Walpole girls knock off Boston Latin to move on
WALPOLE >> Walpole girls hockey coach Bob England knew his squad had potential.
Playing in the gauntlet known as the Bay State Conference may have presented some challenges for the Timberwolves during the regular season, but many were of the mind that their difficult schedule could benefit them come tournament time.
Monday it became evident why many held that belief. Junior Katie Colleran sniped the eventual game-winning goal as No. 32 Walpole ousted No. 33 Boston Latin from the Div. 2 girls hockey playoffs with a 1-0 victory in a preliminary contest.
“It’s a tough league,” said England. “Tough division going through. All the teams are very good. It just goes to show you right there, that’s a onegoal game. Lots of shots on net, but their goalie played good. (Boston Latin’s) whole team played well.”
From the opening puck drop, Walpole (8-9-4) controlled the pace of play, outshooting the Wolfpack 10-3 in the first period. Yet, the Timberwolves found themselves struggling to slip a shot past sophomore goaltender Kelly McKenna. However, their suffocating style of defense created countless opportunities on the offensive end.
“I think the key was taking over the neutral zone,” said England. “Keeping the puck down low in the offensive zone, and attacking the puck. Try to dominate, go back and forth. If we kept pressure on them, it kept them from getting changeups, and it (helped keep) us shooting on net.”
After Boston Latin (10-101) failed to convert on consecutive power play opportunities in the second period, the Timberwolves began a rush in the opposite direction. Colleran took a pass from Ava England, then deked past a defenseman. She waited for a shooting lane to develop, then fired a bullet into the twine to provide Walpole a 1-0 edge with just four seconds remaining in the period.
“I knew there wasn’t that much time left on the clock,” said Colleran. “I saw that my teammate had the puck. I knew that we really had nothing to lose if we just took it up. I got a beautiful pass, and capitalized on it.”
The Timberwolves ramped things up in the third period, maintaining possession as they salted away the victory. Senior captain Maddie Clark (10 saves) completed a shutout for Walpole.
Meanwhile, McKenna registered 29 saves to keep Boston Latin alive throughout the night.
The journey doesn’t get any easier for the Timberwolves, as they next battle top-seeded Archbishop Williams in the Round of 32 on Wednesday.
“So Archies, they’re the No. 1 seed,” said England. “They’re the top team. We have nothing to lose. Our girls are ready for them. We’ll do a little more practicing, but we’re going to play the same way. Just try to keep the puck down low, keep the offensive game going. Keep shooting on net, and hopefully get a few more goals.”