WHS Hockey Team Easily Dispatches Revere and Lynn

The Winthrop High hockey team handily defeated two Northeastern Conference opponents this past week, dispatching Revere, 5-1, last Wednesday, and Lynn, 11-1, Saturday at Larsen.

The contest at Revere’s Cronin Rink saw the Vikings assert their dominance early. However, the scoreboard showed a 0-0 deadlock at the first horn and then displayed a 1-0 Revere lead shortly into the middle frame.

Matt Todisco finally put one past the Revere goalie, assisted by Chris LeBlanc and Dan Eruzione, to even matters by the end of the second period. The start of the third stanza showed the explosiveness of the Viking first line when the duo of Eruzione and LeBlanc combined for two goals within the first 20 seconds (yes, seconds), starting at 0:16 and then just four seconds later at 0:20, which must be some sort of record. Dan potted both goals and Chris got the assists.

The double Winthrop haymaker changed the entire complexion of the game. Leblanc made it 4-1 (assisted by Adam Lundberg) later in the period and then Drayton Chastain lit the lamp, assisted by Jake McKinnon and Chris Page, for the 5-1 finale.

Saturday’s demolition of Lynn was mindful of how Winthrop routinely treated the Lynn

schools, Classical and English, before they were permitted to form a co-op hockey team. However, in the past few years the combined Lynn teams have been a strong opponent in the NEC. Three days earlier, Lynn had knocked off Beverly, which is rated as one of the top teams in the NEC.

But the11-1 rout saw Winthrop start fast and keep the pedal to the metal, expanding a 3-0 lead after one period (Chastain, assisted by Jim Barker, scored on the opening shift of the game) to a 9-1 bulge at the second horn. Mitch Paulson was the big gun for Winthrop with a hat trick and an assist. LeBlanc added two goals and three assists; Matt Todisco lit the lamp twice and earned an assist; Page potted a goal with an assist; McKinnon added a lamplighter and two assists; Lundberg had a goal; Eruzione had three assists; and Hershey Beard was credited with an assist.

Winthrop stepped out of the NEC on Monday to take on Lynnfield, a perennial power from the Cape Ann League, which brought a 7-1-1 mark into Larsen, including a win over Danvers, which sits atop the NEC and whose record is marred only by the Lynnfield defeat.

The Vikings came out flying in the opening frame, gabbing a 2-0 advantage at the horn on a pair of goals by LeBlanc (who is the third leading scorer in Division 2). Eruzione assisted on both and Todisco and Barker each assisted on a goal.

However, Lynnfield, whom WHS head coach Dale Dunbar termed “the best team we’ve faced all year,” responded with three goals in the middle period, aided by some Winthrop penalties.

Paulson slid a goal past the Lynnfield goalie late in the frame to leave matters knotted at 3-3 entering the final 15 minutes.

Both squads played superb hockey in the third period, but it was Lynnfield that lit the lamp for the deciding marker. Winthrop challenged ferociously in the final 1:34, when Dunbar added to a Winthrop power play by pulling goalie Stephen Waites to create a 6-on-4 advantage, but the Vikings were unable to notch the equalizer.

Winthrop is off for mid-term exam time until next Wednesday, when Dunbar and crew travel to Mansfield for another non league matchup.

Boys basketball team remains perfect in NEC

The Winthrop High boys basketball team maintained their perfect record against Northeastern Conference opponents with a 55-48 win over Revere last Friday evening.

The visiting Patriots came into the contest riding a four game winning streak and came out on fire, breaking to a 14-6 lead at the first quarter buzzer.

However, the Vikings settled down and soon turned the momentum in their favor, more than reversing the outcome over the next eight minutes, so that by the half, Winthrop held a 22-17 advantage. The Vikings’ defensive effort played a key role, as Revere managed just three points, all on free throws, in the second period.

Winthrop continued to assert its control after the intermission, building a 35-23 bulge at the three quarter mark. To their credit, Revere refused to quit and made a 9-2 run to start the fourth frame, slicing the deficit to 37-32. However, a three point field goal, one of eight by Winthrop on the night, and a Viking hoop after the ensuing unsuccessful Revere possession pushed the lead back up to 10. Revere never threatened thereafter.

Joe D’Amore proved a thorn in the side of Revere all night with a nifty double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds. Jeff Laguerre also reached double figures with 10 points. Quinton Dale was a force at both ends of the court, hauling in 12 rebounds, blocking nine enemy shots, and chipping in seven points. Ervin DeJesus, who more and more is becoming a valuable part of the Winthrop rotation with every outing, sank a trey and contributed eight points.

However, the story of the game was Winthrop’s success from three point land over the top of the Revere zone  defense. “It’s great when we can score from long range against a zone defense,” said WHS head coach Dave Brown, “but you cannot live an entire season on three point shooting.”

The Vikings’ next contest against Malden proved their coach’s point. Winthrop took 24 shots from beyond the arc, but only four hit their mark. Still, Winthrop held the lead throughout most of the contest, including a 35-27 advantage late in the third period.

