After a week-long hiatus due to a hellacious storm on Saturday that cancelled Williston’s game against Gunnery, the Wildcats took to the ice against a talented Millbrook Mustang team who won the Pingree Christmas Tournament and had taken down top-ranked Salisbury and Gunnery this season.  Williston played hard-nosed hockey today and took the first of two games this season, 4-2.

Williston came out fast in the opening period putting pucks on net and driving for rebounds.  Williston struck first at the 1:55 mark when Matt Pimental got the puck to defenseman Mitchell Hansen who let a wrist shot fly from the point.  The puck took off like a Jeff Sluman drive on the first tee at Oak Hill rising slowly and beating a screened Cam Fernandez over the glove.  The goal was Hansen’s first of his Williston career.

In the second after close chances by both teams, Brendan Nehmer got sprung for a breakaway by Jake Sacratini and beat Fernandez on a low shot in the lower right corner with seven minutes left in the period.  Pimental picked up his second assist.  The Wildcats went into the break, up 2-0.

In the third, Tim Rego took a pass from Jack Purcell and flew up the left boards into the zone, fired a slick pass to Tommy Harty who drove down to the dot, cut to the net, caught the pass, and let a low blast go that found the back of the net.  Millbrook would pull within a goal on two power play goals—one with the goalie pulled—only to have Rego seal the deal with his ninth goal of the season when, with the Millbrook goalie pulled, he corralled a puck to the side of his net and, from a knee, shot the puck into the open net.  Williston arms went up and Millbrook spirits went down. Kyler Breland got the win for the Wildcats.

The game puck went to Mitchell Hansen.  Williston plays the Brunswick Bruins on Saturday at 1:30pm.  Last year, Brunswick knocked the Wildcats out of the first round of the playoffs, 2-0.  This year the clubs met at the St. Sebastian’s Holiday Tournament and tied 4-4.  This promises to be an excellent matchup.

Also on Saturday, the Williston girls’ team plays Hotchkiss in their annual “Pink the Rink” game after the boys’ game.  There will be snacks and raffles for excellent prizes with all proceeds going to support breast cancer research.  Bring your moolah!