Published February 3, 2021
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WATERTOWN — The Wakefield High girls’ hockey team had been hunting their first win after a disjointed start to the season and found it last week, beating previously undefeated Watertown 3-1 on Friday night at the John Ryan Skating Arena. The win was especially gratifying for the Warriors who avenged a 5-1 loss to Watertown just one week prior.
“Going into Friday night after our 5-1 loss the week before was tough,” said Wakefield head coach Jacqui Mansfield. “I prepared my team to come out strong right away and that worked. To have our first win against an undefeated team as strong as Watertown was great.”
The win came just two days after the Warriors picked up their first point of the season in a 2-2 tie against Wilmington at the Ristuccia Arena. Wakefield stormed back from a 2-0 deficit in that game. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead after one and extended it to 2-0 with 14 minutes remaining. Starting a trend that would carry over against Watertown, Wakefield responded quickly, getting one back just 29 seconds later when sophomore Ava Gustafson scored her first career goal. Julia Welch played a puck up the boards and Gustafson tapped it past a defender and finished with a low shot.
“Great to have Ava score her first high school goal, she has worked so hard this season and that paid off,” said Mansfield. “Her scoring changed the momentum of the game in our favor and Bailey McDevitt had a beautiful goal to tie it up.”
McDevitt’s tally came with 4:30 remaining after the Warriors buckled down defensively. Fiona Recene skated the puck up the left wing boards and fired a pass across to McDevitt at the red line. The junior skated onto it in stride, exploded past one Wildcat and stick handled past the last defender before finishing a one-on-one against the goalie on a glove side rip.
Wakefield junior goalie and associate captain Abby Boudreau helped Wakefield kill a penalty with three minutes left. Captain Sam Colliton had a shot block with her skate and broke up one last Wilmington rush to help the Warriors hold onto the point.
Boudreau’s performance late was especially impressive considering she fought through a stick to the neck at the end of the first period according to Masnfield who said that play forced the Warriors to “put our heads down and work together to protect our goalie.”
That unity helped Wakefield get back into the game, but Mansfield was quick to remind her team what it takes to succeed in the Middlesex League. If they want to win these types of games, they need a more complete game.
“We took two shifts off and that’s all it took for Wilmington to score,” said Mansfield. “I told my team everyone needs to play 100 percent each shift in this league – there are no easy wins.”
One hundred percent effort is exactly what the coach got from her Warriors two days later in Watertown.
Wakefield was the better team for all 45 minutes.
The Warriors took a 1-0 lead into the break thanks to a goal from junior Maeve Recene and then responded in the second with two goals from junior Kayli Porter after Watertown had tied it. Boudreau had 24 saves to pick up her first win of the season.
“The girls were all over Watertown from the very start,” said Mansfield.
The Raiders may have had the better chances to start the game, but Wakefield was skating hard and forcing pressure against a team that might not have expected it. Watertown outshot Wakefield 25-20 in this one and 15-5 in the first, but Boudreau was lights out and Wakefield found their identity, first defensively before working on puck possession that led to chances.
Wakefield’s best scoring opportunity before their goal came when junior associate captain Olivia Johnsen blocked a shot and cleared the puck out. Porter found it in the offensive zone; her left wing shot was saved and Fiona Recene’s rebound shot was also stopped.
Johnsen continued to set the tone defensively and Maeve Recene broke through, assisted by Olivia Johnsen and Herzog with 3:24 left in the first. Recene won an offensive zone faceoff back to Johnsen who got it deep. Herzog recovered it behind the net and sent a pass through traffic in front to Recene who finished top shelf.
That forward line of Recene, Herzog and Emma Johnsen was rewarded after plenty of hard work and great forechecking in the opening frame.
“The starting line of (Maeve) Recene, (Emma) Johnsen and Herzog has continually had success because they all work hard and communicate well,” said Mansfield.
Olivia Johnsen broke up a one-on-one chance for the Raiders at the end of the period and the Warriors held on to their 1-0 lead.
Mansfield used quick shifts to deal with Watertown’s inevitable push to start the second period. With the fast Raiders itching to break out, Wakefield held them off for about 10 minutes until Watertown’s tying goal with 13:19 left.
Mirroring their response against Wilmington, the Warriors wasted no time in worrying about that goal as they reclaimed the lead just 43 seconds later when Porter scored her first of the season assisted by McDevitt and Fiona Recene. Captain Erin Mulcahy, who had a strong defensive game, moved the puck up to Recene who played it up to McDevitt. A pass behind the net was again recovered by Recene and sent out front to a crashing Porter who buried it.
Porter’s second goal came about two minutes later on the power play. After three shots and some good possession, McDevitt found Fiona Recene who sent it to Porter at the Watertown blue line. The junior made one miss there, weaved past another defender, settled the puck on her backhand and snapped a wrister from the slot beating the Raider goalie stick side for a 3-1 Wakefield lead.
“Kayli turned on the speed Friday night and that was successful with her linemates Fiona Recene and Bailey McDevitt helping out on both goals,” said Mansfield.
The three, who were all teammates on the Wakefield girls’ soccer team in the fall, continued to work hard along with the rest of the Warriors who outhustled the Raiders on their way to an important win for the program.
“This past week has been great for the team starting with our first goal (Jan. 22) then our first tie on (Jan. 27) and topping it off for our first win Friday. It was a full circle week of hockey.”
The Warriors will look to keep it going against Stoneham-Melrose tomorrow night, 7:30 p.m. at the Stoneham Arena.
