Martlets Fall to AOF

The Martlets made the short trip down Route 10 for another exciting chapter of "The Monday Game" against cross-town rival Avon Old Farms. This matchup is always a must-see for both teams and their schools, and this year was no different. Avon entered the game ranked #1 in New England, riding a strong season. The Martlets, fresh off a thrilling win at Loomis just a few days earlier, were fired up for the challenge. Puck drop was scheduled for 4:30 PM, and both schools turned out in full force. Avon’s student section was packed, while around 200 Martlet supporters made the trek by bus and van to cheer on their team. The atmosphere was electric.

From the opening whistle, the Martlets came out flying, setting a high pace and bringing a physical edge that had Avon on its heels. Despite several prime scoring chances, including three partial breakaways, the Martlets couldn’t convert. But they kept pressing, and with just under 30 seconds remaining in the first period, JJ Hurley ’25 fired a shot from the blue line that slipped through traffic and found the back of the net, giving the Martlets a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission.

Avon answered in the second period, regrouping and taking control of the game. The Winged Beavers scored three times—two on the power play and one at even strength—to take a 3-1 lead into the locker room.

But the Martlets weren’t done. They came out strong in the third period, matching Avon’s intensity and pushing hard for a comeback. It was Tommy Coccaro ’26 who finally broke through, scoring to trim Avon’s lead to 3-2. Unfortunately, just moments later, a broken play behind the Martlet net saw the puck deflect off a couple of sticks—and possibly a head—before trickling into the net to restore Avon’s two-goal lead.

Despite pulling their goalie in the final minutes, the Martlets couldn’t get any closer. Avon sealed the game with two empty-net goals, securing a 6-2 victory. While the outcome wasn’t what the Martlets had hoped for, they put up a solid effort and can take a lot of positives from this game. They’ll need that same intensity and determination as they travel north to face Deerfield on Wednesday. As always, the Martlets netminder Jack Ficthorn '26 was great in net from start to finish.