Duxbury High girls hockey scores statement win over Archies in showdown of unbeatens

CANTON – The No. 1 and 2 teams in the latest update of the MIAA's Division 2 power rankings, also 1-2 in our own Top 10 list, the Duxbury and Archbishop Williams girls hockey teams eagerly awaited Saturday's showdown.

Both undefeated (with one tie) coming into play, each team had only relinquished more than one goal to an opponent in a game just once. Despite exhibiting similar dominance through a major chunk of the regular season, only one team's unbeaten tour could live on.

And Duxbury is the team to exhale, thanks to a 4-1 win over the Bishops at Canton Sportsplex.

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The Dragons (15-0-1) are the last undefeated team in Division 2, joining Winthrop (13-0, Division 1) on the shortlist of remaining unbeatens in the state. Duxbury head coach Dan Najarian acknowledged the stakes and hype surrounding Saturday's No. 1-2 matchup.

“I look at all of it. I’m a girls high school hockey junkie. I read everything you guys write," Najarian told reporters with a grin postgame. "I use some of it for motivation."

“(The game) was circled on the calendar. Both teams were on the same trajectory and one game doesn’t make a season or break a season unless it's the last game of the season," added Najarian. "Something tells me (Archbishop Williams, 11-1-1) will be hanging around a while: they’ve got a real good hockey team, really well coached. They compete. They battle.”

Sophomore forwards Madeleine Greenwood and Megan Carney combined for four goals (two apiece) in the win, as Greenwood got the scoring started by following up on a blast from senior McKenna Colella to gift Duxbury a 1-0 lead with 2:25 in the first period.

The Duxbury first line – Carney, Greenwood and Maeve Gallagher (sophomore) the forwards – were all underclassmen, as junior Reese Porter was out. Their production was reinforced by senior defensemen Colela and Lily McGoldrick, anchored by junior goaltender Anna Mcginty on the other end.

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“Our top three lines are really interchangeable," Greenwood said. "We’re all just so talented and our three lines work super well together. It honestly doesn’t even matter the age range. Our coaches help us, and the skill we have, we just go out and execute.”

Carney scored the Dragons' next two goals – one a power-play score that trickled in, heavily contested on Archies' doorstep to provide a 2-0 lead at the 9:00 mark of the second period; the next, again from right in front, just moments after the Bishops came within one with 7:32 to go in the third period.

“I was just super excited coming into the game. I knew they were a good team – both (of us) undefeated – so I had to give it my all," Carney said. "They were being a little pushy out there, so the only way to come back from that is to try to score goals and get the win.”

Carney's second goal was in response to a highlight-worthy maneuver by Archbishop Williams standout Caroline Batchelder, of Braintree, who weaved through a traffic jam of Duxbury defenders to drill an impressive back-handed goal.

How important was it to answer with a goal of your own, Megan Carney?

“When they score, it makes us want to work even harder and get more goals," Carney said. "It motivates us to do even better than before.”

“Every single player contributes. We’ve got six or seven deep back there, four lines that I use throughout the game and I think it shows in the third period with our depth and speed," Najarian said. "We’re a very fast team up front. When we want to skate, it’s very tough to keep up with us.”

Including Saturday, Duxbury has only granted opponents 10 goals this season with Mcginty front-and-center of the shining total of eight shutouts.

"I mean, the kid is unbelievable," Najarian raved The kid’s a winner. She comes to games like this ready to go, with a different look in her eye. She’s a fantastic kid.”

The Dragons rattled off 12 consecutive outright victories before tying local rival Hingham, 1-1, two games ago on Jan. 28. One of the most riveting finishes of the season came against Notre Dame Academy, a 4-3 final, as Duxbury fell behind 3-0 and completed the comeback bid to preserve its unbeaten run.

Saturday's win is another one to remember, and build upon, come tournament time.

“It means so much," Greenwood said. "This is a team we knew was also undefeated with only one tie, like us. This was really to prove that we’re not just a team that’s playing easier teams. ... To beat them, it ensures that this is what we’ve worked for. We knew this was a big game coming for weeks. We’ve been prepping for this game.”

“We’ve had a great season so far," Najarian agreed. "I think like my girls felt a little under appreciated coming into this one and they put together probably the best game of the season for it.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Duxbury High girls hockey defeats Archies in battle of unbeatens