Sports
Martha's Vineyard fit to be tied by Trojans
Sometimes the puck just doesn't bounce your way. The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School boys hockey team played well, worked hard, hit harder, skated faster, and outshot Bridgewater-Raynham 28-12, but still couldn't put the Trojans away and settled for a 3-3 tie Saturday night at the Martha's Vineyard Arena.
The players were disappointed and frustrated as they left the ice, but coach Matt Mincone was impressed with the team's effort. "I'm not satisfied, I'm never satisfied," he said, smiling, "but I'm happy with the way they played. They all think they lost.... We worked hard, dominated the third period. If it's the playoffs and we're tied 3-3, we go into overtime and I'll take that. We never gave up."
The game started at a torrid pace, with players on both sides sending each other flying from rugged body checks. The trend would continue all night.
The Trojans were first to the penalty box and the Vineyarders were first on the board as a result. Tad Gold scored on a slap shot from the left point at 6:41 after some fine work by Joel Rebello and Riley Dobel, who earned the assists.
B-R got even at 8:54 on a put-away in the slot and took the lead midway through the second, following the best Vineyard pressure of the game from the Colin Hurd, Scott Cleary, and Jason Schwab line, and a Joel Rebello breakaway that culminated in a backhander high and wide.
The game seemed to turn in the second period following a rough hit from behind that temporarily sidelined Martha's Vineyard's Riley Dobel. With the Trojans ahead 2-1, the Vineyarders poured on the pressure during the ensuing power play and scored just after the penalty expired.
It took three whacks, but Darren Gazaille finally beat Trojan goalie Nick Ives with 1:30 left to tie the game. Chris Davies and Nick Billingham got the assists.
To say that Martha's Vineyard came out energized in the third period is an understatement. They were possessed.
The Trojans took a quick tripping penalty and Henry Smith made them pay at 2:14 firing in a twenty-footer into an empty cage after Ives was sprawled on the ice from the initial save. Davies got his second assist and Tad Gold had the other.
The Vineyarders tried mightily to put the game away, but like so much of the game, goalie Ives kept standing on his head and the puck went everywhere but in the net.
Eventually, the scrappy Trojans equalized with a power play goal of their own four minutes from the end, and that was that.
Wednesday, Feb. 6, Martha's Vineyard traveled to Cambridge Rindge & Latin and blanked the Falcons 6-0. Joel Rebello notched a hat trick and an assist. Darren Gazaille, Tad Gold, and Colin Hurd scored a goal each. Trey Rasmussen, Henry Smith, and Matt Flynn set up two goals apiece. Nick Billingham had one assist and Mike Capen earned the shutout in net.
Saturday, the 12-1-4 Purple host the Lynnfield Pioneers, one of the top teams in Northern Mass., in the opening game of the Farleigh Dickinson Tournament at the Martha's Vineyard Arena. Game time is 7 pm. The North Reading Hornets and the Plymouth South Panthers meet in the other contest.
The consolation and championship games are on Sunday.
Squirts play proud in Eric MacLean Memorial
The Squirt division of the Eric MacLean Memorial Tournament at the Martha's Vineyard Arena over the weekend was contested by Medfield, Concord/Carlisle, East Haven (Connecticut) and Martha's Vineyard NVL (Neponset Valley League Team). Each team played four games - Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday evening and Sunday morning).
The Vineyard won Friday vs. Medfield, 8-4. Offensive stars were Emerson Mahoney (2 goals, 2 assists), Austin Morley (1 goal, 3 assists) and Nicholas Vukota (2 goals, 1 assist). Defenseman Andrew Wiley played a strong game in front of consistently excellent goaltender Wyatt Jenkinson.
Saturday morning the Vineyard topped Concord Carlisle, 10-4. Offensive standouts were Emerson Mahoney (3 goals 1 assist), Joe Davies (2 goals 1 assist), Austin Morley (2 goals), Alexander Vukota (2 goals) and his brother Nicholas Vukota (1 goal). Aubrey Ashmun was the defensive standout.
Saturday night's game was the first of two games between the Yellow Jackets of East Haven and the Martha's Vineyard NVL Squirts, as they would meet again Sunday Morning in the Championship game. The Vineyard NVL team came out victorious, 4-3 in a well-played game between evenly matched teams. Scorers for the Vineyard were Emerson Mahoney (2 goals), Joe Davies (1 goal, 1 assist), Alexander Vukota (1 goal) and Austin Morley (1 assist). William MacDonald, Mason Jeffers and Oren Osnoss, solid defenders, protected their steady goaltender, Wyatt Jenkinson.
