The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times
The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times
The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times

Sports Highlights

By Don Lyons - February 23, 2006

Lakers upset Timberwolves
Everyone expected Sharky's Timberwolves to advance to the RCBL finals Monday evening at the B&G Club by defeating the Lakers. But the Lakers had other ideas; they would "not go gentle into that good night."

After the first 12-minute quarter the Lakers led by four, 26-22. Carl Kallinich paced the offense with 11 points and grabbed more than his share of rebounds.

The T-Wolves outscored the Lakers in the second quarter, 23-18 and held a one-point edge at the half, 45-44. The Wolves still had a one-point advantage after three periods. Travis Baptiste contributed 20 to his team's sum of 70. Bryan Scott, who had not scored in the first quarter, was up to 21 after three.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Lakers. Jeff Labell tossed in two from downtown and scored nine. Heath Estrella was 4 for 4 from the charity stripe and added six. But it was Bryan Scott who went to the foul line three times and came away with five freebies and seven more points from the floor. Lakers 101, Timberwolves 93.

Scott's 33 was the game-high. Teammates Labell (24), Kallinich (17) and Estrella (16) reached double figures.

Jason O'Donnell (22), Travis Baptiste (20), Mike Joyce (19), Hazelton (16) and Chris Joyce (11) required two columns. Both Mike and Noah Hazelton had four treys.

In the second game the Heat got by the Legends to secure a berth in the league finals. Sandy Fisher, Damon Mello, Nathaniel Scott all had 13. T.J. Roginski led the Heat with 20. Dale Rogers' 25 was game and Legends high, Julius Middleton and Nakia Timmons each had 17.

The third Timberwolves vs. Lakers game to decide which goes to the finals will be played Monday, March 6. The final best two of three series begins the following Monday, March 13.

Youth basketball- boys
The BC Eagles overcame a firs- half deficit to defeat the Runnin' Rebels, Friday, 72-66. Justin Mercier (20) and Cole Maciel-Wingate flew high for the Eagles. Ronnie Miske (17), Caleb Costas (14) and Taylor Smith (11) scored most for the Rebels.

Also Friday, the UConn Huskies squeezed by the Blue Devils, 62-61. Liam McCarthy's 15 paced the Husky attack. Ben Ciciora (13) and Julian Willett-Beck also reached a second column. Randall Jette and Steve Handy were high Devils with 16 and 12.

Sunday at the high school the Rebels dropped the Blue Devils, 92-74 behind Ronnie Miske's 22 points. Pat Hart and Jack Wadleigh added 18 and 14. Randall Jette (19) and Steve Handy (16) were high for Duke.

In the second game, Sunday, the Huskies got by the Eagles, 71-68. Liam McCarthy's 17 was tops for the Huskies. Lamar Moreis added 11. Nick Jerome's 21 was game high for the Eagles. Lance Todd contributed 14.

Boys standings
Huskies 4-0
Runnin' Rebels 2-2
Blue Devils 1-3
Eagles 1-3

Youth basketball - girls
In the girls youth basketball league, Friday, the Tar Heels tamed the Wildcats, 33-23. Ali Flake led the Heels with 12. Katie Hines added 8. Top Wildcat was Katie Cecilio with a game-high 17. Martha Scheffer chipped in with six more.

Hayley Pierce paced the winning Bulldog attack with 16 points and Shikka Datta added a dozen in their defeat of the Red Storm, 38-28. Maili Scott (14) and Taylor Hughes (10) were tops for the St. John's Red Storm.

Sunday at the high school, the Red Storm edged by the Tar Heels, 26-24. Taylor Hughes and Maili Scott headed the even scoring Storm. Katie Hines, with 12, paced the Tar Heels. Olivia Gross added six.

The Bulldogs kept on winning, 35-24 over the Wildcats. Hayley Pierce (15) and Shikha Datta (6) were top Dogs. Martha Scheffer (15) and Kate Cecilio (5) were hep Cats.

Girls standings
Bulldogs 4-0
Red Storm 2-2
Tar Heels 2-2
Wildcats 0-4

Boys youth hockey
The MV Travel Mites entered a Mite B tournament at Falmouth. The Friday game was with Walpole. It was a seesaw game. Walpole scored first. MV tied it on a goal by Emerson Mahoney assisted by Joe Davies. Alexander Vukota made it 2-1 for the Vineyard with help from Dorian Johnson. Johnson followed with a goal of his own to make it 3-1 and Austin Morley lifted the puck over the Walpole goalie with an assist to Nick Vukota. With less than a minute on the clock Walpole scored their second goal.

In the second period Walpole was called for three infractions but the Islanders could not take advantage of their power plays. With sides even, Barry Lima scored, assisted by Chris Perry: MV 5, Walpole 2. But before the period ended Walpole added two to its side of the ledger, 5-4.

Dorian Johnson opened the third period with a goal assisted by Joe Davies and Emerson Mahoney. Walpole answered and it was 6-5. Dorian Johnson's goal, assisted by Charles Perry, restored the Vineyard's two-point edge. But Walpole replied and it was 7-6. Johnson lit the lamp again only to be answered again. Final score - 8-7, Vineyard.

Saturday the Vineyard played a dominating defensive game shutting out Barnstable, 4-0 on goals by Mahoney, Vukota, Morley, and Lima.

