ANDOVER, Mass. — It wasn't without its share of close calls, but Williston Northampton's undefeated run lives on.
The No. 1 Wildcats outlasted No. 5 Phillips Andover, 1-0, in a thrilling overtime win that saw both goaltenders at the top of their games.
Junior forward Zola Piekarski (Concord, Mass.) scored the game-winner for Williston, burying the rebound off sophomore Mia Daley's (Lynnfield, Mass.) initial bid off the rush. Senior goalie Olivia Ferebee was sensational in the win. The Wildcats improved to 18-0-1 on the season, strengthening their hold on the No. 1 seed in the Elite 8.
Despite the loss, freshman goalie Marie Lee (Southboro, Mass.) was equally good for Andover as Ferebee was for Williston. The Big Blue took just their second loss of the season, dropping to 14-3-2. If the Elite 8 were to start right now, they'd be the fifth seed, which they're projected to finish with, according to USHR.
Williston senior forward Nora Curtis had a golden opportunity to open the scoring on a first-period power play with a loose-puck one-timer at the left circle. Lee made perhaps the save of the game when she dove to deny it after Curtis appeared to have an open net.
The Big Blue had chances of their own toward the end of the period, ringing a post and missing an open look in a scramble in front.
In the second, both goalies stood their ground once again. In the third, Curtis rang the post twice, and Williston killed a pair of late power plays for Andover to force overtime, where Piekarski was the hero.
Let's dive into three takeaways before getting into 10 standouts from the top-five girls prep matchup.
