Historic Home Game: Winthrop Vikings Set to Play Its First Ever Home Playoff Game at Larsen

It will be like old times Saturday night (6:30) when the Winthrop High School boys hockey team takes the ice at Larsen Rink at the Mike Eruzione Center for its MIAA state playoff game against Rockport High School.

The game will be the Vikings’ first-ever home playoff game in the program’s history due to the new statewide playoff format.

Not since the days of Winthrop’s undefeated 1976 state championship team or the glory years in the early 1980s when the trio of John Tiano, Chucky Sullivan, Joe Giaquinto would regularly pack the arena for home games against Northeastern Conference schools, has there been a more anticipated home game.

Winthrop High head coach Dale Dunbar was a rising youth hockey talent when the 1975-76 Viking team coached by Bill Falasca was mowing down everyone in its path on its way to the Boston Garden.

“I used to go to all the games for the ’76 team,” recalled Dunbar this week. “The crowds were 5-deep around the boards at Larsen. You couldn’t even move in that rink.”

Dunbar, who went on to star for Winthrop High and BU, and play in the National Hockey League, is hoping to see a huge turnout at Saturday’s tourney opener against the Rockport Vikings (Student-athletes from Manchester-Essex and Ipswich also play for the Rockport co-op team.

“We’re trying to get all of our alumni to the game and make the rink look like it did in the old days,” said Dunbar. “It will be fun to get the town behind us like in those days. When I played for Winthrop, the rink was always packed.”

Boncore Nets Hat Trick in 5-3 Win Over Saugus

The Vikings will enter the post-season following a 5-3 victory over Saugus on “Senior Night.”

Freshman Phil Boncore netted a hat trick to lead the Vikings’ attack. Senior captain Joe Hayes assisted on Boncore’s first two goals while Pete Silverman, one of the team’s leading scorers this season, had the assist on Boncore’s third lamplighter.

Senior James Sicurella also scored a goal, assisted by senior captain Ari Hain. Freshman first-liner Mike Holgersen scored the game-winning goal to break a 3-3 tie in the third period, assisted by Silverman.

The Winthrop seniors honored for their outstanding contributions to the hockey program were: Captain Joe Hayes, Captain Ari Hain, Captain JD Parker, Charlie Dassau, Bobby Diaz, James Sicurella, Anthony Indrisano, and Zack Shea.

The Winthrop High team enjoyed a hockey trip to Boston University where the players met the coaches and toured the BU locker room.

“The kids really enjoyed it,” said Dunbar. “They got to see how the team practices and all the facilities. Coach [Mike] Eruzione and Winthrop Charities treated everyone to pizza. It was a good, fun, team-building day.”