ESPN

CONCORD, Mass. – Seven years ago, the Concord-Carlisle soccer team staged a single game to help raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in honor of assistant coach Steve Wells’ mother Lois. The annual Kicks for Cancer was so well received that in 2011 it had grown to six games and twelve teams. In the past seven years, the event has raised more than $100,000 for cancer research.

On Saturday afternoon, the event reached another milestone, as the Lady Patriots donned blue t-shirts for the first time and took the field against league rival Lincoln-Sudbury. It was the first time that the girls’ programs had taken part in the event and it was announced that all the proceeds for this year would support women’s cancer research.

“It’s nice to get them involved, particularly since all the money being raised is earmarked for women’s cancers,” said Concord-Carlisle boys’ head coach Ray Pavlik after his team’s game in the nightcap. “It was something that they’ve wanted to do and we just finally said it’s time to go.”

According to Lincoln-Sudbury head coach Kate Berry, the process started before last year’s event when former Patriots coach Nancy Slocum started lobbying Pavlik to have the girls join in the event. Although there was no room in 2012, and Slocum stepped down as coach following the season, she continued to push for the girls to be included.

“[Nancy Slocum] and I talked about doing it last year and Ray just didn’t have a spot for us…kudos to her for getting us the opportunity,” said Berry. “I’m so thankful that we got the chance to do that. It’s so great for the girls and I think it’s a really wonderful opportunity.”

When asked if L-S would like to be part of next year’s event, she responded, “I guess it’s up to C-C, but we’d love to take part if we can.”

First-year head coach Peter Fischelis was thrilled for his team to be able to experience Kicks for Cancer. He remarked, “It’s great for the kids, it’s great for the families, it’s great for the crowds and it’s just great to have such a nice day. They loved it; they really had a ball. It’s just a superb event all-around.”

Senior captain and goalkeeper Angela DeBruzzi admitted that the girls had heard the boys talking about the event for years and had always wanted to be part of the day. She said, “It was our first time getting to play in this, which is awesome and to come out here and to support breast cancer awareness.”

She added, “It’s really nice to finally be part of it.”

During Kicks for Cancer, teams do not wear their traditional school colors and uniforms. The players don t-shirts that are adorned with the name of someone that they know (i.e., family member, friend, or coach) that has battled cancer. Lincoln-Sudbury boys’ coach David Hosford talked about how the experience teaches the players to understand the importance of things beyond the field of play.

He also added, “One of the things that is really cool is that we had 15 or 20 of our former players back. They all want to come back and see the moment. It’s not a home game, but in a lot of ways it’s their homecoming.”

DeBruzzi was playing for her grandmother and it was her name that was on the back of her black goalie shirt. She may have been the star of the game and earned her a team a draw (more below), but it was the mention of her grandmother that finally brought a smile to her face.

She said, “I took a picture of the shirt and sent it to her just to make sure that she knew I was thinking of her.”

29th minute honored in boys’ game: As the clock ticked past 29:00 in the first half of the game between the Concord-Carlisle and Lincoln-Sudbury boys, the officials blew their whistle to stop play. Both teams went to the sideline and joined the large crowd lining Doug White Memorial Field for a minute of applause.

The planned stoppage paid tribute to Bridget Spence, the wife of Concord-Carlisle High English teacher Alex Spence, who passed away this year at the age of 29. The 2013 event was dedicated to her memory. Spence was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 22, according to Pavlik, and she battled cancer for seven years, while also working diligently to raise money for Dana Farber.

Pavlik, wearing a t-shirt that said Spence on the back with the number 29, explained, “If there is anyone that is a testament to what Dana-Farber can do…she worked up to the last few weeks of her life raising money for Dana-Farber. She was a pretty special woman.”

The idea for the minute of applause came from one of the players and both coaches agreed to the plan.

Pavlik reflected, “That was cool. It was a nice moment to stop…it was a nice touch to do a moment applause.”

No. 4 Lincoln-Sudbury girls 0, No. 16 Concord-Carlisle 0

Maybe it was wearing her grandmother’s name on the back of her jersey, but Angela DeBruzzi was in inspired form for Concord-Carlisle (5-0-2) when they took on Lincoln-Sudbury (4-0-2) in the 3:30 kickoff. Thanks to DeBruzzi’s heroics, which included five incredible saves in the second half alone, the No. 16 Patriots held the No. 4 Warriors to a 0-0 draw.

“Their goalie was lights out; I think that’s the whole story,” raved Berry. “She played a phenomenal game. I don’t even think we were kicking it right at her; I think she played a really good game in goal. She was awesome.”

Three times in the second half DeBruzzi made a spectacular stop to rob junior forward Hannah Rosenblatt of a goal. She also made a diving save on freshman Jenna Barnes and another on a cross by Caroline Kessler. It was a great performance and helped C-C keep its sixth clean sheet in seven games.

“Having a goalie like that gives you a lot of confidence in the back. She was incredible,” said Fischelis. He added, “She’s an incredible athlete. She has an unbelievable sense about where to be and when to go out and when not to. Some of those things you just can’t teach someone; it’s instinct.”

DeBruzzi deflected the praise on her teammates. She said, “I think we’ve exceeded everybody’s expectations and that comes from playing as a team and everybody working their hardest every game. It’s not me that’s having the shutouts; it’s the whole team.”

Lincoln-Sudbury dominated possession and created the lion’s share of the chances, although the best scoring opportunity of the first half fell to the Patriots. Senior captain Allie Barrett had a low shot just tipped wide of the post.

No. 8 Concord-Carlisle boys 1, Lincoln-Sudbury 1

Sophomore goalie Bobby Hurstak saved the game for the Warriors after the teams traded first half goals. Lincoln-Sudbury (3-0-3) held on to salvage a 1-1 draw with No. 8 Concord-Carlisle, who rued missed opportunities throughout the game.

“We had plenty of chances in the first half, plenty of chances in the second half, but their goalie was awesome. He was a huge equalizer tonight,” said Pavlik.

The visitors took the lead in the 25th minute on a short free kick on the edge of the box. Nathan Cohen caught the Patriots unaware by playing a pass on the ground to captain William Hutchinson, who coolly slotted it home.

The hosts kept up high tempo and pressure throughout the first half and hit the crossbar with a header before junior Mitchell Palmer rose highest to nod home a cross by Leo Fondreist with just more than a minute left in the first half.

Concord-Carlisle (6-1-1) would dominate the opening stages of the second half and Hurstak was forced into a brilliant diving save to rob Fondresit from inside the 6-yard box. The home fans were on their feet cheering again with 13 minutes left, but Garrett Leahy’s shot was inches over the bar.

“It was really won or lost in the midfield and I think we dodged some bullets with some of the chances they had,” said Hosford. “They’re a very good team.”

In other action:

Reading 1, Woburn 0 – Dave Sullivan scored the lone goal for the Rockets. Woburn also had a late penalty saved.

Lexington 3, Wakefield 1 – Lewis Mustoe, the son of NBC soccer broadcaster Robbie Mustoe, scored a brace and Caleb Stipple added the third for Lexington. Antonio Parrinello had the Wakefield goal.

Brookline 2, Newton North 0 – Ari Karchmer and Toma Beit-Arie scored the goals for Brookline in a battle of Bay State Conference teams.

Acton-Boxborough 1, Wayland 0 – The Colonials earned their first win at Kicks for Cancer on a goal from Julian Stewart.

