Sports
Fairhaven Devils exorcised
Shane Schofield elevates to shoot over three Devils. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Thursday the Islanders boys lacrosse team trounced visiting Fairhaven, 13-3, outplaying the Blue Devils in every phase of the game.
Barnstable's powerful Red Raiders boys team came to town on Friday and left with a 15-7 win under their belts.
The Vineyarders kept pace in the first quarter and, in fact, led after 12 minutes, 3-2.
Barnstable scored its first goal two minutes into the contest, Martha's Vineyard tied it two minutes later with a goal by Liam O'Callahan.
The Raiders took back the lead but only for half a minute as Erik Dolliver quickly found the back of the net. The final score of the period came at the end of a 90-yard run by Pat Hart.
Midfielder Antone Silvia carries past a determined defender in the Fairhaven game, won by the Vineyard.
Barnstable added four unanswered goals to its total in the second quarter and held the Vineyard scoreless. At the half the visitors led 6-3.
Barnstable scored four more times in the third quarter. Max Conley score for the Vineyard and it was 10-4.
The pace of the game was noticeably slower as players tired, not only from constant running, but also from dealing with a cold, strong wind.
Even so, the Martha's Vineyard attackers beat the Raider goalie three more times. Antone Silvia, Brooks Billingham, and Eric Dolliver increased the Vineyard's score to seven.
Mike McCarthy avoids two Blue Devils on his way to the net.
On an off-and-on rainy Tuesday, the Vineyarders hosted the Lowell Red Raiders and treated them to a 7-2 whippin'.
With two goals by Max Conley and one each by Brooks Billingham and Erik Dolliver, Martha's Vineyard held a 4-1 lead at the half. Dolliver, Billingham, and Leif Iverson scored in the second half and Lowell added its second goal.
Tomorrow the team heads west to take on St. Joseph's in Pittsfield and take in the Syracuse vs. UMass game at Amherst.
Bishops Connolly and Stang visit next Tuesday and Thursday.
Raqueteers share a pain
Zach Rabin and Andrew McHugh (above) won their matches with Bishop Feehan. Photos by Ralph Stewart
The boys tennis team swept Sturgis in straight sets at Cape Cod Community College, Friday, despite missing starters Nik Wojtkielo and Dylan Hutchinson.
Andrew McHugh won 6-1, 6-1. Reid Yennie did as well, 6-1, 6-1. Zach Rabin prevailed, 6-4, 6-3.
Win Grimm and Grant McCarthy took their first doubles match, 6-3, 6-4. Kyle Moran and Grant Meacham pitched a shutout, 6-0, 6-0.
Saturday, at home, the Islanders came within a whisker of beating soon-to-be league foe Bishop Feehan. McHugh and Yennie gave Martha's Vineyard a quick lead, winning their matches in straight sets.
Phuong-Lan Ho played on the Martha's Vineyard girls first doubles team.
The Grimm-McCarthy pair bowed 6-4, 6-4 at first doubles. Kyle Moran and Thomas Tilton-Heylin did likewise at second doubles.
That left the outcome in the lap of third singles player Zach Rabin. Zach won the first set, 7-5, but Feehan's Sean Singer had the last laugh, taking the final two, 6-2, 6-3.
The Martha's Vineyard girls tennis team had similar results to the boys, defeating Sturgis and losing to Bishop Feehan.
Youth lacrosse
The Boys under-13 Youth Lacrosse team lost its match to Falmouth, Sunday, 8-2.
Greg McCarron and Spencer Schofield did the scoring for the Islanders.
This Sunday the under-11 team game begins at noon. The U-13s at 1:30 pm, the U-15s at 3 pm. All games will be played at the Oak Bluffs school.
A Sandwich split
Sandwich sent its baseball teams to Martha's Vineyard, Monday. The visiting varsity scored seven runs in the top of the first and kept right on circling the bases. The Martha's Vineyard batters were not shy about scoring runs, but could not catch the streaking Blue Knights. Final score: Sandwich 17, Martha's Vineyard 9. The Martha's Vineyard junior varsity squeezed out a 6-5 win.
Cole Bilodeau took a turn on the mound trying to cool the Sandwich bats. Photos by Ralph Stewart
Lamar Moreis climbs the fence in left field in a vain attempt to catch Al Stanton's three-run homer in the Sandwich game.
VYT players impress
Three tennis players who train at the Vineyard Youth Tennis Center shone in the Cape Cod Championships at the Mid Cape Resort this past weekend.
Samantha Potter of Oak Bluffs won the Girls 12 & Under division, besting the number one seed who is ranked 29th in New England, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. Samantha rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the second set to win it, 7-6. It is expected that Samantha will be ranked in New England's top 50 when the new rankings are released.
Kent Leonard of Vineyard Haven won the boys 14 & Under championships, winning two matches to reach the finals. He won the championship title with a walkover when his opponent defaulted due to illness.
Reid Yennie of West Tisbury advanced to the finals in the Boys 16 & Under by defeating top-seeded Willie White of Nantucket, 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 before losing in the finals to Tyler Kugler of Brewster.
Black Dogs are champs
The Cape Cod Black Dogs, an over-30 women's hockey team, won the National Championship tournament by winning all five games they played on pink ice at Rochester, N.Y. The team is sponsored by the Vineyard restaurant and company.
The Black Dogs' trip to the winners circle went by the Columbus Capitals, 7-0, and the Rochester Edge, 3-1, on Friday, the first day of the tourney,
Saturday the Dogs beat Team Whoa of Arizona, 7-2, in a game that saw defender Laurie Raymond leave the ice with broken ribs. A fourth win Saturday evening nailed the opportunity to meet Team Connecticut in the finals.
