Sports Roundup: Boys Hockey, Girls Hoops Win At Home
David Creed •
This Whaler Sports Roundup includes updates on the boys hockey team and the girls basketball team after both were able to pick up victories at home on Monday.
Davis Nets Hat Trick, Whalers Beat SJP 7-1
The boys hockey team improved to 6-1 this season following a 7-1 victory over the St. John Paul II Lions Monday evening at Nantucket Ice. Senior assistant captain Ryan Davis scored a hat trick to lead the Whaler’s offense – followed closely behind by sophomore Jeremy Jenkinson, who scored two goals.
"I made sure that we told them too, a team like St. John Paul, you can't take them for granted,” Whaler head coach Jack Moran said. “They've been in every game that they played this year. They haven't been blown out. It's usually been like a one goal game, a tie. They've actually won three, I think. You can't go in there thinking this is going to be an easy thing. I made sure that they knew they have to go in there and play just like you did against Framingham, just like you did against Nauset. You really got to get yourself amped up and finish it hard, and they did. They didn't let up at all.”
Davis scored the game’s first goal 3:06 into the first period on the power play. Jenkinson scored the Whalers next two goals at the 8:35 and 2:09 marks of the first period.
Nantucket came out of the first intermission leading 3-0 but Davis extended the lead to 4-0 2:11 into the second period while on the penalty kill – breezing past a pair of Lion skaters before burying an off-angle shot.
The four-goal lead allowed Moran to begin playing some of his younger players who haven’t seen much ice time this year. The Lions did score following a Nantucket defensive breakdown to make it 4-1 with 4:26 left in the middle stanza, but the Whalers still held a comfortable three-goal lead entering the game’s final 15 minutes.
"It was nice to be able to get our third line in there and kind of mix them in,” Moran said. “Our fourth line, we mixed them in a little bit.”
Senior left-wing Braden Knapp made it 5-1 40 seconds into the final period on the power play. The Whalers capped the victory off with two late goals – senior center Colby O’Keefe with 5:34 left in the game and Davis again to secure the hat trick with 3:30 to go in the game.
Sophomore goalie CJ Clarke came into the game to give Starr a little time off and made a pair of saves.
"They were focused. They weren't messing around,” Moran said. “They kept their heads in it. No cheap shots, no mouthing off, they really kept it together and did a good job.”
Nantucket’s next game is scheduled – weather permitting – for Saturday, January 13th against SJP again, but this time at the Hyannis Community Center Rink at 4 p.m.
Taveras Leads Whaler Girls Hoops To Second Victory Of Season
The girls basketball team earned a solid 35-16 victory at home against the Rising Tide Herons Monday night. Nantucket was led by junior guard Manny Taveras, who scored 12 points, and a 9-point performance by freshman Makaya Viera.
After Nantucket and Rising Tide ended the first quarter tied 8-8, the Whaler’s defense shut down the Heron’s offense and didn’t allow a basket the entire quarter.
The Whalers scored 15 points in the second quarter – allowing them to take a commanding 23-8 lead into halftime. Taveras scored eight in the quarter. Nantucket leading scorer Maddie Lombardi scored three points in the quarter and five points overall.
Nantucket’s offense went cold in the third quarter as they were only able to muster up seven points. Freshman Madden Myers scored all three of her points in the quarter, however.
But Rising Tide’s offense remained scarce, and they only scored four points. Nantucket took a 30-12 lead into the final quarter and comfortably closed the game out to secure their second win of the season and improve to 2-6 this year.
The Whaler’s next game is scheduled – weather permitting – for Thursday, January 11th at home against Cape Cod Academy at 5 p.m. Nantucket played CCA earlier this season in their first game, losing 38-18 on the road.
SCHEDULE AHEAD:
Wednesday, January 10th:
The girls hockey team will be the only team in action today - weather permitting - as they are scheduled to host the Sandwich Blue Knights at 5:15 p.m.
Thursday, January 11th:
The girls basketball team will be at home facing Cape Cod Academy at 5 p.m.