Blood nets game-winning goal as Exeter girls hockey skate off with first-round win

EXETER — Lilyan Blood led the Exeter High School girls hockey team in scoring during the regular season. 

The senior left wing picked up where she left off in Tuesday’s Division I first-round playoff game against Concord. 

Blood’s power-play goal with 11:47 left in the third period broke a 1-1 tie, and the sixth-seeded Blue Hawks skated off with a 3-1 win over No. 11 Concord at The Rinks at Exeter. 

“We’re really excited,” said Blood, a Stratham resident. “We've worked for this all season, and all the girls were hyped for this game. I am glad we were able to pull it together as a team.” 

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Blood picked up the loose puck near center ice and skated at Concord goalie Kaylee DelloIaconono. Blood flipped a wrist shot over DelloIaconono’s left shoulder and into the back of the net for the game-winning goal.

“I couldn’t believe that went in,” said Blood, who has 38 goals and 16 assists on the season. “I was really excited. It was a team effort. We all did this.” 

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Exeter (14-5) will face No. 3 Bishop Guertin on Friday in a quarterfinal game at Skate 3 Ice Arena in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. 

“(Blood) is a powerhouse,” Exeter head coach Andrea Nichols said. “She was able to take the puck and pick a corner, which is something she’s been able to do a handful of times this year. It was a great way for her to seal the deal in this game and punching us into the next round.” 

Bishop Guertin beat Exeter, 5-4 in the lone regular season meeting between the two teams. 

“I think we can pull it off,” Blood said. “We’re going to work hard the rest of this week. I think we can come together.” 

Nichols said Friday’s quarterfinal “will be a battle.” 

“It’s going to be a one- or two-goal game, and I am excited to see how the girls do," Nichols said. "We have got a few things to work on in practice, but we’ll be ready to go on Friday.” 

Exeter junior Melina Roth scored on a scrum in front of the net with 6:25 left, giving the Blue Hawks some breathing room and a 3-1 advantage.

“(Roth) was where she needed to be and put it away,” Nichols said. “It was really important to have that cushion of an extra goal. It lifted the spirits of all the girls and got the energy going.” 

Concord took a 1-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game on a goal by Callie Fortin. Concord held the lead until Exeter freshman Kaelyn Cooper buried a rebound off a Blood shot with 3:54 left in the second period. Blood skated down the left side and fired a shot on DelloIaconono. The rebound came out to Cooper in front of the net, and she scored the game-tying goal.

"I was a little worried after the first period, but the girls found a way to battle back," Nichols said. "All the girls played their hearts out. It was a fun game, and we're excited about moving on."

Exeter goalie Marie Monge saved the final 20 shots she saw. The final minute was a bit frantic as Exeter was called for a penalty with just under a minute left, and DelloIaconono was pulled, giving Concord a two-skater advantage. 

“(Monge) played unreal today,” Nichols said. “She got some confidence going and she saw the pucks pretty well. We got some girls out of the way, and she made some key saves for us.”