MARION, Mass. — Adeline Paskowski (Plymouth, Mass) had a goal and an assist, and Tabor held on to knock off Groton, 2-1, at home on Saturday.
After Tabor spent much of the first period making things difficult for Groton on the breakout, Paskowski broke the deadlock with 2:35 to go in the frame. Her low shot from the point had eyes through traffic and found its way inside the left post and past Groton goalie Veronika Hadamovsky (Groton, Mass.)
Hadamovsky had previously come up with some strong saves earlier in the first for the Zebras, including one she made look easy on a 2-on-1 counter-rush for Tabor.
The Seawolves made it 2-0 late in the second when Juliana Goffredo cashed in on the doorstep. Paskowski filtered another puck in toward Hadamovsky. It never made it on net, but Goffredo was right there to jam in the loose puck.
The insurance marker came after Groton turned the tide in its favor for much of the second, thanks to some early power plays to help build momentum.
The Zebras got on the board late in the third when Keira Ley (Wayland, Mass.) drove to the net during a 4-on-4 and buried a pass off the rush after jumpstarting things in her own zone.
Groton couldn't break through a stingy Seawolves' defense late with the extra attacker on as Tabor snuffed out any hopes of a comeback.
Here are six takeaways from the game.
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1. Tabor's top defensive pair of Paskowski and Kaitlin Sullivan (Needham, Mass.), a Holy Cross commit, are so dynamic, both defensively and offensively. Paskowski was a little more stay-at-home in this one, but she made good passes on the breakout and did an excellent job of getting pucks on net from range. It led to both of Tabor's goals. Offensively, it felt like Sullivan was everywhere in the attacking zone, almost always creating chances. She constantly jumped into the play and had some good shooting and passing opportunities inside the tops of the circles.
On the defensive side, both played hard in their own zone and did a good job of keeping the Zebras to the outside. They effectively used their size (each 5-foot-9) and reach to disrupt plays. They embodied what coach Eric Long wanted to be a more defensive identity for his team this season. So far, it's worked, allowing just one goal in three of their four games so far. They gave up just two in the outlier.
2. Tina Scalese (Bedford, Mass.) was as advertised for Tim LeRoy's squad. She didn't find the scoresheet, but was one of the Zebras' most dynamic play drivers. She's not physically imposing, but played well above her size, never shying away from any battles with bigger players. She was also strong at the dot.
I was most impressed with Scalese's patience and vision with the puck. There were a number of instances on the breakout where she didn't force passes or clears off the boards. Instead, she curled to evade forechecking pressure before exploding with some quick strides to exit the zone with possession.
In the offensive end, Scalese was always looking for the best play to make, particularly on the power play. There were times where most players would have settled for shots. But she took an extra second or two to change the angle, find a better passing lane or make a move inside to create chances. She drew a penalty making a nice inside-out move around a defender in the slot.
There was another play late in the third with Groton shorthanded where she won a footrace for the puck after a hard clear by Ley. Scalese curled around the net and found a passing lane to the doorstep, setting up one of the Zebras' best chances of the night. They couldn't convert, but drew another penalty out of it for the 4-on-4 Ley scored on.
3. Ley is a do-it-all type of defender on the blue line for Groton, making good reads defensively. Much like Paskowski and Sullivan, her size and reach give her a distinct advantage in her own zone.
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Offensively, Ley was strong quarterbacking the Zebras' top power play unit. She consistently got pucks on net from the point and did a good job scanning the ice for her options.
Her 4-on-4 goal was because of excellent recognition of the extra ice during that situation. She headed the puck out of her own zone before a give-and-go at the offensive blue line. She made a beeline for the net after making the simple pass right in front of her, and when she got the puck back, she got a shot off quickly to beat Avery Olson (Rockport, Mass.).
She's committed to Harvard.
5. Goffredo, Lizzy Greeley (Hyde Park, Mass.) and Ayla Abban (Duxbury, Mass.), an Amherst commit, make for a dangerous combo on Tabor's top line and power play unit. Goffredo had a good night at the dot and she was always around the front of the net. It paid off on her goal.
Greeley did a lot of the legwork on Paskowski's goal. She dominated possession in the offensive zone and had a nice move to the slot before the puck worked back to the point. She caught Groton flat-footed and puck-watching, creating a breakdown in structure in front of Hadamovsky before the goal. Greeley was dangerous each time she had the puck, always looking to make a move to the slot.
On the power play, with Sullivan or Paskowski at the point, Greeley and Tabor constantly had the puck in motion. It was never on anyone's stick for more than a few seconds. Passes were quick and there was constant motion among the five players. It opened up plenty of passing lanes and opportunities for the Seawolves.
5. Long was eager to see Whitney Dacko (Walpole, Mass.) with a clean bill of health this year. It's clear why.
Dacko, who's committed to Merrimack for lacrosse, didn't find the scoresheet in this one, but I thought she was dangerous, especially early for the Seawolves. She had a few opportunities for odd-numbered rushes going the other way, consistently finding open space on the weak side of the neutral zone. It was a good job by her of recognizing Groton trying to be aggressive on the forecheck. It helped keep the Zebras on their heels for good chunks of the first. She's a smart, powerful forward.
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6. This was a big measuring stick game for Groton, who has been on an upward trajectory. Hopes are high after the Zebras reached the Small School final last season.
I thought by and large, they looked the part against a stalwart like Tabor, who's made six straight Elite 8's.
The Zebras didn't have the best first period, but they turned it on in the second, especially on their early power plays. They forechecked the Seawolves hard and generating plenty of looks.
Their headliners, Scalese and Ley, did their thing, as did Maddie Cronan (Ashland, Mass.). LeRoy described her as one of the toughest players he's coached, and he's accurate in his assessment. The Colgate commit is hard to knock off pucks and consistently took them to the dangerous areas, even if she had to pay the price. She was in the mix physically, both taking and drawing penalties. In net, Hadamovsky was strongest when the pressure was up in her end. She had some big saves in the first before standing tall late as Tabor pushed for more insurance.
