Boys Hockey Crushes Mashpee/Monomoy

The Whaler boys hockey team was desperate to get back on the ice after a crushing 3-1 defeat at the hands of Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday. They had to wait four days to get that chance, but made the most of it in the fashion of a 9-1 beatdown of Mashpee/Monomoy Sunday afternoon.

“I don’t know why they were the way they were but the boys were just incredibly loose before the game,” head coach Scott Corbett said. “We came out and we were buzzing from the opening puck drop. It was an absolute clinic in those first seven minutes.”

Nantucket jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first half of the first period. Corbett said from that point on, it became a fun game where they were able to give guys rest, roll all four lines, all six defensemen, and give starting goalie Griffin Starr some rest. Eighth grade backup goalie Toni Swietlik played the final period and did not allow a goal.

The game also featured plenty of firsts. Senior captain and defenseman Evan Belanger scored his first varsity goal, along with senior forward Dylan Ottani. Sophomore forward Colby O’Keefe scored his first varsity goal along with freshman forward Jeremy Jenkinson. Senior wing Shane Hanlon recorded an assist, which was his first varsity point.

“I think the referees were getting annoyed with us because we kept asking them for all of these pucks,” Corbett said. “This game was kind of the perfect storm and exactly what we would ask for if we are going to play three in a row like we are about to do. This was definitely a feel good game. It was a lot of fun, the kids all had fun, and I think we are going into tomorrow with a good feeling.”

Senior forward Cosmo Tedeschi had a hat trick and an assist. Senior captain Hudson Perry had one goal and three assists while providing valuable minutes for Nantucket on their blue line.

“Cosmo was feeling it tonight,” Corbett said. “Cosmo was shooting it well and often tonight. He looked really good. Then Hudson was just Hudson. He played a tremendous game. They were chirping him a little bit because he was slew footed and the referee didn’t see it, so Hudson got up and cross checked the kid and was penalized. Later on, he fell down in front of their bench and the kids started chirping him. So Hudson grabbed the puck behind our net, raced up ice, and literally deked by every player on their team. He was skating really well. That was the exact kind of response you expect from Hudson. ‘You want to chirp me? Okay, I’ll skate by all of you.’”

Prior to Sunday’s blowout win, Nantucket moved up from #12 to #10 in the Div. 4 State Tournament Bracket despite not playing a game and having four days off following their 3-1 defeat to the Vineyard, which plummeted them from #8 to #12. Corbett said if they can somehow get to #8 again, he would be very pleased.

The Whalers will travel to the Gallo Arena in Bourne for round one of the Jeff Hayes Memorial Hockey Tournament today to take on North Reading, who is 12-4-1 this season. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. The Whalers will play another game on Tuesday, with the opponent and game time still to be determined. Both games will factor into Nantucket’s playoff seeding. North Reading is a Div. 3 team, ranked #16 in their bracket.