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Choate Rosemary Hall Boys Varsity Water Polo
2007 Season
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Choate Rosemary Hall Boys J.V. Water Polo
2007 Season

9/15/07:  Hotchkiss @ HS; Choate 5, Hotchkiss 10
                  The new campaign opened this year with Choate and Loomis Chaffee traveling to Hotchkiss for a mini-tournament.  The opening game of the day pitted the wild Boars against the host team.   The long ride to Lakeville allowed some time for rest but the boys looked sleepy when the game started.  Choate didn't look sharp and Hotchkiss was firing on all cylinders.  After winning the swim off, Choate didn't manage to put much together.  Hotchkiss scored three, including one man-up goal, in the face of an anemic Choate defense and Choate managed only 4 weak shots.   It was an inauspicious beginning.  The second period didn't get much better.  Hotchkiss scored on the opening drive and again just over a minute later to open a 5-0 lead.  Choate finally got on the board with a nice goal by Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08.  An unexpected ejection called on third-form phenom McClatchy Ruskin '11 allowed Hotchkiss to answer back immediately with a man-up goal, however.  With a minute left in the half, a personal foul on Co-Captain Ray Li '08 set up a 5-m penalty shot that was stopped by Choate's keeper, Matt Inglis '09.  Choate took advantage and drew an ejection at the other end of the pool and converted the man-up with another goal by Whitney.  Choate trailed 206 at the half.  The third period saw both teams jockeying for position to little effect.  Late in the period, Hotchkiss found the net but Choate responded in 18 seconds when Aasheesh Paliwal '08 found the net.  Choate headed into the final period trailing 3-7.  Early in the fourth, Hotchkiss was able to take advantage of another ejection against Choate and extended the lead to 8-3.   Choate finally started to play the game they know, however.  Dan Fallahi '09 tallied one for Choate and he then converted a man-up on the next possession to close the gap to three, 5-8.  Choate slipped at the end of the game, though.  Another ejection against Choate led to another Hotchkiss goal and one more was added by the home team with only a minute left to wrap up against discombobulated Choate team.  Hotchkiss won with a convincing 5-10 score.  Choate had to turn around and play the next game and had to do something to get back on track.  Goalkeeper Inglis got too little help from his defense but amassed 8 saves and 3 steals.

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9/15/07: Loomis Chaffee @ HS; Choate 8, Loomis 7
                  Having dropped the opening game of the day to Hotchkiss only 20 minutes before, Choate needed to do a gut check and find a way to regroup to face perennial New England contender Loomis Chaffee.  Early in the game, both squads were trying to get things together.  Choate finally opened the scoring half way through the period on a goal by Dan Fallahi '09.  It took about two minutes before Loomis answered back to tie the score.  On the next possession, however, Choate drew an ejection and Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 converted the opportunity to retake the lead with 20 seconds left.  Choate fought hard for the ball and Aasheesh Paliwal '08 scored 13 seconds later to leave Loomis a little stunned and trailing by two, 3-1.   Both teams fought for control but Choate seemed to take charge early in the second.  Co-Captain Ray Li '08 scored to extend the lead to three and Whitney followed with another to move the score to 5-1.  With a minute left, Loomis was able to take advantage of a Choate ejection and get back on the board.  The team fought back, though and Whitney tallied one more with 9 seconds left to give Choate a 6-2 lead at the half.  Loomis regrouped and scored early in the third but Choate answered back near the middle of the period on a goal by Li.  The teams fought but good defensive efforts on both sides kept the score at 7-3 going into the final period.  Perhaps Loomis did something special in the break or perhaps Choate was just feeling the effects of being at the end of two games back to back so early in the season, but Loomis came out firing.  They would score four goals and Choate was unable to answer so the score was knotted at seven with two minutes remaining.  The teams traded possessions until Fallahi made a nice perimeter steal and drove the length of the pool to drive home the tie-breaking score.  Loomis had the ball and a minute left but good aggressive defense by Choate kept them out of the net and Choate was able to control the ball to end the game with the 8-7 win.  Matt Inglis '09 had 9 saves and one steal.  Li led the field players with 4 steals and 2 assists.  Choate next faces a strong team from Suffield in their home opener at the Hart Pool.  Come on down!

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9/19/07: Suffield @ CRH; Choate 7, Suffield 10
                  There is nothing easy about the schedule that the Wild Boars have for the opening of the season.  Choate will face all 5 of last year's tope teams in the first 8 days.  At the halfway point, the Boars opened their home season by hosting a very young, very talented and very fast squad from Suffield Academy.  Things got off to a good start for the home team, though.  Co-Captain Ray Li '08 won the opening swim off and passed the ball back to Dan Fallahi '09 who sent it back to Li who then dished to Aasheesh Paliwal '08 who slammed the ball to the back of the goal.  Choate had a 1-0 lead only 10 seconds into the game. Choate defended Suffield's first possession and drove back down and Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 added another to give Choate a 2-goal lead in the first 45 seconds.  Things settled down a bit Choate still played strong.  Both teams continued to work for advantage but it was Choate that forced an early Suffield time out when Fallahi added one more near the middle of the period to put the home team up 3-0.  Suffield regrouped and came roaring back.  They used speed and quickness to drive an offense and a hard pressing defense to exert more control on Choate's attack.  Matt Inglis' '09 remarkable play in cage kept things from getting out of hand as he came up with block after block, tallying 6 saves in the first period alone.  Suffield did manage to add two goals to narrow the gap before Li caught a breaking Tiger and stopped a shot but held on a little too long and was tagged for the penalty shot, which Suffield converted.  Moments later, an ejection call against Li put the home team down a man and they gave up the second goal in 50 seconds.  Suffield led 4-3 at the end of the first period.  Li sought redemption and got it with a pretty goal early in the second to tie the game.  For most of this period the two teams worked hard but neither could convert much as Inglis continued to be a wall for Choate and the Boars suffered under a relentless press.  Suffield found a weakness, though and stole the ball and drove for two goals within the final 40 seconds of the half to extend their lead to 6-4.  Suffield would add another early in the third but Choate responded with goals by Li and Fallahi in the first half of the third to tighten the margin.  Suffield replied with two of their own before things got a little sloppy.  Choate effectively drew two ejections but hurried shots and didn't convert on either man-up; taking the time for a little better look at the cage might have pulled things back but the period ended with Suffield still ahead by three, 9-6.  Early in the fourth, Choate survived an ejection on keeper Inglis when he tried too help the official see how much the Suffield 2m man was standing on the bottom.  Suffield did manage a break, though and added another goal.  Choate wasn't giving up.  Lack of focus, however, allowed them to miss another man-up opportunity before Li found the net once more to put the final score 7-10 in favor of Suffield.  Li led the team in goals, steals and assists and Inglis had an impressive day with 14 saves and two steals.  Choate heads off to Deerfield on Saturday to face both Deerfield and Exeter, teams that are playing strong so far this season.  Wish them luck!

