The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls hockey team on Monday played for the first time on home ice, facing off against their Southeastern Massachusetts Girls Hockey League rivals, the cooperative team of Bourne-Mashpee-Wareham-Old Rochester Regional (BMWORR).
The Vineyard girls, decided underdogs in tough road losses to Brookline and Pembroke to start the season, looked to bounce back against a more evenly matched opponent in front of a full crowd at the Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena. In a nice display of solidarity and support, the Vineyard boys hockey players were in the stands wearing the girls’ black and purple away jerseys.
Little separated the two teams throughout an exciting, well-played game that was as physical as girls hockey, minus body-checking, could be.
Ultimately, the game was decided by BMWORR’s Tannah O’Brien, who floated a wrister from the left point, through traffic, past screened Vineyard netminder Julia Bettencourt with 4:11 left in the second period. The goal was more a product of good things that happen to those who shoot the puck than the result of any sustained pressure.
The Vineyarders played at their best in the first period. The trio of Genny Kent, Megan Sonia, and Hailey Meader, in particular, hampered the Ladies of the Canal with dogged forechecking and gritty play along the boards. All three players had solid scoring attempts.
Ninety seconds into the game, Genny Kent had the first scoring bid on an attempted wraparound inside the post. Four minutes later, Megan Sonia rushed down the boards, skated to the left circle, and zipped a low, flat shot at BMWORR goalie Sophie Schiappa. Hailey Meader had her chance at goal by whistling a shot from the right point that deflected in front of the crease and trickled wide left.
The visitors had their best moments in the period’s final five minutes, thanks in part to pair of late Vineyard penalties. With MV down 5-on-3 for 43 seconds, BMWORR got off a pair of shots at close range. Julia Bettencourt saved the first with her blocker and stopped the rebound to preserve the scoreless tie.
The second period was more wide-open than the first, with more up-and-down action. The Vineyarders sustained their energy during a whistle-free four minutes of play. Once BMWORR got on the scoreboard, however, the hosts were under pressure for the remainder of the period. The visitors fed off the momentum, and Vineyard legs were slowing down. Fortunately for the locals, Julia Bettencourt was superb in goal.
MV finally got on the power play with 1:01 left in the second period. They would get two more chances with the extra skater in the third.
Power plays aside, the Vineyarders had their best chance to tie the game while playing shorthanded with four minutes left in regulation. Saige Araujo gained control of the puck at center ice, skated in alone and fired a shot, which Sophie Schiappa turned aside with her right pad into the left corner.
The Vineyarders played out the final 1:19 shorthanded, with Coach John Fiorito pulling Julia Bettencourt for the extra attacker. BMWORR held firm and secured the win.
MV played with heart, and had a respectable 18 shots on goal against BMWOR, but thus far, sophomore Hailey Meader’s tally against Pembroke on Dec. 14 is the one Vineyard shot to tickle the twine in this young season.
“It’s going to be hard for us to score goals,” Coach Fiorito said after the home opener. “We need to take care of business in our defensive zone, which we did a pretty good job of. We need to try to work hard.”
Coach Fiorito has been satisfied with his team’s effort in the first three games, and sees improvement over last season. However, he acknowledged the challenge of playing through a tough schedule with a team short on depth and seasoned hockey players.
“We will play teams who are blessed with more kids who have played hockey for longer amounts of time,” Coach Fiorito said. “We’re just going to have to be resilient through that. Hopefully, we will be. I think we are.”
The Vineyard girls return to the ice on Wednesday against Sandwich at the John Gallo Arena in Bourne. The next home game is Friday, Dec. 30, at 5 pm vs. Nauset.