Category: Girls Hockey
Canton Falls In Overtime in Return to D2 Title Game
BOSTON, Mass. – For the first six minutes of overtime in Saturday afternoon’s Div. 2 state title game at the TD Garden, Canton had dominated. The Bulldogs had five shots on goal in the extra period and had a flurry of chances while on the power play, but they couldn’t find the winner.
Algonquin had one chance in OT, but that was all it took for the Titans to end Canton’s reign atop the division.
Sophomore Mallory Farrell raced up the right wing, got a step on the Canton defense, and cut straight towards the goal. She dragged the puck through the crease and just past the stick of Canton goalie Carolyn Durand before depositing the title winner into the open side of the net. The 2-1 come from behind win clinched Algonquin’s first state championship and ended a seven-game postseason win streak for the Bulldogs.
“It came down to a really outstanding power move by Mallory,” Canton coach Dennis Aldrich said. “That was a top-notch move. She had a little more in the tank than our forecheckers anticipated on that, we took our angle, and it was just a little bit off. I’m glad it ended like that, if it had to end against us, a great move like that rather than a trickler or something like that.”
The game started in Canton’s typical style, with the Bulldogs making sure to get the puck deep, aggressively forechecking, and staying compact in the defensive zone. It took the Titans 13 minutes to register their first shot on goal.
Payton McDonough created the first opportunity for Canton, forcing a save with a shot from the slot. Thirty seconds later, Ellie Bohane picked the pocket of an Algonquin defenseman behind the net and played it front to Maggie Dailey, but the shot went just wide. Allie McCabe then went on a long rush from the defensive zone and teed up McDonough for another shot that was stopped by Algonquin’s Lana Pacific.
Canton grabbed the lead after nearly 10 minutes. Maya Battista was able to knock down a puck at the blue line and found tons of space open in front of her. The junior defenseman skated into the slot and then sniped a wrister high to the stick side to make it 1-0.
“She just has a knack of getting pucks through,” Aldrich said of Battista. “That was a really nice shot. I’ve gotten used to seeing that nine or 10 times this year. She does a really good job, she shoots with her head up, she shoots strong, and there was a good screen on that too.”
Algonquin tried to respond and tested Durand with a shot by Lauren O’Malley from the point that was comfortably gloved. McCabe then went on another long rush through all three zones before firing a shot from the right-wing circle that Pacific kicked aside.
Searching for a second goal, Canton continued to put pressure on the Algonquin defense. Tori Carr’s shot forced Pacific into a pad save and Bohane hustled to collect the rebound but the Titans goalie stayed tall to block the backhand effort. McCabe hit Tess Khoury with a long, angled pass that gave the forward to try a slap shot, which was gloved.
The Titans were struggling to get looks at goal but nearly took advantage of a bounce off the boards behind the net to tie the game. A shot ricocheted straight back and into the crease where Alexandria Davies pounced only to have Durand react quickly to smother the shot.
Canton’s best chance of the second came with four minutes left in the period. Battista threw another testing shot on net from the blue line and the rebound fell to Anna Lehan, but she flipped her backhand shot just wide of the top corner. Durand needed to be awake to glove a shot from Farrell in the closing seconds of the period to keep it 1-0.
There were plenty of chances for Canton to give itself a cushion early in the third. McCabe had a shot from the point saved and Algonquin just about managed to clear the rebound before it was squeezed over the line. The puck came out to Devan Spinale and she also forced Pacific into a pad stop. Battista’s shot was tipped in front by Lehan but again the Algonquin goalie was equal to it.
“Especially in the third period, there were a couple of tips and there was one that was tipped off her shoulder,” Aldrich said. “I think both teams are totally tapped out, they left everything out there. It was a great high school hockey game. It was kind of what both coaches anticipated.”
The Titans made Canton pay for not taking its chances. Farrell cut in from the left wing boards, dragging the puck past two Bulldogs before forcing a save with a backhand shot. Durand wasn’t able to secure it and the Bryn Domolky was in the right place to tip it home just before Canton’s defense could clear.
