RallyNorth.net

Red Rangers continue rolling

Wednesday, February, 10 By Jeff Hamrick

METHUEN – Not surprisingly, the girls hockey season opened with uncertainty for one of the state’s top programs. Just two years removed from a state championship, Methuen/Tewksbury began its Covid-abbreviated season with a roster loaded down with unproven eighth graders and freshmen.

What the Red Rangers did have, however, was Jessica Driscoll and a bunch of youngsters eager to fit in.

And that combination has proved more than capable of overcoming a tough start that saw them lose their first two by a combined 12-1, including a six-goal defeat to Andover.

The Red Rangers continued their turnaround Wednesday afternoon with a solid 3-1 victory over that same Andover team. It was Methuen/Tewksbury’s sixth win in its past eight, a run that includes a 2-0 blanking of Andover a couple weeks ago.

“At the beginning of the season, we were all pretty new,” said Driscoll, who watched seven teammates graduate from last year’s 11-5-6 team. “Most of our players were newer, so we were still trying to play together. We’re definitely a lot better together as a team rather than single individual units.”

Similar to its season, Methuen/Tewksbury needed a bit of time yesterday after falling behind on a power-play goal by Andover’s Lauren Adams midway through the opening period.

But Driscoll showed off her skating skills in the second with a couple of power play goals of her own. The junior center first rifled a slapshot from the right circle over goalie Lillian Jagger’s glove shoulder to tie the match with 6:28 left.

Taking advantage of another man-advantage situation, Driscoll connected on a wrister from the slot with 4.4 seconds left for what proved to be the game winner. Driscoll finished the match with 14 of the Red Rangers’ 29 shots on net.

“At the beginning of the year, we were really concentrating on the fundamentals like skating and passing,” Red Ranger coach Sarah Oteri said. “We were keeping it basic. But once we got to playing teams twice or three times, we started adding a little more strategy in.”

The eighth-graders showed what they’ve learned with a third-period clincher from Methuen resident Brooke Harb, who pounded back a rebound with 4:55 left for the final score. Classmate Breena Lawrence was credited with an assist. Harb, who had both goals in the team’s first win over Andover, now has eight goals – two fewer than team leader Driscoll.

“It was very different to be playing with a lot of older kids, but we fit in and are working our hardest,” Harb said of the nine eighth-graders and freshmen on the 20-girl roster. “I think we’ve come together as a team.”

The coach agrees with the youngster’s assessment.

“I’m so proud of how much they’ve taken what we’ve said, used it and gotten better,” said Oteri, whose squad has gone 6-2 since its two-loss start. “We have a young team, but they’re really excited to be here. Our older leadership of juniors and seniors have really helped them learn the way and what our culture is about.”

Winners of its first five, Andover, on the other hand, is headed the other way after falling to 6-3-1.

“We know this (Red Ranger) team, and we’ve played them plenty of times,” Warrior coach Tyler Vigue said. “It just seems like our rug has been pulled out from under us.”

Additional stories:

• Harb for 2