By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Needham High School junior defenseman Maddie Ledbury put on the performance of a lifetime on January 16. In a 5-2 victory against rival Walpole at Babson Skating Center, Ledbury scored all five goals for the Rockets (3-0-0).
Senior forward Charlotte Tolman, junior defenseman Erika Stanton, senior captain and forward Maddie Foster and senior captain and forward Grace Kelley (2) all helped out in Ledbury's historic performance, recording assists on all five goals.
Less than three minutes in, Ledbury unleashed a cannon from the point off a feed from Kelley to put Needham ahead, 1-0. Following an answer by Walpole to tie the game at one, Ledbury came out of the penalty box following a kill by the Rockets and was gifted a stretch pass from Stanton for a breakaway. Ledbury deked to her backhand before moving back to her forehand and depositing the puck home by the left pad of the Walpole goaltender to reclaim the lead for Needham at 2-1. With under 30 seconds to play in the frame, Ledbury wristed home a shot from the top of the left circle off a feed from Kelley to complete the hat trick and give the Rockets a 3-1 lead at the intermission.
Walpole got back to within one at 3-2 in the early minutes of the second period, but Ledbury responded almost immediately, ripping home a wrist shot from the left face-off circle to make it 4-2 with 19:38 to play. Just 1:22 later, Ledbury scored her fifth off a rush up the ice, firing home a wrist shot from the high slot to deliver the dagger as Needham prevailed by a 5-2 final.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as video highlights of games, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram handles @flano0.
