Nauset-Monomoy Girls Make History With Program’s First Quarter Finals Berth

ORLEANS – The Nauset-Monomoy girls hockey program has reached uncharted territory.

For the first time in program history, the fourth-seeded Warriors co-op will appear in the state quarterfinals after skating to a dominant 4-0 victory over 13th-seeded Sandwich on Sunday in the second round of the Division 2 state tournament at Charles Moore Arena.

Nauset sophomore Julia Kipperman and senior Sienna Reeves tallied first-period goals, Nauset junior Sophia Boucher added a short-handed goal and Monomoy sophomore Gaby Bassett put the finishing touches on the win with an empty-net goal. Behind them, Nauset senior goaltender Olivia Avellar (34 saves) was perfect en route to a shutout.

Nauset-Monomoy coach Zach Wells said Sunday’s victory was the latest example of multiple girls being ready to make an impact.

“Even going back to the last three or four games before the playoffs, we’ve had so many different scorers,” Wells said. “The playoff mentality that we have right now is really me vs. we. What is better for me or what is better for the team. The girls are really buying into that and you can see where there are different people on the scoreboard every day.”

Nauset-Monomoy (19-2-1) will face No. 5 Algonquin (15-6-1) in the quarterfinals at 7:50 p.m. Wednesday at The Bog in Kingston.

The quarterfinal will mark the first road playoff game for the Warriors, who finished their season with an 11-0-1 record at Charles Moore Arena.

“Most of us grew up playing here,” said Avellar, an Orleans resident. “This is my 10th or 11th year playing in this rink. It’s great to have an undefeated season and go out with this win as our last home game at this rink for our three seniors.”

Reeves said the team carried out a mindset that it wasn’t going to lose at home.

“We just have that mindset that we don’t lose in our barn,” she said. “The job’s not done. I think the team knows that. We have to stay the course and just keep working hard.”

Although the team hasn’t played Algonquin this season, Wells said it will provide a challenge that is similar to other opponents the Warriors have faced.

“They are definitely a physical team,” the coach said. “They have some pretty good players. It’s definitely something we’ve seen, like Pope Francis, Bishop Feehan — teams that are bigger and stronger and have some more depth.”

Even after cementing itself as the most accomplished team in program history, Nauset-Monomoy will look to add to its story with two more crucial victories to reach the state final at the TD Garden.

“It’s the same end-goal,” Wells said. “We want to survive and advance. Our goal at the end of the season was to make it as far as possible.”