The girls’ varsity hockey team returned to their winning ways on Wednesday, February 13 against a talented Lawrence Academy.  The Spartans outshot the Zebras 29-24 but it was the hosting team who came away with the hard-fought 3-1 victory.

Middlesex struggled to find their stride in the first 10:00 of the period as LA continuously tested the Zebras’ defensive prowess with aggressive rushes to the net. Christian Cleroux ’14 made several key saves to maintain the 0-0 tie and with 4:50 left to play it was the Zebras who opened the scoring on the power play.  With the puck deep in the offensive zone, Isabel Krietler ’13 found Cici Frattasio ‘14 in the slot to take the 1-0 lead before entering the locker room.

The Zebras took to the ice in the second period with every intention of keeping the momentum of the game in their favor, and they did not disappoint. The Maddie Miller ‘13 and Maddie Winslow ’14 duo generated the second goal of the afternoon when Miller fed Winslow the puck on a breakout pass just 2:10 into the period. Winslow then took off down the ice and weaved her way through two defenders and tucked the puck behind the LA goaltender for her 13^th goal of the season. The Spartans continued to apply the pressure but the Middlesex defense stood their ground.

LA started the third period with a resurgence of poise and determination and quickly set to work on closing the scoring gap.   And just 2:20 into the period, they capatalized on a loose puck at the top of the crease to score their first and only goal of the afternoon. The next 10:00 proved to be an all-out battle as Middlesex fought tirelessly to maintain the 2-1 lead. Sarah Tabeek ‘14 turned in a heroic defensive performance as she sacrificed her body to block a shot from the point, while Ashley Arnold ’13, Jeanie Dwinell ’13, Brooke Gary ’14 and Leah Olson ’15 cleared away any white jerseys that poised a threat. With 2:07 left to play, it was Maddie Winslow who notched the insurance goal when Frattasio executed a perfectly timed pass to the Newbury, MA native at the offensive blue line. Winslow once again demonstrated her stellar stick handling skills as she committed the LA goaltender to her forehand and quickly tucked the puck into the left side of the net for the final goal of the ISL showdown.

Middlesex (11-5-1)  will hit the road on Friday, February 15 against Brooks (13-7-1) in Andover, MA at 5:00pm.