After rising from the ashes of an 0-6 start to the season, the York/Traip/Marshwood co-op girls’ hockey team wasn’t fazed by a 2-0 deficit in the South quarterfinals Wednesday against Portland/Deering.
Instead, the fifth-seeded Wildcats came out of the locker room for the third period with renewed energy, quickly pulled even, then won it, 3-2, on a goal from Meagan Wentworth with 3:42 to play at Troubh Ice Arena.
York (9-10) advanced to face top-seeded Scarborough (15-1-2) at 5:20 p.m. Saturday at USM Ice Arena in Gorham.
“I said to the girls (in the locker room), ‘Next goal is huge,” said York Coach Kevin Purdy. “I said, ‘If we score, they’ll play not to lose, and if they score, it’ll be tough to come back.’ The girls just turned it on and we came back.”
Fourth-seeded Portland (11-8) got the jump at 6:39 of the first period, as Jordan King took a pass from Lucy Howe and beat Wildcats goalie Erin Gray (23 saves).
York had a couple opportunities to answer, but Liz Buckley shot high on a breakaway, then Portland goalie Anna Gannon denied Sophia Santamaria on a late breakaway.
The Bulldogs nearly doubled their lead just before the horn, but Caroline Lerch was denied by Gray.
The Wildcats pressed for the equalizer early in the second, but Gannon stood tall, saving a pair of bids from Maggie Hanlon, then sprawling to the ice to rob Wentworth.
Lerch, who had hat tricks in both of Portland’s regular-season wins over York, finally broke through with 1:12 left in the second. She scooped up a loose puck along the boards behind the goal, skated in front and sent a low shot past Gray for an unassisted goal and a 2-0 advantage.
But the Wildcats immediately turned things around in the third period. Hanlon scored on a rebound (Buckley was credited with an assist) at 2:26, and Zoe Jellison tied it at 3:51 after a pass from Ashley Carney.
York went on the power play with 4:46 left. Just over a minute later, Wentworth won the puck, skated around the goal, then tucked the puck past Gannon’s left skate and into the net.
“I had a close call earlier and I just wanted redemption,” said Wentworth. “I was going to either go for a wraparound goal or look for a teammate. Thank God it happened.”
Portland couldn’t answer, and the Wildcats ran out the clock to advance.
The Bulldogs got 25 saves from Gannon but went 0 for 2 on the power play and had their successful season come to a sudden and disappointing end.
“My goalie made some big saves in the first two periods, but (the Wildcats) worked even harder in the third,” said Portland Coach Tom Clifford. “We showed tremendous improvement this season. None of these girls like losing.”
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