WATERTOWN – As Watertown subject hockey head coach Eileen Donahue regarded throughout Victory Field at reigning Div. 1 state champion Andover warming up Saturday morning, she turned to her gamers with broad open eyes in admiration of how good their opponent regarded.
Never earlier than in her 37 years because the Raiders’ legendary coach had she confronted Maureen Noone’s Golden Warriors, not to mention in September. So so far as early season assessments go, this was a doozy, and doubtlessly the common season matchup of the yr regardless of the time of season.
But on this gauntlet of champions, with the 2 longest lively successful streaks within the state clashing in opposition to each other, it was Donahue’s reigning Div. 3 state champs that got here out on prime. Watertown (2-0) performed its typical model of quick, bodily, crew protection as each groups battled by means of early-season rust, successfully limiting Andover (0-1) simply sufficient for a 2-1 win.
Molly Driscoll and Allie Fijux scored critically early objectives because the protection prevented the Golden Warriors from accruing a shot on internet within the first half, and stable play inside its personal 50 helped stave off an Andover rally. That included a slew of second-half nook performs the Raiders needed to defend, with goalie Brianna Cooper delivering a clutch save once they wanted it most to maneuver their win streak to 33 video games.
Andover’s ends at 18 video games.
“That game could’ve went either way … (they’re an) amazing program,” Donahue stated. “Playing right at the beginning of the season, it was tough for both of us. That’s a hard game to play. … Glad we held our own.”
“We had a really good team effort,” added senior captain Lizzie Loftus. “We worked really hard until the end. It was a very good showing for both teams, but it just came down to really wanting it.”
The abilities of each squads echo all through the whole state, all of which was on show in a tight-knit affair regardless of each coaches saying afterward that there’s a whole lot of work to be achieved.
Watertown’s crew of returners feasted on nook performs all final yr, and that leaked into this matchup. After instantly placing stress on Andover to attract a penalty nook inside the first jiffy of the sport, the play generated one other nook, and that led to Driscoll’s objective on a flick simply contained in the circle lower than 5 minutes in.
Every Golden Warriors bid down the sphere was met with aggressive protection in response, holding them exterior of the Watertown circle. The Raiders rotated and lined properly to clog up lanes, which led to many of the play staying in the course of the sphere.
“Team defense had to come through in this game … I was happy with our team defensive play,” Donahue stated. “It was tough. Andover came down toward our end until the last 50 seconds. And to hold off the last two corners (was challenging). … We were very fortunate to come out with the win.”
Andover was challenged way more inside its circle with three early corners and a barrage of stress Watertown placed on, however its defensive group did properly to restrict the Raiders to only eight photographs on objective. Senior goalie Adelaide Weeden (six saves) made just a few highlight-reel stops to maintain it at 1-0 getting into the half.
Watertown’s stress saved constructing, nonetheless, main to a different nook play the Golden Warriors couldn’t cease. A tough shot from the highest of the circle led the ball to trickle to the fitting of a lunging Weeden, and Fijux completed the job.
The finish of the third quarter noticed Andover flash some offensive life with its first shot on internet, and the rebound drew a nook. Emma Reilly despatched a shot again towards sender Bella DeFiore, who snuck within the tip behind Cooper for the rating.
Much of the fourth noticed an improved Golden Warriors assault, together with a nook with about three minutes left. Cooper’s leg save preserved the lead, and the midfield took care of the remainder to expire the clock.
“It just came down to everyone doing their job,” Loftus stated. “It’s important to play the really hard teams as much as you can because it challenges us. And it teaches us how to play as a team more.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com