‘Deepest’ Nauset-Monomoy Girls Hockey Team Sets Sights On Continuing Success

ORLEANS – The Nauset-Monomoy girls hockey team is as deep as it has ever been. That’s a fact, per their line chart Saturday in the Warriors’ 2025-26 opener.

Against Pope Francis in a 4-2 loss to begin the season, Nauset-Monomoy deployed three lines and six defenders for the first time ever, according to head coach Zach Wells.

“We have the bodies that can do it,” Wells said. “Our team is deep, so we can continue to do that and wear teams down.”

The game was a great sign for a Warriors team that jumped into the matchup with Division 1 state tournament mainstay Pope Francis having played zero prior preseason scrimmages. Pope Francis got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period, but a power-play score by senior Julia Kipperman (assisted by seniors Emily Decker and Gaby Bassett) halved the gap with less than two minutes remaining.

Halfway into the second period, Kipperman, from behind the net, found Bassett in front, who put in the equalizing goal. Though Nauset-Monomoy controlled the puck in the visitors’ zone for much of the third period, Pope Francis took the lead for good with a pair of scores. 

Not having a preseason scrimmage, the Warriors had spent the previous two weeks practicing everything from fundamentals on up and felt ready to go. They showed it after the nervy first period. Wells said he’s optimistic about the team, which has a lot of skill and talent.

“Our power play executed right away,” Wells said. “That's how we got back on the board, and from a technical standpoint, the team is very solid. We move the puck in the neutral zone well. We forecheck well, and it just came down to a couple bounces and a couple goals that we should have had back, but that’s hockey.”

Nauset-Monomoy’s first unit — Bassett at center, Kipperman at right wing, Decker at left wing, junior Violet Yingling and senior Callie Murphy on defense, junior Ava O’Connell at goalie — is an experienced group. The team finished 9-9-1 last season and won a home playoff game before falling in the second round of the Division 2 state tournament. 

All six members of the Warriors’ first line on opening night were varsity players two seasons ago when Nauset-Monomoy went 17-2-1 and reached the state quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The objective is to do all that again.

“That is a huge goal for our team,” Wells said. “It's our deepest team that we've had, so we've been in the second round, we've been in the third round, we've been in the second round, and we've always been that one little small detail away from making it to the semifinal and final.”

With multi-time Cape and Islands League All-Star Bassett plus Kipperman leading the production, more playoff success feels well within reach. On the deeper lines are players who are sure to get more ice time this season compared to last; they rebounded admirably in the second and third periods Saturday.

“The expectation is really the same this year, to make it to the Garden,” Wells said. “We have the team really this year to do it, and if they can buy in and do all the right things, I don't see why they can’t in our division.”