The girls varsity hockey team lost 2-0 to Braintree High School on Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Walter Brown Arena, making Brookline’s record 2-10-0.

The crowd erupted in shouts as the game started with a face-off by senior captain and center Julia Janowski. The starting lineup also consisted of sophomore Isabella Paes and senior Graycen Davis as forwards and seniors Riley Lackey and Jenna Roseto as defenders.

The first period began strongly for the Warriors with Davis hitting the puck into the Braintree half. Immediately, the puck slid towards the neutral zone and towards Brookline’s court. A Braintree player attempted a shot, but it was blocked by Roseto.

The puck then slid towards the rink boards with Braintree attempting to score once again by centering the puck. Senior and goalie Rozalin Carew-Lyons then pinned and blocked the puck, stopping it from entering the goal.

With about three minutes left in the first period, freshman and forward Caroline Hughes passed the puck across the neutral zone and into Braintree’s court. A Braintree forward took control of the puck and gained the blue line on the attack end, shooting and successfully scoring. The first period ended with the score being 1-0 with Braintree in the lead.

The second period started with Janowski leading another face-off. Four minutes into the period, sophomore and defender Etta Reed hit and retrieved the puck along the boards. Reed skated with the puck, gaining the blue line and firing a shot that was blocked by the Braintree goalie.

Seven minutes into the second period, Paes chased one of Braintree’s defenders. The defender then made a backhanded pass, receiving uncertainty over whether the puck crossed the line, but it was determined that Braintree had scored another goal.

Brookline made multiple attempts to score and simultaneously defend their own goal from Braintree’s aggressive offense during the final period. Carew-Lyons also successfully blocked several shots from Braintree.

In the final minute of the game, Brookline’s goal was left unguarded as the team dedicated one extra player to the fight for a last minute goal.

Brookline called a timeout with only 12.2 seconds left in the period. The team huddled together for a minute and then dispersed back onto the rink, resuming the game with a fierce and desperate last play to no avail.

The buzzer sounded and a short pushing match beside the Braintree goal broke out between two Braintree players and one Brookline player, prompting a series of gasps and angry protests from the stands. The referees quickly resolved the conflict and both teams came together in two lines to bump fists, wishing each other a good game.

Head coach Nick Sama said that he was satisfied with the team’s performance against Braintree, whose team is ranked second in the state for Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division II girls hockey.

“We played them toe-to-toe right until the final whistle, and I think our team—with the amount of effort, heart and desire that we showed throughout the day—was pretty impressive,” Sama said.

Janowski said the Warriors played with spirit and that she is content with the game’s outcome.

“I think the main thing from today is we all played with a lot of heart, which I think made the difference. Braintree is a top 10 team in the state right now, and, as it’s known, we’re pretty low, so only a two goal lead for them was pretty big for us,” Janowski said.

Despite the loss, Sama said that he is proud of the team for their perseverance throughout the season.

“We’ve been competitive in all the games, and we’re continuing to get better. That was our goal from the beginning of the year and we’ve been able to accomplish that,” Sama said. “I’m really proud of this team.”