Moriarty comes out on top
Burrillville junior named this year’s girls hockey MVP
BURRILLVILLE — Being the captain of a co-op girls hockey team which features kids from three different schools is a tough enough challenge, but throw in the unprecedented nature of the pandemic-impacted season and the task becomes borderline impossible.
And yet, Burrillville junior forward Avery Moriarty handled the role with aplomb. The affable Bronco is the 2020-21 Call/Times Girls Hockey MVP not only because she scored a team-high eight goals and led the Broncos back to the state semifinals, but also because she was a positive force off the ice.
“I don’t like to push people around and yell at my teammates because they’re all my friends,” Moriarty said. “I try to lift people up and make sure they’re happy. I’m the type of person to punch you in the shoulder and tell you you’re doing a good job. I want everyone to feel like they’re a part of the team.”
“What stands out about Avery is just her leadership,” Burrillville/Ponaganset/Bay View veteran coach Cortney Lacey said. “She’s a big-time leader and does anything we ask to help the team. In practices she gives 100 percent and it’s the same in every game. We asked her all season to not just lead with her voice, but lead by example. A captain can’t just talk the talk, they have to show it on the ice and Avery did just that.”
No girls team in the state dealt with more adversity because of the pandemic than the Broncos, who didn’t have all of their players available at preseason practices in January. The challenges continued in February when a COVID outbreak with the Ponaganset portion of the team forced the Broncos into quarantine just when they were starting to play their best hockey.
The Broncos advanced to the state semifinals because Warwick had to go into quarantine before suffering a sweep at the hands of eventual state champion La Salle. The final few weeks of the season provided plenty of motivation for Moriarty and a squad that doesn’t graduate anyone.
“The first thing I want everyone to do in the offseason is get working and get together to improve our chemistry,” Moriarty said. “We have three great goalies and a bunch of good players, so I’m fired up for next season. I know everyone is excited to get back on the ice and improve on this season.”
When the Broncos were at their best this season, Moriarty was a scoring force to lead her team to a 3-0 start. The Broncos scored 21 goals and allowed just five in the first three games before a COVID pause stunted all of BPBV’s momentum. Moriarty said everything the team went through this season made her appreciate the sport even more.
“I felt like every game could be my last of the season, so that’s how I tried to approach everything,” Moriarty said. “We tried to use the year as a development year because it was so hard to build chemistry when we didn’t have time together on the ice. I just focused on working harder and improving my game.”
Moriarty, along with Ponaganset’s Isabelle Besser and Kristen Briggs, will be a captain again next season, so the big challenge is to improve personally while trying to get the Broncos back to the state final for the first time since 2017. Moriarty knows if she gets a little stronger and becomes a little bit more selfish in the offensive zone, she will be one of the state’s top scorers.
“She’s a scrappy player and really quick,” Lacey said. “She goes up and down the ice and plays on the power play and penalty kill. She’s improved so much from her freshman year to her junior year. She works all the time and she’s always up in the practice room [at Levy Rink] working on her shooting and stick handling. All that improvement is because she goes the extra mile.” Follow Branden Mello on Twitter @Branden_Mello The Blackstone Valley only features two girls hockey teams, but Burrillville/Ponaganset/Bay View and Mount St. Charles/Cumberland/Lincoln each featured talented players who made their mark on the short season. The Broncos returned to the state semifinals for the fifth straight season, while the Mounties received solid performances from a talented group of underclassmen to return to the playoffs.
Goalie – Grace Davenport, junior, Mount St. Charles
Don’t be fooled by Davenport’s 4.96 goals against average, she was a big reason the Mounties earned the No. 6 seed in the state tournament. The pint-sized shot stopper was under siege in games against state champion La Salle and East Bay co-op, but she made numerous spectacular saves. Her performance in a 4-2 win over the Broncos late in the regular season was one of the best individual performances of the season. She stopped 280 of a possible 325 shots.
“Grace is simply the heart of the team,” MCL coach Vanessa D’Andrea said. “She is one of the hardest working players on the ice and she makes all the tough saves. No matter how many shots come her way, she’s always has something positive to say to cheer up her team and says it with a smile on her face. She has the internal motivation and desire, and no matter how hard she works, she always strives to improve and that internal motivation is what makes her the heart of this team.”
