Top ranked Austin Prep knocks off Bulldawgs

WINTHROP – Despite a nearly unshakeable performance in net from sophomore goalie Gretchen Howard, the Bulldawgs fell to Austin Prep, 3-1, Wednesday night at Larsen Rink.
“We’re built from the net out, and Gretchen Howard gave us a chance to win tonight,” said Bulldawgs coach Butch Martucci. “We were hoping to get it done, but Austin Prep plays at a different level and they’re very well-coached, and it just didn’t happen for us.”
Bulldawgs captain Caroline McKinnon was held without a point, keeping her just shy of the 100-point mark for her career, with 96.Howard stopped 26 shots for the Lynn/Winthrop/Saugus girls and dealt with nonstop pressure all game from Austin Prep (9-1-1), the ratings percentage index (RPI) top-ranked girls? hockey team in the state.
The first period served as a feeling-out process for both clubs, but AP found the back of the net four minutes into the game courtesy of a goal by freshman Olivia Finocchiaro.”We wanted to attack with our depth and our speed up front,” said AP coach Stephanie Wood. “Their goalie played great and made some great saves, but Finocchiaro finally solved the goalie for us.”
The Bulldawgs (9-2) struggled in the second period as a result of the Cougars’ deft stick handling, agile skating and discipline. AP outshot the Bulldawgs, 15-4, and grabbed a two-goal lead at the 13:11 mark when Finocchiaro snapped a midrange wrist shot past Howard. The Bulldawgs were pushed off the puck by junior defenseman Jaimee Cooke, who is already committed to play in college for Division I St. Lawrence, but the Bulldawgs refused to fold under pressure.
“They’re a lot faster than what we’ve been playing,” said McKinnon. “We can handle that type of speed, and now we know what it takes to beat the faster teams. It really helps to have Gretchen in net, she plays the best against harder teams.”The Bulldawgs made the game interesting in the third period. Sophie Leray delivered a pass to the blue line, and Kasey Harris fired a bullet beyond the reach of AP goalie Caty Flagg on the power play at 10:53 to cut the deficit to one.”Austin Prep is very good, but we stuck right with them,” said Howard. “This game showed we can stick with the really good teams.”Austin Prep ran out three solid lines, but the Bulldawgs received a boost from its own third line in Cassidy Kosmas, Katie O’Shea and Ashley Miles. AP tried to expose the Bulldawg?s young defenders, but eighth-grader Abby Stafford played exceptionally well behind Harris and Gabby Kenniston to prevent any more offense from the Cougars.Scoring chances were at a premium against the defensive-minded Cougars, who moved from red line to red line at breakneck speed.
“We just couldn’t score,” said McKinnon, whose Bulldawgs put 16 shots on net. “That was the difference.”
The Bulldawgs pulled Howard for the extra skater with 90 seconds to play, but AP hammered home the final nail in the coffin when Meghan Hanlon stuffed in an empty-netter with 46 seconds to play.”Gretchen Howard stood up for us all game and was fantastic,” said Martucci. “We work hard, we play hard, and we want to play the best. For us, the only way to get in that conversation is to play those teams.”