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Milford Girls Hoops Earns First Playoff Win in 17 Years

By Chris Villani Sports Reporter/Columnist · March 12, 2018

The Milford High School girls' basketball team saw its 2017-2018 campaign come to an end with a second-round tournament loss against Groton-Dunstable, but head coach T.J. Dolliver said the 13-win season that included a milestone victory was one to be proud of for his team.
"I think we had a successful season as a whole," Dolliver said. "We wish we were still playing, but for the most part we accomplished our goals of making the playoffs and winning a playoff game."
Milford finished the regular season 12-8 and posted an 8-8 record in the Hockomock League. Despite dealing with an 11-day layoff between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, the Scarlet Hawks were able to score a decisive tournament win on the road, beating Worcester Burncoat 63-27.
The postseason victory was the first for the Scarlet Hawks program since 2001, before many of the current MHS players were even born.
"The girls played very well in our first tournament game," Dolliver said. "It was not an easy gym to play in, but they played together and we were able to win."
MHS came up short in a neutral site game against GD, falling 62-38. Seniors Kate Irwin and Jess Tomaso scored eight points apiece in the loss, and the ninth-seeded Hawks year came to an end with a 13-9 overall record.
Irwin caps a career that saw her become just the second MHS girl to score 1,000 points. Fellow seniors Tomaso, Kate Lobisser, Juliana Tracy, Gillian Valanzola, Emily Piergustavo, and Julie Rabinowitz similarly left an indelible mark on the program.
"The seniors are going to be missed for sure, they have put a lot into this program and I can't thank them enough for everything they have done," Dolliver said. "They have paved the way for future girls in our program and have set high standards going forward. They are all moving on to bigger and better things and I wish them the best of luck in the future."