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9/19/07: Suffield JV @ CRH; Choate JV 13, Suffield JV 11
                  Last year when Choate's JV faced Suffield's JV, the Boars came out on the short side by double-digit margins on both occasions.  That was then.  Though Suffield scored first, Choate came roaring back with a goal by Miles Cozart '09.  It seemed like old times for a minute when Suffield scored and then goalkeeper JJ Braddock '09 was caught out of position and was cited for a personal foul, which Suffield converted.  This Choate squad, however, is full of fighters.  The team drew an ejection and Evan Grotevant '10 found the net and Michael Wysolmerski '08 scored on Choate's next possession to tie the game at three.  Around this time, Brian Wysolmerski '10 was willing to give up his face to make a stop, a commitment that will likely lead to a stitch or two.  Suffield took a time out to regroup but to little avail; Grotevant scored again moments later to give Choate its first lead of the game, 4-3 at the end of the period.  An ejection drawn by Choate early in the second was converted by Quinn Hawkins was answered by Suffield.  Another man-up opportunity later on was converted by Jose Rivera '08 before Suffield drew two ejections of their own, each converted, to tie things up at 6-6 at the half.   The momentum seemed to have shifted late in the second and in the third as Suffield came out shooting and added three more goals in the first half of the third period to take a 9-6 lead.   Choate just kept at it, moving players through with each contributing consistently.  Cozart converted a penalty shot and Joon Lee '08 scored on a man-up to get the Boars back in the game.  The end of the period was all Choate, though.  Kidon Seo '09 kept with the play to score and then was on the end of some good man-up play to score again and Choate had scored four in a row to take its first lead of the period, 10-9.  Early in the final period, Rivera gave a bit of a cushion.  It was short-lived, however.  Suffield capitalized on a slip by Choate and earned a man-up goal, which was followed on their next possession by another tally to knot things up at 11-11 with half a period left to play.  Suffield struggled with some aspects o their game, which put Cozart in a position to convert two more penalty shots (I've never seen a 5-m hat trick before!) and cement the win for Choate, 13-11.   The coaches were pleased with the consistent and balance effort that they team made and with the fact that each player made a strong showing. Braddock did a truly fine job in cage with 7 saves and 2 steals.  In an odd twist of schedule, the next game for Choate is also against Suffield, this time on the road, in a week or so.  Certainly they will use the excitement of this game to get even better for the games to come.  Great job, boys!

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9/22/07:  Deerfield @ DA; CRH 4, Deerfield 10
                  Choate headed up the highway to Deerfield for the first contest of the season for the traditional rivals.  The scouting report on Deerfield included some returning talent buttressed by some new acquisitions from California.  They proved to be a good team with quickness and enthusiasm buoyed by an enthusiastic crowd.  Choate fought hard but came up short.  Things looked good when Choate took the early lead on a goal by Dan Fallahi '09 54 seconds into the contest.  Choate's energy and defense held but the offense was a little tentative after that.  Late in the period Deerfield found their stride.  They got a counter attack going and took advantage of some trouble controlling the ball by the Boars and ran in three goals in 50 seconds to open a 3-1 lead.   Deerfield would add two more, one on a man-up, before Choate would get back on the board with a goal by Aasheesh Paliwal '08.  Deerfield would answer back but Paliwal found the net again and the half ended with the home team ahead 6-3.  Choate killed the second of four, thanks in large part to the fine work of Matt Inglis '09 in cage, early in the third and McClatchy Ruskin '11, who announced his presence with authority at both ends of the pool, saw the outside opportunity and placed a shot beautifully outside the keeper's reach.  Deerfield fought back and added another with a minute left in the period to set the score at 4-7 going into the final period.  Both teams continued to work in the final quarter.  Choate had some opportunities but showed some fatigue and also ran into some bad luck.  Deerfield did manage to add one more when they found a weakness in the Choate defense just past mid-period.  The score looks even worse though because of a late defensive let down and a lucky shot at the buzzer that added two Deerfield goals in the final 28 seconds.  Clearly the Fans have been waiting for this as a group was moved to jump into the pool in celebration.  Inglis had a total of 10 saves and played beautifully.  Choate had a game break before facing perennial power Exeter.

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9/22/07:  Exeter @ DA; CRH 6, Exeter 14
                  Exeter has a talented front line that has confidence and strength to the extent that no one has gotten close to them this year.  Choate's squad set out to see what they could do.  The Boars came back reinvigorated and came out running.  Exeter's attack, which hasn't lost a league game going back for several years, was fueled by speed and precise teamwork.  Exeter ran in eight goals in the first period.  On the good side for Choate, the Boars killed both man-up situations for the Bears.  Things turned around in the second in favor of the Boars.  Taking advantage of some personnel switches that disrupted the machine that Exeter was in the opening, Dan Fallahi '09 scored twice and Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 scored once to get Choate on the board and tighten things up.  Choate's defense and excellent work in cage by fifth form standout Matt Inglis '09 kept Exeter off the board.  In the third, Choate's offense slipped a bit but the Defense was solid, though they did give up two goals on advantage situations for Exeter, a man-up and a penalty shot.   In the final period, Exeter would convert a second 5m and add a natural goal to extend the lead to 12-3 by the middle of the final period.  Choate drew an ejection that Whitney converted which was then followed by a goal by Co-Captain Ray Li '08 to move things to 12-5 with two and a half minutes remaining.  Choate would give up two more in the final minutes but Fallahi would also add one to make the final score 6-14 in favor of Exeter.   Inglis finished the game with 16 saves and several steals in an impressive showing.  It was a good effort and Choate can take some lessons forward to the season to come.  The tough open to the schedule continues next Saturday as Choate takes on Suffield for the second time this season. 

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10/4/07:  Hopkins @ CRH; CRH 14, Hopkins 4
                  Choate had been out of the action for nearly two weeks when they took the pool for an unusual Thursday game necessitated by scheduling conflicts for both schools.  Choate was still in practice mode for the start of the game.  While their defense denied Hopkins even a shot for over the first 5 minutes, Choate's offense was throwing the ball wildly away at the other end of the tank.  It was over three minutes into the game before Connor Murphy '09 broke the drought and got Choate on the board.  That opened the flood gates and a parade of goals by co-captain Ray Li '08, two by co-captain Johnny Whitney'08, one by Aasheesh Paliwal '08 and another by Ray Li to move the margin to 6-0 over the next three minutes.  In the second period, Choate continued to shuffle personnel but all combinations were working well.  Brandon Whitney started things off in the second and was followed only 25 seconds later with a third goal for brother Johnny.  Paliwal netted again 30 seconds after that.  The teams worked back and forth before McClatchy Ruskin '11 got on the board to extend Choate's lead to 10-0.  Late in the period, Hopkins placed a nice shot just out of the reach of Keeper Matt Inglis '09 who had heretofore been his usual wall-ish self.  Inglis would amass 9 saves in only a half of work.  Choate led 10-1 at the halftime break.  The third period saw things slow down a bit as Choate tried to improve team play but Ray Li and David Lim '09 each added another tally to move to a 12-1 lead.  Early in the final period as personnel changes showed different combinations of players, Ruskin and Johnny Whitney each scored.  In the waning minute and a half, Hopkins was able to take advantage of their attacking offense to put in three in the final minute and a half to make the final score 14-4 in favor of Choate.  JJ Braddock '09 did excellent work in cage in the second half with his 7 saves only telling part of the physical challenges that he faced.  Other standout performances included Paliwal's six steals (four in the first quarter) and three more by Ruskin.  Choate will make the long trip to Andover on Saturday to face a strong team and hopes to bring some of the momentum from this game into that one.  Wish them luck!

