Wed. 3/1/17
Wed. March 1 Quarterfinals Highlights
ELITE 8:
Rathbone Leads Dexter Past Salisbury
Brookline, Mass. -- #2 Dexter scored three power play goals en route to a 4-2 win over #7 Salisbury Wednesday before a packed house at the Thorndike Athletic Complex.
With the win, Dexter advances to the prep semifinals on Saturday. They will host Kimball Union at 4:30 pm.
Dexter scored the only goal of the first, a power play goal, as Sean Keohan knocked home the rebound of a Jack Rathbone shot from the point at the 9:30 mark.
In the second period, just 59 seconds in, Salisbury got on the board with a power play goal from junior defenseman Peter Diliberatore, assisted by fellow d-man Ryan Verrier.
Dexter then struck for two goals -- both on the PP -- less than four minutes apart. First, junior AJ Caprio scored to make it 2-1 Dexter, then Rathbone let one rip from up top that eluded Tyce Thompson's attempt to block it and sailed past Salisbury senior goalie Jonah Capriotti at 8:25.
A dust-up at the close of the second period resulted in Salisbury's Kevin Wall getting a major and misconduct for head-butting.
Early in the third period, Salisbury was able to kill off several minutes of a 5x3. As the period neared its midpoint, Salisbury's Capriotti make a sparkling save off of Dexter's Tommy Giandomenico. Immediately, the play headed the other way and Johnny Beecher, drifting down the left side, snapped off a short-side shot that found daylight between Dexter senior goalie Aidan Murphy and the post -- Murphy's only mistake of the game -- and allowed Salisbury to cut Dexter's lead to 3-2.
But less than two minutes later, Dexter got an insurance goal from freshman John McElaney, with assists going to Rathbone and fellow freshman -- and linemate -- Chase McInnis.
Rathbone, who was a force throughout, finished the game with a goal and two assists. Senior John Femia had three assists.
Dexter's Murphy (19/21) got the win, while Salisbury's Capriotti (16/20) took the loss.
Power plays were a factor. Each team was called for six penalties. Dexter scored three times on the PP, and Salisbury was able to capitalize just once.
"I thought our speed would have to be a factor," Dexter head coach Dan Donato said. "It allowed us to get on the power play and force them to move their feet. Plus it allowed us to get our best player in the game, Jack Rathbone, on the ice in man-up situations."
"Aidan Murphy was outstanding in goal," Donato added. "They have a deadly power play and he made a save in the second period -- the toe save -- that was as good as any I've seen, a ten-bell save."
"As a team, I thought we played well. They (Salisbury) are scary and are a very well-coached team. It could have gone either way."
Salisbury coach Andrew Will said the major factor in the game was the power play and special teams. "I give credit to them. They scored three power play goals and their goalie was terrific. I thought on 5-on-5 play we were better. Credit for them for capitalizing on their opportunities. I thought Rathbone was the difference in the game."
"I was pleased with our effort," Will added. I am proud of our guys overcoming a bunch of adversity this season. The group gave as much as they were capable of giving. In a one-game situation like this it comes down to capitalizing on opportunities. And Dexter did that very well."
KUA Edges Thayer on Samuelsen OT Goal
Meriden, NH -- A Thomas Samuelsen goal at 4:07 of OT lifted #3 Kimball Union to a 2-1 win over #6 Thayer, and a slot in Saturday's semifinal at Dexter (4:30 pm). After a scoreless first period, KUA senior Bobby Young scored the game's first goal on a power play with one minute left in the second period. Thayer senior Casey Carreau, from junior defenseman Jayson Dobay, answered with a 5x3 ppg in the third to even it at 1-1 and send it to OT. Over the course of the game, KUA had four power plays and Thayer had five, including 1:50 of 5x3. Both goalies, KUA's Sean Dynan (29/30) and Thayer's Jimmy Scannell (38/40) were excellent.
Rivers Tops Belmont Hill, 3-1
Weston, Mass. -- #4 Rivers got goals from Brendan Hamblet (ppg), Charlie Parsons, and Tyler Capello in a 3-1 win over #5 Belmont Hill. Rivers will host #8 Exeter at 3:30 pm on Saturday.