The seventh annual Kick for Cancer event will be held next weekend at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School.

Here's a look at the event, per today's press release from Patriots athletic director Barry Haley:

Some of greater Boston’s best high school soccer talent will gather to compete against each other and fight cancer at the 7th Annual Kicks for Cancer, to be held on Saturday, September 28th and hosted by Concord Carlisle High School.

In addition to boasting high school soccer action at its finest, the event includes food, raffles, souvenirs, and more, all to benefit cancer research. In what’s become a tradition, teams participating at Kicks for Cancer will wear special pink or blue jerseys with the names of loved ones that have suffered from the disease emblazoned on the back.

This year’s event has been expanded to include some of the area’s top girls’ teams. In one of the games, Lincoln-Sudbury’s boys varsity will face-off against Concord-Carlisle, with the two teams leading the Dual County League’s Large and Small groupings, respectively.

Games start at the adjacent turf fields at CCHS at 1 p.m., and will finish under the lights at roughly 8 p.m. Tickets to see all games are $5 for children and $10 for adults.

Kicks for Cancer has raised close to $100,000 since its inception – including over $25,000 last year despite poor weather conditions – with all proceeds going to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The event began in 2007, after Lois Wells, mother Concord Carlisle assistant coach Steve Wells, succumbed to cancer.

“Kicks for Cancer is a true grass roots event that began when the kids just wanted to do something for Coach Wells – but its grown into an important benefit. The soccer is always great, but obviously, it’s about so much more than that,” says Ray Pavlik, head coach of the CCHS boys team and the founder of the event.

Below is the schedule of Kicks for Cancer games on Saturday, September 28:

1:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 1, Reading vs. Woburn
1:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 2, Lexington vs. Wakefield

3:30 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 1, Lincoln Sudbury Girls (#3) vs. Concord Carlisle Girls (#12)
3:30 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 2, Brookline vs. Newton North

6:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 1, Lincoln-Sudbury Boys (#10) vs. Concord-Carlisle Boys (#12)
6:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 2, Acton-Boxborough (#13) vs. Wayland

Concod Carlisle High School is located at 500 Walden Street in Concord, MA.

For those who are unable to attend the event, but still wish to make a donation to Kicks for Cancer, may do one of the following:

Concord-Carlisle Kicks for Cancer web site, including directions to the fields: http://cchsmenssoccer.com/kfc.html
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kicks-for-Cancer-Concord-Carlisle/146077038820061?sk=info

Dana Farber donation page: www.dana-farber.kintera.org/kicksforcancer .

FIRST LINE
F - Alison Butler, Sr., St. Mary's
This year's ESPN Boston Miss Hockey award winner, Butler captained the Spartans to their fourth Division 1 state title, scoring the game-winning goal against Arlington Catholic at the Garden. The St. Anselm's commit was third in Division 1 in scoring with 37-25-62 totals. It is her second ESPN Boston All-State nomination.
F - Hannah Murphy, Sr., Duxbury
The fulcrum to Duxbury''s run of three straight Division 2 state championships. Murphy, a three-sport athlete, finished fifth among all Division 2 scorers, putting up 29-24-53 totals. Murphy will play lacrosse at UMass-Amherst.
F - Kayla Smith, Sr., Woburn
One of the most talented pure scorers in the state, Smith finished second in Division 1 across the state in scoring with 34 goals and 24 assists for 63 points. The three-time ESPN Boston All-Stater will continue her hockey career at Salve Regina.
D - Cassandra Connolly, Sr., Woburn
The repeat ESPN Boston All-Stater finished fourth on the Tanners in points (2-15-17) while helping goaltender Courtney Davis notch seven shutouts on the season. Connolly will continue her playing career at the University of New England next year.
D - Hannah Wright, Sr., Arlington
A shut-down, physical blue-liner, Wright also finished tied for fourth on the Spy Ponders with 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists). She will attend Castleton State College next year where she will play hockey.
G - Shannon O'Neil, Sr., Austin Prep
Pitched a remarkable 10 shutouts on the season, along with a dazzling 96.8 save percentage. O'Neil, a Franklin Pierce commit, was also among the statewide leaders in goals against average with a 1.08 marka.
SECOND LINE
F - Kaleigh Finigan, Sr., St. Mary's
Despite missing time with an injury, Finigan still managed to finish second on the Spartans in scoring - following Alison Butler— with 17-28-45 totals. The Medford resident is also a standout on St. Mary's softball team.
F - Jane Freda, Sr., Hingham
A two-time ESPN Boston All-State selection, the Harborwomen captain finished among the Top 10 scorers in the state, tallying 31 goals to go along with 16 assists.
F - Ashley Moran, Jr., Woburn
The rangy winger made great strides this season, finishing among the Top 10 scorers in the state, posting 25 goals and 31 assists.
D - Brooke Matherson, Jr., Walpole
The blue-liner led the Rebels in scoring this year with 33 points points and her 24 goals were also a team-best. Matherson is also a standout player on Walpole's field hockey team.

D - Annie Messuri, Jr., Acton-Boxborough
Messuri was named the DCL/MVC Large division Most Valuable Player this year after posting 13-17-30 totals.
G - Courtney Davis, Jr., Woburn
Led the Tanners to an undefeated regular season while registering seven shutouts. The three-year starter registered a 92.1 save percentage while posting a 1.35 goals against average.

BEST OF THE REST - HONORABLE MENTION
Forwards
Carolyn Avery, Sr., Lexington
Megan Barrett, Frosh., Acton-Boxborough
Christie Caliendo, Sr., Billerica
Leah Cardarelli, Soph., Acton-Boxborough
Molly Connolly, Sr., Wellesley
Amanda Conway, Soph., Tewksbury/Methuen
Gabby Crugnale, Sr., St. Mary's
Jackie Denning, Sr., Lexington
Cecily Docktor, Soph., Wellesley
Kara Donati, Sr., Winthrop/Lynn
Erin Dwyer, Sr., Archbishop Williams
Marissa Fichter, Soph., Duxbury
Ela Hazar, Jr., Westwood
Shannon Hickey, Sr., Arlington
Emily Kelly, Jr., Norwood
Olivia Konaxis, Sr., Beverly/Danvers
Brittani Lanzilli, Jr., Medford
Maggie Layo, Jr., Sandwich
Sara Lehman, Sr., Lexington
Emily Lissner, Jr., Woburn
Kim Lizotte, Sr., Westford Academy
Emily Loprete, Soph., Watertown/Melrose
Meaghan McKenna, Sr., Canton
Rachel Moore, Soph., Falmouth
Ali O'Leary, Frosh., Reading
Adrieana Rossini, Soph., Arlington Catholic
Nicole Woods, Jr., Beverly/Danvers

Defense
Allison Cunningham, Soph., Arlington Catholic
Tatiana Doucette, Jr., St. Mary's
Erin Ferrara, Sr., Fontbonne Academy
Hannah Ghelfi, Soph., Falmouth
Alexandria Gong, Sr., Hingham
Ally Hammel, Jr., Duxbury
Melissa Richard, Sr., Arlington Catholic
Caroline Seibold, Frosh., Reading

Goalies
Megan Messuri, Jr., Arlington Catholic
Rachel Myette, Jr., Duxbury
Madison Scavotto, So., Falmouth
Lauren Skinnion, Jr., St. Mary's

Coach of the Year
Frank Pagliuca, St. Mary's (Lynn)
While piloting to the Spartans to four Division 1 state championships, perhaps Pagliuca's finest job behind the bench came this year, as St. Mary's knocked off Catholic Central rival Arlington Catholic in a rematch of the 2012 title game.

