West Hartford’s Hall/Conard girls hockey beats Avon girls hockey 6-4 at Veterans Memorial Rink on Feb. 19.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Kei Caudle

What an epic night for the Hall/Conard hockey seniors! The energy was high as friends and family lined up with posters celebrating the beloved players – Fiona Campbell, Teagan Cohane, Claire Reidel, and Avery Selstad. – as they prepared to take on Avon.

With both teams qualifying for the CCC semifinals, the tensions were high.

The puck flew across the rink as both teams raced for it, with multiple teammates fighting for it against the barriers. Hall/Conard won the draw, tossing the puck into Avon’s zone. This smooth pass was intercepted as Avon’s defense swooped in, wasting no time.

A wide shot was taken, with the goalie, No. 1 Avery Freiday, clearing it out of Hall/Conard’s zone. Neither team’s defense was messing around, with each net being surrounded by determined players, waiting for their chance at the puck.

No. 44 Fiona Campbell made a fast stretch pass into Avon’s barrier, sweeping the puck past a circle of Avon’s defense. Each move had their fans cheering as the game continued. Despite Maddie Bean and Cohane’s (No. 2) best attempts, Avon was able to clear the puck down the rink, narrowing in on the Hall/Conard goal.

With Avon hot on their trails, No. 3 Piper Royer shot the first goal of the night, putting Hall/Conard up 1-0 against Avon. The metal bleachers shook as everyone shot up and stomped out their excitement. The opposing team was quick to attempt another shot, only to miss.

Cohane and No. 5 Paige Sweeney took the lead with an attempted pass. Avon made a wide shot, with the puck slamming against the boards behind the goal. The incredible defense was thanks to Paige Fehl. Both teams coordinated opposing tactics, slipping past the neutral zone in the hopes of making another goal within this first period.

In an anxiety-inducing moment, Avon scored their first goal, only to have it redacted. The ref called it a “high floater,” with the puck deflecting off the goalie into the net. This put the once-tied score back down to Hall/Conard 1-0, with the Avon fans slumping in defeat.

Following a near goal for Hall/Conard, Sweeney was sent into the penalty box for the next 2 minutes due to attempted hooking, giving Avon the advantage in a power play. Freiday, Hall/Conard’s goalie, was put to work with Avon attempting shot after shot during their advantage. They kept the team’s point with a close save after an attempted goal from Avon, pushing everyone to the edge of their seats, especially with Sweeney now back on the rink following her penalty.

The second period started with swift defense as Avon tried to even out the score. Campbell was able to snatch the puck, making a goal across the rink, end to end, swerving through Avon’s defense, making the score 2-0 within the first minute of the new period. The screams within the rink were energizing as posters flew, and friends chanted.

Not only was the crowd energized, but Avon was, too. They had taken the puck, with an icing penalty given to Hall/Conard. They produced long and wide shots but struggled to slip past Hall/Conard’s tough defense. The pressure was on, with Fehl able to force the puck onto Avon’s side. Ten minutes into the period, Freiday made a swift save, earning her team a face-off closer to their target goal. Yet again, another stoppage as a face-off was arranged, giving it to Avon. Both teams in this new period were giving it their all, fighting for their place in the upcoming finals.

Avon’s Alexa Savage had been earning herself a name all game, with her swift judgment stealing the puck several times in the hope of an Avon goal. However, she may have met her match in Campbell, as this Hall/Conard co-captain was hot on her tail, using her own clear thinking to turn the tables, scoring goals for Hall/Conard like no other.

Despite Freiday’s intense effort and defense, Avon scored their first goal. After an intense moment of deliberation between refs, due to the puck being stuck in a limbo between sides, the point was awarded and screams soon followed the announcement.

Barely a minute after Avon’s first goal, Sweeney was able to slip the puck into their net, with an assist from Cohane and Bean, making the score 3-1. This came after a series of rebounds and forward shots from multiple girls for Hall/Conard. As this period came to a close, Campbell zoomed across the ice in the last few seconds, scoring yet another goal for this team.

Playing both offense and defense, as well as scoring her second goal, Sweeney was able to give Hall/Conard a greater upper hand, pushing the score to 4-1 with 41 seconds left in the period. The excitement was contagious, and soon the stands were booming and clapping with admiration for their peers.

The third period started with an immediate Hall/Conard goal from Cohane. With Avon defense hot on her tail, she slid it past the goalie deep into the net as gasps rang out across the rink. The score was 5-1, causing Avon to sweat as they upped their game.

Swerving left and right with numerous fake-outs, Avon’s No. 4, with an assist from No. 18, scored a goal using a backhand, and the score was 5-2. Their celebration was swift with circles around the rink as they cheered for their second goal of the night. Their new goalie, Cardone, soon followed in pursuit, shooting Campbell’s attempted shot away from the net in a quickly blocked save.

Avon’s strategy, making several long shots with the hope of a rebound, was quickly squashed by Freiday’s constant blocks. That was until a redirect and diving stick gave Avon another goal, the score 5-3 by Savage with an assist from Madison Hall. As they had hoped, they were able to slip past Hall/Conard’s defense, slowly beginning to even out the score.

Only minutes later did Avon score their fourth goal when Savage swept a long shot past Freiday. The score was 5-4 in a close match. With only five minutes left, the game was slowly close to a tie, and the audience was left crossing their fingers in hope. It truly was anyone’s game.

With the fans shaking with anticipation, both teams put their best foot forward, never wasting a second.

Selstad, with two seconds left in the match, shot a goal across the rink into the unguarded net. The bleachers erupted with cheers as the game came to a close with Hall/Conard putting another victory in their pocket.

Hall/Conard (15-3) will play their final regular season game on Saturday against Darien, and on Monday will be back home at Veterans Memorial Rink, again facing Avon (9-8-1) in the first round of the CCC tournament.

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