WINTHROP — Westford Academy ladies hockey teammates tackled Delilah Cioffi to the ice as if her game-tying aim within the second interval of Tuesday’s Div. 1 first-round matchup had pulled off one thing they’d by no means accomplished earlier than.
Less than an hour later, they confirmed what that celebration really seems like.
Behind a charged effort on particular groups to kick off ladies hockey state event season, the Twentieth-seeded Ghosts (8-10-3) held off No. 13 Winthrop at Larsen Rink, 3-2, for this system’s first playoff win since 2019.
Jacqueline Chace’s game-winning aim with 4:25 to play was Westford’s second power-play aim of the evening, pairing effectively with a shorthanded rating from Kiley Carmichael and a 4-on-6 defensive stand over the ultimate 1:21 of the upset.
The Vikings end the season at 13-4-2, whereas the Ghosts await the winner of No. 4 Malden Catholic versus No. 29 Barnstable.
“We’re all so excited,” mentioned Westford junior captain Kailey Hannon. “In all my years of playing we’ve never made it past the first round. It’s just a great moment.”
“It feels so good,” added head coach Jim Geraghty. “I’m just so proud of the girls. They didn’t quit. Winthrop was really good. They were tough, they were gritty. We just hung in there, so we’re proud of the girls. It feels really great.”
While Talia Martucci scored the primary of her two objectives to offer Winthrop a 1-0 lead on the finish of the primary, Westford thought they’d outplayed the Vikings general to this point and constructed up confidence. By the top of the second, the Ghosts confirmed simply how battle examined they had been out of the MVC/DCL Large and will style the win.
After Winthrop killed off the primary two of its 5 penalties on the evening with ease, Westford wanted simply 50 seconds to capitalize on the third. Lauren Alonardo’s shot from the surface was batted down right into a bounce, and a scramble for the rebound in entrance arrange Cioffi for the 1-1 tie halfway by the second.
“I think it definitely gave us some momentum going into the next few periods and I think it really helped to get us the win,” Hannon mentioned.
It wasn’t too lengthy that Winthrop received its first energy play in response, however Carmichael poked a steal close to the top of it within the impartial zone for a breakaway. She had the puck on a string for a lot of the best way, and confirmed that off with a elaborate end to go up 2-1.
Martucci responded along with her personal game-tying aim simply 1:30 later, setting the stage for a robust defensive forwards and backwards by a lot of the third. Vikings goalie Riley Towse (19 saves) and Ghosts goalie Kiera Tucker (15 saves) traded clutch stops, up till Chace’s aim solely 22 seconds into one other Westford energy play put it forward, 3-2.
The Ghosts headed to the field with 1:21 left, however comfortably withstood the 6-on-4 to complete with solely 4 pictures on aim allowed within the third interval.
“It’s funny because we worked all week on special teams,” Geraghty mentioned. “We didn’t really practice too much 6-on-4, but, yeah, they did a great job.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com