Posts 9-0 triumph to sweep St. Joseph Prep/Mt. Alvernia
HOPE MELANSON, a freshman forward, scored three goals and assisted on another in Wakefield’s 9-0 win over St. Joseph Prep/Mt. Alvernia yesterday at the Stoneham Arena. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
Published in the December 28, 2016 edition.
By DAN MARGARITA
STONEHAM — The Wakefield Memorial High girls’ hockey team hosted St. Joseph Prep/Mt. Alvernia yesterday afternoon and showed its strength compared to the first-year program, winning 9-0 at the Stoneham Arena.
Juliette Guanci got her first start in net for Wakefield giving starting goalie Megan Horrigan a chance to get out front, where she has spent most of her career.
“Both girls have been working hard so we thought we’d try to get Horrigan a little bit of ice time up front and give Guanci a chance in there and see how she looks. She did a good job. She didn’t get a ton of shots but the ones that came her way she obviously stopped, so we’re happy about that,” said Wakefield coach Jason Lawrence.
Wakefield came out strong and put St. Joseph goalie Mary Honan under a constant barrage of shots.
Annabella Forziati, Hope Melanson, Brooke Lilley, Carestin Stewart, Courtney Hill, Horrigan, and Olivia Cameron were among the Wakefield players peppering Honan with shots.
It wasn’t until midway through the first period when Wakefield finally broke through for a goal. Sophia Rossicone scored with assists from Cameron and Lilley. But that was all of the Wakefield scoring for the period with Honan notching 25 saves in the first period alone.
“I think the girls were a little frustrated but give them credit, they played well in the first period and their goalie did a good job. We missed a lot of nets and hit a few posts, so we kept playing the right way and it showed up in the second and third period,” said Lawrence.
Late in the period things got physical between the teams with Wakefield players Forziati and Cameron and St. Joseph’s Katie Honan all receiving four minute major penalties for roughing.
At one point Lawrence called his team to the bench to settle things down.
“I just told them to kind of stay away from it. It happens, it’s hockey,” said the coach.
Wakefield blew the game open in the second period. Melanson poked one just inside the right post to give Wakefield a 2-0 lead. Horrigan then scored, and about a minute later, Cameron scored and suddenly Wakefield was leading 4-0.
The Warriors weren’t done scoring in the period as Emily Ryan scored with less then a minute to send Wakefield into the locker room leading 5-0.
It took just seconds into the third period for Wakefield to add another goal, this being another goal from Melanson. Cameron then added a power play goal before Melanson scored the hat trick goal to make it 8-0.
Wakefield got its last goal of the game courtesy of Lilley to make it 9-0, where it would stand.
Whether or not Lawrence will keep Horrigan out front and Guanci in net remains to be seen.
“It’s kind of a day-to-day thing. At this point we’ll reevaluate after the game and go from there,” he said.
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At Stoneham Arena
St. Joseph/Mt. Alvernia……0 0 0 — 0
WAKEFIELD……1 4 4 — 9
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First Period — Wak, Rossicone (Cameron, Lilley) 7:31. Penalties — SJ, K. Honan, major, (roughing) 11:32; Wak, Cameron, major, (roughing) 11:32; Wak, Forziati, major, (roughing) 11:32.
Second Period — Wak, H.Melanson (F.Heffernan, Fennelly) 2:40. Wak, Horrigan (H.Melanson) 5:05. Wak, Cameron (Forziati) 6:08. Wak, Ryan (Cameron, Forziati) 14:34. Penalties — None.
Third Period — Wak, H. Melanson (F.Heffernan) 1:33. Wak, Cameron (Lilley, Horrigan) 6:22 (pp). Wak, H. Melanson (Hill) 6:32. Wak, Lilley (Hill, Scanlon) 9:30. Penalties — Wak, Lilley cross-checking) 3:23. SJ — K. Honan (body-checking) 5:05.
Shots on Goal — St. Joseph/Mt. Alvernia 4. Wakefield 61.
Power Plays — St. Joseph/Mt. Alvernia 0 for 2. Wakefield 1 for 1.
Goalies — SJ, M. Honan (61 shots-52 saves). Wak, Guanci (4-4).
