1/8/05
Taft Edges #1 Avon in a Nail-Biter
Watertown, Conn. -- After Avon beat Taft in early December, long-time Avon coach John Gardner said he didn't look forward to facing Taft later in the season.
Well, Part II came today -- this time in Taft's spiffy building, before a crowd that had braved the sleet and horrible driving conditions – and the Rhinos, behind a 26-save shutout by sophomore Andrew Margolin and a 5-on-3 powerplay goal off the stick of Jeff Beck at 9:22 of the third period, emerged with a 1-0 win
With the win, new Taft head coach Dan Murphy, formerly an assistant at Avon under Gardner, picked up his first win over his mentor.
Fans who braved the sleet and horrible driving conditions were treated to one of the best matchups of the season. Both teams were flying from beginning to end, the hitting was hard, and fans saw opportunity after opportunity result from fierce forechecking and mid-ice turnovers. A total of 17 penalties were called in the game, and both Taft and Avon managed to create several excellent scoring opportunities while on the penalty kill, but both goalies – Margolin and Avon’s Jon Quick – were on top of their game.
The game’s only goal, midway through the third period, came after Avon was called for a tripping minor, and then, just 11 seconds after that, Avon's Augie DiMarzo picked up his third penalty of the game, a slashing minor, giving Taft the two-man advantage. The Rhinos wasted no time in applying pressure, pinning the puck low in Avon's end, and less than a minute later, Taft's Shane Farrell, faking a slap shot from the point, snapped a hard pass to Doug Jones who was positioned about six feet to the left of the Avon goaltender. Jones never hesitated, one-timing a pass across the goalmouth to a wide-open Beck, who one-timed his shot into the net, just under a sprawling Quick, with 8:38 remaining in regulation.
The game started out with each team picking up an excellent scoring opportunity in the first period.
On the first, about halfway through the stanza, and with Avon on the power play, Quick came up with a beautiful pad save on a short-handed attempt by Taft's Shane Farrell, who entered the Avon zone on a semi-breakaway.
Taft's two best scoring chances of the first period came while playing a man down – and putting constant pressure on Avon's point men.
Avon's best chance in the first came after a blue line scramble in Taft's end, with a clearing attempt hitting the skate of an Avon defenseman. The puck went directly to Winged Beavers’ forward Sean Backman, who turned and snapped a shot on goal. Taft’s Margolin kicked out his left skate, and came up with the big save.
In the second period, just like the first, Avon took an early penalty. On the ensuing powerplay, Taft moved the puck well, but the aggressive yet patient Avon penalty kill allowed only a couple of perimeter shots to get through. In the middle portion of the second period, the game’s intensity picked up a notch, with the teams perhaps sensing that the game would probably be decided by the first goal. At the same time, both teams sent a steady flow of players to the penalty box-- ten minors were called in the period -- and much of the second stanza was played with man-advantage situations or 4-on-4 play.
Taft failed to convert on its first two-man advantage halfway through the second period, although they pressured the Avon defense well. As soon as the powerplay expired, Avon began their own assault, resulting in their best scoring chance of the period. The Winged Beavers’ Joe Sides, moving in on Margolin's right, took two strides across the blue line and unleashed a slap shot targeted toward the upper right corner of the net. Margolin was barely able to get part of his glove on the puck, but he caught just enough. The puck continued over Margolin's shoulder and rolled past the post by inches.
With the score still 0-0, the third period began with wide-open skating and two teams that appeared willing to hit anything that moved. Five minutes into the final period, Taft was called for a roughing penalty, and Avon tried to capitalize. With excellent puck control, moving the puck in clock-wise, then counter-clock-wise, Avon kept steady pressure on Taft, moving the puck lower and lower, patiently waiting for the right shot. But the Taft defensemen worked hard to minimize Avon’s opportunities, blocking shot after shot with their skates or bodies. The ones that did get through were handled by Margolin.
As the Avon power play expired, Taft immediately went on the offensive, and Quick had to make a spectacular save on Taft forward Jake Davis, who had muscled his way through two Avon players. Davis let go a shot that Quick, somehow, grabbed out of the air.
The game-winning goal by Beck, who formerly played at the Hill School, came at the 8:38 mark, a nice tic-tac-toe goal with the Rhinos on a 5-on-3 powerplay.
Taft was called for too many men on the ice with just over five minutes remaining, and although Avon applied steady pressure, they were not able to convert on the power play. Avon's Sean Backman had, perhaps, Avon's best scoring chance of the game, snapping a close-in and hard shot off the rush. Margolin made a save that can only be described as pure burglary.
With 1:05 left in the game, Avon pulled their goalie in a last ditch effort to tie. But again, the Taft defenders gave Avon little to shoot at, blocking most shots before they hit the net.
That’s it, then: Avon and Taft split their season series. There’s a chance they’ll meet again, though – in the playoffs.
