PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Friday night was a heavyweight title fight between No. 1 Kimball Union and No. 5 Holderness.
And Kimball Union came out the winner, taking down Holderness, 7-4. A Wildcats win didn't look so sure at various points throughout the game though.
Holderness senior forward Jake Boulanger (Barre, Vt.) opened the scoring in the first period off a rebound, giving the Bulls a big, 1-0 lead that they carried into the first intermission.
But then came Kimball Union's attack in the second period.
First, it was senior forward Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) with his patented one-timer tying the game, 1-1. Moments later, senior Corwith Simmers gave the Wildcats the lead. Senior defender Jack McMinn then scored a power play tally and a few minutes after, Simmers notched his second goal of the game. Kimball Union stunned Holderness going into the second intermission.
But the Bulls fought back.
The teams opened the third period and Holderness postgrad forward Pavit Mehra (Hopkinton, Mass.) drove the net, catching a pass from Aaron VanWie and finishing it, bringing Holderness to within two.
Shortly after, Holderness senior forward Jacob Duval (Andover, Mass.) scored from the bumper on the power play, making it a 4-3 game.
But Kimball Union junior forward CJ Watroba (West Springfield, Mass.) answered, scoring less than one minute after, giving KUA the 5-3 lead.
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Holderness defenseman James Lawhorne (Reading, Mass.) scored on a one-timer shortly after, bringing the Bulls to within one. But again, Kimball Union scored to extend the lead back to two. This time, it was junior forward Iain Olsen (Vergennes, Vt.) scoring, making it 6-4. Sadowski scored his second of the game on an empty-netter with just under two minutes to play.
With the win, Kimball Union improved to 22-3-0 on the season, while Holderness fell to 18-2-0.
Let's dive into the standouts and takeaways from this one.
Standouts
Jake Boulanger
Holderness, 10/18/2005, RW, right shot, 6-1/170Â
It was hard not to notice Boulanger. He scored the game's first goal by getting to the front of the net and knocking in a rebound. The senior showcased great hands in tight and patience with the puck, especially on trips around the offensive zone.
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Jack McMinn
Kimball Union, 6/10/2006, D, left shot, 5-11/175Â
McMinn's biggest impact was felt in the second period. First, he notched a secondary assist on Sadowski's first goal. Then, his shot was tipped by Simmers in front of the net for a goal. McMinn added a goal on a nice shot from the point that he sifted through a nice screen set by Kyle Murray-Smith (South Stafford, Vt.).
Friday drove home a point I've been thinking about all year — McMinn is probably the most underrated player for Kimball Union. He moves the puck extremely well and is responsible in his own zone. The best word to use for McMinn would be reliable.
Pavit Mehra
Holderness, 7/16/2004, RW, right shot, 5-10/160Â
Mehra had the kind of impact an '04 should have in prep. That didn't make it any less impressive. His goal on Friday was a product of him using his speed to drive the net. He's dynamic and was able to create chances in the offensive zone. His release is quick on his snapshots, too, making him a threat whenever the puck was on his stick.
Jack Sadowski
Kimball Union, 7/29/2006, LW, left shot, 5-11/180
NCAA: New HampshireÂ
What else is there to say about Sadowski? The Arlington, Mass., native just always finds ways to produce. He knows how to get open when Simmers and LeDrew have the puck, which was evident on Friday, and when his line, along with the two defensemen, are cycling the puck, Sadowski knows where to be.
Sadowski sits at 59 points and should sail past 60. He would be the first to do that since six different prep players posted at least 60 points in 2019-20.
Corwith Simmers
Kimball Union, 4/13/2006, C, right shot, 5-9/175Â
Simmers potted two goals in the second period outburst. The first was good awareness to get to the front of the net. The second came by putting himself in the perfect spot for Sadowski to lay a drop pass in his wheelhouse. He almost completed the hat trick in the third period when he had an open net to shoot at, but Holderness defenseman Colin Butters (York, Maine) blocked it.
CJ Watroba
Kimball Union, 2/2/2007, LW, left shot, 6-0/180
NCAA: MerrimackÂ
Watroba set the tone on his first shift when he showcased phenomenal puck control and patience, making two different trips around the offensive zone with the puck. In the third period, his goal came off a nice forecheck and assist by Murray-Smith. Watroba stayed low in the offensive zone and found a soft spot in the slot to get the puck. Watroba also created Olsen's goal. It was Watroba who drove the play, got the odd-man rush and was broken up, but the puck went to Olsen who scored.
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Takeaways
1. There was one sequence when Kimball Union proved it was the better team on Friday, and it actually wasn't the four-goal outburst in the second period. Things like that can happen in hockey games and it's easy to keep the good times rolling when they're still rolling.
It's not easy, however, to hold the home team at arm's length when they're making a comeback.
Early in the third period, Holderness looked like it was easily going to tie the game. The Bulls had all the momentum. But Watroba and Olsen scored goals to thwart the comeback, never letting the Bulls fully back in the game. To me, that was the real moment KUA established itself as the better team.
2. Kimball Union's top line of Sam LeDrew, Simmers and Sadowski proved on Friday why it's the best line in prep. They had their way in the offensive zone multiple times, crafting long sequences by holding onto pucks and waiting for passing lanes to the slot to open. Holderness' top line of VanWie, Mehra and Caden Wells just wasn't as effective as their counterparts on Friday.
3. Depth scoring was going to be key for KUA, which entered Friday night missing senior forward Malcolm Baar. That made it all the more important that McMinn, Olsen and Watroba potted goals.
4. The one word I'd use for Holderness is dynamic. There are multiple difference-makers for the Bulls like senior defenseman Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.), junior defenseman Jeremy Poirier (Salem, N.H.), VanWie, Wells and Mehra who are able to make plays happen in the offensive zone.
Herrington had one rush where he entered the offensive zone, dangled two defenders and almost set up VanWie for a goal.
5. So, did Friday night change my opinions on either team? Not really. It strengthened Kimball Union as my No. 1 team in prep. The Wildcats have high-end talent and depth throughout their lineup, including in net. Junior goalie Blake McMeniman turned in a quality performance, stopping 27 of the 31 shots sent his way.
As for Holderness, I still view it as a top-five team. The Bulls had some lapses and sloppy moments, but led after one period and came oh-so-close to tying the game in the third period. KUA is just a little bit better.
Thankfully, these teams meet again on Feb. 10.
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6. I'd never been to Holderness' Fiore Rink prior to Friday. It's an outdoor rink with barn doors around it to limit the wind. Thankfully, it wasn't too cold out, so the heaters inside mixed with the cool air outside was a perfect blend. The atmosphere around the rink was terrific, with a fire pit going on the way to an indoor facility that felt like a ski loge. The typical ice rink can get boring, so to come across an outside-the-box place with character was a nice change of pace.
