Missed Chances Doom Watertown-Melrose Girls Hockey

Playoff hockey has a notch or two higher intensity than the regular season requiring a team to maximize its scoring opportunities.

That, however, eluded the No. 10 Watertown- girls hockey team as it lost to No. 7 Lexington, 5-1, in the first round of the Div. 1 State tournament.

“I thought we had a lot of opportunities,” Raiders head coach Stephen Russo said. “They were really packing it in the goalie. They were really protecting her. I thought if we got a couple of more shots through, we were going to be OK. But they did a great job. They had a good game plan protecting their goalie.”

With the defeat, the Raiders season ends at 15-3-5. The Minutemen, meanwhile, improves their record to 15-2-4 and advance to the quarterfinal where they will play No. 2 Woburn.

“I think we settled down nicely and we able to pick it up,” Lexington head coach Amanda Ciarletta said. “I think we really started to get into our game as the second and third periods came on.”  

The first period was abounding with Raiders scoring opportunities as Watertown-Melrose continuously crowded in front of the net. But W-M’s best chance came as junior forward Erika Kelly slid a pass cross-ice to Lauren Giordano, who was on the right side of an open net. But the junior forward’s shot missed the mark.

Where the Raiders failed to capitalize, the Minutemen took full advantage as sophomore forward Sara Lehman netted a goal near the halfway point of the period giving Lexington the 1-0 lead. Junior forward Nicole Maher was credited with the assist.

To start the second period, the Raiders’ offensive prospects were once again there, but as in the first, they could not find the back of the net. One came with a scrum in front of the crease, while another happened as Kelly brought the puck down the right side, maneuvered around her defender, but shot wide right.

“We had a couple of scrambles in front, but they didn’t put it in,” Russo said. “We didn’t get the puck luck tonight.”

The Minutemen doubled their lead halfway through the second on a highlight-reel shot as junior Katy DelGreco skated from the left to right side, then blasted the puck from near the circle beating Raider goalie Simone Bailey glove side.

But the Raiders fought back into the game minutes later when Kelly, who had a night with exceptionally speed and stick handling, tallied a goal cutting the deficit to 2-1.

“She left nothing out there,” Russo said. “She tried to carry the team on her back.”

He added later, “She’s a great player. She had the goal tonight and 51 points for the season.”

If the Raiders had any thoughts of a comeback, those were dashed at the 2:12 mark as Maher forehand shot was saved, but she collected her own rebound, and backhanded the puck in the left side. That gave the Minutemen the 3-1 lead.

In the third period, Maher would go on to score her second and third goals earning a hat trick.

“She did awesome,” Ciarletta said. “Over the last couple weeks, she has really come into her own and really stepped up her game.”