Undefeated Mustang Girls Improve to 7-0

Norwood’s coach Bill O’Donnell emphasized execution and stated that his girls, “played like a team,” over the past weekend, beating two ranked opponents to improve the Mustangs to 7-0 with wins over Natick and Canton.

Monday’s matinee against the No. 15 ranked Canton Bulldogs, featuring sophomore sensation Meaghan McKenna and defenseman Julia Murphy.

Norwood’s Lisa Coskren opened the scoring in the first period by picking up the loose puck and racing down the left wing for the unassisted goal.

Canton answered with 3:34 left in the first period when Haley Guaghan beat Norwood goalie Christina Frasca in the upper corner to even the score 1-1.

The Mustangs countered with a goal by senior Ali Maloof who took the pass from by Allison Ryan from the opponent’s blue line.

The Mustangs continued to control the neutral zone in the second period, finding the net with 5:55 left in the second on a wrist shot from the slot off the stick of Karyn Colomey to extend to what seem to be a comfortable lead for the Mustangs at 3-1.

The Bulldogs rallied late in the period on a goal by Meaghan Mckenna to close the gap to one, 3-2.

Both teams pushed each other in the third, but failed to capitalize on opportunities in the opposing zone.

Canton called a late timeout to organize their lines for a final push.

“We tried to get a late push, so they couldn’t pull their goalie,” O'Donnell said.

The strategy didn’t work and Norwood turned the puck over in their own zone and Canton’s Michelle McNeil found Janel Stenmon for the wrist shot that found the back of the net with 58.6 seconds left to tie the score at 3-3.

The Mustangs turned to their senior captains as center Ali Maloof, won the overtime face-off, and found a breaking Taylor Donners, but it was Coskren who found the loose puck and snapped home the game-winner with 11.4 seconds left.

“I just kept the high trail, and found the puck,” Coskren said after the game.

“It was an excellent test for us, teaching our girls never to quit,” O’Donnell said.

The victory came after a Norwood victory over Natick, 3-1 Friday night thanks to the goaltending of Christina Frasca who had 23 saves in the win.

“It wasn’t the quantity of saves but the quality of saves, and we don’t win that game without Christina,” O’Donnell said.

Next up for the Mustangs is the high powered and ranked Walpole team on Wednesday.

“We’ll come out firing,” said Coskren.