BOSTON — There are two new champions in MIAA girls hockey.
To start the day, Duxbury overpowered Canton, 5-2, to snag the Division 2 title. Later on, Shrewsbury shocked the MIAA world, upsetting No. 1 St. Mary's, 4-1, stifling the Spartans offensively en route to winning the Division 1 championship.
Thriving at TD Garden in a state final game is impressive and the players listed below did their best to do that.
Let's dive into the standout players from Sunday's action.
Madeleine Greenwood
Duxbury, sophomore, forward
Greenwood was her regular, impactful self on Sunday. Her slapshot goal from the point to open the scoring was really nice, as she labeled a bullet past Canton goalie Carolyn Durand. Then, in the second period, she tipped a shot from defender McKenna Colella past Durand for her second of the game. She drove the net hard, like in the third period when her rush had her run into Durand, leaving a rebound for forward Parker Metzler to deposit the goal. Greenwood drove play and showed why she was head coach Dan Najarian's leading goal scorer this season.
McKenna Colella
Duxbury, senior, defenderÂ
Colella was Duxbury's primary puck-mover on defense, and she showed that quite a bit against Canton. She scored off the rush late in the first period, when she blew past Canton's defense and tucked one through the legs of Durand. She also had a really nice rush to open the second period, as she dangled through Canton's defense, but her shot went over the net. It was a terrific day from the senior.
Anna McGinty
Duxbury, junior, goalieÂ
McGinty didn't see much action in the first period, but Canton pressed hard in the second period and McGinty stood up to the attack, positioning herself well in the net and being a stable presence for her team. She finished the game with 10 saves on 12 shots.
Marisa Montoya
Shrewsbury, junior, goalieÂ
Montoya picked the perfect day to bring her best. She stopped 15 of the 16 shots St. Mary's sent her way. St. Mary's brought a ton of pressure early in the first period and Montoya was flawless in turning away each chance. At the start of the third period, she denied St. Mary's star Jenna Chaplain on a high-danger chance. Yes, the defense in front of her was great, but Montoya's ability to follow the play and her athleticism made the difference.
Maddie Mrva
Shrewsbury, senior, defenseÂ
Shrewsbury's defense was its biggest strength on Sunday and Mrva was a massive part of that. In her own end, she negated scoring chances and avoided pressure well on breakouts. She made life difficult on St. Mary's forwards entering the zone off the rush. At the other end, her skill shined. Her goal to make it 3-1 was all skill and finish, as she dangled through St. Mary's defenders and slipped a backhander into the net.
Yasmine McKenzie
Shrewsbury, sophomore, defenseÂ
Like Mrva, McKenzie played a big role on Shrewsbury's blue line. The sophomore had the eventual game-winning goal on a great shot from the point. But she also moved the puck really well, especially on zone exits. Her speed and quickness allowed her to separate from opponents and get to open ice.
Maya Battista
Canton, senior, defenderÂ
Battista had a really nice setup on teammate Audrey Koen's power play goal in the second period. Battista had great vision to settle the puck down and find Koen, who was wide-open next to the net, to her left. Battista also did a solid job in her own zone. With 4:30 to play in the game and Canton only down one goal, Duxbury looked to have a breakaway off a zone entry, but Battista hustled back and intercepted the pass and moved the puck the other way.
RECAPS: Duxbury takes down Canton | Shrewsbury upsets St. Mary's
Jenna Chaplain
St. Mary's, senior, forwardÂ
Chaplain was the heartbeat of St. Mary's offense all season and earned an assist in Sunday's championship. On the play, she was involved in the net-front scramble that eventually led to teammate Amanda Forziati pushing in the rebound for a goal. She drove play well and her speed and skill helped her create separation. There are many reasons why she was such an impressive producer of offense this season.
