By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

WEST WARWICK - In three of its previous four games, the Mount St. Charles girls’ hockey team has had to come back to avoid suffering its first Division I loss of the season.
Not this time. Not against a team like Bay View.
The Bengals got the momentum started early, scoring less than two minutes into the game, and the defense did their part in keeping the Mounties away from the net, in a 2-1 victory at the West Warwick Civic Center.
“Definitely the difference for us is we knew we had to play our game,” said Bay View coach Karen Emma Walsh. “Up until now, we fought back and forth (with teams), more running around. Today they came out and they knew that they had to be focused, they had to play their positions and they had to play defense. When every player does that the game changes.”
The victory by the Bengals upped their record to 8-1-0 and puts them just three points behind the Mounties, who are 8-0-2 in the standings.
“They came out and they were ready to play us,” said MSC head coach Amy Maguire. “We knew it was going to be a hard fought game and they have players that can move the puck.”
Bay View established its ground from the very beginning. Just 1:53 into the first period, the Bengals’ Caroline Baruch lit the lamp. Mount St. Charles appeared as though it scored the equalizer with time winding down in the period, but Lauren Deguire’s shot from outside the crease hit the crossbar and ricocheted across to the other crossbar, never making its way over the line.
“It hit, went straight across and never crossed the line,” Maguire said. “One of my players, one out of the four, knew that it didn’t go in. She kept playing but everyone else was still celebrating.”
Maguire felt that the Bengals were a little more focused at the start of the game.
“We came out slower,” she said “We didn’t come out fired up. We’d throw the puck on net and then watch. They didn’t crash the net. They picked it up but it was too little, too late.”
The two squads battled through a scoreless second period and then Bay View was able to score the eventual game-winner, albeit by accident. With less than three minutes left in the contest, the Bengals took a shot from the right circle that MSC goalie Kayla DiLorenzo (23 saves) made a nice stop. On the clear attempt, just two ticks later, junior Jane Baruch got hold of the puck and unleashed a shot that bounced off a Mount player and into the net.
The Mounties’ avoided the shut out with 26 seconds remaining when freshman Lauren Levesque scored.
“They were right there,” said Maguire, about her squad. “They didn’t give up. They were screaming and cheering and trying to get everybody up. A couple more minutes, I think. It’s always a couple more minutes.”
Bay View’s defense, led by junior Katie Collucci, was a big part of the Mounties’ frustration. The Bengals were able to keep Mount away from scoring five times while shorthanded and provided limited shot opportunities.
The contest was the second between the two schools. In their last meeting, Mount defeated the Bengals, 2-0, on Jan. 3. They’ll be back at it again next Saturday, Feb. 3, at Adelard Arena.
“It’s a great competition,” Walsh said. “It’s always a great game when we play Mount. The kids look forward to it.”
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MSC 0 0 1 - 1
Bay View 1 0 1 - 2
First period - 1. B, Caroline Baruch (Alex Briody, Georgie Gouin) 13:07.
Penalties - B, 2-3.
Second period - No scoring. Penalties - B, 2-3. M, 1-1:30.
Third period - 2. B, Jane Baruch (Kiley Colluci, Bethany Fogarty) 2:48. 3. MSC, Lauren Levesque  :26. Penalties - B, 2-3. M, 1-1:30.
Saves - MSC, Kayla DiLorenzo 23. BV, Meghan McGhie 27. Shots - MSC 28. BV 25.