HALLOWELL — For the first time in its two-year history as a co-op, the Winslow/Gardiner girls’ hockey team won a playoff game Thursday night by coming away with a 5-2 victory against Brunswick.
The fourth-seeded Black Raiders (12-6-1) scored three third-period goals to beat the fifth-ranked Dragons (7-12) in a North regional quarterfinal at the Camden National Bank Ice Vault.
Last season, Brunswick bounced Winslow from the playoffs in the first round.
Anna Chadwick scored twice in the final period. Julia Hinkley, Bailey Robbins and Gabrielle Hebert added goals for Winslow, which will meet top-ranked Lewiston/Monmouth Academy/Oak Hill in the regional semifinal round Friday.
Winslow killed all four Brunswick power plays and goalie Cassie Demers made 17 saves.
Beth Labbe and Colleen McKearney scored for Brunswick.
Not only did the Raiders limit Brunswick to five shots during even-strength play through the first two periods, but defensemen accounted for their first three goals.
Hinkley tied the game late in the first period and Robbins put Winslow ahead 2-1 with 3:15 remaining in the second. Hebert then scored the eventual winning goal with a drive from the right point through traffic at 3:34 of the final period.
In both cases, Hinkley and Robbins took advantage of turnovers just outside the Brunswick zone to find space and get to the middle of the ice, where they fired wristers past Brunswick’s freshman goalie, Hanna Wentworth (26 saves).
Winslow’s penalty kill went 3 of 3 through two periods, including a stretch of more than four minutes to begin the second period.
Twice the Raiders were down two skaters during the Brunswick advantage, but the Dragons didn’t get a shot on goal across more than half a minute while skating five-on-three.
Winslow’s top line of Evelyn Hinkley, Chadwick and Sarah Stevens had a difficult time finding its way onto the scoresheet, but not a difficult time generating chances in the offensive zone over the first two periods.
Stevens’ partial short-handed breakaway was turned away by a good stick save from Wentworth inside the first two minutes of the second period, and four minutes later Evelyn Hinkley skated by two defenders and deked Wentworth out of her net, only to see her on-ice shot run right across the open goal mouth.
Hinkley’s drop pass for Chadwick forced Wentworth into action again with an athletic pad save at the right post.
Chadwick scored two late goals to clinch the victory, and Evelyn Hinkley picked up an assist on Chadwick’s first goal.
The victory was Winslow’s third of the season over Brunswick. The Raiders beat Brunswick 5-2 and 6-1 during the regular season.
Last season Brunswick eliminated Winslow from the playoffs with a 5-3 victory in the regional quarterfinals.
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