Zebras Come Up Short Against PA

Andover Strikes in the Third Period - Take from USHR.com

Andover, Mass. --

Late in the third period, Andover struck for two goals 52 seconds apart to break up a 0-0 game en route to a 3-1 victory over visiting Groton. This was a highly-entertaining, back-and-forth 0-0 game for two periods -- and all but the final six minutes of the third. Both teams displayed crisp passing and sound positional play, along with excellent goaltending from Andover's Charlie Archer and Groton's Kevin Clark, both juniors. The stalemate ended at 11:59 of the third, as Andover senior forward John Assayag, a Montreal native, took a beautiful cross-crease feed from senior D Carter Giampietro and beat Clark glove side for the first goal of the game. 

For Assayag, it was his sixth goal in the last two games after netting five -- and an assist -- in Andover’s 10-5 win over Brewster on Saturday.  Fifty-two seconds later, Andover PG Mac Carso charged down the right wing side and into Groton's end. At the top of the circle he released a laser cross-ice feed to a streaking Thomas Manty at the far post. A nice bang-bang play, and it put Andover up 2-0. It would prove to be the game-winner. 

Groton would pull Clark for the extra attacker with just over three minutes to play, but heavy forechecking by the hosts forced the Zebras to turn the puck over along their own left wing boards, allowing the ever-present Carso, a former Chicago Mission U18 player, to fire the puck into the empty net at the 15:20 mark for the insurance goal that made it 3-0.

Groton, however, didn't pack it in. Playing to the final buzzer, an unassisted goal by hard-working Groton senior Will Torriani with less than a second to play denied Archer and his mates the shutout. 

Final shots were 32-25 in Andover’s favor. After the game, Andover Head Coach Paul Tortorella praised his team for its solid defensive play and total team effort. “We stuck to the game plan, we played as a pack. It was a team effort and the D played really well. We had to keep the puck low in their zone and pressure them. You could see the pressure having its effect in the third period, and it created quality scoring chances. Groton played well, though.” “Archer was solid tonight," Tortorella added, "as well as well as Dawson Arkell on defense. Patrick McDonald and (freshman William) Hughes had very good games for us up front, too."

Groton Head Coach Bill Riley said, “We wanted to get bodies in front of Archer and keep taking our shots. Their defensemen and Archer were really good tonight. I was pleased with the chances we created though. Drew Burke and Jonah Gold created some great opportunities. Burke has top-notch hockey IQ and very quick feet. Our defense, led by Brandon Slawaska and Thomas Dempsey, did a good job as well. We’ve been rotating our goalies (Kevin) Clark and Tristan Mecenas. Today, it was Clark’s turn to start. He was really seeing the puck well, and he controlled rebounds very effectively. He kept us in it deep into the game.” 

Groton, now 2-2 on the young season, will next play on Friday against Holderness when it hosts the Groton-Lawrence Holiday Tournament. Meanwhile, Andover, now with a record of 3-1, will take on Westminster this Friday at the Flood-Marr Holiday Tournament.