There is no such thing as a break for hockey players, and the Martha’s Vineyard Regional boys’ hockey team proved that by hitting the ice Wednesday, in the middle of the school’s February break. The team lost 2-4 against Bishop Stang High School in the final game of the season. The team ended their season with a 4-9-3 record.
Wednesday’s contest was a make-up for a cancelled game. Earlier in the season, the Vineyard and Bishop Stang tied 1-1.
Starting with rigor, the Vineyarders played a well matched game, ending the first period tied 0-0. In the second period both teams stepped up their energy a notch, each scoring one goal within the first two minutes of play. Freshman Hunter Ponte scored the Vineyard’s first goal.
Assistant coach Max Sherman said it was fitting Ponte scored first, as the freshmen have worked hard this season to make up for the lack of overall experience on the team.
In the third period, the Vineyarders were able to hold on to a tie, despite Bishop Stang’s increasingly ferocious offense. After Bishop Stang scored a goal 45 seconds into play, senior Bryce Nelson brought his team back to a tie with a shot halfway through the period. With minutes dwindling down on the clock, Bishop Stang broke loose, scoring two more points and securing a win.
Though the Vineyarders had a hard season, with a lack of experience on the ice, Mr. Sherman said it was about more than the scoreboard.
“This is obviously not the result we wanted, but the seniors worked hard,” he said. “It was a hard nosed game.”
Coach Sherman said all the seniors were able to play in the game and the team can take what they learned from this year going forward.
The seniors on the team were self-propelling and self-aware of when they needed to work harder, he added.
“It was a good game to see that. They worked hard all the way through,” he said. He said the drive and enthusiasm came from the team members themselves, and they needed little encouragement from the coaches.
“Our time is in practice, their show time is the game,” he said.
Neither of the high school’s hockey teams will be advancing to the state tournament this year.
The girls’ team also lost their last game in the season, 1-2 against Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School on Feb. 18. The girls finished their season with a 4-11-3 record. Coach John Fiorito said the season was difficult for the girls, but lauded the continued efforts of his senior players, especially the goalies.
The strength and skill of their goalies helped the team stay in games where they were woefully out-matched, he said.
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