If the Concord girls’ hockey team ever found its stride, it didn’t come until the third period on Wednesday. And by then, the game was far out of reach for the Tide.
Trying to fight off a seven-goal deficit to start the third period, the Concord girls potted one in the third but that was all they could do on their way to an 8-2 loss to Exeter in its season opener at Everett Arena.
After spotting Exeter three goals in the first, the Tide allowed five more in the second. Not a great way to start the winter, but Coach Stacy Landry said the team will focus on its improvement in the third period and build from there.
“I asked them to make it their best period and they did,” said Concord Coach Stacy Landry. “We’re just working … and I think eventually we’ll get there. It was a tough start, but I think we’ll get there.”
Exeter didn’t waste anytime building a three-goal lead in the first period. Ashley Keaveney (two goals, two assists) got it started with a goal fired from the left circle 5:02 into the game. About three minutes later, Julia Knight doubled the Blue Hawks’ lead on a goal set up by Carissa Towlson (one goal, three assists) that deflected off a Concord skate before sliding by Tide netminder Maddy Audet (20 saves on 28 shots).
“Against Concord … we weren’t comfortable at all (with a three-goal lead),” said Exeter Coach Geoff Taylor. “We’re very lucky we have a nice pool of girls with a good skill level.”
Delaney Hyde, Knight, Towlson and Markey added four more goals for the Blue Hawks before Concord’s Lily Vezina had had enough. With less than two minutes in the second period, Vezina gathered the puck near the blue line in Bedford’s end and carried it into the zone. Vezina fired a shot that was stopped and Margaret Connolly gathered the rebound and scored to cut into Exeter’s lead 7-1.
“This being the home opener, I wanted to see the girls at least get a couple of goals and that’s what they did,” Landry said. “We all know this year we’re going to have to score a lot of goals.”
The Tide’s scoring attack would hold at one and be matched with eight seconds left when Keaveny added her second goal for an 8-2 Exeter lead going into the second intermission.
“I think we’ll be more prepared next game when we see them next month,” Landry said.
The Tide will be on the road for its next game when it plays Manchester Central on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
(Nick Stoico can be reached at 369-3339, nstoico@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @NickStoico.)