Westford Academy Girls’ Hockey won against Winthrop-Lynn on Wednesday, March 2nd, in the preliminary round of the MIAA playoffs. They will now advance to play an away game against Billerica on Saturday night at 7:30.

The team started off strong straight from the puck drop. Senior Alayna Serpa carried the team throughout the period. However, Winthrop-Lynn fought hard against WA’s strong puck movement in the offensive zone and after about 15 minutes of competitive play, the first period ended with a score of 0-0.

The Ghosts came out of the locker room energized and just two minutes into the second period, they found the back of the net to give themselves a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Hannah Keefe used her impressive stick skills to maneuver the puck through the neutral zone and fire the puck right past the Winthrop-Lynn goalie. Keefe seemed to spark a power surge for Westford as juniors Cat Mahana and Colleen Ellis plowed through Winthrop-Lynn defense with a surge of intensity and urgency.

However, this one goal lead was not good enough for the Ghosts. Eager to extend their lead, junior Renee Twogood showed perseverance as she snuck the puck past the unbalanced goalie. The Ghosts entered the locker room at the end of the second period with a 2-0 lead and prepared themselves to end Winthrop-Lynn’s season in the final 15 minutes.

The team showed no sign of letting up as senior Emily Earl and her fellow line mates produced great plays, followed by great chances. Once again, Keefe showed her skill as she used her back hand to almost effortlessly flip the puck right past the unexpecting goalie. Then, Ellis found the back of the net after handling the goalies rebound and left the opponents drained.

The Ghosts ended Winthrop-Lynn’s season with a final score of 4-0 to advance in the playoffs. They need three more wins to get to the final of the MIAA playoffs.