CONCORD, Mass. — Once Tabor got on the board, it never looked back.
After trailing Middlesex early on, the No. 6 Seawolves racked up four straight goals in the first period, riding the momentum to a 6-2 win on the road.
Sofia Nardelli (Cranston, R.I.) had a goal and an assist, and five other skaters scored for Tabor (13-4-2). Evelyn Lacey (Braintree, Mass.) and Avery Reimold (Marion, Mass.) combined for the win in net.
Cassidy Bruno (Andover, Mass.) scored twice for Middlesex (7-8-1). Niamh Tobin (Dorchester, Mass.) got the nod in net.
Bruno opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game, curling into the slot off the cycle and beating Lacey inside the right post.
Giuliana Polcari (Marshfield, Mass.) answered for Tabor with 7:16 to go in the first, dangling to the net off the rush and potting a backhand.
Charleigh Milburn made it 2-1 just 1:25 later when she redirected Adeline Wiesel's (Needham, Mass.) shot from the point. Nardelli made it 3-1 on a drive to the net two minutes later, and she set up a backdoor one-timer for Lilly Shaughnessy's (Medfield, Mass.) goal to make it 4-1 with less than a minute left in the first.
Bruno got one back for the Zebras on a shorthanded breakaway 54 seconds into the second period.
Jen Birolini (Pembroke, Mass.) restored the three-goal lead, dangling into the slot for a power-play strike midway through the second. Charlotte Landau came up with a redirect in the slot with 2:37 left in the second for the 6-2 final.
Let's dive into nine standouts before getting into four takeaways from the game.
Sofia Nardelli
Tabor, 12/31/2008, F, left shot, 5-4
Hometown: Cranston, R.I.
Nardelli dominated. Her skating made her difficult to contain, and she constantly got to dangerous areas of the ice. She created chances as she kept her feet moving and powered through pressure, which paid off on her goal as she bullied her way to the front of the net. Her setup for Shaughnessy was a beauty. Nardelli had plenty of time and space to curl around the right dot out of the corner. She sold the shot and put a pass right on the money for Shaughnessy to one-time home. Nardelli has shown a ton of growth this season.
Mirella Martinelli
Tabor, 3/28/3009, D, right shot, 5-6
Hometown: North Providence, R.I.
NCAA: Providence
Martinelli was right there with Nardelli, making an impact whenever she had the puck. Her skill and confidence were on full display. The junior constantly challenged defenders with subtle moves with her stick and skates to change angles and throw them off. She had a tremendous effort ahead of Milburn's goal, fighting through a hook at the point to swivel it D-to-D to Wiesel for the shot.
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Cassidy Bruno
Middlesex, Class of 2026, F, right shot
Hometown: Andover, Mass.
Bruno made plays throughout the game, and she was effective in the neutral zone and on the forecheck in the first. Her first goal was all because of that initial forecheck work as she and her line won the puck back below the dots. She drove to the slot off the cycle, and Janie Martin (Burlington, Mass.) found her with a perfect feed before the well-placed shot beat Lacey. Bruno took advantage of Tabor getting too aggressive on the power play. After a chance to the slot didn't connect, Bruno picked up the loose puck at the circle and was off to the races as Tabor got caught too far forward. She beat Lacey with a backhand.
Giuliana Polcari
Tabor, 7/7/2010, F, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Marshfield, Mass.
Polcari was a massive piece to the success of Tabor's top line, along with Birolini and Grace Hildebrandt (Norwell, Mass.). Polcari constantly used her size, speed and skill to get in between the dots and generate chances. It paid off on her goal in the first as she danced between the defense to get in alone before her shot trickled in. In the third, she nearly had a second goal, going forehand-backhand on a breakaway, but Tobin made a big save.
Scarlett Gustafson
Middlesex, Class of 2028, F, left shot
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Props to Gustafson, who was scrappy all night. She never shied away from physicality, despite her smaller frame, holding her own in battles below the dots in the offensive zone. Her quick feet and skating were also impressive, allowing her to drive through seams with the puck in the neutral zone.
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Libby Melly
Middlesex, 2010, F, right shot
Hometown: Reading, Mass.
You'd hardly be able to tell Melly is a freshman centering Bruno and Martin on the Zebras' top line. She made plays in all three zones throughout the game, impacting transition both ways. Twice, she came up with defensive plays in the slot before starting transition. In the first, Melly stole from Ashley Piersol's (Marblehead, Mass.) drive to the slot before getting it going the other way. In the third, Melly stole from Polcari before finding Martin with a quick up. Melly also made a nice play earlier in the period to cut around a defender in the neutral zone to open a clear lane down the right wing for a good shot.
Riley Pike
Tabor, 9/19/2009, D, left shot, 5-8
Hometown: Topsfield, Mass
Pike made good plays with the puck and good reads in her own end. In the first, she made a great play to step up and quickly take away space, breaking up a rush as it came over the blue line. She didn't pass up any shooting opportunities at the point and got a good chance in the second as she drove to space in the slot for a backhand in tight. Pike did a nice job on a third-period regroup with Martin breathing down her neck, curling away from the pressure and finding an outlet.
Lucy McGaraghan
Middlesex, Class of 2027, D, left shot
Hometown: Lexington, Mass.
McGaraghan used her long reach to her advantage all game, and she made aggressive decisions that typically worked out. She did a good job of holding the blue line at various points, and she had several strong poke checks defending the rush. One of her best plays came late in the second as she stepped up in the slot and got her stick in the lane to prevent a clean shot for Milburn in tight.
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Charleigh Milburn
Tabor, 08/2008, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Castle Rock, Colo.
Milburn constantly made things happen in the slot. She made a heads-up play for her goal, quickly planting her stick on the ice and establishing body position as she battled in front. Her redirect on Wiesel's shot was perfect, tucking inside the left post. In the second, Milburn got two more quality looks, including a nice turnaround shot in the slot that tested Tobin.
Leftover thoughts...
- Tabor's top six set the tone in the first period, especially Birolini's line. The trio was all over Middlesex from the jump, chewing up offensive zone time. They had a great response to Bruno's goal, going to work and getting a good chance as Tobin shut the door on Birolini in tight.
- Give a lot of props to Middlesex. There was no quit in the Zebras, who easily could've mailed it in down the stretch. Melly was at the forefront of that, while others like Martin pushed for offense at points as well. Defensively, the likes of McGaraghan, Marin Gustafson (Wellesley, Mass.), Luisa Ferrari (Winchester, Mass.) and Lucy Drummey (Sudbury, Mass.) played hard and made some strong stick checks in the defensive zone. Tobin continued to make saves on dangerous looks as the pressure never let up.
- Tabor called off the dogs as the game wore on, but their younger and older depth players still executed. Reimold made some quality saves in the third. Layla Smart moved the puck quickly and effectively on the back end. Genevieve Smart and Abby Mackintire (Westboro, Mass.) constantly got to middle ice and created chances. That's the execution you want to see at this time of year. The Seawolves are still seventh in the JSPR as I write this.
- There's still a lot that can change, but let's quickly look ahead. Wednesday was a test that will prepare Middlesex for the Large School tournament if they get in. The Zebras are on the outside looking in as I write this. However, they are projected to qualify as the No. 6 seed. They'd likely face another team that has been in the Elite 8 mix at points this season, like a Choate, St. Paul's, Taft or a BB&N. If Middlesex's top line can jump on a team early (like Wednesday) and get big saves from Tobin, anything is possible.
