COHASSET – On the sideline of Alumni Field on Tuesday evening, Norwell High boys lacrosse coach Josh Stolp couldn't stop the deja vu from occurring. 

Stolp knew exactly when he had gone through this experience before with Norwell's archrival, Cohasset, putting together a second-half comeback to take the lead. It was almost two years ago that the Skippers did the same thing to the Clippers to claim the Division 3 South title over Norwell for the second consecutive season.

Even though those memories flooded back for Stolp and the Clippers, this time Norwell drummed up an answer to the charging Skippers and displayed its resolve in the game's waning minutes.

Junior midfielder Joseph Daly notched the decisive goal with 57 seconds remaining and Norwell then delivered a defensive stand to prevail, 13-12, in another thrilling chapter of its rivalry with Cohasset.

"It definitely plays in our mind a little bit," said Stolp on exacting some revenge on Cohasset. "When the score starts slipping away, that also plays in our mind because that's what happened then. They knew they just had to get down and bear it and fight through it."

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After suffering back-to-back one-goal losses to Duxbury and Medfield, Norwell (8-3) was locked in another nail-biter. The contest with Cohasset (5-4) was tied on nine separate occasions.

Norwell's 9-6 lead 2:04 into the third quarter – courtesy of a sensational diagonal pass from junior attack Nathan Curtin, who led the Clippers with two goals and four assists, to classmate Brian Black (three goals) for a goal – was the largest advantage for either side.

"They're always great games," Stolp said. "It's always intense, no matter whose record is what. They're great teams but also crosstown rivals. So, the competition is pretty high."

Cohasset battled back, scoring three straight goals as senior attack Mike Powers, who recorded a game-high four goals to go along with two assists, netted a tally before senior Devin McGinty set up Reese Froio and Jay Fox for goals to pull even with 1:15 left in the third quarter.

Curtin got one back for the Clippers off a feed from junior Griffin Vetrano (two goals, two assists) before the frame ended, but the Skippers continued their rally at the start of the fourth quarter.

Fox (three goals) fired in a shot with Powers collecting the assist and then Powers took matters into his own hands by sneaking in a shot from the top of the zone with 8:34 remaining to give Cohasset its first lead since the opening minutes at 11-10.

"They stayed composed," said Cohasset coach Steve Rotondi. "That's what we've been talking about is not to panic when the scoreboard starts to go any one way and just have confidence in what we do and that we can get back there and whether it's a one-goal deficit or a six-goal deficit, as long as there is time on the scoreboard, anyone can come back."

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Norwell responded with two straight goals from Cole Berglund and Black to go back in front, only for freshman Liam Appleton to register the equalizer with 1:55 remaining.

But the Clippers kept their composure and Berglund found Daly, who rifled his shot into the back of the net for the last go-ahead goal.

Despite going down a man, Cohasset gave itself a final opportunity to try to send the game to overtime. Powers came from behind the net and worked his way to the edge of the crease, but Norwell's defense came away with one last stop as Powers couldn't get enough on his shot and Ryan Daly (eight saves) came up with a big-time save right before the final buzzer sounded. 

"The defense did a lot better at the very end of the game," said Stolp. Norwell allowed a season-high in goals. "We started doing the little things we weren't doing early in the game, which allowed them to get into it. They were putting their sticks up in the lane, they were communicating a little better, they were sliding harder and getting on hands and I think they did a great job in the final few minutes."

It was Rotondi's first experience as a coach in the Cohasset-Norwell rivalry. Hired as the school's athletic director in 2018, Rotondi took the reins of the boys lacrosse program after James Beaudoin guided the Clippers successfully for seven years, which included runs to two Div. 3 state titles, before stepping away after the 2019 season.

For Rotondi, who had a coaching stint previously at Archbishop Williams, his debut at the helm of the Skippers was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his first season has left him trying to navigate a program that was dealt significant losses in graduation.

"First year, it's been interesting," Rotondi said. "It's been like a full reset for everybody. With the guys that you have, with the personnel, everybody's starting fresh."

Despite working with nearly a clean slate, Rotondi knew the standards of the program he inherited. 

"Coming over here, I knew I was coming to a town that was rich in lacrosse, really good athletes, kids that work hard," Rotondi said. "That's what we try to embody ourselves at every day is that we work hard, we have respect and we take pride and that we get to play lacrosse for this town."

Rotondi and the Skippers will most likely get at least one more shot, maybe even two, at Norwell. The two teams feel destined to meet in the South Shore League Tournament and then again in the state tournament.