MILTON – Denied on the doorstep, however the rebound was cashed. One-touch go within the impartial zone gave her open ice, nothing to decelerate a snipe. Picked-off turnover within the impartial zone herself for a breakaway, missile banked off the publish for a hat trick.
It was possibly her most significant one but.
Freshman Mia Cataruzolo’s velocity and scoring expertise had been on full show Tuesday night time, pairing these three targets with two extra from fellow freshman Lindsay Butt to anchor No. 6 Milton (19-1-1) in a 5-1 win over No. 4 Duxbury at Ulin Rink – avenging the Wildcats’ solely loss from the Tenney Cup championship recreation in December.
All of the parts that fueled an in any other case 19-game unbeaten season confirmed up in comparison with after they had been lacking the final time these two performed, giving the reigning Div. 2 state finalists a signature win in opposition to one of many stronger groups on this yr’s title race.
“That’s an enormous step for us,” Cataruzolo mentioned. “Coming into this recreation, we had been actually nervous and we simply needed to point out that we’ve grown as a staff all year long. Getting this 5-1 win simply exhibits how a lot we’ve grown.”
Head coach Matt Lodi has an extended checklist of how Cataruzolo impacts video games.
Backchecking potential. Selecting corners on the push. Head up. Sensible pictures. Good passing. Spotlight-reel targets. “Blue collar” targets within the soiled space.
All of these confirmed in opposition to the Dragons, standing out in an in any other case staff effort that helped Milton outshoot Duxbury 26-16 and lead for all however two minutes of play.
“That is clearly an enormous second and an enormous recreation,” Lodi mentioned. “Particular gamers step up in particular moments and that’s what (Cataruzolo) was in a position to do. She works tremendously exhausting for every thing she will get, and that was no totally different.”
A sizzling begin was a key emphasis given how Duxbury managed the tempo and compelled Milton out of its recreation the final time these two confronted off.
Simply 2:01 in, freshman defender Colette Gorham (two assists) arrange Abby Coughlin for a shot off Duxbury’s freshman goalie Brooklyn Metzler (21 saves). Butt cleaned up the rebound for an early 1-0 lead.
Milton’s stretch passes gave it a litany of breakaway probabilities, one among which Metzler stonewalled shortly after permitting the lead. However halfway by way of the primary, Nayeli Thayer (two assists) discovered Cataruzolo for a shot on the proper publish and a 2-0 lead on the rebound after Metzler stuffed the primary bid.
Duxbury responded with Bryn Martin’s objective on a rebound with 17 seconds left within the first for some momentum, however Milton felt nice about its begin.
“Tremendous essential,” Lodi mentioned. “We attempt to emphasize as a gaggle, we speak about it after each recreation, the significance of not solely the primary interval, however the first 5 minutes. … To attain two permits us, with these 17 seconds left within the first interval, (say) ‘Alright, so what, they scored a objective however we nonetheless have the lead.’ ”
It solely took 1:07 into the second for Milton to get that objective proper again. Freshman Elise Hinckle despatched a breakout go to Thayer at heart ice, and he or she tapped a go forward for Cataruzolo to burst behind the protection and wrist in a 3-1 lead on the breakaway.
“We simply needed to maintain the fuel on,” Cataruzolo mentioned. “We simply needed to have the ability to present that we will come again from something and bounce again actually quick.”
Metzler and the Dragons protection held off Milton for some time, however Cataruzolo picked off a foul go simply outdoors Duxbury’s blue line for one more breakaway – which she fired off the within of the best publish for the hat trick with 1:38 left within the second.
Butt completed off the scoring within the third interval, whereas Caera Hart (15 saves) shut out the Dragons over the past half-hour of motion.
“That’s superior,” Cataruzolo mentioned of her hat trick. “I’m tremendous excited. My different freshman, she received two targets. It’s such an enormous time for large targets. It’s simply nice. It’s an important feeling.”
