BRAINTREE, Mass. — Neither Madison Hayes nor Evelyn Lacey was going to blink.
The two went save-for-save, each finishing with 30 stops and securing a 1-1 tie in a key girls prep hockey clash between No. 7 Tabor and Thayer.
Lydia Kealty (Norfolk, Mass.) opened the scoring at the start of the second, burying a shorthanded breakaway for the host Tigers (7-4-2).
Jen Birolini (Pembroke, Mass.) tied it for the Seawolves (8-2-2) with 10:28 to go in regulation, burying a rebound off Adeline Wiesel's (Needham, Mass.) shot from the point.
It was a classic goalie duel down the stretch.
Hayes (Foxboro, Mass.) kept Tabor at bay in the third period after the Seawolves tied it up. Lacey (Braintree, Mass.), meanwhile, stood tall against Thayer on a penalty kill at the end of the third period and the start of overtime.
In OT, Lacey stoned Jenna Henley (Whitman, Mass.) all alone in front before Hayes bothered Giuliana Polcari (Marshfield, Mass.) enough with the game on her stick on a last-second breakaway, preventing a shot.
With the tie, Tabor stayed put at seventh in the JSPR algorithm. Thayer, meanwhile, jumped back into the picture, rounding it out at No. 16.
Let's dive into 13 standouts from the game.
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Madison Hayes
Thayer, 2008, G, catches left, 5-6
Hometown: Foxboro, Mass.
Wednesday was the best game I've seen Hayes play. She was terrific in net from start to finish, making some huge saves in key spots. She stoned Sofia Nardelli (Cranston, R.I.) in the slot in the first after Nardelli walked in alone off a turnover. Hayes was fantastic under a barrage of pressure around the net during a second-period penalty kill as well as in the third as Tabor pushed for a go-ahead strike. She was quick and controlled in the crease, rarely out of position, staying square to shots and making saves on tips and redirects.
Evelyn Lacey
Tabor, 10/22/2007, G, catches left, 5-8
Hometown: Braintree, Mass.
NCAA: Brown
Lacey matched Hayes at the other end, and she had Kealty's number all night, even if Kealty got the better of her on the shorthanded breakaway. Lacey did a good job of holding the posts and standing tall on several hard net drives from Thayer. She also came through with a handful of key glove saves. In OT, she made what could have been the Save of the Game. Lacey stuck with Henley the whole way, stoning her with the right pad after she got lost behind the defense.
Adeline Wiesel
Tabor, 6/29/2008, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
Wiesel was tremendous in the defensive zone, especially alongside Lucy Stearns (Carver, Mass.) on the penalty kill. The former had a quick stick and strong gap control in transition. It was on display in the first when she stepped up to knock Maddy Call (Dedham, Mass.) off the puck as she tried to dangle in. Wiesel also stepped up offensively late, getting a quick shot through from the point to set up Birolini's equalizer.
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Lydia Kealty
Thayer, 0/2/2010, F, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Norfolk, Mass.
Kealty was one of the best players on the ice, especially alongside Call on the kill. The two constantly forced turnovers and got play going the other way. It paid off on the shorthanded goal. Kealty's strength with the puck on her stick was one of her best assets, particularly as she drove wide in the offensive zone. She constantly took the puck to the net, too. Her strength also showed as she battled in front of the net for tips and second chances on the power play.
Jen Birolini
Tabor, 4/3/2007, F, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
Birolini came through in a big way for the Seawolves. It looked like they may have been getting "goalied." But the uncommitted senior provided the spark, flying into the offensive zone with a ton of speed off a stretch pass from Layla Smart. It set up shop for Tabor. Birolini drifted to the left of the net, anticipating a rebound off Wiesel's shot. She made no mistake when she got her chance. She also made a heads-up play on the kill in the first, preventing a centering pass for Henley alone in the slot.
Abby Macauley
Thayer, Class of 2029, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Avon, Mass.
