The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) boys’ varsity hockey team entered the weekend with a lot of buzz — not only because of their 6–1 record, but because they were also ranked first overall among 42 teams in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) power rankings.
“It put a target on our back,” said Assistant Captain Max Metell, a junior. “Everyone wants to come out and beat the No. 1 team.”
Despite its first-place ranking, the Vineyard finished the weekend 0–2, with a loss to a tough Falmouth team and a stunning upset by Dennis-Yarmouth. It’s not all bad news for the boys, though. There were some positive moments.
On Friday evening, the puck dropped at Falmouth Ice Arena in a game much anticipated by the fans and players of both teams.
“[Falmouth] is always a game that you mark on the schedule,” said senior forward Joseph Medeiros. Falmouth is a known hockey powerhouse on the Cape, ranked fifth in Division 2.
Full of broken sticks and physical play, the Falmouth game did not disappoint. Medeiros started the scoring in the first period with a quick wrist shot to put the Vineyard up 1–0.
“Getting on the board first gave us momentum,” said Medeiros.
Falmouth quickly responded, however, and tied the game going into the second period, where both teams continued battling. The Vineyard struck first, with sophomore forward Donnie Gregory finding the back of the net for the 11th time this season. (Gregory leads the Vineyard in points this season, with 16.)
Heading into the third period, the Vineyard had a 2–1 lead, but things started to come together for Falmouth. The Clippers scored two goals to close out the game and secure the win with a final score of 3–2.
The Vineyard suffered another loss that game when sophomore forward Jason Alton left the ice with a broken finger, adding to a growing list of injuries for the team. There are currently three players out for the Vineyard.
Fresh off the tightly contested game with Falmouth, the Vineyard — along with everyone else in Tony Kent Arena — came into Saturday’s game against Dennis-Yarmouth (D-Y) with the expectation of a bounce back. D-Y is currently ranked 30th in Division 4. What happened next was something nobody anticipated.
The first period started off quietly, with the Vineyard dominating possession but unable to find a hole in the Dolphins’ defense. Then D-Y scored at the end of the period, putting the team up 1–0 going into the first intermission.
The second period followed the same trend as the first. The Vineyard controlled the puck for a majority of the time, but was not able to find the net.
When the third period began, the momentum swung entirely. D-Y put up three goals, two of which came shorthanded on Vineyard power plays.
Once the final buzzer rang, the D-Y bench cleared as players jumped onto their goalie. The arena — filled with confusion about what had just happened — applauded the massive upset.
Metell spoke about the team’s next steps. “We need to get back to our team standards and hold each other accountable,” he said.
And the potential growth that comes with a few hard losses can sometimes be a necessary step for many teams to build resilience and grit. “We’re just looking to come back better next game,” said Medeiros.
The Vineyard has the opportunity to prove its legitimacy as a top-ranked team this Wednesday. They host the Sandwich Blue Knights at 5 pm, after our press deadline, at the Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena. Sandwich is currently ranked second in Division 4.
Matthew Macmillan is an MVRHS junior. He is a reporter for the High School View, which is published weekly in The Martha’s Vineyard Times. He plays defense for the high school’s varsity hockey team, but is out for the season with an injury.