Building on Experience
BY STEVE SHEPPARD
Although the Whalers hockey team is coming off some tough losses, the squad is gaining valuable game experience against seasoned foes.

The most recent games against Martha's Vineyard, Falmouth and Nauset - all schools with established hockey traditions - are cases in point: playing against teams that have had solid programs for years will only help to make their team better. "They need to see (the competitive schools)," noted coach Rand Smith.

Keeping in mind that Nantucket is competing in just its second year, and is still classified as a 'club' team, the last three games have provided ample learning opportunities. Against Martha's Vineyard, a Division 2 team, the Whalers equaled the Vineyard's shots on goal in the first period, but couldn't keep up the pressure in the remaining stanzas. Against Division 1 Falmouth, the skating ability of the larger team was evident as the Whalers endured several rushes on net.

By the time Sunday's game at Nauset rolled around, Nantucket knew it had to concentrate on defense, but the pressure in the Nantucket end resulted in Nauset's being up 3-0 at the end of the first period.

"We need to get more physical," Smith said. "We are bigger than most of these teams, and we are just not taking the man in our zone."

The Whalers' more experienced opponents are ratcheting up their offense at Nantucket's expense. "It has been the same story in all of these games," Smith said. "I honestly feel that we are not five goals worse than these other teams, we just aren't playing disciplined physical hockey. We are getting beaten to the puck not because we are slower, but simply because we remain in a defensive frame of mind instead of rushing the puck."

The team is practicing well, but must learn how to transfer practice skills into game applications. "We are doing all of the right things in practice, but when it comes to the game, we seem to get too rushed and it is costing us very valuable puck control," Smith noted.

That being said, there is much to rave about - the continued scoring of captain Harry Robishaw; the steady netminding of goaltenders Joe Bopp and Ray DeCosta; the offensive play of Gaven Norton and Devin Kohler on the second line; the steady play of Ethan Bell and Taylor Thayer; the play of the third line, or "buzz line," which against Falmouth consisted of Quinn McCusker, Chris Ray and Kevin Ramos. ("Their job is to get out there and skate the other team to death and hit them hard. They are told that their job is to wear the other team down for our more successful offensive lines to get scoring opportunities.")

For this Friday's home game against Cape Cod Tech (game time slated for 5 p.m.), the practice sessions leading up to it will take in all the team has learned so far. "We will be focusing on giving a hundred percent effort from the first minute of practice this week right through the end of practice," promises Smith. "We will also be working on the physical aspect of our game, along with moving the puck out of our zone.

"With our talent we should be further along at this point in the season. I think that our entire team's lack of game experience is showing because we are a great practice team. We should be playing with much better discipline; we're not that bad skill-wise. More games can

only help us." I