After managing just five goals over a recent three-game winless stretch, the Dedham High girls hockey team was certainly looking for some scoring punch entering its showdown with Bay State Conference Carey Division-leading Braintree.
And after two scoreless periods against the Wamps on Saturday night, the urgency to initiate some offense increased.
It seems the Marauders were just waiting for the opportune time to let loose. Trailing by a pair of goals with just under five minutes remaining, Dedham scored three goals in just 28 seconds to seize a 4-3 victory at Flood Rink.
“We spoke to them between the periods and told them just to keep at it,” said Dedham co-coach Don Parr. “We knew we were going to score and they just had to keep at it…We finally got off that five-win mark. It’s a huge win to beat an unbeaten team in the Bay State like Braintree.”
Braintree, who had won four straight, suffers its first loss against Bay State Conference competition, slipping to 8-1-1 in the BSC and 10-2-1 overall. The Marauders improve to 5-3-2 in the conference and 6-3-3 overall, needing just five points in their final eight games to clinch their 10th consecutive state tournament berth.
“This is a bonus game to us,” said Parr. “Anytime you play the Carey and you get a point that’s a bonus. This really puts us in the mix in the Herget Division and we wanted points out of tonight. That was our goal.”
Dedham was unable to get anything past Braintree junior goalie Nicolette O’Brien for the first two periods while the Wamps netted a goal in each of the first two periods.
Sophomore forward Ally Perdios opened the scoring with just over five minutes left in the opening frame, assisted by junior Keira Flaherty. Braintree made it 2-0 early in the second period when sophomore Marissa Hutchinson set up sophomore Victoria Marchardo for a goal.
O’Brien helped the Wamps fend off three penalties in the second period. Braintree extended its lead to 3-0 when junior Amanda Abromson took the puck all the way down the right side and nearly into the crease before scoring high side.
The Marauders finally broke through with 9:54 remaining when junior Samantha Parr scored in front from senior captain Kelly Celata and junior Meaghan Dwan to make it 3-1. Just 5:05 later Dedham began its scoring flurry.
Freshman Kathleen Donlon scored from sophomore Emily McKenna to cut it to a 3-2 game with 4:50 left. The Marauders then won the faceoff and barreled down the middle where senior captain Kelly Celata netted the equalizer, assisted by Parr, with 4:35 remaining.
