The Concord girls’ hockey team returned to the final four for the first time since 2020 when they beat Hanover, for the first time in program history, in the semifinal. This time around, in their home arena, the Tide faced a very tough Hanover team (15-4) that started hot and finished strong to win, 11-2, on Tuesday night.

The No. 2 Crimson Tide (15-5) had a good season, one of its best in recent years, and it was thanks to the experience and talent that they nurtured over time. Many of Concord’s seniors’ varsity careers came to an end, and in upsetting fashion, but head coach Kate Billings hopes the girls take pride in the successes of the program this year and that the learning experiences will remain with the underclassmen for years to come.

“I think there’s talent here in Concord. The problem that we find is that girls don’t come to Concord High, they go to a prep school and play hockey, which I totally understand, but it’s trying to keep those girls here in Concord, like Brooke (Nelson), and playing for their school because there’s nothing like the pride of playing in front of your home crowd like this,” Billings said.

The first period was very difficult for the Tide, who conceded four goals, three of them from Hanover freshman forward Katharine Moseley who shot all three into the top right corner with a clear view of the net. Moseley would go on to score one more goal after the hat trick. Sophomore forward Casey Wilkinson also scored four for the Bears.

Senior forward Claire Brown scored the Tide’s first goal early in the second period, 23 seconds in, with a nifty one-on-one play where she took a note from Moseley and shot with power into the top right corner. Her goal was set up by a great cross-ice pass by junior Addison Twyon.

Brown was one of Concord’s top offensive threats all season, and try as they might, the Bears could not keep her down even when Concord was down by multiple goals as she managed to get another four shots on goal.

Late in the second period after another flurry of Hanover goals, they received two cross-checking penalties which gave Concord a five-on-three power play for a minute and 27 seconds, but Hanover’s defense remained strong and only allowed two shots by the Tide. The game became more physical, and Concord brought energy, but with the wide margin, the Tide struggled to connect against a relentless Hanover team.

Senior goalie Kaylee DelloIacono made several saves in the game and was forced to move around the most she has had to all season, but the Bears’ ability to find open space, coupled with the power and accuracy of their shots, was overwhelming. 

“It’s a team effort, our goaltender played well. This was only her like truly her second year playing in that (position), and look how well she’s done for us,” coach Billings said.

Sophomore forward Brooke Nelson, another stalwart piece of Concord’s offense this season, scored one last goal for the Tide in the last minute of the game, assisted by junior Elliana Wing. This second long-awaited goal was cheered for loudly in Everett Arena.

With the victory, the Bears will face Oyster River-Portsmouth in Saturday’s championship game at SNHU Arena in Manchester. Hanover has won 13 of 17 NHIAA girls’ hockey state titles, including last year’s championship with a 2-1 victory over Oyster River-Portsmouth.

“When you look at New Hampshire girls’ high school hockey, it fluctuates from year to year. So if you get a couple of good players in, then you could shoot right to the top and I felt like this was one of our years,” Billings added. “That doesn’t diminish the hard work that other people have put in, but it’s pretty clear that Brooke (Nelson) and Claire Brown have made a big impact on the team this year.”

It’s safe to say that despite not reaching the championship, this season was a success for Concord. The girls squashed opponents night in and night out with solid defense and skillful offense. Billings said that many of the girls have seen the hard work it takes to be the best and beat the best, and the Crimson Tide girls will continue to pour it in to come back to this stage and pick up where they left off.

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com