Vineyard girls skate past Marshfield, lose to Sandwich
The Vineyard varsity girls hockey team had every reason to be confident heading into Monday’s home game with Sandwich. They had just won, perhaps their toughest, most uplifting game of the season on Saturday, beating Marshfield at the Martha’s Vineyard Arena.
Yet, from the first drop of the puck against Sandwich, the Vineyarders just didn’t have it and lost 4-1. They were flat, passive, and out of sync—the classic symptoms of a letdown.
Through much of the first period, though, M.V. was very much in the game. Sandwich didn’t look at all threatening until late in the period when the Vineyarders took two penalties, handing the Blue Knights a 5-on-3 advantage. Sandwich lit the lamp seven seconds later and led 1-0 at the intermission.
In period two, the Blue Knights scored three goals in the first five minutes and Vineyard coach John Fiorito wisely called time-out to lift his flagging troops.
From that point on, the Islanders made a game of it. The Vineyard defense did not allow Sandwich to score again and Celia Mercier salvaged some home team pride with a goal 14 seconds into the final period.
The secret to Monday’s woes may well have been the Vineyarders nervewracking win over Marshfield on Saturday. M.V. rode the proverbial emotional rollercoaster against the Rams. The Vineyarders played with the lead, played from behind, and twice led by two. In the end, they held a precarious 5-4 lead for the final nine minutes and goalie Texe Craig kept the relentless Rams at bay to make it stick.
M.V.’s Maggie Johnson opened the scoring four minutes into the game, assisted by Angela DeBettencourt.
Half-way through the second period, the Rams had battled back to take the lead, but lost it 23 seconds later when Gillian O’ Callaghan scored from Callie Jackson to tie the game at 2-2.
Celia Mercier then set up Emily Cimeno, who, in turn assisted Mercier to give the Vineyarders a 4-2 lead heading into the third period.
The Rams scored next, but again the Vineyarders answered quickly when Mercier notched the game-winner.
M.V. stands at 4-7-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the Southeastern Mass. Girls Hockey League. The girls travel to Wilmington on Saturday to take on the Wildcats.