Vineyard sports fans who love edge-of-your-seat contests had a good holiday week as both the boys’ hockey and boys’ basketball teams went down to the wire in thrilling but ultimately disappointing games.

The basketball team lost 55-54 to Harwich in the final seconds of the second round of the Cape and Islands Christmas Classic in Mashpee on Saturday, while the boys’ hockey team on the same day skated to a 5-5 tie against Bourne in an early season match-up of old rivals.

The tie against Bourne was especially frustrating for the hockey team, which held the lead for most of the third quarter and outshot the Canalmen by a lopsided 42-16 margin.

Nick Billingham and Darren Lazaille scored in first three minutes of the third period to give the Vineyard 4-3 lead. Devin Welch then tied it for Bourne, but Billingham scored with less then ten minutes in the game to give the Vineyarders a 5-4 advantage.

The lead held until late in the period when Bourne coach Chuck Jancaterino pulled his goalie to get an extra attacker on the ice. Then, with just seconds left on the clock, freshman Will Humfrey scored the equalizer in the Vineyard’s end to send the two teams home with a tie. With the tie the Vineyarders went to 2-1-1 on the season.

Matt Flynn and Tad Gold also had goals for the Vineyard and Jack Carpenter notched three assists.

Things were equally frustrating for the basketball team playing Harwich in the second round of the Christmas Classic. The Vineyarders held a 28-17 lead at the half, and the two teams had seven ties and 11 lead changes during the game. In the second half, the Vineyarders built a six-point lead against Harwich, only to watch it slip away.

D.J. Robinson stole the ball and drove the lane with less than one minute remaining on the clock to break the fifth tie of the fourth quarter. The Vineyarders had a chance to tie the game when Mark Reppert went to the foul line; he sank one free throw to cut the lead to 55-54 but they were never able to tie the game.

Four Harwich players scored in double figures, led by Dustin Beaudoin with 15 points and Ben Bianco with 13 points. Steve Handy was the top scorer for the Vineyarders with 16 points, while Mark Reppert had 14.