming a bit of a theme this season – faced a capable opposing goalie. Hillside fired 38 shots at JV netminder Danny Maher ‘26, evidence of their solid play, but Westminster had 28 of their own but until the third struggled to solve the riddle of the Hillside keeper. The JV game plan was simple: compete for pucks in all areas of the ice, win the blue lines, and play with controlled intensity. For the most part, the team executed this game plan well. But with every lapse or Martlet miscue, it seemed Hillside was there to capitalize. Only two minutes into the game, the Hawks took full advantage of a misplayed puck in the Martlet end to make it 0-1, and they never looked back. The score was 0-4 at the first intermission, and in the locker room the JVs committed to playing simple, fundamental hockey: keeping their feet moving, stops and starts on the puck, and taking on opponents directly. The second period featured some good moments of play for the home side, but again they seemed to pay for every bad bounce or hesitation with a relentless Hillside attack. The visitors added five more goals in the middle frame to pad their lead. The Martlets did find the back of the Hillside net (finally!) when Lester Gu ‘27 picked up a loose puck in center ice and went in on a breakaway; linemate Dylan Zapata ‘27 hustled in behind him and when Gu made a nifty drop pass just in front of the Hawk net Zapata was there to bang it home. That goal energized the team and the Martlets pressed the attack but could not chip away at the Hillside lead and the session ended with the Martlets trailing. The third period was much more balanced. Though Westminster played overall better zone defense – and managed to kill off a major penalty with only one goal against – Hillside scored three more times. But the Martlets kept battling and scored two of their own. Paul Coccaro ‘28 netted his first goal of the season on a backhand in front on the power play; linemates Jack Peterson ‘25 and Xavier Kahn ‘27 assisted on the play. A few minutes later, Reed Ghriskey ‘28 scored on a quick wrist shot from the high slot after receiving a pass from Gu, who tallied his second assist of the game. Gu dug the puck out of the corner and deked this way, and then that way before finding Ghriskey. A look at the scoreboard might suggest one narrative of this spirited game, but this old coach knows there’s always a back story, appendix, and footnotes. That deeper dive shows the team working hard, improving with each shift, and learning what it takes to succeed in this league. The coaches knew going in this would be a tough contest, and that the team hung in there for the full 48 minutes and battled, supported one another, and played with Grit & Grace is what really matters. Plenty of Martlets of note this evening: Dillon Seals ‘25 turned in his usual solid game (and served as assistant captain in the absence of Ben Norten ‘25); the defensive corps of Thomas Merrill ‘28, Mikey Wang ‘28, Benji Hanson ‘27, Lane Gallagher ‘25, and Richard Kim ‘25 are improving every game; and the entire forward group responded to the coaches’ between-period challenges with heads up and feet moving, generating a good forecheck and back pressure through neutral ice. Ghriskey earned the hard hat for his solid game blocking shots, winning faceoffs, and playing well in the defensive end (and getting on the scoresheet!). The team has little time to recover from this contest: we’re on the road at Salisbury to face the Crimson Knights tomorrow. The coaches have full confidence that this team will rest up, fuel up, and be ready for the game tomorrow. The local weather report is for a spot of mixed precipitation and typical New England January temperatures – a perfect day to grab a cup of hot chocolate and a hockey game in the Litchfield Hills. So throw on that extra layer, grab your mittens and Black and Gold toque, and we’ll see you at the rink!