The Whaler girls hockey team tied the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins 3-3 Saturday night. The Whalers went into the game with different line combinations and the changes paid immediate dividends when senior captain Evelyn Fey found sophomore winger Bailey Lower for the first goal of the game 19 seconds in to give Nantucket a 1-0 lead.
“I really like the speed both of them have and they played really well together tonight,” head coach Liz Collins said. “Overall I thought as a team we played really well, especially in those first two periods. We had a really sound game and this comes after we had a really sound game against Sandwich the other day regardless of what the score says.”
Collins said she wanted to try out a line of Lower and her sister Mayson in between Fey because of not only their speed but the skill and chemistry they possess. She said the second line with sophomore Emerson Pekarcik, sophomore Claire Misurelli, and junior captain Lydia Johnson is the team’s grinding line because of their ability to not only produce offensively, but defensively as well while leading the team’s backcheck and forecheck.
Fey and Pekarcik are generally linemates, so this game was uncharted territory for the two forwards. But even in limited ice time together, Fey was still able to find Pekarcik in the second period for the Whaler’s second goal.
“I think we are finally clicking as a team,” Collins said. “The energy was so high on the bench. I think our power play is looking better too. We have some things to work on of course but we have made a lot of positive strides.”
Claire Misurelli was able to get into the scoring action later on in the game to give Nantucket a 3-1 lead later on in the game, but a pair of goals from the Dolphins late in the third period off excellent scoring chances ultimately led to a tie after neither team was able to capitalize on their respective power play opportunities in the five minute overtime period.
“I thought our forecheck was really good and we did a really good job of keeping that third man high on the forecheck to break up DY’s break outs,” Collins said. “Then I think Claire did a really good job of intercepting the puck while keeping it in their zone.”
Whaler goalie Caroline Allen had a strong game and made several quality stops in overtime to ensure Nantucket they wouldn’t go home with a loss.
“Caroline was a rock in net for us,” Collins said. “She made some huge stops for us.”
The tie is the Whaler’s first league point of the season. You can check out more statistics and insight from this game by clicking here. Nantucket will be in action again on Wednesday when they travel to Hyannis to take on Barnstable at 3 p.m.
