Whaler Sports Roundup: Boys Hockey Loses Close Matchup To Norwell

This Whaler Sports Roundup includes updates on the boys hockey team, who played a highly competitive, close game against the defending state champions at Nantucket Ice on Sunday, the girls basketball team, the boys and girls swim teams, and the girls hockey team.

Boys Hockey Drops Season Opener 3-2

Two of Div. 4’s top teams met at Nantucket Ice Sunday afternoon as the Nantucket Whalers welcomed the defending Div. 4 state champion Norwell Clippers ashore. The game was knotted at 2 with under three minutes to go before Norwell’s Quinn Simmons scored a shorthanded goal to give Norwell the eventual game-winning tally.

”What can you do? Just gotta pick yourselves up and move forward. It’s only the first game, against the defending state champions and we played them pretty tight,” Whaler head coach Jack Moran said. “I think that’s a good sign. They didn’t run away with it by any means. I know we are only going to see them once. I wish we would see them again, and we might. We quite possibly could, and I’m sure it’ll be another great game if it is.”

Norwell got the scoring going with 1:33 to go in the first period off a shot from junior Matt Cerutti. They took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

“I thought we started a little slow,” Moran said. “But once they got comfortable, I thought they played really well.”

Nantucket came out much sharper in the second period and at the 7:04 mark senior winger Braden Knapp streaked down the left wing and sauced a pretty pass to freshman right wing Nico Tedeschi for his first career varsity point/goal to make it a 1-1 game.

It appeared the game would remain tied heading into the final period but Norwell senior captain Nolan Petrucelli snuck one through Whaler senior captain and goalie Griffin Starr to make it a 2-1 game.

The third period was filled with penalties, but Davis was able to tie it for Nantucket on the power play with 8:15 to go in the game to make it 2-2.

“Some stupid penalties and some penalties I thought were undeserved, but you can’t blame those at all. The one that is going to haunt me is that shorthanded goal they scored,” Moran said.

With 2:44 remaining, the Whalers had a golden opportunity after Norwell committed a penalty. But 40 seconds into the man advantage, the Clippers set up a play to sneak senior left wing Quinn Simmons behind Nantucket’s defense and sprung him loose for a breakaway, which Simmons was able to capitalize on to make it 3-2.

“We were yelling and trying to get their attention that he was picking up here but no one saw him and no one heard us yelling,” Moran said. “Honestly that is a game changer. Had we kept it 2-2 that would have been great but hey, it is in the books. Like we told them in the locker room we are going to go to work tomorrow and get our sights on Nauset.”

Shots were 27-22 in favor of Norwell, although Nantucket controlled the puck quite a bit in the final two periods and had Norwell hemmed in their own zone on various occasions.

“Griffin made some spectacular saves like normal,” Moran said. “He did his job really well. We had a couple of breakdowns on some positional play.”

Ultimately, the Clippers made one more play and sailed away with the victory.

Next up for Nantucket is a home game against the Nauset Warriors on Wednesday, December 13 at 5:15 p.m. You can view the Whaler’s full schedule by clicking here.

Girls Basketball Loses To Martha’s Vineyard

Despite a 49-27 final score in favor of Martha’s Vineyard, a young Whaler girls basketball team played a competitive basketball game against the Vineyarders at the Nantucket Intermediate School Saturday afternoon despite being without senior captain Joan Harris.

The Whalers only trailed 13-9 after one quarter and were within five (22-17) with just over two minutes left in the first half after back-to-back threes from Alana Ludvigson and Makayah Viera. The Vineyarders closed out the second quarter scoring five quick points however to take a 27-17 lead going into halftime.

“We turned the ball over, gave them a couple extra possessions, and when it comes to rebounding – when we don’t rebound it gives them some extra chances too,” Whaler head coach Rafael Osona said. “This was an improvement from our Thursday game but rebounding is still an area we need to improve. The energy was good, communication was much better. We are playing with nine players and three are first year varsity players. I do think there are more positives than negatives from today.”

Nantucket scored the first five points of the second half to make it a 27-22 game, but the Vineyard bounced back scoring eight straight points – including what could be looked at as the dagger when the Vineyarders missed the second of two free throws up 30-22, snagged the rebound, and kick it out to an open player for a three that put Nantucket in a 33-22 hole.

From there, it was all Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket struggled to get much more going offensively. They were led by junior Maddie Lombardi, who bounced back from her two-point game in the team’s season opener last week with 11 of the Whaler’s 27 points on Saturday.

“The more we let the ball do the work for us the better off we are,” Osona said. “The more we pound it into the court, the harder it gets. We had some good moments passing the basketball. Marin (Mooney) assisted most of the baskets in that first half.”

Nantucket’s next game will be on Tuesday, December 12 when they travel to St. John Paul II to take on the Lions at 3:30 p.m.

Swimming Places Third At C&I Relay Carnival

The Whaler swim team placed third out of six schools in the Cape & Island Relay Carnival on Saturday – scoring 84 points. The Whaler swimmers were predominantly female swimmers, but some male swimmers participated in some of the mixed relays.

The standings were as followed:

First Place: Nauset – 121 points

Second Place: Sandwich – 117 points

Third Place: Nantucket – 84 points

Fourth Place: Martha’s Vineyard – 66 points

Fifth Place: Barnstable – 50 points

Sixth Place: St. John Paul II – 38 points

Some of the notable times for Nantucket relay teams included:

Sara Dussault, Hannah Gerardi, Evie Phelps, and Myah Johnson earned a state qualifying time in the 200 yard medley relay (2:00.24 – placed second in the event) and the 200 yard freestyle relay (1:50.42 – placed first in the event).

The next meet for the boys and girls swim teams is on Tuesday, December 12 when the Whalers host Nauset at 5 p.m.

Girls Hockey Loses To Martha’s Vineyard

The Whaler girls hockey team lost to Martha’s Vineyard 6-0 on Saturday to begin their season. Nantucket will have an opportunity to bounce back on Saturday, December 16 when they host the Falmouth Clippers at 2 p.m.

SCHEDULE AHEAD:

Monday, December 11:

NO GAMES

Tuesday, December 12:

• The boys basketball team will begin their season with a home matchup against Bourne at 5 p.m.

• The boys and girls swim teams will be home against Nauset at 5 p.m.
  
• The girls basketball team will be on the road facing St. John Paul II at 3:30 p.m.
• The indoor track team will be on the road at Nauset High School.

For more sports content, follow our Current Sports Instagram page here. You can follow Current Sports photographer Chris Tran here.