Balanced effort leads Newington co-op to big win over Rocky Hill

The Newington High co-op boys hockey team won their 12th game of the year Wednesday night with a win over Rocky Hill. (Photo courtesy Nor’Easters Booster Club)

CROMWELL, Feb. 9, 2022 – Eleven different players got at least a point – a goal or an assist – as the Newington High co-op hockey team rolled to a 7-2 win over Rocky Hill at Champions Ice Rink in Cromwell on Wednesday.

Josh Grimm and Andrew Stribling each had two goals and an assist for the Nor’easters (12-2, 5-0 CCC South) while teammates Braeden Humphrey and Jack Reynolds each had a goal.

After a scoreless first period in which each team was going through a feeling out process, the Nor’Easters took immediate control of the game just one minute into the second period when Humphrey, the Canton defenseman, blasted a shot past Terrier goalie Aaron McLeod for the Newington squad’s first goal. Kyle Klimas and Gavyn Munson each had assists on the play.

Midway through the period, Reynolds took a pass from Newington linemate Jack Petronio, deked a Rocky Hill defenseman and backhanded a shot to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Ninety seconds later Grimm increased the Nor’Easter lead to 3-0 by converting a power play set-up from Mike Deegan.

Rocky Hill (5-10, 2-4 CCC South) fought back coming out of that second intermission when Brody Davidson’s bad angle shot just 21  seconds into the third period found its way past Nor’Easter goalie Jeremy Wagner to cut the visitor’s lead to 3-1.

But again, the Newington squad showed their resiliency 60 seconds later when Andrew Stribling took a feed from Grimm off another Munson pass, and swatted the puck past the Terrier’s McLeod to re-establish a three-goal lead, 4-1.

After a goal by Rocky Hill’s Jack Nelson cut the lead back to 4-2, the Nor’Easters used goals from Stribling, Grimm and Harrison Ranger to seal the win by the final 7-2 margin.

For the Terriers, goalie Aaron McLeod had 27 saves on 33 shots while Phil Beaulieu had 2 in relief of McLeod. Newington goalie Jeremy Wagner stopped 15 of 17 shots to earn the victory.

The Newington co-op, which includes players from Canton, Cromwell, Berlin and Manchester, returns to action on Saturday night when they battle Division II power Wethersfield at 6:10 p.m. at Newington Arena.

Newington 7, Rocky Hill 2
At Cromwell
Newington (12-2)            0  3  4  — 7
Rocky Hill (5-10)              0  0  2  — 2
Goals: Braeden Humphrey (N), Jack Reynolds (N), Josh Grimm (N) 2, Andrew Stribling (N) 2, Harrison Ranger (N); Brody Davidson (RH), Jacob Nelson (RH); Assists: Mike Deegan (N) 3, Gavyn Munson (N) 2, Tyler Leavitt (N), Kyle Klimas (N), Blake Blackwood (N), Grimm, Stribling, Ranger; Saves: Jeremy Wagner (N) 15, Aaron McLeod (RH) 27, Philip Beaulieu (RH) 2