Girls Hockey Opens Strong, Beats New Canaan 6-1

The Darien Girls Hockey team took on rivals New Canaan this Wednesday night (12/11) as its season opener. The last time the two teams had met was at the FCIAC finals last year, when Darien shocked New Canaan, who had been previously undefeated, with a 4-3 win.

The girls were excited to test themselves against the Rams and get the season off to a strong start. They indeed proved that they may be looking at a very successful season. “Everyone was extremely excited going into the game. We all knew what it was going to take to beat them and we were amped the whole day before the game,” senior captain Sage Thacher said.

Darien gained control from the first faceoff, setting the tone of the game by taking the puck into the Ram zone immediately. After about 5 minutes of play, sophomore Georgia Cassidy put the puck behind the Ram goalie, making the score 1-0. The Blue Wave dominated the first period, with senior captain Shannon Hall only facing a few shots in net. Sophomore Katie Zaro made the score 2-0 with a shot from the point deflected in.

During the second period, Darien maintained pressure on the New Canaan defense. After many close calls, including a shot that hit the cross bar by sophomore Chandler Kirby, junior Amanda Sload made it 3-0 with a shot from the slot. Although New Canaan had an opportunity with a power play towards the end of the period, Darien defense prevented a goal.

The third period started with a shorthanded goal, scored by junior Julia Arrix just 48 seconds into the period. Sload followed a few minutes later to make the score 5-0. Although Darien held the Rams to just 7 shots overall, New Canaan did manage to sneak one in, making it 5-1. However, Cassidy responded in kind a minute later to seal the victory at 6-1, Darien.

“Our team did a really good job of keeping our heads and letting the other team lose theirs. Another thing we did really well was slowing down the play and controlling the puck and keeping it in their zone for the vast majority of the game,” Thacher said. She added, “This was an amazing way to start off the season and I'm so proud of everyone on the team. This was the first time I have ever beaten New Canaan in a regular season game and I couldn't be happier.”

Come support the team at its next home game on Saturday December 21^st at Darien Ice Rink at 12:20 as it takes on tough competition Simsbury.