PEABODY — The Peabody/Lynnfield girls hockey team put together a strong performance on both ends of the ice Wednesday evening, notching a 7-1 win over Northeastern Hockey League foe Marblehead at McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Rink.
“I thought it was great for us to be able to keep the momentum going,” said Peabody/Lynnfield coach Michelle Roach. “Marblehead came out ready to play and it was a back-and-forth game early on. We had a good team performance and we were able to push away late.”
Penelope Spack scored two goals to lead the way for the Tanners, while Jenna DiNapoli had one goal and two assists. Catie Kampersal, Catherine Sweeney, Jen Flynn and Caroline Burton scored one goal each in the win, while goalie Audrey Buckley made 12 saves to earn the win in net.
“I think we have a lot of players — Penelope, Catie, Caroline, Jenna — who are starting to really come into their own out on the ice,” said Roach. “They really came out there and set the tone (Wednesday) and we were able to ride it all the way to a win.”
Abigail Amigo scored the lone goal for Marblehead in the loss, while Amy Vytopilova notched one assist. Goalie Lily Francouer made 19 saves in the losing effort.
“I thought we started strong and kept it close most of the game, and we actually had a chance to make it 3-2 in the second period and that might’ve changed things,” said Marblehead coach Brittany Smith. “We had some chances, but I thought overall we played well in our first game out on the ice this year.”
Both teams came out swinging in the opening period, with the play flowing back and forth in the early minutes. The Tanners were able to strike first, getting a goal from Spack with just over 11 minutes to go in the first to make it 1-0. But Marblehead responded right away, with Amigo knocking one home at close range to tie the score at 1-1 less than 30 seconds later. Peabody/Lynnfield wasn’t deterred, and the Tanners retook the lead with just over seven minutes to play when Burton cleaned up a rebound in front of the net. Five minutes later, Kampersal made a great move to get past a defender and move into the offensive zone alone. Her shot snuck underneath the Francouer’s arm to make it 3-1 Peabody/Lynnfield at the first intermission.
After a scoreless second period, Peabody/Lynnfield got back to work in the third. It started with a goal from DiNapoli less than two minutes into the period, then Spack added her second of the game to make it a 5-1 game. Sweeney and Flynn added late goals as the Tanners cruised to a win on their home ice.
Marblehead (0-1) returns to the ice Saturday (3) on the road against Medford at LoConte Rink.
“We’ve got to get better at solidifying our defensive zone, especially late in the game when we get tired,” said Smith.
Peabody/Lynnfield (2-0) hosts Winthrop Saturday afternoon (4) back at McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Rink.
“Saturday is going to be tough,” said Roach. “Winthrop is a strong, quick team and they’re well coached, so we’re going to have to be creative and we’re going to have to work hard. It’s going to be another test for us to see where we stand this season.”
