ANDOVER, Mass. — Phillips Andover scored three unanswered goals in the third period for a 4-2 comeback win over Loomis Chaffee.
The Big Blue never led until Emily Mara’s (Winchester, Mass.) go-ahead goal with four minutes to go in regulation. Loomis Chaffee’s Leila Fournier denied Maggie Averill’s (Wayland, Mass.) initial shot, but Mara was right there to put home the rebound in front.
Mara made a diving play to score on an empty net with 18 seconds left for the 4-2 final as well.
Brooke Murphy opened the scoring for Loomis with a minute to go in the first. Grace Morin got the puck to her in the slot from a board battle, and Murphy’s low shot beat Avery Rodeheffer’s left pad to the right post.
Molly Boyle (Scituate, Mass.) tied it for Andover seconds later. Her slap shot from the top of the right circle had eyes after the puck broke loose to her from an extended net-front scramble.
Ellie Lachance (West Hartford, Conn.) gave the Pelicans a 2-1 lead 11 seconds into the second on a 3-on-2. Annie Schwarz’s (Fairfield, Conn.) pass found her across the zone, and Lachance buried a shot from the right circle.
Andover turned the pressure up, thanks to several second-period power plays, but couldn’t break through. Boyle nearly tied it in the third after making a slick toe drag around a defender, but she hit the crossbar.
The Big Blue finally found an equalizer when Averill scored with seven minutes to go in the third. Her wrist shot from distance found a way through Fournier, who got a piece of it.
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Let’s dive into four takeaways before highlighting six standouts from the game.
1. This game had huge ramifications for Elite 8 seeding. No team is hotter than Andover right now. They're unbeaten in 13 straight (12-0-1) with wins in 14 of their last 16 (14-1-1). Wednesday's win all but clinched the third seed for the Big Blue. Meanwhile, after Deerfield took Williston to overtime in its loss, coupled with a second loss in four games for Loomis, the Pelicans fell to the fifth seed. Saturday's matchup with Deerfield just became even more important than it already was. In a vacuum, Loomis and Andover matched up evenly, especially when it came to their depth. I'd be more than happy if they met again in the playoffs.
2. Loomis’ top pair is one of the best in the NEPSAC. Sophomore Megan Hosman and junior Princeton commit Catie Collins (South Burlington, Vt.) have been the total package both times I've seen them this season. Both have the size (5-9 and 5-7, respectively), physicality, skating and puck-moving abilities to make them effective in all situations. When the pair hopped over the boards, I thought Andover generated very little in the middle of the ice. Hosman's stick positioning and gap control in transition were especially strong. There was one specific instance where she made a great read to kill a rush for Sarah Powers (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.), stepping up to disrupt a drop pass.
3. Loomis played a near-perfect first period. Andover didn't generate much of anything in the high-danger areas until the absolute chaos leading up to Boyle's goal. In the lead-up to Murphy's goal, the Pelicans hemmed the Big Blue in for an extended run of play. They were effective on the forecheck and had strong layers in the neutral zone, preventing clean exits and disrupting stretch passes. Murphy's goal came as a result of the pressure in the neutral zone.
4. Andover could have tied it and taken the lead much earlier. They got to their game in the second, aided by some consecutive power plays, and found ways to create chances in dangerous ice. Their puck-movement on the advantages opened up seams and led to strong chances for Maggie Averill and Powers, but Fournier was up to the task. Martha Fenton's group played with more pace in the second and third periods. It led to more strong looks before they eventually tied it and took the lead.
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Now, here are six standouts from the game.
Emily Mara
Phillips Andover, 2/27/2007, F, right shot, 5-6
NCAA: Boston College
Mara made hustle plays all game. Her line had a great day on the forecheck. She had a high-danger chance get blocked in the first off a sweet pass from Peyton Kennedy (Sudbury, Mass.). Moments later she found Kennedy in front for a strong look after beating out an icing and winning a puck battle. Mara was positioned perfectly for Averill's rebound on the go-ahead goal. She flashed nice hands in tight to jam in the rebound. On her empty-netter, she won a 50-50 race for the puck before outmuscling the defender and diving to get a shot away.
Maggie Averill
Phillips Andover, 9/9/2008, D, right shot, 5-11
Averill didn’t have her best game going into the third, but as they say, big-time players make big-time plays. That’s what she did when it mattered most. I thought she had some ups and downs early on with executing on the breakout and coughing up some turnovers. But she was strong in the offensive zone, especially on the power play, generating multiple scoring opportunities with her powerful shot. Her release on one-timers and snap shots is so impressive, given her age. She found a way through Fournier for her goal. On Mara's game-winner, she put a perfectly placed low shot off the left pad for a rebound. Like the rest of the Big Blue, she got better as the game went on. That's what you want to see.
Leila Fournier
Loomis Chaffee, 4/26/2006, G, catches left, 5-8
Averill's goal is one that, from my vantage point, looked like one Fournier should have had. Otherwise, she was fantastic for the Pelicans, particularly in the second period. She could have anticipated better at times, but her ability to react quickly all game more than made up for it. She denied Averill with the blocker during a 5-on-3 and maintained strong positioning to stuff the elder Caroline Averill's attempt to put back the rebound in front of the crease.
Fournier came through on Sarah Powers' (Lynnfield, Mass.) breakaway, reading her like a book and easily poke-checking the puck away as Powers came in with a ton of speed before cutting to the left in front of the crease. She made a lunging save with her right pad on Maggie Averill's one-timer from the top of the right circle as well. She also denied Powers again with the pad in the third as Powers tried to reach around her in tight.
Annie Schwarz
Loomis Chaffee, 2/2008, F, left shot, 5-5
Schwarz, the Pelicans' leader in goals, made a nice pass on the odd-numbered rush to find Lachance for the 2-1 goal seconds into the middle frame. But where she shined was the defensive zone as Loomis got into some penalty trouble in the second period. I thought she was very strong in both 5-on-4 and 5-on-3 situations. She had great positioning and defensive awareness, giving herself opportunities to break up plays with good stick checks, close on puck carriers quickly and get clears. Aside from Fournier, she was a huge reason that Loomis managed to weather the second-period storm.
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Molly Boyle
Phillips Andover, 1/5/2006, D, right shot, 5-8
NCAA: Yale
Boyle was her typical, well-rounded self for the Big Blue. She ripped a low, hard slap shot from range that found the back of the net. She's smart about picking her spots to be physical, knows when to lead the rush herself and efficiently leads regroups and breakouts. She made a great individual effort in the third with a slick dangle. Her shot was just off target, hitting the crossbar.
Sarah Powers
Phillips Andover, 8/30/2007, F, left shot, 5-5
Powers had multiple Grade-A chances herself and set up several for others as well. She won a 50-50 puck at the offensive blue line before she was off to the races for a breakaway. Fournier made a great read to poke it away. Powers nearly broke through in front during the third, trying to reach around Fournier and stuff the puck in. Again, she couldn't solve the Loomis goaltender. On the power play in the second, Powers made a pair of smart one-touch passes from the right circle right onto her teammates' tape in the high slot to set up potential chances too.
