As the clock approached the final minute of regulation, it appeared as though Hill’s memorable day at the Winter Classic would end on a disappointing note. Despite outplaying rival Lawrenceville for much of the game, the Blues were unable to find the back of the net and faced a 2-0 deficit. With goaltender Jophrey Gregoire ’12 on the bench in favor of an extra attacker, Hill applied tremendous pressure on the Lawrenceville net, and with 58 seconds remaining, Dillon McCourt ’13 stuffed home a loose puck to cut the deficit in half. As soon as Hill controlled the puck off the ensuing faceoff, Gregoire was back to the bench and Hill again began to swarm the L’ville net, and with just 2.8 seconds left on the clock Charles Vezina ’13 scored to finish the improbable comeback and sent the players, coaches, and hundreds of Hill supporters in the stands of Citizens Bank Park into a delirious celebration.
While a tie typically isn’t the desired result, the grit and determination the team demonstrated to earn the come-from-behind tie was a fitting end to a perfect day for hockey. A cold, overcast day presented ideal conditions for the first outdoor game between Hill and Lawrenceville since the last matchup between the teams on Hill’s Edward Tuck Hall Rink in 2005-06, except this time the stage was a little bigger. Just days before, hockey legends such as Bernie Parent, Bobby Clarke, Eric Lindros, and Mark Messier, and current NHL stars Henrik Lundqvist, Brad Richards, and Claude Giroux had played on the exact same rink as part of the NHL Winter Classic events.
The team arrived at Citizens Bank Park shortly before 1 p.m. and was escorted down to its dressing room – the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse. After going through the typical pre-game stretches and getting dressed, the team walked past the framed jerseys of Phillies legends such as Richie Ashburn, Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt and through the Phillies dugout to the ice.
“When we first got here, everyone was taking videos and pictures,” said James Nawn ’12, who played the first half of the game in net for Hill. “Everyone was excited, but we also had to remember we had a game to play.”
Prior to the game, Headmaster David R. Dougherty received a nice ovation as he conducted a ceremonial puck drop at center ice. Once the puck dropped, the game was evenly played, but Hill’s offense was stymied by Lawrenceville’s goaltenders (who also split the game). Hill went to the power play just over 10 minutes into the first period, but unfortunately it was Lawrenceville who took the 1-0 lead after Matt Santucci blocked a shot at the point and went the other way alone and beat Nawn to the blocker side. A L’ville penalty in the final minute of the first period gave Hill 1:32 of power play time on fresh ice to start the second, but again L’ville scored a shorthanded goal as Matt Kasten hit a streaking Jess Norman, who scored on a breakaway to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
Throughout the rest of the second period and most of the third, the pace – and score – remained the same, as each team had scoring opportunities with neither team finding the back of the net. Late in the third, Hill had a golden opportunity, but Lawrenceville goaltender Andrew Lux made a tremendous save. Four Hill players were caught deep in the zone, and Lawrenceville went the other way on an odd-man rush. Gregoire made a phenomenal diving save on the initial shot, but the rebound came into the slot and right on to the tape of a L’ville forward who was staring at an empty net, but he rushed the shot and put it wide of the net.
With 75 seconds remaining and Gregoire pulled for an extra attacker, a scrum ensued next to the Lawrenceville net after the whistle, resulting in matching minor penalties that left the teams skating four aside, which, to Hill’s advantage, opened up extra space on the ice; with the extra attacker, Hill had a five-on-four advantage, opposed to the more cluttered six-on-five that typically results in an extra attacker situation. Hill maintained control off the faceoff and in utilizing the extra attacker sent four players down low and left just one on the point. Matt Brizzi ’12 was denied in a frantic scramble around the net, but McCourt found the rebound and made the score 2-1, setting the stage for Vezina’s dramatic game-tying goal.
A shootout was held to try and decide a winner, but with the shootout score tied at 1-1 after four shooters, the game had to be called due to time constraints so the ice could be prepared for the Malvern Prep vs. LaSalle game that began at 5 p.m.
“I’m thrilled to death for each and every kid,” said head coach Matt Mulhern in an interview with Steve Moore of the Pottstown Mercury. “The whole atmosphere. Getting new uniforms and all the prestige involved. They had so much fun, just being in the element. I wanted them to take it all in — we had to remember there was still a game to play — but this is something they’ll never experience ever again in their lifetimes, unless someone is playing in the NHL.”
After the game, captain Brian Sachs ’12 sat in his stall in the clubhouse, gazing around and taking in the moment.
“The coaches told us, ‘When you get out there, make sure you take a moment to look around. You’re going to remember it for the rest of your life,’” Sachs said to Moore. “It was just incredible.”
Following the game, the Advancement Office hosted a post-game reception for more than 200 parents and alumni at McFadden’s Restaurant, which is connected to Citizens Bank Park. The team received a thunderous ovation from the supporters on hand as they entered the reception for a well-deserved dinner.
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