6-3 Melrose could be thinking playoffs this season
After press time:
Melrose defeats Stoneham 4-2 (Jan. 18)
Melrose defeats Medford 3-1 (Jan. 15)
By STEPHEN MERTELLUCCI
BURLINGTON—As the Melrose High girls hockey team approaches the mid point of their season, they have emerged as a team to beat in Div. 2 thanks to back-to-back wins over ML rivals that have them 6-3 on the season and power ranked a healthy No. 18 in MIAA Power Rankings that were released this week.
They are winners of 5 of their last 6 games, sans state power Woburn, so this Melrose team is gearing to be one that has post season potential, which has evaded Melrose for several years.
They beat two Freedom League rivals back-to-back last week to help their cause. On Saturday, Jan. 11, they edged host Burlington, 5-4, at the Ice Palace.
Julia McNeely was the hero, scoring the game-winning goal with 12:55 left in the game. That tally was assisted by Nora Murray and Ella Daniels.
It helped Melrose improve to 6-3 overall, 3-3 in the Middlesex League and 2-0 in the ML Freedom division. The Red Devils, meanwhile, fell to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the league.
Indeed it was a big achievement for Melrose. “This win was as big as the one we had against Winchester,” stated Melrose head coach Frank Sorrenti. “The last time we beat them was my first year back in 2017.”
Things did not start off well Melrose, as back-to-back goals by Red Devil Sofia Cleary gave the home team an early 2-0 advantage. With 51 seconds left in the first, Nora Murray got Melrose on the scoreboard assisted by Daniels and McNeely. “That was a key goal for us,” recalled Sorrenti.
In the second, Melrose outscored Burlington 3-1. But Caitlyn Tremblay scored 5:47 in to give the Red Devils a 3-1 advantage. From that point, it was all Melrose the rest of the period. Melrose’s Adriana Demsey scored with 4:59 left to cut the lead to one assisted by Riley Bolduc. Grace Daniels tied the game with 3:56 left with Grace Doyle assisting.
Ella Daniels gave Melrose their first lead of the afternoon with 1:03 left with Grace Daniels assisting.
Burlington tied it at four just 1:18 into the third as Red Devil Sofia Cleary got her hat trick setting up McNeely’s heroics less than a minute later.
Burlington did pull their goalie Kiera Brindle for the extra attacker with just under a minute left but Melrose was able to hold on.
Melrose out-shot Burlington, 24-23, and on net Melrose goalie Ruby Hansen made 19 stops to go to 6-3. All nine goals in the game were even strength.
Previously, on Jan. 8, Melrose blanked guest Wakefield, 2-0, at the Flynn Rink. Ella Daniels had the first goal at the 9:27 mark of the second period assisted by McNeely. McNeely had the other tally at the 12:09 mark of the third on a rebound. Ella Daniels and Anna Mathews both were credited with the assists.
“It was a good defensive effort.” said Sorrenti.”We got a couple of breaks and were able to take advantage of it.”
It was the second shutout of the year for Hansen as she made 19 saves. Melrose, whose two goals were both even-strength, had 28 shots on net.
Coming up: on Saturday Jan. 18, Melrose hosts Stoneham- Wilmington at noon. And on Jan. 22, Lexington invades Flynn Rink with that game starting at 6 pm.