Top-seeded Milton ousts Marblehead girls hockey

CANTON – It was probably a tall order to expect 13th-seeded Marblehead to topple No. 1 Milton last night in the state Division 2 girls hockey semifinal.The 16-0-3 Wildcats were not only on the top of the heap in the division, they were playing virtually in their backyards ? at the Metropolis Rink in Canton. And it did prove to be too much. The Wildcats, led mainly by goalie Anna Mandell, smothered the Magicians, 1-0, to advance to the state final Tuesday night at Harvard’s Bright Hockey Center.The Magicians, 12-7-2, hung in there. They tested Mandell several times – especially in the first period – but not only could they not put the puck past her, they couldn’t collect the necessary rebounds to sustain any pressure on her, either.”We kept working the whole game,” said Marblehead coach Emily Hudak. “We got a lot of chances, but we had to get some of those rebounds, and we didn’t.”This was a physical game, to say the least. There was a lot of close checking, and neither team had a lot of clean shots on goal.But when they did ? both goalies were more than equal to the task. Mandell was superb, either in smothering the shots or directing the rebounds onto the sticks of her teammates.”Anna was fantastic,” said Milton coach Chris Curskis. “I couldn’t be prouder of our kids. After last year (the Warriors lost in the final to Barnstable), we lost a lot of seniors to graduation and a lot of people wondered just how we’d do.”I’m very happy that we flew below the radar all year,” she said.But Marblehead’s Moe Bradley was just as good, because Milton did get the better of the chances, and Bradley was every bit as nimble in the net herself.She was only victimized one time – when Katie Higgins beat her at the 10:20 mark of the first period.Shana Indelicato actually made the play, sliding the puck over to Higgins from behind the net. Higgins merely redirected it past Bradley.From thereon out, each team had its share of chances, but the game was mainly played in the neutral zone, as both squads were content to wait for their opponents to make a mistake. None did.Truth be told, the Magicians were following the classic formula for an upset. They hung around, played tough, got in the way of the more talented Warriors, and – going into the third period – had an excellent chance to pull off an upset.”I was glad we were close,” Hudak said, “but I’d have rather have been up 1-0 than down 1-0.”It was a nice ride,” said Hudak. “This is the farthest the Magicians have gone in the tournament since the team was formed.”And,” she said, “we were an entirely different team at the end of the season than we were in the beginning, and that’s what you want.”Unfortunately, there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser in these things.”Marblehead loses six seniors to graduation.”They really helped get us where we were,” Hudak said. “They’ll be missed.”