Finalists:
Todd Fletcher, Westford Academy
Michael Golden, Reading
Friend Weiler, Duxbury

Flanked by a swarm of reporters, Sean Murphy’s eyes darted about as he searched for the words to say. The Burlington senior forward was never the center of attention during his high school career, so he didn’t have much experience in such a setting. He scored two goals at the TD Garden last week as the Red Devils’ repeated as Division 1 state champions. It was his first time playing at the Garden, having watched last year’s final unfold from the perspective of a fan. This was the first year Murphy made Burlington’s varsity hockey squad.

As Murphy responded to questions, teammates and members of the Red Devils’ coaching staff ribbed him. Their good-natured jabs caused Murphy periodically to break down and smile while he tried to maintain focus on the interview. They all knew the circumstances surrounding Murphy’s accomplishment. He’d done from off the team outright to hero.

During freshman year, Burlington didn’t host a freshman team. Murphy failed to make the junior varsity squad, so he went a year without playing for his high school. In sophomore year, Murphy earned a spot on the J.V. team, but it was the Red Devils’ lower team (the J.V. had been split into two teams). The next year, he moved up to the higher J.V. team, as many of his classmates won their first state crown. Finally, as a senior, Murphy made the varsity team.

He only scored one goal during the regular season, but Murphy broke out in the tournament, scoring five goals in the postseason, including two in the championship game.

When Murphy attracted the attention in the postgame following the Red Devils’ 4-2 victory over Marshfield on Sunday, Burlington head coach Bob Conceison watched a few paces away. He beamed and was eager to tell of Murphy’s story of stick-to-itiveness.

“That’s the kind of story that makes high school hockey great,” Conceison said.

A SORT OF CHANGING OF THE GUARD
As Malden Catholic won its third straight Super 8 championship, it would seem as though the Lancers simply picked up where they left off. But anybody who watched the defending champions’ season unfold would tell you this most recent run was anything but a sure thing.

In many years, this year’s MC model was uncharacteristic from the previous. Yes, the Lancers still had more top-end talent than anyone, with three Division 1 college recruits (and counting). But this was in broad strokes a young team and, more so, one that lacked experience in a Super 8 environment. Building on the contributions of talented senior leaders (Mike Vecchione in 2011 and Brendan Collier in ’12) in the last two years, the Lancers had to learn to do it on their own this year.

Helping to bridge the gap was senior captain Mike Iovanna, one of a handful of seniors on MC’s roster this year. Iovanna is self-described as someone who leads by example. The soft-spoken UMass commit has been a key cog in the Lancers’ run all along, but took on a greater role this year, inheriting the “C” on his sweater.

“You know what the expectations are,” Iovanna said of taking on the role of captain. “Knowing what Mike [Vecchione] and Brendan [Collier] meant in the room, I was able to learn from them.

“But I also know that I’m a different person from them. I’m a pretty quiet guy, but I knew I could set an example for the younger players as they had done for me.”

Iovanna combined with junior left wing Tyler Sifferlen and sophomore center Ara Nazarian to tally nearly half (113) of MC’s points on the season (245) on its top line. Aside from creating the Lancers’ scoring punch, Iovanna also contributed intangibles on MC’s top penalty killing forward unit beside Nazarian — who changed the face of the tournament with his four short-handed goals.

But aside from the first line, the Lancers relied on a new wave for contributions.

“They have their own identity, but it’s a new core,” Lancers head coach John McLean said. “It’s young, very talented players, with [Austin] Goldstein, [Matt] Filipe, [Jake] Witkowski and [Will] Lawrence on D, I thought John [McLean III] played well.”

Nothing was handed to this MC group; it was earned. Sitting a 5-6-3 as the calendar was about to flip to February, the Lancers had to learn on the fly.

“Right around Central Catholic, that was a big win for us and the kid’s became a team,” McLean said. “We went out to Springfield and, for whatever reason, Springfield always worked for us. We went on a roll.

Of course, none of that reflects the emotional component that followed MC hockey this year. Former head coach and athletic director Chris Serino succumbed after a long fight with cancer shortly before the season began.

His imprint remained in MC’s three-peat.

“It’s still Chris’s team a little bit,” McLean said.

COMINGS AND GOINGS
Here’s a look at some recent updates in where some of the state’s top players are headed next year:

• One of our favorite players to watch during the last couple of years was Burlington forward C.J. Grinnell. Grinnell led the Red Devils again in scoring (13-19-32) and is considering prep and junior options for next year, with Connecticut’s Canterbury School as a leading candidate. Just a thought that some college coach out there is going to get one heck of a player in a couple years.
• Springfield Cathedral wasn’t able to get over the MC hump in the Super 8, but will more than likely have several of its graduating players skating on past this year. First-line winger Dominic Blad is heading to South Kent while defenseman Matt Foley is weighing options between Phillips Exeter, Choate Rosemary Hall and Berkshire School, along with college choices for the following year. All-State-caliber defenseman Jack Williams and center Artie Potter are also exploring options for next year.
• The Woburn girls’ hockey program had perhaps the greatest collection of talent in the state this year. Case and point were made last week as two of the Tanners’ top skaters announced their college plans. Forward Kayla Smith gave her commitment to Salve Regina while defenseman Cassandra Connolly will be headed to the University of New England.

MR. AND MISS HOCKEY AWARD FINALISTS
We’ll be handing out our awards Monday when we name our Mr. and Miss Hockey Award winners, as the best players in MIAA hockey this year. Here’s a look at our four finalists for the honors, in alphabetical order:

Mr. Hockey:

• Liam Coughlin, Sr. C, Catholic Memorial: The rangy pivot helped lift the Knights to the Super 8 semifinals, leading the team with 28 goals and 20 assists for 48 points.
• Peter Cronin, Sr., G BC High: Undoubtedly, the state’s best goaltender for two years running. The three-year starter posted a 94.6 save percentage along with seven shutouts this year.
• Ara Nazarian, Soph. C, Malden Catholic: Led the Lancers in scoring (26-20-46) during the regular season in addition to leading all players in Super 8 scoring, while tallying an unheard of four short-handed goals for the three-time defending champions.
• Brian Pinho, Sr. C, St. John’s Prep: A natural playmaker with vision, the Providence College commit led the Catholic Conference champions with 12-24-36 totals.

Miss Hockey:

• Alison Butler, Sr. F, St. Mary’s (Lynn): Among the leading scorers in the state (37-25-62), Butler saved her best for last, netting the game-winning goal in the state championship game.
• Hannah Murphy, Sr. F, Duxbury: The Dragons captain capped her prolific career with the program’s third straight state championship win, scoring 29 goals and adding 24 assists.
• Shannon O’Neil, Sr. G, Austin Prep: Led all Division 1 starting goaltenders with a 1.08 GAA and eye-popping 96.8 save percentage to go along with 10 shutouts.
• Kayla Smith, Sr. F, Woburn: Perhaps the most feared scorer in the state, Smith finished with 34-29-64 totals for the Tanners.

