The only problem for the Woodstock Academy boys’ ice hockey team — it likely is not done with the Eastern Connecticut Eagles yet.
“We told the boys this, if we want to do anything in the postseason, we have to go through the Eagles,” said Centaurs coach Kevin Bisson.
The team comprised of a host of Eastern Connecticut Conference and Shoreline schools has been a thorn in the side of the Centaurs.
The Eagles made it two in a row against the Centaurs Feb. 16 with a 7-3 victory at the Jahn Ice Rink.
The Eagles had beaten the Centaurs earlier in the season, 4-1, at Connecticut College.
The two will likely meet again in the championship game of the Nutmeg Conference next Thursday and it’s also possible the Centaurs could meet the Eagles in a CIAC Division II state tournament contest.
“I think, truthfully, that even though the score got out of hand (Saturday), I think we have a pretty good game plan of how to play them. As long as we stick to it, we could do some damage to them. It’s one thing to say that, it’s another to do it,” Bisson said.
The Eagles (12-5-1, 10-0 Nutmeg Conference) clinched the regular season title in the conference with the victory over the Centaurs Feb. 16.
Will Cannella got Eastern Connecticut started with a quick goal just 59 seconds into the game which held up through the first period.
The Centaurs (12-5-1, 7-2) tied it just 1:39 into the second period with a bit of a fluke goal by Kyle Brennan.
“He’s really come on strong,” Bisson said. “It took him a while to get going early but he would be honest about it and say that as a freshman coming in, the first game was a turn of the page from what he had been used to. His confidence has steadily grown, not just in scoring, but in what he does on the ice in general. The way he makes plays, going in and playing the body, playing the physical game as a freshman against bigger seniors and juniors.” Brennan scored the only goal in the first meeting between the two teams and opened the scoring for the Centaurs in the second meeting.
Brennan tried to throw the puck out to the front of the net with a teammate coming in hard, but it hit the back of an Eagle defender and ricocheted into the net. Brennan was given the credit for his sixth goal of the season.
“We will take them however we can get them,” Bisson said.
The goal fired up the Centaurs. “That gave us a huge momentum burst. Immediately, we were all over them and on the attack. It was ‘yawning cage’ but unfortunately for us, Austen (LeDonne) hit the post. If that goes in, in the blink of an eye, we go from 1-0 down to 2-1 up and a major momentum swing. Instead, we took our foot off the gas,” Bisson said.
And the Eagles pounced. The visitors countered with two of their own goals. Evan Tower scored with 3 ½ minutes left in the period off assists from Kyle Jacobsen and Ryan Huta. Cannella then piped his second goal of the game off an assist from Kyle Marino 45 seconds later.
But the Centaurs pulled back within range late in the second period. In a chaotic foray in front of the Eagle net with multiple shots, Ethan Thorpe rotated in and the puck bounced out to the side where he got his stick on it for his third goal of the season.
Unfortunately for the Centaurs, that was the end of the good news.
Ryan Huta scored a pair of goals, one in the first minute of the third period, to give Eastern Connecticut the 5-2 lead.
Devyn Jordan and Kyle Jacobsen added goals later for the Eagles.
Freshman Chris Thibault finished up the Centaurs scoring with a goal with 2:40 to play off assists from Matthew Odom and Brendon Hill.
The Centaurs finished up the regular season and the Nutmeg Conference schedule with a game against the Housatonic Cooperative on Monday. The game ended too late for this edition.
“It’s been a tough stretch for us,” Bisson said. “We have a lot of guys who have to play both JV and varsity because of our numbers. This has been a long week.”
The Centaurs played JV games Feb. 15 and 17 with the two varsity games wrapped around those.
Centaurs Girls Win
The Woodstock Academy girls’ ice hockey team raised its record to 4-11 with a 1-0 win over the Longmeadow (Mass.) JV program Feb. 16.
Eliza Dutson scored the only goal for the Centaurs on the power play off an assist from Chelsea Willis.
Marie Gravier made 23 saves in goal for the Centaurs.
Hockey Clinic
The Woodstock Academy girls’ ice hockey team will hold a hockey clinic for first-through-eighth grade girls from 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Jahn Ice Rink at Pomfret School. The Woodstock Academy girls’ team will talk about their experiences, the Centaurs coaches will be on hand and those who attend will be able to join the Centaurs for some fun games on the ice. Those with hockey equipment are welcome to bring it. Otherwise, just skates and a helmet will be fine to participate.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy

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