Quincy/North Quincy girls hockey star Maggie Lynch about to rewrite program's record book

BRIDGEWATER -- Talk about making a good first impression.

Maggie Lynch once scored 50 goals as a freshman for the Quincy/North Quincy girls hockey co-op team -- a debut scoring binge that represented 40 percent of the program's all-time goals record.

Two years later, she's almost there.

Lynch struck twice Wednesday at Bridgewater Ice Arena, and even though it wasn't enough to overcome red-hot Pembroke in a 4-2 loss, it did bring her to the doorstep of history. Her two goals gave her 35 on the season and 123 for her career. She's two away from tying Cassandra Davis' career Q/NQ record and could very well be alone in first place after Saturday night's game against Stoughton at Canton Ice House.

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"She's probably the most skilled player I've ever coached in the program, and I've had some good ones," said Q/NQ coach Jeff Craig, who's been at the helm for seven seasons. "(She excels in) all areas of the ice. It's not just end-to-end speed, it's small-area (quickness) and knifing through people. When it looks like nothing's there, she can make something happen real quick. Definitely the best hands of anybody I've ever coached."

"She was always good," linemate Maddie Bailey raved, "but every year she just keeps getting better and better."

Lynch, a 5-foot-5 junior center, said she never really imagined herself atop the career scoring list, even after her jaw-dropping rookie season in 2019-20 when she set the single-season goals record. She knows it's coming, but she's approaching the impending milestone with somewhat of a shrug.

"It's special," she said, "but my teammates have helped me throughout the way; they give me the passes."

Asked how she might celebrate when she breaks the mark, she said, "I don't know, probably something with my team."

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That low-key attitude is par for the course, according to Craig.

"She's such a good teammate, always thinking about other kids," he said. "She's humble. You wouldn't know that she's scored so many goals. You would have no clue by talking to her. She wants other people to take the credit; she's all about her teammates. Pretty special kid."

Lynch's reputation preceded her on Wednesday, so Pembroke (9-5) was well aware of how much damage she could do.

"She's a very, very good player," said Titans coach Bill Flynn, whose team has won seven of its last eight. "She's tough to handle. She's always on the go, her feet are always moving. She shoots the puck really well. Anytime the puck is on her stick she's a threat to score. She's that type of player -- you have to keep an eye on her at all times."

Lynch opened the scoring four minutes into the game with a backhand finish in transition. Linemate Chloe Melchin sprung her with a chip pass into the neutral zone after Pembroke turned the puck over just inside the offensive blue line.

Lynch had several breakaways, grazing the post on one chance and being denied by goaltender Kaleigh Murphy on some other chances.

"I just try to make a quick move on the defense, get the girl moving and try to get around her," Lynch said of her approach to rushes.

Pembroke scored the next three goals with freshman center Jen Birolini netting two (she has 16 on the season) and sophomore defenseman Ava Dunphy finding the net for the first time on varsity. Lynch struck again late in the the third, swatting in a rebound of her own shot to pull Q/NQ within 3-2, but Pembroke's Hannah D'Angelo answered two minutes later for the final margin.

"Our defense did a good job stick-checking her and angling her to the outside," Flynn said of Lynch. "She likes to get to the middle and really shoot the puck from the middle of the ice. If we can keep her out of the middle and at least give our goalie a chance on the angles, it works a lot better for us. For the most part we did that tonight."

Defense continues to be Pembroke's calling card; the Titans have surrendered only 24 goals in 14 games and have held 11 of their last 12 opponents to two or fewer goals.

"We're goal-scoring-challenged at times," Flynn said, "but our defense has done a really good job all year."

Q/NQ, too, has tightened up defensively after allowing six or more goals three times in its first five games. Jeff Craig credits assistant coach Kyle Craig, his nephew, with helping in that regard. Kyle Craig, who works with the defensemen, played at Franklin Pierce.

"It's much better," Jeff Craig said. "It took us a while to get going at the beginning of the year. As a team positionally we're getting to the right areas in our end. Our defense has been great over this last stretch. It gives us a chance to win every game. We'll get our goals ... but we've got to keep the goal totals down as a team."

With Lynch and seniors Bailey (23 goals) and Orla O'Driscoll on board, Q/NQ (8-7) is never lacking for offense. The co-op is averaging five goals per game with Lynch and Bailey providing a potent 1-2 punch on the first line.

"It's awesome," Bailey said of playing with Lynch. "She feeds great passes. She's always open, ready for a shot, yelling my name. She's awesome to play with."

"Maddie and I work well together," Lynch agreed. "We trust one another."

Jeff Craig originally had O'Driscoll and Lynch playing together last season but decided to split them up to get better balance in the lineup. Q/NQ finished 9-4-1.

"We had fewer kids last year so I couldn't just load up" on the first line, he said. "And it worked for us last year; we had a good season. Then Bailey and Lynch just took off together (this season), to where they know where each other is all the time on the ice. Everything's quick, all the passing is quick. The communication is great. It's like they've played together their whole lives. As a tandem they've taken off."

Now Q/NQ is hoping the duo can launch the co-op into a deep playoff run. Craig's team was ranked 18th in the latest MIAA Division 1 power rankings. (Pembroke is No. 8 in Div. 2.) Q/NQ hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2016-17, but with a better commitment to defense, some top-level snipers and a deeper roster, hopes are high.

"We had some lean years there (in terms of roster size), but I feel like we're at a point now where we have a nice, healthy program," Jeff Craig said. "We're in good shape. This is where we wanted to be; this is where I wanted us to be when I took over. Hopefully we can keep it going."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: GIRLS HOCKEY: Quincy/NQ's Maggie Lynch inches closer to scoring mark