Deerfield Hockey traveled to Nobles this evening to take on the defending New England champions. After a good practice on Thursday, we felt that we were ready to play a solid defensive game while using our speed to generate offensive chances. Unfortunately, for the second game in a row, we found ourselves down 3-0 in the first period. However, in an impressive display of grit, resilience, and a team first attitude, we scored three goals of our own late in the first and during the second period to set up an exciting final frame. We got our first goal on the power play, with Christina Halloran ’20 winning a battle in the corner and putting a puck on net. Aurora Devereaux ’20 collected the rebound, and quickly spun around the net and beat the Nobles goalie with a wraparound. Jenna Greenbaum ’17 also earned an assist on the play. Early in the second, Halloran got a goal of her own after Erin DeMarco ’19 got the puck in deep. Halloran walked out from behind the net and was able to slip the puck in. Our third goal was an outstanding team effort, as after impressive puck movement down low, Meghan Halloran ’17 fed the puck in front where both Mae Emerson ’19 and Mary Edmonds ’19 were waiting. Edmonds ended up getting credit for the goal, with Emerson picking up the assist. Though we began to wear down in the third, and were put on our heels by Nobles’s speed, we kept battling in front of goalie Jordan Manning ’19 (24 saves). However, with three minutes to go, a lapse in coverage led to a wide open look for one of the home team’s top players, and she made no mistake in burying the puck. We were able to set up a 6 vs. 5 in the final minutes, but could not convert despite a few opportunities. Though this loss was tough to swallow, the team is proud of the progress we made in 48 short hours. This game demonstrated marked improvement in all three zones, and revealed that we are more than capable of competing with any team in our league. We are excited to get back to work on Monday in preparation for another big test against St. Paul’s next week. Many thanks to the O’Brien family for the pizza, drinks, brownies, cupcakes and scones after the game.