Week 9: 4-game week comes to close for Centaurs
It was not the best of time to catch the Avon/Southington Cooperative team.
This season, there really is not a good time to meet the Nighthawks who now possess a 13-1 record.
But it was especially difficult when it was the last game in a four-game week for the Woodstock Academy girls hockey team.
The Centaurs hung in early but lost to Avon/Southington, 5-1, Saturday at the Jahn Ice Rink at Pomfret School.
Woodstock Academy scored the first goal of the game as Maci Corradi was able to poke the puck into the net just 6 minutes, 34 seconds into the game.
It was one of only two shots that the Centaurs were able to get at Nighthawks goalie Sophia Ojala in the opening period.
“That was just plain hard work,” said Centaurs assistant coach Jeff Boshka. “We knew we probably weren’t going to get many chances and when we did, we had to take advantage of them and that’s what she did.”
It was the 13th goal of the season for the freshman who had help from Riley Faber and Ellary Sampson.
But Avon/Southington tied the game 3 ½ minutes later on a Destiny McKinley goal.
It was the only shot that eluded senior goalie Elizabeth Morgis who had 20 saves in the first period alone and finished with 45.
“She never ceases to amaze me. She is an amazing person. The way she has stepped up this year and in this game,” Boshka said.
Eventually, the Avon/Southington pressure caught up to Morgis and the Woodstock Academy defense.
Isabella Bonfiglio scored twice and Nicole Partridge added a goal and two assists in a three-goal second period for the Nighthawks.
“We were stemming the tide, but we knew that was coming. They’re not just shooters, they’re sharpshooters,” Boshka said.
Avon/Southington added another goal in the third period to account for the final.
The Centaurs celebrated Senior Night on Friday at the Jahn Ice Rink but could not celebrate a victory as well as they lost to Daniel Hand, 4-2.
Prior to Friday night's game, the Centaurs honored their four seniors; Co-captains Bryn Miller and Keynila Hochard and fellow seniors Caitlyn Flynn and Morgis.
“It was a special night for some great kids. The younger players read a tribute to each of them, tears were shed, smiles and hugs were given and it was just a wonderful night. They’re a great group, great leaders,” Boshka said.
Sampson scored her third goal in three games in the first period to get the Centaurs on the board early.
The first period ended in a 1-all tie but Daniel Hand sophomore forward Cora Buzzard took over the rest of the way.
She scored two goals in the second period and completed the hat trick with the only goal of the third period to keep the Tigers out in front.
Woodstock Academy did counter with a late second period goal as Paige Hunckley, off assists from Sampson and Mia Williamson, tallied with 11 seconds to play in the second.
After not playing in nine days, the Centaurs opened the week by scoring a pair of victories over the Fairfield Co-Op team.
They did so on the road on Monday at the Sacred Heart University Rink where they downed Fairfield, 2-1.
It was much easier on Wednesday as Woodstock Academy liked the home cooking at the Jahn Ice Rink at Pomfret School and scored a 6-0 victory.
The Centaurs got all of their goals in the bookend periods.
Three goals came within four minutes in the first.
Flynn got things started off an assist from Williamson to make it 1-0 just 8 minutes, 24 seconds into the game.
Corradi followed a few minutes later with help from Flynn and Williamson and Sampson, who had scored her first career goal on Monday, finished off the first period scoring with just under three minutes left off an assist from Allison Griswold.
After a scoreless second period, the Centaurs came back just as strong in the third.
Corradi scored her second goal of the game three minutes into the period with help from Flynn.
Sophia Gouveia tallied off assists from Sampson and Juliette Hammer four minutes later and Williamson took a pace from Corradi to finish off the scoring with 6 ½ minutes to play.
On Monday, Hochard knocked home the game-winner for the Centaurs with just over seven minutes to play off an assist from Hammer to make the long ride to the southwest portion of the state worth it.
Hochard was also involved in Woodstock Academy's first goal as she and Gouveia both assisted on the first career goal for Sampson in the first period.
The Centaurs generally outplayed their hosts as they outshot Fairfield, 35-13.
The defense also stepped up as it killed off a pair of 5-on-3 penalty opportunities for Fairfield.
