Sports
By Don Lyons
Published: December 31, 2008
Reunions at the Arena
The ladies game
The tenth annual Ryan Mone Memorial games were played at the Arena Friday, the day after Christmas, "on the Feast of Stephen" as the carol goes, which this year shared the date with Kwanzaa.
A dozen young ladies turned out for the Almunae game to be coached by Henry Coito (the Purple team) and by Greg and Nell Coogan, (the White team).
Photos by M.C. Wallo
Liane Dixon scored the first three goals of the game, giving the Purple squad a lead that proved insurmountable. Adding to the Purple lead were goals by Megan Willey and Jen Murphy. Also skating for the Purples were Ali Clark and Jen Gauley. Elise Bonnell kept the puck out of the Purple net. Final score: Purple 5, White 0.
The White skaters were Jen Coito, Elizabeth Clark, Katherine Clark, Catie Coogan, Sarah Sylvia, and Nica Sylvia.
Liane Dixon changed jerseys toward the end of the game but it was too late, and legs were too tired, to mount a White rally.
The gentlemen's game
Following on the heels of the alumnae contest was the alumni game: 11 Whites vs. 11 Purples.
Rob Searle opened the scoring for the Purples, answered by Michael Giordano for the White, assisted on the play by Willie Levesque and Dan Merry.
Ben Gunn, assisted by Geoghan Coogan, restored the Purple edge, only to the equalized by Alex Avakian with help from Davey Campbell.
The low-scoring first 25-minute period ended with teams deadlocked at two.
The second period clearly belonged to the White, keyed by the skating of Willie Levesque, who opened the bidding with the White's third goal and assisted on the fourth by Steve McCormack. Derek Avakian upped the White ante to 5 with help from Alex Finkelstein and Levesque.
Max Sherman scored for the Purples assisted by Travis Pachico and Logan Russell. Michael Giordano, assisted by Joe Merry and Alex Finkelstein made it 6-3. The final differential was 8-3.
But the good-natured score- and time-keepers in the booth, David Merry and Brian McGroarty, declared the game be a tie and called for a five player shoot-out. Shooters went one-on-one with the goalies.
Purple scorers in the shoot-out were Rob Searle and Jack McGroarty. For the Whites it was Steve McCormack and Michael Giordano.
A second shootout was called for to break the 2-2 tie.
Max Sherman '03 found the back of the net for the Purples. Dan Merry, '03 and Davey Campbell, '07 answered for the Whites.
The senior alumnus was Gary Ben David of the class of 1987. The junior player was Alex Minnehan of 2008.
All in all it was a fun day at the Arena for a good cause.
Photo by Ralph Stewart
Deadlock at Gallo
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School boys hockey team took 42 shots at the Bourne goal to the Canalmen's 16, but the final score was a 5-5 tie at Bourne's Gallo Arena, Saturday.
Bourne led at the conclusion of the first period, 2-1, despite having taken only three shots on goal to the Vineyard's 15. Matt Flynn's goal, assisted by Jack Carpenter and Jason Schwab, put Martha's Vineyard on the scoreboard.
The second period was not unlike the first, as Martha's Vineyard took another 15 shots on goal but only one made it past Bourne goalie Scott Cody - a power play goal by Tad Gold, assisted by Carpenter and Flynn. One of Bourne's six made it past Martha's Vineyard net tender Mike Capen and the period ended with Bourne up, 3-2.
It looked like Martha's Vineyard would take charge of the game in the third frame. Early in the period, Nick Billingham's goal, with help from Trey Rasmussen, tied the score at three. A half-minute later, Darren Gazaille gave Martha's Vineyard its first lead of the game, assisted by Colin Hurd.
But Bourne was not through. Devin Welch evened the count with a power play goal at 6:57. Nick Billingham's second counter, assisted by Carpenter (his third) and Chris Davies, restored the Martha's Vineyard advantage at 9:04.
As the game drew to a close, Bourne pulled its goalie in favor of an extra skater and the ploy, which often backfires, worked as Will Humphreys scored on a face-off in the Martha's Vineyard end of the ice.
The Vineyarders dominated every phase of the game against Amity (Conn.) in the Burbank Arena at North Reading, Monday, and won 8-1. Darren Gazaille had a hat trick with a feather, scoring four times.
They played North Reading, conquerors of East Greenwich, for the tourney championship, on Tuesday.
The next Martha's Vineyard home game is with Bridgewater-Raynham Saturday at 5 pm.
