Warwick stands in way of Mounties
WOONSOCKET — Saturday night’s 3-0 senior night defeat to East Bay co-op still stings for the Mount St. Charles/Cumberland co-op hockey team.
The Mounties gave up power-play goals in the first and third periods to give the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish. It was the Mounties’ second loss this season to an East Bay team they feel they can compete with if they stay out of the box and get their chances.
The two teams are on a collision course to meet in the semifinals next weekend, but first the No. 3 Mounties faces No. 6
Warwick co-op in a Division I bestof-three quarterfinals series starting tonight at Adelard Arena at 7:30.
“We can truly compete with anybody,” Mount coach Anthony DiLorenzo said prior to practice Thursday afternoon. “We skated stride for stride with Barrington [East Bay], but that lineup isn’t the lineup I’m going into the next games with. I have options for the playoffs that I haven’t used yet – or used seldomly.
“The keys going into this series are the basics; forecheck, neutral zone, backcheck and defensive zone. We need to simplify the game.”
DiLorenzo’s biggest concern going into the playoffs is scoring goals because in the eight games against the three weakest teams in the division, the Mounties score 59 goals. In games against No. 1 La Salle, East Bay, No. 4 Burrillville/ Bay and No. 5 South County, the Mounties averaged just two goals a game and went 3-5.
Goals, however, shouldn’t be a problem in the first round because the Mounties piled up 18 goals in three victories against the Titans. They earned a pair of 7-1 victories along with a 4-2 win on Jan. 20.
“The key without giving up thoughts on our gameplan – scoring against good teams is sometimes kind of tough – we only need to score one goal to win,” DiLorenzo said. “Along with our best players putting the puck in the net, everybody needs to make that one defensive play.”
The Mounties are led by likely the best two-way player in the state in Mount St. Charles senior forward/defenseman Kiki Doucette, who scored 18 goals and had 17 assists in the regular season. Fellow Mounties Hannah Squires added a team-high 17 assists and Cumberland junior Elise Curren chipped in 12 goals and 12 assists.
Junior goalie Abby Dalpe has been impressive this season, saving 84.4 percent of the shots she’s faced with a goals-against average of just 2.44.
“I think Abby has found her
groove, especially in that Barrington game,” DiLorenzo said. “She stopped some shots that were tough and so did the other goalie. She’s really found that again.”
Warwick (5-13) is certainly a big underdog after producing a minus-61 goal differential during the regular season. The Titans’ victories came against the two weakest teams in the division, while the closest they came to beating a playoff team was the 4-2 defeat to the Mounties.
DiLorenzo said he’s been impressed by the play of Pilgrim sophomore goalie Madison Dowling, who has split time with Mary Greenwell. The sophomore has saved 84.4 percent of her shots in just over four games of work.
“[Dowling] is a bigger goalie and Greenwell is a good goalie, but we’ve faced her many times and we have a book on her,” DiLorenzo said. “We don’t have much of a book on the other goalie. They also have a few kids who can definitely skate end to end. That’s where our defensive structure that I’ve tried to uncomplicate this year becomes important.”
Toll Gate’s Rebecca Yaseen scored a team-high 10 goals and produced four assists, while Nicole Prociaccini delivered a team-high five assists.
Game 2 of the series is tomorrow night at Thayer Arena at 6, and an if-necessary third game will be Monday night at Adelard.