Winter sports are restarting at the high school as Vineyard student-athletes compete in basketball, hockey, indoor track, wrestling and swimming.
Last year was a winning streak for the Vineyarders as the men’s hockey team, women’s hockey team and men’s basketball team advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The men’s basketball won the Cape and Islands League for the second year in a row, the men’s swimming team also won the Cape and Islands League title and the indoor track and field team’s Camille Brand competed in the highest level of high jump. . New Balance National Indoor Track and Field Championships to be held in Boston.
While scrimmages have already taken place, the winter season officially begins Thursday with the indoor track and field team playing against Falmouth and girls basketball at home against Falmouth Academy.
The indoor track team holds all Cape and Islands League competition at Wheaton College in Norton. They will also travel to Boston and Roxbury for events at the New Balance track and Reggie Lewis Center.
Hockey, basketball, swimming, wrestling and indoor track seasons begin. — Jonathan Fleischman
This year, the women’s basketball team has a new head coach, Mary Korba. Tip-off is Thursday at 4 p.m.
The boys basketball team’s first game won’t be until Tuesday, Dec. 17, at home against Nauset. Tip-off is 6:30 p.m. They may have lost some of last year’s notable scorers, but young players can take the reins and step into the spotlight. It should be another exciting season for the Vineyards as they look to defend their title as league champions.
On Saturday, the swim and wrestling teams will travel to Sandwich for their first matches of the season. For swimming, it’s a multi-team relay carnival in the Cape and Islands League. The wrestlers will be competing in a sandwich match against other schools for the first time.
The swim team will have its first home match against Barnstable on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. at the YMCA pool.
Also on Saturday, the women’s hockey team will play Boston Latin on home ice starting at 2 p.m., while the men’s hockey team will travel to Nantucket Island to take on the Whalers.
Women’s hockey also has a new head coach this year in Mallory Watts. Plymouth, Lincoln-Sudbury and Needham were on the island last weekend for a preseason round-robin tournament, and the teams have already been in scrimmage action.
The girls team won 3-1 against Plymouth. Abby Geary, McKenna Metel and Eva Mikos all scored in the win. However, it proved to be a difficult task for Needham, as the Vineyarders lost 7-3 to the Rockets. Lincoln Sudbury defeated the Vineyarders 5-0.
The men’s hockey team also welcomed three teams to the island last weekend to fix their offensive deficiencies and tighten the defense. Arlington Catholic, Oyster River and Lexington all traveled to the island, and the Vineyarders went 2-1 against their competitors.
In the first game, Arlington Catholic defeated MV 4-1. And against Oyster River, Adrian Albergini, Donnie Gregory, Will Baliunas and Jason Alton found the back of the net for the boys’ 4-2 victory. And finally, against Lexington, Nate Averill had a hat trick and Hunter Johnson and Griff Callahan also scored to help Vineyard College win 5-0.
Nantucket University has been a very formidable opponent in recent years, as the team has advanced to the state quarterfinals three years in a row. If Vineyards can get a win and escape from the other islands, it would be a great start to the season. Packs drop at 2 p.m.
