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NORTH BILLERICA — It should take a whole lot to impress Amanda Conway considering the Methuen-Tewksbury star scored a state record 86 goals this winter. So Burlington forward Kelly Browne should feel special knowing she greatly impressed Conway here Friday. “She phenomenal,” Conway said. “Her shot’s a cannon. I’ve never seen a shot that fast in girls hockey. She (has) a better shot than I do.” Fans at Friday’s Division 2 quarterfinal contest between Tewksbury-Methuen and Burlington witnessed the Conway vs. Browne Show. The No. 1 vs. No 2. goal-scorers in the state. Both girls starred, scoring four goals apiece. But it was the freshman Browne’s squad which prevailed. No. 12 Burlington completed the 6-4 upset here at the Chelmsford Forum to advance to the semifinals. Fourth-seeded Tewksbury-Methuen’s season ended in a 15-4-1 record. These two teams never met during the regular season so it was the first time Conway ever played against Browne, who now has 54 goals this winter. The two played for the same club but at a different age level. “It’s a battle obviously just trying to get out there every shift with her so I can cover her,” Conway said. “That’s my job on my team is to cover her. She played a (heck) of a game. She’s a good player. I kind of hope they win (the tourney).” Conway, a Methuen High senior, might be headed for a post-graduate year at Worcester Academy. She’s still waiting to hear from admissions. Asked about her sensational career, she replied, “I’m happy with what I’ve done. I mean, I wish I could have done more, but whatever happens, happens. You’ve just got to go with it. “I think we did everything we could. There’s not much more we can (do). We tried our best.” Julia Swarbrick scored Burlington’s other two goals. Swarbrick gave her team a 4-3 edge with 1:09 remaining in the second period and with three seconds left on a power play. The Red Rangers tried to clear the puck but Swarbrick caught the puck at the blue line, dropped it to the ice and drilled in a slap shot. “That was a great shot,” Conway said. “(Goalie) Kaia (Hollingsworth) didn’t even see it so I don’t expect her to stop that. I don’t know, I guess I could have blocked it but there’s only so much you can do.” Conway tied it early in the third period but Swarbrick made it 5-4 and then Browne scored an empty netter to seal it. Red Rangers coach Arianna Rigano enjoyed watching the Conway vs. Browne Show. “It was phenomenal matchup,” Rigano said. “It’s like when either one of those girls have the puck, no matter who’s around them, no matter how many defenders are against them, you know they’re kind of capable of anything.”

Conway’s Career 204 career goals: 2nd state history; 1st Colleen Sanborn (Woburn ‘05) 206 5 vs. 3: Sanborn played 5 years, Conway played 3 86: Goals this year, a state record 66: Old girls mark, set by Conway last year 81: Boys record set by Pittsfield’s P.J. Murphy in 1976 Source: Masshshockey.com

Amanda Conway had the hat trick including an empty netter with about two minutes left to seal it as Tewksbury-Methuen beat Fontbonne 3-1 in the Division 1 first round. The late goal came from inside her own blue line. Kaia Hollingsworth, the 7th grade goalie, made 33 saves and was "absolutely phenomenal," said Red Ranger coach Arianna Rigano. She stopped a breakaway shortly before Conway's clincher. Defensively Kat LeFebre and Niamh Cote "played high minutes and were outstanding."

Jessica Leone scored with seven minutes left but No. 4 Watertown-Belmont held on to beat Andover 2-1 in a Division 1 first round game.

Andover coach Kevin Drew said, "We had plenty of chances at the end. We just missed. It came down to the last second."

The Phillips Academy girls hockey team held Cushing to 16 shots in a 3-0 win. Charlotte Welch had two goals and an assist for the Big Blue, who improved to 14-7-2.

Amanda Conway scored six more goals, giving her 77 on the year, as Methue/Tewksbury's girls hockey team whipped Concord-Carlisle 9-1.

Michaela Kane had 26 saves and registered her third shutout as the Haverhill-North Andover-Pentucket girls hockey team blanked Lincoln-Sudbury 3-0, improving its record to 12-2-3.

Tewksbury-Methuen's Amanda Conway scored seven goals Wednesday in an 8-2 win over Boston Latin to break her own single-season state girls hockey record.
The Methuen High senior now has 67 goals, one more than last winter.  And she has at least four games left ... 3 regular season then the state tourney.
The Red Rangers improved to 11-3-1.
Conway has one more major record in her sights. The state career record, according to masshshockey.com, is 206 by Colleen Sanborn, a 2005 Woburn High grad. Of course, she did it in four years while the Tewksbury-Methuen coop team has only been around for three years. Still, Conway has 185 goals (52, 66, 67).
Third-year assistant coach Dan Merry filled in last night for head coach Arianna Rigano, who had to work at her school's parent-teacher conference.
Merry said of Conway, "She has tremendous hands to go along with tremendous speed. Her third attribute is her battery. Her energy. She could almost play the entire game."
When you put up those improbable scoring numbers, she couldn't be playing defense, right?
Merry quickly shot down that theory.
"She makes a concerted effort to play defense, too. Absolutely she plays defense."
When asked if Conway showed anything new Wednesday, Merry said, "Pretty much every game she's done something I've never seen before from here. Every game she does something a little different, a little new."
Merry said don't overlook her leadership either.
"The coaches would agree is the best thing is how she has grown as a person," said Merry. "She's a two-year captain. And it's a very, very young team with a lot of 6th graders and 7th graders."

Goals in a season
Name School Year Goals
Amanda Conway Tewks-Methuen 2015 67
Amanda Conway Tewks-Methuen 2014 66
Brittany Lyons Canton 2008 60

Career Goals
Name School Grad Goals
Colleen Sanborn Woburn 2005 206
Sara York Watertown 2002 203
Brittany Lyons Canton 2008 196
Brittani Lanzilli St. Mary's 2014 187
Amanda Conway Tewks-Methuen 2015 185

Source: masshshockey.com

Katherine Capobianco broke up a play at center ice, took it into the zone and passed off to Amanda Regan. She then fired a pass threw three defenders to Tess Higgins, who finished the goal midway through the second to give HPNA a 1-0 win over Boston Latin.

Playing with the flu, Caroline Hughes set up Hannah Littlewood for the go-ahead goal with just over five minutes left, then potted the insurance score on an empty-netter in the final minute to lead Andover past Billerica 2-0.

Tewksbury-Methuen dumped Weston-Wayland 9-2. Amanda Conway tallied five more goals while Hayley McCarthy and Carolyn Curley added two each and Curley also picked up three assists.