Monomoy-Mashpee Boys Hockey ‘Starting To Click’ During Early Battles

SOUTH DENNIS – Ten months after the first playoff win in program history, the Monomoy-Mashpee boys hockey team has set themselves up for another return to the postseason.

The Sharks have crafted a difficult schedule, head coach Chris Harlow said, and are working through it in the early goings. Looking to follow up on last year’s 12-8 season that culminated in a playoff victory as the MIAA Division 4 tournament’s No. 30 seed, Monomoy-Mashpee is off to a 1-3 start in 2025-26. 

They’ve so far only played higher ranked fellow tournament teams: No. 14 Martha’s Vineyard (twice), No. 29 Bourne, No. 21 Abington, and No. 15 Old Rochester on Monday (after The Chronicle’s deadline).

“We're still adjusting, still starting to click,” Harlow said. “We have a lot of young guys stepping into some big-minute positions, and we’re still working it out and hashing it out.”

Five players graduated from last year’s program-defining team, including a couple top players and some critical depth contributors with roles on the power play and penalty kill. At the same time, it isn’t that much turnover for a team with its confidence boosted after the tournament win.

After finishing 10 games under .500 in 2023-24, Monomoy-Mashpee notched the program’s first-ever playoff victory last season in Harlow’s first year coaching the team. They also earned a first-ever Cape and Islands League title and won the most games in the team’s history. That first year was “a pretty seamless transition,” according to Harlow.

“Definitely having another year under the belt calms the nerves a little bit,” he said. “You kind of find a rhythm and have a better idea of what works with this group or what doesn't going into it for sure.”

Returning in goal for the Sharks is senior Dominic Silvester, the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player.

“He couldn't be a better leader for us either,” Harlow said. “I mean, he’s amazing to our younger goalies and getting them prepared for when it's their time. He's an incredible guy to have on the roster.”

In Monomoy-Mashpee’s four games thus far, Silvester is averaging upwards of 37 saves a contest, good for a 90.42 save percentage.

“It is such a confidence boost to be able to go out and play when you’ve got a guy who's making 30 saves a night behind you,” Harlow said. 

The Shark’s first line of junior Owen Cloney, junior Max Cronen, junior Nick Garneau, sophomore Tyler Layton and senior Luke Raftery is a core of “amazing players” that just “haven't quite clicked yet,” Harlow said.

Cloney, at center, Cronen, at left wing, and Garneau, at right wing, have set the points pace with five each. Garneau’s three goals lead the team, with Cloney and Cronen both putting in two. Raftery has added a goal and an assist.

“Those are all guys who when they get buzzing and they get clicking, they're phenomenal top-line players, and, I think that once we start jelling a bit more, I think that all of those guys are going to be a horse,” Harlow said.

Sophomore Jacob Gould and senior Tristan Eldredge have also scored for Monomoy-Mashpee. Layton has two assists and freshman Owen Casey has one.

It’s been tough so far, but the Sharks don’t plan to be a team that rolls over. After last year, they have the experience and confidence to battle back in games. That’ll be crucial, since just two of their games on the schedule are against teams that didn’t make the tournament last season. The goal remains to win another league title and another playoff game.

“We definitely have our eyes set on that for sure, but so far, we’ve got to step it up from what we've been bringing,” Harlow said.