Proctor Academy

/ Winter / Hockey / Hockey - JV Boys

'09-'10 SEASON RECAP:
Hockey is a sprinting game punctuated by short rests. Due to our depleted ranks, we played most of the season with an average of 9-10 skaters per game and our goaltender. With 5 skaters on the ice we only had 4-5 on the bench resting for 30-60 seconds until their next shift. Games were as much about survival as they were about executing systems to the best of our ability. Our season's accomplishments, win - lose - draw, were made with a minimal number of players who, to a man, had to dig deep physically and emotionally. Highlights? How about Max Lewis' last second goal against Vermont Academy's hybrid JV/Varsity team to knot the game at 3-3? Our 2-3 loss against Tilton's JV/Varsity B team? A 5-4 win against the Mavericks followed by another 5-4 win against Holderness? Elliott Hays-Wehle's selfless contributions as an alpine skiier and JV puckster? Tyler Graf, a very passionate and gritty player, was our high scorer this season with 11 goals and 2 assists. Tyler loves hockey and plays it very well, so he has a very bright future in this sport. He is followed closely in scoring by his friend Tucker Andrews (7 goals, 5 assists), defenseman Taylor Warden (6 goals, 3 assists), Tucker Danell (5 goals, 1 assist), and Max Lewis (3 goals, 2 assists). Other blueliners Tanner Robinson, Pat Shine, and Elliot Hays-Wehle did a yeoman's service pinching at the blue line to keep the puck in the opposition’s end, and keeping the slot clear so that Zoltan could see and stop incoming shots. Dan Watts and Will Tower scored a couple of goals and assists each.

COACHES’ AWARD – MARK WOO

I'm leaving one player out, and that is this year's Coaches’ Award winner. Mark Woo came to Proctor from Seoul, Korea back in 2006, and has played JV Hockey for four years. Some might chuckle about this, but I hope you're not. Mark made a commitment to a sport that he loves to play. He is a very good player. He skates like the wind, backchecking like a man possessed, or dangling around opponents, yet his selflessness always prompts him to pass before shooting, even when he has a clear shot window. He always skated off the ice with a grin because he loves hockey, and loves playing with freshmen or seniors who also love hockey. His degree of commitment to the game, to his teammates, to Proctor, and to himself has rewarded him with the Coaches’ Award. Congratulations, Mark.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – ZOLI CLARKE

The MVP, as voted on by the team, is Zoltan Clark - Zoli the Goalie. I was a little worried when Zoli emailed me in November to tell me he was excited about playing goaltender this winter but that he didn't have any pads. This did not imbue a boatload of confidence. He got his pads, and after the first practice Andy Herlihy and I were smiling inside and out because Zoli's got game. He has solid technique and is fearless in turning away shot after shot. Word on the streets of Martha's Vineyard is that all the other young goaltenders on the island are happy that Zoli is at Proctor so they can get some playing time. He plays every second of every game as if it was the last 60 seconds of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Great job, Zoli.