#8 Exeter Stuns #1 Lawrence
Groton, Mass. -- #8 Exeter stunned #1 Lawrence Academy by scoring three goals -- from Paddy Bogart, Collin Shapiro, and Paul MacDonald -- in a 97 second span in the second period. A goal at 1:53 of the third from Austin Magera cut Exeter's lead to 3-2, but that was as close as the top seed would get. Exeter added two empty netters in the final minute of play. Exeter will be at #4 Rivers at 3:30 pm Saturday.
***
LARGE SCHOOL:
Albany Strikes Quickly, Beats Taft, 3-1
Watertown, Conn. -- #5 Albany Academy topped #4 Taft with three goals -- from Remy Parker, Jericho Petkovich and Joseph Pasquini -- in a four-minute span of the second period. Brandon Collett (28/29) got the win and Andrew Farrier (34/37) took the loss. The game was the last behind the Taft bench for Dan Murphy, who has guided the Rhinos for 13 seaons, since 2004-05. Murphy will be taking over at St. Paul's in the fall.
Lyons, Zafonte Lead Arrows
Andover, Mass. -- Sophomore Tommy Lyons had two goals (one short-handed, one even-strength) to lead #8 St. Sebastian's to a 4-1 win over #1 Andover. Sophomore Rory Casey (1g,1a) and senior Brendan Goostray also chipped in offensively. Arrows senior goaltender Alex Zafonte (40/41) earned the win. Andover PG Kyle Martin (43/47) took the loss. St. Seb's will travel to Albany Academy Saturday for a 1:00 pm semifinal matchup.
Too Much Mann for Milton
Wallingford, Conn. -- In a neutral site game played at Choate, #2 Brunswick trounced #7 Milton, 6-1. Edward Glassmeyer (1g,2a), Nick VanBelle (2g), Brendan Gregoire (1g,1a) and Christian LeSueur (2a) led the Brunswick attack and senior Strauss Mann kicked out 29 of 30 shots for the win. Brunswick will host #3 Avon Old Farms at 2:30 pm Saturday in the first-ever playoff game at Hartong Rink.
Winged Beavers' Offense Soars
Easthampton, Mass. -- In a neutral site game played at Williston-Northampton, #3 Avon Old Farms topped #6 Proctor, 8-5. Ryan Lanchbury (3g,1a), Will Christensen (1g,2a), John Giatrelis (3a), Trevor Zegras (1g,1a) and Tyler Madden (2a) all had multiple points for Avon. For Proctor, senior D Reilly Walsh (1g,3a) and younger brother Ronan Walsh (1g,1a) were the leading point-getters. Avon senior goaltender Brandon Schellin (28/33) got the win.
***
SMALL SCHOOL:
Pomfret Edges Winchendon
Winchendon, Mass. -- #6 Pomfret got goals from four different scorers -- Jon Beniers (pp), Chris Wright, Billy Berry, and Phil Satin -- to take a 4-0 lead by the middle of the second period. #3 Winchendon came back with goals from Mike Hardman (ppg), Johnny Mulera (ppg) and Matt Fawcett (and unnassisted shorty) to cut the lead to 4-3. Pomfret added an empty-netter with three seconds left. Pomfret sophomore Peyton Durand (29/32) got the win. Winchendon senior Brandon Graf (32/36) took the loss. Pomfret visits #2 New Hampton for a Saturday semifinal (4:00 pm).
Cushing's Halstrom Blanks Tilton
Tilton, NH -- #5 Cushing blanked #4 Tilton, 5-0, behind goals from five different scorers -- four coming in the third period when Cushing blew the game open. Senior Joey Halstrom (32 saves) posted the shutout. With the win, Cushing moves to .500 for the first time this season. The Penguins will travel to #1 Gunnery for a semifinal matchup Saturday at 2:00 pm.
Gunnery Too Much for Roxbury Latin
Washington, Conn. -- #1 Gunnery got an 18-save shutout from junior Cedrick Andree and goals from four different scorers in a 4-0 win over #8 Roxbury Latin. Senior G Bryan McGrath (51/54) was the hard-luck loser. Gunnery will host Cushing on Saturday at 2:00 pm.
New Hampton Rolls Over Holderness
New Hampton, NH -- #2 New Hampton got goals from seven different scorers in a 7-3 win over #7 Holderness. Senior F Chris Lemay (1g,2a) and senior D Luke Albert (4a) had big games. Sophomore goaltender Matt Sayles (30/33) got the win. Senior Logan Bateman (30/37) took the loss. New Hampton will host Pomfret in a semifinal matchup at 4:00 pm Saturday.