BILLERICA, Mass. -- After three regulations frames and an overtime, Ashley Wojewodzic sat on the bench watching shooter after shooter take to the ice as her St. Mary's teammates engaged in an epic shootout with Woburn for the right to play for a Div. 1 state championship next Sunday at TD Garden.

The eighth-grade defenseman hadn't taken a shift all night but wasn't worried, figuring with all the talent on the two teams, someone in the first five shooters would score a goal. Spartans goalie Lauren Skinnion and Tanners netminder Courtney Davis felt otherwise, however, as they took turns snapping off every shot, every deke and snagging every puck that came their way.

Finally, after nine players had taken a turn, St. Mary's coach Frank Pagliuca looked down the bench and called for 'Wojo' to get out there. With the huge crowd hanging on every move, the youngster was rightfully nervous. She was the last Spartans shooter before the lineup went back to the top and the game would be decided by the multitude of all-stars on each roster.

After a word of encouragement from fellow defenseman Amanda Donahoe, Wojewodzic went to center ice, skated in drifting to her right, pulling Davis over in the process, then slipped the puck right between the pads for the first goal of the shootout. Woburn's Shannon Walsh had one last chance to extend it but her shot hit the post and the Spartans poured onto the ice to celebrate.

"I didn't expect it at all," Wojewodzic said of hearing her name called. "I thought one of the first five shooters were going to get it in and it just kept going and going and going. Then I heard [Pagliuca] call my name and my eyes went open and he just looked at me and told me to go and I was really nervous.

She added, "I was just a little nervous. It was nervewracking getting out in front of everybody that was here because there were so any people out here. Everyone was watching me, it was scary."

Nerves or not, the eighth-grade defensemen came off the bench cold and sent her team back to TD Garden to play for the Div. 1 girls hockey state championship for the fifth time in the last six years with a 3-2 victory over No. 1 seed Woburn.

"Every team practices the shootout," Pagliuca said. "We kind of knew our list, 1-10, what we were going to do, we were just trying to figure out the order that we wanted to go in. Congrats to Ashley, she came up and pulled a great move. We told the kids to look five-hole, Ashley got her to open up and finished the job."

THIRD PERIOD FRENZY
That overtime or a shootout was even needed to decide a winner is a story unto itself. St. Mary's (18-3-4) had built a 2-0 lead on goals by freshman blueliner Vanessa Van Buskirk and senior forward Gabby Crugnale, the latter coming off an end to end rush that saw her stick a shot so perfect that Davis' water bottle went flying off the net behind her at 9:13 of the second period.

The Tanners got the first one back when Emily Lissner pounced on a bad giveaway in the Spartans zone and passed over to Ashley Moran, who fed Kayla Smith for an easy one-timer just 1:44 later.

Both Davis (19 saves) and Skinnion (27 saves) kept their respective cages clean until the final 91 seconds when Smith was the beneficiary of a fortuitous deflection off a Spartan defender. The puck landed right on her stick and Smith buried it to tie the game at 2-2.

St. Mary's needed just 20 seconds to pull back in front as Kaleigh Finigan, playing her first game in four weeks after missing time with a shoulder injury, got the puck to Crugnale, who poked it to Alison Butler for the finish.

Rather than fold up the tent, the Tanners showed their heart and tied it up once again as Erica Lissner sniped a perfect shot from the left-wing circle with just 33 seconds remaining to force the overtime.

"I was really proud of the fact that we stuck with it, didn't get too panicked," praised Woburn coach Bob MacCurtain. "I'm really proud of the kids. It was crazy. Coaches nightmare, probably the fans like it. In a tournament game this tight, there's a lot of momentum shifts and fortunately we were able to get the last one to send it into overtime."

FINIGAN'S RETURN
During the first game of the season-ending 8 Showcase in Hingham, Kaleigh Finigan suffered a shoulder injury that ended up being diagnosed as an elevated clavicle. A stalwart on the Spartans top line since transferring in from Austin Prep two years ago, Finigan has provided St. Mary's with the combination of tremendous skill and a physical presence that no other player in the state quite possesses.

The senior sat out the final regular season game and all of the postseason. She dressed for the Spartans last game against Austin Prep but did not play. Finigan got an assist on the Spartans last goal in regulation and her return helped bring an edge back to the team on the ice.

"Kaleigh gave us kind of an adrenaline shot today, getting her back in the lineup," Pagliuca said. "That physical presence we've been missing the last couple of games. She wasn't 100 percent but she sucked it up and came back for us and have us a huge lift."

A potential Div. 1 scholarship softball player, Finigan had plenty of reason to take it easy but that simply isn't in her makeup. Missing out on another chance to make a run at state title? Not going to happen.

"I told my team, get me back to the semis and I'm going to play for you guys," Finigan said. "They played for me the whole time and I wanted to get back and help them win. I want those young girls to feel how we felt last year. I want them to know what the playoffs is. This is the best time of the year."

SHOOTOUT NOT A FAVORITE
It has become almost a rite of passage every March that the shootout rears its ugly head during the girls Div. 1 postseason. Since 2007, there have been at least two games decided by shootouts in each year except 2010, when there was only one.

St. Mary's has been involved in three, winning two, and Pagliuca has been outspoken each year against the format. The coach was a bit more understated this time, but his point was made clear.

"You know, we've been on the other side of those," he said. "I hate shootouts. It shouldn't be allowed but it is what it is. Unfortunately in that situation somebody has to lose the game."

MacCurtain's teams have been involved in four shootouts since 2007, splitting those games. He refused to make any excuses, but his thoughts on the subject were made pretty clear as well.

"It just makes a team sport an individual sport," the Woburn coach stated. "I'm not complaining because we knew what it was going in but it's a tough way to end the season."

MacCurtain added, "As you're watching, I think from a coach's perspective I was glad I had Courtney in my net, I felt confident. With some of the kids we had shooting I thought we would get one but I just think the team aspect gets taken away from it."

Skinnion, who made 10 stops in the shootout on top of her 27 saves in the game, said, "I would rather have it play out just because I don't want to win a game because someone got a lucky shot. I want to win by playing the game. But its what we have to do."

Spartans standout Alison Butler may have summed up the way the players and coaches on the bench feel about shootouts, simply stating, "I hate them. I think I was going to have a heart attack."

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. – Adrieanna Rossini had been there before.

In last year’s MIAA Division 1 state semifinal, Rossini scored in overtime to defeat Braintree and send the Cougars to the TD Garden.

Sunday night, the Arlington Catholic sophomore did it again, beating Westford Academy sophomore goalie Kerry Pouliot two-minutes and 57-seconds into the 12-minute overtime to give AC a 3-2 win in the second scintillating semifinal at Chelmsford Forum.

The Cougars will take on St. Mary’s – 4-3 shootout winners over Woburn in the day’s first semifinal – Sunday at the Garden in a rematch of last year’s state final, which was won by AC.

Rossini’s sophomore line-mate, Jessica Piracini, started the game-winning sequence by playing the puck into the Westford zone. It was mishandled and Rossini pounced on it, skated in on goal and putting a forehand past Pouliot’s glove to win the game.

“I was looking to see what was open, and to see if there was any move I could make or any kind of opportunity,” Rossini said. “I felt like the [defenseman] was hooking me, so I kinda’ just shot and hoped for the best.”

It was Rossini’s second goal of the game, having scored at 9:58 of the first on a terrific individual effort down the left wing to make it 2-0 in favor of the Cougars (17-4-2).

