BOSTON — Methuen/Tewksbury had a game plan.
The No. 6 Red Rangers emphasized their forecheck entering Sunday's MIAA Division 1 girls state final at TD Garden against No. 6 Archbishop Williams.
Sammy Ryan took it to heart.
The junior gloved down a clearing attempt high in the offensive zone and drove toward the slot, backhanding the puck on net. Archies junior goalie Maggie Shea went to swipe the puck clear, but missed, as it skittered into the goal to give Methuen/Tewksbury the lead with 4:36 left in the second.
GIRLS MIAA BRACKETS:Â Division 1Â |Â Division 2
The Red Rangers never looked back as senior goalie Lydia Barnes and senior forward Ella Duffy did the rest. Duffy added an empty-netter with 57 seconds left, stealing the puck out high and going the other way to put the game on ice. Barnes finished with 18 saves for the 2-0 win, the state title and an undefeated 23-0-2 season for the Red Rangers.
The win also marked Methuen/Tewksbury's first state title since 2019.
Shea finished with 19 saves for the Bishops, who finished 18-8-1.
BOYS MIAA BRACKETS:Â Division 1Â |Â Division 2Â |Â Division 3Â |Â Division 4
Quick takeaways...
- What a fitting end to a sterling career for Barnes, who will play at UMass Boston next season. The senior backstopped a defensive core that surrendered just 12 goals all season, the fewest of any MIAA program in the state. Sunday was her third shutout of the postseason. She made big saves in key spots, including in the third when she stretched her left pad to deny a tumbling puck on the goal line. Barnes also denied McKenzie Lima-Tower on a strong net drive in the second. That was a hell of a job to shut down an Archies team that outscored opponents 17-0 entering Sunday.
- The Red Rangers' forecheck completely suffocated the Bishops. All game long, Archies struggled to exit the zone cleanly. They were frequently regrouping and tracking down loose pucks. By the back end of the third, they were gassed. M/T executed its game plan to perfection. Props to defenders Maeve Burns, Lyla Chapman and Kenzie Dunnet, among others, for getting pucks up quickly and making plays in the neutral zone.
- Archies came out strong to open the game, outshooting M/T early on. Emily Fleming, in particular, was effective in transition and working toward middle ice. Her line with Julie Murphy and Izzy O'Brien had strong chances but couldn't solve Barnes. The Bishops generated strong momentum at the end of the second period, too, but it was no use.
- You have to feel for Shea, who had five straight shutouts, including in all four tournament games. While it's a tough way to end the tournament for her, it shouldn't take away from how dominant she was.
- Give a ton of credit to the Red Rangers' youngsters. Methuen/Tewksbury's roster features 17 underclassmen, including 10 eighth-graders. The moment never looked too big for them.
- That win was for the late Dave O'Hearn, who coached the Red Rangers until he passed away in the offseason after battling cancer. Methuen/Tewksbury played for him all season, and the emotions were evident as soon as Duffy put the game away. An undefeated season and a state title in his honor. You can't script it any better than that.
