On Wednesday February 8th, the Kent Boys Varsity Hockey battled Berkshire in a tough and thrilling two-hour game, winning against Berkshire with a final score of 3:1. “It was tricky game after 4 days off the ice,” Coach Reinhardt commented. “We played well, but it’s not our best.”

As the game started off, both team immediately started launching fierce attacks, making a lot of close attempts at the goal. Goalie Peter Negron ‘17 made several masterful saves. The battle then entered a deadlock with nobody scoring for 10 minutes. The coaches of both teams made several substitutions but neither could break the strong defense of the other team. Towards the last 5 minutes the Kent boys shot two goals in a row despite the Berkshire goalie’s blocking, finishing off the first period with an exciting 2:0.

The deadlock in the first period continued in the second, with both teams desperately protecting their goals. The puck moved back and forth between the two poles, but neither team could gain full control. In the last minute, the Berkshire boys made a successful shot at the goal, closing up the gap to a dangerous 2:1.

The third period marked the peak of the whole game. Kent boys used their adroit cooperation techniques to pass the puck between teammates through long distances and gained more control of the puck. Near the end of the game, with one and a half minutes left, both coached called 30-second timeouts for strategic discussion. After the timeout, Berkshire team made a bold decision–to pull out the goalie, leaving the net defenseless, for an extra attacker. They had bet everything they had to win the game, but they overlooked Kent’s strong defensive force. With only 40 seconds left, the puck slid past the Berkshire defense into the net, earning a decisive 3:1 and finishing the game strong.

After the game, Coach Reinhardt complimented the excellent “team chemistry” of the boys: “they’ve really grasped the idea of team concept, being selfless and  having each others’ back.” The goal for next time, according to Reinhardt, is to “simplify decisions with the puck and doing a better job possessing and protecting it.” Looking at the past and into the future, Coach Reinhardt remarked, “So far we’ve had a really good season, with 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. We still have 7 tough games with opponents similar to us, but we will do our best to prepare and welcome them.”