This was a great team win. Although we started the game with a few unforced turnovers in the opening minutes, we bounced back and started executing all over the field. 

Outstanding play continued by the defense and goalies. 
Dominant play at the FO-X. 
Offense got dialed in when we needed it most. 

Game Ball: Jacob B for his consistent goal scoring throughout the season, highlighted today with a bunch of big time goals.

Game Photos

We had a great day against Fay on our Home Field on Wednesday. A lot of guys stepped up to make plays and our discipline on the field was impressive. 

Game Ball: Michael K for his great on-ball play and his consistency in the clearing game.

The Jr Boarding School Tournament had a total of 5 teams. We beat each of the other four teams consecutive games: Rectory 8-1, Indian Mountain School 4-3, Fenn School 10-2, Fay School 6-1. We then had a bye and the spent that break fueling up on a great tailgate set-up provided by the parents. We went into the championship game as the #1 seed and beat Indian Mountain School 8-2 for the win. 

It was an impressive day of great play. Our guys stepped up in many facets of the game. We logged a total of 90 seconds in the penalty box, which is pretty impressive given a total of 96 min played. 

A few highlights: 

• Our face-off guys were very consistent.
• In our second game of the tournament against IMS we were called for a couple of violations that had back-to-back goals wiped off the board. IMS tied the game 3-3 with under 30 seconds left in the game. We won the ensuing face-off, Ethan P made a great play on the ground ball, drew a lot of attention and he was able to find an open Brennan C for the game winning goal with 13 seconds to play.
• Jack D earned Outstanding Defensive Player of the tournament. 
• Game (Tournament) Ball: Jack F earned this through his consistency, discipline, and overall crucial role in our success throughout the day. He scored for us, came up with a ton of loose balls, he played man-down defense, he cleared the ball well, he initiated our offense and drew a lot of attention for his shooting, he locked off the best offensive player on IMS, etc. Well done, Jack!

We faced another tough opponent on the road when we faced off at St. Sebastian's on Wednesday, 5/10. The St. Seb's team played a physical game and were swarming the ball carrier, but we made adjustments, stepped away from pressure and moved the ball well to find open opportunities and cutters. This was a great opportunity for our guys to face some tough matchups and play through some challenges. We rose to the occasion and fought hard on loose balls, took some pressure and played as a team. Again, our defense was impressive, allowing only three goals. On offense and in transition we stepped up and were able to set a scoring pace that the Arrows weren't able to keep up with. 

Game Ball: Ethan P who has been a critical component to our offensive success all year. 

Game Photos

We hosted BH 8th Grade team on Friday on the 1985 Turf. Early in the game, BH led 4-2. We were able to reset ourselves defensively and start taking care of the ball on offense. Starting in the second quarter our attack-men started initiating the offense and forcing slides and rotations by the BH defense. We started finishing our offensive possessions and took good care of the ball when clearing. We led the game 9-4 at halftime. We held BH scoreless in the second half, just as we did in the second quarter. We expanded our lead and had all of our guys contribute to this win. 

Game Ball: Finn C for stepping-up and having a great game at close defense.

Game Photos

Game Film

Any time we hold another team to zero goals in a quarter, a half, and in this case an entire game - that is a great accomplishment by the defense. As wise coaches say, a good defense starts with a good offense. Maintaining possessions, establishing the pace of the game, and playing under control were all critical parts to this great team win. Jack D and Ryan H were excellent between the pipes, each making tough saves and anchoring the defense. Our LSMs played great in transition, both offensively and defensively. Alasdair and Markos made exceptional plays on the ball and were surgical with their checks. The close defense was dialed in around the net and disciplined when clearing. On offense we showed good "poise" and were able to create and find open teammates on a few critical occasions. Brennan C and Jake K each made some gritty plays to find teammates and create opportunities. 

Game Ball - Cam B who finished with 2 gs and 1 a. Particularly impressive for a seventh grader playing midfield - in a game with only 6 goals. 

Game Photos

A lot to be proud of in this game, but there is still room for growth. We had some admirable efforts from all positions and we came away with a win. Dictating the pace of play, running effective clears, and challenging rides are areas for continued focus. All of our guys got to play significant time and each player contributed to practices this week as well as this game. Well done. 

Game Ball: Jax K for his efforts at lefty attack and the 4 goals he tallied. 

Game Photos

We led 7-2 at the half and finished the game at the same pace with a 14-4 win. A lot of young players got a chance to execute the offense and we managed to control the ball for the majority of the game. 

Game Ball: Charles W who along with JR B dominated the face-off X.

Game Photos from Ms. Hashem. 

We played on the road vs the Nobles JV squad and although they scored first we responded with a tying goal. Again, Nobles found the back of the net to take a 1 goal lead, but that was the final lead they held during the game. We led the game 3-2 with 0:50 seconds to go in the 2nd quarter. Nobles called a timeout to put an offensive scheme in place, Jack D came up with a big save and we managed to score twice in the final 40 seconds of the first half. 

The second half was competitive, but we managed to get some good looks on offense and take some time off the clock with our possessions. Faceoff guys had a solid day and we cleared the ball well for the most part. A lot of guys got on the board with goals: Jacob B, Rory F, Will M, Jax K, Ethan P... Ryan made a couple big time stops when Nobles put the pressure on in the fourth quarter. All told, we played a very solid game and executed our game plan against an older, bigger opponent. 

