For the second straight year, the Ms. Conducts competed in the Hockey Fights MS: VT tournament in Burlington, Vermont and, this year, they came away with their first tournament victory much to the delight of head coach, Christian Chedel.
The ladies' first game against the Red Solo Pucks in Waterbury was a hard-fought 2-0 victory thanks to two goals by defenseman Colleen Callahan. The ladies had many chances thanks to cross-checking and high stick penalties taken by a frustrated opponent. The Ms. Conducts kept their cool and, according to Chedel, played their best hockey in the third period, helping goaltender Michelle Donnelly with her first of four tourney shutouts.
The Ms. Conducts began Saturday with a game at UVM's Gutterson Fieldhouse against the Ice Queens. Callahan, again, got the Ms. Conducts on the board early in the first period. Pam Hegarty took a slashing penalty during the game and the Ms. Conducts successfully killed the penalty. Shereen Tyrrell battled on the boards and made a great cross-ice breakout pass early in the third period. Katie Castagno scored the team's second goal of the game and the ladies held on for another shutout by Donnelly.
After a team lunch at The Skinny Pancake on Burlington's waterfront, game three put the Ms. Conducts up against recent April Showers victors, the NEWHL Nasty Habits. An early goal by Callahan frustrated the Nasty Habits and chippy play ensued. Amelie Gagnon scored on her own rebound off a feed from Lori Gress, and a blue line goal by Katie Castagno secured a 3-0 victory and a third shutout by Donnelly.
On Saturday night, the girls had a team-bonding evening of 80s dance tunes at Nectar's in Burlington and tucked in early to prepare for a Sunday game against Wicked 2. Sandy "Stiletto" O'Sullivan put the Ms. Conducts on the board in the first period off a shot from the blue line. The team spent the rest of the first period peppering the Wicked 2 goalie with shots high and low, yet couldn't get any to cross the goal line. The Ms. Conducts dominated the entire game from face-off wins by Pam Hegarty to backchecking by Mary Lalley and Amelie Gagnon, to strong passing by Trisch Grimes and Michelle Bramante, to scoring chances by Stephanie Vaccaro, to strong defense by Dusty Beeley, O'Sullivan, Castagno, Callahan, and Lowenstein. Goals from Lori Gress, Julie Dalton, Keri Capobianco, and Castagno added to the day's tallies and the Ms. Conducts secured the tournament title on yet another shutout by Donnelly.
