Usually this season, the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake girls’ hockey team (15-4-3) was one of the offensive juggernauts in the state.
Unleashing 120 goals in the regular season, they put up nearly six goals per game, but they could not find the back of the net once in their final game of the year.
In the first round of the Division 2 South playoffs, the Skaters hosted a defensive-minded Winchester team, that had allowed just 35 goals all year — about 1.5 goals per game. Going in with complete opposite strategies, the strong defense won the battle and the Skaters took a 2-0 loss at The Bog Sunday night.
Winchester scored in the first few minutes of the game, and they just held onto their lead throughout. Their defense was strong, and it limited the Skaters chances.
With three minutes left in the game, Winchester doubled their lead and made it 2-0 with another goal. The Skaters would not answer the deficit.
Although it may be the end for the Skaters, they still had a strong season.
The squad will graduate a strong senior class led by captains Mel McAcleer, Mary Kate Webb, Melissa Crone and alternate captains Katie Johnson and Hannah Tracy.
McAleer and Webb, both forwards, were their team’s leading scorers. McAleer put up 30 goals and had 33 assists while Tracy added 22 goals and 27 assists.
Webb was also one of the team’s top forwards, adding 13 goals and 15 assists while Johnson led the team defensively.
Crone was strong in net all season, allowing 1.95 goals per game.
Outside of their captains, the Lakers will lose three more forwards to graduation — Sophia Dauksevicz (2 goals, 8 assists), Tess Corkery (2 goals) and Emily Knights (2 goals, 3 assists), rounding out their strong senior class. Dauksevicz and Crorkery also showed versatility playing defense at times.
Freshman Alyssa Murphy will be the team’s top returning scorer; she had 20 goals and 23 assists this season.
Defensively, expect freshmen Natalie Nemes and Delaney Grace to shine once again next season.
The co-op’s schedule for next season has yet to be released.