‘Brinity’ girls making net gains, advance to semis
The Bishop Brady/Trinity/Bow co-op girls ice hockey team earned its first playoff win as a merged program Friday night and did so in dramatic fashion.
HOOKSETT, NH – The co-op girls high school hockey team of Bishop Brady, Trinity and Bow is no stranger to come-from-behind victories.
Several times this year, in fact, they’ve done just that, including coming back from a four-goal deficit to win, 7-4, against Keene/Monadnock/Fall Mountain in the regular-season opener on Dec. 14.
“They are a third-period team,” said Brinity head coach Dan Earley. “Sometimes I wish they were more of a first period team.”
Friday night, Brinity (14-5), the fourth seed in the Division-I playoff tournament, came from behind again, overcoming a 1-0 second-period deficit to earn a 2-1 victory over fifth-ranked Lebanon/Stevens/Kearsarge (11-7-1).
“Wow. Fantastic,” said Earley. “They wanted it, and they have worked hard all year.”
After a scoreless first period, Brinity fell behind with 12:39 left in the second.
A little more than seven minutes later, junior center Ali Pelletier equalized on a goal assisted by Kaylee Jacques and Meghan Schmidt.
The two teams continued to battle back-and-forth for the remainder of the second period and through most of the third, with much of the game played between the blue lines, but with just under three minutes remaining in the contest, junior forward Audrey Starr was able to find the back of the net to put the hosts ahead.
Junior goalie Lyra Lyon and the Brinity defense then held off a late push from the visitors to seal the victory.
“It’s a long road to get to (state finals host) SNHU (Arena),” said Earley. “This is a whole new season and that was the first game.”
Now, Brinity advances to the state semifinals where it faces top-seeded Oyster River/Portsmouth (16-2) Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Everett Arena in Concord.
“That’s alright, you never know,” said Earley. “There are two teams I think are going to be left, Oyster River and Hanover. Hanover beat us (7-0) the other night, and Oyster River beat us, 9-2 (on Jan. 13).
” But we’ve got some ideas and we’ve got some pretty energized girls, so I think there’s a chance,” he said. “We’re going to practice like there is a chance and then make it happen.”
If they’re to make it happen, Earley said it will be due, in large part, to assistant coach Lauren Trippiedi, a Norwich University grad, with has helping Brinity players elevate their game this season.
“She’s been a great help to me. She’s a technical skater, technical hockey. Everything. So she’s what we needed to get them from both sides,” said Earley. “I yell a lot and she teaches a lot.”