Girls’ hockey faced a disappointing 1-4 loss to Natick Saturday, Dec. 20. at John A. Ryan Arena. The Tigers fought hard and showed perseverance against the Natick Redhawks, but ultimately fell short.
Following the national anthem through the speaker, the Tigers took the ice ready to compete. The first period was a back-and-forth battle between the Tigers and the Redhawks, with both teams moving the puck quickly to create scoring opportunities.
With five minutes remaining in the first period, Natick snuck the puck past sophomore goalie Ellery Hanson, scoring the first goal of the game. Just two minutes later, the Redhawks attempted to score again but Hanson made a crucial save. In response, senior Maya Saris, the starting left wing, scored a strong goal with an assist from sophomore Willa Hanson, the starting right wing, tying the game at 1-1.
Senior Lexi Blanchfield, a captain alongside senior Audrey Welstead, said, “I think we had a good start to the game, which showed because we kept them to a tie going into the second period. Willa, Maya and Audrey set up a really nice play.”
Entering the second period tied up, the Tigers continued to push, but Natick was able to score again to regain the lead.
Heading into the third period down by one, the Tigers knew they had to increase the intensity on offense to score more goals. According to Blanchfield, one of the team’s biggest challenges this season has been its small bench, which limits the number of substitutions and causes the players to become tired more quickly.
Play after play, the Tigers worked their way down the ice and took shots on goal but were unable to slip through the Redhawks’s defense.
“We’re still finding our mojo as a group,” said Ellery Hanson. “Playing against strong teams like Natick helps us find where we stand and how we can improve.”
After several saved shots by the Tigers, the Redhawks continued to apply pressure, and scored two more goals, ending the game with a 4-1 victory.
Head coach Chris Donovan said, “I thought the game went pretty well the first couple of periods. Then, the players grew tired and didn’t react as fast. That caused a couple of mistakes, which led to goals for the other team.”
According to Donovan, the team plans to focus on improving conditioning and playing shorter shifts to help maintain energy throughout the remainder of the season.
Girls’ hockey, 2-2-1, fell to Dedham, Wellesley, and Brookline on Saturday, Dec. 27, Monday, Dec. 29, and Sunday, Jan. 4. The Tigers will travel to face Needham Wednesday, Jan. 7.