Photo by Ralph Stewart
Hoops happenings
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School boys varsity basketball team entered the Cape and Islands Christmas Classic tourney at Mashpee, with games versus Cape Tech and Harwich, Friday and Saturday.
The Cape Tech game was a blow-out, with the Islanders scoring 79 points to the Crusaders 46.
Steve Handy (18) and Mark Reppert (11) were the Islanders in double figures but 11 other players contributed to the final total:
The score at the half was 38-29. The Islanders came out blazing to begin the third quarter, increasing their lead to 57-31 in the first four minutes of the period.
Martha's Vineyard employed a full-court press, forcing numerous turnovers.
Saturday's game with Harwich was a barnburner with the Roughriders having the last laugh with the last basket, 55-54. It was even-Steven throughout. The score was tied four times in the final quarter. At the half, Martha's Vineyard was up by a point, 28-27.
Steve Handy and Mark Reppert were high for the Islanders with 16 and 14 points. Cody Brewer was recognized for his sportsmanship.
Wayland visited Monday and proved to be a formidable foe.
Martha's Vineyard led after one quarter, 20-16, and lengthened their lead to 39-29 during the second, but the Warriors finished the period strong and at the half trailed by one, 41-40.
Neither side scored much in the third quarter as defensive efforts trumped the offenses. Martha's Vineyard scored 14 points reaching 55. Wayland posted a dozen to arrive at 52.
The Warriors ran off nine points in a hurry to open the fourth quarter and took a 61-58 lead, their first lead of the game, then fended off Vineyard efforts to regain the advantage. Final: Wayland 77, Martha's Vineyard 73.
Steve Handy (20), Randall Jette (15) and Mark Reppert (10) made it to double digits.
The boys varsity's next three games are away - at Sandwich, Somerset, and Old Rochester.
Girls varsity posts a win
The Martha's Vineyard varsity girls defeated visiting Wayland at the Sancy, 47-37, Monday. It was their first win of the season.
The first quarter was a toss up, 15-15. Katie Hines (7) and Kia Minor (8) did all the scoring.
The Islanders ran up a 34-19 lead in the second quarter, then saw it shrink as the Warriors scored 12 unanswered points in the third.
In the second half Maddy Penicaud (10) and Alexia Schroeder (7) joined the scorers, helping to fuel the 47-37 winning margin.
Erin Morris and Crystal Miske played a tenacious defensive game.
Sports Highlights
Huskie Hall
With the addition of Dr. Willie J. Cater to the Martha's Vineyard Hospital staff as an orthopedic surgeon, Martha's Vineyard's health center now boasts two Northeastern University track and field Hall of Fame athletes.
Dr. Cater, of the class of 1967, was an outstanding sprinter, hurdler, and long jumper. He won the 45-yard dash in the very first Greater Boston Track Championship in 1964. He also ran a leg in the school's champion mile relay team.
Dr. Cater underwent open heart surgery in 1965 and returned to his running career just 83 days later. He finished first in the 440 (quarter mile) in the UMass meet .
In his senior year he helped the Huskies to a 10-0 record with an all but perfect record of wins in the low hurdles.
Dr. Cater joins a staff already possessed of another Northeastern Hall of Famer, physical therapist Stephanie Pavao. Stephanie excelled in the sprints, long jump, and triple jump. Her leap of 20' 9" was a school record. She graduated in 1996 and was inducted into the Huskie Hall of Fame in 2004.
Post high school hoops
The RCBL begins its 21-week season Monday, Jan. 5, with a double-header at the Boys & Girls Club.
At 6:15 its Bulls versus Lakers followed by the Warriors versus Knicks game at 7:45.
The five-team league will play two basketball games every Monday until April 16.
Photo by M.C. Wallo
Latin came, saw, conquered
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School girls hockey team played Latin Academy in Boston, Tuesday. They didn't win the game but they played well enough to earn Coach Sam Sherman's approbation.
The Islanders failed to score in the first period, but they held Latin scoreless, too.
Some mistakes were made in the middle period, especially late in the frame, and the Dragons took advantage, posting three goals.
In the third period, Alexa Fisher found the back of the net while Martha's Vineyard goalie Jaimie Forend handled every shot that came her way. Final count: Latin 3, Vineyard 1.
Duxbury came to call on Saturday and left with a hard-won 2-0 win. The score was 1-0 until the final minutes of the game. Coach Sherman, always finding a rainbow in the sky, was plenty pleased with his team's improved showing.
Next up is Marshfield away on Wednesday.
