SPS 3 – Tilton School 2
February 23, 2026
MacMorran Fieldhouse
Tilton, New Hampshire
The "Big Red" varsity boys hockey team traveled north to take on the Lakes Region Hockey Conference opponent, the Tilton School "Rams," for their last regular season game of the year and skated away with a three-to-two victory over the home team. After suffering an overtime loss to the Holderness "Bulls" on Saturday night, the "Big Red" was on the winning end on Monday Night. Sixth Form captain Harry Dermody was the hero, as he knocked home a Jaden Ficek '26 rebound with forty-two seconds left in regulation.
In the first period of play, the "Big Red" skated well and played a strong period of hockey, enjoying puck possession for significant stretches of time. Anderson Kilbourne '26 opened the scoring when he broke down the left side of the rink and beat the Tilton School goaltender with a low, hard snapshot to the far side. Although the St. Paul's School skaters played well and created a lot of quality scoring chances, the home team was able to capitalize on two "Big Red" miscues and take a two-to-one lead into the locker room.
In the second period of play, with a St. Paul's School skater in the penalty box, Sixth Form assistant captain Gavin Code took advantage of Tilton's overcommitted offense and counterattacked off a loose puck in the defensive zone and created a two versus one scoring opportunity. As Code made his way to the top of the right offensive face-off circle, he made a deft pass to Ficek, who then beat the Tilton goaltender with a nice backhand shot over his right pad to tie the game at two.
Despite working tirelessly to score a third goal in the third period, neither team could get the puck past the opposing team's goaltenders. Both goaltenders made key saves at crucial moments in the game to help create a playoff-level intensity in the contest.
St. Paul's School's Matteo Vessella was the winning goalie. He stopped twenty-seven of twenty-nine Tilton School shots.
The "Big Red" varsity boys hockey team will move on to the Lakes Region Hockey Conference playoffs on Friday, February 27, when they travel to Kimball Union Academy to take on the "Wildcats" at 5:00 pm in Ackerstrom Arena. The winner will play for the Lakes Region Championship Saturday afternoon against the winner of the New Hampton School - Holderness School contest.