Macauley is strong, and it was on full display in the offensive zone as she protected pucks and maintained possession with defenders draped all over her. She was strong at the face-off dot and constantly won races to loose pucks down low, too. Macauley also made a terrific setup for Henley on the doorstep in OT, slipping a pass to her through two defenders off the rush.
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Mirella Martinelli
Tabor, 3/28/3009, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: North Providence, R.I.
NCAA: Providence
Martinelli's emotions got the best of her when she decked Call after the latter got away with interference late. It put Tabor in a tough spot, going to the penalty kill late. Otherwise, Martinelli was terrific. She was a force skating the puck throughout the game, finding lanes up ice and using her edgework to escape pressure. It also helped her defend the rush. She maintained good gaps and blocked several shots in transition. She also came through with a key poke check to prevent a centering pass from Call to Kealty in the third.
Riley Pike
Tabor, 9/19/2009, D, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Topsfield, Mass
Pike was physical in front of the net defensively, including in the third when she made a great play to break up Kealty's drive to the left post. She also did a nice job stepping up in the neutral zone at different points. The sophomore set up one of Tabor's best chances of the second period, cutting off the puck at center ice and finding a skating lane in the regroup. She drove in and found Charlotte Landau as the trailer in the slot. Hayes made a phenomenal save on the short-side bid.
Jenna Henley
Thayer, 11/15/2010, F, right shot, 5-3
Hometown: Whitman, Mass.
Every time I've seen Thayer this season, I've been impressed by Henley's ability to create offense in transition. She set up a phenomenal look for Elliana Tabor (Pembroke, Mass.) in the first. Henley drove wide around the defense and put a pass right on Tabor's tape for a redirect in tight. She also showed tremendous hands to create something out of nothing later in the first. She dangled around a defender off a disjointed entry for Thayer before going to the slot on a give-and-go. Henley easily handled a tough pass behind her and quickly got a good shot on net.
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Maddy Call
Thayer, 02/2009, F, left shot, 5-5
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
Call set the tone for Thayer with her dogged puck pursuit and her relentless effort. It made her a thorn in Tabor's side all night. She and Kealty got several 2-on-1s and counter rushes off turnovers, including in the third when Call stripped the puck from Genevieve Smart and sent Kealty in for a chance. She also found open lanes around the net. In the first, Call got into space in the slot for a one-time chance. In the third, she had a good setup through a seam to Tabor for a one-timer.
Grace Hildebrandt
Tabor, 3/30/2010, F, left shot, 5-3
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
Hildebrandt did a terrific job making life difficult for Thayer on the forecheck. She was physical along the boards, breaking up plays as the Tigers tried to exit. In the second, Hildebrandt tied up Macauley along the boards to prevent a clear. She came away with the loose puck and walked into the slot for a quality chance. In OT, Hildebrandt's relentless pursuit prevented Thayer from exiting cleanly, forcing the turnover that sent Polcari in alone in the final seconds.
Eliana Tabor
Thayer, Class of 2028, F, right shot
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
It wasn't surprising to see why Tabor has been having a breakout season for Thayer. She's a key part of the top line with Kealty and Call. Like Hildebrandt and Call, Tabor was a thorn in her opponents' side all night. She played physical as hell, especially on the forecheck and around the net. It opened up space for her, including in the third when she drifted into space for a potential one-time look from Call. Tabor also drew a tripping penalty in the first with a strong effort at the end of a long shift.
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Lucy Stearns
Tabor, 10/10/2007, D, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Carver, Mass.
Stearns played a steady, stay-at-home game, and she was phenomenal on the penalty kill late in regulation and in overtime. She got into shooting lanes, blocking a shot from Abby DeAnzeris (Needham, Mass.) before springing Birolini the other way. Stearns also did a good job with poke checks and stepping up on pucks. She stepped up in the slot to prevent Call from getting a Grade-A look in the closing seconds of the third.
