A little over a year ago, it was Phillips Andover hanging on for a nail-biting win at Nobles in the Elite 8 quarterfinals.
But on Wednesday, the No. 2 Bulldogs flipped the script, outlasting the No. 1 Big Blue for a critical, 3-2 win.
Ava Decourcey (Rockland, Mass.) had a goal and two assists for Nobles (23-1-0). Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) scored twice.
Kimee Duplessis (Framingham, Mass.) had a goal and an assist for Andover (19-2-1).
Decourcey opened the scoring four minutes into the first with a seeing-eye wrister from the point. Bromley doubled the lead five minutes later, beating Marie Lee (Southboro, Mass.) with a wrister from the left circle on a 3-on-1 with Decourcey and Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.).
Bromley cashed in again on the power play early in the second, burying a rebound off Decourcey's shot from distance.
Keira Bruen (West Roxbury, Mass.) got Andover on the board five minutes into the third when Duplessis shot pin-balled in off her in front.
Duplessis cut it to 3-2 with seven minutes to go in regulation, jumping into the rush and beating Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.) over the glove from the slot.
It was all Andover could muster in the comeback bid.
Let's dive into seven takeaways from the game.
Nobles' defenders gave Andover nothing for most of the game
The Bulldogs’ defenders did a terrific job of holding the offensive blue line and the red line to quickly send pucks back in deep and hem the Big Blue in. In particular, Liz Levering (Westwood, Mass.) was assertive and made some strong plays out high. She had a great sequence in the first, breaking up multiple plays coming out of the zone.
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Decourcey was a force all game, too. Nobles does a great job of working the puck low to high, and Decourcey executed, getting pucks through to the net and the slot. It paid off on her goal and Bromley's second goal. Decourcey was also strong with the puck on her stick, and she did it all to set up Bromley's first goal. The former danced around multiple forecheckers before breaking into the neutral zone and finding Bromley with a stretch pass up the left wing.
Nobles made Andover pay for mistakes
The Big Blue were lax with the puck just inside the offensive blue line at different points throughout the game. Nobles made them pay with chances the other way.
The Bulldogs, particularly Gretta Hulbg (Foxboro, Mass.), did a great job of recognizing quick feeds and drop passes out high and breaking them up with active sticks. It led to two breakaways for Hulbig, plus a partial shorthanded break in the second. Had she capitalized, the game could have gotten well out of reach for Andover. It also made a difference late when Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.)Â broke up a pass at the point before Hulbig cleared it the length of the rink as Andover pushed for an equalizer with the net empty.
Bruen line gets rewarded
Bruen and Lilly McInerney (North Reading, Mass.) were two of Andover's best forecheckers throughout the game, particularly in the first and third periods. Bruen’s size, combined with McInerney's speed and puck pursuit, created issues for Nobles below the dots. It felt like they would be the ones to cash in with a greasy goal, and they did. The Big Blue worked it out to the point, and Bruen and McInerney planted themselves in front. McInerney may have tipped Duplessis’ shot before it ricocheted off Bruen and in.
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Andover loads up late
Andover came out flying to start the third period, racking up all kinds of attacking zone time. For a minute, it seemed like they might never break through as Nobles weathered the storm through several icings amid the pressure. But Bruen’s goal went a long way in giving the Big Blue belief.
One look in particular that caught my eye was Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) sliding up to forward alongside Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) and Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.). It was entertaining as hell to see Andover break out the nuclear option, and it led to a handful of quality chances in dangerous ice. That trio was vital to kickstarting the pressure and comeback bid. I'll be curious to see if they go back to that at all in the postseason, depending on the situation.
Duplessis continues ascent
Duplessis’ year-over-year improvement over the last two-plus seasons continues to impress. The recent Delaware commit made quick and smart decisions inside the offensive blue line and did a good job of getting pucks on net, leading to Bruen’s goal. Duplessis made a hell of a play on her goal, immediately recognizing the potential for an odd-numbered rush and making a beeline up the middle after Caroline Averill sprung Powers with a stretch pass. After getting a short pass from Powers to drive into the slot, Duplessis made a great finish with her shot over Jonas's glove.
Props to both goalies
Both Lee and Jonas played more than well enough to give their sides a shot to win. Both were poised and made great reads in the crease.
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Had it not been for Lee denying Hulbig’s chances, a breakaway for Ashley Loeber (Weston, Mass.) and others, Andover may not have had the chance at a third-period comeback.
At the other end, Jonas was not overly tested until the third, and even though she gave up two in the period, she made some fantastic saves to keep the Big Blue at bay. One came when she denied Maggie Averill's one-timer in the slot before stopping the follow-up bid. Another was an insane lunging stop with her left pad on Powers’ backdoor chance from Caroline Averill in tight.
Nobles may have locked up the No. 1 seed
As I write this on Wednesday evening, Nobles holds the top spot in the JSPR, a standing they're projected to hold through the end of the regular season. The Bulldogs are not completely out of the woods yet, though, as they'll also face Thayer and Tabor this week before visiting Governor’s and Milton Academy next week. Saturday’s game against Tabor could have huge ramifications on the Elite 8 picture.
Andover, meanwhile, fell to third, which they are also projected to maintain. It's hardly a sure thing, though, as the Big Blue will host Loomis Chaffee and Phillips Exeter next week. Plenty will be at stake in both matchups, especially against Loomis, which is currently fifth.
