Grosse Pointe South Girls Defeat North for State Title

Grosse Pointe South’s girls rule the ice once again.

defeated 4-1 to claim the Michigan high school girls Division 1 hockey state championship on Saturday at Eddie Edgar Arena in Livonia.

For the Blue Devils, it was their and their fourth in five years.

It was the third meeting this season for the two rivals, with North having won the two previous regular season contests. North also edged out South for the 2011-12 MMGHSHL title.

North Junior Sara Villani, who struggled to hold back tears following the game, said the defeat is difficult to accept, but she is pleased with what the squad accomplished.

“It took us so long to get here and we worked so hard,” Villani said. “It’s hard to lose. It’s really hard to talk about, but it’s a good season and I’m really happy we made it this far.”

The Lady Norsemen were able to grab an early 1-0 lead on Saturday, and carry it into the second period, but ultimately could not keep up as the Blue Devils pulled away. 

About halfway through the first period, North junior Catherine McCarthy netted a power-play goal past South junior goaltender Anastasia Diamond.

It was the only shot of the game that would get by Diamond, however, as she stood up to intense pressure from the Lady Norsemen all night.

“North always comes out hard and aggressive,” Diamond said. “We were preparing for it and I was ready.”

The Lady Norsemen held the 1-0 lead until late in the second period, when Blue Devils senior Claire Boyle tied the game with her first of two goals on the night.

As the third period got underway, South quickly grabbed the lead as senior Marissa Monforton scored only 30 seconds into the period.

With about five minutes left in the third period, South took a two-goal advantage, going up 3-1 with a goal from senior Melissa Klinger.

Inside the final minute of the game, Boyle lit the lamp again for the Blue Devils, locking up her team’s victory and 2011-12 state title.

South head coach Joe Provenzano said a big reason for the squad’s success is that there were several talented and experienced players on the team who could all get the job done.

“We do have some depth on our team,” Provenzano said. “North always comes out and plays really strong, they played a great game tonight. The depth was our advantage and in the third period the girls kept working hard, they wanted it. I think it was the difference at the end of the game.”

Despite the loss, North head coach Joe Lucchese said after the game that this year’s Lady Norseman squad is one of the most outstanding teams he’s seen in his coaching career.

“I’ve never been prouder of a group,” Lucchese said. “I’ve been coaching hockey for 18 years and this is just a special group. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with a bunch of kids like that.”

Grosse Pointe South

Grosse Pointe North

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