On Wednesday, February 13, the Kent School girls varsity hockey team took on Hotchkiss at home. This game was not only the last home game for the Lions but also Senior Night. Portraits and posters of all of the seniors on the team were hung proudly along the glass in the rink. The energy and vibe were impressive and strong.

During the first period of the game, both teams were held at a stalemate. Luisa Welcke ’21, a new student to Kent, had a penalty shot on the Hotchkiss goalie after being tripped. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to score and the girls finished the first period 0-0.

Although Kent started down one player in the second period due to a penalty, the girls came out with guns blazing. A few minutes into the period, Meara Burns ’19 had a beautiful pass to Lilli Welcke ’21 to score the first goal of the game. The crowd erupted with cheers as the girls celebrated.

Half-way through the period, Welcke chipped the puck into the goal and the girls started dominating Hotchkiss 2-0. Kent finished the game 3-0 after Ally Thanassi ’20 scored off a rebound. Throughout the third period, Kent stayed on top and did not lose their intensity. The girls played with everything they had and kept the puck in Hotchkiss’s zone for the majority of the game.

Talking with Coach Rousseau after the game, he commented, “I think it was our best performance of the year. Keeping them scoreless was important.” Although this was their last home game, the season is definitely not close to over. Their team goal is to “make it to playoffs and win the whole thing” Julia DiNapoli ’19 says.

Coach Rousseau concluded by explaining, “It’s easy but risky to get too far ahead of ourselves. We’ve done really well taking each day at a time. The goal now is to keep having great practices and keep preparing for our future opponents. Every day we strive to get 1% better.”