***
Upcoming:
Sat. March 4, 2017
Semifinals
Elite 8:
#8 Exeter @ #4 Rivers, 3:30 pm
#3 KUA @ #2 Dexter, 4:30 pm
Large School:
#8 St. Sebastian's @ #5 Albany Academy, 1:00 pm
#3 Avon Old Farms @ #2 Brunswick, 2:30 pm
Small School:
#5 Cushing @ #1 Gunnery, 2:00 pm
#6 Pomfret @ #2 New Hampton, 4:00 pm -- Livestream in HD at www.livestream.com/nhs
Sun. Mar. 5, 2017
Finals
@ Saint Anselm College; Manchester, NH
Piatelli/Simmons (Small School) Championship, 12:00 pm
Martin/Earl (Large School) Championship, 2:30 pm
Stuart/Corkery (Elite 8) Championship, 5:00 pm
Tues. 3/7/17
2017 All-NEPSAC Teams
NEPSGIHA Div. I
Player of the Year:
Cayla Barnes – New Hampton School – #23 – 2017
All-NEPSAC First Team:
Forwards
Becca Gilmore – Noble and Greenough School – #15 – 2017
Kelly Browne – Tabor Academy – #3 – 2018
Gillis Frechette – St. Paul’s School – #11 – 2018
Sharon Frankel – Loomis Chaffee School – #18 – 2017
Shannon Griffin – Buckingham Browne & Nichols – #11 – 2017
Charlotte Welch – Phillips Academy Andover – #14 – 2018
Defense
Cayla Barnes – New Hampton School – #23 – 2017
Lily Farden – Noble and Greenough School – #11 – 2019
Madie Leidt – Loomis Chaffee School – #7 – 2017
Taylor Matherson – Tabor Academy – #11 - 2017
Goalies
Cam Leonard – Choate Rosemary Hall – #1 – 2017
Lindsay Reed – Hotchkiss School – #29 – 2018
Div. I Honorable Mention Team:
Forwards
Finley Frechette – St. Paul’s School – #10 – 2017
Laura Lunblad – Lawrence Academy – #8 – 2017
Savanah Norcross – New Hampton School – #17 – 2018
Casey O’Brien – Noble and Greenough School – #5 – 2020
Jess Schryver – Loomis Chaffee School – #10 – 2019
Kristina Schuler – Choate Rosemary Hall – #10 - 2017
Defense
Nell Fusco – Buckingham Browne & Nichols – #14 – 2017
Julia McLean – Williston Northampton School – #18 – 2018
Abby Nearis – Kent School – #22 – 2017
Tori Palumbo – Williston Northampton School – #2 – 2018
Goalies
Maddox Angerhofer – Lawrence Academy – #34 – 2018
Kelly Pickreign – Noble and Greenough School – #35 – 2018
NEPSGIHA Div. II
Player of the Year
Miceala Sindoris – Worcester Academy – #5 - 2018
All-NEPSAC First Team:
Forwards*
Emma Crocker – Worcester Academy – #16 – 2017
Mia DelRosso – St. George’s School – #10 – 2017
Abbey Luth – Portsmouth Abbey School – #18 – 2018
Katy Meehan – Thayer Academy – #10 – 2017
Darby Melia – Thayer Academy – #11 – 2017
Kate Shaughnessy – Rivers School – #19 - 2019
Miceala Sindoris – Worcester Academy – #5 – 2018
Defense
Greta Close – Kimball Union Academy – #12 - 2017
Emma English – Brooks School – #7 – 2018
Tia Martignetti – Worcester Academy – #6 – 2018
Emily Martino – Canterbury School – #14 - 2017
Goalies
Caroline Kukas – Brooks School – #1 – 2019
Julia Pelletier – Worcester Academy – #31 - 2017
Div. II Honorable Mention Team:
Forwards*
Anna Consentino – Berwick Academy – #21 – 2017
Mairi Anthony – Brooks School – #11 – 2017
Noemi Neubauerova – The Gunnery – #21 - 2018
MaryKate Martino – Canterbury School – #5 – 2017
Julia Surgenor – Kimball Union Academy – #19 – 2017
Haley Parker – Proctor Academy – #14 – 2017
AnnMargaret DiSciscio – Tilton School – #12 - 2017
Defense
Claudia Capone – Southfield School – #10 – 2018
Alexis Cooper – Worcester Academy – #11 – 2017
Taylor Leech – Hebron Academy – #21 – 2017
Kiara Vazquez – Proctor Academy – #8 – 2018
Goalies
Courtney DeNaut – Greenwich Academy – #35 – 2018
Kelly Lavelle – Southfield School – #30 – 2018
*Due to ties in the voting there are additional forwards on the First Team and the Honorable Mention team.
