2016-2017 Varsity Recaps

Marshfield 3, Martha's Vineyard 1 (February 24, 2017)
The Vineyarders ended the 2016-2017 campaign with a loss at the hands of Division 2 power Marshfield on Friday afternoon at Martha's Vineyard Arena. Senior Natalija Lakis got the Vineyard on the board in the second period, but the Rams answered with three of their own before the middle period ended. A solid third period saw no scoring from the home team, but it was a reminder of how competitive the team had become as the season progressed.
Before the game Martha's Vineyard honored their seven seniors with a ceremony for the players and parents. Lily Davey, Lacey Dinning, Jamilyn Joseph, Natalija Lakis, Julia Bettencourt, Kylie Hatt, and Julia Levesque were all heralded for their commitment to the program and the legacy they each left on the program.

Martha's Vineyard 1, Dennis-Yarmouth 1 (February 22, 2017)
Almost unbelievably the Vineyarders keep tying hockey games against good competition. After losing 1-0 earlier in the season to the Dolphins, Martha's Vineyard earned their sixth tie of the season, and remained unbeaten in their last seven (2-0-5), with a 1-1 draw on Wednesday afternoon.
After DY scored just over six minutes into the contest, Meghan Sonia notched her ninth goal of the season when she redirected a Lacey Dinning blast from the point with just over two minutes left in the opening period.
Playing without offensive power Genny Kent, the Vineyard used stifling defense to frustrate the visitors. Numerous shots were blocked by the Vineyard defense, and the home team limited the Dolphins to only six shots on net over the last two periods.
DY came in as one of the hottest teams on the Cape, with their recent 4-3 victory over Division 1 power Barnstable the highlight of their season. Martha's Vineyard proved once again, though, that they are a different team in 2017 than the squad that started the season in December. The Vineyarders are set to conclude their season with senior day festivities on Friday at 3pm.

Martha's Vineyard 4, Norwood 4 (February 20, 2017)
Genny Kent scored her third goal of the game with 2.5 seconds left to play to help Martha's Vineyard earn a tie against the visiting Mustangs on Monday afternoon at the Arena.
After battling back on two different occasions to tie Norwood, the home team found themselves in another one goal hole as the seconds ticked off the clock. However, Kylie Hatt was able to intercept a Norwood clearing attempt at the blue line with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game. The senior co captain made a move that forced a Norwood forward into a delayed penalty call and Hatt shot the puck toward the Norwood goal. A Mustangs defender blocked Hatt's shot, but Kent was there to fire the puck high and hard in the back of the visitors net to send the Vineyarders and their fans into delirium.
With the nonleague tie, Martha's Vineyard remains unbeaten over their last six contests (2-0-4).
Over the stretch the team has played some tough competition and proved to be a resilient group. The Vineyarders hope their good fortunes continue with two tough league opponents set not visit the Island. DY comes to town Wednesday, and Marshfield travels to the Vineyard for senior day at 3pm.

Martha's Vineyard 7, Scituate 1 (February 15, 2017)
The Vineyard exploded for six goals in the second period en route to a 7-1 non league victory over Scituate on Wednesday afternoon.
A first period goal from Hailey Meader got things started, and the real damage soon followed in the middle stanza. Six different goal scorers, including Sally Caron's first career tally, put the Vineyarders in control. Senior co captain Julia Levesque had a goal and two assists in the barrage, and Lily Davey notched her first varsity point. A Scituate goal with 10-seconds left in the game was the only puck that found its way behind Jamilyn Joseph who recored her first varsity win in net.
With the victory, Martha's Vineyard runs their unbeaten streak to five (2-0-3), and the team gets ready to finish the 2016-2017 campaign at home against Norwood (Monday), D-Y (Wednesday), and Marshfield (Friday).

