Sports Roundup: Boys Hockey Searching For Answers, Winless In Last Three Games
David Creed •
This Whaler Sports Roundup includes a recap on a pair of games to begin the week for the boys hockey team, which is suddenly searching for answers amidst a three-game winless streak. The girls basketball team won at home to cap off their regular season, and we list the full results from the MIAA state swim meets this past weekend.
Boys Hockey Struggling To Find Offense With State Tournament Near
Through 16 games the Whaler boys hockey team was 15-1 and won 15 straight after an opening night loss to Norwell at home. But suddenly, the Whalers find themselves facing some adversity after a pair of winless efforts against North Reading and Sandwich in the Hayes Tournament at the Gallo Arena in Bourne.
"When you look at our season overall, I mean, we played D1, D2, and D3 good teams and the way that we played them all season, then you look at these last few games it's like 'What the Hell's happened,” Whaler head coach Jack Moran said Tuesday night. “It is a totally different team for some reason, and I don't know why. I think we just got to get away from the complaining about what's happening around us.”
The Whalers were without senior center and assistant captain Ryan Davis in their Monday matchup with North Reading. The game will count as a 1-1 tie after neither team was able to score in extra time. The Whalers dominated possession from the opening puck drop but were either ringing posts and crossbars or firing pucks off the glass – having nothing to show for their dominance.
The lone goal for Nantucket came from freshman winger Nico Tedeschi in the third period. The game ended in a shootout to determine who would advance to the tournament’s championship game, and North Reading won the shootout 2-1.
On Tuesday the Whalers faced the Sandwich Blue Knights in a consolation matchup – losing 2-0.
"We just couldn't generate anything,” Moran said. “I don't understand. Our energy was not there as much as it could have been again. Body wise, we just weren't playing the body as solid as we could have. We weren't playing that badly, but we just couldn't generate the offensive opportunities. We just could not pop one in.”
While Nantucket struggled to get any offense going, there was some positive news on their end. Davis was able to suit up and while he is being cautiously worked back into the lineup, made it through the entire game feeling good.
“We got to get the wheels back on,” Moran said. “I don't know what's going on. We had a great first period (against Sandwich). We played great. They scored two tenths of a second left in the first. Then in the beginning of the second period they had a hard dump-in behind the net and bounced it off the boards and one of their players went in and he just took a swing at the puck as it was in the air, just a blind swing at it and it went in. I'm like 'What the Hell?' Those are their two goals.”
The Whalers, who are now 15-3-1 this season, have one regular season game remaining. That game will be on Thursday, February 22nd right back at the Gallo Arena against the Sandwich Blue Knights again at 4 p.m.
This game will also be livestreamed by the Nantucket Sports Connection with the voice of Whaler Sports – Chris Morris – on the call. The livestream will be on YouTube, and you can access the livestream link by clicking here.
Girls Basketball Finishes Regular Season With Dominant Defensive Performance
The Nantucket girls basketball team beat Bristol-Plymouth 39-12 Tuesday evening to cap off their regular season and will now shift their focus to the playoffs after earning a play-in spot in the Div. 4 state tournament. The Whalers finished their regular season with an 11-8 record.
Varsity assistant coach and JV head coach Ryan Watson earned his first career varsity win as a coach Tuesday - filling in for head coach Rafael Osona, who missed the game as he recovers from injuries sustained earlier this week.
"It was the girl,” Watson said humbly. “Literally everything going on this season, this has been Raf's vision. The girls have absolutely executed and the amount of growth they've shown from the beginning of the season to now, I really didn't have to do anything. That was all them. But I appreciate the kind words."
Watson said he felt like his team did a good job rotating fast on defense and throwing Bristol-Plymouth off with their zone. Then when his team pressed, he said his players know it so well at this point that they know when to “hit the traps and take care of business” - leading to turnovers and easy baskets.
The Whalers honored their three seniors before the game as well: Joan Harris, Madison Silva, and Sydney Ard.
The Whalers will now wait for the state tournament to begin. They earned a play-in spot this season after finishing with a record of .500 or better.
