Hampton’s Andrews returns with improved chops

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, January 21, 2018 | 11:00 PM

Hampton goalie Connor Andrews didn't make varsity last year. So he did what so many kids in such a defeated position dream of: He packed his bags and left town.

It was a great decision.

Andrews never left the game behind. He took his goalie gear and traveled to Michigan, honing his skills at the TPH Center of Excellence in Detroit. Call it a hockey pilgrimage of sorts.

He returned to Pittsburgh for his senior year and joined the Talbots' varsity. Maybe everyone should travel to Michigan for a little bit. The senior is the No. 1 goalie in Class AA, sporting a 5-2 record and league-low 2.29 goals-against average.

“Looking at it, it was much more worth my time to go play in Michigan instead of playing here at JV and waiting to see what happened,” he said. “It was a good opportunity just because of the skill of the players there. A multitude of the kids who were there got drafted in the first two rounds of the OHL draft and had D-I commitments.”

The TPH Center of Excellence is described as an elite training program for student-athletes that features a unique blend of academics and athletics. Andrews attended cyber classes through Hampton Area School District and like many traveling athletes, lived with a host family.

“It definitely was probably the right call,” Hampton coach Dave Anderson said. “If he would've stayed with us, I think he'd be selling himself a little bit short. So it was a good move.”

There was no shortage of talent for Andrews to face at TPA, which technically isn't a team but a skills-focused program. Andrews had a goalie coach, watched videos and performed drills against top-level talent. He also got to practice with kids from U16 Honeybaked, one of the premier amateur hockey programs in the U.S.

“It definitely helped progress my game from where I was sophomore year,” he said. “The mental side was solidified. Sophomore year, I got really emotionally invested in the games, and that would sort of hinder my play sometimes.”

It didn't take long for Andrews to make a statement. The second game of the season, the Talbots faced Quaker Valley, the team that ousted Hampton from the playoffs last season. He wasn't on that Talbots team, but the Quakers remember him now after a 3-0 shutout.

“It was a big revenge game for us,” Anderson said. “That was the best game I've seen a Hampton goaltender play since I've been coaching.”

Said Andrews: “It was a big shutout. It did a lot for my confidence and got things solidified. Things have been uphill from there.”

As for the goalie who took Andrews' job last year? Sophomore Jake McGee is in a timeshare with Andrews and ranks third in Class AA. Together, they make up perhaps the best goalie duo in the PIHL.

Andrews said the competition is as healthy as it is friendly.

“I was a little worried at first because I never played on the team with him,” Andrews said. “It could've been a little tense knowing they put him on the team over you the one year. But it's worked out really well. Obviously, the goal is to start every game. Right now, we both realize we're both playing well. I think we have a good dynamic going.

“The goal is to have team success and support each other.”

Devon Moore is a freelance writer.

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