After tying the game, Algonquin had a good stretch where it looked like it might grab the lead. Emily Johns set up Farrell for a one-timer that fizzed wide, Davies got free after a slip at the blue line but sent a shot high, and Durand made a stop on Farrell as she cut across the zone.
With weary legs from the big ice at the Garden, the game was slowing down but Canton had enough in the tank to nearly win the game in regulation. Battista hit Audrey Koen with an angled outlet pass. At first Koen struggled to bring it under control, but she chased after the puck, beat the defense, and flicked a near-post backhander that somehow slipped past the post.
Aldrich said, “It was anyone’s game. I thought we had it in the third. We’ve had a lot of puck luck up to this point and they ended up having a little bit more today.”
Ninety seconds into the overtime, Canton had a power play opportunity, the first for either team in the game. The Bulldogs took advantage of the extra skater to put the pressure on Pacific. Battista had a shot saved from the point, McCabe had another chance in the right wing circle knocked aside, and Carr cut inside from the left wing boards and forced a blocker save with a rising shot.
The power play and the aggressive attack may have just taken that little extra out of the Canton defense and Farrell exploited it, speeding down the wing, and not stopping until she was in the arms of her teammates streaming off the bench.
Canton (18-7-0) was playing in its fourth state title game in the last five seasons (not counting the shortened 2021 season). The Bulldogs saw a trip to the Garden taken away in 2020, had a season halved by the pandemic, have battled with illnesses, and early season injuries, but through it all still managed to be there at the end, playing on the final day.
“A lot of them were young when we were able to last play a tournament game,” Aldrich explained, “but to have them play back in 2020 and not be able to get here, no one on either team had been here before. I was smiling as soon as the whistle went in the Natick game, knowing that the girls were finally going to get experience it.
“It’s always tough, you tell the kids, you’re always going to look at this as like a crash ending but so much that these kids have done to get here to this point is just incredible. They were here and they stuck together.”
Girls Hockey Photos: Canton vs. Natick
Canton Grinds Way Back to the Garden to Defend Title
BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – The final two minutes of Monday night’s Div. 2 state semifinal at the Gallo Ice Arena felt like an eternity.
Natick pulled its goalie and, with the extra attacker, seemed to have the puck confined to the Canton zone. Shot after shot was thrown towards the front of the net, most finding the way blocked by a green jersey or a well-positioned stick or skate. A few found their way through but ended up hitting a pad or finding their way into Carolyn Durand’s glove.
With less than 10 seconds remaining, senior Payton McDonough leaned over one last defensive zone face-off. She was able to tie up the puck, eating precious seconds off the clock. When it finally got kicked loose a wild shot sent the puck behind the net long enough for the horn to sound and send the Bulldogs racing off the bench.
Canton’s defense of its Div. 2 state title will continue to the final day of the winter season, as the Bulldogs held on for a 2-1 win over the Redhawks and a return to the TD Garden for an opportunity that the pandemic denied them in 2020.
“I’m just really excited for these girls,” said Canton coach Dennis Aldrich. “Two years ago these seniors were on a team that didn’t get to go to the Garden and we didn’t know if it was going to be in the cards again. You just don’t sell these kids short.”
McDonough said of the final sequence, “Eight seconds is a long time, so it was just pure determination. We’ve come this far, we’re not going to end it here. We were locking onto the girls, just trying to protect Carolyn, make sure she could see the puck.
“I think it’s really awesome what we did two years ago, but it didn’t really seem tangible. We never got to experience it. We really used that as motivation to hold on for that whole third period.”
The game didn’t start well for the Bulldogs, as Natick controlled play for much of the opening period. Tess Khoury, who scored twice in the quarterfinal win over Duxbury, got Canton’s first shot on goal three minutes in but the Bulldogs couldn’t build momentum as they were forced to kill off almost six minutes of Natick power play time.
