SPS 5 - Brooks School 1
Wednesday, January 7th
Hockey Center—Gordon Rink
Concord, New Hampshire
The varsity boys hockey team played host to the Brooks School in the Hockey Center on Gordon Rink this afternoonand skated away with a five-to-one victory. After surrendering an early five-versus-five goal, the "Big Red" would go on to score three goals in the first period and two in the second period to distance themselves from the visiting team, locking up another good New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association win. Mitchell Smith '27 was the leading goal scorer for St. Paul's School this afternoon, posting one goal and two assists. Smith factored in on the first three goals of the "Big Red's" scoring line. Smith, a center iceman, won a faceoff in the offensive zone on the left side back to Colin O'Leary '27, who then made a nice "d - to - d" pass to Quin Brandell '26, who then one-timed the puck inside the left goal post to beat the Brooks goalie. Smith scored the second St. Paul's School on the power play when he took a nice pass from James Buchan '27 from below the goal line and fired the puck into the upper corner of the net that originated from a Ryan Vohra '27 face-off win. Buchan '27 scored the third and final goal of the period for the "Big Red" when Smith '27 won a loose puck battle and moved it to Fin Kilbourne '27, who found the left-handed defenseman Buchan at the blue line. Buchan '27 walked the puck to the middle of the rink and fired the puck to the short side upper corner of the net with a good net front screen by Smith '27.
The "Big Red" scored two goals in the second period to make the final score five-to-one. Captain Harry Dermody '26 scored the game's fourth goal when he took a pass from his linemate Jaden Ficek '26 in the defensive zone. Dermody '26 then moved it to his linemate Anderson Kilbourne in the neutral zone, and the "Big Red" forwards motored into the offensive zone on a two-on-one break. Kilbourne '26 made a pass back to Dermody '26, who then fired it past the Brooks School goaltender. Third Form center iceman Jai Perry-Pereira '29 scored the final goal of the game and the first goal of his St. Paul's School career when he buried a backhand rebound shot past the Brooks goaltender that originated from an Elijah Nacht '26 point shot.
Matteo Vessella '27 was the winning goalie, stopping thirty of thirty-one Brooks School shots.
The "Big Red" will be back in action on Friday, January 9th at 6:30 pm in the Hockey Center on Gordon Rink against Exeter Academy.
