WATERTOWN, Conn. — Loomis Chaffee bent but didn’t break.
The No. 2 Pelicans took down No. 5 Phillips Andover, 5-3, en route to the girls Elite 8 title, their first championship since 1989.
The Pelicans couldn’t have asked for a better start, scoring three goals in the first 12 minutes of the game.
Senior forward Chloe Obser opened the scoring less than four minutes in when she tipped in junior defender Megan Hosman’s wrister from the point on the power play.
Junior forward Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.) made it 2-0 on the power play when she beat Marie Lee short side from the left dot. Junior forward Bella Zolezzi extended it to 3-0 with 6:47 to go in the first.
From there, Loomis had its hands full as the Big Blue found a response.
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Andover got on the board when junior forward Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) buried a rebound in front on the power play with 55 seconds left in the period. Junior goalie Adeline Roper (Kennebunk, Maine) lunged to the left post to make the initial save on Andover junior forward Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) before Powers jammed in the loose puck.
Loomis answered in the second when Zolezzi cashed in on the power play for her second of the game, firing a quick wrister from the slot. It came after junior forward Annie Schwarz (Fairfield, Conn.) rang the post off the rush, and junior defender Carly Dann (Hanover, N.H.) had a shot trickle through the crease.
But Andover continued to mount pressure and chances, forcing Roper to make some key stops.
That continued in the third as Loomis got into penalty trouble, taking five penalties in the period alone, which included two five-minute majors.
Senior forward Peyton Kennedy (Sudbury, Mass.) cut it to 4-2 for the Big Blue just 2:31 into the third, tipping in Lilly McInerney's (North Reading, Mass.) wrister from the left dot. Sophomore defender Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) made it a one-goal game moments later from the left dot.
But Loomis didn’t break. Postgrad forward Megan Duplantie made it 5-3 moments later, picking the top left corner from the slot.
Andover continued to mount the pressure, and it looked like they had a sure goal when McInerney’s swipe at a rebound trickled past Roper, destined for the open cage, but Loomis senior defender Catie Collins (South Burlington, Vt.) saved it with her right skate.
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Roper came up big again in the closing moments with Loomis shorthanded, killing the second of their majors. The netminder made the initial save before the puck found an Andover stick at the bottom of the right circle. She flashed the left pad and kicked it out to preserve the lead.
For Loomis and coach Liz Leyden, the win capped off a 25-2-1 season. They won five straight en route to the title.
Quick takeaways…
- It’s not hyperbole when I say that might have been the most physical, most intense and meanest hockey game I’ve seen. From the start, both teams laid everything on the line and left all they had out there. There was plenty of nastiness to go around. I don’t have the final count on penalties, save for Loomis cashing in on all three of their power plays and taking five penalties in the third, but you could tell me any total and I would believe you.
- Once Andover got through that nightmare of a start, they played well enough to win. They started to push the pace and take the puck to the net more. Their power plays helped build and sustain momentum, too. Roper came up big in key spots and prevented the comeback. That start was just too much to overcome.
- It says a ton about Loomis’ depth and details to be able to withstand a third period like that. The Pelicans essentially spent the entire third period shorthanded. They gave up their fair share of chances and a pair of goals, but they still found a way to win. A major hat tip to Schwarz, Hosman, Dann and Roper. Schwarz shifted back to defense a few times and made some big-time plays, while Hosman and Dann shouldered some heavy defensive minutes and tough matchups, especially with Collins in and out of the box. Hosman hardly left the ice in the third. Roper, meanwhile, was busy in a hair-on-fire period around her crease. She rose to the occasion.
