ORLEANS — Over the past few years, the Cape Cod Furies girls hockey co-op team has blossomed from a start-up program open to girls from Nauset, Monomoy and Cape Cod Tech into one of the more prominent programs on the Cape.

Although the team had garnered respect from its peers around the area and beyond, the Furies were still in search of validation through one measure: a postseason win.

It was a long time coming.

This year’s squad comprised of girls from Monomoy and Nauset achieved that milestone on March 1, when the team captured its first-ever postseason victory with a 2-0 win over Reading in the opening round of the Division 1 state tournament.

“As soon as we got the lead, I knew from experience, we weren’t going to let it up,” first-year Furies coach Zach Wells said. “We haven’t lost a single game this year coming off of a lead — the first goal scored — and that wasn’t going to change today.”

Nauset sophomore Sophia Boucher, an Orleans resident, scored both goals for the Furies, while Nauset junior goaltender Olivia Avellar, another Orleans resident, made 28 saves to secure the shutout between the pipes.

Although the Furies ultimately lost their next game — a 4-0 defeat to Notre Dame Academy — earning the first postseason win in program history is a springboard the team will look to build on next season.

The result was especially gratifying against Reading, which earned a 1-0 win over the Furies in last year’s opening round.

“One of the things I said in the locker room before the game was, ‘Last year I gave you guys a pass because you were eighth-graders and freshmen who had never played in this environment,’” Wells said of his pregame message. “‘But now, we only lost two or three players from last year; everyone’s been here, there are no excuses. It’s your game to either win or lose. If you want to be the better team, you need to play like it.’”

Wells credited his players’ preparation for the opening-round win, noting that it was clear the team was ready to go before the puck dropped.

“I got a text from [Avellar] this morning that said she was ready to go, so I didn’t even have to bother with [her],” the coach said. “As a leader and a captain and competitor, Olivia is a person you want to build a team around. These girls rally around her. When she’s ready to go, the team is ready to go. I didn’t think she was letting in a goal tonight.”

Boucher said she felt good before the game.

“I felt the energy was really great and everyone was really excited,” she said.

Avellar said the culmination of the past few years, which has seen the Furies undergo coaching changes and roster movement, helped lead to the first postseason win.

“The team has definitely adapted,” she said. “We’ve had a couple coaches in these past few years. It’s been a journey and it’s been a build-up. I think we were definitely ready and that’s what got us here.”

Although the postseason run ended in the second round, Wells viewed the opening-round win as a reminder that these are exciting times for the Furies, who, aside from senior Emily Underhill, will bring the rest of the team back next winter.

“Being a part of this program right now, with such a young team and an established older core, it’s bright for the future,” Wells said.

Email Brad Joyal at brad@capecodchronicle.com.

Twitter: @BradJoyal