Martha's Vineyard 1, Marshfield 1 (February 11, 2017)
   Senior goalie Julia Bettencourt and her Vineyard teammates showed grit and determination as they frustrated the powerful Rams throughout Saturday's SEMGHL game at Hobomock Arena. A Genny Kent goal mid way through the third period gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, and Bettencourt turned aside each Marshfield chance, including 13 in the final period. The Vineyarders looked like they would steal their best win of the season, instead a questionable penalty call with less than 50-seconds left led to a 6-on-4 advantage for the Rams, and finally Marshfield beat Bettencourt through a wild screen in front with 27-seconds left to play, and Martha's Vineyard would have to settle for the 1-1 tie.
   Playuing without star defenseman Kylie Hatt, Martha's Vineyard played a tenacious defensive game. Blocked shots and smart decisions with the puck kept Marshfield at bay, and when the 25 shots came through to Bettencourt, she stood tall in net.
   The Vineyarders held their heads high as they left the ice with the tie knowing they played a complete game against one of Division 2's stronger teams. Martha's Vineyard is 1-0-3 in their last four, and they travel to Scituate for their final road contest of the season on Wednesday.

Martha's Vineyard 1, Sandwich 1 (February 8, 2017)
Martha's Vineyard continued to show their overall team improvement with their 1-1 tie to league rival Sandwich on Wednesday afternoon at Martha's Vineyard Arena. The Vineyarders controlled play for large parts of the contest, sending a message to all that the 5-0 Sandwich win in December was a distant memory.
   After outshooting the Blue Knights 8-3 in the opening period, the visitors were clearly frustrated that they could not solve sophomore all star net minder Delanie Corcoran. Sandwich then added to the frustration by scoring early in the middle period to take a 1-0 lead. A Martha's Vineyard time out settled down the home team, and with two minutes left in the period, sophomore Meghan Sonia scored on a breakaway to tie the game 1-1.
     A strong third period showed how far the Vineyard has come, but they were still not able to connect for the game winner. Despite the tie, Martha's Vineyard again showed their fans the great strides they have made against a quality opponent. Things get even tougher for the Vineyarders, though, when they travel to Marshfield on Saturday for a league contest against the perennially powerful Marshfield Rams.

Martha's Vineyard 4, Brookline/Newton South (February 4, 2017)
   A good barometer to judge a team's improvement as a season progresses is how a team does the second time they meet an opponent. On Saturday, the Vineyard avenged an opening day 3-0 loss at Brookline, and they made clear to all that they are indeed a much improved squad.
A first period goal by freshman Lauren Boyd, and second period tallies from Genny Kent and Meghan Sonia paced the home team to a 3-0 cushion. Senior goalie Julia Bettencourt turned in quite possibly her best period of the season in the third, and senior Kylie Hatt added an empty net goal to finish off the 4-1 victory.
   Martha's Vineyard has another chance to show improvement when they host SEMGHL rivals Sandwich on Wednesday. The Vineyard dropped a 5-0 decision early in the season, and they look to show the home fans how far they have come.
Cape Cod Times
MV Times

Martha's Vineyard 2, Nauset 2 (February 1, 2017)

Bishop Stang/Somerset/Case/Dartmouth 5, Martha's Vineyard 0 (January 28, 2017)
Jamilyn Joseph earned her first varsity start in net, and the senior did an admirable job keeping her team in the game. After two early goals, the home team settled down, but they could not beat Stang goalie Victoria Poland. A dominating second period gave the home team hope, but Stang put the game out of reach with three third period tallies.

BMW/OR 3, Martha's Vineyard 2 (January 25, 2017)
Despite an early goal from Kylie Hatt, the Vineyard fell to the cooperative team from Bourne for the third time this season. Two goals in the middle period, a goal early in the third, and stifling defense prevented Martha's Vineyard from earning the victory. Genny Kent got the Vineyard within one late in the third period, but Martha's Vineyard got no closer.

