WHS girls hockey captures league title
The Winthrop High Lady Bulldog hockey team defeated both of its opponents this past week, Masconomet and Marblehead, to clinch the championship of the North Division of the Northeastern Hockey League. The Lady Bulldogs and Beverly finished with identical 9-1-1 records in the league, but Winthrop captured the crown based on its superior 1-0-1 head-to-head record with Beverly.
Last Wednesday’s 5-0 victory at Masconomet saw the Lady Bulldogs get off to a slow start, taking a 1-0 lead in the opening period on a goal by Emma English, assisted by Gabby Kenniston and Caroline McKinnon, on which Emma skated down the middle between the Masco defenders and let go a hard slap shot that cleanly beat the Masco goalie.
However, the Lady Bulldogs ramped up the offense in the second period, spearheaded by defenseman Kate Jeter, who made an end-to-end rush and finished off her own rebound. Olivia Shkliew earned the assist to make it 2-0. Annie Mahoney made it 3-0 before the period ended when she she took a nice pass in the slot area from Kasey Harris, who was behind the net, and lifted a backhand past the Masco netminder.
McKinnon scored on the power play, assisted by Kenniston, to up the count to 4-0 at the start of the third frame and Kenniston completed the Winthrop scoring with a hard slap shot from the point.
WHS goalie Gretchen Howard turned aside 16 Masco shots to rack up her sixth shutout of the season.
Saturday evening’s encounter with Marblehead at Larsen Rink technically was a home game for the Marblehead squad (which does not have a home rink) which was celebrating its Senior Night. However, the Lady Bulldogs, though invited to the party, proved to be rude guests and skated to a 4-1 triumph.
After the teams battled through a scoreless first period, Jeter once again provided some offensive spark from her defensive position, putting Winthrop on the board early in the middle frame with a quick shot form the point on which Mahoney and Sydney Adamson earned assists. Mahoney, whose scoring prowess has surged to the fore in recent games, made it a 2-0 affair before the period ended when she picked up the puck amidst a scramble in front of the Marblehead net and lifted a backhander past the Marblehead goalie.
English scored an unassisted goal in the opening minute of the third stanza, getting off a shot with a Marblehead defender draped all over her. Ariana Dembro put the icing on the WHS victory cake with a goal on which she took a nice pass from Shkliew, deked past a Marblehead defender, and then beat the goalie.
Marblehead broke up Howard’s shutout bid with a power play goal late in the game.
The Lady Bulldogs, who now are 13-3-1 overall, were set to play their regular season finale last night (Wednesday) when they hosted Watertown in a game to be highlighted by Senior Night festivities at which seniors Jeter, Dembro, Cat Salvetti, and Jessica Ford were to be honored for their contributions to the Lady Bulldog hockey program.
“They have been great leaders for our team both on and off the ice,” said WHS head coach Anthony Martucci. “Cat has been an all-star at defense since she was a freshman, while Ariana also has been a four year varsity player who has played wherever we have needed her. Katie is new to our team this year, but has been a vital cog in our success. And though Jessica took up the sport at the high school level just two years ago, she has risen to become a solid contributor for the team. All four have great personalities and serve as role models for our younger players.”
After the Watertown contest, Martucci and his crew will await the announcement of their seeding and first round opponent in the upcoming MIAA state tournament.
Chris Page named the MVP of the NEC
Winthrop star forward Chris Page, who scored the 100th point of his WHS career two weeks ago, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Northeastern Conference at the coaches’ meeting this past week.
“This is quite an honor for Chris, because there is only one MVP award for both the North and South Divisions of the NEC,” said WHS head coach Dale Dunbar. “Chris has had a fabulous season and he deserves to be named the MVP.”
In addition, five Viking teammates were named to the NEC North all-star team: freshman forward Charlie Page (Chris’s brother), senior defenseman Steve Goddard, junior goaltender Ray Feeley, senior forward John Orlando, and junior forward Pat Todisco.
Four girls named to NEC all-star team
Four members of the Winthrop High Lady Bulldog hockey squad have been named to the all-star team of the Northeastern Hockey League. Senior defenseman Cat Salvetti and ninth grade goalie Gretchen Howard were selected for the All-Conference team and their teammates, senior defenseman Katie Jeter and junior forward Caroline McKinnon, were chosen North Division all-stars.
Girls hoop team wins two of three
The Winthrop High girls basketball team raised their record to 18-3 with a pair of victories this past week.
Last Thursday the Lady Vikings disposed of Northeastern Conference foe Swampscott, 61-36. Winthrop doubled Swampscott’s output in the first half, 34-17, and cruised to the victory from that point, enabling WHS head coach Ignacio Oyola to use all of his players.
Theresa Jones led the Lady Vikings in the scoring column with 13 points, with Nikki Tsiotis (12 points) and Kristen Siscamanis (10 points) also reaching double figures. Ashelyne Babb hit for eight points, followed by Ally Love with six, Nina Bartlett with five, Jen Adamson and Shannon Mahoney with three apiece, and Poli Tsiotis with a free throw.