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10/6/07:  Andover @ PA; CRH 17, Andover 8
                  It was a long ride up to Andover at the end of a long week and after SAT's.   Choate knew that they were facing a team that had played tough against common opponents and that was looking to get things back on track and they had to do it missing a starter due to illness.  The boys knew that they needed to rise to the occasion and they were ready.  The Boars came out blazing.  Choate's offense was aggressive from the start and it only took twelve seconds before Aasheesh Paliwal '08 tallied the first time.  Choate's defense was solid and allowed the offense to keep up a relentless push.  Thirty seconds after Paliwal's goal, Dan Fallahi '09 added another.  Less than a minute later, Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 got in on the act and Andover was forced to take a time-out less than a minute and a half into the game and trailing 3-0.  Choate didn't back down at all and it wasn't long before Paliwal netted again to extend the lead to 4.  Andover finally got on the board with three minutes left in the period but Choate would draw an ejection on the next possession and the man up opportunity was converted by Fallahi, who would then follow that up with goals on the next two possessions giving him a hat trick in a minute and thirteen seconds and four goals on four shots in the first period.  Choate wasn't done, though.  Choate drew another ejection in the final minute and an errant shot was well handled by Andover, only to bounce right to Patrick Li '10 who was well positioned in front of the cage and converted to give Choate an 8-1 lead at the end of the first period.  Co-Captain Ray Li '08 didn't score directly but was responsible for much of the success with three steals and four assists in the first period alone.  The second period saw a slower start as Andover regrouped and more effectively responded to what Choate was doing.  An ejection early in the period left Choate down a man for 20 seconds and Andover took advantage.  This was followed by another ejection and another score and Andover looked to be getting back into the game.  Choate's offense seemed to lull after a first period where everything went right, Ray Li was spending some time on the bench after earning 2 quick ejections and Andover's speed allowed them to mount a more effective offense.  Johnny Whitney stepped up and led the offense to re-establish control.  Starting at mid period, he launched on his own sequential hat trick and added three goals for the boards in the next two minutes, mostly on well targeted outside shots.  Choate continued to fall to the ejection bug but killed those man down situations and Miles Cozart '09 found the net in the final minute to emphasize that Choate hadn't run out of gas too early.  Choate led 13-3 at the half.  In the third period, things got off to a good start.  Ray Li found the net early in the third but was then called for his third ejection on the next possession and Choate looked to finish the game without its defensive and assist leader.  Andover seemed to sense the opportunity and stepped up the offense.  There was a one-man wall standing between Andover and their hopes of getting back into the game and his name was Matt Inglis '09.   Inglis recorded an astonishing 10 saves in the third period alone (two of them in with the defense a man down), part of a Choate-record tying 21 save game where he also recorded an additional 4 steals and an assist.  Andover did manage to add three goals on fast breaks before Johnny Whitney tallied one in the final seconds to show that we weren't completely done.  Choate still held a commanding lead 15-6 at the end of the third period.  The urgency of play seemed to wane in the final period.   Johnny Whitney added two more and Andover added two of their own, one on a man-up in the final minute of the game to post the final score at 17-8 in favor of Choate.  As mentioned, Matt Inglis tied the school's single game saves record and caused the referee's son to comment, "You've got one good goalie!"  Johnny Whitney's performance also earned him a spot on out All-Time list for goals in a game.  It was the kind of day where even many of your mistakes seem to work out OK.  Choate next faces NMH at home on Wednesday.

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10/6/07:  Andover JV @ PA; CRH 5, Andover 8
                  Immediately following the Choate Varsity romp, the Choate JV squad took the pool.  Andover's JV, which is extremely fast, was looking even the day.  From the start, Choate seemed to be struggling a bit.  They were called for two ejections early and Andover converted the second one.  They would then score again shortly thereafter to take a 2-0 lead.  Choate was out of kilter on offense and it was only a sound defensive effort and truly excellent play by JJ Braddock '09 in cage that kept things from getting totally out of hand as Andover repeatedly used its superior speed to break down pool with a significant advantage.   Late in the period, Jose Rivera '08 got Choate on the board with a well-placed shot, but Andover answered back on the next possession and took a 3-1 lead into the period break.  Early in the second, Choate seemed to be playing in a better groove when Andover's hole set elbowed Rivera in the face, apparently breaking his nose.  Two things are particularly notable about this - first, the Andover player seemed pleased and wanted to be sure that Jose knew who had done it at the end of the game and second, that Rivera didn't stop playing until the bench saw the substantial amount of blood and called a timeout to get medical attention.  It was a blow to the team to have Rivera spend the rest of the game managing cotton and ice rather than Andover's center forward.  In the distraction of the event and facing Andover's speed, Choate didn't manage a single shot from the field in the second and gave up three goals to trail 1-6 at the half.  As much as everything had gone right in the varsity game, things now seemed to all go wrong for the JV.  Early in the third, even beautifully set plays just missed, like a well-played cross-cage pass from Quinn Hawkins '10 to Peter Hong '08 that tipped just over the cage.  Hong did find the canvas near mid-period, however, before Andover marked their first of the third.  Tim Kutt '08 added one more to let Choate win the period and set the score a 3-7 going into the fourth.  Andover netted one early in the final period but as the game waned, Choate was able to effectively kill and ejection and Hong and Hawkins each added a goal to make the final 5-8.   Despite the loss, the boys should be pleased with a strong effort throughout.  JJ Braddock's excellent game in goal with 15 saves was the key to keeping Andover's fast break in some degree of check and kept Choate in the game until they could find the plays.   It was a good day overall.  Choate's next game will come at home a week from Wednesday when they face a "B" side from Greenwich HS that is the rival of among the best varsity squads in the league.  It should be a great learning experience! 

