The MIAA championships always mark one of the most exciting days on the local sports calendar.
There's so much pride on the line. Family, friends and classmates are living and dying with every shot. Marathon overtimes are to be expected. The crowd noise reaches decibel levels that rival any other event at TD Garden.
This year did not disappoint.
No. 1 Hingham took home the Division 1 girls crown with a 5-2 win over No. 15 Bishop Stang. It was the Harborwomen's third title and first since 2011. Meanwhile, in Division 2, it was No. 13 Medfield winning their first state title with a 3-0 shutout over No. 6 Milton in the nightcap.
Let’s dive into five unforgettable moments from the MIAA girls championships. Evan Marinofsky and I will have you covered for the boys games later this week.
1. Caroline Doherty's hat trick seals Hingham's title
Doherty's fingerprints were all over Hingham's title, naturally. The star senior posted a natural hat trick to power the Harborwomen to their first title since 2011 and third all-time. You just knew she'd find a way to leave her imprint on the game, and she did. It was a fitting end to the Holy Cross commit's decorated career as she finished with 152 career goals and 234 points, the Harborwomen's all-time leading scorer.
CHAMPS: Hingham overpowers Bishop Stang in D1 | Medfield shuts out Milton in D2
Doherty scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway early in the second, before burying her second shortly after with a seeing-eye wrister on the power play. She capped it off with a slick goal, deking a defender in the corner, driving to the front of the net and going short-side to make it 4-1. Doherty skated toward the fan section to celebrate in front of family and friends, dropping to a knee and doing a Superman celly to showcase the name on the front of her jersey, Hingham. It was bedlam. Addy Garrity tacked on another late, and the celebration was on.
2. Maeve Kelly sets the tone for Medfield
The Warriors were opportunistic throughout the game in their upset over Milton. They forced turnovers, won races and capitalized on the Wildcats' mistakes. There was no better display of that than when senior captain Maeve Kelly got Medfield on the board just over one minute into the game. Kelly forced a turnover out high in the offensive zone, stealing the puck and driving back into middle ice. She danced around a defender and into the slot, putting a good, low wrister on net. Milton freshman Caera Hart made the first stop, but Kelly stuck with it as the rebound popped right to her. She buried it for crucial early momentum and the eventual game-winning goal.
GIRLS BRACKETS:Â Division 1Â |Â Division 2
3. Medfield completes their Cinderella run
Nobody in Division 2 faced a tougher road than Medfield. The Warriors had to beat No. 4 Algonquin, No. 5 Burlington, No. 1 Westwood and No. 6 Milton to take the title. It was only fitting for them to complete the magical run to deliver the program's first championship on their first try. The Warriors got critical insurance in the second when junior forward Genna McDonald buried a wrister on a 2-on-1 with senior captain Brooke Reilly. It was a major blow to Milton, who had dictated the pace and scoring chances for much of the game.
The knockout punch came in the closing moments when freshman forward Anne Flippo put the finishing touches on a clutch postseason run, hustling to pot the empty-netter for the final blow. The Warriors rewarded their friends, family and classmates who stayed late at TD Garden after the Medfield boys fell in the D3 boys championship the game prior. The remaining fans made themselves heard.
4. Bishop Stang opens the scoring against Hingham
The Spartans got the start they needed. While Hingham dictated a lot of the pressure early, Bishop Stang weathered the storm. Freshman goalie Vivienne Melo came up with key saves, and the Spartans were opportunistic at the other end. They created some chaos and frantic moments around Hingham's crease, and sophomore forward Isa Rioux cashed in on the power play. It was a great play by Olivia Medeiros to dish the rebound to Rioux, who had all day on the wide-open goal. The crowd popped, and Stang had the critical first goal to plant doubt in Hingham's mind. For a few moments, the path to the upset was there. Hingham simply got to its game and overpowered the Spartans.
BOYS BRACKETS:Â Division 1Â |Â Division 2Â |Â Division 3Â |Â Division 4
5. Izzi Puleo stones Kacey Curran in a key spot for Hingham
Stang had a chance to get back into it, down 3-1 on an early third-period power play. Curran, one of their most dangerous players, walked into the offensive zone and dangled a defender to get a clear look on net between the dots. Puleo got out to the top of her crease and gave her nothing, kicking the heavy wrister out with her pad. It was one of Puleo's best stops of the game, and it came in a key spot. It was critical to the Harborwomen keeping the Spartans at bay before pulling away late.
