Girls’ hockey team ready to make a state tournament run

THE PLNR girls’ hockey team hosted Shawsheen in a Div. 1 first round matchup on Wednesday after press time. If the Tanners win, they will host the winner of No. 9 Methuen vs. No. 24 Acton-Boxborough, date and time to be announced. (File Photo)

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

PEABODY — The four-game winning streak for the North-Reading- Lynnfield-Peabody High girls’ co-op hockey team was snapped on Feb. 22 as they lost, 2-0, to host Haverhill-North Andover-Pentucket in the final game of the regular season at Haverhill High School’s Veterans Memorial Rink.

With that non-league loss, the Tanners ended the season at 16-4. HPNA, who was wearing their pink uniforms to support cancer awareness, ended up at 12-6.

“It was a great, fast-paced game but despite outshooting them we could put one behind their very talented goalie (Jullianna Taylor),” said Tanners head coach Michelle Roach. “They are a big, physical team and we knew going in that it was going to be a tournament-like game.”

The Tanners, who were shut out for only the second time this winter, controlled the territorial play but Taylor stood up tall saving 39 shots while HPNA had only 17 shots on net.

The first goal came in the opening period as Brooke Duquettte tipped home a shot by Kaitlyn Bush with 7:17 left.

Later on in the first, Ava Buckley made a great block on a shot to an empty net to keep the score at 1-0.

The other HPNR goal came in the third on a slap shot by Cassie Doherty just 27 seconds into the period. Duquette and Bush both assisted.

The hosts were then able to kill two power plays later in the third to preserve the shutout.

Tanner goalie, Alyse Mutti of North Reading, who posted three-straight shutout heading into this game, had 15 saves to end up at 16-4 in net.

The seedings for the MIAA Division 1 girls state tournament came out last Saturday and the Tanners ended up getting the number 8 seed.

On March 1, the Tanners hosted 25^th-seeded Shawsheen in the first round (results not available at press time). The Tanners won both regular-season meetings against the Rams this winter as they beat them, 6-2, at home on Dec. 17 and 4-1 on the road on Feb. 4.

If the Tanners won that game, then they will host the winner of the Methuen vs. Acton-Boxboro game in the Round of 16 (date and time unknown as of press time).