THRILLER ON ICE
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
i s It was Friday Night Ice when Nantucket faced off against Martha's Vineyard at the Christopher Nugent Bovers Community Rink, and it was a game for the books.

Skating before a packed and partisan crowd, the Whalers took an early 1-0 advantage, gripped it tightly during the second period, and held onto it until the 5:36 mark of the third.

And then all heck broke loose.

The Vineyard tied it up, the Whalers went ahead, the Vineyard came right back, and then, with just 3:18 to go in the game, put a sneaky backhander past goalie Joe Bopp. With three goals scored in the period, the Vineyard seemed to have momentum going its way.

But for the Whalers, time was on their side, even though the clock continued its relentless tick backwards.

Still down, 3-2, with 1:37 to go, a penalty was called against the Vineyard and Nantucket had a power play and one last chance to tie it. With the puck in the Vineyard end, Bopp made his way to the bench. The puck was sent into the middle, the Whalers jammed in front of the goalie, and, with a mere 18 seconds to go in regulation, Gaven Norton sent it through the scrum and into the net.

Overtime. The crowd roared its approval.

As the game unfolded, with 48 seconds remaining in a first-period penalty against the Whalers, Harry Robishaw stole the puck just outside the Nantucket end and eluded defenders to send a wrist shot into the net for the shorthanded goal and a 1-0 lead.

Who knew at the time the lead would hold up so long, especially when the Vineyard had another power play with two minutes remaining in the first period? But as it did for most of the night, the Whalers' penalty killing unit held firm, buoyed by the stellar play of netminder Bopp who had an outstanding evening in goal.

If the first period was characterized by the aggressive play of the Whalers, the second stanza featured mounting pressure by the Vineyard. It was Bopp's period to own, however, as time and again he thwarted the Vineyard's attempts to score. Two late breakaway charges on the opponents' net by Norton were similarly rebuffed, however, and there was no change in the score.

The Vineyard scored its first goal on a fluke that barely slipped in past the crease. A little over a minute later, however, Bryce Eldridge put a backhander past the Vineyard goalie for a 2-1 lead. It was to be short lived, as the Vineyard came right back to tie it, setting the scene for the final, frantic minutes of regulation.

Bopp, who had safeguarded Nantucket's slim lead in the first and second periods by making one save after another, rose to another level in the overtime period with two spectacular saves near the end to preserve the tie.

The ensuing shootout was an anti-climax. The Vineyard scored twice, putting an end to the game but not to the excitement stirred by the Whalers. Yes, there was a game Saturday as well, which the Vineyard also won, 2-0.

No matter, the message has been sent by a scrappy team that it is ready to step up to the next level. Still classified as a club sport, the newest addition to the Nantucket athletic slate has christened the rink. Pass the word: high school

hockey is here to stay. I

Bryce Eldridge (right) scored Nantucket's second goal during

Friday night's contest with the Vineyard. Harry Robishaw

and Gaven Norton also scored.

MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent