Watertown, Conn. – Wednesday March 1, 2000

This was not supposed to happen. Taft was supposed to play Cushing on Sunday at 3 p.m. for the New England Prep Championship. C'mon, admit it, those of you who filled in a mock pool, you certainly had penciled in a Taft-Cushing final.

 

I’ll admit it, I did.

 

One thing is for certain: coach John Gardner and his Avon Old Farms players did not.

 

While executing their game plan to perfection, Avon got solid goaltending from sophomore Tim Warner, and some inspired play from seniors Scott Horvath and Mick Mounsey, as the # 4-seeded Winged Beavers upset the #1 seed, Taft, this afternoon in front of a crammed house at Tate Rink.

 

The game, which was played at a good pace, lacked flow and never really matured into an exciting, up-tempo contest. This clearly hurt the home team. With plenty of stoppages and extended neutral zone play, Taft was simply unable to generate any significant offense, and were absolutely smothered by Avon’s extremely effective 1-2-2 forecheck.

 

Early on, though, things looked good for Taft. Just two minutes into the game,  Avon, already shorthanded, was whistled for a second penalty as Mike Warner, backchecking through the neutral zone, was called for tripping. The ensuing 5-on-3 (for only 15 seconds) produced a few good chances for Taft, but, perhaps as an indicator of things to come, they were unable to convert.

 

The Avon line of Horvath, Bill Magnuson, and Chris Higgins generated the game's first good scoring opportunity at the 6:25 mark of the first. After entering the zone on a three-on-two rush, the puck squirted free in the slot directly to Horvath, who was the third forward entering the zone. The senior from Redding, Conn. swooped in, picked up the loose puck and walked in alone on Taft netminder Mark Spadaccini. However, the puck rolled off Horvath’s stick as he tried to go to his backhand, and the game remained 0-0.

 

Taft’s best opportunity of the period came at the 7:43 mark as Ryan Trowbridge received an outlet pass in the neutral zone and raced towards the Avon goal. As the Avon defender lost his balance, the right-shot Trowbridge reached the blue line and narrowly slipped around his foe. Approaching the right face-off dot, Trowbridge let go a quick, high shot, but was denied by Warner.

 

Later, with just 55 seconds remaining in the period, Horvath had another excellent chance to break the scoreless tie as, off another three-on-two, he slipped between the Taft defense and received a perfect pass from Magnuson. However, Horvath – again on the backhand – was unable to handle the pass, and the puck dribbled harmlessly into the corner.

 

For the period, Taft outshot Avon, 10-6.

 

With Avon being whistled for two penalties early in the first period, it was perhaps fitting that Taft received two penalties (back-to-back), in the initial stages of the second. The latter, for too many men, which ultimately led to the game-winning goal, was – at best - a questionable call.

 

With the first penalty expiring and Taft making a line change, the puck was directed towards the players' bench. In what was simply a maze of players, the referee somehow saw fit to whistle the home team for having six players on the ice. To be fair, it was perhaps – by the book – the correct assessment. Still, it was a tough call.

 

Avon capitalized right away as, on the ensuing power play, Horvath (there's that name again) skated in behind his own net and picked up the puck to start the rush. Generating speed as he met an oncoming forechecker, Horvath made a pretty cross-ice pass to Higgins who was breaking through the neutral zone up the left wall. Higgins – with speed – entered the zone and used his tremendous vision to spot Horvath, who had never stopped skating and was driving hard to the net. Higgins feathered a perfect return pass to Horvath who merely redirected the puck into the empty net to give the visitors a surprising 1-0 lead.

 

The second Avon goal, just over three minutes later, came, ironically, off a Taft forecheck. With the Ryan Shannon-Tim Pettit-Christian Jensen line pressing deep in the Avon end, Mounsey, merely trying to clear the zone, flipped the puck high towards the right point where Taft defenseman John McNicholas was stationed. The puck bounced in front of McNicholas as he went down on one knee (like an outfielder fielding a ground ball) to make the play. As McNicholas tried to redirect the puck back into the zone, Avon’s Scott Trahan closed quickly and created a turnover. Trahan corralled the loose puck and slid it to a breaking Mike Warner. Warner raced in alone down the left side and rifled a shot, from the left face-off dot, over the glove of Spadaccini, to give the underdogs a commanding two-goal lead as the game approached the halfway mark.

 

There were no serious scoring threats for either team during the latter stages of the period as Avon began to successfully employ a passive neutral zone trap. Taft, clearly frustrated by this, were, at times, simply unable to get out of their own zone. With the pressure of an undefeated season resting squarely on their backs, frustration began to set in, and finally at the 10:32 mark they were whistled for an interference penalty.

 

This one, the official had right.

 

As Shannon broke out from behind the net, Taft defenseman Jamie Sifers stepped in front of the Avon forechecker and dropped him to the ice. The pick, clearly a set play, was blatantly obvious and assuredly illustrated Taft's inability to get things going and generate any offense.

 

Although Avon failed to score on the ensuing power play, the writing was on the wall. Avon was not going to give an inch.

 

So, much like Saturday’s regular season finale at Hotchkiss, Taft entered the third period trailing, 2-0. However, there was no comeback on this day.

 

Avon nearly iced the game at 3:02 of the third, as senior Mike Cuccia broke in alone on Spadaccini. Cuccia’s shot slipped through Spadaccini’s five-hole but deflected off the post, thus keeping it a two-goal game.

 

However, just over five minutes later, Cuccia got another chance.

 

This time he did not disappoint.

 

On the forecheck, Cuccia chased Taft defenseman Michael Erensen behind the net. Erensen could not shake the tenacious Cuccia and fell down as he tried a cut-back move and the puck nearly squirted away. However, Cuccia, who also fell down on the play, was able to poke the puck towards the net, directly to linemate Ryan O’Connell, who wristed a low shot that Spadaccini saved but, as players from both teams crashed the net, subsequently lost. Cuccia, who never quit on the play, raced into the crease area and – seemingly in slow motion – slapped the loose puck through Spadaccini’s legs giving Avon an insurmountable three-goal lead with just 6:51 left to play.

 

The remainder of the game was completely controlled by Avon, with Taft becoming a portrait in frustration. Avon, now content to let the clock run out,  seemingly toyed with the home team. At times – and I can’t remember ever seeing this before – Avon cycled the puck – in their defensive zone! Reminiscent of the old North Carolina four-corner offense, Avon simply skated in circles and passed the puck back and forth behind their own net as Taft never wavered from its one-man forecheck. At one point, with just over four minutes remaining, and the teams playing four-on-four, Mounsey patiently held the puck behind his net for a solid ten seconds before finally being flushed out.

 

The game ended with the Avon fans – who were out in force – chanting and repeatedly playing a recording (not quite sure how they did this) of their patented -- and extremely loud -- foghorn that's oh so familiar to visitors to their home rink.

 

USHR THREE STARS

 

1. Scott Horvath, F, Avon

2. Tim Warner, G, Avon

3. Mick Mounsey, D, Avon

BOX SCORE