St. Mary’s girls hockey ready to roll

Coming into last season, most people expected the St. Mary’s girls hockey team would be in the running to win the Division 1 state championship after losing a shootout to Austin Prep in the semifinals the year before.But what the Spartans accomplished was simply amazing, and hadn’t been seen since Catholic Memorial did it nearly a decade ago.The Spartans finished 25-0-0, dominating their competition in the Division 1 tournament en route to their second state championship.”Obviously we had a great season last year,” said coach Frank Pagliuca. “It was memorable. But it’s a new season, and we’re excited to get going (Saturday, 6:30 p.m., vs. Hingham at Connery Rink).The Spartans now begin life without the all-time leading scorer in the history of Massachusetts hockey – Abby Gauthier – as well as fellow seniors Christen Hart, Bridget Mini, Katelyn Gottwald, Kayla Shinnick and Susan Hennssey.”They certainly set the bar high for this program,” Paglicua said. “They’ve left a nice legacy.”Gauthier, who finished her career with 179 goals and 358 points, is now at Providence College while Gottwald is playing at Sacred Heart.Hart and Mini skate for Southern Maine.But the Spartans won’t be without experienced players this season, as they return the bulk of last year’s team. Leading the way will be captains Michelle Golden, Alex Smith and Kelsey Magrane. Golden, a forward, will help fill the void left by the departure of Gauthier and Hart; while Magrane, who transferred from Marblehead before last season, will look to continue the form that saw her post a goals-against average of under 1.00.Smith will be part of a defense corps that includes Michelle Macchione, Angela Dandreo and Jackie Desmond.”Michelle, Kelsey and Alex have been around a long time,” Pagliuca said. “They are an important part of the team this year, and have been great with their leadership.”Up front, Courtney Winters and Courtney White will be joined by Erin McAndrews, Michela and Bridget Donovan and Liz Giacchino.Pagliuca also has 10 new face in Spartan colors this year, headed by seventh-grader Hannah Quinn and freshman Meghan Spurling and Rachel Donahue.The Spartans will play 22 games this year, starting with Saturday’s game against Hingham. The schedule also includes non-league dates with Woburn, Wakefield, Framingham and Acton-Boxborough, along with a challenging Catholic Central League schedule, headed by perennial powers Arlington Catholic and Austin Prep.”We’ve added some quality non-league opponents, and the CCL is tough as always this year.”The Spartans head coach simply can’t wait to get the year started.”Opening night should be a lot of fun,” Pagliuca said. “We just can’t wait to get back on the ice. A lot of these kids have been around for a number of years, and they’re chomping at the bit and are ready to go.”