For some teams, not making the Elite 8 might have been a crushing blow. For Loomis Chaffee, it might have been a blessing in disguise.
The chance for new life and a chance to win a championship was something the Pelicans and their 13 seniors couldn’t pass up.
“Our guys were excited for the postseason. We wanted to win the Large School tournament. I didn’t have to remotivate them. We might not have had that same confidence if we had snuck into the Elite 8,” said head coach J.R. Zavisza.
After a 14-7-4 regular season, Loomis Chaffee earned the third seed in the Martin/Earl Large School Tournament. It was one final chance for this group of seniors to cement their legacy at the Windsor, Conn., prep school.
“Many of the seniors lost in the first round of the Large School their sophomore year,” Zavisza said. "Last year, we had a terrible season. In many ways, the seniors controlled the team, as they should. They were excited to have the opportunity to win something."
Loomis Chaffee won its quarterfinal matchup against Deerfield, 4-2. The team had to go on the road to face second-seeded Brunswick in the semifinals but earned a trip to the final with a 5-2 win.
In the final, played at Trinity College’s Koeppel Community Center, Loomis downed Cushing, 2-0. Dartmouth commit Cody Hoban scored with 48 seconds left in the first period to give the Pelicans all the scoring they’d need. Adam Martin added an empty-net goal and Holy Cross commit Kyle Chauvette stopped all 34 shots he faced for the shutout.
“I don’t think we played that well,” said Zavisza of his team’s performance in the final. “We expended a lot of energy in the game against Brunswick on Saturday. We didn’t have legs on Sunday, but we were fortunate to come away with a win.
“I thought our talent was deeper, but Cushing played a really good game. It was a battle of the goaltenders. Kyle showed up and their goalie (Jackson Irving) did too, but we got the lone goal 5-on-5."
Of the three finals at Trinity, the Large School tournament had the least amount of action. The Penguins tried to put on a late charge, but Loomis did a good job of shoring things up defensively, especially in the final period.
“We talked as coaches after the second period and said we were going to have to win this game 1-0,” Zavisza said. "We got more conservative as the third went on. It was a bit more dumping when we had the chance to get it in deep. We pulled the third forward back to the defensive blue line to make sure we had numbers back. We played to win 1-0."
Hoban, the team’s top offensive player, missed 10 games with an injury, but his return to action was crucial, especially in the semifinals and finals.
“We were fortunate that Hoban was back in the lineup,” said Zavisza. "He had a big shorthanded goal Saturday and the game-winner in the final. His presence overall had an impact and was a positive for team morale."
Hoban (Guilford, Conn.) finished with 19 goals and 18 assists in 23 games. While acknowledging his absence could have played a part in it, Zavisza thought his senior deserved more postseason recognition.
“I was surprised he wasn’t on any of the postseason lists. His points per game were pretty significant. He missed 10 games, but the ones he played in, he was effective,” Zavisza said.
Hoban’s production improved in each of his four seasons at Loomis Chaffee. He went from scoring seven points as a freshman to 16 as a sophomore and 23 as a junior. While stats back up his positive development trajectory, his coach points to his play away from the puck as a big reason why.
“He improved significantly,” Zavisza said. "He’s got a knack to score and he played a more well-rounded game this year. He used to be more focused on the offensive side of the puck, but he transitioned to being more of a 200-foot player. He was a key penalty-kill guy and he was one of the few guys who blocked shots for us. He became a complete team guy for us. The numbers reflected that growth."
Hoban likely will play a year of junior hockey before matriculating to Dartmouth for the 2021-22 season. Zavisza, who played collegiately at UMass, believes Hoban will be a productive player for the Big Green.
“As he’s developed as an athlete, he’s become more of a player to contend with,” said Zavisza. "There is still room for improvement, but if he continues on this trajectory, he’ll be an effective college player."
One of Loomis Chaffee’s top players, senior defenseman Kennedy O’Connor, had just one assist in three playoff games, a helper in the quarterfinal against Deerfield. However, he made his presence felt in other ways that were perhaps even more significant. There was not a better physical shutdown defender in prep hockey this season.
“Leadership,” said Zavisza when asked about the UMass commit. “He’s a warrior. He played with a cast on his hand all year. His pain threshold is beyond most people’s. He’s committed to doing what’s best to win hockey games. He’s in the top three kids I’ve ever coached.”
Coming into the year, goaltending was a position that seemed to be a strong point for the Pelicans. However, Chauvette had his struggles. He even temporarily lost his starting role. He didn’t get the nod in the season finale at Avon Old Farms, but instead, came on in relief.
“We were uncertain about our goaltending going into the final two weeks of the season,” said Zavisza. "We gave the floor back to Kyle and he ran with it. That adversity that Kyle faced and being challenged translated into that winning attitude in the three playoff games.”
Chauvette has tendered in the North American Hockey League with the Maine Nordiques. He’ll play the 2020-21 season in Lewiston and is headed to Holy Cross for the 2022-23 campaign.
@JeffCoxSports