A Great Way to End the Season

12/4/09 | 4:00 PM | HOME

W 12-0

VS Cardigan Mountain School

12/5/09 | 2:30 PM | AWAY

T 3-3

VS Vermont Academy

12/12/09 | 2:30 PM | HOME

L 1-7

VS Brewster Academy

12/16/09 | 3:30 PM | HOME

RESCHEDULED

W 7-1

VS Mavericks

1/9/10 | 2:45 PM | AWAY

T 2-2

VS Holderness School

1/13/10 | 4:00 PM | HOME

L 4-7

VS Mavericks

1/15/10 | 5:00 PM | HOME

CANCELED

VS Academie Saint-Louis

1/16/10 | 2:30 PM | HOME

CANCELED

VS Vermont Academy

1/20/10 | 2:00 PM | HOME

CANCELED

VS New Hampton School

1/22/10 | 4:30 PM | AWAY

CANCELED

VS Cardigan Mountain School

1/23/10 | 2:00 PM | HOME

L 3-5

VS Mavericks

1/27/10 | 2:00 PM | AWAY

L 2-7

VS Brewster Academy

2/3/10 | 1:30 PM | AWAY

L 2-3

VS Tilton School

2/4/10 | 3:30 PM | AWAY

RESCHEDULED

L 1-5

VS New Hampton School

Hornets Can't Hang On Against Huskies

After our epic battle against the Rams on Wednesday, we loaded up the MB9 chariot for a Thursday tilt against New Hampton. Our focus going into this game was to try to set a tempo early and then try to sustain it for the entire first frame. Sure enough, with the drop of the first puck the Green Line (Graf, Lewis, Andrews) and Blue liners Warden and Elliot Hays-Wehle dominated the first few minutes. However, with only 10 skaters we knew that an upbeat tempo would be difficult to sustain. After a long shift of PK and some heavy legs and lots of pressure in our own end, NHS scored to go ahead 1-0. Two tactical mistakes resulted in the first period ending 3-0. The second period started and ended at 3-0 which we considered a victory. After a much needed rest while the rink was being shaved and flooded, Hornets again came out flying. Will "Tower of Power" Tower ('12, Ogunquit, ME) one timed a feed from Taylor Warden ('11, Concord, NH) under the pads of the Huskie netminder, and the second period ended 1-3. Losing Warden to a game misconduct for the first 8 minutes of the third period meant that we skated with 3 blue liners and 2 sets of forwards, a recipe for fatigue and potential disaster. Despite our best efforts to short shift, tired legs were the order of the day and NHS was quick to capitalize on our let downs. The game ended 1-5. This one hurt, especially since we had many PP opportunities, but we could not capitalize because there was no snap in our legs. Still, this is an impressive bunch of young men who have earned Andy's and my respect. They have great attitudes and "never quit" spirit. They are a joy to spend time with. Tanner Robinson ('13 York, ME) and Pat Shine ('12, Williamstown, MA) did yeoman's service at the blue line, as did Elliot Hays-Wehle. Max Lewis continues to improve as his confidence grows; Tucker Danell anchors the red line between the younger Tower and Dan "Sleepy" Watts ('13, Wellesley, MA). Tucker Andrews and Tyler Graf (both '12 and from New London) tandem up for some nice neutral ice and offensive zone play. As always, Zoli's save percentage is through the roof!

2/6/10 | 2:00 PM | HOME

CANCELED

VS Kimball Union Academy

2/10/10 | 4:30 PM | HOME

W 5-4

VS Mavericks

Proctor Wins a Nail Biter 5-4

With our roster number floating all week between 8 and 10 skaters, we did not know if we would be able to play the Mavericks on February 10th without some supplemental players from their midget team. Their coach, Mark Cashin, has always supported Proctor hockey and the excellent match-up between his growing program and our JV. As fate would determine, lo and behold, we had 11 skaters plus Zoltan lacing them up before the game. Spirits were high, and the mood was jovial during the 30 minutes prior to game time. The usual stuff: Danell got his gear on in less than 40 seconds, Dan was taking a nap, Taylor was trying the next remedy for his skate bite, etc. Mark Woo laced 'em up for the first time since his knee injury early in January, Elliot Hays-Wehle again, unselfishly, continued to double-dip between JV puck and alpine racing, and Taylor returned from his bruised kidneys after the NHS game. The stars were lining up and a win was in the offing. Proctor's Pat Shine ('12 Williamstown, MA) scored the first goal on a loose puck in front of the Mavericks' crease, but the Mavericks returned in minutes with the help of a defensive coverage breakdown in front of our goal. That is how the entire game played out. Hornets scored four times, and the Mavericks responded to knot the game. This emotional roller coaster can really unsettle a team that lacks confidence, and our win-loss record had not fueled our confidence at this point in the season. The defining turning point came when Mark Woo ('10 Seoul, Korea) backchecked all the way back to our goal, almost deflecting a shot wide. Even though the Mavericks scored on that break, we found inspiration from Woo's efforts after a long injury recovery. Also, Zoli Clarke ('13 Chilmark, MA) set up a Steelers'-esque iron curtain defense across the goal mouth, turning away shot after shot. We battled in our end and built from there. We scored when we needed to, thanks to Shine, Tucker Andrews ('12 New London, NH), and Tyler Graf ('12 New London, NH) who earned a hat trick. Solid blue line play as always came from Taylor Warden ('11 Concord, NH), Tanner Robinson ('13 York, ME), Elliott Hays-Wehle ('11 Milton, MA), and stand-in Max Lewis ('12 Camden, ME). Red liners Tucker Danell ('10 Aspen, CO), Will Tower ('12 Ogunquit, ME), and Dan Watts ('13 Wellesley, MA) played some stingy in-zone defense, kept the puck on the perimeter as much as possible, and created good opportunities through the neutral ice. We have a rematch against the Mavericks on Friday the 12th.

2/15/10 | 5:45 PM | HOME

RESCHEDULED

L 2-6

VS Concord Midgets

2/17/10 | 2:00 PM | AWAY

L 2-5

VS Kimball Union Academy

Eight Against Twenty-Eight

Like the Battle of Thermopylae that pitted the "300" Spartans against the Persian throngs under Xerxes, Proctor's 8 JV Hornets traveled to NH's own pass at Thermopylae in Meriden to play the loaded and deep KUA JV team. Knowing that only a flawless forty five minute effort would keep this game close or afford us a chance at winning, the Hornets took the ice prepared to accept the challenges ahead. Our leader, our Leonidas for the day, showed his colors early. Halfway though the 1st period on our first power play, Tucker Andrews threaded a laser pass to Tyler Graf on the far post who one timed a shot pass the Wildcat goaltender to put the Hornets on the scoreboard first. We continued to pressure their end with a conservative two man forecheck, leaving a third forward just inside the blue line to interrupt their breakout and save our legs a bit, but the KUA forwards quickly capitalized on an odd man rush to knot the game at 1-1. The Hornets did an admirable job defending their zone when KUA set up their offense, keeping the puck around the perimeter and generating some tight coverage in the slot. Tired backchecking against forwards with speed was a challenge, and resulted in the lion's share of KUA goals. Despite the fatigue, Graf again scored late in the 3rd period to close the gap to 5-2, which is the way the contest ended. These young men were awe-inspiring for those 45 minutes. Only someone who has played organized, competitive hockey could understand how difficult it is to play an entire game with only three players on the bench, but these young men relished the opportunity. To a man, they played with heart and joy... for the love of the sport. What more could two coaches expect of a team? We play Holderness on Saturday at The Ted with our full compliment of 10 players, and we hope to garner a win after a frustrating tie against the Bulls early in the season.

