Swimming Upwards: DY Hockey Continues Rebuild

For Dennis-Yarmouth hockey, sustaining a successful varsity program has been no easy task. The Dolphins suffered heavy losses after a school choice program was enacted during the late 2010s.  The new program allowed students to attend Cape schools in different towns. The team’s numbers began to dwindle, with some of the more elite athletes deciding to play elsewhere. They have been building the hockey team back up ever since.

“What has happened in the late teens of 2017, 18, 19, we had pockets of kids that kind of went to other schools, primarily Nauset,” explained Coach Lewis “Lew” Alberti.

Alberti, a 1995 graduate who returned to his alma mater to coach in 2017, has played a crucial role in keeping DY hockey competitive and thriving. 

Nauset, the defending MIAA Division 3 champions, has all the makings of a formidable and dominant villain in the Cape Cod hockey landscape. As they were building up a powerhouse, DY was struggling to field a full varsity team. It was time to look elsewhere for help.

It just so happens that Cape Tech was also struggling to field a full team, only having about ten players. DY and Cape Tech coaches got together and petitioned the MIAA to allow the formation of a co-op where the schools could all play under one program.  Cape Cod Academy was also included, resulting in a high school hockey trifecta with much to prove.

 The co-op needed to happen in order for the program to keep going strong, but it has not come without its drawbacks. 

“The downside of the co-op is the kids aren't in school together all the time, right?  They're not like a traditional high school where they go to school together, they get to wear their jerseys, their warm-up jackets, that team mentality of being kind of like a family. We have to kind of really build that internally from when they come here.”

On the flip side, Alberti explained that some DY students, presumably with an interest in technical education, were able to go to school at Cape Tech, knowing that they would be able to continue playing for the Dolphins. 

So what does success actually look like for the team?  Last year, DY snuck into the tournament by winning a play-in game before getting beaten handily by Hanover in the round of 32. Coach Alberti believes the team could be capable of more this year.

“I think anything .500 or better would be a great season,” said Alberti.

“I think getting into the tournament, maybe winning a round or two would be awesome. I think we have the talent to do that.”

He also told me that DY needs to have a “blue-collar mentality” that focuses on grinding down the opponent and being a mentally tough team. If this mentality holds true, the Dolphins have the chance to be a team that is very difficult to play against. 

There is a core of players that fans should keep an eye on this season. Sophomore Colin Endres returns after being one of the team’s leading scorers as a freshman. Sophomore Jake Moriarty and junior Mattie Garbitt should also be major scoring factors after productive seasons last year. Rounding out the core four is freshman Kellan Desley, an exciting young prospect that should add some oomph to the DY attack.

“Those four really are kind of the core of our group right now. And then, we just have some pieces that kind of plug around them,” explained Alberti.

After speaking with the coach last week, one thing became clear to me- they are a very easy team to root for. Whether it be their blue-collar style of play or their untraditional co-op program, the Dolphins are looking to build on last year's tournament berth and prove they can play with any team on any given night. The team opens their season Wednesday night at Bridgewater-Raynham.