An improving Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls varsity hockey squad battled a good Norwood High School team to a draw for two periods before losing 3-0 on three Mustangs third period goals on Monday at the MV Ice Arena.
“We’ve been in the last four or games with a chance. We’re getting better, no question,” coach John Fiorito said after the game. No question indeed. The Vineyarders held a second period 2-1 lead against a solid Bourne squad on Saturday before losing 5-2 to the Canalmen.
The Vineyarders surrendered three third period goals on Monday as well. “We get overwhelmed at times,” Fiorito mused. The 0-18-1 Vineyarders controlled first-period play in their best-played period of the season and held their own in the second period against the 12-9-2 Mustangs, despite difficulty getting the puck out of the Vineyarder end.
Saves were not recorded for this one but sophomore phenom Vineyarder keeper Amelia Simmons bailed out her teammates with a flurry of stops that had you feeling after two periods that one goal would win the game. Norwood got that goal just two minutes into the third period on an open shot from the point deflected in front by a Mustang.
Norwood would add two goals in the last four minutes, one on a power play in which the puck never left the Vineyard end with 3:14 left and another with 47 ticks to go.
Norwood is a speedy and veteran team and the Vineyarders generally kept up with them. Veronica Wendt, Ava Ben-David, Sally Caron, Meghan Sonia, Saige Araujo, Hayley Meader and Lauren Boyd stood out as hard workers for 45 minutes on Monday. All but Araujo, a senior, return next year.
The Vineyarders conclude their season against Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School on Wednesday at 4 pm at the MV Ice Arena.