“She’s a huge factor every game,” AC head coach Maggie Taverna said. “She’s a great player. She has the ability to change a game…She’s fantastic; she just loves the game of hockey.”

The Grey Ghosts (17-4-2) had all the momentum going into the extra period. Down 2-0 going into the final 15 minutes of regulation, Westford got a goal from junior Bretta Beer from the right face-off circle just 49 seconds into the period.

Rossini rang the post at 5:36 of the third, and Westford senior Kim Lizotte had a great chance of her own just 19 seconds later after stealing the puck deep in the Cougars’ zone. AC junior goalie Megan Messuri made a good stop to preserve the one-goal lead.

Pouliot (18 saves) was tremendous in the third period, making 11 saves. One of those came on a penalty shot with 4:29 left to play, as Piracini was hauled down from behind on a breakaway. Piracini cut in from the left on the penalty shot and ripped a forehand wrister from just outside the crease, but Pouliot made a great glove save. She then made two point-blank stops on Rossini and senior Melissa Richard.

Incredibly, Westford got a penalty shot of its own with exactly three minutes on the clock. Killing off the last seconds of the penalty, sophomore Kathryn Walker broke up a pass in her own zone, sped down the left wing and was tripped from behind while bearing in on goal.

Walker tied it up on the penalty shot, ripping a wrist shot past Messuri and tying the game at 2.

Pouliot made three more saves in the final two minutes of regulation, and head coach Todd Fletcher’s team had sent the game to overtime in dramatic fashion.

“Our girls are just unfazed,” Fletcher said. “Wipe away the score and just play our game. You’ll get what you deserve when we’re playing well and stick to our game plan.”

Taverna said she had a simple message for her players before the start of overtime.

“I just said, ‘You guys are good enough to win this game. You just gotta put a puck in the net,” Taverna said. “Making them believe in themselves is the most important part of the game. If they believe that they can be successful then, more than likely, they will be successful.”

AC’s first goal came from Mickey McLaughlin, who scored from in front off a nice feed by sophomore Duggan Delano from behind the net at 6:42 of the first.

Messuri made 15 saves in the win.

STONEHAM, Mass. – Alison Butler had the book on Austin Prep goaltender Shannon O’Neil. The St. Mary’s of Lynn winger knew Tuesday night’s opponent well, having battled the Cougars twice during the regular season. She’s also been a teammate of O’Neil’s, playing travel hockey together in summer and fall tournaments.

Still, beating the Cougars’ senior netminder is easier said than done. O’Neil entered Tuesday’s action leading the state in shutouts with 10, in addition to maintaining a Vezina-caliber 96.8 save percentage during the regular season.

Yet, the Division 1 state quarter-final matchup at the Stoneham Arena went to the shooter. Butler led the No. 4 seed Spartans to a 3-0 win over their Catholic Central League rivals. The senior captain figured in each of St. Mary’s goals, netting two of her own in addition to dishing out the assist on the Spartans’ final tally.

It all went to plan.

“We had to come out strong and get one quick on Shannon [O’Neil],” Butler said, reflecting on the team’s game plan for the evening.

Butler did just that, forcing an AP defensive zone turnover behind the Cougars’ net and finished out front on the back-hand, beating O’Neil top shelf 2:50 into the first. She followed suit in the second period with a power-play goal at 2:05 of the second with assists from Tatiana Doucette and Samantha Callahan.

St. Mary’s (14-3-5) then struck 54 seconds later, with Butler throwing the saucer pass onto Madison Molea’s stick on a 2-on-1 break.

In premiere matchup of one of the state’s top forwards against one of its top netminders, Butler was on point.

“If she has an open opportunity,” Cougars head coach Stephanie Wood said of Butler, “she’ll rarely miss.”

Spartans goaltender Lauren Skinnion was the one earning the shutout over her counterpart, making 14 saves in victory, seven of which came in the first period.

“Lauren Skinnion was awesome tonight,” St. Mary’s head coach Frank Pagliuca said. “She made some big saves in the third period, she really kept them at bay.”

With the victory over AP, the Spartans set up another anticipated matchup, as they’ll face top-seeded Woburn on Sunday at the Chelmsford Forum in a semi-final bout to determine who will skate on Garden ice.

END OF A RUN, START TO THE FUTURE
While O’Neil played her final game in a sensation season, the future certainly is bright at AP (12-8-4).

The Cougars will graduate just four players from their roster, including their starting goaltender. There are seven freshman on the roster, in addition to three eight-graders, so there’s a youth movement afoot.

And they’re talented. Two of AP’s top six leading scorers (Michaela Boyle and Mauri Anthony) aren’t even freshman. It’s second-leading scorer, Maddy Ricci (8-9-17), is a sophomore and freshman forward Kathleen McHugh (8-8-16) was third.

The Cougars’ bumper crop of young talent even prompted Pagliuca, after the game, to call AP a favorite for the league title entering next season.

While the maturation process will continue, it’s doubtful the Cougars have hit their stride just yet.

“They’re babies still,” Wood said.

STONEHAM, Mass. -- Emily Lissner has proven to be more than just a complementary piece on Woburn's top line. She's shown that she is a perfect fit as someone who can be the focal point of the game-plan as well.

Lissner struck for three goals and linemates Kayla Smith and Ashley Moran each recorded assists on two of them as the to-ranked Tanners advanced to the Div. 1 semifinals with a 3-2 victory over No. 9 Billerica last night at Stoneham Arena.

Woburn (19-0-3) takes on nonleague rival and No. 4 seed St. Mary's in Saturday's semifinal round.

"Emily [Lissner] has turned into a big-time player," Woburn head coach Bob MacCurtain said. "To watch her develop since grade nine has been pretty fun. From a coaching perspective, she's been terrific. She had a great night tonight. Sometimes I think the other two [Smith and Moran] get a lot of the attention on that first line, but she's every bit as smart as either one of them."

One thing is for certain, the three talented Tanner forwards have clicked together as a unit. Despite Billerica (16-6-1) grabbing the early courtesy of standout Christie Caliendo, Woburn was able to quickly assume command and maintain it through the remainder of the game.

Lissner got her first goal thanks to a terrific feed from Smith behind the Indians net, and Lissner was able to stick the one-timer home despite having a pair of defenders draped across her back. In the second period, the junior got the go-ahead goal after Smith and Moran cycled the puck in her direction, and then added a power play goal off another feed from Moran at 6:40.

"We've been playing together all fall and summer and we've finally hit a point where we don't have those kids of miustakes," Lissner said of her emergence on the Tanners' top line. "In the fall, we were still trying to figure each other out so I think we got those games out of the way before we got here. Now, after 22 games, we don't have those mistakes any more that we used to make. I think it's working well."

Billerica's freshman goalie Amanda Burns may have been the co-star of the game, keeping her team close and making a number of spectacular stops among her 30 saves. The Indians did manage to get one late as Rachel Peacock pushed one through a scramble with 26 seconds left, but the Tanners were able to hold on.

HINGHAM, Mass. -- The Woburn girls’ hockey team is a team on a mission.

A five-point night from junior center Emily Lissner helped the No. 1 Tanners complete their first undefeated regular season since 2003-04, as Woburn defeated No. 12 Acton-Boxborough, 5-3, Thursday in the second night of The 8 Showcase at Pilgrim Arena.

