Doherty displays dominance as Highlanders open Division 2 state playoffs with rout

WORCESTER — It was D as in Doherty, and D as in dominant.

The 10^th-seeded Highlanders controlled the midfield, created quality scoring opportunities and, most importantly, displayed a fine finishing touch as they defeated No. 23 Burlington, 7-0, on Thursday night in a Division 2 state field hockey tournament first-round game at frosty O’Connell Field.

“We were ready to play,” fifth-year coach Meg Brunelle said. “This is a different part of the year, where it’s win or go home. We’re amped up and we’re excited and we’re thrilled to be here.”

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The Highlanders improved to 16-3 and advanced to the second round of the state tourney for the third straight year. They’ll meet the winner of Friday’s game between seventh-seeded Hopkinton and 26^th-seeded Middleborough at a time, date and place to be determined.

Burlington finished 5-12 after being shut out for the ninth time this season. The Red Devils qualified for postseason play thanks to a sturdy strength of schedule that ranked 10^th out of the 52 teams in D2.

“I feel like it was a special win,” senior forward Hannah Murray said after potting four goals. “It could be one of our last games on our home turf, so coming in here we were all excited and ready, pumped after the practice (Wednesday).”

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The foundation for the Highlanders’ latest victory was laid at midfield.

The trio of senior Kathryn Brophy and juniors Casey Coyle and Ameila Feliciti stymied nearly every attempt by the Red Devils to enter Doherty territory and were able to ignite an offense that scored four goals in a span of 26 minutes from late in the first quarter to early in the third.

“We’re always on our toes,” Brophy said. “We step to the ball. We’ve been working on it in practice throughout the season and we keep getting better and better. It’s really about the aggressiveness and the connection of our team.

“We’re all really close on and off the field, so I think that really helps. And, yeah, stepping to the ball and staying aggressive, looking up for each other for the those passes and we just connect that way to get it up and into the circle.”

The Highlanders finished with an 18-3 edge in penalty corners, scoring three goals off the set plays with junior Marissa Smachetti assisting on two of them.

Sophomore Sarah Defusco converted on a nifty spin move off a rebound of her own shot ‒ courtesy of a long feed from Murray ‒ to open the scoring with 5:46 left in the first period before Feliciti doubled the lead 1:40 into the second with her 19^th strike of the season.

Murray, who cut loose with a number of blistering shots in the early going only to be denied, then pocketed the next four goals for the Highlanders, the first coming on a penalty corner as time expired in the opening half to make it 3-0. She displayed nifty stick work and a hard, accurate shot during the scoring spree that spanned 25 minutes.

“I feel like just sticking with it, not getting down on yourself if you make a mistake,” Murray said of not getting frustrated in the early going. “Always looking at the next play and forgetting about what happened.”

Murray, a stellar student committed to the admissions process at Tufts University, has a Central Mass.-best 36 goals this season. That’s one more than last year when this four-year starter became a two-time T&G Super Team selection.

Brunelle estimated Murray, who has already bettered the school record of 142 career points previously held by her sister, Elle, has 175-plus points.

“She’s a magnet to the ball and makes things happen,” Brunelle said. “She’s a magician.”

Sophomore Caleigh Moriarty closed out the scoring with 3:46 while junior goalie Brenna McGuire preserved the shutout when she was called on to make her only save, with less than two minutes to play and reserves for both teams patrolling the turf.

—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Doherty's Hannah Murray scores four as Highlanders roll to open D2 state playoffs