YARMOUTH — On a dreary, chilly Cape Cod day, the Nauset girls lacrosse team caught fire early, scoring five goals in the first five minutes on the way to an impressive 20-9 road victory over the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins (1-3).
Fans of most sports involving a ball know that possession can make or break a team. That is especially true in lacrosse, where coaches religiously practice draw strategies to gain an advantage at this crucial skill. Nauset Coach Heather Stevens counts on Julia Kipperman’s drawing expertise, and on Tuesday, Kipperman and her fellow middies were stellar at gaining control of the ball off the draw. The Warriors won an impressive 17 of 20 first-half draws as they raced out to a 14-5 advantage at the end of two quarters and were never headed.
“I am really happy with the draws,” said an obviously pleased Stevens after the game. “It really dictates the outcome of the game. If you win the draw, you have a lot of control.”
Kipperman was also pleased with the way things went on the draw circle on Tuesday. “I felt more comfortable,” she said. “I was feeling it.”
It was apparent that she and her teammates were all feeling something early, as they got off to a torrid start. Kipperman and her fellow captain and midfielder, Zoe Labdon, combined for seven of Nauset’s eight first-quarter scores. Kipperman tallied four times in the quarter and Labdon three times, twice on free positions that she earned by gamely taking fouls in the 8-meter penalty area.
The pair have been playing together for four years, and their compatibility on the field is immediately obvious. On the field, Kipperman is to Labdon as Cape is to Cod. It is impossible to have one without the other. When asked if they had chemistry with each other, each screamed, “Yes!” almost before the question was completed. On the majority of draws in the first half, Kipperman would direct the ball to herself and then, if her path to the goal was blocked, she would intuitively look up to find an open Labdon for a pass. This was a combination that Dennis-Yarmouth was never able to solve.
The first quarter ended on a strong defensive note for the Warriors, as junior goalie Norah Swanson made a nice save on a Dennis-Yarmouth free position with less than 20 seconds remaining that kept the score 8-3 Nauset.
In the second quarter, the Warriors continued their domination in the draw circle but more of their teammates got into the scoring column. Megan Sullivan, a sophomore attackman, scored three times in a row. Her second goal came on a clearing pass to midfield from Swanson. Sullivan caught it on a bounce and then took it the rest of the way to the goal, dodging several defenders before rifling a shot past Dolphin goalie Bridget Kenny. Senior captain Abby Powers also punched one in at the buzzer.
The Warriors evened their season record at 1-1 as they rebounded from a season-opening 20-4 loss to a strong Sandwich team at home on April 4. “I’m definitely happy with this game,” said Stevens. “Dennis-Yarmouth is much improved from last year, and it is good to bounce back from the Sandwich game.”
Although Kipperman played against Sandwich, Stevens used her sparingly because she was under the weather. That illness was in the rearview mirror on Tuesday as a buoyant Kipperman ate salty snacks and answered a reporter’s question after the game.
“I’m 100 percent way better,” the Brewster junior, who has committed to Merrimack College, said with a smile.
Nauset’s defense came up big when it had to. Stevens predicted before the season started that Swanson and freshman goalie Maeve Kennally would be a formidable duo, and that prophecy proved to be accurate on Tuesday. Labdon and Kipperman both used the word “amazing” to describe their starting goaltender, and Kennally, who entered the game to start the second half, made critical saves. Ali Seppala, a senior from Eastham, was one of several swarming defenders who made the Dolphins attackers miserable throughout the afternoon.
When the Dolphins were able to squeeze off a shot resulting in a save, both goalies quickly steered the ball back up the field. Swanson’s clearing pass to Sullivan was a thing of beauty that resulted in a goal; it was one of several she completed in the game to help jump-start Nauset’s attack. “I think I’m pretty strong on clearing,” said the soft-spoken junior who is only in her second year on the lacrosse field.
Kipperman notched two assists to go with her 10-goal day. Labdon finished with four goals and one assist. Powers totaled two goals and one assist. Laurel Ricard, the fourth captain, chipped in one goal and assisted on two others. Sullivan had her three second-period goals, and sophomore attackman Sam Curley rounded out Nauset’s scoring with an assist.
Carolyn O’Keefe led the Dolphins’ scoring with five. Kourtney David added four tallies.
Nauset’s next game is a 4:45 start this Thursday at Cape Cod Academy.
For a current Nauset High sports calendar, see nausetsports.org.
