NORWOOD – The Malden Catholic ladies hockey group had simply 9 gamers within the brand-new program’s first season final 12 months, and three of them have been nonetheless studying to skate.
Just 14 months later, that Lancers program can already add a playoff win to its younger storybook.
Behind Laney Harrold’s game-winning purpose in time beyond regulation and a sensational effort in internet from Danielle DeJon (33 saves) to by no means permit a deficit, Nineteenth-seeded Malden Catholic (13-7-2) outlasted a scrappy No. 14 Norwood group for a 2-1 win in a Div. 2 first-round matchup at The Skating Club of Boston on Thursday. DeJon’s effort in internet included staving off a third-period flurry from the Mustangs (17-4-1) through which they outshot Malden Catholic 13-1, and he or she capped it with a game-saving cease proper earlier than the third interval’s buzzer to drive time beyond regulation.
Harrold, a signature switch from Brewster Academy to affix the upstart program, took care of the remaining with the game-winner to safe the upset.
“I really don’t know what to say because it wasn’t one of our better games, but when the team needed it, they found it,” stated head coach Steve Hunt. “As a program, it’s amazing to come from where we came from last year to just be in the state (tournament), never mind win our first game we’ve ever played. It’s an excellent feeling. … It’s sort of crazy to go from last year – having to teach a few girls how to skate – to what we have now.”
As a part of a chippy recreation that noticed Malden Catholic decide up 4 penalties, defenses and goalies soared a lot of the way in which to maintain every offense from capitalizing regardless of quite a few high quality scoring possibilities.
Before DeJon’s third-period onslaught, Norwood goalie Lily Newman (22 saves) confronted loads of stress within the first two frames, making for fairly the battle in a low-scoring affair. Ava Baker was the lone Lancer to get previous Newman and the protection in regulation with a gap interval purpose, and Molly Cataldo’s rating on a rebound to knot it within the second interval was the one tally for Norwood. Outside of that, neither group might break by way of regardless of a big handful of unfastened pucks in entrance to the Malden Catholic internet, and some Lancers quick breaks.
Source: www.bostonherald.com