The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School varsity hockey team punched their ticket to the state tournament on Monday with a thrilling come-from- behind 3-2 non-league victory over Dennis-Yarmouth at the MV Arena.
The Vineyarders were sluggish at the start and fell behind 2-0 early in the first period. But the home team rallied, and cut the deficit in half late in the second period on a goal by Emerson Mahoney with assists by Tyler Araujo and Brian Fraser.
The Vineyarders got the equalizer early in the third period on a goal by Tyler Araujo with assists by Sam Burke and Shay Hill.
The Vineyarders then scored the game winning goal with 5:52 left in the third period on a scoring play that started with a dazzling open ice breakaway by Tyler Araujo.
Araujo got behind the defenders and fired a bullet at Dennis-Yarmouth goalie Kevin Lacroix, who managed to stop the shot. But Fraser was trailing the play and fired the rebound past Lacroix to give the Vineyarders the 3-2 lead.
With the win the Vineyarders climb to 10-2 on the season overall and are 4-1 in the Eastern Athletic Conference. The boys hockey team joins the boys and girls basketball teams in qualifying for the state tournament.
Both the boys and girls basketball teams qualified for the tournament with wins over conference rival Coyle Cassidy on Friday.