But then the lights in the Malden gym went out and a 15 minute delay quelled any momentum that Winthrop may have been building. Malden sank a pair of treys immediately upon resumption of play and moved out to a six point lead by late in the final period.

Winthrop fought back and whittled the margin to two points in the final 30 seconds. However, a turnover and then a close call when a Viking apparently stepped on the out of bounds line with nine seconds to go killed Winthrop’s hopes for a comeback.

Dale grabbed 19 boards and hit for 14 points and Josh Babb had a nice all around game with 14 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.

“We learned that we have to play smart in close games like these,” said Brown, who noted that his team protected the ball well for most of the game, committing a total of only 12 turnovers, but six of those came in the final period. “We also cannot rely on our three point shooting in every game.”

The encounter was a rematch against non league foe Malden, which plays in the Greater Boston League and which had taken the first tilt by a similar margin. Both games against Malden originally had been thought to be excluded from Winthrop’s official record for purposes of computing their winning percentage for the post season MIAA tournament, but a paperwork snafu means that those games now will be counted.

So Brown and his Vikings now stand at an official and still sterling 9-3 on the season, but are undefeated in the NEC, where they sit in first place in the South Division. They journey to Salem, always a tough opponent from the NEC’s North Division, Friday night.

Girls hoop team wins pair, now 6-6

The Winthrop High girls basketball team earned a pair of impressive victories this past week, taking the measure of non league foe Malden, 51-17, last Wednesday, and then defeating NEC rival Revere, 50-43, on Friday.

After a fairly tight first half in which Winthrop held a tenuous 20-14 advantage over Malden, the Lady Vikings applied a defensive clampdown, holding Malden to zero points in the third frame and just three points in the fourth period to coast to the victory.

Captain Taylor Duplin and freshman Kristen Siscamanis led the scoring sheet with 11 points each. Kristen also pulled down eight rebounds. Ashelyne Babb reached double figures with 10 points, Theresa Jones added seven, Liana Ferullo chipped in six, Angie Favaloro hit for five, and Niki Tsiotis added two. Temison Meggison made a major contribution with 12 rebounds.

Two nights later, the Lady Vikings traveled to Revere to take on the Lady Patriots, who went 20-0 in the regular season last year and who still boast some potent returning players.

However, after trailing 9-8 at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Vikings took a 26-20 lead into the intermission and never trailed thereafter.

“Revere is a team that can put up points in a hurry,” said Oyola, “so our defensive play was crucial to keeping them from changing the momentum once we got ahead.”

Revere threatened on a number of occasions to pull even late in the game, but clutch three point shots by  Jones and Favaloro kept Revere at bay. Babb was high scorer with 15 points, but Winthrop’s edge in rebounding, especially on the offensive boards, proved the difference.

Favaloro reached double figures with 10 points and snared seven rebounds. Meggison was especially fierce underneath, pulling down 13 boards and adding seven points.  Siscamanis scored seven points and had five rebounds, while Duplin grabbed six caroms and Ferullo added five points.

The Lady Vikings now stand at 6-6 and journey to Salem Friday.

Girls track wins again, beats English

The Winthrop High girls indoor track team claimed its third straight victory, defeating Lynn English 62-24 on Monday.

The Lady Vikings captured eight of the meet’s nine individual events: Julia Wallace with a high jump of 4-8; Ashley Jurovich with a shotput toss of 28-1.5; Lexi Vaccaro in the 45 yard dash in 6.2; Holly Benson in the 300 dash in 46.1; Jordan Griffiths in the 600 in 1:45.4; Amy Sena in the 1000 in 3:19; Cecilia Moreira in the mile in 6:20.8; and Michaela McCarthy in the two mile in 14:23.

Adding three points to the Winthrop cause with second place performances were: Elizabeth Anderson with a toss of 26-2.75 in the shot; Jurovich in the 45 yard hurdles in 8.2; Heidy Benson in the 1000 in 3:39; and Abbie Love in the two mile in 15:22.8.

Third place efforts came from: Wallace in the hurdles in 8.3; Carly O’Keefe in the dash in 6.5; Rachel Delsolio in the 300 in 48.2; Maria Rago in the 600 in 1:56; Lucy Floyd in the 1000 in 3:44; Victoria Scorzella in the mile in 6:57.7; and Alessandra Scorzella in the two mile in 18:07.5.

Ascolillo wins hurdles in meet with English

Robert Ascolillo brought home first place in the 45 yard hurdles for the Winthrop High boys track team in their meet with Lynn English on Monday. Robert sped to victory in a time of 7.2 seconds.

Other Vikings who added points to the Winthrop side of the score sheet were: Chris Paolini with a second place in the shot put with a throw of 34-2.5; Trevor Hetherton with a second in the hurdles in 7.6; Jordan Corbett-Frank with a second in the 45 yard dash in 5.5; Alex Kelly with a third in the 300 in 54.7; Joey Bosco with a third in the 1000 in 3:16.4; Pat Brogan with a third in the mile in 5:27.5; and Carlos Bonilla with a third in the two mile in 16:41.7.

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