In a game where the puck seemed to struggle to bounce Middlesex's way throughout much of the contest, it was defenseman Riley Galizio's third period wrist shot that proved to be the difference maker, propelling the Middlesex girls over Portsmouth Abbey by a final score of 2-1.  Although Middlesex controlled much of the play in each of the three periods, and recorded the lion's share of chances, it was Portsmouth Abbey who jumped out to a one goal lead early in the first period, as a deflection off of a scramble in front of the net jumped over netminder Daisy Boynton's left pad.  Despite a bevy of shots and number of loose pucks in front of the Portsmouth goalmouth throughout rest of the first period, Middlesex was unable to get on the scoreboard until early in the second period when Alana Burm smashed home a rebound off a Kiley Briand shot. 

Middlesex kept up the pressure throughout that second period and into the early third period, as the Portsmouth Abbey defense showed their toughness to keep Middlesex sticks from gaining the crucial touch that would turn the game in their favor.  Finally, with just over six minutes to play, Briand found Galizio at the top of the right circle, and Galizio made no mistake, firing her wrist shot right into the top left corner.  The Middlesex defense held firm in the final six minutes, while an effective fore-check stunted many of Portsmouth Abbey's attempts to break the puck out of their zone, especially in the final two minutes of the game.
Although the Middlesex girls struggled throughout much of the game to find killer instinct in front of net, the girls never allowed their body language to reflect their frustration.  As the team's first come-from-behind win of the season, moreover, this win was an important one, and showed the team that it can find its way to success even when not at top gear. 

The Middlesex girls return to the ice on Saturday with a crucial ISL matchup against Thayer.