In the NEPSAC Small School tournament semifinal on March 5, Rivers coach Courtney Sheary watched her team score a goal that coaches dream of.
In overtime against top-seeded Dexter Southfield, freshman Lindsay Morin drove the net hard on a zone entry, screening the goaltender and pulling the Dexter defense back. That left forward Britt Nawrocki with ample space to shoot, and the Middlebury commit calmly put the puck in the back of the net.
It was a selfless play by Morin and a perfect example of playing for your teammates. “It’s a coach’s dream goal,” Sheary said, “The perfect zone entry then turns into a goal that you want to keep on your scouting report for the seasons to come to show the kids, ‘If you do the 3-on-2 line rush, this is what it should look like.’ ”
That overtime winner symbolized Rivers’ cohesiveness, which was on full display in the Dorothy Howard tournament. The fifth-seeded Red Wings (16-9-2) won three road games, including a 2-0 win against New Hampton in the final on March 6, to finish the season as champions.
