1/17/04
Andover KO’s Exeter, 5-1
Exeter, NH -- Junior Kyle Kucharski, junior Steve Rolocek, junior J.P. Martignetti, and postgrad Mike Foley supplied the offense and senior goaltender Cory Schneider kicked out 30 Exeter shots to lead #8 Andover to a 5-1 win here earlier this evening.
Exeter went on the power play three minutes into the game and got the board just seven seconds later when Tom Dolan knocked the rebound of sophomore defenseman Kevin Crane’s shot from the point past Schneider to give Exeter a lead they would hold for… less than two minutes.
At 4:57, Martignetti scored from a scramble around Exeter goaltender Andrew Piekos. It appeared that the puck, on a clearing attempt, banked off Piekos’ left pad. At any rate, it was 1-1.
Midway through the second period, Andover took a lead they would not relinquish when Rolocek knocked home the rebound of a Jed McDonald shot from the point to make it 2-1 Andover.
In the third period, Andover went up 3-1 when Foley cut around an Exeter defenseman and backhanded it past Piekos at 2:57.
With about four minutes left, Exeter coach Dana Barbin pulled Piekos for the extra attacker, but the strategy backfired when Foley intercepted a cross-ice D-to_D pass and was off to the races, burying the puck to make it 4-1 with 3:12 remaining..
Piekos was returned to the net and Kucharski picked off another D-to-D pass and set off down the ice, scoring an unassisted goal to make it 5-1 Andover.
Exeter outshot Andover 36-29, but Andover had the edge where it counted.
Part II of this rivalry will be at Andover on Sat. Feb. 28, the last day of the regular season.
Notes: In other games involving top teams, #1 Hotchkiss, behind a four-point game (2g,2a) from Torrey Mitchell, rolled over Loomis… #2 Avon Old Farms used a balanced attack and a 15-save shutout from Jared DeMichiel in a 9-0 romp over Kent… #3 Salisbury got five goals in the second period in a 7-3 win over Westminster… Chris Bourque (2g,2a), Boomer Ewing (1g,3a), and Billy Ryan (1g,2a) led #4 Cushing past Berkshire 5-4… #5 Belmont Hill, on goals by Brian McCafferty and Matt Gordon, edged GDA 2-1 on the road.