With Raymond's jersey hanging over the bench, Amy Mulvey put the Black Dogs on the board with a backhander to be followed minutes later with a goal by Cathy Silva, the tournament's leading scoring.
The third Cape Cod goal came from the point by Trish Devine on a power play.
Out-hustled, Team Connecticut did not fold and made it close scoring twice, but the Black Dogs were not to be denied. They kept the puck in the Connecticut end and finished the 3-2 game with a 26-6 advantage in shots on goal.
Coming to Niantic
The seventh annual Vineyard Streetball Classic, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be played at Niantic Park, Oak Bluffs, on Saturday, July 4, beginning at 10 am.
Darts
The final night of the season saw Mike Dow, Ken Cottrill, Jack Welch and Linda Wood win the money by defeating Robert O'Sullivan, Pete Searle, Michael Lipinsky and Charlene Barbosa, 7-4.
League Standings:
Three-Way Tie for First Place:
Mike Dow's team, Robert O'Sullivan's team, and Wes Wood's team all finished with 63.
Best three-dart-on: Fred Pekari, 152
Best three-dart-off: Jack Welch, 150
Fred Pekari threw the only Ton-80
Most Tons: Robert O'Sullivan with 25
Most Singles Matches Won: Four-Way-Tie - Pat Whalen, Jack Welch, Robert O'Sullivan and Kim Cottrill, all with 8 wins.
League Championships are being scheduled and will be announced in the coming weeks.
Save the Date - Saturday, June 27 - Dart League Awards Banquet, PA Club. Details to follow.
The Old Ball Game
Yes, Virginia, this is spring bringing the rebirth of the National Pastime by the boys of summer - temperature, wind, and rain to the contrary notwithstanding. The high school varsity and junior varsity baseball teams have been playing since April 3 and the Little League baseball season opens this Monday. In the major Little League the Tigers are home to the Mets at Veira Park, Oak Bluffs.
In the minors the Rockies tackle the Marlins at Nunes Field, Edgartown and the Blue Jays are home to the Indians at Manter Field, West Tisbury.
On Tuesday its the major league Cubs at the Cardinals at Veira and in the minor League, the Orioles visit the Twins at Nunes as the Rays pay a call on the Reds at Manter's.
All games start at 5 pm.
There are six major league teams and eight minor league teams. The major league A's will be trying to win their third championship in a row
This year during the week of June 27, some of the Martha's Vineyard major Little Leaguers will visit Cooperstown, New York, the mythical home of baseball, to play teams from around the country in the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame Invitational Tournament. Games will be played at the Cooperstown Dreams Park, which has 22 professionally groomed and lighted fields situated on 150 acres.
The Vineyarders will spend seven days and six nights in the Baseball Village taking their meals in the team dining pavilion. Each team is guaranteed at least seven games, weather permitting, and will earn a seed to play in the single elimination championship tournament.
In addition all teams will be represented in the "King of Swat," "Road Runner," "Golden Arm," and "Around the Horn Plus" skill competitions.
All players must be 12 years old or younger.
Steve Mussell will be head coach of the Vineyarders with Bob Moore and John Roberts assisting.
Biking for an MS-free world
The Central new England Chapter of the National MS Society gets an early start on the cycling season with Ride the Vineyard, beginning and ending at the regional high school. Riders will choose from three routes of 25K, 50K, and 100K. On Friday evening there will be a "Welcome to the Island" party with live entertainment. After Saturday's rides cyclists will enjoy a barbecue.
The Ride is hosted by the Martha's Vineyard Boys & Girls Club.
Registration fee is $25. Minimum fundraising, due May 2 is $250.
Got their kicks
Last Sunday the Under-10 Martha's Vineyard United Youth Soccer team, 16 boys strong, played at Norton and defeated the previously unbeaten Lancers, posting its second win in as many starts in exciting fashion, 5-4.
Nevin Wallis sends a corner kick goalward at Norton. Photo by Brenda Wallis
The fifth and winning Vineyard goal was scored by David Packer with 30 seconds remaining on the game clock.
Theo Guerin led all scorers with a hat trick. Ennis Foster also scored.
The Islanders were impressed and gratified with the sportsmanship of the host team and envious of its beautiful grassy playing field.
Martha's Vineyard United is host to Fall River, this Sunday, at 12:30 pm at the West Tisbury school.
The Boston
At least 15 Vineyarders were among the thousands to run the 113th Boston Marathon, Monday.
Not in order of finish were: Bill Brown, Dave Diriwachter, Blake Edmunds, Larry Johnson, Bonnie Kingsbury, Missy Manter, Skipper Manter, Shannon Moore, Kim O'Callahan, Kathy O'Sullivan, Mark Pgorzelski, Marcela Pouliot, John Schilling, Marylee Schroeder, Pam Thomas, and Dena Ventura. There may have been more. Congratulations to all.
Marylee Schroeder's time of 3:30:32 was Martha's Vineyard's best, an 8:02 pace, but less than a minute faster than Bonnie Kngsbury's 3:31:16, an 8:04 pace.
Bubble deflation
The Vineyard Youth Tennis Bubble is scheduled to come down on Saturday, May 9. This is a project that requires about 50 strong hands to accomplish.
If you can help please be at the site off Barnes Road near the four-way "Blinker" stop at 9 am. The "hard part" should be over by 1 pm, according to VYT executive director Scott Smith.
If you can and will help, please call Nicole at 508-693-7763.
Taylor terrific
Named Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week in the Little East Conference was (again) Taylor MacDonald of Oak Bluffs who attends Eastern Connecticut State University.
Taylor collected 19 ground balls, caused nine turnovers, and controlled six draws during the week.