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10/10/07:  Northfield Mount Hermon @ CRH; CRH 17, NMH 2
                  Choate was enjoying the idea of playing twice at home in a week for the first time this season as they prepared for round one of the so-called "Battle of the Pigs," which pitted the Wild Boars of Choate against the Hoggers of NMH.  It was a promising young squad that traveled down I-91 to face a more experienced Choate on this gray Wednesday.  The scheduled JV game had been dropped and both teams took advantage of the opportunity to play all the players that they could get into the pool.  Early in the game, Choate's defense seemed strong but the offense misfired consistently.  Despite good shooting opportunities and following the ball well, Choate just seemed out of synch.   It was a good team play that set up the first goal, scored by Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 at 2:15 in to the game and got Choate on the board.  This seemed to break the logjam.  Choate continued to run a daunting defense that would limit NMH to only 4 shots in the first half, all ably handled by Choate's keeper Matt Inglis '09.  After Whitney's goal, Dan Fallahi '09, playing off excellent field generalship by Co-Captain Ray Li '08, scored twice in the next two minutes.  This was followed by another score from Whitney, one From Aasheesh Paliwal '08,one from Ray Li and a final one by Fallahi to put the score at 7-0 at the end of the first.  Personnel moved around but the second period was more of the same, the same daunting defense and the good team play on offense.   Patrick Li '10 scored early in the period.  He was followed by a sequence of goals by David Lim '09, Max Mullen '08, Lim (again!), Michael Wysolmerski '08, Peter Hong '08, Wysolmerski (again), and Paliwal.  Choate's 15-0 lead at the half allowed the team to focus on defense and team play on offense.  As Choate changed personnel in a way that would eventually let all of the 25 players medically cleared to play get some time in the water, the emphasis remained the same.  The result was a period in which not a shot was fired against Choate's keeper, JJ Braddock '09.  Johnny Whitney added one more to take the score to 16-0 going into the final period.  Even with a mix of players in the water, Choate's defense held for over four minutes.  NMH got on the board on a good follow on a shot Braddock had blocked and followed not long after with a nice shot on a break goal.  Tim Kutt '08 ended scoring for the day as the tenth player to score a goal for Choate.  At the end, the coaches felt that the team had done some productive work on the road to improving at each opportunity.  Things will be entirely different at the squad heads off to Greenwich High School very early on Saturday Morning (before 5:30 for those who want to wish us well) to face many of the best teams from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Quebec.  Choate goes in as a bottom seed in their bracket but they need to work on getting better each game.  Wish them well!

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10/13/07: Cardinal Tournament at Greenwich
                  The Cardinal Tournament at Greenwich HS offers water polo at a higher level and going to it provides a clear learning opportunity for the young men on the Choate team. This year was no exception.  For example the Exeter squad, a program that was won the New England Championship for the last ten seasons and is generally undefeated, would leave the day able to finish no better than 7th in the Interscholastic division. This year's play was accompanied, however, by some very strange events.  First of all, the team faced this tournament without co-captain Johnny Whitney '08, who went on a college weekend, leaving the team without one of its top scorers.  Also unusual about this year's tournament was a game schedule that had Choate playing all of its games on Saturday and saved the usual Friday night travel for a first game.  The trade off was that Choate's first game was scheduled for a 7:30 am start on Saturday.  That's where the story begins.
                  The team gathered before 5:30 am and arrived at Greenwich High School right as the doors opened at 6:45 in time to wake up and get warmed up before the 7:30 start in a game against Penn Charter form Philadelphia.  The game schedule was tight and it was surprising when Penn Charter didn't arrive to warm up and 7:30 came and went before a phone call clarified the situation - the Penn Charter team was locked in (and their coach was locked out) of their hotel where the Stamford police were investigating a murder.  The game would have to be put off.
                  Choate then hung out at the pool, unable for a while to forecast when the game might be rescheduled and hemmed in by growing crowds for the Greenwich HS homecoming celebration.  Nonetheless, the team was well supported by a large group of parents who also made the early morning trip and kept a positive attitude; all were in good spirits.
                  It was nearly noon, after over 5 hours of watching some excellent water polo but unable to take the water, before the Boars finally got in and faced a fresh squad from Deerfield, contesting the tournament for the first time.   Deerfield's well-rested team and aggressive press wilted the Choate offense.  Choate would manage only 10 shots in the whole game and the surprised Boars static offense and frequently trailing defense was outmatched.  The one highlight came in the excellent play of Matt Inglis '09 who made 14 saves and three steals and kept the 0-7 score from being much worse.
                  Choate finally faced Penn Charter after 2:00 that afternoon.   Having regrouped after the disappointing Deerfield game, Choate got back into their game against the fast and talented Quakers.  Both teams were playing aggressive defense but it was Penn Charter that got on the board first, nearly two-thirds of the way through the period, but Choate stayed aggressive.  McClatchy Ruskin '11 tallied Choate's first goal of the tournament just a minute later and was followed by Aasheesh Paliwal '08 to give the Boars a 2-1 lead at the end of the first.  Penn Charter capitalized on an ejection on Matt Inglis '08 to tie the game.  They followed on the next possession with another score and then capitalized on another ejection on Max Mullen '08 and held a 4-2 lead at the half.  Choate had played well in the second quarter but not found the net.  Early in the third period, it seemed that Penn Charter was in full control, they added two more goals in the first minute of the second half and seemed to be able too break on Choate's team effectively.  Choate regrouped, and Patrick Li '10 found the net to shift the momentum a bit.  Penn Charter answered back near mid-period though to reinstate the four-goal margin near the middle of the period.  In the final minute of the third, Dan Fallahi '09 and Captain Ray Li '08 each scored to cut the margin to two and put the score at 5-7.  The final period started out slowly but it was Choate that finally broke the stalemate with another score by Paliwal.  Penn Charter answered back after a minute or so.  With less than 2 minutes left in the game, Ray Li found the net and pulled Choate to within one.  Choate rushed a man-up opportunity in the final minute and gave the ball back but kept pressing and regained possession with only a second or two left.  Choate organized quickly in the dramatically shortened time-out period (to keep games on schedule, 2:00 minute time outs were replaced with fewer 30 second time-outs) and looked to get a shot off by Fallahi that found a perfect high corner to tie the game.  It was ruled that play had ended, though, and Choate fell by a score of 7-8.  The game was well played, though.  Matt Inglis '09 played very well with 9 saves.   Fallahi had 4 steals and Ray Li had three.  The team bounced back well and prepared to play again in about an hour and a half. 
                  On short rest but well fed and watered by our wonderfully supportive parents, Choate took the pool against St. Benedict's Prep to play out their final games of the tournament.  St. Benedict's scored first when one of their top shooters got free in front of the cage.  Captain Ray Li '08 got Choate on the board first to tie the game.  The Gray Bees answered back on the next possession and followed that with two more to take a more substantial lead in a close game.  Dan Fallahi '09 added another score with one second left to narrow the score to 2-3 at the end of the first.  Fallahi scored again early in the second period to tie the game.  Then St. Benedict's thwarted a strong drive by Choate's offense but ended up putting the ball into their own net and Choate went ahead on the goal that was credited to Max Mullen '08.  St. Benedict's came back to negate that goal, however, but couldn't capitalize on a man-up opportunity so the game remained tied when Fallahi found the net one more time to give Choate a 5-4 lead at the half.  Despite playing their third game with only short breaks, the Boars seemed eager to get into the second half.  Each team played effectively through the first half of the third period before Fallahi tallied again, his third of the game.  The Gray Bees answered back to narrow the margin back to one but in a flurry both Ray Li and McClatchy Ruskin '11 added goals in the final 45 seconds to move the margin to 8-5 in favor of Choate.  Early in the fourth, Brandon Whitney '10 added another goal from the left wing.  St. Benedict's played hard through the end and would add one more goal but the result was set.  Choate won 9-6 to end up 9th in the interscholastic division of the tournament.  Matt Inglis '09 had 13 saves and a great day. 
Choate was pleased with the overall play on the day.  Matt Inglis '09 was selected to the All Tournament team for his outstanding play throughout the day.  The team will continue to face challenges when the Boars host Greenwich HS for varsity and JV games at the Hart pool on Wednesday before returning to league play at home on Saturday with Hotchkiss.

