Proctor Academy at the Tilton School ; December 6, 2019.
Tilton, New Hampshire: In a very spirited early season game, Tilton and Proctor went down to the wire as Tilton was able to edge Proctor 2-1 in a penalty filled game. Tilton got off to an early first period lead as they were able to get on the board within the first two minutes of the first period with a goal by Senior Tae Lee. Proctor was able to fight back and add a late third period goal to tie the game at 1 on a high effort play by James Tepper who found Bryson Martin for the goal. Tilton kept their composure and found a way to squeak one by the Proctor goaltender Cole Chingris with 18 seconds remaining on as senior Captain Jamie Cates found a loose puck in front and passed it to Jon Tavella for a tap in goal.
Tilton started off the season right as they were able to get on the board early as Senior Tae Lee was able to catch Proctor sleeping as he was able to get one past Chingris within minutes of the game starting. Both sides took several trips to the box as both teams were playing with a ton of emotion. Both goaltenders Chingris for Proctor and Justin Lee for Tilton were able to shut the door with big time saves to end the period at 1-0 Tilton.
The second period mirrored the first period as both goaltenders continued to make big time saves as both programs had their fair share of opportunities. Majority of Tilton’s offense came through its defensive core as they were able to keep blasting shots on net, but Chingris did a nice job of eliminating second chance opportunities. Proctor’s offense came through opportunistic chances and net drives, but Lee showed his anticipation for the game as he arrived on time to pucks and look comfortable in a crowded net front.
In the third the game opened up a bit more as both sides had their fair share of high percentage scoring chances. Jack Seymour for Tilton nearly put his squad up by two half way through the period as he sprung loose for a breakaway but was unable to finish the play as Chingris was up to the task again. Proctor shortly after thought they tied the game as Proctor’s Kevin Urquhart was able to beat Justin Lee, however it was ruled a no goal as the net was off. Proctor continued to apply pressure throughout the period and it was not until a blocked shot by Tepper that sprung a 2 on 1 that allowed Proctor to get on the board as Bryson Martin found the back of the net late in the third. Tilton immediately went back to work after the Proctor goal and despite a tremendous effort on defense by TJ Beaver, Tilton’s late surge was too much. Tilton was able to capitalize off a broken play in the net front as Senior Captain Jamie Cates found a loose puck and kicked it to fellow Senior Jon Tavella for the go-ahead goal with 18 seconds left. Final: Tilton 2-Proctor 1
Three stars
- Justin Lee, Tilton Goaltender
- Cole Chingris, Proctor Goaltender
- Jon Tavella, Tilton Forward
NZ Notes: Tilton- is an older squad as they have 16 Seniors/PG’s on their roster. They are mature and are relentless on their attack. Every line can bring a high level of energy but Tavella, Cates and Seymour really carry the load. Jon Tavella is a spark plug who hits everything that moves and plays the game on with an edge. Jack Seymour is gifted offensively as he sees the ice extremely well and can generate offense in multiple ways. Jamie Cates does a nice job up the middle of the ice and loves to find the soft areas of the ice in the offensive zone. Defensively Tilton is deep as all of their blueliners can really play and shoot the puck. Jagger Benson is a smooth skating defenseman who loves to get involved offensively as he had several key opportunities tonight. 2004 Forward Ben Muthersbaugh showed well as he is a tremendous skater for his size and loves to play the game in transition. Muthersbaugh will continue to progress as the season continues as he looked like he was over thinking the game a bit tonight.
Proctor- Looked like a younger team out there tonight as they were undisciplined and if it were not for Senior goaltender Chingris the game would have been much more lopsided. He moves extremely well in net and does a nice job of playing aggressive. He moves extremely well side to side and tracks the puck at a high level as he does a nice of locating the puck with his eyes. Proctors forward group, which is highly touted were disappointing tonight. Vermont commit and NHL NZ Draft prospect, Ronan Walsh let his emotions get the best of him as he took two unnecessary stick penalties and was later ejected from the game. James Tepper had a very quiet first two periods but came alive in the third period as he was able to show his two-way game and speed. However, Tepper was given a 10-minute misconduct late in the third period which hurt his team. Kevin Urquhart was a bright spot for Proctor as he showed his ability to get to the net on a regular basis. He is versatile as he plays the top of the umbrella on the power play as forward, has the vision and the puck skills to make him intriguing to scouts.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