Pembroke 5, Martha's Vineyard 4 (January 21, 2017)
Martha's Vineyard's dramatic effort to upset the visitors from Pembroke fell just short in Saturday's SEMGHL game at Martha's Vineyard Arena. The Vineyarders talked all week about the opportunity in front of them- a chance to beat an undefeated top tiered hockey team- and the home team gave it their all.
Goals from Genny Kent, Hailey Meader and Meghnan Sonia got the Vineyard offense going, and Julia Bettencourt was stellar in net, all leading to a 3-0 lead at intermission. Like all great teams, Pembroke regrouped, getting one back nine seconds into the middle stanza, and another late in the period to cut the lead to 3-2.
Pembroke scored early in the third, and most underdogs at this point might have folded their tents, but Lauren Boyd scored her first varsity goal to put her team back in front 4-3. Pembroke evened the game again less than three minutes later on the power play, and then the visitors broke the home team's hearts with the game winner with less than two minutes to go.
While athletes know moral victories only go so far, Pembroke coach Bill Flynn paid the Vineyarders the highest complement an opposition coach could share when he relayed how impressed he was with Martha's Vineyard's heart and effort. MV lost to Pembroke 6-1 earlier in the year, and it is evident that the team has improved dramatically. They get to judge how far they have come, when they travel to Bourne on Wednesday for the season's third meeting with BMW/OR.

BMW/OR 4, Martha's Vineyard 3 (January 15, 2017)
No matter how long you watch sports, you will invariably witness something you never saw coming. After a scoreless first period, no one would have been faulted if they thought one or two goals might win the Nan Rheault championship between BMW/OR and MV. Given the fact the two teams played a 1-0 game in mid December (which Bourne won), and the fact that the Vineyard has just split consecutive 1-0 hockey games. However, seven goals during the middle period undoubtedly shocked all those in attendance, and highlighted a wild and whacky Sunday championship game at Martha's Vineyard Arena.
The Vineyarders scored two goals in the first four minutes of the middle stanza Meghan Sonia and Hailey Meader), before the visitors answered with three goals of their own. With 3:26 to play in the period, Julia Levesque evened the score at 3-3, but BMW/OR answered just 40-seconds later to take a 4-3 lead.
Both teams headed to the locker rooms to catch their collective breath, and despite the unlikely scoring, Martha's Vineyard had fifteen minutes to get one more to give themselves a chance at the championship. Both teams reverted back to form, though, playing solid defense at both ends of the ice. Despite a power play to end regulation, Martha's Vineyard was not able to find the equalizer, and BMW/OR would come out Nan Rheault victors.

Martha's Vineyard 1, Scituate 0 (January 14, 2017)
One year after dropping a 1-0 heartbreaker to Scituate in the opening round of the Nan Rheault Tournament, the hosts turned the tables on the Sailors with a 1-0 victory of their own to advance to Sunday's final against BMW/Old Rochester.
Sophomore Hailey Meader forced a turnover at the Scituate blue line, and then walked in and fired a wrist shot into the back of the net to give the Vineyarders a 1-0 lead. Stifling defense, blocked shots, and smarty plays with the puck allowed Martha's Vineyard to preserve the one goal advantage, Julia Bettencourt earned her first shutout of the season, and MV improved their record to 2-5-1 on the season.
For only the third time in the past ten seasons, Martha's Vineyard gets a chance to play in the Nan Rheault final. They look to avenge an earlier 1-0 loss to the hands of BMW/OR on Sunday at 1pm.

Dennis-Yarmouth 1, Martha's Vineyard 0 (January 11, 2017)
The Vineyarders lost a heartbreaker on the road when the Dolphins found the back of the net with 39-seconds left in the game to break a 0-0 tie. Martha's Vineyard battled through sickness, and all the players stepped up to make this game a nail biter on the road. Juniors Elizabeth O'Brien and Alana Morris, along with freshman Veronica Wendt, rose to the occasion playing quality minutes as the visitors kept DY off the board and generated a handful of glorious chances of their own before the last minute Dolphin goal.
Martha's Vineyard will take the next couple of days to regroup and prepare for their annual Nan Rheault Tournament. The Vineyard opens with perennial rival Scituate at 7pm on Saturday at Martha's Vineyard Arena.

