By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
BEVERLY — It wasn’t easy by any means but the North Reading- Lynnfield-Peabody High co-op girls’ hockey team was able to edge host Beverly-Danvers, 2-1, last Saturday night at the Bourque Arena on the campus of Endicott College.
With that result, the Tanners improved to 12-2 overall and 11-1 in the Northeastern Hockey League as they won their ninth-straight game.
The Panthers (8-5) struck first scoring 1:50 into the game as Shea Nemeskal scored on a rebound. PLNR responded just 17 seconds later as North Reading’s Vanessa Steinmeyer lit the lamp assisted by Penny Spack.
Spack, in the third period, turned out to be the hero as her shot deflected off a Panther defender into the net with 7:22 left in the game for the game-winner. Angela Fabbo was credited with the assist.
Beverly-Danvers then went on the power play with 2:14 left, and also pulled goalie Megan McGinnnity to make it a 6-on-4 situation.
Tanner goalie, Alyse Mutti, came up big with some key saves as the Tanners were able to hold on and the North Reading net minder was given the game puck afterwards.
Mutti, who improved to 12-2, made 17 saves to go to 12-2 as the Tanners outshot the Panthers 33-18. PLNR complete the season sweep over the Panthers as they won, 4-0, in the first meeting on Dec. 10.
On Jan. 25, the Tanners beat visiting Gloucester, 5-3, at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink in Peabody. With that win, the Tanners completed the season sweep over the Fishermen as they beat them, 2-0, in the season opener back on Dec. 8.
Five different Tanners scored in this game as Fabbo, Jenna DiNapoli, Shirley Whitmore, Spack and Ava Buckley all lit the lamp. Fabbo had three points that game as she had a pair of assists. DiNapoli, a co-captain from North Reading, had one assist, as did Mikaela O’Driscoll and Hanna Gromko. O’Driscoll is also a North Reading resident along with Whitmore.
Gloucester cut the deficit to 4-3 late in the third but the Tanners put it away with Buckley’s empty-net goal with 50 seconds left. Brooke McNiff scored twice to lead Gloucester with Julia Warde had the other Fishermen goal.
Mutti had 12 stops while Gloucester goalie, Kaydin Cusumano, had 27 saves as the Tanners outshot the Fishermen, 32-15.
On Feb. 4, the Tanners will travel to the Janis Rink in Lowell to take on Shawsheen-Bedford. Face-off for that game is at 11 a.m. The Tanners won the first meeting, 6-2, back on Dec. 17.
The Tanners then host Newburyport on Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. In the first meeting, PLNR beat the Clippers, 3-1, back on Jan. 4.
Of the 28 players on the Tanner roster, 15 are from North Reading.
