In the final regular season game, girls varsity hockey were led by their eight seniors to a 2-1 victory over Loomis. With the victory, the Big Green earned the #1 seed in the NEPSAC Girls Hockey Patsy Odden (Large School) Championship. With the playoff berth the team etched their season into the Deerfield history books; marking the first time since 2002 that the team has played in the post-season.
Two weeks prior to Saturday’s game, the Pelicans had handily defeated the Big Green. It was a different story in the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with the Big Green prevailing with the win this time.
All members of the Class of 2022 played a huge role in the win: Emma Gurnell opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the game, and Sara Robert assisted the second goal (by Mia Goetzke ’24) and had an outstanding game overall. Jackson Kinsler created lots of offensive opportunities and was excellent on the penalty kill, while Bliss Vernon played her characteristic hard-nosed and tough game in all three zones. Sara Ito-Bagshaw and Grace Dumond were both outstanding on defense: they played smart and aggressive hockey, and set the tone for the younger members of the defense corps. Kelly Howe did all of the little things right, as usual, including a smart play in the final minute that essentially ended Loomis’s comeback bid. Finally, Grace Caligiuri demonstrated what it looks like to learn from challenges and bounce back stronger, backstopping her team with a great performance.
With the #1 seed in the tournament the girls varsity hockey team earned a bye in the opening quarterfinal round and will host #5 Governor’s Academy in the semifinals this Saturday, March 4 at home in the Class of 1993 Rink.
Come out to support the Big Green! If you can’t make it to campus, tune in to the livestream of the game by clicking here.
Congratulations and good luck!!