Lady Titans sweep Mounties, earn semifinals berth

By Ryan D. Murray
Posted 3/8/16

By RYAN D. MURRAY

For the Beacon

The Warwick Lady Titans beat the Mount St. Charles/Cumberland/Lincoln Co-op, 4-3, in a thriller at Mount on Saturday night. Madison Balutowski had a hat trick, …

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Lady Titans sweep Mounties, earn semifinals berth

Posted

By RYAN D. MURRAY

For the Beacon

The Warwick Lady Titans beat the Mount St. Charles/Cumberland/Lincoln Co-op, 4-3, in a thriller at Mount on Saturday night. Madison Balutowski had a hat trick, including the game-winner in overtime.

“Mount is a good team and we didn’t want to go to Game 3 because they’re a dangerous team,” Warwick head coach Dave Tibbetts said. “They’ve played well the last half of the season and we just came out and worked really hard and got the job done tonight.”

The extra-time victory sent Warwick to the semifinals for a series with the top-seeded Barrington/Mt. Hope/Portsmouth Co-op

Freshman Rebecca Yaseen got the start in net for Warwick and Michaela Simankski for Mount.

A minute into the game, Balutowski had a chance early, but she was denied by Simankski. Next, Mount forward Kaylee Doucette took a slapper, but Warwick defenseman Natasha Savage got in front of it to block it. Then, Yaseen made three consecutive saves. The first, a glove save on a Shannon McDermott wrister, followed by a blocker save on Melanie Foster and a save on a shot from Cassidy Simankski.

Soon after though, Mount would strike first. Captain Marissa Isabella took a pass from Cassidy Simankski and put it past Yaseen for an early 1-0 lead, six minutes and 21 seconds into the contest.

Warwick had an opportunity when a Mount defender slipped and fell. Forward Jenna Sequeira attacked the net, but Michaela Simankski came up with a big save. Soon after though, Balutowski evened the score with a wrister to tie it at 1, seven minutes and 48 seconds into the opening period. Savage and Kelsey Holmes assisted.

Yaseen followed with three straight stick saves and she got some help in front from Savage, who blocked a Mount pass in front of the Warwick net. Savage was stingy on defense all night for Warwick.

The Titans had a close call, but Yaseen would stop two shots from Kathryn Cunningham. The freshman goaltender made three more saves before the end of the first period.

Warwick was very close to going up when Savage dangled by defenders on the way to the net, but a backhand was denied by the Mount netminder, who just barely held onto it.

At the end of two periods, the teams were still knotted at 1.

Just 19 seconds into the third period, Balutowski lit the lamp and gave Warwick a 2-1 lead. Warwick would have a couple more chances, but shots from Mariana Brawn and Balutowski were denied by Michaela Simankski.

Then, four minutes and 23 seconds into the period, Mount scored a power play goal to tie the game at 2. The goal was scored by Doucette and assisted by Isabella.

Less than a minute later, Makenzie Driscoll scored when she rebounded a shot from Sequeira. Warwick took a 3-2 lead, 5:49 into the final frame.

Warwick was very close to preserving the victory in regulation, but with two minutes and 58 seconds remaining, Cassidy Simankski scored to tie the game at 3.

In the final minutes, Balutowski had a chance, but she was denied by Michaela Simankski. Next, Simankski stopped a shot from Holmes.

Warwick would dodge a couple bullets when Yaseen made saves on shots from forward Marina Schmid and Doucette.

In the final 12 seconds of regulation, Balutowski had a real chance to win it, but she was held by defenseman Giana Ritchie, who was thrown in the sin bin and would stay there in overtime.

With Warwick starting the extra period with a 5-on-4 advantage, it didn’t take long to seal the deal. Brawn put the puck in front of the net and Balutowski came up and put the biscuit in the basket for the game-winner.

“I just kind of blacked out and saw the puck and went for it,” Balutowski said. “I didn’t really know what happened.”

Balutowski thinks her team is playing their best hockey of the season right now.

“We started the season off pretty good,” she said. “Then we hit a low point in the middle of the season and we’re climbing back up the right direction and I just feel so confident going into the next round right now.”

Driscoll said it all comes down to practice.

“We practiced just putting it in front all week and rebounds all week and that’s basically what got us the win.” Driscoll said.

The victory completes a two-game sweep of the series. Warwick won the first game 4-0 Thursday night at Thayer. In Game 1, Balutowski had two goals and Holmes and Brawn had one each.

As of press time, the time and date of Game 1 with Barrington has yet to be announced. The series will be held at Brown University’s Meehan Auditorium.

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