Banners for the seniors at the LoConte Memorial Rink. Photo by Carolina Cuevas.
The Medford/ Malden Girls ice hockey team hosted their Senior Night, which was also their last home game, on February 14th, Valentines Day. The game started at 5pm at the LoConte Memorial Rink where the team prepared to face their opponents from Bishop Fenwick High (Peabody).
Not even a minute into the game, freshman Elizabeth Lazzaro (#18) scores the first point of the game for the Medford/Malden team. During the first half of the period, the Mustangs kept the puck near their net. But the rest of period was back and forth. With three minutes and twenty seconds left in the period, junior Abigail Vigliotte (#8) scores the second point for the Mustangs. But with forty seconds left in the period, Bishop Fenwick’s #15 scores their first goal. The period ends with the score 2-1.
The second period consisted of two of the guests sent to the penalty box as well as Mustangs sophomore Bianca Sasso (#13). And with the last thirty seconds of the game, Bishop Fenwick scores again ending the period with 2-2. Many of the players from each side fell during this game.
Ten minutes into the last period, junior Caitlin Sheehey (#17) is sent to the penalty box. The period goes on with the back and forth of the puck. But not until a minute and eighteen seconds left on the buzzer, junior Brenna Forbes scores another point for the home team. And with fifteen seconds left. Forbes scores again. Thus ending the game with the score 4-2.
The team consists of three seniors, Julia Shanahan (#3), Summer Tufts (#11) and Mamie Powers (#12). All of which go to Medford high.
Malden freshman player Alaina Giuliano said, “Playing with the seniors is fun because they teach [them] a lot and they’re really helpful”. Sarah Whitehouse, another freshman team member said that “We love all of them a lot…and it’s really good when you have older hockey players that are more experienced and know how to play well [because] you can look up to them and they can teach you how to play well”. She added, that “it’s just a fun experience to be with the older kids.”
The two described Tufts as funny and said that she tends to dance in the locker room a lot. Tuft is also the laid back one that plays the music and is really easy to talk to. Whitehouse also said that Powers, another senior on the team, “is always there for you if you need anything. Giuliano said “She’s really helpful with all drills if you don’t understand them. And the same with [Shanahan]”. And Whitehouse added that “[Powers] does really well in school. [She is] the scholar. She’s really focused on a lot and all the captains are.”