Sun. 3/5/17
Sun. March 5 Championship Results
Sun. March 5, 2017
@ Phillips Andover Academy
Div. I
New Hampton 3, Kent 1
1st period
No scoring
2nd period
Kent- Keely Moy (Kerstin Goode) 2:09
3rd period
NHS – Kelly Matthews (Caelin Flaherty, Cayla Barnes) 7:07
NHS- Lauren DeBlois (Cayla Barnes, Taylor Curtis) 0:28
NHS- McKenzie Haberl (Savannah Norcross) 0:04 (empty net goal)
Chuck Vernon MVP -- Cayla Barnes, New Hampton
***
Div. II
Worcester Academy 5, Gunnery 3
1st period
WA -- Tia Martignetti (Alexis Cagan) 12:29
WA -- Carly Daly (unassisted) 3:43
2nd period
WA -- Emma Crocker (Taylor Brown, Sydney LaPointe) 14:44
GUN -- Mya Berretta (Nicole Moriarity, Sarah Kelly) 12:57
WA -- Taylor Brown (Miceala Sindoris, Morgan Mordini) 10:20
3rd period
GUN -- Mya Berretta (Noemi Neubauerova, Tab Franceschini) 14:23
GUN -- Noemi Neubauerova (Mya Berretta)
WA -- Carly Daly (Alexis Cagan) 1:17 (empty net goal)
Rob Brand MVP – Julia Pelletier, Worcester Academy
We'll have full reports on Monday.
Sat. 3/4/17
Sat. March 4 Div. I Semifinals Highlights
Kent 2, Nobles 1 (3 Overtimes)
Kent junior forward Julia Nearis scored with seven minutes left in the third overtime period to stun #2-ranked Nobles, 2-1, in a remarkable girls hockey game at Dedham today.
Kent advances to Sunday’s Div. I Championship Game against New Hampton, with a 3:00 pm faceoff at Phillips Andover.
Kent struck first today, scoring with about a minute left in the first period when senior standout Keely Moy capitalized on a bad turnover by the Nobles defender and then showed tremendous poise, holding the puck across the slot while looking for an opening and then delivering a laser top shelf.
The score remained 1-0 deep into the third period when, with three minutes left, Kent took a bad penalty, handing Nobles the power play opportunity they were waiting for. And Nobles wasted no time either, tying the score when sophomore defenseman Lily Farden took a pass at the blue line and snuck one through a screen past Kent senior goaltender Becky Dutton.
In overtime, both teams had great chances but both Dutton and Nobles junior goalie Kelly Pickreign were at the top of their games. Nobles freshman Casey O’Brien had a couple of point-blank chances but just couldn’t find the back of the net.
The winning goal came off a Nobles giveaway in the neutral zone which allowed Nearis to come down on a 2-on-1 and rip a shot that Pickreign saved. Nearis, though, was left uncovered by the Nobles defenseman and she didn’t miss with her second chance, scoring on the rebound to give Kent a 2-1 win in a game for the ages.
New Hampton 3, Loomis 2
Senior forward Taylor Curtis, a Syracuse recruit, scored with 40 seconds left in a wild third period to stun #1-ranked Loomis and secure a spot in the finals tomorrow vs. Kent. Curtis’s goal came right after Loomis senior Maddie Leidt tied it up for the Pelicans with just over a minute left in the game.
***
Finals Prediction:
In case anyone is keeping score, we had both games right today and have now called five of the six D-I playoff games correctly. We’ll have to see if our crystal ball retains its powers for one more day, so here goes: Kent 4, New Hampton 2.
We know Kent is exhausted after basically playing two games today, but they look like a team on a mission -- and Becky Dutton is completely locked in right now.
