WATERTOWN — Domination from the blue line led Archbishop Williams to a 5-0 victory over Central Catholic League rival Bishop Feehan in the Div. 1 girls hockey quarterfinals at John A. Ryan Arena on Wednesday evening.
It was the third matchup of the year between the two programs, with each team having taken one victory. but with the season on the line, it was the Bishops who showed up with more juice.
“Everyone played their role,” Bishops head coach Doug Nolan said. “No one tried to do too much; they just kept going and stayed relaxed. We can count on every kid out there.”
The Bishops got to work on offense early. After a successful zone entry, sophomore Julie Murphy crashed the net, found the loose puck in traffic and beat Shamrocks goaltender Aviva Olitzky for the game’s opening goal just 1:11 into the contest.
The sides played at a similar pace for the middle portion of the period, with Bishop Feehan gaining some momentum on a power play. However, the Shamrocks would eventually head to the penalty box and Izzy O’Brien made them pay.
The sophomore rushed the puck into the offensive zone, cut toward the middle and ripped a shot that nailed the top corner and extended the lead to two.
This was followed by a continued offensive onslaught by the Bishops and senior Aliya Greenwood added to the advantage with a slap shot in the final minute to send her team to the first intermission with a 3-0 lead.
“Not too often,” Greenwood said of how much she gets to utilize the slap shot. “But when I do, I get a lot of it.”
Archbishop Williams did not take any pressure off in the middle period. The offense continued after the Bishops drew another penalty just 2:20 into the frame and Kendyl Nolan rifled a shot off the post and into the net early in the power play.
“I think one of our biggest strengths is our defense,” Kendyl Nolan said. “It just feels really good to be able to work together, and the great forechecking really helps us back there and creates a strong team.”
The momentum continued with the Bishops outshooting the Shamrocks 10-2 in the frame and adding another tally from Cam Katapodis.
“I think it’s a group effort,” Doug Nolan said. “It’s forwards backchecking and putting pressure on, our ‘D’ playing gaps and trusting our goalie. We have team defense.”
The Shamrocks had a much better third period, outshooting the Bishops 7-5 and testing Bishop goalie Maggie Shea several times. However, the junior was able to weather the storm and keep the shutout.
“She’s such a hard worker and she does so much for this team,” Greenwood said. “We wouldn’t be here without her.”
The Bishops advance to the semifinal round for the first time since moving up to Div. 1 in 2024. A matchup against either Notre Dame Academy of Bishop Stang awaits and Kendyl Nolan likes how her team has come together this season.
“It just feels really special,” Nolan said. “We have had our ups and downs but we stuck together, really bonded and we are working together. The hard work is paying off.”
