Viking Lacrosse Team Falls Short at Weston
The Winthrop High boys lacrosse team’s run in the Division 4 state tournament came to an end last Thursday evening with an 11-2 loss at Weston in a Sweet 16 match-up between the 13th-ranked Vikings and the 4th-ranked Wildcats.
“We had a tough loss against a very good Weston team,” said WHS head coach Brian Doinnelly. “We came out firing on all cylinders and were right with them in the first quarter. We were attacking the net and senior Jack Hayes scored a nice goal cutting across the middle after a great ground ball.
“We were down 3-1 at this point and Colin Cifuni scored a nice goal, top corner, with a feed from Robert Rich to make it 3-2. Unfortunately for us, this was the last time we found the net,” continued Donnelly. “I thought our defense played excellently and we had a good game plan to slide early to their best guys, but it just wasn’t enough.
“They had a couple of really-skilled players who just ended up being too much for us,” the coach added. “Welvis Acosta did a great job against one of their better players and the defensive unit, including Colin O’ Leary, Dan Thomi, Donovan Cassidy, and Resean Bebri, did a great job in this game and all season.
“Overall, I am just really proud of how this team competed this year,” said Donnelly. “For a squad to go from a Club/JV team last year and then return as a varsity program this year to win the Northeastern Conference (NEC) South and compete in the MIAA tournament, and even get a win, is a testament to the hard work of this group.
“We will miss our seniors and everything they added, but are very excited to return seven of our 10 starters. I have no doubt the guys will work in the off-season to come back stronger next year,” Donnelly concluded.
Two Vikings, Alex Daignault and Robert Rich, were named to NEC All Conference team and three teammates, Jack Hayes, Michael Holgersen, and Welvis Acosta, were selected as NEC all-stars by the league’s coaches.
The Vikings’ team awards were as follows:
Rookie of the Year — Ace Daignault
Valhalla/ Coaches Award — Michael Holgersen
Defensive Player of the Year — Welvis Acosta
Offensive Player of the Year — Alex Daignault
Most Valuable Player — Robert Rich
Mia Norris Named to All-Academic Lax Team
Winthrop High senior Mia Norris has earned the honor of being selected to the All-Academic Team for Girls Lacrosse in Eastern Massachusetts. Mia is one of only 25 girls in Eastern Mass. who received this award from the Eastern MA Girls Lacrosse Conference Association (EMGLCA).
The All-Academic criteria for selection to the team is as follows:
“A USA Lacrosse All-Academic Player who exhibits exemplary lacrosse skills, good sportsmanship on the field, represents high academic achievement in the classroom, and volunteers within their community.”
Selectees also must play a majority of their team’s games for the current season and must be a starter or significant contributor to their team. They also must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale for their entire high school career.