The girls varsity hockey team fought their way to a scrappy 2-0 victory against the Wellesley Raiders on Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Warrior Ice Arena.

The Warriors came out strong, winning the starting face-off and setting the stage for a competitive first period. The Raiders dominated possession but were held back by a strong defensive performance from the Warriors.

Following the ten-minute break and heading into the second period, both teams came out strong, fighting intensely on the opening faceoff. Halfway through an aggressive second period, sophomore and forward Selena Charbonneau scored the first goal of the game.

Charbonneau said it was a great moment, especially after the Warriors had lost to the Raiders the year before.

“It felt really good, and I feel like it really brought a lot of energy to the game,” Charbonneau said.

The Raiders doubled their efforts to score, but were continuously stopped by the strong Warrior defense and several key saves from sophomore and goalie Jaclyn Solovey.

The Warriors struggled to retain possession of the puck but continued to pressure the Raiders offensively finishing out the period 1-0, Warriors.

Despite the Raiders attempt at gaining momentum, they were shut down as senior and forward Birdie Hawkins got a fastbreak immediately after the whistle. She secured the first breakaway of the period, establishing the momentum for a Warrior-dominated third period.

The Raiders attempted to fight back, but Solovey continued to make crucial saves that prevented the Raiders from mounting a comeback.

The Raiders pulled their goalie around the minute mark, subbing in an extra forward to create a six-on-five situation in a desperate attempt to catch up to the Warriors’ 1-0 lead.

Senior and forward Shayna Chin sealed the fate of the game, scoring on an empty net with 23 seconds left on the clock, bringing the Warriors to a 2-0 lead. The clock ran out soon after and the Warriors defeated the Raiders 2-0.

Forward, senior and captain Izzy Paes expressed her desire to keep the Warriors’ win streak alive.

“I think we have the momentum now that we’ve won,” Paes said. “To just keep on doing it, winning throughout the rest of the season, having a streak of winning and working hard is the goal.”