RAYNHAM – The Girls Varsity Division was one of the closest, most competitive throughout the 2016 New England Future Stars season. Only fitting then it featured a championship game becoming on August 14 at the Raynham IcePlex.
The 2016 Girls Varsity Championship was one that came down to the wire as the Southeastern Grizzlies came from behind to clip the Boston Brahmas 4-3 in overtime.
Having played much of the 2016 season with a chip on their shoulder, the fifth seeded Brahmas arrived in Raynham looking to put the league on notice after taking out the top ranked Natick Chill as one of their two victories the day before to advance to Championship Sunday.
The game was tight, but Boston seized control of it, taking their first lead at 6:44 of the first period. With a faceoff coming up in their defensive end, Brahmas forward Rivers Morris won the draw and quickly transitioned paste the defensive line to walk in for the 1-0 score. It was not much breathing room for the Brahmas, but it became that much more as a shorthanded score by Kellie Popkin with 0:07.6 left on the clock before the game’s first break put Boston up 2-0 heading into the second.
It was certainly not much breathing room at all for the Brahmas as it did not last.
The Grizzlies struck twice in the second period. Abbey Luth got them on the board at 4:33 before Southeastern came through with a late period goal of their own to tie it. Alessandra Alves slipped past the Brahmas defense while trailing a Luth 1-on-1 for the tap-in, 2-2 equalizer at 13:33.
More than the goals they scored in the middle frame, it was the goaltending of Southeastern netminder Asia Porter, who came on in relief to start the period, that became the story of the game.
“Asia played completely out of her mind and totally kept us in that game,” said Grizzlies head coach Mike Frost after the game.
Southeastern may have tied the game in the middle frame, but they were under siege for most of it, a trend that continued into the third. The Brahmas pressed continually, but Porter remained virtually impenetrable in a game that could have easily slipped away from the Grizzlies.
Not until late in the third did the netminder blinked and gave her foes an inch. Popkin and Amy Le combining for their second of the day with just 5:23 remaining in regulation to give Boston a 3-2 lead.
It was not much, but the lead looked as though it would hold. Boston continued to press for breathing room on the offensive end, while goaltender Ashleigh Marini – impressive in her own right on Championship Sunday – repelled the chances that were coming against her. Yet, with the Brahmas mere moments from their championship celebration, the Grizzlies caught a break late. Luth chased down the puck from a long clearing attempt to put away the stunning equalizer with under a minute to play.
Tied at 3-3, the 2016 Girls Varsity Championship was to be decided in overtime.
The Fates had seemingly set up shop in Southeastern’s corner as the 10-minute, sudden death, 4-on-4 session began. Having already played the hero once, Luth did so a second time by completing her hat trick at 5:46 of the extra session.
The Southeastern Grizzlies claimed the 2016 Girls Varsity Championship with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Boston Brahmas.
