Tag Archives: KUA

Wildcats Score 4 in 3rd vs. KUA, Ends in Tie in Overtime

by Team Reporter & Writer-Nate Gordon ’16

When all seemed lost, down three goals in the third period to Kimball Union Academy (KUA), the Williston Wildcats surged back scoring four goals before ultimately ending the game in an overtime tie. KUA controlled the puck for much of the first two periods. Williston did get its chances, but was unable to capitalize.

It was looking like the first period would end 0-0, but KUA scored with one second left on a rebound goal right in front of the net. Williston players disputed the goal, asking the refs whether time had expired and whether the net had moved out of place. At both ends of the ice, the nets moved and play was stopped numerous times throughout the game.

During the first intermission, Head Coach Derek Cunha told his team, “we cannot let that derail us, we played a good 18 minutes of hockey right there, and the last second, when the puck goes in, that period shouldn’t be defined by that goal. One goal is not going to win this game.”

In the second period, both teams had scoring opportunities, but the scored remained 1-0.

Then, early in the third period, KUA added to its lead less than three minutes in. The team scored two quick goals, including one from junior forward A.J. Greer who has committed to Penn State for college hockey.

 

Boys V Hockey vs. KUA 2013Senior captain Max Willman who scored the first of Williston’s four goals. Photo courtesy of Williston Flickr.
With twelve minutes left, the Wildcats went on a seven-minute scoring rampage. It started with senior captain Max Willman scoring on a breakaway with a backhand. The goal was assisted by senior defenseman Seth Cupak.  Next, senior captain Nick Staub netted a top shelf slap shot from the blue line. This goal was unassisted and brought Williston within one goal. To tie the game, junior forward Tyler Scroggins put away a rebound with just under ten minutes left. With five minutes left, the Wildcats went ahead 4-3 when junior forward Brandon Bork scored with assists from Scroggins and junior forward Will Flynn.

After the game, Bork said about the goal, “It felt good because it kept the momentum going, we pushed them back a little bit and it ended up being the goal we needed to send us to overtime.”

Exactly one minute after its last goal, Williston was brought back down to Earth when KUA scored a goal on a wraparound from behind its net.

In overtime, both teams had chances to score, including Willman almost scoring on a backhand very early on.

Senior Goalie Tim Nowacki was a big factor in keeping the team in the game. He had 28 saves on 32 shots. His most exciting moment came in the second period when KUA got a breakaway, but he came out of his net making a sliding soccer goalie-type save.

On the game as a whole, Nowacki said after the game, “We made a great comeback in the third period. It was a really gritty team effort.”

Of the game Cunha said, “I was most proud of the fact that they scored two on us quickly in the third to make it 3-0 and that we continued to come back. That’s the thing that I’m most proud of, that they didn’t give up and that they played for the whole game. They could have folded and they didn’t.”

KUA’s Head Coach, Tim Whitehead said after the game, “We learned a lot, it’s our second game of the year, so we’re still learning about our team. One thing for sure is that, once we got the lead, we took too many chances offensively like defensemen were pinching and our forwards were anticipating offensively instead of defensive. That’s what cost us the win.”

The team will have two more practices before facing Salisbury this upcoming Saturday, the 7th. Salisbury was ranked number one in Hockey Night in Boston News’ 2013/2014 Prep School Preview Edition poll.