MILTON, Mass. — It's the most wonderful time of the year.
Yes, prep hockey is back. For many New England programs, the regular season kicked off on Wednesday.
I made it out to Milton Academy to catch the Mustangs' season-opener against Thayer, where the latter came back to salvage a 3-3 tie.
Mary and Sadie Quatrale (Milton, Mass.) each scored for the hosts (0-0-1), along with McKenna Ruland. Ava Scannell got the start in net.
Lydia Kealty (Norfolk, Mass.) scored twice for Thayer (0-0-1), and Jenna Henley (Whitman, Mass.) scored in her prep debut. Madison Hayes (Foxboro, Mass.) started in net.
Sadie Quatrale opened the scoring early in the first period, scoring short-side after Milton forced a turnover out high, and Mary Quatrale doubled the lead early in the second with a long-range wrist shot.
Kealty responded quickly, cutting it to 2-1 seconds later when Emery Deroeve's (Charleston, Mass.) shot from distance pin-balled off her and in. The former cashed in again early in the third, jamming one home in front, to tie it, 2-2.
Ruland restored Milton's lead when she beat Hayes inside the left post from the slot with two minutes remaining in regulation.
Henley scored the equalizer with 38 seconds to go on a last-ditch rush, beating a sliding Scannell on a cross-ice feed from Maddy Call (Dedham, Mass.).
Overtime came and went with quality saves from Scannell to preserve the tie.
Let's dive into 11 standouts from the game.
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Lydia Kealty
Thayer, 02/2010, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Norfolk, Mass.
Kealty was arguably the best player on the ice. She and Call were terrific together. The two made penalty kills seem like power plays for Thayer. Kealty was especially strong screening in front of the net, hanging tough in battles and getting chances in tight, which led to both of her goals. She had several bids at the hat trick, too, be it odd-numbered rushes with Call or power moves to the slot.
Abby DeAnzeris
Thayer, 03/2007, D, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
NCAA: Saint Anselm
DeAnzeris was a huge part of Thayer coming alive after Milton opened the scoring. She took advantage of skating lanes, moved the puck effectively and created offense from the point. The captain had a sweet saucer pass through a seam to send Henley in on a breakaway in the first. Earlier, she made a great stick lift against Ruland to win a 50-50 puck on a regroup before motoring the other way.
Ava Scannell
Milton Academy, Class of 2026, G, catches left
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
NCAA: Northeastern
Scannell stood tall in the face of heavy pressure throughout the game. The senior cut down angles and limited rebounds. She had a fantastic response after Kealty's first goal, stoning several bids for Thayer's second line. She flashed her right pad to deny two bang-bang chances for Kalli O'Brien (Walpole, Mass.) in the slot before denying her again as she dug away in front. Scannell made the Save of the Game when she stoned Kealty with a big right-to-left push on a 2-on-0 with Call. Shortly after, she came up with a great glove stop on Call's partial shorthanded break.
Shea Richardson
Thayer, 9/5/2008, D, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Like DeAnzeris, Richardson was at the center of Thayer's up-tempo response to Milton's opening tally. After some ups and downs in her first few shifts, Richardson settled in, playing with confidence and playing to the strengths that made her one of the MIAA's best puck-movers over the last two seasons. In the first, she showed great vision on a regroup, curling away from pressure, drawing forecheckers toward her before bursting through a skating lane for a zone entry and shot. In the second, she rang the crossbar from the right dot before later setting up Call's partial break with a perfect stretch pass. Richardson also had a good poke check in OT to break up a dangerous counter-rush for Milton.
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Maddy Call
Thayer, 02/2009, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
It felt like Call was everywhere on the forecheck and in the neutral zone, giving Milton fits and getting numbers for Thayer the other way. She forced turnovers on Milton's exit, leading to a 2-on-0 with Kealty and multiple 2-on-1s that wouldn't go. Call flashed some slick hands on a 2-on-1 early in the third, putting a backhand saucer pass right on Kealty's tape. The former set up Henley's late equalizer, blazing down the left wing and setting her up off the rush.
Jenna Henley
Thayer, 11/15/2010, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Whitman, Mass.
Henley fit right into her new digs after standing out in the MIAA last winter. She got quality chances throughout the game, hitting the post twice. The first came on a breakaway in the first, getting lost behind the defense and going forehand-backhand. She also made a nice feed to O'Brien in front in the second to set up several Grade-A looks. Henley finally got rewarded with time winding down, burying Call's feed off the rush.
Mary Quatrale
Milton Academy, 11/3/2007, F, right shot, 5-11
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Hardly anyone could take the puck from Quatrale, who was simply too big and too strong in a lot of matchups. She featured a heavy shot, which paid off on her goal, curling into the high slot and firing one off the post and in. She also looked a step faster with the puck.
Sadie Quatrale
Milton Academy, Class of 2027, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
Quatrale's line with Claire Kelly (Hingham, Mass.) and Molly Gooch (Scarborough, Maine) was effective below the dots and on the forecheck, creating chances off turnovers and working pucks to middle ice. Quatrale got two quality looks in the slot off feeds from Gooch down low on their first shift, and she cashed in shortly after. After Milton forced a turnover on the exit, Quatrale fended off pressure as she drove into the slot and scored short-side off the right post.
Emery Deroeve
Thayer, 04/2010, D, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.
Deroeve made some terrific plays with the puck, including a patient, tape-to-tape stretch pass right to Call in the run-up to Henley's late equalizer. Deroeve also had a slick head-fake out high in the first, getting the defender to overcommit before driving down the left wing for a shot. She also set up Kealty's first goal with the initial shot from distance.
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McKenna Ruland
Milton Academy, Class of 2027, D/F, left shot, 5-2
Hometown: Binghamton, N.Y.
NCAA: UAlbany (lacrosse)
Typically a speedy, smooth puck-moving defender, Ruland skated on Milton's top forward line. Her skating helped her fit right in, and it was good to see her rewarded with a late go-ahead goal. Ruland gained the offensive zone with speed before dropping to Mary Quatrale for a one-timer as Milton went to work. The puck eventually found her all alone in the slot, and she made no mistake with a wrister inside the left post.
Ruth Chen
Milton Academy, Class of 2026, D, right shot
Hometown: Fountain Valley, Calif.Â
Chen was active at the offensive blue line, including some slick puck handling on a power play in the second as she skated backwards, cut around a defender and drove into the slot for a shot. Chen was also strong in defending a 5-on-3 in the second, disrupting plays off the cycle and down low with an active stick.
