Marshfield women’s hockey takes just-in-time victory

The season for the Marshfield High women’s hockey team has not gone as planned.

Due to close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, the Rams have suspended their preseason work for 10 days. This break ended last Thursday (December 31), just three days before the start of the season.

But Sunday, for 10 seconds, everything went as planned.

The coach wrote a good play.

Players executed to perfection.

A moment of jubilation follows.

Playing their first game of the season, Marshfield was tied 2-2 with Cohasset / Hanover at Hobomock Arena with 10 seconds left and a face-off looming for the Rams’ side of the neutral zone. Senior captain Maddie Mosca won the draw, and Josie Keeler took possession of the ball and sent the puck into the attacking zone. Junior Heather DeGust found herself with the puck and fed Mosca, who scored the game-winning goal in no time, with 0.4 seconds left.

“It was pure bliss,” said Marshfield coach Elizabeth Cohen.

“It was so nice, even with everything that happened, at that point we still had hockey,” Mosca said.

This summit ended up being short-lived. Later that night, Marshfield Superintendent Jeff Granatino sent an email stating that the school was becoming completely remote for at least two weeks, shutting down all Rams sports during the same period, due to 32 new positive cases in town since Christmas.

“We had about five hours to relive the moment and enjoy the victory,” Cohen said. “Then we found out that we weren’t going to be playing hockey for two weeks.

“It was a big punch for everyone.”

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After Sunday’s thrilling victory, Marshfield will return to video meetings and home training, something the team have become all too familiar with.

Before Sunday’s contest, the odds were against the Rams. Marshfield, who won just two games last year, had only hosted about six ice practices, only two of which were in the past two weeks. Marshfield only skated 14 players and a goalie (with no save option).

“I expected that I would be very tired because I knew we were only playing on two lines,” Mosca said with a laugh.

“I think we’re all just happy to be on the ice, period,” Cohen said.

Cohen said during practice on Saturday at 7:20 a.m. the team was performing better.

“Believe me, girls don’t like to wake up so early, especially on the weekends,” Cohen said. “They were super happy to be there and really energized just to get ready for the game. I think our motto is just “Bring it”. What else are you going to throw at us? We can take it in stride.

Against Cohasset / Hanover, Marshfield got off to a good start and took a 1-0 shorthanded lead. Mosca and Keeler led a powerful penalty effort, which Cohen said more like a power play, before Mosca pocketed one with a player down. Cohasset / Hanover’s Meredith DeCoste and Caitlin Fortuna responded with a pair of goals 44 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead early in the second period, but Keeler equalized minutes later.

Despite a nearly 2-1 lead in shots, it looked like the Rams would come away with a tie. That is, until that last second scramble on the ice leads to Mosca’s heroism.

“The nerves were a little high because there were only 10 seconds left,” said Mosca, who plays club hockey year round with the Militia. “We just wanted to hold on for these final moments. Once we got into their area, (I thought) “Maybe there’s a chance we can finish this,” and we did. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my teammates. It was great, such a beautiful feeling.

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DeGust, who is on the forwards and defenders roster, made a decisive push to secure the assist on the winner from Mosca.

“The fact that she has the intelligence to crush that net instead of hanging onto the blue line with 10 seconds to go is really a testament to her hockey sense and her drive,” said DeGust’s Cohen.

Now Mosca and her teammates will have to wait for the season to resume. The older child got used to not being on the ice. From March to the end of June, she was unable to play hockey at all due to COVID-19. His club season ended when all Massachusetts hockey rinks were closed for two weeks starting October 23.

“It’s been a long time for me,” said Mosca, who started playing hockey 11 years ago. “It was a good break. It really made me appreciate it even more and made me realize how much I love her. Once I was able to return I enjoyed it all the more.

In Sunday’s victory, sophomore McKenna Dans performed well, making 18 saves. Last year, she made her first goalie and jumped into college hockey fire.

“She’s our rock star,” Cohen said.

Along with Mosca, Emma Kennedy and Maddie Ames are the other captains.

“Emma is our guide,” Cohen said. “She’s our defensive backbone and really calms things down when it’s chaotic. She is very intelligent. … She always has a smile on her face.

“(Ames) is fiery and passionate. She loves ice hockey. Her mentality of leading by example is really what brings her leadership into the team.”

Junior Hannah Cochran and sophomore Maija Kastrud are two players who have evolved during their college careers. On Sunday, Cochran performed well as a Marshfield second-row center. She has played wing and defense in the past. Kastrud, who played defense last season and is now a forward, was a part of all Rams special teams units.

Freshmen Arianna Altobella and Addison Brown also performed well on their college debut. Another threat that will move on the ice is Amanda Leone, a sophomore student.

Sinead Doyle, Ava Souretis, and Maegan Condon make up the remainder of a strong first-grade class.

Junior Izzy White will miss the season as he recovers from injury. Kara Wright and Erin Dooley, two juniors playing their second year of hockey, improved quickly.

While the season for the giveaways is over, the Rams have a short wishlist for the rest of the year.

“We just want development and fun,” Cohen said. “Something that is not online. ”