The Walpole and Dedham teams faced each other at the Noble and Greenough’s Flood Rink on Wednesday February 25, 2010. The rink was packed and with the cheers from the crowd, this playoff game truly felt like a professional sporting event.
The Walpole girls’ offense was extremely powerful in the game; however, Dedham’s defense was also an immovable force. Out of 32 shots on goal, Marauder senior captain goalie Sarah Mosca only let three pucks into the goal. The Marauders had 16 shots on goal and freshman goalie Bethany Welch let in two goals. The game ended with a score of 3-2 and with the Rebels advancing on to the quarter finals at Fontbonne Academy.
The game had no clear favorite. In the season opener the Rebels lost to the Marauders 3-1, but the two teams tied 2-2 the next time they played at Iorio Arena. The Rebels just seemed to keep getting better and better, and they ended their third, and final, game against Dedham with a victory.
The first half of the first period remained 0-0, but the Marauders broke that score 8:30 into the game. Senior Captain Kelly Celata knocked the puck into the net, bringing the score to 1-0 and putting the Rebels behind.
The lead remained intact until 2:57 into the second period. Sophomore Cori Donahue won a faceoff in the right circle and made a shot on net, but Mosca saved Donahue’s attempted goal. Fortunately for the Rebels senior Captain Kellie Duffy got a hold of the puck and get it past Mosca, scoring the first of three goals for the Rebels. This score would hold up for the rest of the period, as spectacular goalie play shut down both offenses.
The third period proved to be the most exciting. With 5:17 left in the game the Rebels added to their lead when Duffy, assisted by junior Lauren Whitmore, scored yet another goal when she put the puck right over Mosca’s shoulder. However, the Marauders did not give up. When Whitmore was put in the penalty box for tripping, the Dedham girls took advantage of having more players on the ice. With 3:34 left junior Meaghan Dwan successfully got the puck into Walpole’s net assisted by Celata and junior Samantha Parr.
With two minutes left in the third quarter, Walpole senior Kristen Morrissey was sent to the penalty box for checking, giving the Mauraders a power play opportunity. The Marauders were unable to take advantage of this, being held scoreless on the power play and Walpole skated away with a 3-2 victory.
After the game, Rebel coach Joe Verderber commented on the Rebel’s victory. He said, “We did what we had to do. It was a tight game and we did just enough to get it done.” The Rebels hope to add another victory when they play Fontbonne Academy, a very competitive team.