Game Ball - Rory F for his grit, consistency, and overall team first focus.

Photos from Ms. Hashem

Coming off a tough game on Wednesday in NH we once again played on the road against another tough opponent: Belmont Hill's 9th Grade Team. BH led the game 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, but we battled back to tie the game 3-3 at the half: Rory F scored on a breakaway goal to tally our first goal. Jacob B found the back of the net on a man-up opportunity. Ethan P scored our third goal off a great feed from Jake K. Although there was only 1 goal in the last 20 minutes of play, we carried the moment and confidence from the 2nd period into the second half - largely controlling the pace of the game in the final two quarters. Beckett N scored the final goal after an impressive individual effort on a ground ball and clear. Using his pole he put a high paced shot over the goalies head, which got the team and the sideline turned up. 

Game Ball: Jack D in net

Photos from Ms. Hashem

We will continue building as we go into our next challenges next week.

We traveled to St. Paul's on Wednesday for a late afternoon contest with Cardigan Mountain School. We competed all over the field, but Cardigan was able to ride effectively and slid hard on defense. We weren't able to get shots on net in the first half - barely testing their goalie. Cardigan only managed to find the back of the net twice, despite the advantage of possession time. One goal was scored in settled offense, the second was a transition goal achieved off a stolen pass in the middle of the field. CMS led 2-0 at half. A good showing by our defense and by Ryan in net. We needed to execute the clear and our offense a bit more smoothly. 

In the second half, we did a better job of getting our hands free and putting shots on net. Cardigan made some quick outlets and were able to beat our middies in transition to score a three fast break goals. We also got a few penalties which we nearly survived. Ultimately, we made a few strong plays in the second half to put three goals on the board. Had we been equally successful in the first half, the game would have taken on a different shade. 

It was a good learning opportunity. All of our guys got good experience on the field and we get stronger by facing adversity. We will work to get our hands free and shoot to score. We have a long season ahead. 

Game Ball: Beckett N for playing another full game with poise, positive demeanor, and fierce defense.

Photos from Ms. Hashem

This was a great collective effort by our guys to compete with a talented opponent. Both teams were fired up for a Jr Prep showdown that might match the intensity of the game in '22. This one certainly was equally exciting. After some very hot days, the breeze picked up in the afternoon and conditions were excellent by the 5pm game time. Our guys stayed loose but focused throughout the pregame session and we knew we were going to be up against a well disciplined opponent. Nonetheless, our guys were excited to show what we could do and battle for every loose ball and every opportunity to give us an edge. 

The sideline was hyped and when Eaglebrook notched the first goal in the opening minute of the game, we didn't flinch. We reset, competed fiercely and were able to tally a typing goal by Jacob B. The game was very back and forth throughout the first half. We finished some gritty goals, committed to covering our duties on the ride, and were overall pretty sharp in transition. Ethan P had made some big plays and put us in great positions to score off of his dodges to the island. He finished a big goal in the closing minutes of the half. Rory F made a tremendous play in the midfield by throwing a tough clean body check (pictures included) on the ball carrier. This gave us an opportunity to get another key possession. We went into halftime knotted at 4, but felt confident in our ability to play to another level in the second half.

Overall, our guys stayed dialed in to the game, encouraged one another on the sideline and on the field. Again our defense pitched a shutout in the second half. The third quarter was very competitive, but both teams went scoreless into the final seconds of the period due to some impressive saves by both goalies. Rory F drove hard to the goal, hearing the final 10 seconds counted down by our sideline. He ran threw checks and put a shot on the net - Will M was in perfect position to make a play on the rebound and stick it in the back of the net as the buzzer went off. This go ahead goal was the final spark that we needed to finish the game with intensity and confidence. We managed to pull ahead and make some excellent plays, including some outstanding hustle plays by our defenseman to get the ball back in our zone and kill the game clock. 

Our captains: Ryan H, Alex M, and Alasdair M said it best, it was a great team win and we will keep the intensity rolling into the contests ahead. 

Next on the game schedule: Wednesday, 4/19 vs Cardigan Mountain at St. Paul's School @ 4:30pm.

Link to all the photos on Google Drive - Thank you, Mr. Murphy

In our first game of the season we executed and demonstrated good discipline in many elements of the game. At the face-off, JR B and Charles W were dominant. We won 85% of the face-offs and fought hard for every ground-ball in the instances when we didn't win the clamp. 
Our Goalies: Ryan H and Jack D were perfect in net. Each goalie made 3 saves and were able to hold Hillside scoreless. 
Offense: On the offensive end of the field, where the ball spent the vast majority of the game, our guys played great team offense, maintained our shape and got some great looks. All of our offensive players came away with at least 1 goal, showing how balanced our goal production can be. 
Defense: Any time we can hold a team to so few shots on net, we are doing many things right. Defense starts the second the other team takes possession and our discipline on our ride prevented Hillside from getting the ball over the midline on several occasions. When we were in a position to play 6 v 6 defense (and when we were man-down) we were in great position, communicating, and made some great plays. 
We only went man-down for one minute in the game, which is another element that allowed us to maintain control of the game. 

Game Ball: Jake K #4 who finished with 7 points and tallied our first goal of the season.

Photos from the game.