State Tournament Roundup: Defending Champs Advance

ORLEANS – Nauset boys hockey, the defending champions of Division 3, advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament just as a reigning state title-winning, high-seeded team would expect to do.

But it didn’t come easy Monday against No. 18 Taunton (12-7-2) in the round of 16. The No. 2 Warriors (15-2-3) won 1-0, and while they were thoroughly in control virtually the entire time, the fact of the matter was that any contest that’s scoreless going into the third period, as the round of 16 matchup was, is anyone’s game and can come down to one shot.

Nauset found that shot about four minutes into the third, when senior Brody Bassett sent one through (assisted by senior Jake Eldredge and junior Braxton Bassett) to put a packed crowd inside Charles Moore Arena at ease in what was the Warriors’ final home game of the season.

“It’s great for him to be able to see the puck go in the net,” head coach Connor Brickley said. “Especially come playoffs for him, it's great for his confidence, knowing that he's still a very reliable forward, big-time player for us all year. So he continues to just be an extremely valuable player, and it's awesome for him to continue with that offensive side for us as we make a big push.”

Prior to facing Taunton, the Warriors began their title defense last Friday with a 7-1 win over No. 31 Haverhill (12-8) in the round of 32. Next up is No. 7 Scituate (11-7-2) in the quarterfinals, at a date, time and location yet to be announced as of The Chronicle’s deadline.

Nauset defeated Scituate 2-1 in overtime on senior night Jan. 28 earlier this season. Bassett scored the equalizer in that game, then found Eldredge for the winner during the extra period’s last minute. 

“That senior night game was a great game for us,” Brickley said. “We were on our heels for about six, seven minutes. They're a team that's chomping at the bit. They really want to beat us, so it was a great game for us to have. I think if we start on time and we're the aggressor, and we're the team that we're supposed to be from the very first puck drop, I think we'll be in a little bit of a different situation. We just need to establish our will a little bit more to start, but it's going to be a great game. They’re a great team.”

During last year’s playoffs, top-seeded Nauset beat then four-seeded Scituate 8-0 in the semifinals on the path to the championship. The Warriors are 6-0 against Scituate in the last three years.

“They're going to want it bad,” Bassett said. “They want it bad, so we know that's going to be a tough game. We’ve got to come out and play our game all 45 minutes, play our way, dictate the game and go from there.”

That No. 35 Monomoy (11-9) made the trip to face No. 30 Dover-Sherborn in a Division 3 boys basketball state tournament preliminary game was no insignificant matter in the first place. 

The Sharks had started the season 0-6. They won 11 of their subsequent 14 games to clinch a spot in the playoffs. That start was particularly frustrating because the first few games were essentially coin flips, the Sharks opening the year with four straight losses on a combined margin of 12 points.

Monomoy found themselves on the wrong end of another down-to-the-wire finish last Thursday, falling to Dover-Sherborn 47-44. They trailed 27-15 at the end of the second quarter before marshalling an effort to claw back in the final half. A game-tying attempt rimmed out at the end of the game.

“I think the whole difference in the game was us getting comfortable with the environment and a little bit of jitters with the playoffs, and then we finally figured it out in the second half,” head coach John McCarthy said. “But we dug ourselves a little bit too much of a hole, but I'm so proud of them.”

After struggling to shoot in the first half, Monomoy made the adjustment to cut the court in half and get to the basket. They scored 17 in the third, the highest points total in a quarter among either team. 

Senior Liam Flood led the scoring for the Sharks with 17 points, followed by senior Zach Martin (13), senior Tyler Ayer (8), junior Dez Wall (4) and senior Jean-Louis Marjollet (2).

While it may have felt like an abrupt end, getting to the playoffs at all acted as a feat in itself this year. 

“Hundreds of teams don't make the tournament, so we made the tournament. Hold your head high,” was McCarthy’s message to the team. “And they gave a great effort on the road, so I'm proud of them.”

No. 8 Nauset-Monomoy (12-8) excitingly brushed off what must have felt like a startling open to their stay in the Division 2 girls hockey state tournament Friday.

Against No. 25 Burlington (5-14) in the round of 32, the Warriors went down 1-0 just 15 seconds into the game. By the end of the period, Burlington led 3-1 and had a burgeoning upset bid on its hands.

But early in the third period, freshman Sabrina Bassett scored to tie the game back up 3-3, and a few minutes later, her older sister, senior Gaby Bassett, scored her third goal of the game to give the Warriors the 4-3 lead for good.

The Warriors lost 3-2 in an epic showdown with No. 9 Medfield (13-8) on Sunday. Senior Morgan Willis and Gaby Bassett scored for Nauset-Monomoy. The round of 16 matchup entered double overtime, at which point Medfield found the game-winner during a power play.

Also in the Division 2 bracket, No. 29 Barnstable/Upper Cape Tech/Cape Cod Tech (4-13-2) lost to No. 4 Pembroke (17-3) 8-2 in the round of 32 on Saturday, with junior Cate Buckler scoring twice.

In the Division 4 boys hockey bracket, No. 26 Dennis-Yarmouth/Cape Cod Tech/Cape Cod Academy (7-13) was defeated 5-0 by No. 7 Martha’s Vineyard on Friday.

In the Division 3 girls basketball state tournament, No. 40 Monomoy (10-10) lost to No. 25 Seekonk (14-6) 43-19 last Thursday.