Martha's Vineyard 5, Nauset/Cape Tech/Monomoy 2 (December 30, 2016)
Sometimes it gets frustrating in hockey when you struggle to score goals, but the Vineyard were examples of sticktoitness in their last game of 2016 against the combined visitors from the lower Cape. Five different players found the back of the net as the Vineyard put forth their most complete 45 minutes of the season in their SEMGHL win.
Senior Julia Levesque go the home team on the board with just under five minutes to play in the opening period, and fellow classmate Natalija Lakis followed with her first of the season to stake the Vineyarders to a 2-0 lead.
After Nauset cut the lead in half in the second, Meghan Sonia answered with her second goal in as many games. A late visitor goal before the end of the middle period sent the teams into the locker rooms knowing the third period would settle this league battle.
Martha's Vineyard continued their strong team play, though, and Kylie Hatt and Genny Kent put the finishing touches on the scoring with their first goals of the season. Overall the Vineyarders limited Nauset to 12 shots on goal while firing 26 of thir own shots on Molly McKenna.
Six games into the season Martha's Vineyard has proven that they are a hard working team who will compete against a very difficult schedule. They have grown each shift, each period, and each game, and they were rewarded for their patience on Friday with their first win of the young season.
Cape Cod Times

Martha's Vineyard 2, Bishop Stang/Dartmouth 2 (December 28, 2016)
Finding themselves in a 2-0 first period hole, the Vineyarders had two choices moving forward. Play like the team that competed for the first half of the opening period- peppering the home team net, forcefully forechecking, and hustling on the backcheck. Or play like the team that was out there for the second half of the period- lethargic, on their heels, and not doing the little things necessary for a team to be successful.
Luckilly the Vineyarders chose to be the first half team. Martha's Vineyard worked hard, and took the play to the Spartans. Meghan Sonia lit the lamp with 30 seconds left in the middle period, and the Vineyarders entered the locker room trailing by a goal. Quality plays all over the ice in the third led to a Martha's Vineyard power play with just over six minutes left in the game, and Hailey Meader stuffed home a rebound to tie the game at 2-2. Several tense moments at both ends of the ice, a couple of key saves by Julia Bettencourt, and Martha's Vineyard was able to survive and earn a road point in New Bedford. More importantly the team showed that they could compete for three periods of hockey.

Sandwuch 5, Martha's Vineyarfd 0 (December 21, 2016)
The visitors fought valiantly for half the game, holding Sandwich to just six shots on net and keeping the game tied 0-0 until late in the middle period. However the Lady Knights scored three quick goals late in the second to put the game ut of reach.

Bourne, Mashpee, Wareham, Old Rochester 1, Martha's Vineyard 0 (December 19, 2016)
The cooperative team spoiled the Vineyarders home opener with a second period goal that stood up as the game winner Monday afternoon at Martha's Vineyard Arena. Despite firing 18 shots on the visitors cage, Martha's Vineyard could not find the back of the net. The Vineyarders hit the road for their last game before the holiday break on Wednesday against Sandwich.

Pembroke 6, Martha's Vineyard 1 (December 14, 2016)
The Vineyarders played a desperate game for much of the contest agaionst a very strong Pembroke squad. Martha's Vineyard trtailed 1-0 after one, 3-0 after two before Hailey Meader notched an early third period goal to cut the home team's lead to 3-1. Pembroke quickly responded, and two goals in the last three inutes of the contest spelled doom for the visitors.

Brookline/Newton South 3, Martha's Vineyard 0 (December 10, 2017)
The Vineyarders fell in their 2016-2017 opener at the Dexter School against the combined team from Brookline/Newton South. Senior goaltender Julia Bettencourt was stellar inbetween the pipes in the defeat, as the home team applied constant pressure in the opening two periods to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Martha's Vineyard regrouped to play a much better final fifteen minutes, limiting the opposition to only five shots on goal, but the damage had already been done. The Vineyarders get ready to start their SEMGHL schedule with a road game Wednesday against perennial power house Pembroke High School.