Sat. 3/4/17
Sat. March 4 Semifinals Scoreboard
Semifinals
Sat. March 4, 2017
Div. I
New Hampton 3 @ Loomis 2
Kent 2 @ Nobles 1 (3 OT )
Div. II
@ Worcester Academy 5, Thayer 3
@ Gunnery 2, St. George's 1
Finals
Sun. March 5, 2017
At Phillips Andover Academy; Andover, Mass.
Div. II Championship Game: Worcester vs. Gunnery, 12:30 pm
Div. I Championship Game: New Hampton vs. Kent, 3:00 pm
Fri. 3/3/17
Div. I Semifinal Predictions
On Wednesday, we correctly predicted the outcomes of seven out of the eight games played, with our only miss coming in the overtime game between St. Paul’s and New Hampton. Will our predictions be as on the mark Saturday? Stay tuned!
#4 New Hampton @ #1 Loomis, 2:00 pm
If you had asked us a week ago we would have taken Loomis without hesitation, but after watching a totally rejuvenated New Hampton team on Wednesday combined with the fact that Loomis really struggled vs. Lawrence makes this game more of a tossup.
Loomis might have the edge up front with Sharon Frankel, Linda Essery and Jess Schryver playing their best hockey right now. But New Hampton has two lines that are very talented as well. Junior Savannah Norcross looks like she has stepped up her game. It will be interesting to see if New Hampton top scorer McKenzie Haberl is able to play after she left the St Paul’s game with an apparent injury.
On the back end Loomis was tested often vs LA and looked slightly exposed. Loomis needs to play much better team defensive against a team like New Hampton. The New Hampton defense is stacked with good defenders and senior Cayla Barnes looks pretty close to being unstoppable right now.
In net Loomis junior goalie Taylor Stadeli has had a great season but will need to play better than she did vs. Lawrence. We would expect New Hampton to come back with senior Cierra SanRoman in net but sophomore Olivia Sollows has also had a great season so we won’t be surprised to see her either.
Prediction: New Hampton 5, Loomis 3
***
#3 Kent @ #2 Nobles, 3:00 pm
This is the powerhouse matchup we have been hoping to see ever since their Jan 7th game was cancelled due to snow.
This will be a rare occasion, as Nobles doesn’t have its deepest roster this year. The Bulldogs are thin up front and not nearly as deep top to bottom as in years past. We all know how talented Nobles’ top line of Becca Gilmore, Katie Tresca, and Casey O’Brien is, but one of the key factors to this game is how much offense Nobles’ second and third lines will be able to contribute. Nobles will need sophomores Court Hyland (Harvard) and Maddie Bayard and 7th grade phenom Kaley MacDonald to step it up if they are going to win this game.
The Nobles defense is very solid with senior Lily Farden (Harvard), 8th grader Jenna MacDonald, junior Steph Nomicos, and sophomores Niki Lutschaunig and Rose O’Connor. All will need to be at their best vs. a strong Kent attack.
Nobles junior goalie Kelly Pickreign has been a rock again for Nobles.
As far as Kent goes, they really don’t have a weakness. They roll three strong lines led by dynamic senior Keely Moy, and have a strong defense. Since their only loss – to Loomis on Jan. 11th, a 3-2 decision -- Kent has given up only eight goals over their last 11 games (including three to Tabor).
Prediction: Kent 3, Nobles 1
We know we’re talking about Nobles losing at home, but if Kent can keep Nobles off the power play we really don’t see Nobles being able to score much 5-on-5. Kent senior goalie Becky Dutton is certainly an MVP candidate after her tremendous season and we think Kent is just a little bit stronger right now.
​Fri. 3/3/17
Div. II Semifinal Predictions
Thayer at Worcester Academy, 2:00 pm @ Holy Cross
Worcester Academy is led by the dynamic junior forward Micaela Sindoris​ (Northeastern), one of the best three-zone players in girls’ prep hockey. Sophomore Carley Daly has stepped up this season and, with 23 points, has doubled her point production from her freshman year. Junior Morgan Mordini has complemented Sindoris and Daly since joining them on their line. Post Grad Emma Crocker has provided scoring depth for the Hilltoppers and will be needed to balance out the depth of Thayer. Senior goalie Julia Pelletier, fresh off a 22-save shutout against Brooks, will need to be on her game against the Thayer offensive attack.
