CHS girls hockey falls to Winchester in D2 playoffs

They gave it their all, but the better team prevailed.

That was the assessment of CHS girls hockey coach Dennis Aldrich after the lady Bulldogs’ 2-0 loss to Winchester in the MIAA Division 2 tournament last week.

Sophomore goalie Colleen Kelleher, a 2-time SEMGHL All Star (Mike Barucci photo)

Unlike last year, when an evenly matched Winchester team dashed the girls’ postseason dreams in a double-overtime heartbreaker, Aldrich said this year’s loss was easier to swallow as the No. 8 Sachems played up to their billing.

“They basically returned their whole team,” said the Canton coach. “In my eyes they were clearly the more talented team, certainly more seasoned. They were bigger and stronger, and I think the better team won.”

While the 25th-seeded Bulldogs hung in there in the opening period and managed to keep the Sachems off the scoreboard, Aldrich said the talent and size disparity became evident in the second frame as Winchester completely took over, scoring two goals and outshooting the visitors 22-1.

“No one has manhandled us like that the whole year, and it was all on them,” Aldrich said afterwards. “They just totally dominated.”

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, their all-star goalie, Colleen Kelleher, was sensational in the period, turning away shot after shot and helping to keep the team in the game.

“She was out of this world in the second period,” Aldrich said of Kelleher, who’s still just a sophomore. “She made some ridiculous saves and gave us an opportunity to win.”

And despite facing a two-goal deficit against a very tough team, the Bulldogs showed grit and toughness in the third, outshooting the Sachems 7-3 and generally outplaying them for the majority of the period.

Even in the waning seconds, when it was clear that the game had been decided, the Bulldogs were still crashing the net and battling for loose pucks.

“I told the girls after the game that I was really proud of how they responded,” said Aldrich. “They’re a very tough group, and they played right to the final buzzer, just as they always have.”

With the loss to Winchester, the Bulldogs finished the season at 9-7-4 overall. However, they were in almost every game they played and proved to be a particularly tough out down the stretch, earning six wins and three draws over their final 11 games.

Aldrich said the team showed incredible resilience and determination in a season in which they played most of their games on the road due to the closure of their home rink. And they never complained, which is a testament, he said, to the leadership of the upperclassmen, including seniors Mary Nee, Lindsey Nolte, Emily Rizzitano, and Sarah Wilkinson.

“What these girls have been through this year, they really rallied and came together,” he said. “I thought they had a remarkable season playing at the level they did, and it’s a credit to them and their character.”

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Posted by Jay Turner on Mar 4 2016. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.