They’re in contention

No. 5 Burlington ready for a deep postseason run

Upon his hire as coach at Burlington in 2019, Rick Sheehan greeted a players who were part of an 0-20 season the year prior.

But Sheehan took note of the youth and promise.

The Red Devils went 7-0-1 in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, advanced to the first round of Division 2 tournament in 2022, and the state quarterfinals a year ago.

Ranked fifth in this week’s Globe Top 20 — and the MIAA Power Rankings — Burlington is 9-1 entering Wednesday’s Middlesex League matchup against Belmont.

“I’ve got some pretty talented hockey players — I can’t take credit for that,” Sheehan said. “Their hockey IQ is pretty strong. When I talk to them about [new] concepts, after a couple of reps in practice, they start figuring things out.”

Four players from that winless season are now seniors: Renee Flett along with captains Shea McDonald, Katie Hayes, and Mia Lauder were seventh-graders for the 2019-20 season.

The foursome has been instrumental in the team’s success, both on the scoreboard and in the locker room.

McDonald, with a teamleading 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists), has been an asset since the day Sheehan stepped into his role. As an eighth-grader, she scored an overtime goal in a state tournament game.

On defense, Hayes has produced a goal and nine assists.

With the trio of captains, Flett, and three other seniors as the catalysts, Sheehan believes this squad has the potential to make a deep run.

“They’re an experienced group. They’ve played a number of state tournament games together over the last three years, so I figured, with the experience, we should try to make another run of things,” said the coach. “And it’s turned out that’s been the case.”

For McDonald and the other six-year players, Burlington’s growth carries even more meaning.

“Coming into this season and seeing how strong we are — it’s so unique,” McDonald said. “There were multiple seventh graders with me, so I think for us, it’s special seeing how far we’ve grown.”

McDonald, Hayes, Lauder, and Flett have been tasked with becoming the much-older leaders they once looked up to. Half of the 20 players on the roster are underclassmen.

Off the ice, the seniors have worked hard to maintain the culture that welcomes middle school skaters the way they were in 2019.

The best way to prepare the seventh and eighth graders is to ignore the six-year age gap.

“It’s so important to treat them as if they are high school students and nothing less — expecting the same things, the same talent, the same effort,” McDonald said. “They’re on the high school team, so they’re treated like that.”

In giving everyone a role on the ice, Sheehan has given the Red Devils the depth that’s essential to overcoming bigger, older programs like Malden Catholic (7-2-2) or Duxbury (11-1-0).

Sophomore goalie Isa Fischer, a two-year starter, has recorded five shutouts.

Seventh-grader Sofia Cleary was the difference in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Hingham, connecting with McDonald and Hayes for the winner.

The respect afforded to every player allows them to focus on their own jobs, Fischer said, because they know they can rely on everyone else to do the same.

“All the players we have on our team, they’re there for a reason,” she said. . “They all can play. They all work together. I know that if I do my job, they’ll do their job as well.”

As the season plows on, Burlington isn’t slowing down. The focus now is on making the most of the last 11 regular-season games in preparation for the playoffs.

“That’s the expectation — we can’t take any days off now,” McDonald said. “Everything we do, every practice we have, every game we play — even if it’s against a team that isn’t in our league — is . . . leading up to the playoffs.”

Ice chips

When Bishop Feehan sophomore Aviva Olitsky entered Connery Rink before Saturday’s Catholic Central matchup against St. Mary’s of Lynn, she took note of a little boy clad in his goalie gear . . . but with a hockey dad struggling to get him into the rest.

Olitsky is familiar with that feeling. “About eight years ago, that was me,” said Olitsky, who starts in goal for Feehan.

So she dropped all of her own gear and intervened.

“He was having a lot of trouble putting on his pads,” said Olitsky. “It takes a lot of work to learn how to put those on. That was me at one point, so I had to help.”

Olitsky and fellow goalie Fallon Smith, a freshman, took over, and helped the youth player into his pads. Once Feehan coach Mike Cripps saw what his goalies were doing, he snapped a photo and posted it on X, where it earned likes from other area coaches and others.

“Those are the moments that are even more important than the game,” said Cripps.

Olitsky was happy to help one of the newest members of the goalie world. It’s a position she’s played since she was 8 years old.

“I love being independent,” said Olitsky. “It is also very mentally challenging and I love a good challenge.”

Olitsky has a .954 save percentage and 1.7 goals-against-average for the Shamrocks (5-6-1), currently eighth in the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings. She views at the team’s 4-3 victory over Duxbury in the Tenney Cup on Dec. 29 as the highlight of her team’s season so far.

“It was definitely a game where we played to the best of our ability,” said Olitsky. “We worked as a team.”

In a 2-2 draw against Notre Dame-Hingham last week, Olitsky made 33 saves and senior Caitlin Kelleycq scored twice. Cripps recognizes Kelley and cocaptains Grace Campbell, Alison Stiles, and Molly Braga for their hustle leading the team.

“I hope we crush it,” said Olitsky. “If we play as a team, and not as individuals, we can accomplish our goals.”