VIDEO: Abington’s Sam McDonald nets winning goal on OT power play
The sophomore center knocked in a rebound just 35 seconds into the extra period Monday night as the Green Wave prevailed on Senior Night.
Game-changers.
They come in handy at this time of year when the MIAA hockey playoffs roll around.
That unstoppable power forward or brick-wall goaltender can spell the difference between moving on and packing up the winter gear for good. We’ve chronicled the exploits of all the local stars throughout the regular season, including anonymous coaches surveys for Patriot League boys teams and Patriot League girls teams.
Now it’s time to present a postseason blueprint of sorts as we try to predict which players will have the most impact on the upcoming state tournaments.
More: Title contenders gear up for home stretch: Boys hockey Top 10 ranking
The following is not a comprehensive list of all the good local talent that will be showcased in the playoffs. Instead, we kept a narrow focus and tried to identify 30 players (15 girls, 15 boys) who could fundamentally alter the postseason landscape if things break the right way for them.
More: Heavyweight title bout on tap: Girls hockey Top 10 ranking
Here then are 30 South Shore players to watch as the playoffs loom:
GIRLS HOCKEY
Caroline Batchelder, Archbishop Williams
Junior assistant captain from Braintree recently became the program’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 56. The Bishops’ sub-.500 record (9-10-2) is a product of a challenging schedule, so don’t overlook them in the Div. 1 tournament.
Jen Birolini, Pembroke
One of the state’s most prolific scorers (27 goals and counting), she makes the Titans (15-5) a dangerous foe in Div. 2, especially since Pembroke has other quality offensive options such as Ella Skeiber and Hannah D’Angelo to distract opposing defenses.
Lila Chamoun, Milton
One of the top goaltenders around, she has led the Wildcats on a terrific two-season run that included last winter’s drive to the Div. 2 Round of 16 and this season’s 17-4-1 campaign. Just had a 31-save shutout vs. Marshfield.
Izzy Cusack, Canton
Made a big impact as a freshman forward on last year’s Div. 2 state runner-up squad (7 goals, 8 assists). She’s at it again this winter, leading the Bulldogs (17-4-1) to another standout regular season and a No. 7 seed in the playoffs.
Caitlin Dilley, Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake
This senior got a vote when we surveyed Patriot League coaches about the league’s top defenseman. One said of her: “Plays a…
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