U12 girls hockey teams are division champs and headed to state finals

There’s good reason to celebrate around town for hockey fans and for those who appreciate hard work and teammanship. This month, Waltham’s two U12 girls hockey teams both won division championships and now qualify to compete in the state tournaments in March. 

Waltham U12A girls team beats Belmont on the road

The U12A team had to battle a tough and talented Belmont squad — at their new home rink — but won the game 6-3 to take the title. Ashleigh Philpott delivered an early hat trick for Waltham to help secure the victory. Goalie Bryn Cedorchuk made key saves all game to keep Belmont at bay.

Other team members include Alex Arone, Bryn Ferguson, Juliana Wszolek, Emerson Tomczyk, Jillian Gardner, Lexi Rock, Maggie Buckley, Lucia Bella and Keira Stone.

“Every player on the roster has stepped up at different times — by scoring key goals, backchecking relentlessly, or providing strong defensive play,” said coach Jim Stone. “The girls come from different backgrounds, but they play together as a team and as friends. A referee even commented on how they were always smiling. They love the game, and we never want to take that joy away from them.”

In addition to Stone, U12A coaches Bob Feguson and Paul Buckley have committed time and energy to make the game fast and fun for the girls. Team mom is Crystal Philpott.

Two years ago, this same group of girls (with only a few roster changes) made an extraordinary run at the state tournament. They reached the championship game and pushed the contest to the seventh round of a shootout before falling to Hingham. Since then, they have been hungry for redemption. This team will compete in Falmouth for the tourney on March 20 and 21.

Waltham U12B girls team wins in a nail biting shootout

The U12B team followed up with another impressive win, knocking off top-seed Arlington 1–0 in a close shootout to win its division and punch a ticket to the state tourney.

With just eight skaters, Waltham bested a skilled Arlington team that had two full lines and two goalies. Winger Scarlett Slotnick scored the winning goal and standout goalie Chloe Curran sealed the shutout win.

In addition to Slotnick and Curran, the other U12B team members are Areni Craig, Molly Ebert, Macy Philcox, Raven Fintzel, Lily Shafer-Davidson, Keira Connarton, Kalea Doo and Ariana Clark. 

“The U12B plays as a team, and they were all stars tonight. We only had three subs, but the girls played with a lot of heart and pulled it out,” said coach Byran Doo. “It’s nice to win games, but the bigger life lesson is working together as a team to achieve a goal, respecting and listening to coaches, and communication. These are life skills that Waltham Youth Hockey hopes to teach kids.” 

Assistant coaches Mike Ebert and Dan Philcox helped in this effort by making practices and games fun. The goal is to help player development but keep their interest so the girls will come back next season. The U12B team will be playing its state tournament championship games in Waltham on March 20 to 22.

Every state champion team earns a banner that hangs in the rafters at Waltham’s Veterans Rink. No Waltham youth girls team has ever won the state tournament, and both groups are determined to make history. The girls of U12A and U12B can dream of walking into the rink one day, looking up, and seeing their names hanging above them — a reminder of their hard work and determination, and the fun they had playing together. 

3×3 Hockey Teams at Boston Garden Dec. 28

Three Waltham teams — the squirt boys, U10 girls and U12 girls — won the 3×3 hockey tournament held at Waltham’s Veterans Rink on Monday Dec. 8. They’ll now compete at the Boston Garden against teams from all over New England on Dec. 28.