AVON, Conn. -- The thing is, Gunnery isn't a bad hockey team.
Led by star winger Alex Jefferies (Lunenberg, Mass.) and surrounded by a pretty decent supporting cast that includes four-year senior Mark D'Agostino (Branford, Conn.) and David Andreychuk, the Highlanders came into the Wednesday matinee against Avon Old Farms with a decent 14-8-2 record.
It was reasonable to think they were in a good position to give Avon a run for their money.
But reality these days is unreasonable: Avon is having none of that business from anyone this year, no matter how well or poorly the opposition is playing against what is shaping up to be one of the better Winged Beavers teams in recent memory.
With yet another crushing win, Avon Old Farms is now a stunning 19-2 and has to be convincing voters that it is better than Salisbury and deserves the top spot in our prep hockey coaches poll.
Here's what we saw at Wednesday's game at the Jennings Fairchild Rink:
Why Avon Old Farms won
Quick starts are the name of the game for Avon Old Farms. Thinking fast, the Winged Beavers ripped into Gunnery just 1:24 after the opening faceoff, J.P. Turner (East Falmouth, Mass.) saying thank you for an uber-early power-play opportunity afforded by a Gunnery cross-checking penalty at 1:16.
The home team started the second in the same manner, Liam Verdoni taking a long lead pass from Tabor Heaslip to break in alone before deking Carmine Andranovich (Durham, Conn.) to the ice and sliding home the goal just 55 seconds into the period to make it 3-0. Nick Cyprian cleaned up some garbage around the crease less than two minutes later to make it 4-0 and it was off to the races for the Winged Beavers.
From there, Avon ran the board, taking advantage of a combination of a lack of discipline by the Highlanders and some favorable borderline calls to take control, scoring four power-play goals and one shorthanded goal. Avon's puck control was superior, and its discipline, playmaking and speed had Gunnery on its heels, forcing passes, causing hesitation and generally preventing the Highlanders from getting into any sort of rhythm.
(Worth noting: In my three most recent viewings this season, Avon has won 9-0, 7-0 and 6-0.)
Best player on the ice
As usual and as might be expected, a number of Avon players deserve consideration.
Coach John Gardner's team got goals from eight players, a typical diversity and testament to the balance of the lines, the wealth of talent and the dedication (and ability) to roll four lines pretty much constantly.
Most everyone contributed to the win, which is reflected on the scoresheet by the fact that only one player (Brendan Williams) had more than one assist on the nine goals. Seven players had two points each, nine with one each.
Accolades should of course go to the goalie who earned the shutout, but such is the state of affairs with Avon that even Conor Callaghan's steady, 19-save performance in a blowout earns props but not top billing.
Star defenseman Drew Tsakounis gets a shout-out as well for bringing his usual steady defense and calm puck-moving skills from the backline that netted him a goal and an assist.
Patrick Neal had a good game as well, notching a nifty shortie in the third, capitalizing on a Jefferies giveaway to convert on the breakaway with a sharp wrister that went bar-down behind Andranovich to make it 7-0.
But for this one, Turner gets the nod. His opening goal -- a glove-side rocket that finished off great puck movement started by defensemen Reid Shafer and Jason Marsella -- set the tone for the rest of the game. He followed that up with good forechecking, smart decisions with the puck and a third-period goal that came off a 2-on-1 that he completed by tapping home a sweet Paul Davey pass. Like most of his teammates, the University of New Hampshire commit is having a very good season.
Avon's other goals were scored by captain Gentry Shamburger, who called for and received a long pass from defenseman Charles Leddy at the side of the net before deking down Andranovich to make it 2-0; captain Heaslip, who made it 5-0 in the second, his second point of the game; and Tyler Gordon (Avon, Conn.), the hometown boy closing out the scoring by sweeping home a rebound on the last power play of the game.
Key play
Easily, the most decisive play came early, while Avon was killing off a boarding call to Turner just 3:03 into the game and the home team up, 1-0, on his goal. A power-play goal would have jolted Gunnery right back into the game and perhaps gained it some confidence-swinging momentum.
Over the boards hopped the potent Gunnery power play, equipped with the right-shooting Jefferies on the left point, adding to the swagger. Cue the ominous music.
This is where Avon's depth stepped up. Killing the penalty, senior defenseman Nick Young set the tone, blocking not one but three heavy shots by Jefferies from the point, nullifying the threat of the star shooter's accurate blast.
On that same penalty kill, for good measure Young plastered a Gunnery player behind the net, and the message was undeniable. Later, just to show he was more than a one-act performer, Young filled in Matteo Giampa behind the net in the second period, with the score 5-0, and Gunnery wouldn't have been blamed if it heard footsteps when Young was on the ice.
Battle of the game
The obvious battle of the game was Gunnery with itself, as it took some ill-advised penalties, among them a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct for overzealously complaining (albeit justifiably) about a missed call.
The scoresheet indicates Gunnery took eight minors to Avon's seven, but Gunnery's proved more costly, giving Avon four power-play goals. When you're facing an offense as potent as Avon's, you've got to curtail the desire to lower that extra slash or curse in the extreme.
As for player battles, Avon's coverage did a very good job of keeping Jefferies to the perimeter, which isn't usually enough for a guy with that shot and vision. No single player was assigned to cover him, so the right wingers and defensemen earn props for winning that shift-by-shift battle.
Analysis
Almost to a fault, Gardner's Winged Beavers love to cycle down low, proficient at keeping the puck below the dots in the other team's end. When an Avon player moves out from the corner with the puck, if he doesn't see an outlet pass before he gets to the dots, he will invariably dump it behind him along the boards for a teammate circling in behind the net.
Conceivably, this cycle could repeat and frustrate the opponent ceaselessly, forcing a change in approach designed to result in coverage opening up and create a gap for an outlet pass. Avon made good use of this tactic against Gunnery.
Paul Grant is an editor and a writer for HockeyJournal.com and Seamans Media. He previously oversaw hockey content at ESPN.com and Sporting News. You can connect with him at pgrant@hockeyjournal.com.
