MANCHESTER — The Middlebury Union High School girls’ hockey team won twice last week to apparently clinch at least a tie for the top seed in Division I. The Vermont Principals’ Association will announce playoff pairings on Thursday.
Unofficially, the 15-4 Tigers have 40 points heading into a season-ending Wednesday night game at BFA-St. Albans, while second-place Essex (13-6) has 37. The defending champion Hornets can earn only three points with a win at third-place Northfield on Wednesday, meaning if the Tigers pick up any points at BFA-St. Albans they will enter the D-I postseason with the No. 1 seed.
On this past Wednesday, the Tigers avenged an early-season home loss by topping host Spaulding, 3-1. Tulley Hescock, from Helen Anderson, snapped a 1-1 second period tie, and Lauren Bartlett’s third-period goal provided insurance.
Emma Best scored an unassisted shorthanded goal in the first period’s final minute to tie the game, and goalie Baily Ryan backstopped the win with nine saves. The Tigers peppered Tide goalie Morgan Gospel, who stopped 29 shots.
On Saturday, the Tigers won a rematch of the 2014 D-II final, 3-0, at Burr & Burton, as Ryan posted a 17-save shutout. Andi Boe, Anderson and Best found the net for MUHS, while Molly Dingley stopped 11 shots for BBA (11-7-1).