Evelyn Doyle is used to the big stage.
In the 2021 2A Girls Tier II 14-U National Championship in Littleton, Colo., with the score 2-2 through overtime, Assabet Valley Girls Hockey coach Kelly McManus Souza tapped Doyle to take the first shootout attempt against the Mid-Fairfield CT Stars.
The forward cruised straight in on net, drawing the Mid-Fairfield goalie out of the crease. At the last moment, Doyle quickly brought the puck across to her backhand and stretched forward, balancing on her left leg, to knock it around the goalie’s pad and in.
“I just remember trying not to overthink it and just being like, ‘I’ve done this before in practice,’ ” Doyle, now 17, said. “I think it gave me a lot of good experience in being under pressure and just kind of like taking deep breaths and not overthinking it. Just kind of relying on the preparation that I had.”
Doyle’s goal ultimately served as the winner. After falling to Mid-Fairfield in a shootout during the preliminary rounds, Assabet Valley redeemed itself to win the national title. For McManus Souza, the decision to give Doyle a chance to position her team to win was a no-brainer.
