WHALERS WIN A THRILLER
CORREA'S LAST-MINUTE HEROICS LEAD NANTUCKET INTO SEMI-FINALS
BY LINDAWILLIAMS
Caio Correa scored both Nantucket goals, including the game winner in the second overtime period, against a tough Norwell team yesterday in a thrilling state quarterfinal home match, sending the Whalers to tomorrow's semi-final round of the Division 3 state playoffs.

Norwell did its best to corral Caio Correa, but it wasn't enough to prevent the state's scoring leader from netting both Nantucket goals.

"This is uncharted territory because we have never had a semi-final game before," a spent coach Rich Brannigan said immedi- ately after the tense battle.

Nantucket did not have a shot until the 26th minute of regulation and Norwell until the 30th. Correa finally scored in the 34th minute of the first period and promptly ran off the field and hugged his father, an indelible image. Nantucket held onto the 1-0 lead at the break.

At the 15th minute of the second half, Norwell finally netted one off a direct kick that was headed in past goalkeeper Russell Bartlett. Otherwise, Nantucket thwarted Norwell's offense, including their leading scorer Colin Henry. Bartlett kept Nantucket in the game in the second period of regulation when a penalty kick was called for Norwell on a Nantucket handball. Bartlett used an effective tool calling a timeout to ice the striker just before he teed off on the ball. It worked - the shot was sent wide left and was the defining moment of regulation, which ended knotted at 1.

Neither team scored in the first ten-minute overtime. With time ticking down to under two minutes in the second overtime, Correa managed

to take the ball down the far right sideline, dodged players crossing back through the field to the left sideline and just to the left of the net, taking the ball back to the right to send it skimming across the grass at an impossible angle to the far post for the winning goal. Afterwards, a visibly excited Brannigan said, "I did not care how they won but it would have been better to win in regulation. We have improved over the last three games and that is what you want to do in the postseason for sure."

The Whalers will now face the winner of Tuesday's Seekonk-South Shore Christian matchup.

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