Woburn girls hockey keeps up pace

Woburn doesn’t want this season to be a repeat of last.

Last year, the Tanners girls hockey team started off strong before petering out as the season wound along. This year, they are eager to keep the success going.

“Last year we were a good first half team, but an average second half team, and I remind them of that all the time,” said coach Bob MacCurtain.

The Tanners kept rolling yesterday, shutting out Middlesex League rival Lexington, 5-0, at the Hayden Recreation Center in Lexington.

It took just three and a half minutes for Woburn (11-01, 7-0-1) to get on the board. Speedster Georgie Santullo shot through traffic to put the Tanners ahead. Less than a minute after, Cassidy Connolly pumped home a Emily Carpenter pass to open up a 2-0 lead.

After the Minutewomen (5-3-4, 2-1-4) had their first quality chance of the game, the puck came back the Tanners way. Lily Mallard’s slap shot from the right face-off circle sailed into the net to give Woburn a 3-0 lead halfway through the first.

The Tanners dominated puck possession in the second, peppering Lexington goalie Abby Ortyl, who made eight saves in the frame, and 18 overall. After the Lexington defense broke up several opportunities, Woburn broke through 11 minutes into the period, with a Marissa Gregory laser blasting into the net.

Turnovers hurt Lexington in the third period, and Santullo’s second goal of the game with six minutes left sealed the win.

“Sometimes when you get out to a good start, you start to worry about maintaining the pressure throughout the game, but I thought we did a nice job,” said MacCurtain.

In other girls hockey action:

Mel McAleer racked up three goals and three assists, which puts her at 100 goals in her high school career, as Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake (6-2-2) cruised past

Franklin 10-4 in nonleague play. ... Senior McKinley Karpa notched two tallies as Beverly/Danvers (11-0-1) doubled up Duxbury, 4-2. . . . Sydney Cresta’s two goals and one assist propelled

Marblehead (5-6-1) to a 3-0 victory over Falmouth (Maine). Ciara Wall scored a pair of goals as Matignon (9-2) rolled past Archbishop Williams 4-0 in a Catholic Central League game.

Boys hockey

In a Northeastern Conference matchup, sophomore Ryan Skoczylas recorded his third shutout of the season as Winthrop (9-1-1) blanked Gloucester, 5-0.

Aiden Connolly collected three goals and an assist as

Marshfield (11-1-1) routed Sandwich, 7-2, in Atlantic Coast League action.

Girls basketball

Behind Erin Donlan’s game-high 21 points, Arlington Catholic (8-2) squeaked by Falmouth, 45-41, in nonleague play.