It’s been a very tough season for the Amity/Cheshire/North Haven Blades Girls Ice Hockey Team.
The spirited co-op started off with a flurry of injuries, including one that took out their experienced goalie. But Amity’s Abby Fitol stepped up to the task and earned quite a name for herself on the team, making some incredible saves as the season went on.
Still, as of Monday, Feb. 21, the Blades only had 3 wins to 14 losses, yet they never lost hope or their drive and found themselves in the SCC Quarter-final game at the Northford Ice Pavilion against the Hand co-op, a team that they’d lost to by one point (1-2) just last Wednesday.
Head coach John Peschell’s belief in the athletes on his team has never wained, and he celebrates every shot, every successful maneuver, and save.
Just in time for the important end-of-season championship games, the Blades have Ginny Curello and Abby Fitol as goal tenders, so our girls are definitely looking good.
This is what happened on Monday:
First Period
The Blades came out blazing with a winning attitude, Carley Silbert scored the first goal assisted by Elaina Scasino.
Not wanting to be outdone, Hand’s Vanessa Irizarry tied the game assisted by Brooklyn Jepson.
The Blades’ Sami Drane broke that tie with a great shot on an assist from Avery DePodesta.
Score 2-1 Blades
Second Period
Drane got the second period off to a great start with an unassisted goal, then followed it up with a Hat Trick assisted by Ellen Barto.
With the Blades 4 point lead, Hand had to get moving, and Aryana Wilson battled back, scoring on an assist from Raegan Wyrebek-Brasky.
But the Blades weren’t done yet, this time Scasino, shot one in, assisted by Lucy Dickenson and Drane.
Score 5-2 Blades
Third Period
The locker room rallies before the final period must have been incredible. Both teams returned to the ice determined to win this thing — it IS the SCC Quarter-final and everyone desperately wanted to move ahead in the tournament.
The opponents struck first this time, with Brooklyn Jepson adding one point to Hand’s tally on an assist from Raegan Wyrebek-Brasky.
But it didn’t slow the Blades down, Drane shot another one in assisted by Ellen Barto.
Then it was Barto’s turn, assisted by Depodesta.
Hand’s Faith Minickene fired back getting a goal assisted by Wyrebek-Brasky and Jepson.
Ellen Barto scored again, assisted by Drane.
And the beat goes on — Depodesta made a goal on an assist from Barto.
The final goal came from Hand’s Faith Minickene, assisted by Jepson. It was a mighty effort, but not enough to pull ahead of the Blades.
This game belonged to the Blades, they won this important match-up 9-5.
Congratulations Girls! Keep It Up! You can do this!
