On a beautiful winter day at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, with light snow falling all morning, the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, sent their varsity boys and girls hockey teams to Millville for rivalry games that will now be an annual January event between the two schools. As a result, the Hockey Center was filled with excitement and energy on the second Saturday of January—a new tradition that both schools will enjoy for years to come.
The St. Paul's School boys varsity hockey team fell to the Hotchkiss "Bearcats" by a score of 6-2 on Ingalls Rink. The "Big Red" got off to a slow start, surrendering a goal just 50 seconds into the first period. The Millville skaters quickly tried to push back against the Hotchkiss offensive attack for the next five minutes. However, the visitors scored their second goal on a point shot that "Big Red" netminder
Blake Truchon '26 (South Burlington, VT) had no chance of stopping due to a "Bearcat" screen in front of him. With a little less than eight minutes remaining in the opening period, Hotchkiss scored again, this time from the rebound funnel area on the right side of the rink, taking a commanding 3-0 lead. The "boys of winter" were not deterred by the Hotchkiss lead and continued to skate with determination. Captain
Matt Vohra '25 (Valley, NS) responded with a goal for the "Big Red" three minutes later, taking a pass from
Anderson Kilbourne '26 (Duxbury, MA) in the middle of the slot, between the hash marks, and one-timing the puck past the "Bearcat" netminder to make the score 3-1. A minute later, with a Hotchkiss player in the penalty box for a stick infraction, the game turned against the "Big Red" when they gave up a short-handed goal while on the power play. Hotchkiss would score one more goal in the closing minute of the first period, taking a commanding 5-1 lead into the locker room.
In the second period, the "Big Red" skated furiously, doing everything possible to mount a comeback, but the Hotchkiss School defense stood tall, protecting their four-goal lead. Both teams exchanged power-play goals in the middle eighteen minutes of play. St. Paul's School scored their second goal of the game on the power play just a minute and thirty seconds into the period when
Ryan Vohra '27 (Valley, NS) buried a rebound at the goalmouth from a
Patrick Cooley '25 (Rutland, VT) one-timer from the right elbow, giving the "Big Red" a surge of momentum. Hotchkiss responded with their man-advantage goal with less than nine minutes to play in the period, making the score 6-2. Neither team would score in the last eighteen minutes of play.
The "Big Red" varsity boys' hockey team will be back in action on January 15th against Lakes Region opponent, the Holderness School "Bulls," at 2:30 PM in the Hockey Center on Gordon Rink.