Thayer has demonstrated an ability to score goals in bunches this season, most recently potting four in the first period against KUA on Wednesday. While Thayer’s senior duo of Katy Meehan and Darby Melia have combined for 96 points on the season, the Thayer offense has great depth as three other players have 20 plus points: sophomore Dylan Amonte, and freshmen Rivers Morris and Claire Weber. Also, freshman Madison McCafferty has chipped in 19. The Tigers can score. And they can defend: junior Emily Smith has been solid between the pipes.
These two teams met in early December and Thayer raced out to a 3-0 first period lead. While the final score was Thayer 6-3, the game featured five goals in the last five minutes, including two empty-netters after Worcester, with their goalie pulled, cut the Thayer lead to 4-3. In the end, we believe that the depth of the Thayer forwards will prove to be the difference.
Prediction: Thayer 4, Worcester Academy 3
***
St. George’s at Gunnery, 4:30 pm
St. George’s, the reigning champions, will have to make the 140-mile trek to the Gunnery. St. George’s junior goaltender Hailey Martin will need to be on her game to shut down the powerful Gunnery offense, which put up 40 plus shots against Canterbury on Wednesday. St. George’s showed balanced scoring in its 4-2 quarterfinal win over Rivers and will need forwards Mary Leys, Maddy Treganza, Olivia Mastrangelo and Peyton Mulhern to be ready to go.
Gunnery has played what is arguably the toughest schedule of all the D-II playoff teams, with 13 D-I opponents in the regular season versus nine D-II games. Gunnery will need to continue to get contributions from its deep forward ranks against a tough and battle-tested St. George’s team. Highlanders sophomore goalie Katie Broccoli will be tested.
We expect a hard-fought battle between two teams that are not afraid to mix it up. In the end, the depth of the Gunnery’s ranks should prove to be the difference in a tight game.
Prediction: Gunnery 3, St. George’s 1
Thurs. 3/2/17
Wed. March 1 D-I Quarterfinals Highlights
New Hampton Advances on Norcross OT Goal
BC commit Savannah Norcross, off a feed from Sierra Lee and Kelly Mathews, scored early in OT to give #4 New Hampton a 2-1 win over #5 St. Paul’s and its first-ever D-I postseason victory.
The Huskies will travel to #1 seed Loomis for a semifinal matchup at 2:00 pm Saturday afternoon.
It was St Paul’s striking first when senior Finley Frechette tucked one in off of a goalmouth scramble in front of New Hampton standout goalie Cierra San Roman. New Hampton quickly responded when standout sophomore defenseman Lauren DuBlois scored off a blast from the high slot to tie the game at 1-1.
In the third period, both teams shortened their benches, leading to some tremendous up-and- down hockey with both teams having plenty of chances. New Hampton superstar Cayla Barnes was all over the ice, generating all kinds of opportunities for her teammates. St Paul’s top line of Isabel Stoddard, Bella Kang and freshman Tiffany Hill were tremendous all game. Ditto for SPS senior goalie Peri Donaldson.
This was perhaps the best game we saw all year and it’s too bad that one of these teams had to lose, as both are capable of winning the entire tournament. We have to congratulate St Paul’s on another tremendous season. With their young returning talent we strongly feel they will be back in the hunt again next season.
Gilmour Lifts Nobles, 1-0
Harvard commit Becca Gilmore scored on a 5-on-3 power play in the third period to give #2 seed Nobles a thrilling 1-0 win over an inspired Williston team. The game got off to a great start at a furious pace but devolved as the referees started calling penalty after penalty, which took the flow out of the game. Both teams have strong power plays, but in a game of this magnitude we wish the refs had put their whistles away and let these two excellent teams play 5-on-5.
For Williston, this is the second year in a row their season ends with bitter disappointment after starting out with such high hopes. This loss will sting for a while because they really did lift themselves off the canvas after a disappointing end to the regular season and played one of their best games in a long time. This was also the third time in their last four D-I games that Williston was shut out, which is hard to believe given the talent they have. We have no doubt that Williston will be a factor again next season as they return almost their entire roster.
#1 Loomis Edges LA 6-5 on Last-Minute Goal
A power play goal by Sharon Frankel off a blast by Linda Essery with less than a minute left in regulation gave the top-ranked Pelicans a thrilling 6-5 win over # 8-seeded ranked Lawrence Academy in an exhilarating back-and-forth girls playoff game.
