Girls’ ice hockey team opens with win, loss

The CHS girls’ ice hockey team kicked off the winter season last week with both a win and a loss, beating Medway/Ashland 2-1 on Wednesday before bowing to Westwood 3-0 two days later.

Senior captain Katie Kelleher

The defending SEMGHL West champions are facing quite a challenge this year as they move into a loaded Coastal Division, home of regional powerhouses Duxbury, Falmouth and Hingham.

Second-year head coach Dennis Aldrich said the girls are “very excited” about the move, although they can no longer expect to blow teams out as they did in countless games last season.

“I would call us a blue collar team,” said Aldrich, who lost his top three scorers from a year ago. “Our style of play may not be pretty, but I think we’re going to be fine — and we’re going to be very easy to cheer for.

The coach’s assessment certainly held true in the opening week as the Bulldogs tallied just two goals but competed hard in both games.

In the opener, they held their own against a Medway/Ashland team that was physical and “pushed the envelope” with penalties, according to Aldrich.

“They never backed down,” he said of his team. “They didn’t complain and just stayed the course.”

Senior captains Caitlyn Feeney and Katie Kelleher led the way offensively, finishing with a goal and an assist apiece, and the defensive trio of senior captain Jill Eckler, junior Kelsey Trerice and sophomore Mary Nee was outstanding in front of sophomore goalie Lindsey Nolte, who stopped 22 of 23 shots.

Later in the week, Canton went toe to toe with a talented Westwood team that went to the Division 2 semifinals last season, holding the Wolverines to just two goals before surrendering a last-second empty netter.

“It was an up-and-down battle and a great game,” said Aldrich. “We had plenty of chances and I was pleased with our effort. We were not outworked — we took it to them and were not intimidated by them.”

Overall, Aldrich said he was pleased with the girls’ performance in the opening week and he fully expects the team to get better with every game. He likes the makeup of this year’s squad, with three outstanding captains, a dominant top three on defense, a talented goalie, and lots of promising young players, including sophomore center Julie Nagel.

“This team is full of great character,” said Aldrich. “They’re just what a coach wants a team to be — they play as a team and they genuinely like each other.”

This week, the Bulldogs were due to play Medfield on Monday at the Pirelli Veterans Arena in Franklin. They then return home to face Wellesley on Tuesday, December 31, and Falmouth on Saturday, January 4.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Dec 26 2013. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.