A rematch between the Joel Barlow/Weston/Abbott Tech (JBWA) hockey team and Newington Co-op may be in the cards when it comes time for the state playoffs in a few months.
Since both teams play in Division III, chances are likely the Knights will get another chance at the same opponent. They will also try to avenge the close 3-2 loss in their home opener at the Danbury Arena last Saturday, Dec. 16.
“We’ll definitely see them again, I would imagine,” said JBWA head coach Bob Stearns. “If the formula works out they’ll be one of the top teams up there. Even a couple of weeks from now when we get a little bit more chemistry on our team I think we’ll give them a little bit better run for their money.”
The Knights, who beat Housatonic Co-op 5-1 three days earlier to start the season, found Newington to be a greater challenge. The defending Central Connecticut Conference South Division champs, the Nor’easters got the jump on the hosts early in the first period. Less than a minute into the action, JBWA was called for a tripping penalty. With 13:26 left, Cole Brandon’s shot bounced off the crossbar and Jack Guilmartin redirected it in for a 1-0 lead.
JBWA found itself with a man-advantage with 2:49 left when Newington’s Mason Buckley got two minutes for high sticking. The Nor’easters killed off the penalty and only seconds after Buckley was back on the ice he scored, taking a pass from Connor Blais and going on-on-one with Knight goalie Connor Thomas for the score with 2:49 left in the period.
With just under a minute to go JBWA answered. A pass from Jack Zuch found an open Wes Arees, who scored with 56.5 seconds left to get his team on the board, trailing 2-1.
“We left a lot on the table early in the game,” said Stearns. “I don’t think we played a particularly good first period. I think we kind of got away with it.”
Thomas and Newington goalie Anderson Claffey were each called on to make a number of saves when play resumed. Newington broke through again, this time on Jack Petronio’s goal with 7:39 to go in the second period to give his team a little breathing room.
It turned out the Nor’easters would need it, as the Knights had a good start to the third period. The Arees brothers got their team one step closer when Wes flipped a shot to Emmett, who redirected it into the goal and the Knights trailed by one with a lot of time left (14:31).
JBWA was hit with a roughing call with 5:08 left and kept it a one-goal game. It pulled its goalie with a minute to go in favor of an extra skater but the score stood.
“The second period we played a little bit better and the third I felt we played a very good period,” said Stearns. “We got better as the game went along, which is what we’re looking for and hopefully we’ll get better as the season goes on.”
The Knights, now 1-1, host Milford Co-op on Wednesday and are home to Newtown/New Fairfield on Jan. 3. Both games are at 5:30 p.m.