We generally don’t like to comment much on specific penalty calls, but in this case we have to say that the penalty called on Lawrence with one minute left in a 5-5 playoff game was disappointing. In situations like this the referees really need to put their whistles away and let the teams battle it out. At that point, Lawrence had Loomis on their heels and it was really anyone’s game with overtime looming.
We have been talking about the LA first line all year and they certainly saved their best for last. Laura Lundblad, Corinne McCool and Kelsey Ryan have been unstoppable all season and they outplayed the Loomis top lines for most of the game, a surprise to us after watching Loomis dominate Deerfield in this same rink just four days ago. Lawrence will have a hard time replacing their four standout seniors -- Lundblad, Ryan, Rachel Walsh and Emily Lanci. All four had standout seasons.
Loomis was fortunate to get out of this with a win and will need to regroup for a red-hot New Hampton team on Saturday. Loomis looked like a very different team than the one we saw last week and will need to play much better in order to advance to the finals. Junior goalie Taylor Stadeli has had a great season but will need to play much better on Saturday if the Pelicans are to advance to the title game Sunday.
Kent Holds on; Edges Tabor
In a neutral site game played at Westminster, #3 Kent jumped out to a 4-1 second period lead but had to fend off a comeback by #6 Tabor to hold for a 4-3 win and a Saturday semifinal matchup at Nobles (3:00 pm).
Kent came out strong and controlled play for long stretches of the first period. Their pressure led to a 5-on-3 power play and the Lions were able to capitalize when Mel Anderson drove one from the point for a 1-0 lead. Early in the second period, Keeley Moy (Harvard) broke in on a strong move and upped Kent’s lead to 2-0. Tabor cut the Kent lead to 2-1 on the power play when impressive sophomore Annie Berry (UNH) took a nice feed down low from Cindy Giandomenico and Kelly Browne (BC) and jammed it home. Tabor was looking to gain some momentum from the goal, but instead it was Kent that continued to control play, scoring two goals within two minutes as Cece Ehrhard made it 3-1 Kent Julia Nearis went in on a breakaway and gave the Lions a 4-1 lead.
With the game threatening to become a runaway, Tabor could have folded their tent. But they didn’t. Instead, they came to life, finding their legs and taking control with pressure all over the ice. On the power play, Kelly Brown collected a rebound off an Annie Berry shot and buried it to make it 4-2.
Things got interesting just seven seconds into the third period as senior defenseman Taylor Matherson (Dartmouth) went bar-down on a power-play bomb from the point to cut the Kent lead to 4-3. Tabor continued to press for the equalizer throughout the final period, even getting two prime scoring chances while skating 3-on-5, but were turned away by Kent senior goalie Becky Dutton (Harvard), who made several highlight saves to preserve the win. Defenseman Mel Anderson and forward Tina Paolillo (Brown) were strong defensively for the Lions.
Semifinals
Sat. March 4, 2017
Div. I
Loomis vs. New Hampton, 2:00 pm (@ Loomis)
Nobles vs. Kent, 3:00 pm (@ Nobles)
Div. II
Worcester Academy vs. Thayer, 2:00 pm (@ Holy Cross)
Gunnery vs. St. George's, 4:30 pm (@ Gunnery)
Finals
Sun. March 5, 2017
At Phillips Andover Academy; Andover, Mass.
Div. II Championship Game, 12:30 pm
Div. I Championship Game, 3:00 pm
Thurs. 3/2/17
Wed. March 1 D-II Quarterfinal Highlights
With three lower seeds going on the road and securing wins it may have appeared like there were three upsets on Wednesday, but as predicted by USHR, the Div. II semi-finalists for 2017 will be Worcester Academy, Thayer, St. George’s and Gunnery.
Worcester’s Pelletier Blanks Brooks
Miceala Sindoris​ (Northeastern) and Carley Daly each ​had a goal and an assist, and Morgan Mordini added two assists as the #1-seeded Hilltoppers defeated #8 Brooks, 2-0. Sindoris broke a scoreless tie in the second with assists from Daly and Mordini. The three connected again in the third when Daly added an insurance goal. Senior Julia Pelletier posted the 22-save shutout. Caroline Kukas finished with 24 saves for Brooks. Worcester will host Thayer on Saturday (2:00 pm at Holy Cross).
