Whaler hockey team gives Cape Tech a run
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
Skating with an increased confidence, the Whalers' hockey team came out strong against Cape Tech/Chatham Friday night and forced the action to the visitors' end of the ice during a scoreless first period.

Assistant captain Stephen Reis (left) takes the puck up ice as Luke Daniels (4) looks for the pass. Daniels would later score. MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent

Making his first start in goal, William Hitchcock turned away several shots on net. Going into the second period, both teams seemed evenly matched, as the Cape Tech goaltender also rejected several Nantucket attempts.

Cape Tech snuck its first goal past Hitchcock at 6:57 of the second stanza on a beautiful flip into the back of the net. A little over three minutes later, Cape Tech's experience and finesse started to show via a nice pass from behind the Nantucket net to a waiting skater in front who slapped it home.

Cape Tech would score twice more before Hunter Slade ended Nantucket's scoring drought at the 11:50 mark of the third period. Taking the puck just inside the visitors' end of the ice, Slade deftly moved down the ice and fired it past the netminder for the unassisted goal.

Never letting up, Nantucket continued to attack the puck and scored again at 7:44. Taking the puck on the corner boards near the net, Danny Kurash made a nice pass to Luke Daniels, who followed up a first attempt that slid across the crease with a determined second effort to tap in his own rebound.

Nantucket pressed for the remainder of the game but the score favored Cape Tech at the buzzer, 5-2.

The hockey team skates again

Friday at Martha's Vineyard. I