Colonial freshman Megan Barrett scored a pair of third-period goals – the second coming with 2:54 left in the game – to turn a comfortable 4-1 Woburn lead into a 4-3 nail-biter. The Tanners held on in the closing minutes though and put the game away on an empty-net goal from junior Ashley Moran with just a second left on the clock. Lissner set up the play by breaking up a rush from A-B junior Eleana Cardarelli at the Tanner blue line and finding Moran, who backhanded the puck from neutral ice into the empty net.

It was Moran’s second goal of the game, as she had scored at 5:49 of the third off a face-off in the A-B zone that Lissner worked toward the net. Moran scored two goals in both of the Tanners’ games in this competition.

The No. 1 star Thursday night, however, was Lissner, who scored all three of her goals in the first 18 minutes of the game to give head coach Bob MacCurtain’s Tanners (17-0-3) an insurmountable lead.

“Finishing, I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s her greatest strength, but she did a great job of it today,” MacCurtain said. “She’s gotten better and better at it this year.”

Lissner and her linemates set the tone early with a terrific opening shift that resulted in a goal just 43 seconds into the game, as senior Kayla Smith set up Lissner in the slot from behind the net for a 1-0 lead.

“We always try and get a quick start,” Lissner said. “We’ve learned to get the quick goal but also stay in the game and not get too far ahead of ourselves.”

Lissner scored her second with 12 seconds left in the period, establishing position in front and tipping home a shot from the point from sister Erica.

Woburn would have led by even more at the first intermission but for the efforts of A-B freshman goalie Cali Loblundo, who denied Smith on two golden opportunities in front.

Despite it being even on the scoreboard, Woburn dominated the second period to the tune of a 15-5 shot advantage. Lissner completed her hat trick at 2:56 of the period with the Tanners on the power play, taking a pass across the slot from Smith and finishing past Loblundo.

The Colonial goalie again made some fine saves to keep her team in it, as A-B didn’t get its first shot of the period until there was 5:01 left in the frame. But sophomore Alex Loblundo put the team on the board with 59 seconds remaining, stuffing home a rebound off a shot by freshman Kaitlin Hoang.

Woburn’s group of defensemen – led by senior Cassandra Connolly and featuring senior Haley Rafferty, junior Gabby Mourousas, and freshmen Morgan Bishop and Madison Cole – helped limit A-B (13-6-2) to just nine shots through the first two periods.

“It’s been a little bit of a work in progress over the course of the season, but they’re all playing really well right now,” MacCurtain said.

After beating Arlington Catholic, 4-1, in the Showcase’s first day of action Tuesday, Woburn has likely established itself as the team to beat in the MIAA Division 1 state tournament that kicks off next week.

ARLINGTON 3, HINGHAM 3
A goal by Arlington senior Katie Cummings with 4:08 to play capped a wild third period that featured four goals and several good saves, as No. 18 Arlington and No. 6 Hingham played to a 3-3 draw in Thursday night’s final game.

The Harborwomen (13-6-3) had come back from a 2-0 second intermission deficit to take a 3-2 lead, with senior Jane Freda’s second goal of the night at 5:49 of the third period putting Hingham ahead. That goal came in the midst of a four-minute major penalty against Arlington, during which Hingham senior Alexandria Gong scored at 4:08 to tie the game.

But the Spy Ponders (11-8-1) wouldn’t give up, and Cummings was in position to put in a centering pass from senior defenseman Hannah Wright to earn Arlington a point. Junior goalie Katie Gilligan came up big for Arlington with four stops in the final 90 seconds, including a great double-save on Freda with 21 seconds to go.

“She’s been flawless these two games,” Arlington head coach Jeff Mead said. “That’s a good confidence booster for her going into the tournament.”

Arlington came into the week on the heels of a 4-0 loss to Reading, but a win over Acton-Boxborough followed by this tie will certainly give the club some momentum going into the state tournament.

“I think they want to prove a point and they want to prove that you might not want to face us in the first game of the playoffs,” Mead said. “The kids battled hard. Win or lose, we were competitive all week.”

Senior Carolyn Woodin gave Arlington a 1-0 lead at 6:56 of the first. Senior Shannon Hickey made it 2-0 with 4:58 left in the second after a terrific individual effort, beating two Hingham players in the offensive zone before putting the puck past Hingham junior goalie Taylor Walsh.

Freda got Hingham back in the game just 2:12 into the third, and Gong tied it off a pair of good passes from Freda and sophomore Hannah Falvey with the Harborwomen enjoying a 5-on-3 advantage.

Head coach Tom Findley’s team finished with a 30-15 advantage in shots, but had to settle for the draw.

“That’s our season in a nutshell,” Findley said. “We get a lot of shots on net -- sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t ... I think the team played really well in the first two periods. They just didn’t score.”

ALL-STARS
Each team had two all-stars named for the tournament. Representing their programs from the second half of Thursday’s festivities were: Smith and Connolly (Woburn); Barrett and Cali Loblundo (Acton-Boxborough); Woodin and Wright (Arlington); Gong and Freda (Hingham).

HINGHAM, Mass. -- Despite allowing two third-period goals, Hingham was able to stay the course and knock off Lexington, 3-2, during Tuesday’s opening day action at The 8 Showcase.

The No. 6 Harborwomen (13-6-2) took control of the game early by putting a lot of pressure on Lexington goalie Amanda Charlton (34 saves).

“We try and play by the model, even if you are up by a couple of goals, to play like we are down two goals,” Hingham head coach Tom Findley said. “We have been playing very well of late, but we need to be able to tighten it up a little bit on some of the smaller plays.”

Charlton was able to limit the Harborwomen attack and gave Lexington (12-5-2) a fighting chance throughout the game.

“They had a lot of shots on her, and she was able to keep us in the game,” Lexington head coach Amanda Ciarletta said about her goalie’s play.

At the other end of the ice, Hingham goalie Taylor Walsh was no slouch, turning away 19 of 21 Lexington shots. One big save was stopping Sara Lehman on a breakaway in the first period by holding the angle. As a result, the Harborwomen were able to come back less than two minutes later and take the early 1-0 lead.

Sam Ryder got Hingham on the board with only 34 seconds left in the first period by splitting the Minutemaids defense. Ryder got in alone with Charlton and made a nifty move to the backhand to finally get Hingham a goal. Charlton had turned away the first 16 shots she faced.

Hingham’s Jane Freda didn’t waste any time in the second period getting her team on the board, scoring 12 seconds in. Freda was able to fly around the defense on the left wing and walk around Charlton for the goal.

“I saw an opening in the defense, so I was able to get around them,” Freda said. “I made a move, and I was able to slide the puck around the goalies pad on my forehand.”

Charlton bounced right back though making several key saves to keep the Minutemaids in the game. Hingham’s Katherine Saleski dangled around the defense and tried to wrist a shot past Charlton, but the goaltender kept her angle to make the save.

In the third period, Charlton made three big stops down low, which allowed Lexington to pull within one goal as Carolyn Avery beat Walsh.

Unfortunately for Lexington, Catherine Linehan got it back as she walked in uncontested and rifled a shot to the back of the twine, which put Hingham up, 3-1.

After robbing Lehman on the first period, Walsh didn’t fare so well as Lehman got a second opportunity late in the third. Lehman got by the Hingham defense was able to beat Walsh with a deke to the backhand.

