As the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) winter sports season is winding down, both the girls and boys hockey teams are gearing up for a postseason push.
For the boys team, it’ll be about grit — the team has battled through adversity all season. For the girls, it’s about gaining experience, as a young team looks to build on a round-two playoff knockout last year.
The girls hockey team finished the regular season at 11-8-1, and are set to face off against Pembroke High School on Thursday at 3 pm at the Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena. The boys, who closed out the season with a 9-9-2 record, will play after, taking on Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School at 5 pm.
The Vineyard girls lost the Cape and Islands league title on a technicality, after tying the Falmouth High School Navigators 3-3, in the Cape and Islands league championship game. Despite defeating them earlier in the season 4-2 as well, the Navigator team had two more overall points than the Vineyarders, so they were awarded the title.
Although they fell just short of the championship, the girls are entering the postseason with momentum, coming off a strong regular season, defeating Nauset, Sandwich, and Falmouth for the first time in high school history in a single season.
Head Coach Mallory Watts said camaraderie and consistent off-ice preparation played a big role in their success as a team, especially with a younger roster, which included two eighth graders and several freshmen.
“Sportmanship, team camaraderie, and work ethic were major themes for us,” said Watts. “We had a young team, so ensuring everyone felt support was important. Our captains created a great locker room environment, and that reflected on the ice.”
Heading into Thursday’s game, the Vineyard team is preparing to face a tough Pembroke squad.
“Pembroke has a pretty good goalie, so we are going to have to crash the net for dirty goals. A dirty goal is still a goal,” said Watts. “It doesn’t have to be pretty every time; crash the net and get those rebounds.”
The Vineyard girls made it to the second round last season, and this year, they hope to take it a step further.
“It feels really good, and they have shown they are going to continue to work hard; there is a ton of talent on our team, and they deserve to be in the position that they are in,” said Watts.
On the boys side, the team battled through a tough league schedule, as well as some midseason adversity, ultimately ending the season at .500.
“I like to keep the competition as tough as feasible to stay competitive,” said Head Coach Matt Mincone. “ A .500 team going into the tournament is about as battle-tested as you’re going to get.”
Heading into the state tournament, the Vineyard boys hockey team were awarded the Cape and Islands sportsmanship award. Max Metell, No. 17, was awarded an individual sportsmanship award, and senior players Hunter Johnson, No. 7, and Robby Pacheco, No. 3, were honored as league All-Stars, with Nate Averill, No. 4, as runner-up.
After losing their top scorer, Averill, who only played only nine of 20 games and still led the team in goals, as well as vital defenseman Wyatt Wiggin, No. 20, midway through the season to injury, the Island hockey team was forced to make some adjustments.
“Since that time, we’ve had some issues scoring goals,” said Mincone. “ We lost two key pieces, and replacing a goal-scorer like Nate has been a challenge.”
Despite the setbacks, the team remains optimistic.
“We’ve had to shift things around, find consistency in both offense and defense,” Mincone said. “Every year, there’s a little bit of ‘puck luck,’ and we haven’t quite found ours yet, but we’re working hard to score every goal and stay disciplined on defense.”
The team is coming off a strong win against Dennis-Yarmouth, which Mincone hopes will build momentum heading into the tournament.
“This team has been through a lot — the good, the bad, and everything in between,” he said. “They’re a strong-willed group, and they’re ready.”
For longtime Head Coach Mincone, it’s about developing good people on and off the ice. “I can’t tell you how many points a team had, or what a team’s records was, a couple years after they played; but I will tell you about the players, and who they were as people; I can tell you how hard a kid worked, how he did in school, and how he interacted with others, and at some conjunction, that took over my coaching.”
Follow our coverage of both games online at MVTimes.com.
