CHS hockey teams crowned division champs
By Jay Turner
Senior captain Meaghan McKenna has six hat tricks in 16 games. (Mike Barucci photo)
The wins kept on coming for both of Canton High’s ice hockey teams last week as the girls’ wrapped up a division title with victories over Mansfield and Westwood while the boys destroyed a pair of inferior opponents in Stoughton and Taunton to clinch yet another Davenport Division crown.
The most impressive performance of the week belonged to the girls, who outlasted a very talented Westwood team 3-2 at Metropolis Rink on Saturday to capture the SEMGHL West Division behind a stellar performance from freshman goaltender Lindsey Nolte.
“That was a huge win for us,” said head coach Dennis Aldrich. “Westwood, overall, is probably the best team we’ve faced this year, and to beat them twice in a season, our girls deserve a lot of credit for that.”
Going into the game the Bulldogs were a perfect 9-0 in division play, while the Wolverines were in second place with a 6-1-1 mark — their lone loss coming against Canton back on January 2.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Canton started slow before racking up three unanswered goals in the third period for a comfortable 4-0 victory. However, the opposite was true in Saturday’s rematch, as the Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead before losing their mojo over the final two periods.
“Westwood stormed back and really took it to us, especially in the third period,” acknowledged Aldrich, who attributed the momentum shift to too many Canton penalties.
Fortunately for the home team, they had a secret weapon in Nolte, who may have singlehandedly won the game with a memorable 11-save performance in the third period.
“She held tough and she was totally focused,” Aldrich said of Nolte, who has split time this season with junior Emily Buckley. “Lately we have been giving up too many goals, and I felt that we needed to have a goaltender step up and basically win us a game — and I think that happened Saturday with Lindsey.”
Nolte finished the game with 27 saves and now leads the team with an .891 save percentage and a 1.67 goals against average. Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the puck, senior captain Meaghan McKenna continued her torrid scoring pace with one goal and one assist, while the freshmen duo of Emily Lanci and Julie Nagel added one goal apiece.
Both Lanci and Nagel also had a hand in the Bulldogs’ 6-2 win over Mansfield/Oliver Ames last Wednesday, combining for three assists, although it was McKenna who once again stole the show with her second four-goal outing of the season.
One of the state’s most prolific goal scorers, McKenna now has six hat tricks through 16 games and currently leads the league with 29 goals.
Fellow senior captain Meg Lennon, who is among the league leaders in assists with 19, added one goal and one assist against Mansfield/OA, while junior winger Katie Kelleher netted her 10th goal of the season.
The boys’ team, meanwhile, put up video-game numbers against two of the weaker teams in the Hockomock League last week, combining for 23 goals in wins over Stoughton (1-12-2) and Taunton (3-12-2).
Against the Black Knights on Wednesday, senior captain Pat Ward led the way with a hat trick, while junior Brian Brooks added to his league-leading point total with one goal and four assists. Senior captain Michael Denehy also got on the scoreboard, as did JC Marcone, Matt Lennon, and Jake Paschal.
On Saturday in Taunton, the Bulldogs got scoring from up and down the roster in a blowout win over the Tigers. Paschal paced the visitors with a hat trick, while freshman Bobby Mullaney and senior player/manager Kevin McNeil both scored their first career varsity goals.
With the two victories last week, the Bulldogs stayed undefeated in league play (8-0) and improved to 12-3 overall. This week they were due to host King Philip on Wednesday and travel to Mansfield on Saturday. The team will then host nonleague Newburyport the following Saturday before wrapping up the regular season with a two-day, four-team tournament featuring Franklin, Boston Latin, and Coyle Cassidy.
As for the girls, they are now 14-2 overall and in contention for the top overall seed in the upcoming Division 2 state tournament. They have four games remaining, including a pair of road games this week against Medway (9-4-2) and Division 1 Hingham (8-5-2).
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=18889
Posted by Jay Turner
on Feb 7 2013. Filed under High School, Sports.
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