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Marblehead girls hope third time's a charm vs. Milton tonight

Wednesday, March, 05 By Mike Grenier
Staff writer

Marblehead High girls hockey coach Emily Hudak won't cross the line and say that her team is on fire right now, but she comes close.

"We've been making some smoke," said Hudak.

The coach will surely add the word "fire" to her description if 13th-seeded Marblehead (12-7-2) can knock off undefeated and top-seeded Milton (16-0-3) today in the Division 2 semifinals at Canton (5:30 p.m.).

This is unchartered territory for the Lady Headers, who have won two postseason games for the first time in the program's history. Based on that factor alone, you have to wonder whether nerves will seriously affect Marblehead's chances of making yet another unprecedented leap.

When you also consider that Milton defeated Marblehead twice in the regular season and is the team to beat in Division 2, some people will conclude the Lady Headers have reached the end of the line.

But Hudak and her players don't think that way. "Just consider us the New York Giants in this game," said Hudak, referring to New York's underdog status in the Super Bowl against the then-18-0 New England Patriots. You know what happened in that game.

The Lady Headers don't think of themselves as much of an underdog. Milton barely got by Marblehead, 2-0 and 3-1 (Milton had an empty net goal in that one) in their two regular season meetings, and Hudak believes the psychological advantage could swing back to Marblehead in this one.

"We have the edge in that regard," said Hudak. "The other team will think it's a little easier because they beat us twice. I think our kids will work even harder to overcome the edge they had on us the first two times. If they'd beaten us 8-0 or something like that, it would be a different story."

Marblehead's exceptional sophomore goalie Moe Bradley says her team isn't feeling the pressure of high expectations.

"I think we have the advantage," said Bradley, who posted six shutouts in the regular season and has a 1.48 goals-against average. "We're supposed to be losing in this tournament and it hasn't happened. The way we've been playing we feel we can do whatever we want. Beating them is on our to-do list.

"Milton moved the puck really well against us. They have two very solid lines and a good goalie. But we've been able to play with them."

Scoring goals has been less of a problem for Marblehead in the tournament than it was in the regular season. Thus far, the Lady Headers toppled Franklin, 4-3, and ousted Canton, 5-4, in a game that was decided by a shootout following overtime. Kelsey Maguire has connected for three goals in the tourney and Tori Snow had a goal and two assists against Canton. Meg McDonald added a shorthanded goal against Franklin.

"We've changed on offense," said Hudak. "Early in the season we'd make the pretty play and it would get broken up. Now we're just sending the puck to the net and our kids are crashing. It doesn't matter if the goals are ugly or pretty as long as we just score enough of them."

Milton coach Christine Gurskis, a former softball pitcher at Salem State College (Class of 1998), has guided her team past Notre Dame, 6-2, and Braintree, 3-1, in the postseason. Milton made it to the final last year before dropping a 5-2 decision to Barnstable, so this team won't be lacking incentive. But there is a genuine respect for what Marblehead has done.

"We had decent games against Marblehead," said Gurskis. "It was hard to (judge) anything from the first game because it was our opening game of the season. But the second time we played them, we had a hard time putting the puck past Bradley. She's the strength of that team. If you saw her play against Canton .... that girl was unbelievable.

"It gets kind of tricky when you play a team a third time," added Gurskis. "I told the girls it doesn't matter what we did the first two times against them. Marblehead has already beaten the No. 4 seed (Franklin) and the No. 5 seed (Canton). But I'm happy that we're playing Marblehead. Canton is an overconfident team, and it was nice to see the underdogs win. But I hope it ends there."

Milton has a splendid goalie of its own in junior Anna Mandell, a three-year starter who has helped carry her team deeper into the playoffs each year. Milton made it to the quarterfinals two years ago and took it another two steps last season. Mandell is sporting a remarkable 0.83 goals-against average this season and was named the Bay State League's Goalie of the Year.

Offensively, senior center Shana Indelicato has accounted for almost 50 points, and sophomore forward Brianna Kelly has scored more than 20 points.

The Milton coach is expecting a close, low scoring game. Meanwhile, Marblehead remains confident.

"Milton is good, but we've had a chance to beat them," said Maguire. "We skated with them. I just think we're playing well right now. We're talking to each other on the ice and are playing well as a team."