After the kill, Canton got a boost of energy and went to work on the forecheck. Ellie Bohane and Audrey Koen pinned Natick behind its own net and then forced a turnover. The loose puck fell to Koen, who patiently moved into the slot before firing a shot past the shoulder of Natick goalie Elli Beigel.
It was a goal against the run of play and the Redhawks went right back onto the front foot. A spinning shot from leading scorer Colleen Quirk forced Durand into a pad save and then Bohane raced out to block a slap shot from Hadley Green. In the final minute of the period, Caroline Gates pinched in from the blue line and fired a shot that smacked the outside of the post.
Natick’s momentum carried over into the second and, only a minute into the period, Quirk got loose in the slot and placed a wrist shot high to the blocker side to tie the game.
The goal seemed to wake the Bulldogs up. After being outshot 9-5 in the first, Canton would outshoot Natick 13-3 in the second, creating chance after chance and keeping the Redhawks locked inside their defensive zone.
“It was definitely a wake-up call,” junior defenseman Maya Battista explained. “Natick is a great, aggressive team and we realized that if we didn’t play to our best then we were going to get beat and we came out flying after that and now we’re here.”
Battista was especially active in the attack, moving the puck well and getting shot after shot on target. A rebound from a Battista shot fell to Khoury, who flicked a shot high to the glove side. Beigel made the stop but the puck got loose behind her and Gates had to come through and clear it off the line. McDonough also had a good chance from the edge of the crease that Beigel kicked aside.
Midway through the period, Canton’s pressure turned into the go-ahead goal. Battista again created the opening with a shot from the left point. Anna Lehan was left all alone on the edge of the crease and she pounced on the rebound and buried the close-range chance.
“Something like that happens, they don’t go into a shell,” Aldrich said about his team’s reaction to the game being tied. “They tighten their belts and just go to work. Kids are doing everything they can.”
Canton had a power play and created a flurry of chances but couldn’t extend the lead. That continued into the third, as Bohane forced another turnover in the attacking zone and put a low shot on goal from the left wing circle, but Beigel got a pad to it. Quirk nearly pulled her team level with a great hustle play, racing all the way into her zone on the back check and then carrying the puck the length of the ice before forcing Durand (17 saves) into a good stop.
The Bulldogs nearly put the game away with three minutes to go. Bohane won the puck in the corner and played it out to the point. Devan Spinale angled a shot towards the far post where Lila Spinelli was stationed. Spinelli got a piece of the shot to direct it on goal but Beigel did very well to get a pad across in time to make the save.
“Coach calls us a blue collar team,” said McDonough. “We’re not really flashy, scoring a lot of goals, we’re just making sure we’re all doing our jobs, getting the puck out of the zone, getting the puck in deep, and hopefully getting some shots on net.”
A one-goal lead meant a test of Canton’s nerves over the final few minutes.
Durand snagged a blast from Gates and kept her calm in the tumultuous final seconds. Every player on the ice was throwing themselves in front of shots and even standing a few feet from the play it was difficult at times to see what direction the puck was headed. In the end, it was enough to secure the win and to book a place in the state final.
Aldrich said, “We asked them, what will you do to come out on top? You kind of saw it. Even when we didn’t get the blocks, I was proud of them because we didn’t want it going on net and for the most part it didn’t. I was really proud of how they stuck together.”
“This team is a family and everything we do is centered around being together and playing our best together,” Battista remarked. “It’s a great opportunity to do what we never got to do freshman year. I’m just happy to be back going to the Garden. It’s an exciting time.”
Canton (18-6-0) will take on No. 10 seed Algonquin, which beat No. 11 Medfield in overtime, at the TD Garden on Sunday at a time to be determined.
Girls Hockey Photos: Canton vs. Duxbury
Canton Upsets Top Seed Duxbury, Returns to State Semi
DUXBURY, Mass. – Some teams just seem to have that knack for finding a way to grind out a win. Every game is a little bit different, but in the end the result is the same. Canton has definitely developed into one of those teams.
