by Team Reporter-Nate Gordon<\/p>\n
For just the second time this season, a Williston Boys Hockey (10-7-2) game went to overtime and ended in a tie. The Wildcats tied the Northfield Mt. Hermon Hoggers (16-6-2) 2-2 at home on Friday, February 7, 2014.<\/p>\n
This game marked the return to the ice of senior defenseman and team Co-Captain Nick Staub, who has been away from the action with a groin injury. Staub\u2019s last game was against Nobles on December 29th<\/sup>, so he missed nine games.<\/p>\n About his return, Staub said after the game, \u201cIt feels great being back with the boys on the ice. Still a little bit of pain, but coach is doing a good job of spotting me, so I\u2019m not like overexerting myself.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Williston was without senior defenseman Seth Cupak who was serving a one-game suspension.<\/p>\n Senior forward Max Willman gave Williston a 1-0 lead just over four minutes into the game. This was Willman\u2019s team-leading nineteenth goal of the season. It was assisted by junior forward Brandon Borges.<\/p>\n With 17.2 seconds remaining in the first period, Borges went to the box for slashing. With just four seconds to go, NMH tied the game at one when sophomore defenseman Jamie Dorsey scored his fourth goal of the season.<\/p>\n After the first eighteen minutes, Williston Head Coach Derek Cunha told his team, \u201cThat first, I\u2019ll tell you, not our best, but a 1-1 period.<\/p>\n This was Williston\u2019s first period of hockey since a 5-4 loss to Loomis-Chaffee on January 29th<\/sup>. Cunha said, \u201cThat\u2019s our first period in nine days, we got the rust off.\u201d<\/p>\n There was no scoring in the second period, but both teams had opportunities to take the lead, but neither were able to capitalize. Just over five minutes into the period, an NMH player got a breakaway, but was unable to score. On the play,\u00a0defenseman Staub was called for a hooking penalty, but\u00a0the Hoggers did not convert on the power-play.<\/p>\n Before the third period, Cunha told his team, \u201cWe\u2019ve got an eighteen-minute hockey game ahead of us right now. Win a period, win a hockey game.\u201d<\/p>\n Just 1:34 into the third period, NMH took a 2-1 lead. The goal was scored by senior Christian Heidelberger\u2014his fifth of the season.<\/p>\n Four minutes later, it appeared as if Williston has tied the game. Sophomore defenseman RJ Guardia took a shot from the blue line, which hit the post. One official pointed to the net signaling a goal had been scored. After the officials talked it over, they waved the goal off, deciding the puck had never crossed the goal-line.<\/p>\n Just moments later, the Wildcats actually tied the game. Junior forward Rourke Ferguson won a faceoff in the offensive zone. Senior Anthony Mantz picked the puck up and gave it back to Ferguson who was very close to the goal and scored. This was Ferguson\u2019s fifth goal of the season.<\/p>\n After the game, Ferguson said, \u201c[Guardia] was pretty [angry] he didn\u2019t score it, but we bounced back pretty well and got the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n In this third period, both teams had two\u00a0power-plays and two penalty kills. With nine minutes remaining, Williston got a five-minute power-play when an NMH player was ejected from the game for a major penalty. The Wildcats were unable to take the lead on this man-advantage, so the game eventually went to overtime.<\/p>\n To start this five-minute extra-period, Williston had 29 seconds of penalty kill. After that, the Wildcats had two great scoring chances, but the game ended in a draw.<\/p>\n Williston senior goaltender Tim Nowacki kept Williston in the game, stopping 36 of 38 shots (.947%).<\/p>\n After the game, Cunha said to the team, \u201cIn terms of what we take from today\u2019s game, we\u2019re close, we\u2019re close to where we want to be, just a little more to get there.<\/p>\n The team\u2019s first overtime game was on December 4th<\/sup> against Kimball Union\u2014Williston\u2019s home-opener. In that game, Williston scored four goals in the third period to send the game to overtime.<\/p>\n Tomorrow, the Wildcats will take on Millbrook (13-10-1) for their second of three straight home games. On Wednesday, January 22nd<\/sup>, Williston lost to Millbrook 6-5. About tomorrow\u2019s game, Cunha said to the team, \u201cWe drove two-plus hours to Millbrook a few weeks ago for them to send us back on the bus dejected, now we get to do the same to them in our building.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Team Reporter-Nate Gordon For just the second time this season, a Williston Boys Hockey (10-7-2) game went to overtime and ended in a tie. The Wildcats tied the Northfield Mt. Hermon Hoggers (16-6-2) 2-2 at home on Friday, February 7, 2014. This game marked the return to the ice of senior defenseman and team … Continue reading Williston Ties NMH 2-2, Staub Back On Ice<\/span>