by Nate Tashjy
Staff Writer

Westford Academy Girls’ Hockey was given one final Christmas present before entering the new year; a 10-3 victory over the Auburn Rockets.

Coaches Todd Fletcher, Kevin Leonard, and Bob Ware have high hopes, with many returners and a large group of talented freshman.

Speaking recently, Assistant Coach Bob Ware, a Dean at Westford Academy, expressed positive feeling about this season.

“This is our second year as a staff, working with these girls. We’re excited about this year. This is a good group of girls, we have more numbers this year. Last year we had twelve, and this year we have 17 I believe. Makes us, and makes practices more competitive. We can do a lot more drills. We have a young group of kids, that we look forward to getting better each day and each game.”

The team came into this game with a record of 1-1-1. Hoping to break the tie, they played the Auburn Rockets.

In the first period, WA started off with a quick goal at 13:50, scored by junior Steph Arno. The Westford Academy goalie, Jenny Grischuck, had many shots taken against her, and only allowed one in the period at 7:11. The 1 to 1 tie was broken by a goal scored by the Ghosts. Late in the period WA increased its lead with a score by senior Captain Cara Curran. Westford led 3-1 at the end of the first period.

The Ghosts came out flying in the second period, with two quick goals scored by Kim Lizotte and Alexandra Garvin. The aggressive offensive thrust of WA kept the puck in Auburn territory throughout the period. Captain Cara Curran put the pressure on Auburn with two more goals, putting Westford up 7-1. Late in the period, a Westford penalty gave Auburn a fighting chance, and the Rockets scored two quick goals to make the score 7-3 before the start of the final period.

The third period was slow scoring, but the Ghosts still had a commanding grip on the lead. Two quick goals were scored by Nikki Larsen, and Kim Lizotte. The Auburn goalie, who was constantly under attack, gave up the final goal to Curran with :33 left in the game. The game ended with the final score of 10-3 Westford.

The Ghosts hope to keep their hot streak alive with their next game January 2, against Algonquin Regional High School.