Despite being on the road, despite facing the top seed, and despite having to wait almost an hour after the scheduled face-off for the game to begin, Canton seemed unfazed heading into Saturday night’s Div. 2 quarterfinal against Duxbury at The Bog. After all, the Bulldogs have been here before.
Allie McCabe opened the scoring, Tess Khoury scored twice in the third period (including an empty netter), and Carolyn Durand came through with big saves down the stretch, as Canton earned a 3-0 win. It was the second time that the Bulldogs had beaten (and shutout) the Dragons this season and it seals Canton’s fourth state semifinal appearance in the past five seasons (not counting last winter where there were no playoffs).
“Our girls play so many tight games, it doesn’t really bother them,” said Canton coach Dennis Aldrich. “We expect that’s how it’s going to be because all year it’s been like that. That’s probably why we were a nine-seed, we didn’t beat people by three goals, we beat people by one, but we won.”
When asked about Canton’s ability to find ways to win this time of year, McCabe, who will be going to the third state semifinal of her career, replied, “It’s definitely our teamwork. We’re basically a family, we do everything together. At practice, we sprint a lot, it’s tiring but it helps us. We’re always prepared and I guess we’re always there for each other when we’re nervous. We are always there to help each other out.”
After a lengthy wait to get on the ice, Canton got a power play opportunity just 26 seconds into the game. McCabe had a good look on goal from outside the right wing circle that Duxbury goalie Anna McGinty fought off. McCabe would later make a nice rush up ice and have a shot partially blocked on its way to goal. Those were the only two shots on target for Canton in the first.
Duxbury was hardly peppering the goal on the other end. Right at the end of the power play, Megan Carney came out of the box and got behind the Canton defense for a breakaway, but Durand (16 saves) stayed tall, stayed with the puck, and made the stop. She also came up with a big pad stop late in the period, but Duxbury, which had the lion’s share of zone time, only managed four shots on goal in the first.
The Dragons came out for the second intent on creating more chances and a minute in Ayla Abben forced Durand into a pad save with a shot from the slot. It was one of only three shots the hosts would put on goal in period.
Canton controlled play in the second, turning the tables and putting pressure on Duxbury’s defense. Audrey Koen flipped a clearance up ice from her own blue line that found Payton McDonough coming off the bench, leading to a backhander that McGinty needed to stop. Two minutes later, Ellie Bohane (who scored the OT winner in the previous round) broke into the zone and dropped a pass to Anna Lehane, who’s shot was partially blocked but on target.
A power play opportunity midway through the second helped Canton solidify its control. Maya Battista was floating from the blue line to behind the net and she teed up McDonough for a tip in front that was just wide. The pair combined again seconds later for a shot from the slot and again it was just wide.
The pressure continued and it felt like a goal was coming for the visitors. With 11 seconds remaining on the power play, McCabe, the Hockomock League MVP, got the puck in the high slot and was given time and space to move closer to goal before firing a wrister into the top corner past McGinty to put the Bulldogs in front.
“That was crucial,” McCabe said of getting the first goal. “We beat them last time and we knew we could do it but a bunch of people were like, no it’s just a fluke game, you weren’t supposed to beat them. Once we got that [goal] it was like, okay let’s go, we can keep going.”
If the crowd was stunned to see Duxbury fall behind, then it was about to be floored by what happened next. Just two minutes into the third and with the first shot for either team in the period, Canton doubled its lead. McDonough again proved to be a massive presence in the attacking zone, blocking a clearance on the left wing boards and driving towards net. The puck squirted loose and right to Khoury on the edge of the crease. She roofed her shot and made it 2-0.
“It was awesome,” McCabe said of the second goal. “I was not expecting that. We knew it was going to be a tough game but when we saw that I was like, okay, take a little breath. Obviously there was a lot of time left, but it was awesome.”
