PEABODY — The Peabody-Lynnfield girls hockey team not only won the Charles Carlin Cup at the McVann-O’Keefe rink with a 4-0 victory over Bishop Fenwick, the Tanners put their two best players — and two of the best players in the area — on display.
Sammie Mirasolo, No. 8 on your program, scored a hat trick. And goalie Abigail Buckley stood out in the net and was named her team’s MVP as the Crusaders, fighting to gain a spot in the upcoming MIAA tournament, put some tough shots on her.
“Abby gave us her usual good game, and we needed it because Fenwick came ready to play,” said Peabody coach Michelle Roach. “It’s always a battle between two good Peabody teams.”
As the state tournament approaches, Roach likes what she sees from her players.
“We’re working hard,” Roach said. “We’re moving the puck well. And we’re making good decisions. I couldn’t be prouder of the way the team has come together.”
Mirasolo, who scored a goal that belonged on every high school highlight reel for this season, “is just a fantastic player,” said Roach. “That goal she scored was just beautiful. A beautiful goal.”
After Peabody took a 1-0 lead in the first period, on Mirasolo’s first goal of the game, the sophomore MVP of the Northeastern Hockey League put some more distance between the Tanners and Crusaders with 1:33 left in the second period.
She just managed to get a skate’s length on a Fenwick defender and gained possession of the puck. After getting control of it, Mirasolo drew Fenwick goalie Cailyn Wesley out of the net. She then skated across from about 10 feet out and rifled a shot into a wide-open net.
“We just didn’t have the speed or quickness to stay with them,” said Fenwick coach Doug Anderson, whose team has to win games over Auburn (at home) and Wilmington (at Stoneham) in order to make the tournament, whose pairings will be drawn up Saturday.
“They really took our first line out of the game,” Anderson said, “and they have a couple of forwards, and their goaltender, who can do that.”
The game was fairly even during the first two periods, even though Peabody had the upper hand.
“I thought in the second period, we had better possession of the puck, as opposed to the first,” Anderson said.
Even though Fenwick didn’t score, the Crusaders had their chances. Shortly before Mirasolo scored to make it 2-0, Fenwick’s Amanda Blanchette came bearing in on Buckley on a partial breakaway. About 15 feet from the net, she put a good, hard shot on the Peabody goalie that she managed to stop with her chest. It was probably Fenwick’s best chance of the game.
The Tanners played the third period as if they didn’t want any suspense at the end. They dialed it up a notch, putting two goals past Wesley. The first, again by Mirasolo, and the second (by Kathryn DiGuilio) were similar in that they were scored from up close, giving Wesley almost no chance at all to make the save.
Roach feels the Tanners (11-6-2 and already in the tournament) are in good shape heading into Wednesday’s season’s finale at home (2) against Melrose.
