BOURNE — In an offensive juggernaut of a game, Nauset (5-5; 3-1) broke a 3-3 deadlock 1:03 into overtime to seal a thrilling 4-3 victory over Cape and Islands foe Sandwich on Sunday at Gallo Arena.
Senior Julia Kipperman wristed home the game-winner with a zig-zag, right-to-left and back to the right slot in the extra stanza and had a hand in all four goals for the Warriors by adding three assists to lead the way.
Kipperman’s goal helped Nauset continue their torrid streak of four wins in a row after starting the season slowly out of the gates at 1-5 overall.
“We’ve had a few overtime games now over the last couple of years, and I didn’t even know they existed last year,” Nauset head coach Zach Wells said. “So, it is really the one-shot mentality where it’s every shot on the net, especially in that window. It’s an opportunity to go for it, so we were not going to pass up anything inside the dots.”
The temperature was hot in the first quarter as the teams combined to exchange 22 shots on goal, and when the dust settled in the crease, the game was tied, 2-2.
Sierra Mulready got the tally party started for Sandwich (3-6; 2-1) with a simple wrister dump pass from the blue line and the freshman defender found the back of the net with a bouncer early at 14:11 of the first.
But Nauset answered quickly on the next shift on their end as Gaby Bassett scored just outside the left face-off circle on a cross-ice pass from Kipperman.
It looked like the Warriors were ready to run away with things as Kipperman hit Sabrina Bassett with a carbon-copy pass and Nauset had the 2-1 lead at 9:41 of the first.
But Sandwich settled down on defense and junior captain Casey Pestilli (team-high seven goals on the season) netted the first of her two goals at 7:47 of the first in a wild first period of play.
“(Julia) has been our go-to this year – her and Gabby. They lead the team with ten goals apiece through the first ten games,” Wells said. “You always want the hot stick on the ice.”
Both teams exchanged goals in the second period as Nauset took the 3-2 lead with a power-play goal at 2:10 from Maeve Kennally, but the Knights were right in line with the see-saw battle as Pestilli netted the equalizer just 1:08 later to end the period knotted 3-3.
Kipperman had a doorstep chance just outside the crease for the game-winner in regulation, but rattled the left post with 3:20 remaining in the third period. But despite three power-play opportunities in the final period, Sandwich could not muster a lead as Nauset’s penalty kill unit shined throughout the game to hold the Warriors scoreless (0-for-5 on the power play) and Kipperman finished the job in extra time.
“The first four games this season, eight of the thirteen goals we allowed were on power plays. So, for the last few weeks we have really, really been trying to get our penalty kill dialed in because in these tight games, especially as you move into the playoffs, special teams win games,” Wells said. “It’s just like that in any level of hockey. If you have a good power play unit – and we executed on the power play today – our penalty kill doesn’t give up a lot of goals so that’s how you take games.”
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