By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
MELORSE—Three members of the Melrose High girls hockey team were named to the Middlesex League Freedom Division All-Star team this season.
The three players named to the team were juniors Ruby Hansen, Julia McNeely and Ella Daniels. McNeely and Daniels are co-captains while Hansen is an assistant captain.
For Hansen, it was her third time making the team as she made it as an eight-grader and a sophomore. The goalie went 11-9-1 with a goals-against average of 2.63. She also posted four shutouts.
“She was the backbone of our team again this year,” stated Melrose head coach Frank Sorrenti. “She improved from last year and you can see that she is continuing to mature.”
McNeely made the team for the second-consecutive year. The forward led the team in points with 28 as she tied for the team lead in goals (12) and was tops in assist with 16. She also scored three game-winning goals.
“She is what every coach wants out of a player,” said Sorrenti. “She had talent, heart and an edge to her as well. She is one of our most dependable players.”
Daniels tied McNeely for in goals with 12 and she also had 12 assists to finish with 24 points. “She really turned it on this year,” said Sorrenti, about the improvement. “She is also a very good kid as well.”
Melrose had one of the biggest turnarounds in the state this year. After winning only three games last winter, the team went 11-8-1 in the regular season. They ended up losing, 4-1, to host Sandwich in the MIAA Division 2 state tournament Round of 32 game to finish at 11-9-1 overall.
It was the program’s first appearance in the states in seven years.
In the Middlesex League they went 6-5-1 in the ML Freedom division they were 3-2-1 as they finished in second place behind Burlington.