By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
It has been a tough start to the season for the Nantucket hockey team. With a lack of offensive firepower and constant pressure on the defense, the Whalers dropped their third straight game at home, this time to Sandwich 8-1 on Friday night.
 |
Photo by Bevin Bixby
Gary Caruso takes the puck past a Sandwich defender during Friday’s 8-1 loss to the visiting Blue Knights. It was the third straight loss at home for the Whalers squad.
|
The young squad, which fell to 0-3 on the season, was scheduled to play at Bellingham yesterday, too late for this edition of Sports. Nantucket will host another Friday-night game this week against Dennis-Yarmouth. Face-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Nantucket Ice rink. Also this week, the Whalers will travel to Bourne on Saturday night and Diman next Wednesday.
Against the visiting Sandwich junior varsity team last Friday, the Whalers coaching staff saw some improvements over the two 9-1 losses to Easthampton in December. The team only managed two practices over the holiday break, however, and the rust may have been a factor early in the game.
“I thought we played better and our defense as well, compared to the Easthampton games. There were less shots from the point. I think our neutral zone and our offensive zone, we have to work on that and get that a little better. Our defensemen have definitely come a long way,” head coach Kris Marsh said.
Ethan Lockley and Taylor Thayer both had solid games on the defensive end, Marsh said.
On the other end of the ice, the Whalers have struggled to score in all three games this season, notching only three goals in three games compared to 26 goals by their opponents.
With 13 freshmen on a 26-player roster, the Whalers have a lot of work to do.
“Just making quicker passes and better decision-making. The 30-foot passes aren’t going to be there in the game. They have to make quick three- to five-foot passes. There are a lot of home-run passes that our kids are trying to do in the game. We had a good practice on Saturday. You can’t dwell on it too long,” Marsh said.
Sandwich notched goals from eight different scorers in the game. The Whalers fell behind early as the Blue Knights scored four times in the first period.
Thayer and Steven Reis each had shots on net in the period, but both were turned away by Sandwich goalie Bobby Langnon.
While they were racking up the goals, Sandwich also picked up 10 penalties compared to only two by the Whalers.
“We were just as physical, we were just smarter. In the Easthampton games, we had a million penalties,” Marsh said. “They didn’t retaliate a lot which is good.”
While Nantucket was able to stay out of the penalty box, they were not able to make any noise when Sandwich was in it. The Whalers had a two-man advantage five times in the game and failed to score.
“We weren’t able to capitalize off that. Five on three should be a given. That’s another part of the game we have to work on,” Marsh said.
In the second period the Whalers held the Blue Knights to two early goals before making some runs on net.
 |
Photo by Bevin Bixby
Joe Bopp makes a save in goal for Nantucket during Friday’s 8-1 loss to Sandwich. |
“The first two lines definitely showed up and they did look stronger as the game was going. In the third period we controlled the puck a lot more and had a lot more shots on net,” Marsh said.
The first two offensive lines of Gaven Norton, Alex Perkins and Gary Caruso; and Quinn McCusker, Reis and Hunter Slade played most of the game for Nantucket.
Trailing 7-0 late in the third period, Nantucket finally got on the board. Norton carried the puck on a break down the right side and sent a crossing pass to Caruso, who put the shot on the goalie’s pads. The puck bounced off and Norton collected the rebound and punched it in the open side of the net for the only Nantucket goal of the game.
Joe Bopp made 22 saves in net for the Whalers.
|
