#1 Taft, behind a pair of goals from the super line of Christian Jensen, Ryan Shannon, and Tim Pettit, rolled over Choate today, 3-1. The game, which was played in front of a large but quiet crowd (it was parents weekend), was a slow, less-than-thrilling defensive battle. Stoppages of play were frequent, and the game never really got a flow going.

In the first period, Taft outshot the visitors, 10-4. However, the period looked as though it would end scoreless: through the first 13 ˝ minutes of play there were very few, if any, Grade A scoring chances. However, in the last minute and a half there were three.

Surprisingly, Choate had the first as big Yale-bound defenseman Jeff Dwyer rifled a high shot which Taft netminder Chris Ries reached for but misplayed. The puck bounced off Ries’ glove and then rang off the crossbar, before falling at the goalmouth. A scramble ensued, but Ries recovered, and was able to gain a stoppage.

Less than sixty seconds later, Ryan Shannon, following an offensive zone face-off which he won, picked up a loose puck in the slot and walked in alone on Choate goaltender Chris Schod. Schod, however, challenged aggressively – and won. Finally though, off the ensuing face-off, Jensen picked up the puck on the half wall, walked to the middle and rifled a low hard shot through the five-hole to put the hosts up 1-0 with just 21 seconds remaining in the first period.

Jensen was not finished. Just 2:30 into the second, the junior forward again showed why he is one of the most complete prep players in New England. After Taft had lost an offensive zone faceoff, Jensen, stationed on the inside hash, reacted to the loss quickly, using his tremendous quickness to close on Dwyer who tried to escape out the weak side. Jensen stripped him of the puck and showed tremendous poise feathering a perfect pass to Shannon in the slot. Shannon slid a low hard shot to the net, which Schod stopped. However, Tim Pettit, who always seems to be in the right spot, was stationed at the weak post and was able to easily slide the puck into an empty net to give the home team a commanding two-goal lead.

The remainder of the second period was played similarly to the first. Icings and offsides were plentiful, the officials were sharp (finally!), and both teams seemed unwilling to open the game up. This seemed to play into the hands of Choate who clearly had trouble dealing with Taft's outstanding speed and smothering forecheck.

Dwyer finally got the Wild Boars on the board – single handedly. After picking up an errant

Taft outlet pass in the neutral zone, the savvy Dwyer deked two Rhinos at the offensive blue and then faked a third as he skated through the slot, then flipped a shot past the waffle of Ries. The goal cut the Taft lead in half, and seemed to inject some much-needed energy into coach Bill Maniscalco’s club.

This was borne out on the ensuing shift as the top line for Choate generated their first (and only) sustained forecheck of the afternoon with John Dawson, Mike Kreger, and Dana Quinn showing their size and strength as they cycled the puck and generated offense for nearly forty seconds.

However, Choate did not have the best chance of the period. That went to Taft. After a defensive zone face-off, once again the Jensen-Shannon-Pettit line broke out 3-on-2. A cross-ice pass found a streaking Jensen on the off wing with under 10 seconds remaining. Jensen rifled a low, hard shot which beat Schod, but rang off the far post. The rebound ricocheted behind Schod back to the strong side – directly to Jensen – who had followed his shot to the net. However the puck unfortunately hopped over his stick and the period ended with the score 2-1.

Choate nearly tied the game at the six minute mark of the third as Dwyer again generated offense for his club. Cutting through the slot, the big defenseman slipped a nifty drop pass between his legs to Stephen Baldassarri. The pass fooled Ries, and caught him out of position, as Baldassarri let go a quick – albeit fluttering – shot towards the net. Luckily for Ries and Taft, the puck harmlessly hit the post.

The home team put the game out of reach at 8:39 as, off the forecheck, Kevin Nee created a turnover from which Dan Welch picked up the loose puck and fed a wide open Ryan Trowbridge at the goal-mouth. Trowbridge showed his excellent hands as he one-timed the puck into the top right corner past a stunned Schod.

Taft now enters the final week of the season undefeated (19-0-2)

Box Score

--  Sat. Feb. 19, 2000 at Watertown, Conn.

By Period:

Taft       1-1-1 = 3

Choate  0-1-0 = 1

 

1st Period:

Taft -- Jensen (Shannon) 14:39

 

2nd Period:

Taft -- Pettit (Shannon, Jensen) 2:30

Choate -- Dwyer (unassisted)  12:41

 

3rd Period:

Taft -- Trowbridge (Nee, Welch) 8:39

 

Penalties:

Taft -- 6 minors: Sochacki (3), Dalton, Sifers, and McNicholas.

Choate -- 8 minors Dawson (2), Bria (2), Velez, Snizek, DeYoung, and Knowles.

 

Shots on Goal:

Taft -- 31

Choate -- 15

 

Saves:

Taft -- Ries (4-8-2) = 14

Choate -- Schod (9-10-9) = 28

 

1. Christian Jensen, F, Taft
2. Jeff Dwyer, D, Choate
3. Chris Schod, G, Choate