After going 20-1 and securing a third seed in the post-season, girls’ hockey ended their season with an overtime loss in the Elite Eight.
The team credited their winning season to teamwork, leadership and dedication. The Titans were 20-0 until losing to Bishop Feehan in their last regular season game. In the postseason, the team defeated Westford/Littleton 3-0 and Malden Catholic 2-1 in a double overtime thriller. Their playoff run came to an end in the Elite Eight round with a 1-2 overtime loss to Methuen/Tewksbury.
For senior goalie Addision Cagan, a standout moment of the season was their 2-1 win against Notre Dame in the regular season.
“We knew they were good, but we had never really played against that level of a team before,” Cagan said. “After that win, we proved to ourselves that we could take on stronger opponents.”
Another unforgettable moment for Cagan was in the Sweet 16 round of the postseason win against Malden Catholic.
“I just remember hustling down there together in the ice, and seeing and hearing everyone cheering,” Cagan said. “We were all ecstatic, and it was just a great, euphoric moment.”
Heading into the post season, the team remained confident in their abilities and continued to improve their skills.
“We gave every practice we had our all,” Cagan said. “We worked on our forecheck, backcheck and all the stuff that makes the team successful.”
Since the girls’ team is a co-op, with players from Algonquin, Marlborough, Hudson, Nashoba, Clinton and Advanced Math & Science Academy (AMSA), their main focus was on building team chemistry.
“We try to get [the players] together as much as possible to bond,” coach William Down said. “We do a lot of off-ice activities and pasta parties throughout the year.”
For the girls, the obstacle of playing on a team from a variety of communities was one of their surprising strengths.
“We find success through our team chemistry; we do a lot of after-school activities like team dinners,” Cagan said. “Having that opportunity to bond together is what makes us different from other teams. This ultimately translates when we are on the ice.”
Senior captain Maddy Glynn from AMSA reached a significant milestone this season by scoring 100 goals over the course of her high school career. She believes the team found their strengths through their various backgrounds and perspectives.
“We all come from different places, with different coaching, and we are just really putting our minds together to figure it out,” Glynn said.
Cagan also credits their chemistry for their success.
“I think [our success] was really possible because of the group of girls that we had,” Cagan said. “It was difficult at first because we all came from different schools. But, once we began to learn each other’s names and interests, it really started clicking.”
This season’s underclassmen took a huge step up to fill the void left by last year’s seniors, according to Glynn.
“These freshmen this year really helped out the team,” Glynn said.
Though their season didn’t end as hoped, Cagan applaudes her teammates for their efforts and is proud of all they accomplished.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t go to TD Garden, but I thought we did really well,” Cagan said. “As a team, we did the best we could, and that’s really all that matters.”
Contirbuting writers Will Pan and Cooper Veron
