One Hat…All Glory as the Ms. Conducts Look to Get Ham'd at the Ham

Colleen Callahan (#21) scores her first of four goals Saturday night against the Maine Coon Cats.

Although the ice outside was thicker than the ice inside the Ham Arena, the Ms. Conducts pulled off a lopsided victory against the Maine Coon Cats late Saturday night.  Defenseman Colleen Callahan got the Ms. Conducts on the board with an end-to-end unassisted goal in the first period sending the momentum flying in the team's direction.  Callahan added to the lead with her second goal of the period  on a sweet pass from Lori Gress, pushing the Ms. Conducts further ahead of the 'Cats. 

The effortless second period began with Amelie Gagnon's miraculous goal from behind the net, proving that good things happen when you put the puck on the net.  With the Ms. Conducts up 3-0, the girls began to find seams and scar the 'Cats (meow).  Despite no hats thrown in her honor, Callahan completed her hat trick on a top-shelf snipe from an offensive zone face-off.  Left wing Gress took the puck behind the net and threaded it to Keri Capobianco who one-timed it past the Coon Cats frustrated goaltender.  Julie Dalton added to the Ms. Conducts lead with a backhanded shot over the goalie's shoulder to end the second period.

Defensman Sandy "Stiletto" O'Sullivan gets ready for play.

With a  6-0 lead, the Ms. Conducts began the third period on running time and tasked with protecting goaltender Michelle Donnelly's shutout. Defensemen Katie Castagno, Trisch "Alabama" Grimes, Callahan, Sandy "Stiletto" Sullivan, Dusty Beeley, and Carol Lowenstein held the Coon Cats at bay while Colleen Callahan finished her four-goal evening with a tap-in goal as time ran out on the deflated 'Cats.  The Ms. Conducts finished the game earning all five points for winning all three periods of play and the overall game victory.  With the tournament victor still undecided, the Ms. Conducts went to the locker room with heads held high and a celebratory night ahead of them. 

Brewin' Up a Tie

Sixteen Ms. Conducts arrived in North Conway for the Dave Dore Winter Classic Tournament and kicked off the weekend with a team pasta dinner and -- due to curfew -- an abbreviated game of Flip Cup and shortened hot tub time.

Kicking off the weekend on Friday night with a team pasta dinner.

Despite freezing rain outside and an early morning wake up, the team faced off against the New England Brewins on Saturday morning.  Although the Ms. Conducts had the first scoring chance on a second-shift breakaway by Julie Dalton, the Brewins went up 2-0 in the first period.  Goaltender Michelle Donnelly shut down the Brewins for the rest of the game and strong offensive pressure by Lori Gress, Keri Capobianco (spinning off a defenseman!), and Amy Thompson kept the game exciting.  The Ms. Conducts got on the board in the third period on a one-timer shot in the slot by Dalton (assisted by Carol Lowenstein and Michelle Bramante). Defenseman Colleen Callahan hit the post in an effort to tie the game and defenseman Katie Castagno's shots from the blue line narrowly missed the net.  With less than three minutes to go in the game, Dalton intercepted a pass and carried the puck down the ice.  Winger Pam Hegarty crashed the net and tipped in Dalton's pass for the game-tying goal.

In spite of many non-calls by the refs (a trip on Sandy "Stiletto" O'Sullivan, a hook and a check on Dalton, a slash to Hegarty), the women held strong and stayed physical.  Great teamwork and passing combine for a good game.