It has come down to this: the Brunswick High School girls hockey had three games remaining, two against teams just ahead of the Dragons in the Eastern standings, including Friday’s opponent Yarmouth/Freeport.
After Brunswick’s (6-10) 4-1 victory over Yarmouth/Freeport (6-9-1), the Dragons will look to move up against St. Dom’s tonight (8:10 p.m.) at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee to secure a playoff spot.
“You never know how teams are going to finish up, but a win tonight and a win Monday allows us to control our own destiny,” said Brunswick coach Bill Bodwell.
The Dragons had struggled early in their last three games, losing two. This time, Brunswick came out strong, firing off the first six shots and taking a 1-0 lead on a Maddie Wilkes goal 7:58 of the first period.
“It was important to send the message to Yarmouth that we are here to play and here to win so we can make the playoffs,” said Wilkes, who had a goal and an assist. “We need to win these games, and I think we really showed that tonight. We want to win these games, knowing that we can play with the teams ahead of us.”
Changes to lineup
With goaltender Claire Mendes out because of sickness, senior Erin Gay returned to the cage and starred with 18 saves.
“The last three games we have gone down 1-0 in the first 15 seconds, so to get the lead today felt good, and Erin played incredible,” said Bodwell, who switched things around, moving his top forward line of Rachel Moroney, Eliza Brooks and Gillian Ford to defense, while sending normal defenders Wilkes and Grace Rabinowitz (one goal, one assist) up to forward. “We just found out this evening that Claire couldn’t play. We were having a hard time getting the puck out of our end, so having our seniors back there helped and they created some offense.”
“I was anxious since I hadn’t been in goalie pads for so long,” said Gay, who had 18 saves, including three on Yarmouth/Freeport’s Ariel Potter to keep the Dragons ahead by a goal in the opening frame.
“I am always a goalie at heart, so it was like riding a bike. You get anxious to get that first shot, and when I didn’t see a shot for a while, it made me nervous. But, the defense in front of me was good, and this is a pretty big win. We played well considering all the sickness we have had.”
Second period goals by Tessa Cassidy and Moroney gave the Dragons a 3-0 lead after 30 minutes. Brunswick kept the pressure on the Clippers and goaltender Hannah Williams of Freeport, who had to make saves on Brooks, Moroney and Caitlyn Olson to keep the visitors within three goals.
But, there was little Williams (14 saves) was able to do on Brunswick’s fourth goal. Wilkes worked a pass to Moroney, whose centering feed found the stick of Rabinowitz in front of Williams, with the puck tucking in underneath the cross bar for a 4-0 Dragons lead.
Yarmouth/Freeport managed to get on the board with 7:32 remaining when Potter’s shot on the power beat Gay. But, the netminder stopped Potter, Michelle Robichaud and Freeport’s Emily Johnson moments later to keep Brunswick comfortably ahead to finish off the 4-1 victory.
The Clippers finished with a 19-18 shots advantage, with both teams scoring one goal on the power play (Brunswick 1- for-4; Yarmouth/Freeport 1-for- 5). Ford, Brooks, Olson and Moroney added one assist each.
Brunswick 4,
Yarmouth/Free. 1
At Sidney J. Watson Arena
Yarm/Fpt —001—1
Brunswick—121—4
First period — 1. (B) Maddie Wilkes (Grace
Rabinowitz, Gillian Ford), 7:58. Penalties —
(Y/F) Lilly Watson, hooking, 2:18; (Y/F) Katie
Brown, roughing, 9:32; (B) Rachel Moroney,
interference, 11:21; (Y/F) Ariel Potter, tripping,
14:32.
Second period — 2. (B) Tessa Cassidy (Caitlyn
Olson, Eliza Brooks), 6:40; 3. (B) Rachel
Moroney, 8:42. Penalties — None.
Third period — 4. (B) Grace Rabinowitz (Rachel
Moroney, Maddie Wilkes), pp, 4:36; 5. (Y/F)
Ariel Potter, pp, 7:32. Penalties — (B) Rachel
Moroney, tripping, 1:00; (Y/F) Emily Johnson,
slashing, 3:05; (B) Chanel Thibeault, hooking,
6:45; (B) Gillian Ford, tripping, 11:09; (B) Eliza
Brooks, high sticking, 14:06.
Shots on goal — Yarmouth/Freeport — 6-6-
7—19; Brunswick — 8-5-5—18.
Saves — (Y/F) Hannah Williams 14; (B) Erin
Gay 18.
Power play — (Y/F) 1-5; (B) 1-4.
Records — Brunswick 6-10; Yarmouth/Freeport
6-9-1.
Next for the Dragons — Today at St. Dom’s,
8:10 p.m.
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