Framingham girls hockey beats D-S-Hopkinton in first game back since latest COVID-19 pause

MARLBOROUGH — Despite not having a season last year, the Framingham girls hockey team is off to a solid start, even with the unpredictable nature of a stop-and-go season due to COVID-19.

"We haven't had a chance to build momentum yet this year," Framingham coach Casey Diana said. "We played two games, got shut down. Played two games, got shut down. We play two more games, we got shut down. So it's difficult to build momentum but we are hoping to get a couple of more games in and hopefully we won't get shut down again."

Despite all the stoppages so far this season, the Flyers are 3-1-1 and have not lost in the last three games following their 5-2 victory over Dover-Sherborn/Hopkinton Saturday afternoon at the New England Sports Center.

"I think it was pretty obvious that we had just been shut down for a week," Diana said. "We only got one practice in before (Saturday). It was definitely a lot uglier than we have played in the past but at the end of the day the kids went out and grinded it out and scored goals when we needed them to."

A short-handed Raiders (1-8) team held its own against Framingham, despite only having 10 skaters and a first-time goaltender.

"I think it speaks volumes about the character of the kids in that locker room," D-S/Hopkinton coach Nick Grout said. "They didn't quit at all (today). To skate over 50% of the game for most of them, that's tough to do."

Hopkinton senior Morgan Fraser made 26 saves on 30 shots faced in her first career game in goal.

"I reached out to her earlier in the week if she could put on pads," Grout said. "She put on pads Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, so she got four days of practice in which was good. She came in with the right attitude, was positive, ready to work hard and try it.

"That's a big ask at the high school level, one because of the competition but two, play a position with your peers expecting so much out of you," Grout added. "Again, it really speaks to her character. She didn't ask questions, she just said 'yes I'll do it.'"

Fraser was the fourth goaltender used by Hopkinton so far this season.

"It's been a rough year," Grout said. "It's tough for the kids not knowing what position they are going to play. One week they are playing on the wing, the next week they are jumping in at center."

It's been a difficult year so far for Grout and the Raiders, between injuries and COVID-19 outbreaks. Grout has only had one practice with his entire team present.

On the flip side, Framingham has benefited from strong goaltending, notably from junior Mikal Franklin, who came into Saturday's game with a .955 save percentage.

"Mikal has been a rock for us since her freshman year," Diana said. "She played in every single game and made over 500 saves that year as a freshman, which is huge. Obviously didn't have last year as a sophomore but she came in ready as a junior, has played big in the three games she's played for us."

The Flyers also have a freshman goaltender, Liz Luong, who has split time with Franklin. That goalie competition is what Franklin believes has helped her take her game to the next level this season.

"It's really great having another goalie so we can push each other in practice," said Franklin, who saved 28 of 30 shots on Saturday. "I learn a lot of things from her and I think that now that the team is building up, I think it just motivates everyone."

As for the game, it was much different than the first meeting this year in which Framingham came away with an 8-1 win on Dec. 9.

Flyers senior captain Logan Steele got the scoring started with 6:38 remaining in the first period. The Raiders then tied it up just over two minutes later on a goal from junior Bianca Musgrave. Framingham then took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission after a Sophia Tersoni goal with 3:11 remaining in the first stanza.

Both teams traded goals in the second period. Zoe Yale scored for Framingham off of an assist from Steele (2 points) and junior defenseman Kaley Merkle scored on a wrister on a breakaway to make it a 3-2 game heading into the final period.

Mason Puumala, who assisted on Tersoni's goal in the first period, gave the Flyers some insurance with a goal of her own less than a minute into the third period before Amber Welch finished the scoring with an empty-netter with 19 seconds to play in the game.

Despite the loss for D-S/Hopkinton, the Raiders feel like they are heading in the right direction.

"It's a night-and-day difference," Grout said. "Positionally better, effort better, skating through plays has improved, we are seeing more shots on goal. ... They show up everyday ready to work."

Ethan Winter is a senior multimedia sports journalist at the Daily News. He can be reached at ewinter@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @EWints.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham Flyers girls hockey beats Hopkinton Dover-Sherborn co-op