WA Girls’ Hockey lost their first game of the season 3-0 tonight at home against Andover. It was a tough, well fought game for the girls, and they even outshot Andover 31-26.

The game began with strong defensive zone coverage by senior defenseman Rosie Regan who was strong on the forecheck and blocked crucial shots on goal. However, Andover struck first with a goal at 9:04 in the first period and then again about a minute later, giving them a 2-0 lead.

Andover continued to apply strong offensive pressure but WA remained resilient with senior forward Emily Earl firing shots on Andover’s net minder.

As the first period dwindled down, the Ghosts seemed to have found a rhythm that carried over into the second period with junior forward Colleen Ellis and senior captain Alayna Serpa making smart plays and connections in front of the opponents net. Although the power duo could not get the puck to the back of the net, this offensive surge continued.

In fact, junior Renee Twogood nearly deflected the puck out of mid-air for a goal but the puck was gloved by Andover’s goalie. Earl also made a few impressive plays to retrieve possession and increase WA’s offensive zone time.

Ellis and junior Hannah Keefe were strong on WA power plays and had many near misses that nearly put the Ghosts onto the scoreboard. 

WA’s momentum was finally brought to a halt late in the second period with another goal by Andover that put them up 3-0. The Ghosts’ defense worked for the rest of the game to keep the Andover defense at bay.

Senior defenseman Ali Benedict showed strong determination as she strived to maintain puck possession after taking a shot that injured her hand. Sophomore defenseman Kerri Bolivar and senior defenseman Kelly DeMarco also stood out as they won many defensive zone battles and moved the puck through the neutral zone.

As time ran out in the second period, WA went into the locker room both physically and emotionally drained. Though frustrated with the lack of goals, they still refused to throw in the towel.

Sophomore Taylor Pacifico showed her resilience as she worked to prevent turnovers and she didn’t let any Andover players pass by without putting up a defensive fight. Serpa also did not show a sign of backing down as she was strong on the forecheck and played strong on the penalty kill.

As the third period dwindled down WA started to fall on their heels. Andover started to get through the defense, but junior goalie Alyssa Lopez denied all of Andover’s offensive chances.

With just 5:23 to go in the third, WA found themselves on a 5 on 3 man-advantage when Andover was given a tripping penalty followed by a bench penalty when Andover’s coach tried to overturn a call on the ice.

The girls continued to fight. In particular, Ellis who had taken a beating throughout the game but continued to get up and give it her all. Keefe and Earl nearly sparked motivation with just minutes to go in the third when they had several chances to score. However, they came up short as the final buzzer went off handing WA a 3-0 loss.

The Ghosts’ next game is Saturday, January 9th vs Chelmsford. The team is looking to correct their mistakes and maximize intensity for the upcoming games.