Sunday morning's rematch for the Championship was described by referee Jevon Rego as "the most intensely played Squirt game I've ever witnessed." Martha's Vineyard NVL Squirts went up 3-1, thanks to goals from Joe Davies, Emerson Mahoney, and a rare shorthanded tally on a five on three disadvantage when James Sashin fed Austin Morley with a perfectly placed head-man pass for a spectacular goal, one of the highlights of the tournament. Then East Haven found the net three times on shots through crowds in front of the Vineyard net. Despite third period domination by the Vineyarders, who outshot East Haven 15-2, the Vineyard team fell short in a 4-3 loss.
Despite being disappointed, the Vineyard players displayed great sportsmanship in their loss and pride in their effort, a direct result of having topnotch coaches in Mick Vukota, Joe Merry, Patrick Jenkinson, and Peter Jeffers.
In the Peewee division, Coach Greg Carroll assembled a squad made up of players from Peewee B and C teams to take on visitors from Medfield, Lower Cape, and Concord/Carlisle. Concord/Carlisle were champs by the end of the weekend. The Martha's Vineyard team came away without a victory, but Coach Carroll had high praise for his skaters who gained invaluable experience against superior competition. In particular, he cited the great play of goalie Noah Kleinhenz who faced an average of 30 shots in the four games played.
O.B. Blazers dominate interscholastic hoops
On paper, the Tisbury boys junior high squad looked to be the biggest challenge for the Oak Bluffs Blazers this season. On the court last Thursday in the Cottage City, however, it was business as usual for the defending interscholastic basketball champions.
The 2-0 Blazers look quite capable of matching last year's perfect season, if their 73-43 win over the Tigers is any indication of what lies ahead.
Early in the first half, with O.B. ahead 10-6, Tisbury had their chances to turn the game in their favor when the Blazers missed six straight shots and turned the ball over a few times. Perhaps they were too eager.
Tisbury initially rebounded effectively, but missed shot after shot and never found their scoring touch.
The Blazers did and dashed off on a 15-0 run to lead 25-6 with five minutes left in the half.
William Stewart did most of the damage, accruing 16 points while calmly directing the offense with deft passes and a sure jump shot.
Delmont Araujo was the other thorn in the Tigers paws, crashing the boards at both ends of the floor and scoring 6 points of his own.
O.B. led at the break 43-20 and never looked back.
Tisbury had their moments in the second half but the closest they would come was 46-29, following a 6-0 run.
The Blazers simply had too many weapons and their stifling defense eventually squeezed the Tigers all but dry.
William Stewart finished the game as the high scorer with 25 points. Isak Rodriguez (14) and Delmont Araujo (9) were the other top Blazers.
Tisbury got strong contributions from Ryan Fisher (9 points), Drew Moreis (8), Lucas Rezende (7), and Rafael Maciel (6).
In a very exciting game between West Tisbury and Edgartown, also last Thursday, the up-Islanders prevailed 45-39. Jack Roberts of WesTiz led all scorers with 23 points, while Jake Martin tossed in 14 for Edgartown. In the jayvee game, Edgartown won, 18-11.
This week
On Monday, the Charter School played Oak Bluffs tough in the first half, before the Blazers pulled away for a 61-40 decision. Tyler Araujo and Izak Rodrigues led O.B. with 15 points each, and William Stewart had 6. Pat McDonough (14 points), Max Miner (12), and Shay Hill (10) did the heavy lifting for the Charter School.
O.B. continued their winning ways on Tuesday with a convincing win over the WesTiz Hawks, 50-14. High scorers for O.B. were Stewart (13), Araujo (10), and Mike Bizzarro (8). Ben Dwane (6) and Harry West (4) were tops for the Hawks.
Also Tuesday, Tisbury smothered Edgartown with a full-court press for the first half, building up a 27-8 lead at the break. The game tightened up in the second half, but Tisbury still managed to expand the margin, for a final score of 49-23. Tisbury's Ryan Fisher led all scorers with 19 points.
The Tisbury jayvees also won, 28-17.
O.B. and E-Town girls romp
Last week, the defending champion O.B. girls mirrored the boys and kept their undefeated streak in tact from last season by routing host Tisbury 52-18.
Kendall Robinson and Kat DeBettencourt both had 8 points for the Blazers. Madison Hughes had 6.
Then on Tuesday, O.B. rolled over West Tisbury, 64-14. Kendall Robinson topped all scorers with 17 points. The O.B. jayvees also rolled, 22-0.
The Edgartown Lady Eagles evened their record at 1-1 last week when they dominated the West Tisbury Hawks, 51-14, in the battle of the birds.
Jenny Lindland (16 points), Hanna Persson (9), Meghan McHugh (8) and Lily Gazaille (6) led the Eagles. Carter D' Angelo (4) was the top Hawk.
On Tuesday, Edgartown topped Tisbury, 46-20.
