The high school boys hockey team’s season came to a premature end — and the girls hockey team breathed new life — on Wednesday, after a dizzying chain of coronavirus-related events produced broad reverbations throughout the Island’s high school hockey program and the entire Cape league.

After finishing tied for first place in the Lighthouse division with Nantucket — and trouncing their rivals 7-1 over the weekend — the boys hockey team was set to take on Dennis-Yarmouth at home in the first round of the tournament Thursday.

Meanwhile, the girls hockey team was set to face Sandwich on Thursday in their first-round playoff matchup.

Two days later, and the girls team had advanced to the league semifinals, while the boys season had ended — all without playing a single game.

The bad news began on Tuesday, when school officials learned that a member of the Island’s girls hockey team had tested positive for the virus through mandatory, school-mandated Mirimus Clinical Lab testing. High school athletic director Mark McCarthy contacted the athletic directors from the three schools the Vineyard girls had played in the previous week — Falmouth, Nantucket and Dennis-Yarmouth ­— to notify them of the positive test. As a result, the Vineyard and the three other teams were pulled from the tournament.

The fallout of the positive test also extended to the boys hockey team, after several players were identified as close contacts with the girls hockey team. Per public health protocol, those players were then tested for the virus. Mr. McCarthy said on Wednesday that one of the boys’ tests came back positive, forcing the entire team to enter quarantine protocol, effectively ending the Island’s high school hockey season.

Boys coach Matt Mincone was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

But in a surprise twist Tuesday night, everything changed for the girls program, when Mr. McCarthy received a phone call from high school principal Sara Dingledy, who said that the original positive test on the girl’s team was an error.

“It was a barcode reading error,” Mr. McCarthy said. “Although the test was positive, it was not the girl they said it was,” he continued.

Following news of the false-positive test Wednesday morning, Mr. McCarthy and the Falmouth, Nantucket and Dennis-Yarmouth athletic directors decided to proceed with the girls tournament.

With season back on, the Vineyard girls were scheduled to play Sandwich on the Cape Thursday in the first round of the playoffs. However, Mr. McCarthy got a call from the Sandwich athletic director Wednesday afternoon to say they had a positive test on their girls team and would no longer be able to compete. As a result, the Vineyarders advanced to the semifinals.

The false-positive test on the Vineyard result also affected the other girls quarterfinal matchup, with Barnstable set to play Nantucket. After thinking their season was over because of the erroneous positive test on the Vineyard, some members of the Nantucket team left the Island for school vacation, leaving the Whalers without enough players to field a team. The game was cancelled, and Barnstable advanced.

The Barnstable Red Raiders will take on the Vineyarders at home on the Cape Thursday at 3 p.m. The league championship is scheduled for Sunday.