THE TANNERS celebrate their 9-2 first round win at McVann-O’Keefe Rink. They met No. 2 Arlington on the road Wednesday night after press time. (NRHS Athletics Photo)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
PEABODY — It was a strong playoff debut for the North Reading- Lynnfield-Peabody-High co-op girls’ hockey team on March 2 as they rolled over guest Whitman-Hanson, 9-2, at the McVann O’Keefe Rink in Peabody in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 state tournament.
With that win, the 15th-seeded Tanners improved to 16-4-1 while the 18th-seeded Panthers ended the year at 11-10.
Head coach Michelle Roach’s squad came out of the gates strong scoring five times in the opening period to head to the first intermission up 5-1. In the second period, they continued to pile on scoring three times to lead 8-1 heading into the second intermission.
It only took 1:14 into the game for the Tanners to light the lamp as Catie Kampersal scored assisted by North Reading’s Jenna DiNapoli. The Panthers tied it at the 4:25 mark as Shea Kelleher lit the lamp assisted by Hayden Mathias.
The Tanners took the lead for good with 8:26 remaining in the first as Sarah Powers scored assisted by Ava Buckley.
PLNR then took control of the game scoring three times in the final 3:35 of the first.
North Reading’s Shirley Whitmore made it 3-1 assisted by Chloe Gromko with 3:35 left. Powers, assisted by Kampersal, made it 4-1 with 3:03 left and Penny Spack had the final tally of the first, assisted by Vanessa Steinmeyer of North Reading, with 1:40 remaining.
In the second period Gromko’s sister Hannah, on the power play, made it 6-1 assisted by DiNapoli and Spack 3:34 in.
Whitmore scored her second goal with 9:59 remaining assisted by Steinmeyer and Catherine Sweeney.
The final goal of the second came with 3:52 left on the power play as Hannah Gromko scored for the second time in the period. DiNapoli and Powers had the assists.
In the third, Kelleher scored 2:01 in assisted by Mathias. Lauryn Millar had the final Tanner goal with six seconds left in the game assisted by Sweeney and Kampersal.
PLNR outshot the Panthers 30-23. North Reading resident, Alyse Mutti, made 15 saves to get the win to go to 9-1 this winter. Audrey Buckley, also of North Reading, played in net in the third and made six saves.
Panther net-minder Sadie Watchorn made 21 stops.
“In total, 11 of our points came from freshmen,” pointed out Roche. “They really stepped up in their first playoff game and made had a big impact in our win.”
The Tanners Round of 16 game took place on Wednesday (March 9) on the road as they faced 2nd-seeded Arlington at the Ed Burns Arena (results not available at press time).
The Spy Ponders entered the game at as 19-1-1 as they beat Marblehead in the first round, 4-1, last Friday night.
If the Tanners won that game they would play the winner of the Bishop Feehan-Newton North contest in the state quarterfinals (date, time and location unknown as of press time).