Week 2: Centaurs fall to Auburn and Simsbury
Take away the second period from the Woodstock Academy girls ice hockey team’s game with Auburn, MA. and the first period from their home opener against Simsbury and things would have been really nice for the Centaurs this week.
Unfortunately, the reality was that the Centaurs surrendered three goals to the Rockets in the second period and fell, 4-2, at the Hogan Rink in Massachusetts. The Trojans then scored four goals against the Centaurs in the first period en route to a 5-0 win at the Jahn Ice Rink Saturday.
“That’s the staple of our team,” Woodstock Academy coach Eric Roy said with a shake of his head. “We struggle right out of the gate and then we start chipping away but it’s too deep a hole.”
The losses dropped the Centaurs to 1-3 on the season.
It’s not hard to figure out the early struggles.
Woodstock Academy is young in both age and as a program.
The Centaurs feature only four seniors and with the new cooperative aspect of the program, the chemistry is still a work in progress.
“It’s the toughness and crisper passing,” Roy said when asked what has to improve. “We’re a new team and we don’t really know each other. That should come. The toughness is first and foremost and then the passing.”
Simsbury made it tough on Woodstock Academy early.
Thora Clark worked her way behind the net for Simsbury just 2 ½ minutes into the first period and poked it into the side of the net to give the Trojans the lead.
Just 34 seconds later, Simsbury (1-3) struck again as Tessa Strolis, with help from Clark and Izzy Pringle, scored the second goal for the Trojans.
Clark added her second goal of the game off assists from Pringle and Strolis with 5:29 left in the opening period and Strolis and Clark helped Pringle finish off the four goal period as she tallied with 2:05 to play.
Things did get better.
The Centaurs had some good chances in both the second and third periods, but just could not cash in on some shots in front of the net.
It’s that “dirty” area as Roy terms it, the area in front of the net, that has betrayed the Centaurs both offensively and defensively and that’s where the toughness aspect plays in.
“Defensively, we get focused on the puck and someone sneaks in behind us. Offensively, we focus on the puck and don’t concentrate on the open areas. It’s the hockey IQ I guess,” Roy said.
The Centaurs did debut their new pink jerseys for the game to support cancer awareness programs.
After a scoreless first period, the host Auburn Rockets scored three second period goals and held off the Centaurs, 4-2, in a meeting of former Central Massachusetts Hockey League foes at the Hogan Rink earlier in the week.
Sophia Gouveia and Maci Corradi scored for Woodstock Academy while Mia Williamson added an assist.
It was the fifth goal of the season for Corradi.
While the school begins its holiday break on Wednesday, the girls hockey team keeps on playing.
It’s a flashback week as the Centaurs play Auburn again, this time at the Jahn Ice Rink on Wednesday, and then travel to Springfield, MA. to play Pope Francis, another former Central Massachusetts League opponent.
“I think it will help to not have school. Today’s kids are overwhelmed with school. I get a lot of messages about players not being able to make things because they are so overwhelmed. (The holiday break) should let them clear their mind and let them see what is going on with their hockey game, too,” Roy said.
