The girls varsity hockey team scored early and often en route to a dominant 6-1 win over visiting Millbrook on Jan. 23.
Jillian Mazzocca ’19 led the way for the Bearcats (8-1-2) with three goals, including two in the first period as the team jumped out to an early lead and cruised to victory.
Also scoring for Hotchkiss were Gianna Bruno ’19, Emily Ferguson ’20, and Hyla Mosher ’19 (who also tallied an assist). The Bearcats controlled possession and peppered the Mustang goalie all day, outshooting their opponents 40-9 over three periods. Mazzocca (9), Ferguson (7), and Sandrine Brien ’20 (6) led the team in shots.
Goalie Maggie Hatch ’21 saved six of seven chances before giving way to Britney Burns ’20 midway through the second period. Burns saved both of her shots on goal.
The win is the team’s third in a row, and they are currently riding a seven-game unbeaten streak stretching all the way back to the PKO tournament in December.
The Bearcats announced their presence with authority, scoring their first two goals in less than five minutes. Ferguson banged home a rebound shot at 14:34, and Mazzocca followed with a hard slap shot at 11:16 to give the team a 2-0 lead.
Mosher added another goal just 90 seconds later, banging home her own rebound in front of the net to push the margin out to 3-0.
Millbrook clawed back at the end of the period, during a 4-on-3 power play, slipping a puck past Hatch at close range. But Mazzocca restored the three-goal margin less than a minute later, taking a pass from Maggie Ottenbreit ’20 and burying the one-timer.
The second period would be marked largely by penalties, with the two teams combining for five minors (and nine overall for the game). Hotchkiss would add its fifth goal at 10:12, with Bruno taking a rebound from Jelani Adorno ’20 and firing it into the net for a 5-1 lead.
The third period was relatively quiet for both teams, with the highlight coming at 11:05 when Mazzocca completed her hat trick. With the Bearcats on the power play, she received a pass from Mosher and scored on a hard shot from center ice.
