MARLBORO, Mass. — Once Lovell Academy broke through, the floodgates opened.
After having no answer for Assabet goalie Ines Khamis (Worcester, Mass.) for much of the first two-plus periods, the Lions piled up three straight goals in the third period to win the 16U Massachusetts girls state championship over Assabet, 3-1, at the New England Sports Center on Sunday.
With the win, Lovell earned a bid to USA Hockey Nationals, which will be April 1-6, 2025, at the NESC.
Sydney Stoughton, Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) and Emily Macaulay scored for the Lions, and Peyton Scott (Hanover, Mass.) earned the win in net. Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.) had a pair of assists.
Molly Bardol (Walpole, Mass.) scored for Assabet.
Bardol opened the scoring when Julia Lambert (Wilmington, Mass.) set her up for a one-timer at the right circle on a 5-on-3 power play with 3:32 left in the first.
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From there, Lovell turned up the pressure but couldn't solve Khamis until Stoughton tied it with 7:37 left in regulation when she picked the top left corner.
With 2:43 to go and Assabet scrambling, Martinelli came through, firing a wrist shot to the top left corner through a screen to give Lovell a 2-1 lead.
Macaulay scored on an empty net from the neutral zone with 1:01 left for the 3-1 final.
Here are seven standouts from the game.
Mirella Martinelli
Lovell Academy, 3/28/09, D, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: North Providence, R.I.
Martinelli was one of the heroes for Lovell, thanks to the game-winner late in regulation. It capped off a solid game in all three zones for the blue-liner, who moved the puck quickly and decisively at the point and in transition. She set up Aubryn Monter for a terrific one-time look in the high slot in the second period that rang the post. On the game-winner, Martinelli did a good job of changing her shooting angle before perfectly using a screen to her advantage, picking the top left corner with a heavy wrist shot. Khamis never saw it.
Ines Khamis
Assabet/St. Mark's, 3/2/08, G, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
Khamis was nothing short of sensational from start to finish for Assabet. She was the biggest reason Lovell didn't score sooner, and she was minutes away from successfully holding them off. Khamis stuffed Macaulay in tight during the first period, tracking her the whole way and giving her nothing. She robbed Chyna Taylor early in the second, sprawling to get her pad on the rebound bid. In the third, she bailed out Lana Hardin (Tyngsboro, Mass.) after she coughed it up in the slot. Khamis did a great job tracking the play and anticipating, especially in 1-on-1 chances. She kept Assabet in it for much of the second and third periods with the ice tilted heavily toward the Lions.
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Julia Lambert
Assabet/Cushing, 07/2008, F, right shot, 5-4
Hometown: Wilmington, Mass.
NCAA: Stonehill
Lambert played with a ton of energy. Her setup for Bardol's goal was a thing of beauty. She showed lots of patience, taking all the time and space she got in the 5-on-3 before letting the seam open up and putting a feed right in Bardol's wheelhouse for the one-timer. Earlier in the first, Lambert made a great play, anticipating Annabelle Lovell's centering pass and intercepting it for a rush the other way.
Chyna Taylor
Lovell Academy, 7/10/09, D, left shot, 5-7
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Taylor was everywhere for Lovell through the first period-plus. She did a good job of leading transition and pushing the pace, and her versatility was on full display as she made plays down low on the power play. Taylor had an excellent scoring chance early in the second, parking in front for a rebound, but couldn't beat Khamis' sprawling pad. She added another dynamic layer on the blue line with her speed and ability to drive transition and make plays as a puck carrier.
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Sydney Stoughton
Lovell Academy, 4/14/09, F, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Mason, OH
Stoughton came alive late and made winning plays. She hustled to get a step on the defense for a partial break but couldn't solve Khamis. She stuck with it and got a feed from Annabelle Lovell in the high slot, roofing a shot bar-down to the top left corner for a beautiful finish. Stoughton showed more great hustle a few minutes later, beating Tatum Friedholm (Sudbury, Mass.) to a loose puck and winning a battle along the boards to get a clear on a late 5-on-3.
Emily Macaulay
Lovell Academy, 06/2009, F, left shot, 5-6
Hometown: Queensbury, NY
Macaulay sparked the onslaught of Lovell scoring chances with their best bid in the first period. She made a phenomenal windmill deke around a defender on a fast break to get alone in tight, cutting to the slot and going to the backhand. She couldn't solve Khamis, but the Lions came alive from there before finally breaking through in the third. Macaulay got rewarded with the empty-netter, coming away with the puck from a board battle and burying it from long range.
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Tatum Friedholm
Assabet/Groton, 08/2009, D, left shot, 5-9
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass.
Friedholm played a smart game and kept things simple on the blue line. She made a good read in the third to step in front of Charlotte Dukovac in the neutral zone and pick off a stretch pass. Later on the power play, she put a hard, low wrist shot on net with a purpose, getting a deflection, but Scott made a nice save. Scott robbed Friedholm in the first when Tatum's wrist shot from the top of the right circle caught the butt-end of her stick and deflected high. It looked like a sure goal.
