CHS girls hockey honors legacy of the late Pat Walsh
By Jay Turner
Sophomore Maggie Malloy anchors the lady Bulldogs’ top forward line. (Mike Barucci photo)
An encouraging start to last week’s inaugural Pat Walsh Memorial Tournament ended in heartbreak for the Canton High girls ice hockey team last Friday as the lady Bulldogs fell just short against Westwood in a game that they desperately wanted to win.
While it counted no more or no less in the standings than any other regular season contest, head coach Dennis Aldrich, who organized the four-team tournament to honor the memory of his friend and fellow hockey coach, was hoping that Canton would be the ones hoisting the championship trophy this time. The players, meanwhile, were equally determined to bring home the victory, and it was apparent in their play all game long despite the eventual 1-0 final score.
“We definitely wanted to honor Pat with the trophy,” Aldrich said afterwards, “but as I told the girls before the game, all we’re responsible for is competing and playing the way that would make Pat Walsh proud, which is kind of the staple of our team and the staple of how Pat lived his life. And I guarantee you Pat Walsh is smiling because of our efforts tonight.”
A native of Canton and a Blue Hills Regional graduate, Walsh was only 48 when he passed away in March following a sudden illness. Aldrich described him as a loving husband and father and one of the real “good guys” of the local hockey community — a longtime coach and Canton Youth Hockey board member who did it for the “right reasons.”
As for the four-team tournament established in Walsh’s memory, Aldrich was happy to be able to honor his friend with a win over Dedham in the opener last Tuesday. Tied 0-0 entering the final frame, the Canton girls seized the momentum and went on to win 2-0 behind a pair of goals by Lauren Fitzpatrick and Maggie Malloy.
The two goals were the team’s first since the season opener against King Philip, snapping an eight-period scoreless streak. Aldrich said he may consider shuffling the forward lines in hopes of sparking the offense, but he knows the talent is there and does not expect the lack of scoring to be a season-long trend.
“It’s certainly not their compete level or aggressiveness,” he said. “They’re actually playing pretty good hockey. We’re getting ample opportunities in the scoring areas and we’re out-chancing our opponents. We just have not been able to find the back of the net.”
The good news, he said, is that the defense seems to have stepped up its game, aided by the consistent brilliance of junior goalie Colleen Kelleher, who has allowed only one goal in her last three games. Aldrich said there are also a number of young defensemen who have started to earn the coaching staff’s trust, including his daughter, Meg Aldrich, and fellow freshman Alexa Maffeo.
“We have been upping their minutes and they are proving themselves worthy of that trust,” he said. “They are more composed than we probably anticipated at this point.”
Now 2-3 overall, the lady Bulldogs will be going in search of their first SEMGHL Coastal Division win when they travel to Falmouth this Saturday to take on the Clippers. The girls will then open a stretch of six straight home games, starting with Plymouth North on Wednesday, January 11, at 7 p.m.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=35187
Posted by Jay Turner
on Jan 6 2017. Filed under High School, Sports.
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