Ninth-grade goalie makes 23 saves
in varsity debut
Post-Bulletin staff
A good varsity debut by a freshman goalkeeper wasn’t quite enough to lift the Rochester Mayo girls hockey team to victory in its season opener Thursday night.
Chaska downed Mayo 3-0 in a non-conference game at Graham Arena No. 1.
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Mayo goalie Rebecca Graham made 23 saves in her first varsity start, but the youthful Spartans weren’t able to muster any offensive support.
"For being in her first varsity game against a good metro team, and to have 23 saves, I thought Graham played very well, better than I expected," Mayo head coach Jeff Phillips said.
Mayo actually put some pressure on Chaska with 23 shots on goal. Phillips said the game was closer than the final score.
"We were competitive with them all the way through; the time in the zone was probably about the same," Phillips said. "They just put the puck in the net and we didn’t."
Phillips, a second-year head coach, is working with a young roster comprising many freshmen and eighth-graders. He said the offense will take more time to develop.
"We’re hoping our goalies can keep us competitive for a while at the start," he said.
Mayo is off next week. The Spartans’ next game is Nov. 25 at Faribault.
