WATERTOWN – Spent and battered, at five feet tall and 90 pounds, Barnstable High senior captain Lindsey Phelan sat and wept in a crumpled heap behind the bench at the John A. Ryan Skating Rink and then, in one last gesture of true leadership, cradled sophomore teammate Meghan Moore in her arms as the final seconds ticked off the game clock.
For the third straight season in the MIAA Division 1 Quarterfinals, the Red Raiders’ season ended on the ice against the Blue & Gold, and not in thrilling fashion.
Barnstable High senior captain Lindsey Phelan consoles her sophomore teammate Meghan Moore after the crushing loss to Acton-Bxobrough for the third straight season.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
Even having killed off numerous penalties in the second period and staved off three separate five-on-three scenarios, Barnstable scratched and clawed its way to a 1-1 tie before the constant whistle-blowing and beleaguered Red Raider girls could take no more.
Barnstable senior defenseman Morgan Richard scored the Red Raiders’ sole goal of the day at the 7:30 mark of the second period, assisted by Amanda Picknick and Callie Rogorzenski.
The true dagger in Barnstable’s heart came when the smallest girl on the ice for either team — #22 Caroline Spalt — was rammed face first into the boards from behind and then sent not back onto the ice but into the penalty box for a 4:00-minute major that disqualified her from the game.
“It’s a shame we had to go out like that,” head coach Peter Nugnes said. “That’s not us. That’s not our game.”
Following the assessment of the major, Acton-Boxborough then went on to score two goals during its 10th power play of the game at 1:59 and 1:04. Senior captain Leah Cardarelli scored what would prove to be the eventual game-winner and Megan Barrett scored at the 1:04 mark to make it 3-1.
All totaled, Barnstable was assessed not one less than 12 penalties on the day, a new Barnstable girls’ ice hockey record.
The Red Raiders were afforded one power play and it lasted for a total of three seconds in the second period. Acton-Boxborough’s Olivia Keefe went to the box at the 12:16 mark of the frame on a 1:30 minor, and at 12:13 Barnstable sophomore forward Moore was assessed, according to the game announcer, a minor for “misconduct.”
Barnstable’s sole moment of celebration came at the 7:30 mark of the 2nd period when Morgan Richard tied it at 1-1. Things went south after that for the Red Raiders. A-B’s Megan Barrett is in the foreground.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
Acton-Boxborough was assessed four penalties in all, but the Red Raiders never truly enjoyed a meaningful 5-on-4 situation and were relegated to playing shorthanded for the vast majority of this postseason affair. Barnstable skated just two lines throughout the game and pulled its goalie — Olivia Sollows — with nearly two minutes remaining in the third period. Cardarelli scored for Acton-Boxborough on an empty net with 1:32 left. Coach Nugnes subbed in an entirely new line for the final 1:32.
“They (Barnstable) played hard tonight. They gave it all they had,” Nugnes said.
Barnstable finished its season at 15-2-4. The loss last night was only the team’s second of the season. Acton-Boxborough (16-3-3) advances to the Division 1 Semifinals against either Arlington Catholic or Duxbury on Sunday, March 8 in Chelmsford.
“The girls played very hard tonight,” Nugnes said.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
