The Cambridge-Somerville Falcons got a goal from each of their three offensive lines, and goalie Ruby Johnson saved 11 third-quarter shots to help the Falcons beat the Masconomet Chieftains, 3-1, Wednesday afternoon at Cambridge's Simoni Skating Arena.
With only four defensive players on the roster, the Falcons relied on strong puck possession in the Chieftains' zone, using their balanced offense to minimize the Chieftains' scoring opportunities.
"We're really working on just small battles," said Falcons coach Kevin Mitrano. "Making sure we're winning the battle to the puck, and then we're winning the battle to the net."
The Falcons out-shot the Chieftains 13-5 in the first period, according to Chieftains coach Andrew Boepple, taking the game's first few shots at Chieftains goalie Alex Jones. The Chieftains - a co-op team of players from Masconomet. Newburyport, North Andover, Hamilton-Wenham and Georgetown - struck first, however, when junior Kendra Dow got the puck from Masconomet's zone to junior Catherine Headrick in the neutral zone.
That set up a 2-on-1 for the Chieftains, with Headrick passing to senior captain Katrina Buchta between the circles. Buchta shot past Johnson for the 1-0 lead with 8:27 left in the first.
"We teach them to read the defensemen," Boepple said. "If the defensemen's playing pass, you shoot and crash. If they play you and they commit to you, you slide the puck over."
The goal briefly unnerved the Falcons, leading to several quick scoring chances for the Chieftains. But despite any mental lapses by the Falcon defense, Johnson maintained the one-goal deficit.
The Falcons won a faceoff in the Chieftains' zone with under six minutes left in the first, eventually working the puck to sophomore defenseman Kellie Haggerty. Haggerty fired the puck toward eighth-grade teammate Alex Desrosiers just outside the crease. Desrosiers then chipped the puck to her left to sophomore Emilia Logan, who wristed it in to tie the game 1-1 with 4:41 to go.
The Falcons added another goal with just under two minutes left in the period when sophomore Katie Bayly took the puck away from the Chieftains in their zone, feeding the puck up to senior Rachel Cooper by the right goalpost. Cooper skated further to the right, ripping a tight-angle shot past Jones to put the Falcons up 2-1.
