The Vineyard girls and boys varsity hockey teams got their respective seasons off on the right skate with opening game victories on Saturday.
The boys faced off with Old Rochester Regional at the MV Arena, Saturday night. The Vineyarders out-skated and out-scored the Bulldogs from Mattapoisett, 6-3. Tyson Araujo potted a hat trick to lead the way for MV.
The Island skaters jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first period. Tyson Araujo scored the first goal, unassisted, just a minute and a half after the puck was dropped. Brother Tyler Araujo followed with another goal four minutes later. Before the frame was over, Brian Fraser scored on the power play from Tyson Araujo and Max Davies, and Nelson Dickson buried a rebound off of a shot from Kyp Cooperrider.
The Bulldogs scored the only point in the second period and closed the gap to 4-2.
After playing a lackluster middle period, the Islanders wasted little time in reasserting themselves. Tyson Araujo netted his second goal of the game, 17 seconds into the third period. He then completed the hat trick, two minutes later.
The Bulldog goalie was challenged 32 times. MV goalie Mike Sylvia faced 17 threats.
The boys skated in Franklin, Wednesday, against the high-powered Panthers.
The Vineyarders host local rivals, the Bourne Canalmen, Saturday night at 6:10 pm.
While the MV boys were entertaining off-Islanders, the Vineyard ladies were having their way against Brookline at Boston University’s Walter Brown Arena, beating the Warriors, 4-1.
The first two MV goals were by team captain Celia Mercier, who tallied in both the first and second periods. Mercier’s first goal was assisted by Emily and Olivia Cimeno, the second, by Emily Cimeno and Kassidy Bettancourt.
Third-period icing on the cake was provided by Emily Cimeno, with help from Lily Gazaille and Kassidy Bettancourt, and by freshman Aubrey Ashmun, who scored courtesy of fellow frosh Sydney Davies.
Goalie Texe Craig tended the Vineyard twine with aplomb, stopping 24 shots.
This Saturday, the MV varsity skates in its home opener against Quincy/North Quincy (the high schools combine squads for girls hockey) at 1 pm.
Good old days again
The annual Alumni Hockey games will be played on Friday, December 23.
The ladies will face off at 5:30 pm. The gentlemen will commence firing at 6:45 pm.
There is no charge to play.
Please call or write Kurt to sign up: 508-693-5329 or mvice@vineyard.net.