Milton Girls Hockey's Tournament Hopes on Thin Ice With Loss to Walpole

Not even the heroic efforts of Emma Drew could lead the girls hockey team to a key victory. The senior net minder recorded 40 saves, but fell short in a 1-0 defeat to Walpole in Wednesday night’s Bay State Conference match-up at Max Ulin Rink.

Coupled with Saturday’s 2-2 tie with Natick and last Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Weymouth, the Wildcats currently stand at 3-8-4 overall and need to win four out of their final five games to qualify for the tournament.

”We’ve been playing great defense and Emma’s been outstanding,’’ said coach Maggie Radley. “But we have to find a way to score more goals. We’ve only averaged about 1-2 goals a game, and that’s not really going to get it done. The girls need to have confidence and to go out there and capitalize on scoring chances.”

After an intense first period, where both teams failed to capitalize on quality scoring chances, the Rebels grabbed the 1-0 lead midway through the second. Off an odd player rush, a Rebel forward poked in a shot past a stunned Drew.

“(Drew) was fantastic, but we couldn’t generate any shots,’’ said Radley. “They (Walpole) were able to do the little things, like clearing the puck out of the zone and winning the battles on the boards.”

Strong performances for the Wildcats in the losing effort included eighth grader Hannah O’Leary and Monica Riordan, who fared solid on defense while Erin Higgins created several quality chances.

“It was a game we could’ve won,’’ said Radley. “We had some chances, but their defense did a nice job, breaking up plays and clearing the puck out of the zone.”

In Saturday’s 2-2 tie with Natick, the Wildcats were faced as 2-0 deficit before Jen Berry closed the gap within 2-1, scoring off an unassisted opportunity.

With Drew removed for the extra attacker, the Wildcats recorded the game-tying goal with 38 seconds remaining in the third period as Emily McLellan scored on a wraparound shot from just outside the goal crease. Earning another solid performance for the Wildcats was Drew, who recorded 36 saves in earning the tie.

“It was a beautiful goal, and Emily just kept plugging away,’’ said Radley. “That was a huge point for us, because we’re fighting to stay alive in the hunt for the tournament. We have a tough road ahead of us, but if we’re able to capitalize on some chances, then w3e might have a shot.”

In last Wednesday’s contest against Weymouth, the Wildcats prevailed in a 1-0 victory. Offensively, Higgins recorded the game’s only goal midway through the second.

“It was a game where we could’ve scored some more goals,’’ said Radley. “We had a lot of chances, but they landed right in front of the goalie. We need to find a way to score more goals and find better ways to take advantage of some opportunities.”

Needing to win four out of their next five games to qualify for the tournament, the Wildcats will face Wellesley on Saturday night before battling Norwood on Monday.

“We have a very busy schedule ahead of us, and we’re not taking anyone for granted,’’ said Radley. “We have three great captains, and the other kids are working very hard to make the adjustments.”