Boys JV hockey falls to Hotchkiss 3-2 in a close one.
The Boys J.V. hockey team took to the road again on Saturday to take on the Bearcats of Hotchkiss. This game is always well-contested, and today’s game would be the same story. Early first period defensive breakdowns, 2 of them, provided the home team with very good chances to score and they took advantage of them both. Handing our hosts a 2-0 advantage halfway through period one got our attention, and we began to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Mack Dance would get one of those goals back off a nice assist from Coleman Keller. The score after one period was 2-1 – advantage Hotchkiss.
The second period began with Deerfield applying pressure and creating several good scoring chances. Then, we were whistled for an interference penalty and Hotchkiss would capitalize on the man advantage and take back their two-goal lead. Deerfield battled hard, but disciplined defensive zone coverage and a good goalie kept us off the scoresheet and the second period 2-1 for Hotchkiss.
Period three was all Deerfield. We did close the gap with a loose puck goal scored by Jack Vergamini halfway through the period. Deerfield kept the pressure on and even pulled their goalie near the end of the game to gain an extra skater. However, Hotchkiss remained cool under pressure and was able to preserve the win and send Deerfield back to the bus with a disappointing 2-3 defeat. Our players worked hard all afternoon trying to overcome the early giveaways, but give Hotchkiss the credit of keeping us at bay. Next up is a very skilled team from cardigan Mountain. They will come to Deerfield with an outstanding record and multiple skilled kids looking to play on varsity teams all throughout New England. We’ll be ready for them on Wednesday.