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caption, page 7:
Waiting
Woodstock Academy defenseman Jade Hill awaits the puck in a game against Smithfield last week. Photo by Julia Budd/The Woodstock Academy)
Two new
opponents
score wins
Woodstock Academy had a chance to tie against Smithfield, R.I., early last week.
But an empty-net goal with 55 seconds left in the game guaranteed the Sentinels’ cooperative program a 4-2 victory over the Centaurs.
The home game with Smithfield was also the Senior Day event for the Centaurs who honored senior players Marie Gravier, Chelsea Willis and Linda St. Laurent prior to the puck being dropped.
“We knew that (Smithfield) played Warwick, R.I., and beat them, 6-0, and we beat Warwick (twice, 2-1 and 1-0). It comes down to shooting, though. We took a lot of shots against Warwick, but they were going right at their goalie. Smithfield, meanwhile, has three players who are very good skaters, shooters and puck handlers,” said Woodstock Academy coach Jeff Boshka.
Still, the Centaurs (3-4-2) took the early lead in the non-league game with the Sentinels.
Eighth-grader Julianna Buoniconti scored the first goal just under three minutes into the contest off assists from Ivy Dowdle and Grace Pokorny.
“It was fantastic, a well-executed play, with a nice pass and a great shot into the top corner,” Boshka said.
It was the second goal of the season for the youngster.
“We are so pleased with her. It’s like, ‘Wow, she’s only in eighth grade.’ We’re excited about that,” Boshka said.
Ava Pomposelli tied the game for the Smithfield/Coventry, R.I./Moses Brown cooperative program 2 ½ minutes later.
The tie remained for much of the second period until Pomposelli broke it 12:16 into the period.
The freshman then put the Sentinels up, 3-1, with another goal just 14 seconds later.
“(Pomposelli) just handled the puck really well,” Boshka said.
But the Centaurs didn’t give up.
Sophomore Sydney Haskins brought Woodstock Academy back within a goal when she took a pass from Eliza Dutson and put it into the net for her first goal of the season.
The goal came with 5 ½ minutes to play and the Centaurs eventually had to pull their goalie, Gravier (37 saves), to try and get the equalizer.
“We had the pressure on them with the 6-on-5 advantage, had some good opportunities and just couldn’t keep it in our zone,” Boshka said.
Pomposelli, who else, pounced on the puck and scored her fourth goal of the game into the unprotected net to seal the win for the Sentinels.
It was the second straight loss for the Centaurs who fell to St. Peter-Marian four days before, 5-0, at the Worcester Ice Center.
“They were good, not exceptionally good, we skated with them and hung with them,” Boshka said of the Centaurs’ Worcester-based opponents. “We let in a couple of soft goals that Marie probably wishes she had back. I think it could have been a 3-0 game. One thing we have to get better at is shooting, shooting to the open spots and making the goalie move.”
The Senior Day occurred because the Centaurs have only one home game remaining with Shrewsbury on Feb. 6.
Gravier and Willis both have played all four years for the girls’ hockey team.
St. Laurent is a first-year player.
The Centaurs still have four games on the road — three are the second matchups with their fellow Central Massachusetts League teams, Auburn, Oakmont Regional and Leominster.
“I think we’re excited to play them again and those will be pretty good battles,” Boshka said.
The Centaurs downed Auburn, 4-3, and tied both Oakmont (1-1) and Leominster (2-2) meaning they still have a chance for the Division B Central Massachusetts League title.
“It’s going to be close. We’re all hovering around the same record,” Boshka said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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