10/17/07:  Greenwich HS @ CRH; Choate 8, GHS 12
                  After a long Saturday down at Greenwich HS to play in the Cardinal's tournament that brings together the very best teams in the mid-Atlantic and New England, Choate was not too disappointed that the team that handled all comers to win both the Schools and Overall divisions of the tournament left some of its frontline players at home when they came to Wallingford.  Greenwich is a powerhouse program in any case and Choate was eager to test its mettle against these experienced and skilled players.  Choate's defense, led by keeper Matt Inglis '09, was generally sound in the first but the offense sputtered.  Choate gave up four goals, one on a man-up, in the first period but still felt that they had played well defensively.  Early in the second, Greenwich added another and it looked like the game might slip away if Choate didn't get an offense running.  At 1:43 into the second period, Choate finally got on the board as Co-Captain Johnny Whitney powered in a shot.  On the next possession, Choate drew an ejection and Whitney tallied again to start to get Choate back into the game.  Choate gave up another goal before Co-Captain Ray Li '08 would find the canvas on back to back possessions to pull the Boars back to within two.  Choate gave up one more as Greenwich capitalized on a Choate ejection and held a 7-4 lead at the half.  Greenwich would add two more in the first half of the third period to stretch the lead to five before Brandon Whitney '10 started the second half scoring for Choate.  Greenwich responded on the next possession but Choate answered back with Johnny Whitney's third goal of the game.  Choate trailed 6-10 going into the fourth.  Both teams killed early ejections early in the final period but Ray Li found the net for his third of the game to narrow the margin to three.  Greenwich answered but Li was on a roll and scored his fourth goal of the day just pas the midpoint of the period.  Choate would give up one more man-up goal to Greenwich on the next possession and the scoring was done.  It was a good effort for Choate and some important points were learned that should help them as they return to league play on Saturday against Hotchkiss.  Inglis had another strong game with 8 saves and three steals.  Choate will look to play well on Saturday to offset the loss that they suffered to Hotchkiss in the first game of the season.  Come on down and support the boys!

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10/17/07:  Greenwich HS "B" @ CRH; Choate 6, GHS "B" 8
                  Choate put a strong JV into the tank as they prepared to take on the far more experienced younger side from Greenwich High School.   As with the earlier game, the JV boys played a solid defense but struggled on offense early in the game.  They got back to defend well and stopped a number of shots before they were even taken.  Choate did give up one goal, which is something of a victory when playing a more experienced group, but whiffed on some good offensive opportunities and trailed 0-1 at the end of the first.  The teams continued to work to try to get an advantage but it was almost the middle of the second period before either team scored and then it was Greenwich extending its lead to two.  Then Choate was able to take advantage of a Greenwich ejection and Alex Yeh '09 got the Boars on the board.  An ejection on the Greenwich goalie on Choate's next possession offered an opportunity that Warren Chan '11 capitalized on, tying the game at 2-2.   Patrick Li '10 played impressive defense, using his speed to track down and control the Greenwich fast break. As the clock ran down through the final minute, Brian Wysolmerski '10 was well positioned and capitalized on a block on one of Miles Cozart's shots to give Choate the lead.  Greenwich came back and scored twice in the final thirty seconds, though, to establish a 4-3 margin at the half.  Choate's offense slipped a bit in the third but the defense fought on.  The Boars did give up two goals, though, and entered the final period down 3-6.  In the final period, it was Cozart that was well positioned and converted a blocked shot by Alex Yeh to pull Choate back to within two.  Shortly after that, an ejection put Choate a man down and Greenwich capitalized.  A goal by Peter Hong '08 got Choate going again with a pretty hole sweep so that when Yeh converted a man-up opportunity, with an assist from Patrick Li, just after the middle of the period, Choate trailed by only one.  Despite a strong effort at both ends of the pool, it was Greenwich that would tally the final goal and take the 8-6 win.  Overall, it was a very strong game for the Boars, however.  JJ Braddock '09 did a fine job in cage with 6 saves and a steal.  The JV will next face the JV from Hotchkiss in the first game on Saturday.  Come to the pool and support them!

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10/20/2007:  Hotchkiss JV @ CRH JV PW; CRH 4, Hotchkiss 7
                  The Parents' Weekend festivities at the Larry Hart pool started this year with the JV water polo contest.   Early in the game, a hard driving Hotchkiss team controlled both ends of the tank despite some good defensive plays by the Boars.  Hotchkiss held a 3-0 lead at the end of the first.  Early in the second, though, Miles Cozart '09 found the net with a nice shot from the front of the cage to get things going for Choate.  As the period went on, Choate was finally getting some good looks but they were unable to convert.  With only two minutes left, Hotchkiss found another goal to re-establish the 3-goal lead.  At the end of the period, Peter Hong '08 hit a buzzer beater off a perfect outlet pass from keeper JJ Braddock '09.  Choate trailed 2-4 at the half.   In the third period, Choate's defensive strength was able to rein in the Hotchkiss offense.  Early in the period, Joon Lee '08 took an outlet pass at mid-pool and drove down to shoot and score.  Hotchkiss worked to get back into things as Choate narrowed the gap to one goal but Braddock handled the backhand shots as Peter Hong '08 played good defense.  After that, Hotchkiss worked hard to shut down the Choate break but with just over a minute and a half left in the third, Brian Wysolmerski '10 made just the right pass to Cozart who converted the score and Choate had tied the game.  In the fourth period, things seemed to fall apart for the Boars.  Choate gave up two man-down goals when they gave into inopportune kick outs and never got into their man-down defense.  Things continued to go awry when Hong drew a penalty shot but his effort went astray.  All of Choate's shooting went astray; a well-chosen lob shot on a fast break missed the cage and a bad pass cost a man-up opportunity.  Choate gave up one more goal and finished the game down by three, 4-7.  Braddock played very well in cage with 11 saves and a steal.  Alex Yeh '09 also was a force in the game.  The boys will get a rest over the weekend before we head to Williston to face the Wildcats.

