Published in the Boston Globe on Feb. 27, 2013
The seniors on the Fontbonne hockey team won the girls’ Division 2 state title as freshmen, and after not making it to the tournament last year, Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Milton in the preliminary round granted them a chance to repeat.
“The girls are excited, I’m excited. I’m probably more nervous than they are,” said coach Bob Huxley, whose Ducks are 12-7-2.
Behind a play from the Ducks’ top scoring line of junior Shannon McIsaac, senior McKenna Russell, and freshman Katie Nolan, they broke a 1-1 tie with three minutes left in regulation at Shea Rink.
McIsaac and Russell teamed up on the forecheck, and sent the puck to Nolan waiting on the post to knock home the winner.
“Great team effort by the three of them together,” Huxley said.
Huxley doesn’t number his lines, but identifies with colors — gray, red, white, and gold — and the trio make up his gray line.
“[It] gives all the girls a better feeling about themselves and the team,” he said. “They are a color rather than a number.”
After the Ducks broke the tie, Milton attempted to match the pressure by pulling its goalie for an extra forward.
With the Wildcats attacking freshman goalie Jessica Olibieri (19 saves), the gray line again made its presence known as Nolan scored her second goal of the night. She picked up a rebound and one-timed it into the empty net with :03 left on the clock to advance to the first round.