The Bulldogs, who reached the Div. 2 state final last season, gave some players time off on Wednesday, but still beat rapidly improving Hockomock League rival Stoughton.
BROCKTON – It’s not quite how it looks – except the part about the Canton High girls hockey team being deep enough to dominate.
The Bulldogs needed some time to establish that on Wednesday night at Asiaf Arena, where a five-goal third period made a 9-0 Hockomock League victory over Stoughton look a little more one-sided than was truly the case.
Not that there was any doubt that the Bulldogs (6-0-2 overall, 4-0-0 in league play) aren’t much different than the team that reached the Div. 2 state final last season before falling to Notre Dame Academy at TD Garden.
Even with all-world goalie Colleen Kelleher taking the night off, and fellow co-captain/first-line winger Marissa Devane retiring because of illness after the first period, Canton had plenty of sources. Eight players scored goals, with junior winger Lauren Fitzpatrick the only Bulldog to score two, and senior forward Katie Halloran (goal, assist) the only other player officially credited with a multiple-point night.
That, for coach Dennis Aldrich, was what was so satisfying.
“I have a bunch of seniors who I absolutely love,” Aldrich said. “Most of the time, they’re watching the other girls play, but they played tonight,” and two of them – Emily Campbell and Carly Hutchinson – scored the first goals of their varsity careers.
Aldrich also showed some love to Kelleher (6-0-1, 0.85 goals-against average, .962 saves percentage this season) for recommending that backup Ava Pacitti get a start. The junior, who had only four minutes of varsity experience before Wednesday, recorded a 12-save shutout.
Both Pacitti and Kelleher had to respect the work done by Brianna Buckley, Stoughton’s sophomore goalie, who faced 43 shots. Buckley made dozens of big saves, and was spared other shots by the tenacious work of a defense corps led by senior co-captain Sarah Widrow and talented freshman Haley Nelson, and kept the Black Knights close until the third period.
“I thought we were frustrating (Canton)” through the first two periods, Stoughton coach Rich Grasso said. “I thought that was a good sign.
“I saw some of the best play from our players that I’ve seen all season. Unfortunately, in the third period, the wheels started to come off.”
Grasso doesn’t see his third-year varsity program being derailed by one tough night, though. After winning only one game over two previous seasons, the Black Knights (0-3 Hockomock League) are 4-6 overall this season.
“Our team has made huge strides,” Grasso said. “I expect us to have a couple of more wins before the season’s over, too.”
Canton, which also got goals from freshmen Ellie Rae Roberts and Maria Femia, sophomore Emma Cunningham and junior Leah McClellan, is likely headed for more than just a couple of more wins, but Aldrich says the Bulldogs won’t get overconfident.
“We want to make sure we keep our knives sharp, so to speak,” he said. “We went really far last year, and we don’t want to forget how we got there.
“And this year, we’re not sneaking up on anyone, like we did last year (when Canton was the No. 16 seed in Div. 2). We’ve got to make sure we’re ready.”