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10/20/2007:  Hotchkiss @ CRH PW; CRH 9, Hotchkiss 6 OT
                  In the last three years, Choate has played Hotchkiss into overtime four times, once in the New England tournament.  Last year, a strong Hotchkiss team handled the Boars and at the opening game of the season, the Bearcats were again in control.  This game started out looking like it would be much the same.   A riled up Hotchkiss team came out and got on the board with three goals and looked to be in charge.  Choate, however, wasn't backing down.  There were good opportunities, like when Aasheesh Paliwal '08 just missed on a great shot, but things just didn't fall.  It looked like bad luck.  With :34  left in the first period, Co-Captain Ray Li '08 got Choate on the board for the first time.  The Boars trailed 1-3 at the end of the period.   Early in the second, Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 found the canvas and it looked like Choate might, at least, make a game of it.  Hotchkiss answered back on the next possession, 10 seconds later, and moved the margin back to 2 goals.  Choate would fall to some sloppy play but kill two ejections on phenomenal play by standout keeper Matt Inglis '09.   With :21 seconds left, Hotchkiss found the net again and seemed to be back in control with a 5-2 lead.  Choate continued to suffer bad luck, with no fewer than 7 shots on the day that slipped just high of the cage or hit a bar or a post, but the Boars knew that luck could change and that they had the commitment to play on.   The third period saw that attitude pay dividends.  The team continued to see some unlucky slips but three minutes into the period, Paliwal found the net.   A minutes and a half later, Dan Fallahi '09 converted.  A minute after that, Brandon Whitney '10 converted a man-up form a deep wing and tied the game, 5-5.  Connor Murphy '09 committed a well-timed personal foul and stopped a break to end the period with the game knotted up.  At the start of the fourth, Choate killed an ejection but couldn't stop the second man-up and Hotchkiss retook the lead.  Choate turned the ball over on the next possession and Hotchkiss looked for a decisive lead.  Inglis was a wall, though.   With 2:06 left in the game, Inglis made a stop and fed a perfect outlet to Fallahi who drove down and scored to tie the game again.  Each team had a couple of opportunities but neither, even Choate's plan for a play with 5 seconds left, were able to convert and the game, once again, headed into overtime.  The teams batted hard through the first of two designated overtime periods.  It looked like Choate would fall behind when they suffered a rare double ejection and Hotchkiss had a two-man advantage.  The defense held and Inglis made the stop.  That set up the Choate break down pool and Johnny Whitney converted to give Choate the lead with :42 left in the first OT period.  In the second, Hotchkiss played hard to get things back but Choate's strong defense held.  In the final minute, Johnny Whitney would score two more times and Choate took the game with a 9-6 margin.  It was a good win for the Boars who played hard out of league over the last two weeks to become a stronger team and it seems to have paid off.   Inglis had a remarkable 18 save game with 4 steals.  McClatchy Ruskin '11 also played beautifully before getting called on his third personal foul in OT.  Choate will get some rest this weekend before heading up the highway to face Williston for the first time this season on Wednesday.  Wish them luck!

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10/24/2007: Williston @ WNS; CRH 19, WNS 3
                  It was a battle of rested teams at Choate headed up the highway to face it's last new opponent of the season as both the Boars and the Wildcats returned from long weekend breaks.  Choate looked to play well after a strong outing with Hotchkiss and Williston had a plan working to keep themselves in contention for the New England Tournament.  Choate looked strong early and was able to force play into the Williston end of the pool.  Unfortunately, the Boars were sloppy on offense and it took until the middle of the period to get things going.  Aasheesh Paliwal '08 got things started for Choate, though, when he found the net on a nice shot from the front.  Williston answered back, however, when McClatchy Ruskin '11 made a good play but he was driven out of the way and Williston scored to tie the game.  With a big brotherly, "Hey, you can't do that to McClatchy!" Choate came roaring back.  In a 44 second span leading up to the end of the first period, Choate went to work and Dan Fallahi '09, Co-Captain Ray Li '08 each scored, Fallahi twice, to give Choate a 4-1 lead at the break.  Early in the second period, some overly aggressive play by the Wildcat keeper got a penalty shot for Li, which he converted.  Not to be left out of the fun, Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 scored on the next possession and then again 12 seconds later Whitney would add one more in the period and then his brother, Brandon Whitney '10, got in on the action, scoring with 5 seconds left.  Choate was clearly in charge at the half, leading 9-1.  As the team moved personnel, all combinations seemed to work well.  Johnny Whitney added two more in the opening minute and a half of the third, plays that came off a solid team effort.  Fallahi added another goal about three minutes later and would be followed to the net by Miles Cozart '09.  Williston would get a man inside and add another goal on the next possession but Fallahi added one more as the period wound down and Choate led 14-2 going into the final period.  Goals by Brandon Whitney and Ray Li came early before Williston got a man down pool and he was able to take his time and find a weakness in our defense to score.  Another penalty shot was awarded to Choate on a later possession, though, and Max Mullen '08 converted it.  Late in the game, Johnny Whitney found himself in front of the cage and couldn't hold back, adding one more for the game.  Mullen would score one natural goal with just about a minute left to wrap things up with Choate ahead 19-3.  Ray Li was a defensive standout with 10 steals and Matt Inglis '09 did a fine job with 9 saves and 5 steals.  On Saturday the Boars will head back up the highway to face NMH at their pool and looks to keep its game tight.  Wish them well!

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10/24/2007: Williston JV @ WNS; CRH JV 20, WNS  JV 3
                  The Choate JV looked to follow up on a strong showing by the varsity and get back on the winning side after three tough losses in a row.  The Williston JV was young but they had a few players with real size and looked to get a win for the home team.  Both squads looked a little sloppy early, though, and solid defensive play didn't translate to offensive opportunity.  Williston got on the board first at just over half way through the period.  Choate would answer back immediately when Choate drew an ejection that Justin Choi '11 converted. That was followed by another ejection on Choate's next possession that was turned into points by Kidon Seo '09.  Brian Wysolmerski '10 scored on Choate's next possession and Choate looked like it was finally getting into a groove.  With a 3-1 lead heading into the second period, Quinn Hawkins '10 took charge and scored twice, on back-to-back possessions.  Quinn was followed to the canvas by Evan Grotevant '10 before Williston's big hole set powered one in from set.  Alex Yeh '09, Choi, Yeh again and Warren Chan '11 would add goals in response.  Choate then drew a penalty shot but failed to convert it and the stop set up a Williston break that made the score 10-3 in favor of Choate at the half.  Choate would tighten up the defense and start to slow down the offense but the boys kept playing well to get in the right place at the right time.  In the third period goals came from Tim Kutt '08, Grotevant, Joon Lee '08 and Chan.  Choate's defense held and the Boars led 14-3 going into the final period.  Even as Choate tried to settle its offense and work the set plays, things continued to fall together.  Choi, Peter Hong '08, Kutt, Choi (again), Wysolmerski and Lee each added goals.  Choate won 20-3.  JJ Braddock '09, who had 10 saves and 2 steals, led the strong defense.  Some of the JV players will travel with the varsity this Saturday to keep in form before facing the Loomis JV next Wednesday at Loomis.  Congratulate the boys on a great team effort!

