Durand's stands pave Canton High girls hockey's way past Milton, into Div. 2 Elite Eight
CANTON – Bulldogs fans, you can count on Carolyn Durand.
Time and time again, year after year, the senior goaltender has made her presence felt in big spots for the Canton High girls hockey team, to the point the Bulldogs' former coach Dennis Aldrich declared Durand "one of the best to ever wear our uniform" at the end of last season.
So, in a close-out effort in the Division 2 Sweet 16 game against No. 13 Milton Saturday night, Durand stood tall to swat four potential game-tying shots in the final 1:48 to deliver the No. 4 Bulldogs a 3-1 win and, thus, a trip to the Elite Eight to play either No. 5 Algonquin or No. 12 Dedham (date/time TBD).
“I don’t really know what goes through my head, honestly," Durand said with a victorious smile. "I kind of black out. I’m just determined not to let anything in because that’s my one job, to save the puck. Not letting my teammates down, that’s what motivates me. Other than that, I’m focused on the puck and nothing else matters around me.”
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As a junior All-Scholastic, Durand boasted a save percentage of .950 with a 1.00 goals-against average.
“I mean, she’s everything," said Canton's first-year head coach Nikki Petrich, who coached at Austin Prep the past five seasons and played left wing at Northeastern in college. "She’s the strength of our team. Phenomenal. She makes a save when we need her to, and then four more, to keep us in the game.”
KEY PLAYS
Junior forward Lila Spinelli netted the go-ahead goal on a one-on-one breakaway with 9:49 left in the second period on a hit-ahead from junior defenseman Tori Carr to give Canton a 2-1 lead. It was her third goal of the season.
Canton's first goal of the evening came at the 7:18 mark of the opening period, as junior defenseman Devan Spinale tipped a shot in front to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. It was also Spinale's third of the season.
“It’s funny, we didn’t get a lot of goals from our defense all season. And then (the last) two games, our defense has scored. It goes to show how strong they are," Petrich said of the defensemen core. "We ask them to do so much, not only play defense but also score, and to have the six of them in front of (Durand), it’s phenomenal. You don’t really have to do much as a coach.”
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After Durand's final stand, freshman forward Izzy Cusack rushed the other way to cash in on the empty net chance to seal the win with 23 seconds left.
“In that timeout, and even before (Milton's final push), we were just very poised and patient," said Petrich. "(The message was) there’s no need to panic. When we start panicking, that's when we’re falling, losing the puck and flipping it right to the other team.”
Three stars
1: Carolyn Durand – The senior goaltender allowed just one goal, adding to a trend of allowing 1 or fewer in 18 games this season.
2: Lila Spinelli – The junior defenseman scored the go-ahead goal for Canton with 9:49 to go in the second period.
3: Grace Analetto – Milton's junior forward made an impressive move to net the Wildcats' lone goal of the game, a highlight that occurred at the 2:46 mark of the first period to knot the score at 1 apiece.
They said it
Canton's road to a repeat appearance in the state title game lives on – the Bulldogs lost last season's title game to Algonquin – possibly the team's opponent in the next round this year – by a 2-1 score in overtime, and was set to compete in the 2020 state title game before it was canceled due to the pandemic (Canton and Wellesley were declared co-champs).
“It’s been really fun to have such a strong group of girls, but then to be able to coach my style and how I look at the game of ice hockey in just different ways," Petrich said when asked about building upon past success. "I preach to make the hockey play, the smarter play, which is passing the puck and I think you can see that in some of our goals and how we move.”
Saturday's result continues a trend of stifling defense: Canton has surrendered more than two goals in a game just twice this season. Both shutout losses, the Bulldogs allowed 3 to Notre Dame Academy on Dec. 28 and 3 to King Philip at home just one week later, on Jan. 4.
Surrounded by an improved cast of defensemen, Durand is front-and-center of the defensive effort. She has posted six shutouts this year, matching last year's total.
“We have so much confidence in her to make those saves that just come out of nowhere, those parts that we really think it’s a goal and she just makes a miracle save. We’re so thankful to have her,” said senior captain Ellie Bohane. “We try to not put too much trust in her, because we do trust her a lot, but we’ve got to help her out and keep our goals coming on our side.”
In the previous round on Wednesday, Canton defeated No. 29 Westwood, 4-1, a game in which Maya Battista, Audrey Koen, Kayleigh Koen and Abby Stock each scored goals.
“We’ve always been taught in order to generate offense, it starts with the defense: being strong defensively to get it out into the offensive zone. It’s important we all work together," Durand said. "Obviously it’s extra special when the defense gets a goal because it makes them feel good and shows our offense that we have their backs too. It’s another aspect of the team that I really love.”
What's next?
The No. 4 Bulldogs (17-2-4) advance to play the winner of No. 5 Algonquin and No. 12 Dedham (date/time TBD). Canton lost to Algonquin in the state final last season by a 2-1 final in overtime. Milton's season ends in the Sweet 16 with an overall record of 18-2-4.
“The feeling never gets old," Durand said. "We work so hard every time that each experience is different every year. Each game is so different. And with a new group of girls, living through their excitement, it’s just so fun.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Canton High girls hockey defeats Milton to advance to Elite Eight
