MIDDLEBURY — The Division II Middlebury Union High School girls’ hockey team showed well on Friday against a top D-I team, South Burlington, but the Wolves took better advantage of

TIGER SOPHOMORE LIA Calzini and a visiting South Burlington skater take off in pursuit of a loose puck during Friday’s hockey game in Middlebury.
Independent photo/John S. McCright

their opportunities and skated away with a 3-1 victory.

The Wolves improved to 12-4-1, while the Tigers dropped to 9-9 with two regular season games remaining before the postseason begins with first-round games on Feb. 23 or 24.

Coach PJ Lalonde was happy with his MUHS team’s play, and its recent efforts against a tough schedule — the Tigers have lost three straight, but all against D-I competition, including to first-place St. Johnsbury by one goal on Feb 7.

“We got well over 20 shots, which was great, a step in the right direction. They (South Burlington) had a good goalie, so that’s always part of the equation,” Lalonde said. “They played really well. We gave ourselves a chance to win. It was a good team, too. If you can put an effort like that together against a good team it’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

The Tigers remain a young team: They honored their only two seniors, defender Lily Finn and forward Erin Mulcahy, before the South Burlington game. In contrast, the Wolves skated eight seniors. Given that youth, Lalonde said the Tigers’ occasional inconsistency is not unexpected, and he sees overall improvement as the D-II postseason looms.

“We’ve had some highs and lows, understandably,” he said. “I think we’ve hit our stride at the right time. We’re trending in the right direction. The girls are really coming together cohesively as a unit.”

Lalonde said, for example, the Tigers are breaking out of their own end better, advancing the puck more crisply through the neutral section of the ice, and forechecking better. He would like to see more poise and patience displayed in the offensive end, and against South Burlington the power play struggled to gain traction.

“It’s something we’ve talked about often, making conscious and intentional decisions with the puck. We tend to get a little frantic sometimes,” he said. “But they have been doing better.”

The Tigers also have been getting good goaltending. South Burlington controlled Friday’s first period, outshooting the Tigers, 13-5, but MUHS surrendered only one goal as netminder Ruby Hubbell made a dozen stops. Hubbell, who finished with 23 saves, probably did her best work when holding her ground in a scrum with about four minutes to go, and then denying Hadia Ahmed from the high slot just afterward.

MUHS SENIOR ERIN Mulcahy battles a South Burlington player for the puck during the Tiger girls’ hockey team’s home game on Friday.

Independent photo/John S. McCright

But Hubbell had little chance at the first of Sabrina Brunet’s three goals a few seconds later. Brunet, maybe five feet out from the net, one-timed a Gwen Soper feed from the left circle just inside the left post with 3:51 left in the period.

The Panthers had three chances on two first-period power plays. On the first, Lia Calzini couldn’t quite tip Quinn Doria’s drive on net, and Sedona tapped a Calzini feed wide. Late in the period Ellie Wilkinson-Sachs tipped a Finn shot high.

TIGER LIA CALZINI is in the middle of that group hug, which happened after she scored for the MUHS girls’ hockey team against visiting South Burlington on Friday.
Independent photo/John S. McCright

SB opened the second period on a power play, and Hubbell denied Brunet from the slot. But 4:50 into the period Brunet pounced on a loose puck outside the crease and pounded it into the lower left corner, and the Wolves led by two.

But for most of the period the Wolves were on their heels: The Tigers outshot them in period, 15-5. Wilkinson-Sachs, Calzini, Sedona Carrara, Ireland Hanley and Doria all created even-strength chances.

And the Tigers stormed Wolf goalie Taylor Tobrocke’s net during a five-on-three power play. Tobrocke, who finished with 26 saves, gloved both Carrara’s screened bid from the right point and a Doria shot ticketed from the upper right corner, and she kicked away a point-blank Calzini bid.

The Tigers broke through with 40 seconds left in the period, courtesy of a Calzini tip-in at the right post. The play started with a shot from Finn at the point, and Wilkinson-Sachs redirected it toward the net, where Calzini finished to make it 2-1.

The Tigers had a golden chance to draw even early in the third — another five-on-three power play for 1:03 starting 3:45 into the period. But they generated only one shot, a bid from an angle from the right by McKenna Raymond. Wolf defender Delaney Lampher was instrumental in holding the Tigers at bay.

At 6:59 Brunet struck again with a bit of a fluky goal. She picked up a loose puck in the left corner and skated to the crease and tried to stuff it home, losing control of the puck as she did so. But the awkward change-up eluded Hubbell, and SB led by two.

Two Tiger penalties down the stretch, one for too many skaters on the ice, limited their chances to rally, although they kept battling and forced Tobrocke to stop Carrara at the final horn on a play set up by Doria.

Friday’s close loss followed the tough setback two days earlier, when visiting St. Johnsbury edged the Tigers, 3-2. Three players scored for the 13-1 Kingdom Blades, and goalie Madison Colby made10 saves. In that game Carrara scored a goal and assisted Ila Crowley’s goal for the Tigers, and Hubbell made 25 saves.

TIGER SOPHOMORE DEFENDER Ireland Hanley fires a shot from the point during the MUHS girls’ hockey home game vs. South Burlington on Friday.

Independent photo/John S. McCright

IN FRIDAY’S THIRD period, MUHS goalie Ruby Hubbell makes one of her 23 saves during the Tiger girls’ hockey team’s home gave vs. South Burlington.

Independent photo/John S. McCright

The Tigers are battling Missisquoi (7-9-1) and Rice (6-9-1) for the No. 4 seed in D-II and have two tough games remaining: D-I’s third-place team, Burlington/Colchester, visits on Wednesday, and they wrap-up by visiting D-II’s third-place team, Woodstock, on Saturday.

In all, Lalonde said he has seen enough in the Tigers’ recent play to be confident entering the postseason.

“If they bring their A game, I think we’re a very competitive team,” he said.

MIDDLEBURY NINTH-GRADER Sedona Carrara takes a shot on goal at Wolves goalie Taylor Tobrocke during Friday’s second period. South Burlington prevailed in the game, 3-1.

Independent photo/John S. McCright