The Walpole Girl’s Hockey team has had a great success this season, recently winning the Herget Division Championship with the most wins in a regular season. The team’s record is 15-1-3. A majority of these achievements can be attributed to the team’s goalie, junior captain Bethany Welch. Welch have led the Walpole girls to their promising outcome in the Herget by only letting up one goal after many shots from Norwood’s talented shooters.
Welch has been a varsity goalie for Walpole for three years, and her record for goaltending has improved each year. She is respected by her teammates as a goalie and a captain. Sophomore Caitlin Barry said, “Bethany is a great captain because she leads by example. She doesn’t act like a coach, but she enforces what the coaches tell us, and I think that is her greatest feature.” Welch, with the help of sophomore goalie Kaylin Hallet, has maintained nine shut-out games throughout the season.
Welch has been goaltending for seven years and has been a starting goalie for Walpole High’s Varsity team for three of them. When asked “What is the most rewarding aspect of being a goalie?” Welch said, “I’m not sure but it is probably the most rewarding positions.” Despite all her success this season, Welch said she still has a lot to work on, including rebounds and glove-work: “Everything can be improved” said Welch, who is ranked as one of the top five goaltenders in Massachusetts. Statistics for this year’s games show 259 saves for Welch this year alone, with only 18 goals against for the entire season.
Her goal as a captain for this year is to keep herself and the rest of the team focused, which she sees as one of the major weaknesses of the group. In response to strengths, however, Welch feels the girls are quick on their feet, especially in the defensive zone. Though much of the success of the team goes to Welch, she said, “Everyone has greatly contributed, even those who don’t play as much. We need everyone in order to be successful, not just me.” The need to win and the pressure of intense rivalries are what keep Welch focused before and during the games.
Coach Joe Verderber said, “This is definitely the best year for Bethany, but also the hardest because we’re letting up so few shots that for her, this is more of a mental game than a physical game.” Welch is a three season athlete, balancing several honors classes along with field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse. She is also working on her fifteenth year as a dancer at Walpole Dance Center. Her focus and determination on the ice translate off with her impressive list of academics and extracurricular activities. Welch continues to show her strengths in the net and plans to lead the girls in the upcoming playoff games, hopefully winning their way to the Boston Garden.
