Two-time defending state champion North Eastern girls ice hockey opens season with 10-0 win over Spalding
Nov. 16—The North Eastern girls varsity high school ice hockey team opened its 2022-23 season last Friday with a home match at Ice World in Abingdon. The local team, comprised of players who attend high schools in Harford, Cecil and the local Baltimore area, blanked Spalding High School, 10-0, in nonleague action.
North Eastern, which graduated 12 seniors from last year's team, is the two-time defending Maryland state girls high school ice hockey champions and the team is looking to "three-peat" this season. Several players were promoted from junior varsity and some new players came to the team to fill vacancies.
The coaching staff had concerns about what the new team might look like and how fast players could jell together on the ice. Those concerns were quickly answered in the first game.
Spalding is a perennial powerhouse in the Mid-Atlantic Girls Hockey League, but North Eastern was fully prepared for a fast game from the first drop of the puck.
North Eastern took advantage of an early Spalding foul as Claire Cook scored an unassisted power-play goal at 13:01 of the first period. Less than two minutes later, Grace White scored with an assist from Michele Radov (two assists) to make 2-0.
North Eastern maintained the fast-paced action the remainder of the period and basically wore down the Cavaliers. Goal scoring continued with three unassisted goals over the final six minutes of the period. At the 5:41 mark, Payton Greaver scored and at the 3:25 mark, Kelly McGonigle scored. Cook added her second goal with 46 seconds left.
Up comfortably 5-0, North Eastern dominated the second and third periods as well, firing 44 more shots on goal and adding five more goals for the lopsided win from Radov, Tori Hayes, Madelyn Yost, Ella Parks and Maggie Scheidhauer.
North Eastern goalie Alex Erdman was outstanding in goal making some spectacular saves and 18 total.
The next home match at Ice World is scheduled for Dec. 9 against OJR Wild Rams from Reading, Pennsylvania. A JV match at 4:20 p.m., followed by the varsity at 7:40 p.m.
