DEDHAM, Mass. — Once Nobles got one, they got another. And another.
The No. 2 Bulldogs scored three goals in the final five minutes of the second period as they rolled to a 3-0 win over No. 1 Williston Northampton for the 44th Harrington Invitational title.
It's Nobles' 10th Harrington title since 2011, including the 2023 tournament with a win over St. Paul's. It's also their 17th since 2000.
Francie Ames (Brookline, Mass.), Gretta Hulbig (Foxboro, Mass.) and Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.) each scored for the Bulldogs. Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.) earned the shutout as Nobles improved to 9-0-0.
Williston fell to 5-1-0 with the loss.
Ames opened the scoring with five minutes to go in the second, jamming home a loose puck in the crease off Parker Kathan's (Medfield, Mass.) shot from the point.
Hulbig doubled the lead with 1:55 to go in the period with a shorthanded goal, scoring in a 1-on-1 rush.
McCool delivered the knockout punch with 16 seconds left in the frame, scoring on a rebound in a 4-on-4 from the right dot.
Let's dive into seven standouts from the game before getting into four takeaways.
Gretta Hulbig
Nobles, 8/11/2007, F, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Foxboro, Mass.
NCAA: Yale
Hulbig was one of Nobles' most impactful skaters from start to finish. She was explosive carrying the puck through the neutral zone and made heads-up plays offensively. Her shorthanded goal was a great effort from start to finish as she got a head of steam going the other way after a huge shot block for Nobles, going in 1-on-1 against Coffee and wiring a wrister over the blocker for key insurance.
Catherine McCool
Nobles, 10/2009, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: West Roxbury, Mass.
McCool played with a ton of energy, and her line did a great job of creating chaos low in the offensive zone and around the net, leading to a pair of goals. She constantly crashed the net hard in search of rebound bids. McCool got rewarded with the late goal in the second as she was in the right place at the right time to one-time Ava Decourcey's (Rockland, Mass.) rebound home.
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Nina Coffee
Williston Northampton, 3/16/2007, D, left shot, 6-0
Hometown: Old Lyme, Conn.
NCAA: Holy Cross
Coffee was assertive and physical all game, and she had a strong stick in the defensive zone. It was especially true in the first as she used her reach to kill plays along the boards and in the corners, preventing looks to the middle. The senior was a big part of Williston weathering the early storm from Nobles.
Parker Kathan
Nobles, 05/2010, D, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
The moment wasn't too big for Kathan, who made simple plays and came up big at the end of the second period. She did a great job at the point before Ames' goal, getting a quick, low shot on net in search of a deflection. She got it from Ashley Leober (Weston, Mass.), leading to the frenzy in front before Ames buried it. Moments later, at the other end, Kathan had a massive blocked shot on Brenna Ziter (Williston, Vt.) in the slot, killing a great chance for the Wildcats.
Zola Piekarski
Williston Northampton, 11/3/2006, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
NCAA: UPenn (Field Hockey)
Piekarski was a big part of a strong day for Williston's top line with Ziter and Mia Daley (Lynnfield, Mass.). The trio consistently got pressure and chances for the Wildcats. Piekarski had a handful of dangerous bids in the second, getting open in the slot for a one-time bid from Daley and another great shot in the middle. Jonas shut the door on both. Piekarski also made a terrific heads-up feed through a seam to Ziter as she drove inside the right dot. Kathan blocked the shot on the chance.
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Reese Engel
Nobles, 06/2009, D, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
Like Coffee, Engel's size and strength were a big part of Nobles' defensive effort. She was hard to play against in front of the net and down low, particularly on the penalty kill. She had a couple of big blocked shots, including one on a dangerous look at the right dot before swiping it into neutral ice for Hulbig to skate into ahead of her shorthanded goal.
Catie Putt
Williston Northampton, 10/17/2007, D/F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Norfolk, Mass.
NCAA: New Hampshire
Putt's two-way ability and smarts with the puck were key on regroups and alleviating pressure in the defensive zone. She had a great play in the first to throw on the brakes in the corner, sending a forechecker spinning. It opened a lane for a clean outlet. Later, in the third, she forced a turnover at the offensive blue line before skating it in deep to ramp up the pressure for Williston as they pushed for a goal.
1. Nobles' forecheck was a huge boost at the start
The Bulldogs came out flying to start the game, hemming Williston in through the first few shifts, forcing icings and getting quality chances. Each line executed, and Nobles took advantage of tired legs off some icings. Decourcey had a nice bid from the point after taking open space toward the circle. Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.) had a pair of bang-bang chances in tight on her backhand, too, dangling to open space near the crease. Things eventually leveled out, but that start was surely a huge confidence boost for the Bulldogs as they put Williston behind the eight-ball early.
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2. Williston got quality looks, but just couldn't get one to go
The Wildcats got to their game and sustained their share of pressure. The Ziter-Daley-Piekarski line was at its best early in the second, working pucks to the middle and generating looks in the slot. Brooke Schlutter had a couple of great looks driving to the right post, too. Annika Jonas (Weston, Mass.) was just up to the test against quality chances. It helps that Nobles blocked a ton of shots, too.
3. Olivia Arsenault wasn't tested often in the third but made some big stops to keep Williston in it
Arsenault entered the game in the third, and although she didn't see the same volume as River Grady (Bedford, N.H.), she made some big stops to keep the Wildcats within striking distance. One of her best came on a one-timer for Ames in the slot off Rachel Zhao's rush, and she denied Addy Keaveney (Westwood, Mass.) on a breakaway, too. Give Grady credit, too, for making some huge saves early, including the two stops on Bromley dangling to the right post. She was a big reason that Nobles didn't get on the board within the first five minutes of the game.
4. No love lost between these two teams
There was no shortage of physicality from the very start of the game, and for the most part, the officials let them play. It was a high-paced, hard-nosed game that certainly gave everyone a glimpse at a potential Elite 8 matchup once the postseason rolls around. I don't think anyone would be opposed to a rematch when the stakes are highest.
