Two big wins for WHS girls hockey
The Winthrop High girls hockey team recorded a pair of important victories this past week, defeating Northeastern Hockey League (NHL) rivals Beverly/Danvers and Gloucester by identical scores of 2-1.
Last Wednesday’s triumph vs. Beverly, which is in first place in the NHL, was a huge win for the Lady Vikings, keeping them in the chase for the 2026 NHL title, leaving them just one point behind the Lady Panthers.
Winthrop received goals from Reese Ferrara and Angela Coscia, and goalie Riley Towse turned in a superb effort.
“Riley was excellent in this game, making some monster saves,” said WHS head coach Anthony Martucci. “Chloe Couture had one of the prettiest assists on Reese’s power play goal, just a great play from behind the net that got us on the board first.
“Angela’s goal made it 2-0 and Riley was immense in keeping Beverly from getting the equalizer after an iffy goal call that made it 2-1 late in the third. It was a big conference win for us, and kept us in the hunt for the conference title,” Martucci added.
The Lady Vikings then trekked to the Dorothy Talbot Rink in Gloucester this past Saturday and came home with another 2-1 victory. Reese Ferrara scored a great goal off a rebound from a shot by Amelia Serino and Angela Coscia netted the game-winner on a power play.
WHS goalie Riley Towse recorded her 56th career victory, tying Riley for the Lady Viking program’s all-time record with Summer Tallent.
“This was a special game because it was coach Chris Palmer’s head coaching debut,” said Martucci. “The girls played an inspired brand of hockey at a very tough place to play, O’Malley Rink in Gloucester.”
This past Monday, the Lady Vikings earned a tie with non-league opponent Weymouth.
“This was a tough game on the road,” said Martucci. “Weymouth was a scrappy team. However, it was one of the absolute worst-officiated games that I have ever been a part of. We were given 12 penalties to their three. In the 17 years that I have been coaching this team, I have never seen such a one-sided officiated game.”
Weymouth scored on one of their four, 5-on-3 power plays to make it 1-0, but the Lady Vikings knotted the score in the third period when Serino reached the back oif the Lady Wildcat net on a perfect redirection off a shot from the point.
Winthrop had to kill two more penalties to send the game into overtime.
Martucci and his crew, who now stand at 6-2-3 overall (5-1-1 in the NHL) and are ranked 19th in the MIAA’s Division 1 power ratings, have a bit of a lull in their schedule. Their next contest is not scheduled until next Wednesday (January 28) when they will travel to Peabody.
Viking boys hockey defeats Masco, 4-1
The Winthrop High boys hockey team turned in a solid two-way performance to defeat Northeastern Conference (NEC) rival Masconomet Regional, 4-1, last Wednesday at the Haverhill Valley Forum.
After a scoreless first period in which the Vikings outshot Masco, 13-5, and carried the play, junior captain Joe Pumphret got Winthrop rolling (with a beautiful assist from Dom Spinale) with a top-shelf shot that zipped under the crossbar.
The Vikings then took advantage of a power play opportunity with two minutes left in the period to make it 2-0 on a shot from the point by junior Captain Paul Ferrara, with Spinale earning the assist.
The Vikings continued to control play over the final 15 minutes. Sophomore Braedon Lounsbury lit the lamp with another power play goal (assisted by Nick Romano and Pumphret) to make it 3-0.
Masco scored a marker with about five minutes to play, but Lounsbury sealed the game on an empty-netter, with Spinale recording his third assist of the evening, for the 4-1 finale.
Viking goalie Dax Sabin picked up the “W” with a solid effort in the net.
This past Saturday afternoon the Vikings hosted NEC rival Gloucester and came up on the short end of a 4-3 decision to the Fishermen in a contest that was decided in overtime.
After a scoreless first period in which the Vikings played well, captain Joe Pumphret gave Winthrop a 1-0 lead, assisted by Nick Romano and Dom Spinale, early in the second period.
However, the Fisherman struck back, scoring two goals later in the period to take a 2-1 advantage into the second intermission.
Spinale, assisted by Pumphret, brought the game back to level midway through the third period. Gloucester pulled ahead with five minutes to play, but the never-say-die Vikings responded with a lamplighter from Pumphret, assisted by Spinale and Braedon Lounsbury, with two minutes to go.
That sent the game into the 4-on-4 overtime period. Winthrop had the better of the chances in the OT session, but the Fishermen scored with less than two minutes to play to come away with the victory.
Winthrop now stands at 6-5-0 overall and 4-2-0 in the NEC.
Coach Dale Dunbar and his crew, who were ranked fifth in Division 4 in the MIAA’s power ratings (and second by Hockey Night in Boston) as of last Friday, were scheduled to meet Beverly last night (Wednesday) and will host Peabody next Wednesday for a 6:00 opening faceoff.
WHS boys basketball ranked 19th in D-4
The Winthrop High boys basketball team, which is ranked 19th in the MIAA Division 4 power rankings, will host Northeastern Conference (NEC) rival Swampscott next Tuesday evening. The opening tip-off on the Chris Tsiotos Floor in the Holland gymnasium is set for 7:00.
Coach Quinton Dale and his crew won two of their three contests this past week, defeating NEC rival Peabody, 63-59, last Tuesday and non-league opponent Rockport, 63-39, this past Saturday. The Vikings came up short to Gloucester, 45-42, last Friday.
The Vikings, who stand at 4-6 on the season, will travel to Marblehead tomorrow (Friday) before returning home for Tuesday’s encounter with Swampscott.
WHS girls basketball to host Marblehead this Friday evening
The Winthrop High girls basketball team, which is ranked 25th in the MIAA’s Division 4 power ratings, will entertain Northeastern North Division rival Marblehead tomorrow (Friday) evening. The opening tip-off is set for 6:00.
Coach Anthony Hatzisavas’s squad stood at 3-7 entering their contests earlier this week vs. non-league opponents Ipswich this past Tuesday and Triton yesterday (Wednesday).
After Friday’s encounter with Marblehead, they will trek to Swampscott next Tuesday and to Saugus next Thursday, concluding a busy stretch of five games in 10 days.