BRAINTREE, Mass. — Groton had to have it, and they got it.
Fighting for their Elite 8 hopes, the No. 9 Zebras marched into No. 6 Thayer and left with a strong 4-1 win.
Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) scored twice for Groton, while Ella Nannene (Acton, Mass.) had a goal and an assist. Hazel Hughes (Lancaster, Mass.) also scored, and Tatum Friedholm (Sudbury, Mass.) and Maddie Cronan (Ashland, Mass.) had two assists each. Nora Wilson (Weybridge, Vt.) earned the win in net.
The Zebras improved to 16-4-2 and vaulted themselves into the Elite 8 picture. Currently, they're No. 7 in the field. USHR projects them to finish seventh.
Maddy Call (Dedham, Mass.) scored for Thayer, who dropped to 19-4-2 on the year. The Tigers currently hold and are projected to finish with the No. 8 seed in the Elite 8.
Nannene opened the scoring early in the first when she redirected Friedholm's feed from the point to the right of the crease. Scalese doubled the lead on a breakaway with four minutes left in the first. Friedholm broke up a rush at the blue line and shoveled the puck forward for Scalese, who went forehand-backhand.
Hughes made it 3-0 three minutes into the second, scoring five-hole from the right dot off a dish from Nannene. Scalese made it 4-0 on a fast-break with Cronan, roofing a backhand to the left of the crease with three minutes left in the period.
Call got Thayer on the board with a minute to go in the frame, deking to her backhand on a shorthanded breakaway.
Let's dive into three quick takeaways before getting into 10 standouts from the game.
