Sports
By Don Lyons - September 7, 2006
Nico Cuba stops Eton's ace from scoring in the tie-breaking shootout. Photos by Ralph Stewart
MVRHS boys ready for soccer season
In back-to-back weekend scrimmages the MVRHS varsity boys soccer team gave the team's fans a lot to cheer about and raised expectations for the upcoming season.
Saturday the team was host to Eton College of England. There seemed to be reasons a-plenty to think that, as one knowledgeable fan said, the Islanders were in for a long morning. Another observed that Eton enjoyed an obvious height advantage, maybe not as critical in soccer as in basketball but a significant factor nonetheless. Eton was coming off a 9-1 pasting of a prep school in the Granite State, we were told.
But Eton, a prep school for University, not what we call a college, has numerous teams, as many as 25, someone said. Could this be one of the lesser ones? Nope! This travel team was Eton's best - the number one.
The ball meets Ben Post's head with full impact.
It was a great soccer game. The teams were obviously well matched and they played to a scoreless conclusion.
But the Islanders had the upper hand with more shots on goal, more near misses. The ball was in the Eton end of the field more often and longer than in the Vineyard end.
It was an excellently played game, especially by the host Vineyarders. Two tired teams congratulated each other at the conclusion.
Then it was decided to break the scoreless tie with a shootout.
The first shot was Eton's and Nico Cuba handled it with ease. Adam Herman took the Vineyard's first shot and fired it past the English goalie,
Eton's second shot caromed off the cross bar.
Nico Cuba took the Islanders second shot, which he blasted into the back of the net.
Nica Sylvia strengthens her team's defense.
Eton's third shot was stopped by Cuba.
The Vineyard's third was by Davey Campbell who put the ball neatly into the upper right corner. The shootout stopped then as it was impossible for Eton to catch up.
No one is supposed to keep score at a scrimmage game. MV 3, Eton 0.
After a rainy Sunday morning, the MV vs. E.O. Smith of Connecticut game started on time at 12 noon.
The game's first goal belonged to the Vineyard. Just six minutes into the contest, Jeff Taylor got past the defenders and beat the Smith goalie.
Ten minutes later the Islanders struck again putting the ball into the left corner of the net. We didn't catch the scorer's number.
At the 30-minute mark MV made it 3-nil when Davey Campbell fired a penalty kick into the high right corner.
At the other end of the field Nico Cuba was handling everything that came his way with seeming ease.
Speedy Alexia Schroeder is a threat from any point on the field.
Then just before the first half ended he faced a real challenge, a shot on goal well over Nico's head and to his right. It was on course for the back of the net, but Cuba leapt and managed to push the ball over the crossbar. A great save!
At the half it was MV 3, E.O. Smith 0.
Ben Medeiras replaced Nico Cuba in the Vineyard goal for the second half. After scoring once early in the period, the Connecticut players moved their play up a notch, but they would score no more. On the other hand, Antulio Neto and Ryan Dwayne hooked up for a give and go that was good for the Vineyard's fourth and final goal.
It was just a scrimmage. No one was keeping score.
The Vineyard won, 4-1.
The season opens with three home games: yesterday versus Nantucket, Friday with Greater New Bedford Regional Voke Tech, their first league game, at 5:30 pm and Monday with Apponequet Regional at 3:30 pm.
The boys jayvees are home to Greater New Bedford and Apponequet, same days and times as the varsity.
Click here for more boys soccer photos >>
Girls too
The girls varsity soccer team is also geared up for its season which began yesterday at Nantucket and continues Monday when the MV girls entertain Apponequet.
Scrimmages with Sandwich and North Reading, at which scores were not kept, identified strengths and vulnerabilities on which Coach Russ MacDonald and his talented charges can work.
Keith Gross survived this tilt with the surf but did not finish the course. Photos by Mae Deary
Sayres meet the Challenge
The 19th annual Martha's Vineyard Challenge, a fund-raiser for MV Community Services, was itself challenged by a northeast storm, forcing a change in the prescribed course and resulting in a reduction in the number of sailors finishing the race.
The new course took the racers the length of State Beach from the Little Bridge to a marker at the Bend-in-the-Road Beach and back, twice.
The Challenge was open to all manner of craft, not just windsurfers. But the strong winds caused kayaks to cancel and the junior fleet to race in Sengekontacket Pond.
First across the finish line was Challenge founder and still head honcho, Nevin Sayre who completed the course in 19:27.
Steve Besse was second at 22:17 just 16 seconds ahead of Andrew Moore who was third in 22:33.
Nevin Sayre - founder, organizer, and this year's winner of the Challenge - explains the change of venue at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club.
Then came (4) Lorne Lewis in 26:30; (5) Tim Colon in 27:04; (6) Bill Colon in 28:14; (7) Stina Sayre in 39:21; (8) Michael Casso in 45:03; and (9) Rob Courcier, time unknown.
Racers who started but did not finish were Dan Weiss, Keith Gross, Tyler Studds, Richard Quebec, Gary Harcourt, Mathew Goldfarb, Keegan Doig, Mathew Riley, and Andrew Weiner.
First of the junior fleet which sailed in Sengekontacket Pond was Rasmus Sayre. Tristan Lodge was second, Julie Pringle third, and Elie Jordi fourth. Solvig Sayre and Jessllee Gross withdrew.
Kayakers who registered but chose the better part of valor and stayed ashore were: Chick Dowd, Tyler Stapleton, Eleanor Morad, Jeanne Casper, and Patrick Loftus.
Win Grimm and Peter Howell registered to race in sailboats.
Keith Gross was the top fundraiser presenting MVCS with $1,680. Jessillee Gross was the top junior fund-raiser at $1,135. In all, MV Community Services received $6,500.