Thayer Strikes Hard and Fast
​Fifth-seeded Thayer’s high-powered offense was hitting on all cylinders as the Tigers raced out to a 4-0 lead after the first period and never looked back en route to a 5-1 win over #4 KUA. Sophomore Dylan Amonte opened the scoring early with an assist from senior co-captain Darby Melia (Brown) and freshman Gabby Grattan. Freshman Madison McCaffery followed up at the midpoint of the first to stake the Tigers to 2-0 lead. Melia (1g,2a) connected on a power play to increase the margin to 3-0. Ten seconds later McCaffery rounded out the first-period scoring, making it 4-0 with Amonte and junior Caroline Skillman picking up assists. KUA’s Mia Brown scored early in the second to cut the lead to 4-1. Skillman closed out the Thayer scoring in the second and junior goalie Emily Smith shut down KUA the rest of the way for the 5-1 final. Thayer advances to face Worcester Academy in a Saturday semifinal.
Dragons Roll Over #2 Rivers
Defending champions St. George’s, the #7 seed, is not quite ready to relinquish its crown as the Dragons went on the road to defeat #2-seed Rivers, 4-2. Maggie Barrow staked Rivers to a 1-0 lead about seven minutes into the first. St. George’s responded less than a minute later when freshman Mary Leys (2g) evened the game at 1-1. Less than two minutes after that, junior Maddy Treganza put the Dragons up 2-1, which is where things stood at the first intermission. Sophomore Peyton Mulhern and Leys both scored in the second to increase the lead to 4-1 after two periods. Impressive Rivers sophomore Camille Phelan scored with 10 minutes to go in the game to cut the lead to 4-2. St. George’s junior goaltender Hailey Martin shut down the Red Wings the rest of the way for the 4-2 final. St. George’s advances, hitting the road again to face the Gunnery at 4:30 on Saturday.
Franceschini Leads #6 Gunnery
Some people questioned #6-seeded Gunnery’s sub-.500 record coming into their matchup with Canterbury, especially after the Highlanders finished the season with three straight losses. Gunnery, however, demonstrated its depth with seven players contributing to the scoring in their 4-1 win over #3 Canterbury. Gunnery’s Noemi Nuebauerova (1g,1a) put Gunnery up 1-0 in the first with assists from Mya Berretta (1g,1a) and Nicole Moriarity. In the second, Berretta increased the lead to 2-0 with the help of Tab Franceschini (2g,1a) and Nuebauerova. Franceschini increased the lead to 3-0 at the end of two periods with assists going to Emma Killeen and Keely McGann. Canterbury’s MaryKate Martino, assisted by Steph Proteau, cut the Gunnery lead to 3-1 early in the third. But Franceschini notched her second goal of the game, assisted by Killeen and Kristyna Patkova, to put Gunnery up 4-1. Katie Broccoli (22 saves) shut down Canterbury the rest of the way. Gunnery will host St. Georges on Saturday.
Stay tuned to the USHR girls section all weekend. It looks to be a good one.
Wed. 3/1/17
Wed. March 1 Quarterfinals Scoreboard
Quarterfinals
Wed. March 1, 2017
Div. I
(#1) Loomis 6, (#8) Lawrence 5 (at Loomis)
(#2) Nobles 1 vs. (#7) Williston 0 (at Nobles)
(#3) Kent 4 vs. (#6) Tabor 3 (at Westminster)
(#4) New Hampton 2 vs. (#5) St. Paul's 1 (OT) (at New Hampton)
Div. II
(#1) Worcester 2 vs. (#8) Brooks 0 (at NESC, Marlborough, Mass.)
(#2) Rivers 2 vs. (#7) St. George's 4 (at Rivers)
(#3) Canterbury 1 vs. (#6) Gunnery 4 (at Canterbury)
(#4) KUA 1 vs. (#5) Thayer 5 (at KUA)
Semifinals
Sat. March 4, 2017
Games Hosted by Higher Seed
Starting times TBA
Div. I
Loomis vs. New Hampton, 2:00 pm (@ Loomis)
Nobles vs. Kent, 3:00 pm (@ Nobles)
Div. II
Worcester Academy vs. Thayer, 2:00 pm (@ Holy Cross)
Gunnery vs. St. George's, 4:30 pm (@ Gunnery)
Finals
Sun. March 5, 2017
At Phillips Andover Academy; Andover, Mass.
Div. II Championship Game, 12:30 pm
Div. I Championship Game, 3:00 pm
New England Prep Hockey News
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