Lexington didn’t pull the goalie until only 2 seconds were remaining with the face-off in the Hingham zone. Hingham won the face-off however, preventing a last-second shot from the Minutemen.

WOBURN 4, ARLINGTON CATHOLIC 1
In the 2 p.m. matchup between No. 1 Woburn and No. 4 Arlington Catholic, the Tanners mustered up a sound attack to defeat the defending Division 1 champs, 4-1.

“That was one of the best [games] all year, as we did our jobs all over the ice, especially defensively,” Woburn head coach Bob MacCurtain said. “Defensively, last year we were not very good, so to see a performance like this now is a positive.”

Woburn’s Ashley Moran (2 G, 1 A) and Kayla Smith (1 G, 2 A) turned in 3-point games, assisting on each other’s goals.

“I have been really leaning on them the past few weeks,” MacCurtain said. “They were really good moving the puck around out there and making smart decisions.”

Woburn goaltender Courtney Davis was sharp in the Tanner goal turning away 15 of 16 shots from the Cougars (14-3-2).

The Tanners lit the lamp early in the first period on a nifty backhand move by Moran as she slid the puck through the 5-hole of Arlington Catholic goalie Megan Messuri.

“Coach [MacCurtain] told me that I needed to start getting to the net more, so I was able to do that there,” Moran said.

The Cougars came right back with several chances, but Davis stayed square making three consecutive stops to keep the Tanners ahead.

Erica Lissner wasted little time in the second period as she beat Messuri (15 saves) with a backhander within the first two minutes.

Back at the other end, Davis robbed Danielle Kelley with about 8:20 remaining in the second down low on the power play. Before the second period ended, the Cougars finally had a brush with luck. A shot from Jackie Sindoris deflected high, and although Davis gloved the puck, she could not hold on as it fell into the goal.

The Tanners (16-0-3) bounced right back in the third as Smith scored on a breakaway. Moran picked up the assist, feeding Smith on the breakaway.

Moran followed suit minutes later on a two-on-one with Smith by rifling a wrist shot top shelf.

“I had Kayla [Smith] with me and both the goalie and defensemen started pulling over to her, so I just shot the puck,” Moran said.

The Cougars tried to mount a comeback as they had several chances, but Davis was up to the challenge making multiple key saves. Adrieanna Rossini had the best chance on a one-timer in the slot, but Davis sprawled across her crease to make the highlight reel save.

BOYS
1st Team
F – Liam Coughlin, Sr., Catholic Memorial
F – Brian Pinho, Sr., St. John’s Prep
F – Ara Nazarian, Soph., Malden Catholic
D – Casey Fitzgerald, Soph., Malden Catholic
D – Matt Foley, Sr., Springfield Cathedral
G – Peter Cronin, Sr., BC High

2nd Team
F – Sam D’Antuono, Soph., Hingham
F – Mike Kelleher, Sr., Central Catholic
F – Cam Owens, Sr., Wilmington
D – Bryan Nelson, Jr., St. John's (Shrewsbury)
D – Jack Williams, Sr., Springfield Cathedral
G – Drew Foley, Jr., Wilmington

GIRLS
1st Team
F – Alison Butler, Sr., St. Mary’s (Lynn)
F – Jane Freda, Sr., Hingham
F – Kayla Smith, Sr., Woburn
D – Cassandra Connolly, Sr., Woburn
D – Annie Messuri, Jr., Acton-Boxborough
G – Courtney Davis, Jr., Woburn

2nd Team
F – Kaleigh Finigan, Sr., St. Mary's (Lynn)
F – Hannah Murphy, Sr., Duxbury
F - Adrieanna Rossini, Soph., Arlington Catholic
D – Tatiana Doucette, Jr., St. Mary’s (Lynn)
D – Alexx Good, Sr., Falmouth
G – Maddie Scavotto, Soph., Falmouth

WHO COULD BE THERE
Aside from those named to our first two teams, there are a plenty of deserving candidates across the state that made for some very hard decisions.

Here's a peak at few players who were on the cusp and who are worth keeping tabs on as we near tournament time:

Tom Besinger, Sr. F, BC High: His two-goal performance in Saturday night's comeback win over Catholic Memorial tells you everything you need to know about the shifty center.

Eddie Pratt, Sr. F, Xaverian: It wouldn't be too outlandish to say that you could make a strong case for the power forward (15-11-26) as the Catholic Conference MVP.

Jack Kilty, Sr. F, Medway: Don't let the fact that the Mustangs play in D3 detract from his resume (17-17-34); he could skate on any line in the state.

Nick Rolli, Sr. D, Malden Catholic: It's been an up-and-down year for the Lancers, but the blue-liner is a steadying force, playing on all units.

Alex Buckley, Sr. G, Newburyport: In terms of shots seen, it's hard to beat his 94.8 save percentage.

Tim Birarelli, Soph. G, Beverly: The Panthers' offense gets a lot of the pub, but the second-year backstop has been a revelation this year as they've surrendered just 10 goals on the season.

Brittani Lanzilli, Jr. F, Medford: After transferring back from St. Mary's, she'll lead the Mustangs as far as they can go.

Maggie Layo, Jr. F, Sandwich: Among the leading scorers in the state (11-33-44), she's a huge part why no one will want to cross paths with the Blue Knights in D2.

Hannah Wright, Sr. D, Arlington: As close to a shut-down blue-liner as you'll find in MIAA hockey this year.

Shannon O'Neil, Sr. G, Austin Prep: Perhaps the toughest decision to make among all of them in a particularly good year of goaltending in the girls' game. A 97.2 percentage and six shutouts is about as good as it gets.

WOBURN, Mass. - A year ago, the Woburn girls team knew it had plenty of talent, and three selections to ESPN Boston's preseason All-State Team proved that. It was a lack of depth that hurt them in the long run.

Depth doesn't seem to be as much of an issue this winter, and the top-ranked Tanners second line came up with a big performance as Erica Lissner popped in a pair of power plays goals to lead Woburn to a 3-1 victory over Middlesex League rival and No. 7 Reading last night at O'Brien Arena.

"I think the difference between this year's team and last year's team is our second line is scoring a little bit more," Woburn head coach Bob MacCurtain said. "I don't think you can go real far at any time of the year without at least...you've got to have two lines that can score."

Lissner centers that second line, flanked by wingers Morgan Bishop and Hannah Sullivan. And after a scoreless first period produced a feeling that both team's goalies were on their games, it was Lissner who managed break through.

Just over a minute into the Tanners (8-0-1) second power play of the game, defensemen Cassandra Connolly sprung Lissner loose down the right side and the sophomore buried her shot. Then, with 17 seconds to go in the frame, Lissner's older sister Emily gave her a perfect pass to set up a good look that went through traffic to the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

"The first goal was a great play by Cassandra. She threw puck right up and I just took it right in and had my head up," described Lissner. "The second goal, it was like everything I've achieved in my life - without my sister, it never would have happened. She fed me the puck in a perfect spot. Cassandra could have stepped in but she backed off and let me take it."

Rachel Thomson got one back for the Rockets when she stuck a seeing-eye shot through traffic to the top, far corner to cut the deficit to 2-1 with 6:27 remaining. But that would be all Reading would manage as the Tanners defense locked down and Ashley Moran banged in an empty-netter with 29 seconds to go to lock up the win.

