It’s just like old times for Needham, Woburn
Needham and Woburn were among the power players in the early days of MIAA girls ice hockey, each winning a state championship in 2003.
At 11 a.m. today at the Garden, the teams will face off in the Division 1 girls hockey state final as they each try to bring home the hardware for the first time in more than a decade.
Needham (22-0-1) stormed through the regular season to earn the top seed in the bracket, its only official blemish being a December tie against Medway/Ashland. (The Rockets also tied Notre Dame in February in an exclusion game). Despite playing with as few as 12 skaters in the postseason, the Rockets survived a tough overtime battle with Weymouth in the opener and then knocked off St. Mary’s and Reading.
Senior Elizabeth Hernberg, sophomores Gracie Bruno and Elizabeth Phalen, and freshman Celia Blaszkowsky have come up big for the Rockets in the postseason in front of sophomore goalie Melissa Strauss. This will be Needham’s first appearance in the state final since winning the Div. 1 crown in ’03.
The wait hasn’t been as long for coach Bob MacCurtain and Woburn, which won the Div. 2 title in 2003 and Div. 1 crowns in 2004 and ’06. Seniors Brianna Jewett (defense) and Lily Mallard (converted forward) have been key players for the Tanners along with their top scorer in junior Georgie Santullo.
DIVISION 2 (9 a.m.): Notre
Dame (Hingham) is the lone team, boys or girls, playing for a repeat today. The Cougars, who beat Wellesley in last year’s final, will start off today’s action against upstart Canton.
Top-seeded ND (22-0-1) nearly ran the table, with only the tie against Needham marring its record. Junior Emma Duffey leads a young squad that features a trio of dynamic freshmen in forwards Katie Pyne and Skylar Irving as well as goalie Erin Murray.
Canton (14-4-6), the No. 11 seed, is playing in its first state final since falling to Woburn in 2006. Senior goalie Colleen Kelleher has been a standout, with sophomores Maggie Malloy and Lauren Fitzpatrick the top scorers.