The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) boys varsity hockey team will play Somerset Berkley Regional High School on Feb. 28 at 6 pm at the Gallo Ice Arena in Bourne in the opening round of the Division 3 South Sectional playoffs.
The Vineyarders received a 12th seed in the 16-team field by virtue of their 11-7-2 season record. Somerset Berkley is the fifth seed, by virtue of their 16-4 season record. Both teams received a bye in the opening play-in round, which begins on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
If the Vineyarders beat Somerset Berkley, they will face the winner of sixth seed Dartmouth versus 13th seed Rockland in the second round. Rockland and Dartmouth face off at 8 pm Friday, after the MVRHS and Somerset Berkley tilt, at Gallo.
Hopkinton (19-1) is the top seed. The next five seeds won 16, and the remainder of the teams won 10, 11, or 12 games, in a tightly bunched field.
Assessing his team’s first-round opponent, boys hockey Coach Matt Mincone said, “Somerset Berkley and the Vineyarders know each other well. We were in the same league for a long time.The are fast and stay on you, don’t give you much time. They are very skilled up front, and have a great goaltender.
“We lost a coin toss for an 11 seed, so we drew them as the five seed. They won 16 games, and at this level, every team is good, but we are familiar with their style,” Mincone said. ‘We’d rather not have a nine-day wait between games until Friday, but we’ll use the time to get ready.”
