BIDDEFORD — Four games in five days finally caught up with the Biddeford girls hockey team, which stumbled out of the gates in a 4-1 loss to Falmouth in both team’s regular season finale at Biddeford ice Arena on Saturday afternoon.
A win would have given the Tigers a much-needed extra break, as they would have jumped the Yachtsmen in the MPA Heal Point standings and into second place, giving the Tigers a first-round bye. Instead, Biddeford will host a quarterfinal game on Wednesday.
The Tigers were looking to win their fifth game in a row, and fourth in five days, after beating Cheverus, York and Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete in successive days from Tuesday to Thursday.
“I absolutely think that we were just gassed. Two of those games we were down, we came back, and ended up winning,” said Biddeford head coach Ashley Potvin. “When you’re going hard that many days in a week, that many games, it can definitely take a toll on your body; there’s really no rest time.”
“I think, as a team, we’re all tired,” said senior captain Dalani Roy. “I think it had an effect.”
The opponents in those games got progressively more difficult for the Tigers, capped off by a rematch with the Yachtsmen, who won the first matchup in overtime.
But by the time the puck dropped on Saturday, the Tigers were drained, and it showed. Senior goalie Cassie Ellis, playing in her final regular season game, was pelted with shots from the get-go. But Ellis made spectacular save after spectacular save early on, including stuffing a shot off an odd-man rush 1:30 in and making two saves in as many seconds just over seven minutes in.
“She was amazing, and I was so lucky to have played with her these past four years,” Roy said of Ellis, who made 50 saves. “She came up huge for us.”
“It was tough, but I just kept my head on the game, and just thought of the best,” said Ellis. “Obviously I was tired, but I still was like ”˜I’ve got to do this ”¦ for my team.’”
Ellis denied everything that came her way from close-range for the first 10 minutes, so Falmouth defenseman Martina St. Angelo tried a shot from the point, and finally felled Ellis.
“We always talk about shots from the point, that those are the most dangerous shots, because there’s so much traffic between the puck and the goalie,” said Potvin.
St. Angelo tried the same thing 1:37 later and got the same result: another Yachtsmen goal.
Potvin called a timeout to try to calm her team down, as well as give them a much-needed breather.
The Tigers then got a break on the ice, as they went on their first power play with 2:14 left in the opening period. Then with the puck in the attacking zone, a delayed penalty was called on Falmouth, prompting Potvin to pull Ellis in lieu of an extra attacker. Biddeford mounted a 6-on-4 attack that lasted nearly 30 seconds and was finally able to take some shots at Falmouth goalie Alexandra Hurdman before the Yachtsmen touched the puck up to begin another penalty.
The Tigers then went on a 5-on-3 power play, but the results weren’t as promising. Biddeford failed to create any good chances as the period came to a close, and couldn’t get anything going as it opened the second period still a man-up.
With momentum already in its favor from a two-goal lead and a successful penalty kill, Falmouth then added to that with another St. Angelo goal 3:28 into the middle period. The Yachtsmen created an odd-man rush in transition, with St. Angelo carrying the puck up the right side. She spun Biddeford defenseman Mallory Mourmouras around, then snapped a shot from the right circle that snuck inside the left post past Ellis.
Camden Carrier made it 4-0 for Falmouth with less than five minutes to go in the period, as she also snuck a shot into the left side of the goal.
There was no comeback for the Tigers in the third period, but they were able to find some momentum to carry into the postseason, as they held the Yachtsmen scoreless in the frame.
“Between the second and third, all I kept saying to them (was) ”¦ ”˜let’s look forward, and let’s win this period right here in front of us,’” said Potvin.
Cassidy Petit ended the shutout with a power play goal 6:20 into the period. She collected the puck off a face-off won by Brea Rivard then snapped a shot toward the goal the beat Hurdman.
“You always want to end on a good note after a long week, and I think that we did that well in the third period,” said Roy. “We put a puck in the back of the net, had some good pressure, good looks on the power play. That’s something you always want to end on.”
Emotions began to boil over as the minutes winded down, but the Yachtsmen were able to seal the victory and a first-round bye.
Biddeford, which will get three days off ”“ an eternity after ending the season with four games in the final week ”“ before hosting Gorham/Bonny Eagle on Wednesday.
“We definitely need to rest,” said Potvin. “This week, as well, is going to be mentally tough.”
— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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