By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
PEABODY — It was a successful second playoff game for the Peabody-Lynnfield-North Reading girls’ co-op hockey team last Saturday afternoon as they blanked visiting Methuen-Tewksbury, 3-0, at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink in the MIAA Division 1 Round of 16 game.
Jenna DiNapoli had the first goal on a rebound of a tipped shot by Angela Fabbo 3:32 into the opening period.
Fabbo, on the power play, then made it 2-0 as her shot beat goalie Taylor Bruno with 3:59 remaining in the second period. Penny Spack had the assist.
PLNR’s penalty kill was clutch as they shut down two power play opportunities in the third period and one late in the second.
“We had brilliant penalty killing by Vanessa (Steinmeyer), Jenna, Ava (Buckley), and Hannah (Gromko) to keep them off the board and momentum in our favor,” said Tanners head coach Michelle Roach.
The Red Rangers then pulled Bruno with 2:30 left in the third.
Catie Kampersal had the final tally with the empty net goal with 1:40 left as fellow Lynnfield resident, Hannah Gromko, assisted.
Tanner goalie, Alyse Mutti, was solid as she recorded her 10th shutout of the year making 27 saves while Bruno made 18 as the Red Randers outshot the Tanners 27-21.
PLNR, the 8 seed, improved to 18-4 while the 9th-seeded Red Rangers ended the year at 13-6-3.
The Tanners will now take on top-seeded St. Mary’s of Lynn in the quarterfinals on March 8 (Wednesday). The Spartans enter the game with a mark of 23-1 as they beat the Tanners, 2-0, back on Dec. 14 in their lone meeting of the season.
This game will take place at the Connery Rink in Lynn and will start at 5 p.m.
“I think the three things that will help us on Wednesday are continued good decision making, shots to net and a strong defensive effort,” said Roach. “I have no doubt that they are ready for this challenge.”
In their Round of 32 game on March 1, the Tanners beat Shawsheen-Bedford, 4-1, at home. It is the third time they beat the Rams this winter.
“It’s very hard to beat a team three times so we knew going into it that they were going to be ready for us,” said Roach. Spack got the locals on the scoreboard at the 5:09 mark of the first period assisted by Danielle White.
The second tally came on a power play as DiNapoli lit the lamp with a backhander with 8:05 remaining in the second period. Spack and Fabbo assisted.
The Rams cut the lead to one in the third with 9:43 left as Alexis Fox scored an unassisted goal.
Gromko gave the team a little breathing room as she scored with 7:03 remaining. Ava Buckley assisted. Buckley also had the assist on the final goal with 19-seconds left as Fabbo scored.
The Tanners outshot the Rams 32-16, as Mutti, made 15 saves. Rams net-minder Elianna Munroe made 28 stops.
Shawsheen-Bedford, the 25th-seed, ended the year at 10-11.
If the Tanners can upset the Spartans they will play the winner of the Winthrop- Billerica game in the state semifinals (date, time and location unknown as of press time).