Jana Persky
Centerfold Editor
The boys’ hockey team ended one of the most successful seasons in recent history last night at the “Yale Whale” hockey rink. Despite leading the shot total 34-27, the Rams fell to the Fairfield Prep Jesuits 4-3.
Due to the suspension of senior captain defenseman Bo McGinniss, the Rams were forced to move senior captain Andrew Leslie back to defense and shuffle their offensive lines. In spite of this, the Rams started strong when senior forward Tim Robustelli popped in a rebound off of a junior forward Jimmy Joe Granito shot just 3 minutes in, while most of the spectators were still filing in. However, Prep’s Bryan Puffer equalized before the end of the period with a high shot over New Canaan freshman goaltender Tim Nowacki (23 saves), and the Rams went into the locker room with the score tied at 1. New Canaan had 7 shots in the first period and Fairfield Prep had 6.
Prep then struck again just 18 seconds into the second period, taking a 2-1 lead. New Canaan tied the game up just over two minutes later when Granito buried a high shot following a strong individual effort to fight off two Prep defenders. Robustelli and senior forward Henry Richardson assisted the goal.
Unfortunately for the Rams, Prep scored again at 7:01 of the second period, taking a lead they would never relinquish. The Jesuits then added a fourth goal just 1:12 into the third period. The Rams fought hard to tie the game and eventually got a third goal by senior captain forward Kris Nugent, assisted by senior captain forward Sam Stanton and junior defenseman Brian Tohir, on a scramble in front of the Prep goalmouth, but Fairfield Prep was able to kill off two late penalties and seal the win.
New Canaan finishes the season 22-4 and was the 2010 FCIAC Champions.