Reading Girls Hockey One Win From Garden Date

Do you think Needham has heard about Michaela Boyle? Has word spread south to the town where the No. 1 seed in the Division 1 tournament resides that Reading has a special talent on its roster?

Needham (20-0-1) faces Reading (18-3-1) Monday at 7 p.m. in the second of the two semifinals at O'Brien Rink in Woburn. Masconomet faces Woburn in the first game. Monday's winners will head to the TD Garden on Sunday, March 19, to play for the Division 1 state title.

Whether regular season or post-season, nobody has played better than Reading's senior forward. Boyle broke the Rockets' single-season scoring record in the quarterfinal win over Boston Latin. Her hat trick against the Wolfpack in the 4-1 win gave her 47 goals this season, eclipsing the total of 45 scored by Katie Collins in 2000. Reading has scored 102 goals this season, and the Clarkson-bound Boyle has almost half of them.

On numerous occasions coach Peter Seibold has praised Boyle but added that the Rockets' success is a total effort. It may be true but it's certain Needham understands the importance of containing Boyle. Stop Boyle and you stop Reading, at least in theory. One player beyond Boyle who will be counted on again is goalie Maggie Fennelly. Fennelly had 14 saves in the win over Latin.

As for Needham, the two teams are similar, beyond sharing the same mascot. The Needham Rockets beat Weymouth, 2-1, in overtime to start the tournament and then dumped St. Mary's 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Needham's one blemish is a 4-4 tie with Notre Dame of Hingham. In the win over St. Mary's, senior Elizabeth Hernberg had two goals and two assists. Needham has a small roster and routinely plays just two lines but it hasn't hurt the top seed.