This past weekend Oyola and his crew competed in the St. Mary’s of Lynn basketball tournament. Winthrop took on a long-time nemesis, Ipswich, in the opening round Sunday and dispatched of their foe from the north, 58-35. Despite the 23-point final difference, the contest was one in which the Lady Vikings methodically built their lead, taking a 13-11 edge in the first quarter and a 31-21 advantage at the half before opening it up to a 47-32 double-digit bulge at the third buzzer.
Bartlett paced the offense with 16 points. Siscamanis added 13, Babb hit for 12, and Jones chipped in nine. The foursome of Nikki T., Poli T., Maura Lanza, and Adamson scored two points apiece.
The victory in the opening round gave the Lady Vikings the right to meet the powerhouse tournament host, St. Mary’s, which had defeated Cardinal Spellman in its preliminary encounter, in the final. Unfortunately for the Lady Vikings, a slow start allowed St. Mary’s to sprint to a 22-11 lead after the first period. Though Winthrop played St. Mary’s (the sixth-ranked girls hoop team in the state in the Boston Globe poll) fairly evenly thereafter, closing the gap to five in the third quarter, the Lady Vikings proved unable to dig out completely from their early hole. Foul trouble to Siscamanis proved to be a key factor in the Lady Vikings’ demise and St. Mary’s went on a run in the final frame to come away with a 62-46 victory.
Babb led another balanced Winthrop scoring attack with 12 points. The trio of Jones, Bartlett (who was named to the all-tournmament team) and Nikki T. hit for 10 each. Adamson and Siscamanis added two points each.
“Overall we played well,” said Oyola, referring to the St. Mary’s contest. “They have some very talented players and this was a good learning experience for us. St. Mary’s is in the D-3 North, so there’s a good chance we could face them again in the tourney.”
Oyola and his crew will close out their regular season tonight (Thursday) when they host Somerville at 7:00 in a contest that all be highlighted by Senior Night festivities at which seniors Babb, Jones, and Adamson will be honored for their contributions to the Lady Viking basketball program, which has enjoyed extraordinary success in the past two years.
WHS boys hockey team wins two more
The Winthrop High boys hockey team chalked up two more victories this past week to raise their record to 14-5 on the season, defeating non-league opponent Concord-Carlisle 2-1 and Northeastern Conference foe Lynn 3-2.
In last Wednesday’s contest with Concord-Carlisle at Larsen Rink, the teams battled to a 0-0 standoff through the first prior until Mike Norris broke the deadlock with a goal in the second period. Mike took a nice pass from Mike Casey in the slot as he was moving in toward the Concord goalie and then walked in for the goal.
Concord-Carlisle responded with a lamplighter to tie matters, but Charlie Page, assisted by brother Chris and Pat Todisco, scored the eventual game-winner before the period ended.
The defenses on both sides then controlled the action in the final frame for the 2-1 finale. WHS net minder Ray Feeley played solidly in goal, turning aside 21 enemy shots, to earn the victory.
In Saturday’s contest at Lynn, which plays in the South Division of the NEC, Dylan Driscoll notched two goals and Chris Page lit the lamp once for the Viking tallies. Dylan’s first goal was assisted by John Orlando and Page was assisted by brother Charlie. Driscoll’s game-winner was a short-handed beauty in which he blocked a Lynn shot, took off toward the Lynn net, and finished the fine individual effort to beat the Lynn net minder.
Goalie Tom DiBenedetto earned the win for Winthrop with a strong game between the pipes. Tom turned aside 19 Lynn shots and was a stalwart when Lynn had a 5-on-3 advantage at one point in the game.
Coach Dale Dunbar and his crew will conclude their regular season tomorrow evening (Friday) when they host Mansfield at Larsen in non-league battle. The Vikings will be seeking to avenge an early-season 3-2 loss at Mansfield and improve their seeding for the upcoming state tournament. The contest also will be highlighted by Senior Night festivities at which Viking seniors Chris Page, John Orlando, Steve Goddard, Chris Capone, Chris Fucillo, and John Delsolio will be honors for their contributions over the years to the WHS hockey program. Their parents also will be honored for those many years of early-morning practices and traveling to tournaments that began with their sons’ youth hockey days.
Seniors honored at boys’ hoop finale
The Winthrop High boys basketball team concluded its season last Thursday evening with a contest against Swampscott at the Holland gym. The evening was highlighted by Senior Night festivities at which Viking seniors Cody Wasson, Brendan Van Dalinda, Vin Sparacino, and Adam Holden and their parents, along with the WHS cheerleaders and videographer Andrew Almeida, were recognized for their contributions to the WHS boys basketball program.
The contest was a close one through the first three periods. The Vikings stayed within striking distance with an eight point deficit, but Swampscott went on a 24-0 run starting in the latter part of the third quarter to pull away for the 79-46 win.
Wasson led Winthrop with 19 points, followed by Jake Chiudina and Adam Holden with seven each, Sparacino with five, Nick Moulaison and Harry Floyd with two each, and Jeff Collignon with a free throw.
Coach Mike DiMarino and his crew now will await word of their seeding and pairing in the opening round of the Division 4 North Sectional of the MIAA state basketball tournament.