ATTLEBORO – In a rematch of one of many extra dramatic finishes from final 12 months’s state match, the No. 4 Walpole subject hockey staff made a powerful case Saturday afternoon that it’s once more the staff to beat in Div. 1.
The reigning state champion Porkers (2-0) utilized overwhelming stress to put on down a stingy No. 8 Bishop Feehan protection, and three totally different scorers within the second half gave them the separation they wanted to drag out a 4-2 nonleague win.
Rigidity from final 12 months’s double-overtime thriller towards the Shamrocks (1-1) within the state quarterfinals didn’t solely roll over into this new season, however a win of this caliber is a significant begin to Walpole’s title protection.
“As a result of we’re defending a state championship, we maintain ourselves to a better stage and we actually need to compete to that stage,” mentioned senior Caitlyn Naughton. “I believe (this) units the tone actually excessive. We all know what we are able to do, and we all know that we’re able to (executing) it.”
After buying and selling sturdy quarters to go into the half tied up at 1-1, the Porkers picked up the place they left off from a seven-shot, seven-corner opening body within the third quarter to place Bishop Feehan on its heels. Shamrocks goalie Emma Mitchell (10 saves) held her personal for a lot of the way in which, however Walpole saved penetrating the offensive 25 to generate exercise within the circle.
Senior Kate Schneider lastly ended the Porkers’ scoring drought by hitting the again left nook of the cage from the stroke line, giving them a 2-1 lead with 2:21 left within the third quarter. Then, lower than two minutes into the fourth, senior Abby Poirier hustled to a lazy bounding ball and turned nothing right into a 3-1 lead.
“It was that second quarter that basically harm us,” mentioned Walpole head coach Jen Quinn. “It simply reveals their tenacity and their resilience to have the ability to type of have that (awful) quarter, regroup at half and are available again out. … We’ve loads of (gritty) youngsters like that, so it’s good.”
“We got here in as a staff through the second quarter and talked in regards to the depth,” Naughton added. “I believe all of us labored actually laborious collectively and labored as a staff, and put it behind the web.”
That Poirier insurance coverage objective proved essential, with Bishop Feehan responding shortly thereafter when Sammy Logan rifled a reverse chip off the pads and Lilly Marchand crashed the rebound for a 3-2 deficit with 11:01 to go.
These two pictures had been all of the Shamrocks may produce within the second half, although, and Walpole’s 14th nook of the sport arrange Naughton for a game-sealing objective with 3:39 left.
All three of the Porkers’ targets within the second half got here from seniors.
“We discuss it 12 months after 12 months,” Quinn mentioned. “Abby wasn’t on the sphere final 12 months. Kate was and Caitlyn was, however she was a child that didn’t play final 12 months and he or she’s risen to the event. They’re like, ‘OK, it’s my flip, I’m going to do what I must do.’ It says lots. It says lots about them, it says lots about this system.”
Caroline Handwerk scored first for Walpole lower than three minutes into the sport. Bishop Feehan staved off a barrage of corners, and settled down within the second quarter to knot issues up at 1-1 on Jordi Higgins’ objective.