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10/27/2007:  Northfield Mount Hermon @ NMH; CRH 19, NMH 3
                  The two teams faced off once already this season and with Choate playing well, the boys felt good as they headed up I-91 one more time even though they were down a few players.  In what might have been the quietest water polo game ever played, Choate used its solid defense to support an opportunistic offense.  McClatchy Ruskin '11 got things started off just 55 seconds into the game and was followed only seconds later by Dan Fallahi '09.  Things settled down for a while as each team tried to understand the reffing, then Choate got back in gear.  Again, it was Ruskin to light things up when he finished a play that began with a steal by Co-Captain Ray Li '08 and was passed through Fallahi before getting to McClatchy for the open shot. That effort was followed in the next 28 seconds by goals from David Lim '09 and Ray Li on a rebound of a shot by Aasheesh Paliwal '08.  As the clock ran down, Lim and Paliwal each added a contribution to give Choate a 7-0 lead at the end of the first.  In the first minute of the second, the onslaught continued with goals by Max Mullen '08 and another by Ruskin before NMH got a man inside and found the net.   Lim added one more in the period as the game settled down and Choate led 10-1 at the half.  In the third period Ruskin would add two more, Fallahi scored two of his own and Connor Murphy '09 put one in while only giving up one goal and Choate led 15-2 heading into the final period.  NMH got things going early in the final period when they killed an ejection and then came back to get the goal but Kidon Seo '09 was aggressive in breaking down pool and scored twice along with Alex Yeh '09 and another for Mullen to make the final 19-3 in favor of Choate.  The defense that didn't allow a shot in the first period was strong and led from cage by Matt Inglis '09 and JJ Braddock '09.  Inglis had four saves and Braddock had one.   Ray Li had 10 steals on the day.  Choate faces a strong Loomis team at their pool on Wednesday in a game with playoff implications.  Wish them luck!

10/31/2007:  Loomis Chaffee @ LC; CRH 8, LC 9
                  What was most scary on this Halloween wasn't the ghosts and goblins out looking for candy, it was the disappointing play by the Choate Water Polo team.  With the notable exception of Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08, who had a very good day, and keeper Matt Inglis '09, the squad was unable to execute its game plan and fell in a close match to the young Pelican team.  From the start, Choate managed good shooting opportunities but wasted the chances with poor shots.  That let Loomis in the door and they capitalized.  Loomis was able to turn the Choate defense early in the game and draw fouls and took advantage of that to score an early goal just after an ejection and then draw and convert a penalty shot.   It wasn't until the waning seconds of the first period that Whitney, who had been out for several days recovering from an illness and didn't start the game, got Choate in the board.  Choate trailed 1-2 at the end of the first and 2-4 at the half; the team's second goal came from Co-Captain Ray Li '08.   It was Whitney, though, that would supply the offense.  He scored 6 of the 8 goals for the Boars, two of them on penalty shots.   Choate's other goal came in the third period from Aasheesh Paliwal '08.  Choate actually held a one-goal lead in the middle of the third period but a completely ineffective, hurried man-up offense that did not convert any of its few opportunities was not controlled enough to take advantage of an ejection on the keeper, doomed the team.  Inglis did his part with 12 saves but too often the Pelican offense was able to get inside water and score.  The team will regroup and get a little livelier, we all expect, before facing a very tough Deerfield team on Saturday at the Hart Pool. Please come and cheer them on!

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10/31/2007:  Loomis Chaffee JV @ LC; CRH JV 5, LC JV 9
The Choate JV took the pool looking to build on their strong showing of last week at Williston.  The Boars and the Pelicans were much more evenly matched, however and a good game followed.  Loomis scored early in the game but Peter Hong '08 answered back.  Loomis added one more just before the buzzer to take a 2-1 lead into the second.  Kidon Seo '09, wearing an incredibly awkward mask to protect his broken nose, went to work.  Kidon used his speed to set up several breaks and scored twice in the first half of the period.  Loomis answered back to tie the game but things started to go haywire.  The JV players fell to the same bug that had caught the varsity and missed two penalty shots drawn within 40 seconds of each other, and then gave up a goal.  Loomis led 4-3 at the half.  Choate continued to struggle.  The Boars did not convert either of the man-up opportunities that they had in the third period and gave up three goals to trail 7-3 heading into the final period.  The early part of the period was not strong for either team but Loomis got the scoring going again near mid-period.  Jose Rivera '08 answered back, though.  Choate drew another penalty shot and Miles Cozart '09 converted to narrow the margin to three goals.  Loomis got inside to respond with 1:11 left.  Choate continued to play hard and heads up play drew a penalty shot on the keeper but a rushed offense wasted the opportunity.  Then, only 5 seconds later, they drew another penalty shot and blew that one as well.  Loomis played well and Choate was out of sorts and the result was a good win for the Pelicans.  The Choate JV will close out its season on Saturday at home as they take on a promising young JV from Deerfield.  Come down to the Hart Pool and support the boys!

11/3/2007:  Deerfield @ CRH; CRH 10, DA 7
                  Choate closed out the regular season hosting rival Deerfield in the Hart Pool.  Deerfield has been very strong this season and currently sits second in the league.  Choate had a rough start to the season but has built a strong team during the fall.  It was a classic match-up.  Early in the game, Deerfield found a hole and got inside and got the scoring started.  Choate trailed but knew it was early.  On an ejection near mid-period, Connor Murphy '09 found Aasheesh Paliwal '08 on a perfect cross-cage pass and Paliwal caught and shot in a single motion to tie the game.   On Choate's next possession, Dan Fallahi '09 sent a spot-on feed to McClatchy Ruskin '11 and he gave Choate the lead.   Deerfield would answer back and the period ended with the score tied at 2.   Deerfield scored early in the second to retake the lead but Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 answered back.  The teams traded ejections to no avail before, in the waning seconds of the half, Deerfield converted a man-up to regain the lead with only 20 seconds left.  Choate drove down pool and pushed hard to get inside where Whitney converted another to tie the game at 4 at the half.  Choate felt confident at the half but it was Deerfield that came out roaring.  The visitors scored twice in quick succession and looked to take control of the game.  Choate didn't get down, though.  Paliwal found the net only 12 seconds later to narrow the margin to one.  The teams continued to push on each other and Deerfield got the upper hand at mid-period when they drew and converted a penalty shot to move the lead back to 2, 7-5.  Choate came back, though, and Ruskin popped an outside shot only 11 seconds later.  A minute later, Choate drew a penalty shot of its own and Johnny Whitney converted.  As the third period fell into the final minute, Co-Captain Ray Li '08 found the net to give Choate's its first lead since the first period.  Choate stifled Deerfield offense and took the ball back and drew an ejection that Brandon Whitney '10 converted (happily the official never heard the bench calls for a timeout) and Choate took a 2-goal lead in the final period.   The fourth period saw both teams working for advantage but to little avail.  Choate had 5 steals in the period, three of them by Ray Li, who had six on the day.  Matt Inglis continued to be a solid wall in cage and Fallahi found the net with 30 seconds left to seal the deal.  Choate took the game 10-7 to close out the regular season with a win and, hopefully, to set a tone for he school for Deerfield Day.  Inglis had 8 saves on the day and led a defense that shut down a talented Deerfield offense through a period and a half.   It was a great game and set a good tone as Choate enters the New England Tournament on Wednesday.  Seedings and pairing should be announced soon!  Wish the boys well!