Down by two goals, the Dragons found another gear and started to dominate play. Maddie Greenwood had a pair of big chances at the near post that Durand blocked with her pad and then her glove. Flynn Bridgett let loose with a pair of slap shots from the point that found their way through traffic, but both were turned aside by Durand.
Aldrich said, “I’ve heard other coaches talk about their goalie being the best in the state, show me one who is better than her.”
The chances kept coming. Abban raced into the zone on the right wing, cut across the middle and ripped a shot that Durand coolly gloved as it was heading under the bar. Carney had a chance on a two-on-one with three minutes to play but she shot wide of the far post and Greenwood came closest to scoring when her quick-release rocket went off the post, behind Durand, and out the other side.
Canton’s defense, including McCabe, Battista, Tori Carr, and Devan Spinale, was doing what it needed to crowd the middle, not allow chances on the edge of the crease, and clearing pucks out to the neutral zone. With help from the forwards, Canton kept the Dragons at bay.
With the clock winding down, Khoury was able to get the puck past the Duxbury defenseman on the blue line and everyone watched as it meandered down ice and settled into the back of the net. The empty net goal clinched yet another hard-fought playoff victory for the Bulldogs.
“To be able to hold them in two games to zero goals, our girls buy into what we do here,” said Aldrich. “We work hard and it’s paying off. When your best player, Allie McCabe, is leading the team in blocked shots, as a coach it’s a pretty easy thing to bring the other guys along.”
McCabe explained, “We all worked together. Carolyn played awesome, she blocked a ton of shots at the end. Our players blocked shots, we were just there for each other, and helped us get through it.”
Canton (17-6-0) will face No. 5 seed Natick in the semifinal on Monday at Gallo Arena at 7:15. The Bulldogs won each of the last three semifinal appearances and reached the final at the TD Garden.
Hockomock Hockey Playoff Seeds & Matchups
Below are the seeds and matchups for Hockomock teams in the MIAA playoffs. Seeds, times, and dates are subject to change and we will update this post with any changes.
Boys
Division 1
#19 Franklin (13-8-0) will travel to #14 Wellesley (12-2-6) on Saturday, March 5 at 7:00 at Wellesley Sports Center.
#33 King Philip (9-8-3) will travel to #32 Weymouth (6-13-2) on Monday, February 28 at 7:00 at Connell Rink.
Division 2
#3 Canton (18-2-1) will host #30 Plymouth South (7-13-0) on Wednesday, March 2 at 5:30 at Metropolis Rink.
#25 North Attleboro (9-10-1) will travel to #8 Newton South (12-6-2) on Thursday, March 3 at 5:00 at Ryan Arena.
#27 Mansfield (7-11-1) will travel to #6 Walpole (11-7-2) on Thursday, March 3 at 6:00 at Rodman Arena.
Division 3
#26 Taunton (7-9-4) will travel to #7 Nashoba Regional (16-3-0) on Thursday, March 3 at 7:00 at the New England Sports Center.
#27 Foxboro (10-10-0) will travel to #6 Medway (17-3-0) on Saturday, March 5 at 4:30 at Pirelli Veterans Arena.
#31 Stoughton (10-10-2) will host #34 Diman (9-9-0) on Tuesday, March 1 at 4:00 at Asiaf Arena.
Girls
Division 1
#24 Mansfield/OA (3-15-1) will travel to #9 Haverhill (10-8-2) on Friday, March 4 at 5:00 at Veterans Memorial Rink.
Division 2
#3 King Philip (18-4-0) will host #30 Norwell (8-10-1) on Saturday, march 5 at 6:30 at Foxboro Sports Center.
#9 Canton (14-6-0) will host #24 Watertown (15-5-0) on Wednesday, March 3 at 6:00 at Metropolis Rink.
#25 Franklin (6-10-4) will travel to #8 Andover (12-5-2) on Friday, March 4 at 4:30 at Breakaway Ice Center.
