Salisbury hockey tops Kent 5-1

KENT — Salisbury School varsity hockey traveled to Kent School on Saturday, Jan. 20, for the second of their two seasonal games.

Salisbury was looking for vengeance after Kent won the first match 4-2 on Dec. 9. Since then, each team has performed more or less evenly against conference competition. Kent’s record before the Jan. 20 game was 11-4-1, while Salisbury stood at 11-5-1.

When the two teams met in Kent, the first period confirmed how evenly matched they were. A back-and-forth dance for 18 minutes saw an attack by one team met with great defense by the other, and then the same scene would unfold at the other end of the ice.

Intensity grew with every passing minute.

Salisbury seized control of the momentum thanks to precise passes by forwards Ryan Hedley and Duke Gentzler. Each assisted captain Seamus Latta as he scored the first two goals of the game. Gentzler then got in on the action with a goal of his own to put Salisbury up 3-0.

Salisbury’s disciplined control of possession and pace continued into the third period. Finally, with six minutes left in the third, captain Giovanni DiGiulian scored Kent’s sole goal. Salisbury tacked on two more in the third to bring home a decisive 5-1 win over Kent.

Salisbury balanced the season record against Kent and surpassed them in New England Prep Hockey League standings.

Lans Christensen

Salisbury’s Anthony Blakabutaka attacked the net.