ANDOVER – The outcomes of the tightest and chippiest discipline hockey video games are sometimes determined by what occurs in a single minute.
But inside 4 Saturday afternoon, No. 8 Andover bought all of the offense it wanted to separate from No. 14 Needham in a 4-1 end for arguably its greatest win this season.
Rose Memmolo’s stroke late within the third quarter was the final of three targets the Golden Warriors (10-2) utilized in simply over three and a half minutes to blow open a 1-0 halftime lead, erupting after accruing few pictures on purpose prior.
Physicality and gritty defensive stops in a card-ridden matchup dominated play up till then, leaving no like to be misplaced between the 2 ought to they match up once more within the Div. 1 state match – which wouldn’t be a shock because the No. 3 (Andover) and No. 6 (Needham) groups within the newest MIAA energy rankings.
In the meantime, that is Andover’s first win over a fellow top-10 workforce within the rankings this season.
“Every single one of them showed up today ready to play,” stated Golden Warriors head coach Bridget Morris. “We don’t really talk about rankings, so I do try to avoid that. … We’ve had plenty times that we’ve been ranked high and lost, had plenty of times we’ve been ranked low and won. I try to avoid it, but to play a good team and come away with a win – come away with strong win – it makes me feel good about the way they’re going to continue to grow as the season goes on.”
Bella DiFiore bought Andover on the board early within the first quarter by slamming in a purpose on the workforce’s first nook, however that’s all both workforce would permit for some time inside a charged affair.
Olivia Alper and Lily Schmalz led the assault for Needham, solely to be stifled with two pictures on web within the first half. Casey Michael (help), Scarlet Glass (help) and DiFiore performed main roles for Andover to attract eight corners earlier than the break, however the Rockets held sturdy to restrict pictures and protect the deficit.
After the Golden Warriors dominated possession within the second quarter, Needham regarded prepared to manage the third with a pair of early corners that generated its two greatest pictures of the sport to that time. But Maddie DiGiorgio saved each, and Andover’s offense then went to work.
A nook with 7:10 left within the body noticed Lucy MacLean squeeze a shot simply contained in the left publish, which really went by Ella Sewall’s legs on a tip bid. A frenzy lower than two minutes later that appeared to go off of an Andover foot wasn’t whistled, finally resulting in a cross towards the opposite publish that Sewall slammed in.
Memmolo – whose aerials have been an important a part of Andover’s success in transferring the ball downfield – buried a stroke shortly thereafter, and it was 4-0 identical to that.
“They just got a little bit of momentum,” Morris stated. “When they score, it’s then easier for them to score. That’ll happen sometimes. … If we’re scoring them, we score them in a quick succession. They get a little fire and then they go.”
The fourth quarter appeared to have extra barbs traded than another body as the sport reached its peak in animosity. Needham rode the wave with a light-hearted method towards the remainder of the sport, and Jillian Fleuckiger’s drive from simply contained in the circle on a nook scored the Rockets’ lone purpose early within the body.
Source: www.bostonherald.com