Later, Saturday, the Islanders blew by Falmouth, 14-1. Lots of MV skaters scored. Alex Vukota had a hat trick. On Sunday, the Islanders met Walpole for the championship title. This time, despite goals by Austin Morley and Mason Jeffers, Walpole won, 5-2.

Saturday at the Kennedy Arena the MV Squirt Purple team shut out Barnstable, 7-0. Shay Hill had a hat trick. Both Harrison Rodrigues and Connor Chisholm scored twice.

Zach Dupon was the whitewashing goalie.

Sunday, at the MV Arena, the MV Purple Squirts won their 18th game without a loss, squelching Nantucket, 8-0.

Harrison Rodrigues had a hat trick. Tyson Araujo scored twice. Connor Chisholm also scored as did Shay Hill and Mac Sashen.

Sunday, at the Kennedy, the Squirt Whites finished a 14-5 season with a 6-1 thrashing of Barnstable White. Jake Hart's hat trick led the scoring. Kip Cooperrider scored twice and Bradley Fielder celebrated his first youth hockey goal.

On Sunday the junior high team played Durfee HS at the Driscoll Arena in Fall River and totally dominated their hosts. Tyler Araujo started the scoring assisted by Darren Gazaille. After a Jock Cooperrider tally, it was Patrick Hart to Caleb Goldrup and it was 3-0 in the first period. Henry Smith opened the bidding in the second period with a neat wrap-around, then scored again off a rebound. Patrick Hart was next, scoring off his own rebound. Darren Gazaille ended the slaughter unassisted. MV 7, Durfee 0.

The leadership of team captain Joshua Naylor and goalies Louie Jacobs and Alex Dorr are acknowledged.

Correction please
Two weeks ago The Times report of a Travel Mite game was amiss. It was Austin Morley who scored four goals for Lower Cape. (Lower Cape could not field enough players for the game and the Vineyard "donated" four of its own.) Despite Austin's solid work for Lower Cape, MV won the game, 11-5.

Bridgework
Fourteen Vineyard duplicate bridge players scored well at a New England regional tournament at Cromwell, Conn., last week. All of the Islanders placed among the master-point winners in at least one event.

The Vineyard's intermediate players did especially well. Gail Farrish and Dorothea Arnold placed high in five of the pair events, winning flight B of the Thursday afternoon I/N and topping the flight A players in their section. Edward Russell and Deirdre Ling placed high in four I/N pair events and had the top score overall in the Saturday evening game. The four players combined to win the I/N Swiss Teams on Sunday.

Among experienced players, Dan and Nancy Cabot won in the two-session, two-section Senior Pairs, Friday, outscoring all players in Flight C and claiming the Flight B Championship as well. Saturday, after languishing in the middle of the pack in the first session of B/C Open Pairs, they came back in the evening to outscore all players in their section finishing fourth in Flight C overall. Claus Buchthal and Rosemary Taylor were 5th, right behind the Cabots. in the Saturday B/C Open Pairs. In the Saturday Senior Pairs Art Flathers and Barbara Besse were 6th overall in Flight B.

Vineyard Knockout teams, which did so well at the Newton tourney last month, were eliminated in early rounds, but William Blakesley and Hugh Knipmeyer combined with Joe Ashcroft and Al Shrive to place 5th in Flight B of the Thursday Open Swiss teams. Two MV teams won matches in the Sunday Swiss Teams. But both finished one position below the top spots in their flights.

The Vineyard bridge clubs, always interested in new players, meet Tuesday evenings in Vineyard Haven and Thursday evenings in West Tisbury. Call Barbara Donald at 508-693-1493 for details.

Girls hockey
The MV girls U14/U12 hockey team was at Walpole last weekend for a one-and-done tournament (lose and go home). Playing without their top scorer, the MV girls were still excited about the contest and optimistic about their chances versus Walpole.

Phoebe Kelleher grabbed the opening face-off and rushed the puck to the Walpole net and MV led with 30 seconds off the clock. Celia Mercier's goal, assisted by Amanda Gonzalves, made it 2-0. Kelleher's second goal upped the ante to 3-0 with help from Olivia Higham and Taylor Chisholm.

Walpole cracked the MV defense and scored twice to make it close, 3-2. But Taylor Chisholm, assisted by Lily Gazaille, gave the Vineyard some elbowroom.

Walpole struck first in the third period to make it 4-3. Walpole swarmed about the Vineyard net, but goalie Jamie Forend weathered the storm with the help of defensemen Sarah Turner. Phoebe Kelleher took charge, scoring the next two goals with assists going to left wing Olivia Hart and defenseman Sophie Sobel. The final goal couldn't have been prettier. Kelleher rushed down the left side, drew the Walpole defense in, slid the puck to Olivia Cimeno who made no mistake and drove it home. Final: MV 5-Walpole 2.

Coach Jim Kelleher awarded pucks to goalie Forend, who made 22 saves, and Phoebe Kelleher, who had four goals and two assists.

Next on the agenda is a Division 4 championship game with the powerful Rhode Island Panthers U14 team.

Hocky schedules run out Friday
The last scheduled MVRHS varsity ice hockey games will be played at the Arena tomorrow. The girls take on Westwood at 4 pm and the boys are host to Plymouth South at 6 pm. ...The annual Ocean View Saint Patrick's Day 5 K road race will start at 11 am, Sunday, March 12 pm, a benefit for the MV Boys & Girls Club. Call Greg to register: 627-3303.