Sports Roundup: Boys Hockey Drops Season Opener Against Martha's Vineyard
David Creed •
This Whaler sports roundup includes updates on the boys hockey team after they opened their season at home against Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, the boys & girls swim teams following their participation in an invitational featuring several Cape & Island schools Saturday morning, and the girls basketball team after they opened their season on the road against Mashpee on Friday. We also provide an update on the indoor track team.
Boys Hockey Shut Out In Season Opener
The Nantucket boys hockey team opened up their season at home against a strong and experienced Martha’s Vineyard team Saturday afternoon and lost 10-0. It is a new era for Whaler hockey after their strong senior core that helped the program reach three straight state quarterfinals graduated last June.
“I was talking with the Vineyard coach and like he said, they’re at their peak now,” Nantucket head coach Jack Moran said. “They got a boatload of seniors on their team while we only have one and it’s from Miles (Beaudette) coming back. We knew the game was going to be tough. First game out of the box for a lot of new kids. A lot of new looks for everybody. They did a lot of good stuff too. I don’t want to dwell on the fact that we lost. I’d rather look at the positive points that everyone went out there and tried their hardest. We have things we need to work on in practice and try to sharpen the skills of these kids and make them better.”
Junior goalie Nick Yates got the start for Nantucket in net. Not only was it the first varsity hockey game of Yates’ high school career, but the first ever game of his life as a hockey goalie on Saturday. He made over 20 saves in the game - including a streak of eight straight in the opening period as the Vineyard peppered him with shots.
“Give Nick a helluva lot of credit,” Moran said. “He made some saves. The kid was standing on his head the best he could. Considering what he was up against with the Vineyard, he did okay. We can’t be upset with that at all. We are very happy he is doing what he is doing, and he’s going to get better too.”
Moran said Yates has earned the respect of every player on the team.
“Everybody understands what he was up against,” Moran continued. “They feel bad for letting him down and for not protecting him in the front. I think a lot of that is nerves too. We had a lot of new kids on the ice that had never been on the ice in a situation like this. They touch the puck, and they got that deer in the headlights look because they’re not quite sure what to do, but that will disappear as time goes on.”
Moran added he liked seeing his team stay composed. There were no penalties taken in the game by either side.
The Whalers next game is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18th at home against the Monomoy Sharks at 5:15 p.m.
For more photos from Saturday’s game taken by Current Sports Photographer Chris Tran, click here.
Boys & Girls Swim Compete In Relay Carnival
The Nantucket boys & girls swim teams competed in an invitational relay carnival at Sandwich High School Saturday morning – placing fourth out of six teams.
Below were the final results:
- Sandwich: 95 points
- Martha’s Vineyard: 81 points
- Nauset: 79 points
- Nantucket: 75 points
- Barnstable: 59 points
- Cohasset: 46 points
You can view the full individual results shared with the Current by the swim team by clicking here.
Nantucket will begin its regular season schedule on Thursday, December 19th on the road against the Nauset Warriors at 4 p.m.
Girls Hoops Drop Season Opener On The Road
The Nantucket girls basketball team opened their regular season schedule up on Friday against the Mashpee Falcons on the road. They lost the game 51-25.
Nantucket was led in scoring by senior forward and captain Maddie Lombardi and senior guard Mani Taveras, who finished with eight points each.
Mashpee has been a strong program for years – most recently making the Div. 4 state quarterfinal two years ago, so the Whalers will look to learn from this opening night loss when they host the St. John Paul II Lions on Tuesday, December 17th at 5 p.m. The Lions made it to the Div. 5 state quarterfinal last winter and played the Whalers twice last year as one of their league rivals. Nantucket lost 52-22 on the road and 59-34 at home.
Indoor Track Begins Season
The boys & girls indoor track team traveled to Wheaton College to face Barnstable and St. John Paul II last week. The boys split their matchups (beating SJP 55-21) while the girls lost both.
Whaler head coach Chris Miemiec said senior captain Rory Murray qualified for divisionals in the two-mile with a time of 10:52.
Other notes from the meet include:
Boys:
Alex Horton recorded a time of 43.33 in the 300m
Forbes Keating scored a 17' 2" in the long jump.
Justice Kyonitmaitee recorded a 29" 9' in the shot put, which Miemiec said was a personal record by over one foot.
Dorian Manov recorded a time of 3:12 in the 1000m – which was good for second place and what Miemiec said was the best race of the night with multiple counter attacks with runner from Dennis-Yarmouth.
Jaiden McInnis recorded a time of 38.69 in the 300m, which was good for first place and personal record.
Rory Murray ran a 5:05 mile, which earned him first place, and a 10:52 in the two-mile, which also earned him first place.
Nolan Stratman recorded a 28' 1" in the shot put, a personal record.
For the girls….
Grace Hanlon recorded a time of 3:35 in 1000m and placed third overall and a time of 49.52 in the 300m.
Viktoria Bozhkova recorded a time of 53.64 in the 300m and was a personal record.
Miemiec said some noteworthy performances were by Sophia Sullivan in the 300m (53.19), Anna Cronin in the 300m (54.34), Danielle Lewis in the shot put (24'10", PR by over a foot).
Their next meet will be on Tuesday, December 17th on the road against Dennis-Yarmouth at 3 p.m.
SCHEDULE AHEAD:
Monday, December 16th:
No games are currently scheduled for this date.
Tuesday, December 17th:
The girls basketball team will host the St. John Paul II Lions at 5 p.m.
The indoor track team will be on the road facing Dennis-Yarmouth at 3 p.m.
For more coverage of every Whaler sports team and the high school athletes, follow the Nantucket Current Sports Instagram Page here.