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Wed, Dec 26, 2007 02:00 PM @ Neutral Location

Team	1	2	3	Final
Andover	1	1	2	4
Timberlane	0	0	0	0

Andover's Flanagan strikes first for new teammates

Thursday, December, 27 By David Willis
Staff writer

If Andover forward George Flanagan was having any lingering trouble blending in with his new teammates, it ended during the first period yesterday afternoon.

"We got the puck out of our zone," he remembered. "I took it down ice, used the defender as a shield and put it home." That goal with 4:52 left in the first period broke a scoreless tie and put the Golden Warriors on track for a convincing 4-0 win over Timberlane in the opening round of the eighth annual Blue Devil Holiday Classic.

"We really started to put them away after that (goal)," said Flanagan of his second goal on the year. "We started playing really well and we stopped the penalties. We dominated them 5 on 5."

The junior was playing his fourth game with Andover after two years at Phillips Andover, where he was a varsity reserve last winter. And he feels he has fit right in.

"Phillips is a little faster, but hockey is hockey," said the junior. "I'm blending in very well. I played hockey and baseball with these kids for many years and we always stayed friends. So it's nice to come back."

"George has been playing very well," said Golden Warrior coach Mario Martiniello. "He struggled the first game and a half, then he started to realize what we were doing with our system and how he fit in. After he did that, the points started to come."

Flanagan's linemate, Cam Smith, added to the advantage with 4:52 left in the second. A scrum in front of the net left the goalie out of position, and Smith backhanded in a shot from just outside the crease.

Captain John Hyslip struck 37 seconds into the third period when he took a pass from Matt Perry and fired it past Ryan Rothwell. Then freshman forward Paul Russell made the score 4-0 when he scored on a one-timer from Hyslip and Perry. Kevin Hitchko also recorded an assist on Flanagan's goal. The Andover defense also stood out, forcing new starting goalie Nick Drew to make only 13 stops, very few in tough situations. After committing four penalties in the first period, Andover did not have one the rest of the way.

Andover will play Pinkerton today at 2 p.m. while Timberlane will take on Oyster River at 4 p.m.