ATTLEBORO – The Bishop Feehan subject hockey staff is aware of a bit of too properly in regards to the risks of the primary couple rounds within the Div. 1 state match, shedding its second-round matchup final 12 months through upset.
With or with no crack at redemption in thoughts Saturday afternoon, although, the eighth-seeded Shamrocks (12-5-1) will get it by securing a resilient 3-0 win over No. 25 Brookline in first-round motion.
Ava Meehan and Jordi Higgins assisted one another on their respective objectives within the win, capping a relentless assault that was put to the check by a stingy Warriors (9-8-2) protection. Bridgette McGinnis’ tally was the one objective Bishop Feehan completed on 15 offensive corners, whereas its personal protection didn’t permit a shot on objective.
The Shamrocks’ prize is a rematch with the No. 9 King Philip staff that ousted it in final 12 months’s second spherical. They play Tuesday at 5 p.m.
“That first game, you never know,” mentioned Bishop Feehan head coach Betsy D’Ambrosia. “All the pairings, you just don’t know what you’re going to get – especially when they’re out of league and so forth. I think that as the game went on, we started to play more of our game. … They got it together and were able to pull it off.”
With defenders pushed as much as the center of the sector, the Shamrocks had no problem making use of steady offensive strain all through. Getting a objective was a distinct story in opposition to Brookline’s brick wall contained in the circle, however Bishop Feehan ultimately acquired into its typical groove.
After the Warriors saved the sport scoreless within the first quarter regardless of defending 5 corners, the Shamrocks acquired on the board on their sixth when McGinnis ripped a shot from the best facet early within the second quarter – which deflected off a defender’s stick up over the shoulder of goalie Anna Dencker (9 saves).
Kay Murphy, Sammy Logan and Nora Catalano performed signature roles in conserving the ball within the offensive zone for many of the remainder of the sport, serving to Meehan and Higgins shake off the rust within the ultimate two frames for insurance coverage objectives. Higgins intercepted a botched go contained in the 25 to help Meehan on a reverse-chip rocket for a 2-0 lead within the third, then Meehan returned the favor with a go to the stroke line that Higgins buried within the fourth.
Brookline didn’t make any of it straightforward, forcing a 27-minute hole between the primary and second objectives. Molly Newbold, Sophie Young, Mariana Sanchez-Dahl and Clara Thibault led the defensive effort to restrict Bishop Feehan to 12 complete pictures on objective, even with 15 corners.
Keeping a cool head when going through that form of defensive grind is essential, which Bishop Feehan did completely.
“I think it was a lot about keeping each other in the game,” Murphy mentioned. “When you have a lot of those missed balls and missed corners, it starts to get really mental. So making sure that we’re staying in the game. … We started moving the ball better and that’s when we started putting the ball in the net.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com