ORLEANS – It can be difficult for a team to settle into a penalty-filled game.

The Cape Cod Furies hardly felt comfortable on Saturday when they suffered a 4-0 loss to Sandwich in a game that featured 12 penalties, with each team receiving six infractions.

“In a game that’s kind of choppy like that, it’s really hard to find some rhythm,” first-year Furies coach Zach Wells said. “Especially when you’re fighting special teams, whether it’s the power play or penalty kill.

“Some of the girls that play a lot are on the ice for those situations so they are on the ice nonstop. That can take its toll on you after a while.”

Although the Furies — a co-op program open to girls from Nauset, Monomoy and Cape Cod Tech — skated with Sandwich stride for stride during the first period, they found themselves behind in the second period after Marley Dwyer scored to give the visitors a 1-0 lead with 5:02 left in the middle period.

Katie Barrett added a second goal with 22 seconds remaining to send the Furies (8-6-1) into the locker room with a 2-0 deficit.

Sandwich (7-1-0) tacked on two more goals in the waning minutes of the third period, as Emma MacPherson and Adrianna Kelsch lit the lamp to help the Blue Knights pad their lead.

“I thought we hung in there for the most part up until the second or third period when we started to lay off the gas a little bit,” Wells said.

Although the Furies didn’t score, they did create plenty of scoring chances, especially early in the game. Forward Gaby Basset, a Monomoy freshman, was in the center of most scoring opportunities, including a breakaway bid in the first period that was saved by Sandwich goaltender Sophia Visceglio.

Wells said Basset has been the Furies’ biggest playmaker this winter.

“I tell her all the time that it’s hard for me to want to put all of that pressure on a freshman, but I think she has 23 goals this year and something in the teens for assists,” Wells said. “She needs to know that I expect certain things of her and I think she’s taken on an even greater role.”

In addition to helping the team produce points, Wells said he also counts on Basset to be a leader for the team.

“I made her an assistant captain this year, just so she knows that when she shows up to the rink, she’s expected to do her job,” he said. “No matter what everyone else is doing, I expect Gaby Basset to play her game.”

Wells said his first year has been full of “peaks and valleys,” although he’s optimistic about where the team currently stands with just a handful of regular-season games remaining.

Among the games remaining are two non-conference road tests to end the season, at Bishop Feehan and Pope Francis — two games Wells believes will help prepare his team for what awaits in the postseason.

“We’re really trying to prepare the girls for the state tournament and trying to get them mentally prepared,” Wells said. “We finish the season on the road going to Bishop Feehan and Pope Francis, which are going to be two really tough tests. I think over the next couple weeks we’re going to be battle tested, especially with this long stretch of good teams that we’ve played.

“I’m excited to see where we end up come February vacation, see where we’re ranked and get ready to play in states.”

Email Brad Joyal at brad@capecodchronicle.com. Twitter: @BradJoyal