When you dig yourself a hole, you present yourself with a big challenge.
The Cranston Co-Op Thunderbirds (3-8) played host to the North Smithfield (6-7) Northmen in a girls hockey game Saturday night at Cranston Ice Rink. The Thunderbirds came out flat and it cost them the game. They lost by the final of 5-1.
North Smithfield's offensive onslaught began only four minutes into the game. On an odd man rush captain Jessica Salisbury blasted it into the back of the net.
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With about three and a half minutes left in the period senior Kayla Kiernan received the puck off a deflection and raced towards goal. She beat the keeper and the Northmen led 2-0.
North Smithfield had control of the game the entire night. They possessed the puck for the majority of the game and peppered Cranston's goalies with shots all night. Only a minute into the second they struck again. Off a face-off win junior Hannah DeCelles passed from the corner and Lauren Ledoux slid the puck into the net.
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They were not done scoring, as only three and a half minutes later they took a commanding 4-0 lead. Junior Hannah DeCelles assisted on Kiernan's goal, off a deflection.
Cranston tried to make a game of it, as junior Emily Tilton skated the length of the ice and found the back of the net with about four minutes left in the second period.
However, their momentum was short lived. A little over a minute later, Salisbury streaked down the ice on the breakaway and flipped it over the goalie's shoulder on the far post, to re-establish the 4 goal lead, at 5-1.
The head coach, Bill Nangle, spoke about this quick strike ability after the game. "We’ve worked on that all year, is trying to get the next goal. Always wanting the next one," he said.
The Thunderbirds played better in the third period and it was more of an even game in the final period. However, it was too little, too late. Neither team would score again and North Smithfield won 5-1.
"Good game for us, our lines were clicking well tonight," Nangle added. He praised Cranston's team and feels they have improved. "Their goaltending is always strong, huge improvement from that team from the beginning of the year," he added.
Thunderbirds coach Ashley Pagliarini hopes the third period can spark some momentum. "On a positive note we had a solid third period," she said, "Maybe we can use that for some momentum to work towards next weekend's game."
