The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) boys lacrosse team was clicking on all cylinders Tuesday as they dispatched league rival Sturgis Charter School East at the high school by an 18-6 margin. Leading 10-5 at the half, the Vineyarders scored all five goals of the third period to pull away from the Storm.
The Vineyarders came out flying, playing with intensity and impressive teamwork. They created scoring opportunities with quick cuts and passes, and bottled up the Sturgis offense with tight defensive coverage. Two early goals by sophomore Zander Amaral set the tone, and the hosts led 6-1 after one period.
Period two was more of the same, with sophomore Elias Gunderson scoring twice to give him three goals in the first half. When the Storm closed out the half with three scores, it was a five-goal Vineyard lead at the break.
The hosts quickly reclaimed momentum in period three. Senior Sam Wallace notched an early goal, and minutes later assisted on Elias Gunderson’s game-high fourth goal of the contest. (Wallace would lead all players with six assists.) With a 15-5 lead after three periods, the Vineyard was able to spread the playing time around in the final quarter.
When the horn sounded, 12 different players had scored for the home team. Meanwhile, the defense had effectively shut down the Sturgis attack. Senior goalie Max Smith was stellar for the hosts before retiring to the sidelines in period four. For the visitors, junior Grady Andrews led the way with three goals, while sophomore Mason Bailey turned away 23 shots in net.
The win gave the Vineyarders a 5-1 record both overall and in the league, while Sturgis fell to 4-5. The boys will host Sturgis West on Thursday, May 2, at 4 pm.
