By Tim Healy — Sports Contributor
The CCHS girls varsity hockey team secured its first win of the season last Saturday night at home in a 4-3 overtime heart-pounder over Cambridge Rindge & Latin.
CC opened the scoring in the first period when junior Addy Healy passed the puck out of the zone to newcomer Molly Alexander, who executed a perfect give-and-go up ice to Samantha Sibley. Alexander got the pass back from her fellow eighth grader and netted the first goal of her high school career for a 1-0 lead.
CRL scored a power-play goal in the waning moments of the period to even the score at 1-1 after one and scored again early in the second period for a 2-1 lead. But CC’s relentless pressure kept the puck in CRL’s zone, leading to a costly CRL penalty.
Just 17 seconds into the power play, sophomore defenseman Abby Adams ricocheted a shot to Ava Thomas. The sophomore took the puck on the back of her stick, pirouetted, and slipped a backhand under the CRL goalie to tie the game at 2 with about 5 minutes left in the period.
Co-captain Phoebe Lewis was a physical presence on defense all game long, diving across the ice to keep CRL from getting off a shot on successive breakaways in the third period. CC soon capitalized when co-captain Sarah Alter sent the puck to fellow captain Healy, who tapped it in for a 3-2 lead with just 9:46 left in the game. A CRL goal tied the game at 3.
With one second remaining in regulation, senior goalie Crista Celi made a highlight-reel kick save on a CRL breakaway to keep the game tied at the end of regulation.
The game moved into overtime, and with 1:19 left, Nicky Atkins fought to keep possession and put the puck on net. Thomas was there with another backhander that snuck under the goalie to give the Patriots a 4-3 win and a standing ovation from the CC fans.
Photo by Justina Wu
The Pats were scheduled to face Wayland and Waltham this week, and Marblehead at 6:40 p.m. on January 11 at Edge Sports Center in Bedford.