Defense – Katie Potter, freshman, Burrillville
Don’t be fooled by the talented freshman’s position, Potter was more dangerous in the offensive zone than in her own end. Potter played in every phase of the game and led her squad in assists (seven) and points (10). And, even though she was on the ice for nearly 30 minutes a game, the Bronco didn’t commit a penalty during the regular season.
“She was our best defenseman and she is such a smart player,” Lacey said. “She knows where to be positionally and she knows where the puck is going, which makes her tough to go past. She plays the body well and she will only get better as she gets older and stronger.”
Defense – Mary Kelley, freshman, Lincoln
Kelley played defense because that’s where D’Andrea needed her, but the talented Lion freshman could do it all. After leading Lincoln to the Division II field hockey title in the fall, Kelley went on the ice and was simply her team’s best skater. She scored a Valley-high 13 goals and produced a Valley-high 15 points while committing just one penalty.
Kelley is headed to prep school next year to continue her hockey journey.
“Mary was a great asset to have on the team this year,” D’Andrea said. “She is such a smart and humble player and could be utilized in any position. She was the missing offensive puzzle piece that helped generate our goals at the end of the season. Mary has a great attitude and works so hard and that’s what will make her a great player and leader on any team she plays on in the future.”
Defense – Brooke Forget, sophomore, Mount St. Charles
Most defenseman in high school hockey are better going forward than in their own zone, but that wasn’t the case for Forget, who was a classic stay-at-home defenseman who cleaned things up in her own zone to give the forwards a chance to break out. The sophomore had a goal and an assist and committed just one penalty during the regular season.
“Brooke was an asset to our defense this year. She came out of her shell and became a true leader and role model to her new defensive linemates by teaching them the correct positioning,” D’Andrea said. “Even as a defensive player, she helped generate offense and started off the season strong by scoring our first goal of the season from the blue line in the first minute of our first game.”
Forward – Emily Allard, sophomore, Burrillville
Allard was one of eight Broncos who scored at least two goals, but she did her best work setting up her teammates. The Burrillville sophomore added four assists and committed just three penalties to help the Broncos earn the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. Allard has developed from a player who rarely saw the ice a few seasons ago to a top-six forward.
“She works as hard as anyone on the team and I’m really looking for her to take a big step next year,” Lacey said. “Her biggest asset is her speed, but what’s going to take her to the next level is her puck control. When she takes that next step and reads where the play is going, she’s going to be tough to stop. It’s all about building that confidence.”
Forward – Riley Trudeau, junior, Cumberland
Trudeau, who was an All-Area selection in the fall because of her exploits on the soccer team, played a blue-collar role for MCL. The Clipper scored just one goal, but her selflessness helped the co-op team advance to the playoffs. She had four assists to finish third on the team in scoring with five points.
“Riley has the fire and determination like no other,” D’Andrea said. “In just two years she has grown and become an amazing hockey player. She has no problem blocking pucks to prevent shots on net, but she also has no problem using her body to get the puck and help generate great offensive plays. If she could, she would play every shift of every game because she has that fire and desire to want to fight and win.”
Forward – Allie Trimble, sophomore, Burrillville
The stop-start nature of the truncated season didn’t do the Broncos any favors, but Trimble still made the most of it. The talented Bronco was tied for second on the team in scoring with eight points and she was tied for second with three goals. Trimble has all the technical skills to be one of the best players in the state, but her challenge is to get bigger and stronger to take advantage of her speed and skill.
“She’s just a hockey player,” Lacey said. “She doesn’t stop skating and she moves the puck well and attacks the net. I think she’s going to have a huge junior year because she didn’t have a chance to develop a rhythm because we didn’t start the season with everyone on the ice and then we had to pause late in the season.”
Forward – Leah Laquerre, sophomore, Mount St. Charles
Laquerre always found her way around the puck. The forward led the Mounties with six assists and she was second on the team with three goals and nine points. She also played with an edge, leading the Mounties with 10 penalties. Laquerre will be asked to do even more scoring next season with Kelley off to greener pastures.
“Leah is such a smart and selfless hockey player,” D’Andrea said. “She would rather be a playmaker and help give her teammates the puck and an opportunity to score, which helped our team generate great offensive plays. This year she really thrived and was a role model to the new players on the team and helped them learn the game of hockey.”