LYNN — When you go up against Elite 8 competition, you don’t need to play your best game – you just need to capitalize. That was the case for the St. Mary’s girls hockey team against Peabody-Lynnfield-North Reading (PLNR).
With bodies surrounding every pane of glass, Connery Rink was the place to be Wednesday. And after 45 hard-fought minutes, the Spartans won 2-0, giving them something they haven’t done in a decade.
“It’s been 10 years since we’ve been to the Final 4,” St. Mary’s head coach Frank Pagliuca said. “I’m proud of our kids.”
St. Mary’s, which will take on Billerica-Chelmsford in the next round, had quite the fanbase in attendance. At the 8:40 mark of the first period, it had something to cheer for.
Gianna Young took a shot from the point, and veteran Spartan Tia Picardi capitalized on the rebound for the all-important first goal.
“It lets everyone calm down and get those jitters out,” Pagliuca said. “I thought that really energized us.”
Then came the highlight, brought to you by the Catholic Central MVP. Jenna Chaplain got the puck in the slot before firing top-left on PLNR goalie Alyse Mutti.
“Bringing it across the grain, letting a screen go, and firing off a shot,” Pagliuca said. “I thought in the first period, we played well and we got on them.”
PLNR head coach Michelle Roach, a former Spartan, applauded St. Mary’s for cashing in.
“[With] good clubs, you have to wait for them to make mistakes… and they capitalized,” Roach said.
Most teams would look at a 2-0 scoreboard (not even 10 minutes into the game) and panic, but not PLNR.
“We’ve been down by two goals before… no one’s going to have a perfect game,” Roach said. “We picked it back up.”
They certainly did. PLNR dominated the second period and outshot St. Mary’s 19-14 by the final buzzer. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.
“We were a little disjointed, but we held on,” Pagliuca said. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough and that’s what you want at this level.”
One part of St. Mary’s game that, frankly, was pretty was its ability to prevent second-chances, something both coaches commented on.
“They built a wall around their house,” Roach said. “They keep that second kid out to get that rebound; they are very well-coached.”
Even when you have goalie Ang Catino – another conference All-Star – Pagliuca said games are won in the defensive zone.
“You win games by protecting your net and taking advantage of the other team’s opportunities,” Pagliuca said. “And we did that tonight.”
On the other side, Mutti played strong between PLNR’s pipes with Roach calling it “another strong game” for the sophomore.
“She made the initial saves on both goals, and we weren’t able to clear the rebound out,” Roach said. “That’s the difference in the game – those bounces.”
Sticks and pucks aside, high school sports are more than a final score. Roach thanked her seniors after the game, also adding “the future is really bright for us.”
“I couldn’t be more happy and proud of the way that my squad played this season,” Roach said. “We’ll be back next year, stronger.”
