Hingham girls get first hockey title since 2011, down Bishop Stang 5-2

Senior captain Caroline Doherty saved her best performance for last, registering a hat trick Sunday as top-ranked Hingham captured its first Div. 1 girls hockey championship since 2011 with a wild 5-2 victory over No. 15 Bishop Stang.

“For the seniors especially, we’ve all been on this team for four years,” Doherty said. “So it’s amazing. We started at this program, being in tents outside during COVID. Now we’re at the Garden. It’s so special.”

While Hingham had served as state favorite all season, Bishop Stang was in the midst of a miraculous Cinderella run, playing in its first-ever championship. While the Harborwomen (24-1-1) controlled the tempo throughout the majority of the opening period, they were met with adversity early, as sophomore Isa Rioux buried a power play goal to provide the Spartans (18-6-1) a 1-0 lead with 5:10 to go.

It only took 2:01 for Hingham to answer, as Hannah Lasch tied things at 1-all entering the first intermission.

“I don’t really think there was any doubt,” said Hingham’s Addy Garrity, one of four seniors playing their final game. “This has happened to us in the playoffs before. Whatever games we’ve had before, we’ve been able to come back.”

After struggling to put the puck past Stang freshman goaltender Vivienne Melo in the first period, the Harborwomen found a second gear behind Doherty. Less than a minute after play resumed, she skated past two defenders then potted a goal to give Hingham a 2-1 lead. She would strike again with 12:13 left, uncorking a laser shot through traffic for a 3-1 edge.

“Big players show up in big games,” said Hingham coach Courtney Turner. “She just fulfilled her legacy here, and I think really cemented it in the record books.

With about four minutes left in the game, Doherty collected the puck in the corner, then sent fans into a frenzy with her third goal. She skated toward the student section as her classmates roared. She became the sixth player in MIAA history to accomplish the feat.

“I think going out there, the adrenaline is insane,” said Doherty. “So, you just want to keep scoring.”

Garrity put a bow on the historic season for Hingham, scoring a goal with 46.4 seconds to play.

Bishop Stang added a late goal off the stick of Ashley Smith with 25.3 ticks remaining.

The title is the third in history for Hingham.

“I’m happy to be coaching here,” said Turner. “… there’s a huge culture of hockey in Hingham. Just to get back to where they were 10 or 15 years ago is great.”

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