South Kent School U18 5 at #5 Brunswick School 4 (OT)
Greenwich, CT-South Kent travelled to Brunswick for an exhibition game against NZ’s fifth ranked NE Prep team, Brunswick School. 2005 Will Baker started in the net for Brunswick while 2004 Sebastian Lever got the nod for South Kent. The first period saw the Brunswick Bears carry most of the play as they tested SKS goalie Sebastian Lever early and often. They broke through with 13:27 left as 2005 Brendan Giles fired a puck quickly in the top corner. Assists went to Sean Gibbons and Niko Cadoret. South Kent dodged a bullet less than a minute later as a Brunswick goal was called back. It was not a goal in our opinion and the correct call. South Kent found their legs a bit as the period went on and 2006 PEI native Tyler Wood drove the net and deflected a pass from Mitchell Spranklin home. 2006 Tory Pitner started the play with a nice pass to Spranklin in the neutral zone. The period ended 1-1 with no penalties called.
It should be noted that the South Kent had five 2005 and 2006 players in the lineup. It was not only the U18 players.
The second frame was more evenly played with a slight advantage to Brunswick. They scored 1:03 into the second as 2023 Hank Cleaves (Dartmouth) ripped a shot top corner on a cross zone pass from his classmate Eli Friedman (Yale). 2006 Drew DellaSalla picked up an assist as well. It was 2-1 Bears. South Kent answered when 2005 Jack Pechar one-timed a pass from 2004 RD Charlie Lieberman into the net to make it 2-2. 2005 Chris Battaini who was good all afternoon grabbed the secondary assist. Brunswick had the only power play chance of the period and the first of the game on a tripping call on Lever with 7:49 left. They could not convert and SKS seemed to gather some energy. Brunswick thought they had a goal with under three minutes to play but it was called back as the net was off. It also was not a goal in our opinion. The game was 2-2 at the end of two frames.
With 1:19 into the third, Matthew Frost scored a slick goal assisted by Pechar and Battaini. SKS had their first lead. Then five penalties were called in the next eight minutes or so; four against South Kent. The teams played 4v4, 5v4, 4v3, 5v3 and then 5v4. All of the power plays were for Brunswick and they capitalized with a 4v3 goal by Lucas St. Louis (Harvard.) He hammered a one timer home on a nice pass from James Shannon. Friedman picked up the second assist. A few minutes later, 2005 Luke Drury popped a rebound of a St. Louis shot home on the power play to give Brunswick a 4-3 lead with 10:40 left. Shannon fed St. Louis for the other assist. The teams were finally even and South Kent started to push the pace. With 2:30 left, Selects evened the score. Kelijah McElroy jammed a rebound of a a Brent Litchard shot home. Lieberman started the play. The game was tied and headed to overtime.
The teams played a five minute 5v5 overtime period. Matthew Frost struck again as he crashed the net and buried the game winner just 1:49 into the OT. Pechar made a rush and fired a quick shot to create the loose puck and Battaini again got the play started. It was an impressive win on the road in a game where South Kent did not have a power play.
The game was terrific and will benefit both teams going forward. This game does not count in the NE Prep standings.
Three Stars
First: Matthew Frost F (South Kent)
Second: Lucas St. Louis D (Brunswick)
Third: Jack Pechar F (South Kent)
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
