On the road to the North Country!

The girls JV took a road trip this afternoon, up to Holderness to skate on their mostly outdoor rink. There’s a roof, but there aren’t four full walls, so on a cold day, the ice is great. Today’s tilt was fun, a back and forth game, in which both teams worked hard, played well, and had loads of opportunities. The first period ended with Groton up 3-1, but a quick stretch in the second period saw a fiery Holderness squad score five. Groton regained their footing and eventually scored four more. In the third period, the score was tied 7-7 for quite a while, until Groton scored two. Once again, the music at whistles provided fun energy for a group of girls who have begun to suggest that they think hockey games are dance parties! To Groton’s surprise, Holderness pulled their goalie at the end of the game (“They can DO that??!”).

The nine Groton goals were netted by three players; Lauren Ash, Hazel Beastrom, and Julia Ehrgott each scored a hat trick. The coaches continue to see growth and improvement in each of the players, whether with passing, skating, rushing the net, back-checking, especially from those girls for whom this game requires a very different set of skills in terms of what’s on their feet (skates not sneakers or cleats), what’s in their hands (an odd kind of stick), what they are wearing (a lot of pads), and where they are playing (on ice, in the cold). The final game of the season (already!) is next Wednesday, at home, against Middlesex.