Sports Highlights

By Don Lyons - November 22, 2006

Skating with Whalers

As well as the football games on Nantucket, Saturday, there were five hockey games in the handsome, new ice arena.

The Bantams played a double-header, winning the first game narrowly, 2-1. Alex Bilzerian scored the Vineyard goals, assisted by Dakota Delviento.

The second Bantam game was even closer, ending in a 3-3 tie. The final goal was scored by Delviento on a Bobby Orr-like effort.

The M.V. Peewees were well matched by the Nantucket Nor-easters. Zollie Clarke made some circus saves in goal for the Vineyard and Shay Hill, Thomas Wilkens, and Brian Hurley played quality hockey. The Whalers led 1-0 throughout most of the contest and withstood tremendous pressure by the Vineyarders in the third period. Late in the final frame the Nor-easters added a second goal.

The Travel Mites were out-skated by the Whalers and lost the first game, 5-0. A second game ended in a 1-1 tie. The MV scorer was Joe Davies, The game was shortened by the necessity of catching the ferry.

Also Saturday, at the M.V. Arena, the M.V. girls lost to the Cape Cod Waves, 4-0. The Cape girls had 16 shots on goal to the Vineyard's 5. M.V. goalie Anna Sylvia had a dozen saves. Olivia Higham had a strong defensive game.

The M.V. Squirt Islanders scored four times in the first period with goals by Matt Davies, Andrew Carroll, Dorian Johnson, and Marco Petricone to take a 4-0 lead over Y-D at the Arena. Nick Kent was assisted by Callie Jackson in the second period. But Y-D rallied scoring two in the second and three in the third periods. The game ended in a 5-5 tie.

Sunday the M.V. Squirt Warriors outlasted the Barnstable Hurricanes, 8-6. Lead scorer with 5 goals was Tyson Araujo. Oliver Lane scored his second of the season on his 10th birthday. Chris Perry also scored. Araujo, Austen Morely and William MacDonald assisted. Mac Sashin was a key in the defense.

At Tony Kent Arena, the Cape Cod Waves splashed the MV Girls, 4-1. Angela Casey scored, assisted by Emily Hammett. The three Olivias - Cimeno, Hart, and Higham - contributed solid games, as did Lily Gazaille and Elizabeth Kelleher.

Annual Chilmark Trot turns violent

The annual Chilmark School Turkey Trot was marred this year by an altercation between one of the teachers and a two foot long ground squirrel. The exact cause of the fighting is not clear but it appears to have something to do with one of the recycling programs initiated by Jack Regan, the teacher.

Mr. Regan and the ground squirrel were not strangers. There had been a number of exchanges between them in the preceding weeks. The squirrel maintained that Mr. Regan's worm composting program was removing food resources from the squirrel community.

When the squirrel first appeared at the Turkey Trot he was approached by Mr. Regan. Words were exchanged. Mr. Regan apparently provoked the squirrel by referring to him as a "vicious ground squirrel." As the race began, witnesses say, a grey streak emerged from behind a stone wall, jumping in front of Mr.Regan, causing him to fall.

Police were called to the scene to interrogate the squirrel, the teacher, and various witnesses. Those present at the scene of attack were visibly shaken. One parent was quoted as saying. "we moved to Chilmark so that our children could receive an education free from the violence present in so many off Island schools. Perhaps we made the wrong choice."

A stress counselor was made available to the children and parents who witnessed the disturbing incident.

Darting at the PA

Tom Norton, Dick Higdon, Mike Lipinsky, and sub Wes Wood were the winning team, Nov. 9, beating Jake Gifford's gang, 8-3.

The next week Charlene Alley, Laurie Maciel, Fred Pekari, and Brenda Mullins were the winning combo, 9-2. Gifford's group were the victims again.

The Charlene Alley Cats and Tom Norton's Notables are tied in first place with 50 points. Fred Hall leads in tons with 16 and singles with seven.

The Shotgun Shoot

The MV Rod & Gun Club's annual Fall Shotgun Shoot, a warm-up for the shotgun deer season, will be held at the Club Sunday, Nov. 26.

Events include the Egg Shoot at 50 yards, the Standing Deer Target, also at 50 yards, and the over-the-shoulder Trap Shoot. The 2006 Club Top Gun will be declared and the winner will get an embroidered Top Gun jacket.

The six-hour event begins at 10 am. The public is invited to participate (a small entry fee is charged) or to watch (free). Prize turkeys and hams are donated by Stop & Shop and Cronig's Market.

Hoops loom

After the hickory nuts fall it's basketball season.

The interscholastic season begins Monday with the Charter School visiting Tisbury. Tuesday has a double-header, with Oak Bluffs at Tisbury and West Tisbury at Edgartown.

Charter invades O.B. Wednesday.

Thursday it's Edgartown at Tisbury and Oak Bluffs at WesTiz.

The high school basketball teams begin practice on Monday as well.

Reminder

Tomorrow the annual Oak Bluffs Thanksgiving 5K has an 8:30 am start. Sign up ($10) at the old town hall opposite the SSA.... Saturday is the second 5K for KJ at the high school cross-country course. The run/walk in memory of Kevin Johnson starts at 11 am. Register for $15 at the Sancy Pachico gym before the race, rain or shine.

Cassie at the Icebreaker

A Vineyard youth team rowed the Island gig Cassie in a series of grueling round-robin style sprints, Saturday, in Boston Harbor. The event styled the Icebreaker Races, is held annually hosted by the Hull Lifesaving Museum.

The Islanders competed against some of the best open-water youth in the country from Newburgh, N.Y., New Haven, Conn., Lake Champlain, Vt., North Haven and Vinalhaven, Maine, and Boston, Hull, Hingham, Gloucester, Hanover and Plymouth, Mass.

The Vineyarders were 5th, 6th, 7th, and 4th, finishing in 6th place in their seven boat class.

The final event was a 20-boat nautical mile sprint across Hull and Hingham Bays. Cassie was eighth.