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11/3/2007:  Deerfield JV @ CRH; CRH JV 5, DA JV 7
                  The Choate JV prepared to close out its season with a home game against Rival Deerfield's JV squad.  A hyped up Choate team controlled the ball but sent several shots high over the cage.  As the period progressed, Choate continued to play strong defense and finally Kidon Seo '09, deep along the 2-m line, forced a shot through the keeper's hands to start the scoring.  That goal held up through the period and Choate had a 1-0 lead at the first break.   Choate's defense slipped, though, early in the second and Deerfield scored to tie the game.  Miles Cozart '09 rallied the team to retake the lead but Deerfield answered back with two.  Cozart played a perfect set pass to Peter Hong '08 to tie the game back up with 2:24 left in the half.  Seo drove down pool hard and drew a penalty shot on the keeper, which he then converted to give Choate a 4-3 lead at the half.  In the opening of the third period, Cozart fed a pass to Alex Yeh '09 who drove to the goal while being hounded by two defenders and the keeper before flipping the ball over the keeper's head to extend the lead.  Choate then gave up back-to-back ejections and Deerfield converted both of the man-up opportunities to tie the game at 5 heading into the final period.  Choate was running out of gas as Deerfield's larger numbers allowed them to cycle players more frequently, and the fact that JJ Braddock lost his contact lenses at half time meant that the boys in blue had an uphill climb ion the fourth.  Choate would give up two more goals in the final period, one of them on a man-up, and Deerfield took the game, 5-7.   Three of their final fur goals came in advantage situations.  Braddock did a great job with 12 saves.   It was a great effort to close out a solid season for the JV.  The seniors will move on and will leave holes but there is a good crop of young players who showed a lot of character this season and made steps toward varsity play.  They should be proud of the effort that they made.  We are!

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11/7/2007:  NE Tournament Round 1- #4 Suffield v. #5 Choate @ DA; Choate 10, Suffield 8
                  #5 seed Choate traveled up to the less than Neutral site of Deerfield to face #4 seed Suffield in the first round of the New England Tournament.  The Deerfield team, perhaps still smarting from a loss to rival Choate on the previous Saturday, did the best that they could to provide a Cheering section for the Tigers but it was a strong contingent of Choate parents that outweighed Deerfield's best effort and supported the Boars.  Suffield is young but very experienced and a wonderfully talented squad.  Choate knew going in that this would be a tough game.  The Tigers did not disappoint.  After winning the swim-off for the first period, Suffield moved confidently down pool and scored first, just 19 seconds into the game.  Choate was decidedly sluggish in the early going and failed to general much offense early.  That same malaise hit the defense as well and Suffield was able to draw two ejections in the first half of the first period.   In a signal of things to come, outstanding play by Keeper Matt Inglis '09 held the tally to only one.  Suffield was up 2-0 near the middle of the first period.  Suffield then drew a penalty shot but couldn't convert and Choate got a chance for a time-out to settle things down and regroup.  It must have worked.  On the ensuing possession, outstanding freshman McClatchy Ruskin '11 popped a perfect low corner from the point to get Choate on the board.  The Choate defense held and, on the next possession, Choate drew an ejection and Co-Captain Johnny Whitney '08 converted from the top.  Choate had some good situations but didn't convert until, with only 5 seconds left in the period, Johnny Whitney got off a good shot that was blocked but Dan Fallahi '09 was alert and made the follow to give Choate its first lead of the game.  Early in the second, Choate looked like it was finally getting into the game.  Despite giving up a goal to knot the score at 3, Choate looked more confident.  Shortly after giving up the goal, Suffield had the ball back but Co-Captain Ray Li '08 disrupted a Tiger fast break and fed the ball to Ruskin who hit a driving Max Mullen '08 for a goal to retake the lead.  In the waning minutes of the period, Suffield would come back to tie but Johnny Whitney answered back again and Choate held the lead at the half, 5-4.Choate drew ejections early in the third but didn't convert.  Near mid-period, a scramble in front of the Suffield cage ended with Brandon Whitney '10 driving in a goal to extend the lead to 2.  Suffield would draw an ejection, though, and convert.  Late in the period, Inglis was called for an ejection but a disorganized Suffield squad could not convert and an out of position Choate team held on to a 6-5 lead going into the final period.  Each squad knew that they had only one period to win or go home.  Early in the fourth, it seemed that Suffield might have gotten just the right pep talk.  They came out and scored in the first minute to tie the game.  Then they drew an ejection and took back the lead for the first time since the close of the first period.  The lead held for almost two minutes but then Choate's Johnny Whitney went to work.  He scored just after mid-period to tie the game and again on the next possession to retake the lead.  A Suffield time-out couldn't break the mojo and Whitney hit the canvas one more time to give Choate 2-goal lead with less than 2 minutes to play.  Suffield was going to roll over, though.  They drew an ejection on the next possession and converted.  Suffield kept coming but Inglis continued to play beautifully.  With about 50 seconds left, Inglis made a save and lofted a perfect pass to Choate, which had Whitney and Fallahi breaking down pool, and Fallahi drove the ball into the cage.  Suffield took another chance but Inglis made the stop and Choate came out ahead, 10-8, and advances to the semi-final game on Saturday.   It was a great team event with Whitney having an impressive 5-goal day.  Matt Inglis' 20-saves left him one shy of tying the Choate single game save record, which he already has a share of, and also moves him over 200 saves for the season, something no Choate keeper has ever accomplished before and breaking a record that has stood since 1997.  The Boars will face #1 seed Exeter in their next game.  Choate's season has been a strange one.  The team faced the eventual four top seeds in the league in the first 8 days and opened the season 1-4.  Since that time, the team has a record of 8-1 in the league and has beaten three of those four top seeded teams.  The only team it has yet to beat is Exeter.  Should be interesting…  Wish them luck!

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