Nantucket takes Island Cup, Vineyard girls’ soccer win Golden Anchor

Martha’s Vineyard families and fans made the long ferry trek across Nantucket Sound at 7:30 am on Halloween morning to support the Island’s high school fall sports teams in the annual Island Cup and Battle in the Atlantic, only to watch Nantucket claim most of the day’s hardware.

The Martha’s Vineyard varsity football team lost to Nantucket 56-7 in the Island Cup, while the boys’ soccer team lost 2-0 and surrendered their Golden Anchor trophy. Varsity field hockey also fell 1-0. The girls’ varsity soccer team were a shining light in the dark, defeating the Whalers 1-0 in the final moments on Nobadeer Field to keep their Golden Anchor for the fourth consecutive season and remain undefeated against Nantucket in the Battle in the Atlantic series. 

The girls’ soccer game was quiet for most of play, but in the final moments, Laney Light (No. 10) rushed the ball toward the Whalers’ net and let off a desperate last-ditch effort shot with pressure on, sliding into the ball, and scoring low on the far side. The girls’ team held the Whalers for the remaining five minutes and secured the Golden Anchor trophy for another year. 

Light said it felt “so good” to score the game winner and beat Nantucket on their home field. 

Light said as she approached the ball in the final minutes of the game, all she was thinking about was that she was going to give it her all.

“Time was running out, and I just used everything I had and hoped for the best,” Light said.

Senior captain Leah Thomson said the Vineyarders came out strong in the second half after a scoreless first. 

“We had a lot more chances too,” Thomson said.

Thomson said she was proud to leave an undefeated legacy for the Battle in the Atlantic series, alongside her three other senior teammates. The girls’ varsity soccer team played on Nobadeer Field while the rest of the Vineyard teams competed at Nantucket High School.

“[We felt that] if we are going to play on a field away from everyone else, then we are going to do our best,” said Thomson. 

“It feels good. Nantucket played great. That was the tightest match we’ve had with Nantucket in a while,” Head Coach Matthew Malowski said. “I’m just happy to see the seniors get to go out with another Golden Anchor.”

Malowski said he is excited for the future of the girls soccer program, and added that they have a promising young squad who will continue to improve.  

Their 1-0 win extended a run that began with the inaugural Golden Anchor in 2023 (a 4-1 victory) and continued with a 2-0 retention in 2024 and a 5-0 shutout in 2025 that also clinched the program’s first Cape and Islands league title since 1999.

The Island Cup rivalry dates back to the 1950s, though the trophy itself wasn’t introduced until 1978 by Vineyard Coach John Bacheller, and Nantucket Coach Vito Capizzo. This was a highly anticipated game for the Island. Nantucket won 22-14 in overtime at Fenway Park in 2024, which tied the rivalry series at 22-22, and then, the 2025 matchup was canceled when the Vineyard forfeited due to injuries and disciplinary issues that left the roster too thin to safely compete. The game on Saturday, marked the rivalry’s return to the field. 

Kick-off was at 3 pm, and the Whalers senior David Guillen (No. 5) opened the first quarter with more than 200 rushing yards. Before the second quarter, the Whalers were up 42-0, and the Vineyarders had a deep hole to get out of. 

In the second half, the Vineyard’s sophomore quarterback Adam Parchment (No. 8) rushed the ball from the pocket roughly 10 yards for the first Vineyard touchdown of the night. But the Whalers didn’t let up and scored until the buzzer ran out, finishing the game at 56-7. 

The varsity boys’ soccer team fell 2-0 to the Whalers. They had an even matchup, but in the first quarter, a call didn’t go the Vineyard’s way, granting the Whalers a penalty kick, which they buried to go up 1-0. The Vineyarders tried to respond with some promising chances of their own but could not capitalize on anything. In the final minutes, a scrum in front of the Vineyard’s goal resulted in the ball finding the back of the net. The game finished 2-0. 

Junior varsity results were mixed. The J.V. boys’ soccer team won 2-0, and the J.V. girls’ soccer team won 5-1, while J.V. field hockey lost 4-0. The middle school football team shut out Nantucket 12-0.