Lady-Rockets come up just short in finals

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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor

It was almost the perfect end to the perfect season for the Needham High School girls varsity hockey team on Sunday afternoon in the state championship game at TD Garden in Boston, but the Rockets came up just short in a 3-1 loss at the hands of No. 3 seed Woburn (21-2-2).

After a 19-0-1 regular season earned them the No. 1 overall seed in the 2017 MIAA Division I State Tournament, the lady-Rockets took down No. 17 seed Weymouth (2-1) in overtime in the first round, followed by a 6-2 drubbing of No. 8 St. Mary’s (Lynn) in the quarterfinals, before a 3-1 victory over No. 4 Reading in the semifinals.

On Sunday, the hockey gods decided to strip Needham of the puck luck that they seemed to possess throughout the entire 2016-2017 season, as the Rockets clang iron twice during the first two periods of their championship contest against the Tanners. The hit pipes came back to bite the lady-Rockets even more late in the game, as despite some incredible work in net by sophomore goaltender Melissa Strauss, Woburn was able to jump out to a 3-0 lead after two periods of play.

The Rockets continued to be on the wrong end of bounces in period three, as senior captain and forward Elizabeth Hernberg rung the post less than three minutes into the final frame. Despite their lack of fortune, Needham continued to attack the Woburn end of the ice with relentless pressure in search of a way to cut into the three-goal deficit and get back into the contest. Hernberg was finally rewarded for her hard work with a goal on a two-on-one with 1:25 remaining in regulation, cutting the deficit to two at 3-1.

However, despite breaking up the shutout, it was too little too late for Needham, as Woburn was able to thwart any more pucks from entering their cage in the final 1:25, holding on for the 3-1 victory and busting Needham’s unbeaten season.

Even with the tough loss on Sunday, it would be naïve not to commend this band of Rockets for their incredible efforts throughout this 2016-2017 season. There are no moral victories in hockey, only wins and losses (and ties), but the accomplishments of this year’s Needham girls hockey team will long be remembered by all those who took part and by those who watched it happen firsthand.

Congratulations to the Needham girls on a fantastic season.