HINGHAM – In nearly among the best postseason tune-up video games a group may ask for to shut out the common season, the Duxbury ladies hockey group as soon as once more discovered a method to edge one other Div. 2 state title contender Thursday night.
Supreme protection between each groups flooded the ice within the remaining recreation of the Hingham Showcase at Pilgrim Arena, a lot {that a} scoreless first two intervals in opposition to Andover left Dragons head coach Dan Najarian believing the primary group to attain would doubtless win it.
Camryn Holloway delivered that aim at the beginning of the third interval for all of the offense Duxbury (19-1-2) would want, and goalie Anna McGinty (17 saves) backed a tenacious effort from her blue line en path to a 2-0 win over the Golden Warriors (14-3-2).
Defender McKenna Colella scored the opposite aim on an empty internet within the remaining minute, securing a hard-fought victory in opposition to a squad the Dragons may very nicely see once more deep within the Div. 2 event.
“They’re a very good defensive team,” Najarian stated. “They compete like hell, I just congratulated Anna McGinty on her 10th shutout of the season. I thought she was the difference in the third period. I think without her, there’s probably a different score at the end of that game. … Game that could’ve gone either way.”
Between the well timed stick lifts, bodily play up the center and resilient vitality towards preserving the puck to the surface, each ounce of defensive depth may very well be felt proper from the beginning. Duxbury and Andover mixed to permit simply 5 photographs on internet within the first interval as offenses struggled to get many high quality appears, although the Dragons’ forecheck helped them management many of the stress.
Najarian anticipated the Golden Warriors would come out firing as soon as it shook off the bus legs from an extended journey to Hingham, and the following two intervals have been when the protection and McGinty got here up large. Several cases noticed the Dragons eat a bevy of photographs within the second, and McGinty was nonetheless tasked with 10 saves on regardless of the Golden Warriors may get by way of within the body.
“I think my defense did a really good job clearing pucks, getting there before the other team,” McGinty stated. “Just keeping me safe. … All the teams from here on out are going to be super, super good. We have to come ready to play at every game. No slacking.”
Andover’s protection performed nearly in addition to it may within the meantime, although it couldn’t maintain on lengthy sufficient.
A unfastened puck in its zone floated proper to Holloway within the excessive slot, and he or she put simply sufficient power to soar by way of a crowded lane and discover the highest shelf with 13:35 left. The Golden Warriors obtained six extra photographs on McGinty, however the star senior stopped each one and Colella’s rating with 44.7 seconds left sealed the deal.
“It starts with (McGinty),” Najarian stated. “We’re lucky enough to play seven D. We’ve got that luxury of being able to put any of them out there at any given time. That allows everybody to stay fresh and compete.”
Hingham closed out its common season on the appropriate word in an earlier recreation, successful its showcase remaining 4-0 over Acton-Boxboro regardless of needing to kill 4 penalties. Caroline Doherty netted two objectives and dished an help to Addy Garrity for the Harbormen (14-5-2), pairing with goalie Izzy McGarr’s second straight shutout to safe a seventh straight win heading into the Div. 1 state event.
“We just played our game,” stated Hingham head coach Courtney Turner. “Two shutouts in a row, playing strong defense, putting the puck in the net. Just playing a complete game. … Taking this big win as momentum and going with it.”
Turner, in her first 12 months teaching, was happy with how the showcase performed out in a loaded subject. Each of the 12 groups throughout three completely different brackets presents severe hassle in ladies hockey’s two divisions, getting another likelihood to match up amongst each other proper earlier than playoff seeding is launched on Saturday.
“This tournament has been a phenomenal showcase of talent of the top teams in both Div. 1 and Div. 2,” she stated. “I’m thoroughly impressed with the effort from all of the teams.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com