CM stops BC High cold
Clancy, Doherty star outside
FROZEN FENWAY
Goalie Brendan Clancy was immense for Catholic Memorial, and an opportunistic goal from Sean Doherty gave the resilient Knights a 2-1 win for the ages against BC High in frigid conditions at the outdoor rink at Fenway Park yesterday.
“Brendan Clancy’s been fantastic all season for us,” CM coach Larry Rooney said. “When you have a goalie like that, the team in front of him plays with a lot of confidence.”
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead after Matt Lakus set up Michael Grant in front of the net. Grant put a backhand shot past Clancy.
A well-placed shot from Josh Petrucci tied the game for the Knights (6-10) on the power play later in the first period, and after that both teams settled down into a tight defensive game.
Clancy and BC High goalie Chase Congdon kept their opponents off the scoreboard for all of the second period and much of the third, but a heads-up play from Sean Doherty finally broke the 1-1 tie with just over three minutes to play. A long point shot hit the endboards and kicked right back in front of Congdon, where Doherty collected it and scored the final goal.
“We’re a strong team,” Doherty said. “We’re tight. We always have each others’ back.”
It was the Knights’ first regular-season win over BC High (5-1-1) since Jan. 4, 2011.
Girls hockey
Westford 3, Acton-Boxboro 2 — A second-period outburst helped the Grey Ghosts (3-1-1) recover from a slow start, and a dramatic last-minute point shot from Kerri Bolivar produced the win against the Colonials (1-4-0) in the first game of the day at the ballpark.
Westford had a number of chances in the first period but couldn’t beat Madigan Anderson, A-B’s seventh-grade goalie. Lily Zavolas made sure Anderson’s early efforts did not go to waste, and her powerplay goal gave the Colonials a 1-0 lead late in the period.
Midway through the second, the Grey Ghosts came to life with two goals in rapid succession. Kayleigh Butler’s end-to-end rush set up Hannah Keefe for the first goal, and just 41 seconds later, Taylor Pacifico deked and roofed a backhand shot for a 2-1 Westford lead.
The advantage was shortlived, however, as a point shot from Alicia Souliotis brought the Colonials even just 25 seconds after the Pacifico tally.
The Grey Ghosts put heavy pressure on Anderson throughout the third period, but couldn’t beat her until the final minute, when Bolivar’s point shot was deflected on its way to the net and snuck in under the crossbar with just 24 seconds left.
“Our game plan tonight was just to get things on net,” Westford coach Bob Ware said. “Someone was going to be the hero, and I’m happy it was Kerri.”