A hat-trick from Maggie Lynch and strong goaltending from Evelyn Lacey led Archbishop Williams to a 7-1 nonleague victory over Hingham at Canton Sportsplex.
The Bishops, who were ranked as the top team in Division 2 going into the contest, utilized a strong transitional game to produce offense against a top-10 Division 1 opponent.
“Having these girls believe in themselves and in taking 20, 30-second shifts is paying off.” Bishops coach Doug Nolan said. “It’s all about puck pressure and playing with a high tempo.”
The first period opened with consistent pressure from Hingham, as they peppered five shots on Lacey within the first five minutes. The freshman goaltender, in her second season as the starter for the Bishops, showed that she was more than up to the task.
“I always make sure my hand-eye coordination is on-point,” Lacey said. “My defense played really well for me.”
Lacey’s strong play early allowed the Bishops to grasp momentum towards the middle of the period, and they took full advantage of this. The scoring started when Aliya Greenwood scooped up the puck at the red line, entered the zone with speed and fired a shot past Isabel McGarr. Minutes later, Abby Murphy collected a stretch pass and beat McGarr with a low, glove-side shot to increase the lead.
That would be the extent of the scoring in the opening period, but Archbishop Williams would continue to roll in the middle frame. It started when Caroline Batchelder broke through with a goal, and Lynch followed this up with a breakaway goal of her own to extend the lead to four. The pressure from Lynch and senior captain Grace Mottau led the way for a period dominated by the Bishops.
“It was a team effort,” Mottau said. “Every shift out there you are grateful for, and we build energy off each other.”
The third period showcased adjustments from Hingham. Caroline Doherty, who had been a threat the whole contest, gained some space and utilized her speed to roof the puck and bring the score within three. This would result in some quality opportunities for Hingham, but Lacey remained rock solid in the cage.
“Evelyn has been awesome for us the last two years,” Nolan said. “She’s very consistent and although she is a freshman, she is a leader out there.”
The four-goal lead would be restored later in the period when Lynch fired the puck top shelf. Later, Abby Dunn would score on a shot from the point, and Lynch would complete her hat-trick by roofing a rebound.
“They were a strong team to play against,” Mottau said. “Playing at this level helps us improve our game and makes us stronger in return.”
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