BOSTON — The second time was the charm for Milton.
Just one year removed from heartbreak in the MIAA Division 2 girls state final at the hands of Medfield, the No. 2 Wildcats earned redemption with a 2-1 win over No. 5 King Philip at TD Garden for the program's first-ever state title.
Senior Sabrina Stone and freshman Maeve Lovett each scored for Milton (25-1-1). Sophomore Caera Hart made six saves in net.
Junior Ella Morgan scored for the Warriors. Senior Kiki Lynch made 36 saves in net as King Philip finished 23-3-1.
GIRLS MIAA BRACKETS:Â Division 1Â |Â Division 2
Milton controlled the play through the opening 20 minutes, but Lynch had every answer, making 18 saves in the first.
The Wildcats finally broke through when Stone cashed in on a shorthanded 2-on-0 with freshman Mia Cataruzolo with 8:55 to go in the second, finishing a feed in the slot. After Hart made a save in the defensive zone, Cataruzolo was first on the loose puck in the high slot. She chipped it to space, and she and Stone were off to the races.
Lovett doubled the lead less than three minutes later when she redirected senior Mairin Hart's shot from the point.
KP made a push in the third period and finally broke through when Morgan scored on a breakaway with 9:10 to go. The junior took advantage of a miscue at the point for Milton, blowing by freshman Colette Gorham and flying in alone before beating Caera Hart glove-side.
BOYS MIAA BRACKETS:Â Division 1Â |Â Division 2Â |Â Division 3Â |Â Division 4
The Warriors had a golden opportunity to tie it with a late power play, but whether it was Cataruzolo, Lovett, freshman Elise Hinckle or senior Nayeli Thayer, Milton executed perfectly on the penalty kill. The Wildcats gave KP nothing and killed it off en route to the win.
Quick takeaways...
- Milton thoroughly dominated from start to finish. It's a testament to the Wildcats' depth that it wasn't just Stone's line that executed. Whether it was seniors like Stone, Thayer or Noelle Gorham, or youngsters like Lovett, Cataruzolo or Lindsay Butt, each of the Wildcats' top three lines created chances and racked up zone time. Stone was dangerous from the start, creating chances off the rush and driving to the slot. A hat tip to Cataruzolo, too. It says a lot that Milton coach Matt Lodi trusted her on the ice with the game on the line late. The Wildcats' depth was what helped put them a tier above all season.
- Hats off to Lynch, who was amazing throughout the tournament (and her career) for KP. The senior denied 153 of 156 shots that went her way in five games. That's outstanding. If it weren't for her, KP would have been trailing after the first. She made key saves on high-danger chances in the slot, around the net and through traffic. It was a lights-out performance on the biggest stage.
- Caera Hart was strong at the other end, too, despite the much lower shot total. She made big saves in key moments that prevented KP from getting back into the game earlier. Hart made a post-to-post push to deny Annabelle Curran's backdoor look on a loose puck before snagging the follow-up bid as she was on the ice. Hart also made a tremendous stop on her first test of the game in the first, stretching out her blocker to swipe the puck off the goal line in a goal-mouth scramble.
- Morgan was the Warriors' best skater throughout the game, playing with pace and working pucks toward middle ice in the offensive zone. She nearly cashed in as she swiped a loose puck on goal in tight early in the third. It was no surprise to see her get rewarded with a tremendous effort later on a breakaway.
- Got to give props to King Philip for a commendable playoff run, all after coach Ken Assad passed away unexpectedly in December. There's no doubt the Warriors made him proud. KP was the state's highest scoring team with 112 total goals, and they backed it up with all-world goaltending from Lynch. It was a hell of a season for the high-flying Warriors.
