Watertown/Wayland boys hockey finds winner with 5 seconds remaining to send Nauset home
ORLEANS — Parking filled all the surrounding streets, the stands were filled to the brim, people were three rows deep standing behind the boards, and some were standing on benches just to get the best view of the action.
Some unlucky fans were even being turned away at the door.
The stage was set for an exciting Division 3 Elite Eight matchup between No. 4 Nauset and No. 5 Watertown/Wayland. The capacity crowd was not disappointed.
Three periods later, the Raiders emerged victorious after a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Warriors.
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"Love it," Watertown/Wayland head coach John Vlachos said about the environment. "We were psyched. ... We knew they had a great fanbase, and we were ready to come in."
The game was about as evenly matched as could be. Elite offense battling elite defense, mixes of youth and experience on both sides, and two powerhouses from their respective leagues locking horns.
Defense to offense
Two of the Raiders' three goals came on nearly identical breakaways. The first, from senior forward and captain Anthony Venezia, came just over five minutes into the first period. The second, and all-important game-winning goal, came from junior forward Mauricio Souza a mere five seconds before the third period ended.
"It was something I never imagined," Souza said. "Five seconds left, couldn't have done it without the boys."
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Both came as a result of excellent defense from the Raiders. Each time Watertown/Wayland collapsed on the Warriors players in their defensive zone, before springing the puck forward for a skater lying in wait.
The bounces of the puck could've been perceived as a stroke of good fortune, but Vlachos said postgame that his team works on exactly those situations.
"That's a set play, we've had that set play and we've used it since the beginning of the year," he said. "We capitalized on it a couple times, (which was) great."
Although the breakaway goals grabbed the attention, Vlachos made sure his defense got its flowers.
"We got the four best defensemen in the league, and probably one of the best goalies in the league," said Vlachos.
Anchoring that defense was senior goalie Casey Williams. Williams came up big for his team with several crucial stops, including one with time winding down in the second period that kept the score tied at 2. In Vlachos' eyes, he believed his shot-stopper would be disappointed in the fact that he let two by him.
"We Love Figgy"
Opposite Williams in the Nauset cage was freshman Arthur Figueiredo. All season, the rookie has played with a swagger and effectiveness beyond his years.
The Warriors ended the first period down 2-1, and as the team came off the ice, it was Figueiredo who was rallying his teammates heading into the locker room.
"If you've got the goalie trying to pick these guys up saying that he's not phased by the score, then I think it just resonates throughout the lineup," Nauset coach Connor Brickley said.
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Throughout the game, the freshman goalie rose to the occasion, stopping a bevy of shots, and the Nauset crowd appreciated his efforts, showering him with 'We love Figgy' chants.
"He's ridiculous," Nauset sophomore Logan Poulin said. "One of the most humble kids on the team.
"He works harder than everyone else."
What's next?
The win secures the Raiders a spot in the Division 3 Final Four. Last season, Watertown lost to Sandwich in double overtime in the state final at TD Garden. That's a loss that is fueling this year's team.
"We have 14 kids returning from last year, so they're hungry," Vlachos said.
The game-winner in Wednesday's matchup, Souza, says his team is "battle tested" and ready for whatever comes their way.
"We've been in this situation before, we knew what it took. We came in here with a winning mentality and we knew we weren't walking away with a loss," the junior said.
On the flip side, coach Brickley believes in his team's young emerging core, headlined by Poulin who led the team with 29 goals, including one of the Warriors' two in the loss Wednesday night, and Figueredo in the cage.
"We have a good young core nucleus right now on the team, so they know exactly what to expect, I think, moving forward," Brickley said. "It's next guy up. They're going to be the mentors, they're going to be leaders moving forward."
Like those 14 skaters on the Raiders who remembered the feeling of last season's title loss, Poulin says this Warriors team will take this into next season.
"From the start next year I'm going to remember this feeling," Poulin said. "Sold out crowd, (and we) can't pull the win out for them, it's a pretty crappy feeling."
Contact André Simms at asimms@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @that1guyandre
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Watertown/Wayland boys hockey defeats Nauset in Division 3 Elite 8
