FRAMINGHAM – It was a season to remember, but the Algonquin Titans’ championship hopes have come to an end.
After three straight playoff wins – including an overtime win against No. 4 Nauset in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night – the fifth-seeded Algonquin girls hockey team headed into a much-anticipated semifinal match with the top-seeded Duxbury Dragons, the defending champion. The game, played Saturday afternoon at Framingham’s Loring Ice Arena, was competitive throughout, but Duxbury ultimately walked away victorious, defeating the Titans to the tune of 3-1.
Duxbury will now head to the MIAA Division 2 state finals at TD Garden.
“They tried, it just wasn’t our day,” Algonquin Head Coach Tina Beauchemin said after the game. “I [told the girls to] keep their heads up. I know my heart is breaking for them. Nobody ever wants to lose, right? But, unfortunately there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. We had some opportunities… We did what we’ve been trying to do all year, and they didn’t quit.”
Algonquin opened the game strong. After Lauren O’Malley’s shot deflected off the pad of the Duxbury goalie, Ariya Tice scooped up the rebound and fired it into the back-right corner of the net. Although each team finished the first period with seven shots, Tice’s power-play goal gave Algonquin the momentum – and, more importantly, the lead – heading into intermission.
But the Titans were outmatched in the second period, and the Dragons outshot the team 10-1. Just over three minutes after intermission, Duxbury’s Addy Harrington tapped the puck past the goaltender for a power-play goal that knotted the score at 1-1. One minute into the third period, the Dragons added to their lead after an Algonquin defensive miscue.
With seven minutes left in the game, Harrington would score her second goal, putting Duxbury ahead 3-1.
The game, hard-fought and physical for every minute, featured 16 total penalties. While Algonquin made the most of power-play opportunities – Tice’s goal, for instance – the Titans found themselves shorthanded as they tried to mount a comeback bid late in the game. Seemingly always a player down, Algonquin couldn’t pull themselves out of the hole.
“Unfortunately there were a lot of penalties and we were playing down pretty much the whole game. It makes it hard for our girls. I wish we could play 5-on-5 hockey. They didn’t quit though. I mean, I think we killed a couple 5-on-3 [chances]. That’s pretty amazing against the number-one team. Everybody’s sad. I get it, it’s a moment, but they have to be proud of the accomplishments we did have. Nobody expected us to be where we were today,” said Beauchemin.
While the loss was disappointing, Beauchemin said she was proud of the team. With players from six different schools on Algonquin’s co-op squad – including Algonquin, Marlborough, Hudson, Nashoba, Clinton, and AMSA – the coach was proud that the group was able to come together as one cohesive team.
“The chemistry is amazing in that locker room and it’s impressive, coming from six schools, that we were able to rally together.”
