On Saturday, December 10, the Boys’ Varsity Hockey team took on Deerfield in its third contest of the season. After a physical and emotional game, Choate came out on top, 7-3, for its first win this winter.
From the start, the game was physical, with both teams delivering major hits, prompting cheers and groans from the packed arena. Nonetheless, the Choate boys were able to control the puck and keep it in their attacking zone. Coach Pat Dennehy partly accredited the team’s win to this physicality: “I just think the guys battled a lot more than they previously have.”
In a rivalry game such as this one, though, physical play can cause emotions to run high, leading to penalties or missed opportunities. In the third period, this began happening to Choate, which allowed Deerfield to score three quick goals and tie the game. Coach Dennehy said he believed that his players lost their heads a little bit during this period, allowing Deerfield to get back in the game.
However, Choate was able to regain composure. Captain Bobby Goggin ’17 said after the game, “When we ran into penalty trouble in the third, Coach called an important timeout and settled us down.” During that time out, Coach Dennehy said that he just wanted his players to refocus and keep it simple and win the little battles. According to Coach Dennehy, another main reason behind the team’s ability to refocus was the captains’ leadership and outstanding performances. He said that, being a fairly young team, leadership from the seniors was vital for this win.
Another major part of the team being able to withstand Deerfield’s run and comeback was the team’s mindset. Captain Craig Uyeno ’17 said, “The boys did a great job of believing in themselves and believing in each other. After our penalties expired in the third, we were full steam ahead and had a great team comeback.” Goggin added, “We have a great team atmosphere with everybody pushing each other to win games. That is vital for success in a team sport.”
Another vital aspect of team sports is every person playing his best and doing his respective job. This is something that is even more apparent in hockey, since one line does not get all of the playing time. The Boars’ collaborative effort certainly benefited them on Saturday. Coach Dennehy also cited this aspect as an important factor in his team’s win. He found that the third and fourth lines had a goal differential — the number of goals scored by a team minus the number of goals it conceded — of +1, taking a lot of pressure to produce off of the top lines.
Along with the lower lines, the special teams were a huge part of the game. In the third period, the outcome of the game was decided by who could accomplish more penalty plays. Choate was able to dominate special teams for most of the game en route to its win. Choate ended the game three for six on penalty plays with a short-handed goal as well. Meanwhile, the Wild Boards held Deerfield at two for six on power plays.
Finally, while this game was won in large part because Choate was able to play together as a team, there were many outstanding individual performances. On the scoring side, Jack Hoey ’18 scored a hat trick. Choate’s other four goals were scored by Faisal Al-Saif ’18, who played an outstanding and physical game, Sean Dennehy ’19, who also had an assist, Chance Gorman ’18, and George Upgren ’17. These goals would not have been possible without the team’s swift passing; Cooper Swift ’19, Luke Wheeler ’19, Daniel Kramer ’18, and Goggin each made two assists. Finally, goalie Cal Stewart ’18 played an outstanding game, keeping Deerfield off the board for the first two periods and making a few jaw-dropping saves in the second period.
