Boys Hockey Upsets Avon
The boys hockey team upset Avon Old Farms 4-3 on Wednesday, January 29, earning a hard-fought victory fueled by a complete team effort.
Avon entered the game ranked second among New England prep schools with an impressive 11-2-0 record, but Loomis Chaffee, which now stands at 5-9-1, rose to the challenge and secured the upset.
Senior goaltender Luke Quinn was outstanding, stopping 37 of 40 shots to anchor the Pelicans' defense. Senior captain Gennaro Pompano led the charge with two goals, while senior Luke Collins and sophomore Joey Burke also found the back of the net.
Avon struck first, six minutes into the game, but Loomis responded quickly on the power play, as Collins netted his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Pompano put the Pelicans ahead with a brilliant solo effort late in the first period, sending the team into intermission with a 2-1 advantage.
Burke extended the lead to 3-1 midway through the second period, burying a rebound past the Avon netminder. The talented Avon squad, however, came out firing in the third period, cutting the deficit to one on a power-play goal six minutes into the period. Pompano answered with his second goal of the game — his team-leading 14th point of the season — restoring the two-goal cushion. Avon struck again on the power play with five minutes remaining, but Loomis held strong in the final minutes to secure the victory.
The team next heads to Andover on Saturday, February 1, for a 2:20 p.m. game.