WHS Sports Roundup

Boys Basketball Team Ready for Opener Friday

The Winthrop High boys basketball team will open its shortened 2021 season tomorrow (Friday) evening when the Vikings make the long trek to Gloucester.

“We’re excited,” said first-year head coach Mike Triant. “As coaches, we spend so much time during the pre-season putting in sets and defenses and presses and press-breakers, but none of it matters if we don’t show up ready.

“I think historically we have come out of the gate slow in games and that’s something we have been talking about,” Triant continued. “We are really trying to communicate with the team what we need to do differently to turn this thing around and that’s high on the list. We need our players to be accountable to come out and inject their own energy right from the tip. I think they will be.

“Beyond that, it’s about toughness,” Triant added. “Gloucester will be a great test for us Friday night. They have always been a group of tough kids. That’s a great characteristic of a hoop team. Toughness and discipline are talked about everyday in practice by our staff and players.  Friday night will be a great barometer for us to see where we are at.  Once we step between the lines, nothing else matters. Pre-season goes out the window and it’s about the next 32 minutes.”

The 2021 edition of the Vikings will be led by senior captain Cam Conway. Other members of the team are: Alijah Treble (senior); Tyler Rockefeller (senior); Tylor Sousa (senior); Chris Cappuccino (junior); Luca Zanelli (junior); Mikey Chaves (junior); Aiden Green (junior); Juan Guauque (junior); and Zach Bogus (sophomore).

Assisting Triant on the sidelines will be assistant coaches Anthony Hatzisavas, Kevin Adamson, Jason Griffin, Anthony Griffin, and JV coach Joe D’Amore.

“Gloucester got us twice last year so we know we will need to be ready,” said Triant. “That starts with a good week of practices.”

After their encounter with Gloucester, the Vikings will host Beverly on Tuesday and then will travel to Peabody next Friday.

WHS Girls Hockey Team to Open Season January 13

The Winthrop High girls hockey team is set to open its pandemic-shortened season next week when the Lady Vikings make the long trek to Gloucester on Wednesday (January 13).

“We are getting geared up for the season-opener,” said veteran WHS head coach Anthony Martucci. 

Martucci has been putting the extended pre-season to good use, giving his team a thorough look as they prepare for the 2021 campaign.

“Right now we are trying to figure out our line combinations, both up front and on the back end,” said the coach. “There are some players who are having a great camp, so they are making it hard to find the right groups.”

Sophomore Mia Norris is among the Lady Vikings who have shone in the pre-season. 

“Mia has been flying,” said Martucci. “She has improved every aspect of her game and has everyone excited for what she can bring. The entire coaching staff feels that she can be a key contributor this season.”

Another player who has impressed early on is sophomore Fallon Hurley.

“Fallon is a big and strong defenseman who is morphing into a top-flight blue-liner,” Martucci said. “Her speed is awesome, she is reading plays great, and has become a beast in the corners and in front of our net.”

Martucci also had words of praise for junior Elle English.

“Elle is one of only three juniors on the team and has really stepped up for us early on,” Martucci said. “She is pushing the pace of practice and working her heart out in every single drill. She controls things when she is out there and we will lean on her heavily.”

The trio of Holmes sisters also have demonstrated that they will play big roles in the upcoming season.

“It is hard to talk about the team and not mention the Holmes triplets,” said Martucci. “All three sisters are sophomores and immense when it comes to contributing to our team. The two forwards, Julia and Emma, are gifted offensive players. They have phenomenal skills and both are goal-scorers. Emma is a power forward who can beat you in many ways, but her size and strength make her extremely tough to defend. Julia is a player with elite-level skills. She has great feet and her hands are filthy.  Abby is the lone defenseman of the trio and she is a highly-skilled defenseman who can be a one-man breakout when she wants. She is great in the defensive zone, but also a threat offensively as well.

“Right now we are really looking forward to our first game,” Martucci added. “We have had three intra-squad scrimmages to this point and the girls are tired of beating up one another. We want to tussle with some other teams and they are ready for battle.”

After Wednesday’s contest with the Lady Fisherman, Martucci and his crew will trek to Peabody next Saturday (January 16).

Girls Basketball, Boys Hockey Teams Open This Weekend

The Winthrop High girls basketball and boys hockey teams will open their abbreviated seasons this weekend.

Coach Joe Lowe and his Lady Vikings will take to the court tomorrow (Friday) when they will host Gloucester on the Chris Tsiotis floor at Winthrop High.

The Lady Vikings’ next encounter will be at Beverly on Tuesday.

Coach Dale Dunbar and his boys hockey crew will inaugurate their 2021 campaign on Saturday when they will tangle with Beverly at Larsen Rink.

Game two of their 15-game schedule is set for next Wednesday when they will entertain Peabody. The Vikings’ full schedule for 2021 includes three contests with Beverly and Marblehead; two with Gloucester, Danvers, Masconomet; and single encounters with Swampscott, Saugus, and Peabody.

WHS Gymnasts Are Making up for Lost Time

After enduring months of frustration because of their inability to practice thanks to COVID-19 restrictions, the Winthrop High gymnastics team has been hard at work preparing for its upcoming season.

“The team is practicing hard trying to make up for a lot of missed practice time,” said WHS head coach Peter Gobiel. “Even though they realize it’s nobody’s fault that they missed months of workouts, it’s hard not to look back and realize your killing yourself to get skills back that you successfully completed last year.”

The 2021 edition of the Lady Vikings will be led by a trio of captains, Gabriella Giuffre, Danielle Carter, and Rachel Farley.

Other members of the team are Shannon Abbott, Grace Armitstead, Gabriela Currier, Brandi DiCicco, Molly Girard, Julia Hurley, Ellie O’Donnell, Mary O’Donnell, Taylyn Portrait, Isabella Rice, Alayna Ronan, and Megi Zogasi.

Winthrop’s first meet of the season, which had been scheduled for this weekend with Danvers, was canceled because Danvers started its practices late and can’t compete for two more weeks. 

The Lady Vikings now will open their season next Saturday, January 16, at 4:30 when they will host Beverly. “We have been talking about this team for several years as one of the best we have ever had,” said Gobiel. “Time will tell.”