Boys & Girls Swim Full State Meet Results
Below are the full list of results for the boys & girls swim team members from the MIAA state meets this past weekend. The girls placed 14th out of 39 schools while the boys placed XX out of XX schools.
Girls:
The Whaler’s 200-yard medley relay team featured Sara Dussault, Hannah Gerardi, Martina Savova, and Myah Johnson (best time going into states: 1:55.72 and ranked 8th out of 15 relay teams). They swam the event in 1:55.72 and placed 5th.
The Whaler’s 200-yard freestyle relay featured Evie Phelps, Hannah Harrington, Martina Savova, and Myah Johnson (best time going into states: 1:49.54 and ranked 16th out of 23 relay teams). They swam the event in 1:49.50 and placed 18th.
Freshman Evie Phelps competed in the 200-yard freestyle relay (best time going into states: 2:03.64 and was ranked 11th out of 19 swimmers). She swam the event in 2:04.03 and placed 14th.
Phelps also swam in the 500-yard freestyle (best time going into states: 5:31.14 and was ranked 9th out of 13 swimmers). She swam the event in 5:32.22 and placed 7th.
Senior Hannah Gerardi competed in the 200-yard individual medley (best time going into states: 2:21.64 and was ranked 18th out of 24 swimmers). She swam the event in 2:23.78 and placed 18th.
Gerardi also competed in the 100-yard breaststroke (best time going into states: 1:10.40 and was ranked 8th out of 27 swimmers). She swam the event in 1:10.64 and placed 9th.
Sophomore Sara Dussault competed in the 200-yard individual medley (best time going into states: 2:23.46 and was ranked 20th out of 24 swimmers). She swam the event in 2:24.98 and placed 20th.
Dussault also competed in the 100-yard breaststroke (best time going into states: 1:13.52 and was ranked 15th out of 27 swimmers). She swam the event in 1:13.68 and placed 17th.
Sophomore Myah Johnson competed in the 50-yard freestyle (best time going into states: 25.37 and was ranked 10th out of 31 swimmers). She swam the event in 25.20 seconds and placed 10th.
Johnson also competed in the 100-yard freestyle (best time going into states: 57.11 and ranked 18th out of 27 swimmers). She swam the event in 58.35 and placed 25th.
BOYS:
As we reported on Monday, junior swimmer Jake Johnson had a pair of top five finishes in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events (placed fourth in both events).
Johnson’s 50 free time of 21.73 was just two tenths of a second behind the winner. Johnson also excelled in the 100 free – breaking the 48 second mark with a time of 47.96 seconds. Both of Johnson’s swims are good for the third fastest in school history according to former Nantucket swim coach Jim Pignato, who has a chart of the fastest recorded swims in each event by Whaler swimmers over the years.
The record for a Nantucket swimmer in the 50 free is 21.61. It was set by Tyler Roethke, the most explosive swimmer in school history who is now a member of UMass Amherst’s Div. 1 program. Former Whaler Grant Beebe, who is also a member of UMass Amherst’s Div. 1 program, has the second fastest time by a Nantucket swimmer in the event (21.68).
As for the 100 free, Roethke also holds the record in that event by a Whaler swimmer with an incredible time of 45.80 seconds. Beebe has the second fastest swim with a time of 47.79.
It should also be noted that in both events on Sunday, Johnson placed behind three seniors – making him the logical favorite to win both events next year on his current trajectory.
Freshman Eli MacIver swam in the 200-yard individual medley (best time going into states: 2:10.52 and ranked 18th out of 24 swimmers). He finished the event with a time of 2:11.22 and placed 19th.
MacIver also competed in the 100-yard breaststroke (best time going into states: 1:06.17 and ranked 25th out of 28 swimmers). He finished the event with a time of 1:08.18 and placed 28th.
SCHEDULE AHEAD:
Wednesday, February 21st:
No Games Are Scheduled
Thursday, February 22nd:
The boys hockey team will be on the road facing the Sandwich Blue Knights at 4 p.m.
To view the MIAA's latest power rankings, click here. To follow Nantucket Current Sports on Instagram, click here.