On Sunday March 15th the No. 2 Milton High School Girls’ Hockey team defeated No. 5 King Philip Regional High School by a score of 2-1 to capture the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 2 state title at TD Garden, the in program history. Despite an impressive effort from KP goalie Kiki Lynch, who had a .978 save percentage in the postseason, Milton’s offensive barrage was overpowering, as they outshot the Warriors 38-7.

These girls played really well, with a powerful offense that scored two goals, both in the second period. Senior Captain Mairin Heart said, “ we were super deep today and defense, goalie Caera [Hart] did a great job. With offense, we played really well in the offensive zone, and yeah, everyone played really well today”. Sabrina Stone scored her first point off  an assist by Mia Cataruzolo. A few minutes later, Maeve Lovett scored an impressive tip goal, to put the Wildcats up 2-0. 

This was a hard fought game for both teams, but Milton was the ultimate winner with their relentless aggression and determination. “The kids didn't let it slow them down. They went after them hard, and there was no way they were leaving this place without the trophy,” says Maggie Radley, an assistant coach and Physical Education teacher at MHS. She has been working with these girls for a while now, and since the beginning of the season they have had a strong sense of community and compassion, especially over the past couple weeks leading up to the championship game. The title and camaraderie are especially meaningful as the team lost in the title game last year, so players were eager for revenge.

After the final whistle was blown and the game was over, everyone rushed onto the rink where they proceeded to throw their gloves, helmets and sticks onto the ice. They all came together in front of the goal and embraced, ecstatic about their victory. 

But the players weren’t the only ones who were excited. When the puck dropped at 9 a.m.,  stands were filled with parents, grandparents, friends, siblings, classmates and peers all cheering on these girls. The crowd had been energized from the first whistle of the game to the very last. With chants and applause being thrown back and forth between the different schools, ultimately King Phillip went home, heads hung low. The title is a significant accomplishment for the team, and as the Milton High Boosters (@mhsboosters02186) said on Instagram, the team members are “hometown hero[s] forever!”