SPS 5 – Milton Academy 4
January 28, 2026
Hockey Center / Gordon Rink
Concord, New Hampshire

The St. Paul's School varsity boys hockey team played host to the Milton Academy "Mustangs" in the Hockey Center on Gordon Rink and skated away with a five-to-four victory. The game was an unusual and frenetic game for the "Big Red." The St. Paul's School team was assessed with nine minor penalties, and Milton Academy with six. Consequently, the "Big Red" skaters scored four of their five goals in special teams play. St. Paul's scored a goal in each of the first two periods of play and tallied three more in the third. Milton scored two goals in the second and two in the third.   

Anderson Kilbourne '26, two goals, started and finished the St. Paul's scoring for the day. His first goal came in a four-versus-three situation when he received a pass from James Buchan '27 in the slot and patiently walked around a Milton defender and then whistled a wrister by the Milton goalie to the upper corner of the net. Gavin Code '26 scored the second goal of the game for the "Big Red" when he established his physical presence on the near side post and banged home a rebound opportunity that originated from a bad-angle shot from Jaden Ficek on the left side of the rink that caromed around the boards to Colin O'Leary '27 on the right point. O'Leary collected the puck off the wall and fired a snapshot on the net, and Code was parked on the right side of the net to score the "Big Red's" only even-strength goal of the game.         
 

James Buchan '27 scored the third goal of the game for the "Big Red" on a five-versus-three power play opportunity when Sixth Form captain, Harry Dermody '26, and Colin Ol'Leary '27 created a double-layer screen for Buchan to fire home a low snap-shot inside the left post from the top of the circles to give St. Paul's School a three-to-two lead, early in the third period. The "Big Red" would score three minutes later when Buchan circled the back of the net on the power play and sifted the puck to the front of the net, and Colin O'Leary '27 banged home a rebound for the all-important fourth goal of the game. Anderson Kilbourne scored the game-winning goal when the "Big Red" were down two skaters in a three-versus-four, penalty kill situation. Defenseman, Chay Simons '27 made a great defensive play when he picked up a loose puck in the left defensive corner and Kilbourne and assistant captain, Quinn Brandell '26 saw all four Milton players skating toward Simons in the left corner, and he made a great indirect clearing pass to a streaking Brandell and Klibourne in the neutral zone for a two-on-zero break from the blue line in on the Milton goaltender. Brandell calmly pulled the goalie to his left and then made a pass to Kilbourne for his second and final St. Paul's School goal of the game. 

Milton Academy did not go away quietly. They closed the "Big Red" lead to one, but assistant captain, goaltender, Blake Truchon '26, and the St. Paul's School defense stood tall in the last five minutes of play to secure the victory. Truchon stopped twenty-six of thirty Mustang shots on net. 

The "Big Red" will resume action on Friday, January 30, when they play host to the Northfield Mt. Hermon "Hoggers" in the Hockey Center on Gordon Rink at 7:00 pm.