TANNER PRIDE ON D
Connolly displayed the talents that made her one of those first-team all-star selections, blocking numerous shots, including a span of three straight during a Reading (7-1-1) power play. She also keyed the effort against the Rockets dynamic freshman forward Ali O'Leary, who rarely found a clean sheet of ice on which to unleash her devastating speed and stickhandling abilities.

"We knew they had a lot of fast players so we knew we had to watch the neutral zone and we just stayed with them every play," the senior captain explained. "I think we knew we knew we were going up against a good goaltender so we had to shoot high and it worked every time."

And on the blocked shots, Connolly added with a laugh, "In practice we stand up tall and try and block them. We can't be afraid of anything at this point so we go all out. I have all the equipment so I just stand there and hope for the best of it."

As a unit, the Tanners blue-liners turned in possibly their best performance, and the forwards routinely excelled in back-checking to do their part to help. And when all else fails, you can't beat having a stopper like junior goalie Courtney Davis, who made a number of highlight reel stops among her 22 saves.

"I thought they did a terrific job. That was their best game as a unit that we've played," MacCurtain praised. "Cassandra was excellent. All four of them were excellent. We knew that we had to keep [O'Leary] off the board and see if someone else would beat us but I was really proud of how they played as a group. The team defense was really good."

WOBURN, Mass. –- Bitter Middlesex League rivals No. 14 Woburn and No. 16 Burlington engaged in their first of two regular season meetings Wednesday night at the O’Brien rink and all was even.

From the play on the ice, to the vocal displays of admiration from the respective schools’ student fan section, the Tanners and Red Devils played out a scene that frequently could be repeated across the league this year. After skating to a 2-2 tie, there wasn’t much separating the teams in any regard – even the shots-on-goal battle ended in an 18-18 draw.

And while both sides came away disappointed, in other ways, the went home satisfied yet.

“The Middlesex League is probably the best public school league,” Burlington senior captain C.J. Grinnell said. “Anything can happen at any point.”

While the Tanners (2-0-1) dropped their first point of the season, they were fortunate to come away with one at all.

Trailing 2-1 with less than three minutes to play, Woburn defensemen Mark Desantis’ point shot found its way through the wall of traffic in front of Burlington netminder Derek DeCastro (16 saves).

On the bulk, both teams split the action, but Burlington (1-1-1) took the ice in the first period with a decided jump in their stride. And even though the Red Devils carried the action, they found themselves in an early hole as Tanners senior center Jared Baker forced a neutral zone turnover and sped in alone on a partial breakaway. Baker’s back-handed finish gave Woburn a 1-0 lead at 6:29.

Yet, Burlington kept coming and their aggressive forecheck was rewarded on its first goal scored by Grinnell at 8:38. Grinnell sped up the left wing boards and into the Woburn zone. After gaining position between the defense and Tanners netminder Jeremy Flibotte (16 saves), Grinnell snuck a beautiful back-handed snipe under the roof of the cross bar.

It was a welcome change of fortune.

“I’ve been snake-bitten all year,” Grinnell said of his first goal on the season. “I’ve hit maybe six, seven crossbars in the first couple of games. I used my speed, just went to the outside and I saw the goalie go down early, so I went upstairs.”

Less than a minute later, the Red Devils claimed a 2-1 lead – a lead they would go on to hold for more than two periods – with junior defensemen Adam Crowley’s partial slapper from inside the left side circle. Fellow blue-liner Sean Costa picked up an assist on the play.

Burlington maintained its slim margin until the 12:02 mark of the third when Woburn tallied the equalizer on Desantis’ blasts.

GLASS HALF FULL
Both head coaches harped on the fact that they return young squads and that Wednesday’s result was more a stepping stone than a step back.

“I’m proud of them,” Woburn bench boss Jim Duran said. “We did the little things, playing good team defense, we were solid in our own end and making the most of our chances.”

Likewise, Bob Conceison, whose Red Devils are coming off a Division 1 state championship last season but lost several key players to graduation, saw plusses to the minuses.

“I thought the first period we came out and played really, really well. I think they adjusted in the second period and they came out flying. I wasn’t happy with the way we came out in the second. We didn’t match them and we came out a little bit lethargic.”

ON THE RISE
Those young rosters mean that the more senior Tanner and Red Devil skaters are going to be called upon to do more this season.

Wednesday’s performance provided a glimpse to the maturation of a couple of those such players.

Baker’s goal was the result of a great individual effort in the neutral zone, putting the Tanners on the board. Duran is hoping Baker will fulfill a great role as the pivot on the Tanners’ top line, centering Joe Connors and Colin Flynn.

“He knows he has to do that, he and Joey [Connors] and the Baldino twins [Christian and Nick], even though they’re just sophomores. Jared and Joey have been in big games and that helps us and what really helps us is that they’re such hard workers. They never take a shift off.”

Meanwhile, a goal and a steady night in his own zone from Crowley drew plenty of praise.

“Adam’s one of the most important players on our team,” Conceison said of the junior defenseman. “None of our other defensemen have seen playing time, they’re all new defensemen. Adam’s stabilized them, he leads that group and he’s our catalyst back there. I think he played a tremendous game tonight. When he plays this way, he came be one of the best defensemen around.”

Before we drop the puck on a busy night of MIAA hockey across local barns tonight, let's take a quick look at the movement in our latest boys' hockey Top 25 poll.

DIV. 2 MOVEMENT
Our Top 8 teams remained virtually unchanged, minus the flip-flop between Central Catholic and Austin Prep, but Beverly snuck into the Top 10 this week after Wlimington fell 10 spots to No. 19, following an opening night loss to Woburn.

The Panthers are the top-ranked Division 2 team in our poll, and make no mistake about it, expect Beverly to hang with the big boys all year long. In fact, we might even go as far as saying the Panthers should get a long and hard look from the Super 8 committee when things are all said and done.

Yet, the greatest victory for Beverly last week came with the return of head coach Bob Gilligan behind the bench. Gilligan's been battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma for the last two years.

BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE
As previously mentioned, the biggest upset of Week 1 might have come with Woburn's 3-1 win over Wilmington on opening night. The previously unranked Tanners jumped all the way to No. 14, but face a large task at home when No. 16 Burlington invaded for the "Battle of Winn Street."

Also cracking the poll for the first time since the middle of the 2011-12 season, Danvers slides into the 25th spot. The Falcons looked strong while picking up four points last week against Lynnfield and Marblehead, while beating their opponents by a combined 8-2 margin.

Falling out of the poll from our preseason poll were Framingham (No. 15 previously) and Natick (No. 25).

Continuing our preseason MIAA hockey previews, here's our girls' hockey preseason All-State team:

FIRST TEAM
F - Kayla Smith, Sr., Woburn
F - Alison Butler, Sr., St. Mary’s (Lynn)
F - Hannah Murphy, Sr., Duxbury
D - Hannah Wright, Sr., Arlington
D - Cassandra Connolly, Sr., Woburn
G - Courtney Davis, Jr., Woburn

SECOND TEAM
F - Jane Freda, Jr., Hingham
F - Brittani Lanzilli, Jr., Medford
F - Kaleigh Finigan, Sr., St. Mary’s (Lynn)
D - Brooke Matherson, Jr., Walpole
D - Annie Messuri, Jr., Acton-Boxborough
G - Rachel Myette, Jr., Duxbury