Published February 25, 2021
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NEWBURYPORT — The Peabody-Lynnfield-North Reading co-op girls’ hockey team ended its season winning its 10th game in a row as they beat host Newburyport 5-3 on Feb. 20 at the Graf Rink in an afternoon game.
The 10-game streak is the best in program history.
With that victory, the Northeastern Hockey League champions ended the year at 12-1 as the league did not do a postseason tournament.
It is the Tanners’ third-straight NHL title.
Senior co-captain Jen Flynn led the way with a hat trick and one assist to end the day with four points. It was her third-career hat trick as she ended her impressive career with 91 points to finish as the team’s second all-time scorer.
“She has had a fantastic four years for us,” said Tanners head coach Michelle Roach, about the Lynnfield forward. “She is a role model on and off the ice.”
Flynn scored the first goal, assisted by Catie Kampersal, with 4:49 left in the first period. Brooke Rogers tied it for the Clippers with 2:18 left in the first.
Flynn had the only tally of the second period with 1:23 remaining in the second assisted by Chloe Shapleigh.
Flynn then notched her hat trick on the power play 1:07 into the third to make it 3-1. Linemates Kampersal and Shapleigh both assisted.
Kampersal, assisted by Flynn, made it 4-1 with 8:29 remaining.
The Clippers than made things interesting scoring back-to-back goals. Izzy Kirby scored with 6:19 left and Kayla Gibbs made it 4-3 with 3:13 left on a six-on-four advantage as the Clippers pulled their goalie.
Paige Thibedeau, however, closed the door with an empty-net goal with 1:59 left. Jenna DiNapoli assisted.
The Tanners outshot the Clippers (7-4-2) 22-15 as PLNR goalie Audrey Buckley made 12 saves to end up at 11-1.
On Feb. 17, the Tanners blanked host Medford-Malden 2-0 at the LoConte Rink.
Lily Piscatelli scored the first goal of the afternoon with 7:10 remaining in the first period assisted by DiNapoli. DiNapoli had the other one with 1:17 left in the game assisted by Shapleigh and Ella Chase.
PLNR outshot Medford-Malden 26-14 as Buckley posted her second career shutout.
“Even though we had trouble finding the back of the net the girls worked together,” said Roach.
The day before, the Tanners edged host Masconomet, 2-1, in a thriller at the Haverhill Valley Forum.
Kampersal was the hero in this one scored the game-winning goal with 19 seconds left in the game.
The Chieftains struck first scoring with 9:27 remaining in the first period as Bitsy King scored.
Kampersal then tied the game at one with 1:04 left in the second period with Hannah Gromko assisting
Kampersal, on a 3-on-2 break, got the game winner assisted by Shapleigh and DiNapoli.
The Tanners outshot the Chieftains 22-19 as Buckley made 18 stops.
“We were fighting the puck the entire game,” said Roach. “We were fortunate to win that one.”
