Martlets Skate to 7-1 Win

The Martlets skated away with their first win of 2025 this afternoon at Jackson Rink. The Farmington Valley rivals Loomis Pelicans were in town, and the hometown faithful were treated to a spirited contest. Playing with a depleted roster owing to illness and injury, the JVs could muster only 14 skaters, including Carsten Matthews ‘28 up from the minors to make his debut with the big club. The score does not tell the whole story, as the Pelicans played hard and competed with the Martlets throughout and their two goalies made a host of terrific saves. In the end, the Black & Gold outshot the visitors 43 to 15, so the two Pelicans between the pipes made 36 saves combined. On the Westminster end, netminder Danny Maher ‘26, fresh off the sick list, made 14 saves to backstop the victory. The Martlets got off to a slow, disorganized start as they sorted out their line combinations and overcame a general sluggishness from the injury- and illness-plagued week – and that they hadn’t played a game since last Saturday. This old coach knows that the “on-off” switch is hard to throw sometimes, and in the 1st period that switch was definitely off. The head coach will take the blame for that; perhaps the pregame talk didn’t quite get the lads in the proper frame of mind. Loomis took advantage of the Martlets’ slow start, scoring first when a Martlet miscue below the goal line gifted a 2 on 0 against Maher. That put the JVs down 0-1 early in the game, a recurring theme this season. Perhaps jolted into action, the Martlets responded well and doubled down on their effort. Dylan Zapata ‘27 got the JVs back in the game late in the opening frame with an important goal when he took the puck end-to-end, and beat the Pelican defensemen to the outside before cutting inside and cooly sliding the puck through the legs of the Loomis keeper. With the score knotted at 1-1, the 1st period horn sounded and the Founders League rivals retreated to their respective locker rooms. The Black & Gold collected themselves and prepared for the second with the goal of playing simple hockey with good energy and structure in all three zones. That formula worked, as the Martlets got the next two goals to gain the lead 3-1. Xavier Kahn ‘27 scored first inthe 2nd – the eventual game-winner – when he took a pass from Reed Ghriskey ‘26 below the Pelican goal line before circling into the high slot and ripped a wrister top left to give the home side the lead. Kahn’s goal energized the Martlets, and they never looked back. Later in the period, Ghriskey made it 3-1 Westminster when he banged home a rebound of a Dillon Seals ‘25 shot from the point. At the break and with the Martlest’ up 3-1 and the ice tilting in their favor, the coaches reminded the team that simple things win hockey games: winning races, winning puck battles, controlling the blue lines, and possessing the net fronts. This old coach knows that a 2-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey and that the next goal would have a lot to do with the outcome of the game. The 3rd period began with the Martlets renewing their attack, and it was Kahn on the breakaway who put the JVs up 4-1. That goal proved a critical one, too, as the hosts were visibly boosted and the visitors a bit deflated. Zapata would soon make it 5-1 on a nifty close in play; Paul Coccaro ‘28 collected the puck down low before putting a perfect pass on Zapata’s stick. Two quick goals followed to seal the victory: Ghriskey scored his second of the night with Lester Gu ‘27 assisting, and then Gu put a bow on the victory when he received a pass from Kahn and banged the puck home. After the 1st period malaise, the coaches were pleased with how the team responded and played the final two frames. A good team effort overall: Ghriskey earned the hard hat for his three-point night and overall up-tempo play, and Kahn had the game-winning goal. But everyone contributed to the victory: Captain Ben Norten ‘25 worked hard and led the team from the opening puck drop to the final whistle, and the line of Augie Jiranek ‘26, Zac Jainchill ‘25, and Jack Pickett ‘26 played a solid game. Matthews played well in his debut, and joining Seals and Matthews on the blue line and anchoring the defense were Mikey Wang ‘28, Thomas Merrill ‘28, and Chace Maurice ‘27. Maurice, in particular, deserves recognition for gamely moving to the defensive corps from his usual centerman position because of the short bench. In sum, the coaches were pleased with the effort – mostly in the 2nd and 3rd periods  – and felt the team deserved the win. Credit again to the Pelican goalies and the entire team, who battled to the end. The Martlets will enjoy their weekend and look ahead to the coming week. The team will forego Monday practice and travel to Avon to support the Varsity in their annual Monday tilt against the Beavers. But we’ll be back on the ice on Tuesday preparing for the Williston Wildcats, who visit Jackson Rink on Wednesday, and then it's the long road over the Litchfield Hills to take on the Kent Lions next Saturday. The boys will have to be ready for Large Feline Week, as both teams have proven tough competitors in the past. Wednesday’s ticket sales have been brisk, and the visitors' section at Kent is always packed. So reach out to your local ticket agent soon (or there might be scalpers outside both arenas, but you didn’t hear it from me). Either way, we’ll see you at the rink!