Halfway through the season, the Westwood girls hockey team met to reset and refocus.
Captains Kate Sullivan, Hayden Cox and Ava Themistocles shared how good they think the team is. They emphasized how they’re all one family, how they celebrate everyone’s successes, and to pick up each other along the way.
That’s not exactly a meeting something an outsider might think the 13-0-1 Wolverines – one of four still unbeaten in the state – would need. And yet, it’s an example of what’s been a driving force for their success this year as Div. 2’s top-ranked team.
“Communication is a big thing for us,” Themistocles said. “Giving advice to the underclassmen and then giving the underclassmen that chance to give advice back. Just giving feedback all-around is definitely a huge thing.”
For a team averaging 5.57 goals per game and allowing just 0.86, you wouldn’t necessarily think it’s a group with five freshmen and six eighth-graders – many of whom play critical roles on the ice. The captains are the Wolverines’ only seniors, while seven sophomores and four juniors round out a diverse mix.
Behind its leadership, though, Westwood has meshed together since the start of the year in a way head coach Lauren Hillberg describes as “special.” She feels this is the best camaraderie in her 11 years behind the bench, finding that everyone seems to celebrate others’ standout moments more than their own.
Eighth-grader or senior, they believe in one another, too, and it’s showing in the win column.
“We all really trust each other, and we’re really close off the ice,” Cox said. “I think you can really see that when we’re on the ice. And on the bench, we’re all always cheering for each other.”
“Just putting the trust in the underclassmen is really important, and not being scared they’ll mess up just because they’re young,” Sullivan added. “We have very strong kids on our team – older and younger. We’ve accepted and moved forward with it and worked with it, and it’s been successful.”
Westwood has thrived with freshman Jennifer Lin and 8th-grader Naomi Sherman in net, as well as the time sophomore forward Julia Marino filled in for them in a 5-0 shutout over Norwood. Sullivan already has 30 goals this year, though freshmen Abby Presley and Maggie Ash are excellent alongside her on the top line.
Contributions are needed well beyond them in order to dominate the way Westwood has thus far. That especially showed on Jan. 22, when Westwood beat the Canton program that’s knocked it out of the playoffs in each of the last two years, 6-0.
“I think that gave our team a huge boost,” Themistocles said. “That was probably one of the bigger games of the season for us confidence-wise. That was definitely very exciting for us.”
A bigger boost of confidence could be in line against unbeaten Hingham and two-time defending state champion Duxbury to close the regular season, too.
Regardless of record, though, the Wolverines’ bond gives them all the confidence and motivation they need heading into a state tournament with no guarantees.
“Everyone’s super close and we all love each other,” Sullivan said. “That definitely keeps us motivated to want to keep the season going as long as possible. … We don’t want it to end.”
It’s been eight years since Xaverian assistant coach Paul Todesca Jr. partnered with the school and Canton Ice House to host a Hockey Fights Cancer event in honor of his mother, Reo Todesca, amid her battle with stage-3b non-squamous cell lung cancer. She unfortunately passed right before the first event, but the hockey community has rallied around her memory to make it one of the biggest events every year since.
The Boston Junior Terriers and Archbishop Williams joined the seven-game lineup between Friday and Saturday, and the fundraiser entered Saturday with over $90,000 raised.
“To keep her legacy alive and to keep her memory … it means the world to myself and my family,” Paul Todesca Jr. said. “It’s a token to the people that are still around, everyone wants to be involved. I got a call from coach (Chris) Cunningham asking how he could come, he moved a home game here for Archbishop Williams so they could be involved.
“It’s the team and the parents and the players that are involved that make it, and make it special.”
All proceeds are donated to the Reo Todesca Memorial Foundation. Further donations are accepted year-round at www.reosfoundation.org/donate.
Since Courtney Turner took over as head coach of the Hingham girls, she’s seen a three-year build of the culture that the Harborwomen are showing in a 14-0 start.
Generational star Caroline Doherty forewent opportunities to go prep, and her 211th career point Wednesday made her an iconic hockey town’s all-time leading scorer. Just as meaningful is fellow star senior Addy Garrity’s 100 career points, which she’s only a couple points away from earning entering the weekend.
Sophomores Callie Crean, Hannah Lasch and Shea Richardson (defense) are budding stars around them. Freshman defensemen Maya Hobson and Sam McCabe are playing critical roles, and junior defenseman CC Flynn, who‘s the veteran of the blue line and often hangs back as a reliable safety net, is an unsung hero of sorts as another anchor to the team’s well-rounded success.
“We’ve had a lot of first (goals) this year, and everyone’s just as excited about those,” Turner said. “And I think that’s what really makes this group so special, that they aren’t concerned about their own goals. They’re excited for their teammates’ achievements. … There are so many pieces that make the team successful, and everyone’s just really happy for each other no matter what the circumstance is.”
Preseason expectations projected the Shrewsbury girls in a rebuilding year, but the Colonials (7-5-1) enter the weekend at No. 10 in the Div. 1 MIAA power rankings amid a four-game win streak.
Their top line has done quite some scoring damage, while sophomore goalie Adrianna Boucher (1.85 GAA, three shutouts) has impressed in replacement of graduated two-time All-Scholastic Risa Montoya.
“Our goalie is playing outstanding,” said head coach Frank Panarelli. “It starts with her. She’s a great story. She didn’t play at all last year, I think she played a period. She never complained. She was great with (Montoya), she was a sponge at practice with her. … She’s got the same disposition as (Montoya). She doesn’t like to lose, she doesn’t like to give up a goal. She’s hard on herself but she’s been playing outstanding.”