February
3rd, 2010
Wilmington, MA -- Last weekend the Boston Shamrocks competed
in the JWHL East Division League Weekend in Storrs, CT. With
U.S. National Program scout Ben Smith watching in the stands,
the Shamrocks faced off against NAHA on Saturday morning,
looking to impress with 60 minutes of consistent effort. Backed
by the stellar goaltending of Nia Kelly (Clayton, NC), Boston
held off several NAHA offensive chances. Vanessa Maines (Boxborough,
MA) potted the Shamrocks only goal, as the 5-1 score didn’t
quite reflect the Shamrocks much improved play. Just 3 hours
later the Shamrocks were back on the ice, this time against
the Colorado Selects. Despite the quick turnaround between
games, Boston attacked aggressively from the start and jumped
out to a quick lead on a goal by Vanessa Maines. Colorado
picked up the tempo and scored 4 unanswered goals before Vanessa
Maines lit the lamp again, pulling the Shamrocks within two.
Boston ran out of gas in the third period, as Colorado found
their legs and managed to sneak two more goals past Shamrocks
goalie Maureen Bradley (Swampscott, MA).
Sunday morning Boston faced off bright
and early against the Washington Pride, with Brandee LeClair
(Biddeford, ME) starting in the nets. Washington jumped out
to a quick two-goal lead before Vanessa Maines once again
took charge on offense, scoring two goals to add to her weekend
total. The Pride continued to chip away, and finished with
a 6-2 victory over the Shamrocks. Yet again, Boston was saddled
with a quick turnaround, as they were back on the ice against
NSA 3 hours after the conclusion of their first game. The
short break caught up to the Shamrocks, as NSA was aggressive
from the start and won the majority of loose puck races and
one on one battles.
Shamrocks highlights from the weekend
included Vanessa Maines’ 5-goal outburst over the course
of the weekend, accounting for all of the team’s offensive
output. On defense, Kelsey MacIsaac (Durham, NH) had her best
weekend of the season, making several strong defensive plays.
Being matched against some of the other team’s strongest
forwards, she routinely neutralized their chances playing
a smart physical style of play.
The Shamrocks face off in a scrimmage
against Milton Academy for a quick tune up before heading
to Washington D.C. to compete in the end of season Challenge
Cup Tournament February 12-15.
