DARIEN – Three minutes, 32 seconds.
That’s how close the New Canaan girls hockey team was to reaching its tenth consecutive FCIAC finals.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead over Ridgefield as the minutes ticked down in Wednesday’s semifinal at Darien Ice Rink, the Rams seemed destined to get back to the championship game, a place no one expected them to be at the start of the season.
Destiny, however, was not on New Canaan’s side.
Ridgefield scored a power play goal at the 11:28 mark of the 3rd period, and netted the game-winner in overtime as they defeated the Rams 3-2 in a thrilling, yet ultimately disappointing game for head coach Rich Bulan’s squad.
“I give them all the credit in the world,” said Bulan as he saw his Rams drop to 14-6-1 on the season. “They hung in there, they scored a big power play goal there at the end. Wasn’t our night…you gotta give it to them.”
New Canaan came into the game having won the two previous matchups between the teams this season, 9-2 and 5-4. That said, the Tigers wasted little time showing the Rams their determination to stop the trend.
Meredith Keenan floated the puck by New Canaan goalie Nathalie Deney just 34 seconds into the contest to give Ridgefield a quick 1-0 lead. New Canaan was able to gain some momentum after killing a Tigers power play, and eventually tied the game at 1 when Catherine Granito beat Ridgefield goalie Michaela Gleeson with 1:10 left in the 1st period.
New Canaan picked up right where they left off in the 2nd period, pulling ahead of the Tigers as Granito scored her second goal of the night at the 4:23 mark. Ridgefield battled back, almost deadlocking the game with a 2-on-1 breakaway, but Deney was able to make a fantastic save to preserve the Rams’ advantage.
New Canaan continued to deny Ridgefield throughout most of the 3rd period, until a checking penalty on Rams defenseman Mia Carroll gave the Tigers a power play at 10:53. 35 seconds later Keenan scored her second goal, deadlocking the game at 2.
“At that point in the 3rd period we had limited them to seven shots,” said Bulan. “So we were feeling good about that at that point. But woulda’, shoulda’, coulda’. There’s about 20 places you could go back to in a game.”
New Canaan had a shot to win the game in regulation, as Keenan was called for a checking penalty giving the Rams a power play with 2:20 left. Ridgefield withstood the New Canaan attack with some solid overall defensive play and great goaltending by Gleeson to send the game to overtime, where the Tigers ultimately prevailed as Katie Curnan beat Deney with the clinching goal at the 7:23 mark.
“We’ll really see what we’re made of Monday,” said Bulan, as the Rams will face Guilford in the first round of the State tournament on March 3rd at the Darien Ice Rink. First puck will drop at 6pm. “If we show up and do a USA Men’s Olympic deal and it’s 5-0 Finland, then I’ll really be surprised because I think we have more guts than that. I think we’ll show up and just put it behind us and go at them hard.”
Team 1 2 3 OT – TOT
R 1 0 1 1 – 3
NC 1 1 0 0 – 2
1st Period
R – Keenan (Ely, Reilly)
NC – Granito (Rosenstein, Marciano)
2nd Period
NC – Granito (Rosenstein)
3rd Period
R – Keenan (Curnan)
OT
R – Curnan (Garelick, Burns)
Shots: R – 35 ; NC – 35.
Saves: R – Michaela Gleeson 33 ; NC – Nathalie Deney 32.
Records: R – 11-8-1; NC – 14-6-1