2/20/10 | 2:30 PM | HOME

W 5-4

VS Holderness School

Proctor Pulls Away Late

The battle hardened troops reassembled for a second match-up against Holderness at The Ted on Saturday, February 20th. Our ranks were replenished (10 skaters!!) by the return of Taylor Warden and Dan Watts, and the mood in the locker room was confident and ebullient. Our previous game resulted in a tie, one that we knew we should have won. This one would be a battle and we were excited for the opportunity to prove ourselves. From the opening face-off the play went up and down the ice, but Taylor Warden found the mark early from the blue line putting the Hornets up 1-0. We have struggled all year with scoring two goals in a row, and the first period proved to be no different. The Bulls responded, knotting the game at 1-1. Minutes later, Tyler Graf scored on a rebound off a blueline blast from Warden but, again, the Bulls snuck a shot past Zoli Clarke to tie the game at 2-2, despite our solid blueline play by Tanner Robinson, Pat Shine, Warden, and Elliot Hays-Wehle. Amidst the "back and forth" play, our veteran center Mark Woo, after one of his dramatic and nimble full ice rushes, lost his footing and crashed into the corner feet first which twisted his fragile knee which had sidelined him for a month early in the season. Now we were down to 9 skaters, and the Bulls scored a third goal to pull ahead 3-2. "These are the times that try men's souls" wrote Thomas Paine in December, 1776, as the flagging Continental Army suffered a series of defeats from Long Island across New Jersey. It was time to step and play like men, and that we did. Warden scored a wrister from the right faceoff circle, and Tucker Andrews, our own Francis Marion the "Swamp Fox," rallied the troops with back to back goals - yes, back to back goals - to give the Hornets a 5-3 margin in the 3rd period. The Bulls immediately ramped up the pressure and scored with minutes remaining to inch closer to a tie, but the Hornets with tired legs hung on, almost scoring on their empty net as the seconds ticked off the clock. It was tough for Andy and I to keep a straight face, acting like we knew we were going to win all the time. We were very excited for the boys. They all hung tough, stayed together, and refused to quit. They continue to impress us and we're very proud to be a part of their amazing season.

2/24/10 | 4:00 PM | HOME

CANCELED

VS Berwick Academy

2/27/10 | 1:30 PM | HOME

RESCHEDULED

W 8-2

VS Pleasant Valley Midgets

A Great Way to End the Season

As always, nine skaters and Zoli the Goalie met in the locker room at 12:45 for a 1:30 game against the Pleasant Valley Midgets from our sister state, Vermont. The mood in the locker room was sportive, excited about playing the final game of a season filled with highs and lows. The Pleasant Valley team had been depleted due to a few injuries, but this meant that the two sides would be even in numbers. Proctor scored first, a rebound by Graf, after a flurry of shots had been turned away. From that point on it was "all Proctor," until Pleasant Valley split our blueliners and tied the game with a 1v0 breakaway. Our work was cut out for us. The JV Hornets rallied and scored 4 unanswered goals: 2 Warden blasts and 2 Andrews wristers. Blueliners pinched hard on the forecheck as we masterfully executed our 3-2 offensive coverage. The first half ended 5-1. When Coach Goodnow stepped into the locker room the players were talking about poetry. He then segued their literary observations into an extolation of the poetry in their exectuion of the game. The second half opened a little half-heartedly due to excessive confidence about the outcome of the game. A Pleasant Valley forward side-stepped a Warden open-ice check and scored to close te gap to 5-2. At that point, Andrews took over with a 3rd goal (completing the hat trick), and Shine scored twice from the blue line. Max Lewis brought his customary level of volume and on-ice intensity to this match-up. Elliott Hays-Wehle assisted on 3 goals and played a smart game at defense. Tanner Robinson and Will Tower "of power," cross town rivals from York and Ogunquit respectively, played their best games of the season. "Book him" Danno Watts found himself open several times, but couldn't "dan"gle to score. Finally, when the chips were down Zoltan turned away their shots to keep the goal margin comfortable. This was a great season, one that I will always remember because the young men were courageous, respectful, fun, and skilled players committed to improving their technical and tactical skills, despite their depleted numbers at games and practice. It was an honor to coach them.

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Coaches

Philip Goodnow

Head Coach

603-735-6273

Appointed: 1995

Read Bio

Andrew Herlihy

Coach

Appointed: 2009

Team Statistics

Wins

Losses

Ties