Medfield Girls Hockey End Season in Heartbreaking Fashion in Shootout Loss to Walpole

The Medfield girls varsity hockey team ended their season in heartbreaking fashion Wednesday night in the Preliminary Round of the MIAA DII Tournament.

The Warriors lost, 2-1, in a shootout after Medfield's senior goalie Mimi Borkan stoned the Rebels throughout most of the game.

“It was a heart attack,” said Rebels head coach Joe Verberder. “When you run into a goalie, in playoff time goalies can steal the show and she almost did. She was phenomenal. She was lights out.”

Walpole attacked the net throughout the game only to be turned away time and again.

Verberder said they tallied over 50 saves made by Borkan during the game.

The only two to trickle past were by junior defensemen Jennafer Donahue, including the game winner.

“We threw all kinds of shots at her, all different opportunities and we couldn’t find the back of the net,” Verberder said.

The Warriors struck first with a goal by junior Jesse O'Loughlin with 2:08 to play in the second period.

Donahue tied the game with her first goal with 12:53 to go in the third period.

The two teams played another 27:53 hard fought minutes through overtime before heading into the shootout.

Fans from both sides were on their feet cheering as both goalies made five stops apeice in the shootout before Donahue capped off the win for the Lady Rebels with her second goal of the game stick-side past Borkan.

"I've been the coach for three years and that was the best game that I have seen in the past three years," said Medfield head coach Molly Norton. "It was amazing. Everybody left everything on the ice. I couldn't have asked them to play any harder. They gave it their all, they just came up short in the shootout."

"It's a very difficult way to lose the game, especially to end your season. But they've all got to hang their heads [high], there's nothing to be ashamed about," she said.

The Warriors ended their season 10-8-3.