KINGSTON, Mass. — After already touching on six standout forwards from the final day of the Tenney Cup, let's look at the standout defenders and goalies from Monday's action.
The annual tournament features some of the best girls hockey teams in the MIAA, be it Division 1 forces like Notre Dame (Hingham), Bishop Feehan or Hingham, as well as Division 2 stalwart Duxbury.
I made it out to the Bog in Kingston on Monday for the tournament's final day, taking in NDA's 3-0 championship win over Braintree, Duxbury's 4-0 revenge against Bishop Feehan in the consolation and Hingham's back-and-forth 5-3 win over Archbishop Williams.
NDA also won the inaugural Tenney Cup in the 2021-22 season. Duxbury, the hosts, won last season's edition of the event.
Let's dive into six defenders and goalies who stood out.
Lucy DelGallo
NDA (Hingham), senior, D, right shot, 5-10
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
In the two times I've seen DelGallo this season, I've liked her game on the top pair next to Sarah Francis (Scituate, Mass.). She's a smooth skater and has a ton of range and length with her frame. DelGallo did a good job of filtering pucks down low from the point and getting shots on net through traffic. She was really smart at the offensive blue line, picking and choosing her spots to be aggressive. Defensively, her reach allowed her to break up plays in transition and keep Braintree to the outside.
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CC Flynn
Hingham, sophomore, D, left shot
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
I liked Flynn's game on the top defensive pair for the Harborwomen. I thought she was steady throughout. She made some nice reads at the offensive blue line to either pinch or hold the line to keep the play alive. Defensively, she maintained good gaps on the rush and knew when to step up to make an aggressive stick check or use her body to disrupt the puck carrier.
Reese Engel
NDA (Hingham), freshman, D, left shot
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
Engel had a fantastic day offensively on the blue line for NDA. She made a terrific pass on the power play to set up a goal by Caroline Hartnett (Hingham, Mass.), recognizing the wide-open passing lane to zip the puck across the zone to White for a forehand one-timer at the right circle. Braintree goalie Eva Surette made the initial save before Hartnett put home the loose puck. In the third, she jumped into the play before curling around the goal. She showed great patience before finding Emily Coughlin (Marshfield, Mass.) at the far post with a nice cross-crease pass. Surette again made the first save, but Coughlin found the rebound for the score. There were times Engel had the puck at her own blue line and had more time than she thought to make a play, but her instincts with the puck in transition and inside the offensive zone were strong.
Sydney Spellman
Bishop Feehan, senior, D, right shot
Hometown: East Providence, R.I.
I thought Spellman's game was solid on the blue line for Bishop Feehan for a lot of the same reasons I highlighted Flynn for Hingham. Spellman did a good job of defending in 1-on-1's and forcing puck carriers to the outside in transition. She got her stick into lanes and made a nice play in the third where she stepped up and disrupted what would have been a Grade-A chance below the right circle. She had a couple of nice keep-ins at the attacking blue line, too.
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Anna McGinty
Duxbury, senior, G, catches left, 5-8
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
McGinty has been the bedrock of the Dragon's success, and it's clear why. She was terrific in a game where Bishop Feehan had some chances to get on the board and seize momentum. After freshman Shea Martin's opening goal for Duxbury, the Shamrocks had a 2-on-0 against McGinty (22 saves). She anticipated the play well, reading the pass the whole way and making a shoulder save square to the shot. She made another tremendous save in the third on a double deflection, reacting quickly to snare the fluttering puck with her glove.
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Eva Surette
Braintree, senior, G, catches left
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
Surette had a phenomenal tournament, already blanking NDA on Dec. 26, and it continued Monday. She kept Braintree in it on the scoreboard for much of the game, even as the Wamps were under heavy siege for some extending sequences. It took a perfect shot from White and a greasy goal for Hartnett in the second period before another dirty rebound goal for Coughlin in the third for the Cougars to beat Surette. She did a great job tracking pucks through bodies and making saves on several second and third-chance opportunities. She finished with a whopping 36 saves.
