WHS Sports Roundup

WHS Girls Hockey Moves Closer to Title

The Winthrop High girls hockey team moved two steps closer to an undisputed Northeastern Hockey League (NHL) title and three steps closer to an undefeated season with victories over NHL foes Masconomet and Gloucester and non-league opponent Belmont this past week.

Last Wednesday, the Lady Vikings topped Masco, 4-2, in a contest that was not as close as the final score might indicate.

“This was a good game,” said WHS head coach Anthony “Butch” Martucci. “We carried the play from start to finish and heavily outshot them by a large margin.”

Emma Holmes scored two goals with teammates Amelia Spencer and Kendall Brant scoring a goal apiece. Mia Martucci recorded two assists.

“Emma Holmes was once again an offensive force in this game,” said Martucci, “but the goal of the night belonged to freshman defenseman Amelia Spencer. There was a scrum in front of the Masco net, and when the puck squirted loose from the pile, Amelia stepped into it and ripped one top shelf. 

“Amelia is having an incredible freshman season,” Martucci added. “She is an extremely strong and highly-intelligent defensive player. So to see her step into that puck, and bury it, that was fun to see.‚Äù

“Kendall Brant also had a nice goal,” said the coach. “She is a senior who has played great for us all season long. Kendall is a great kid and a hard-nosed player. She brings a very heavy game and is a very smart hockey player.”

WHS netminder Summer Tallent once again played solidly in goal to record her 55th career victory.

“Summer made some key saves, and led us throughout the game,” said Martucci.

The 6-0 blanking at Gloucester on Saturday was headlined by a three-goal performance by junior Mia Norris.

“Mia was unreal in this game,” said WHS head coach Anthony Martucci. “She had a hat trick and was all over it. Truthfully, Mia has been our unsung hero this year. She has had an incredible season. She does all the little things right and is an amazing three-zone player.”

Also reaching the back of the Gloucester net were Julia Holmes with two goals and Mia Martucci with one goal.

Goalie Summer Tallent recorded the 23rd shutout of her career.

“Gloucester is a good young team,” said Martucci. “They battle and work very hard, but we were just too much for them to handle. We have three lines that can all go and as the game goes on, we wear you down.

“Defensively, we are so solid and strong,” Martucci continued. “Elle English and Abby Holmes are the veterans who lead the crew, but the way that the whole group is playing is just fantastic. Adrianna Rizzotto is on fire, Avalina Coffey is playing great hockey, Teegan Pereira has been stout all season, Amelia Spencer is as tough as nails, Casey Petersen brings power and stability, Izi Hain has great patience with the puck, and Mia Currier has youthful energy. “

Two days later on the holiday the Lady Vikings hosted Belmont from the Middlesex League at Larsen Rink and skated to a 5-2 victory.

This time, it was Emma Homes, Winthrop’s leading scorer this season, who once again stepped into the offensive spotlight, lighting the red lamp thrice to record a hat trick.

“This was a night for Emma Holmes, who has really been a superstar for us this year,” said Martucci. “Her hat trick in this game was out of this world. Just three beautiful goals by one of the premier power forwards in the state. Emma is just a phenomenal talent. She has nasty moves, can really shoot the puck, and is so fast.”

Julia Holmes, Emma’s sister and linemate, also reached the back of the Belmont net.

“Julia scored one of the prettiest goals of the season, as she pretty much juked-out everyone on the Belmont team, including their goalie, for a beautiful goal,” noted Martucci..

Freshman Talia Martucci, the third member of the Lady Vikings’ “Jet Line,” provided the fifth Winthrop goal.

“Talia also had a beautiful goal that was assisted by Sami DiMento,” said the coach. “I have to say that was one of the nicest assists I have seen in awhile. Sami drew their defenseman toward her and then dropped a picture-perfect pass across to Talia, who was streaking down the slot area, where she ripped it top shelf.

“This was a great hockey game,” Martucci said. “Belmont plays in the very strong Middlesex League against powerhouse teams like Arlington, Woburn, and Winchester. So this was a big challenge for us, and we were able to answer the bell.”

Summer Tallent once again was solid in net, making 12 saves for her 57th career win.

“There is something special about this team,” Martucci said. “We are getting contributions from up and down the line up, and there is just a never-say-die attitude amongst the group. They play together and they have a loyalty, trust, and belief in each other.”

With their record now at 16-0-1, Martucci and his crew had one last obstacle in their path to achieving an undefeated regular-season record and an undisputed NHL championship, that being Beverly/Danvers last night at Larsen.

The Lady Panthers are in third place in the NHL, behind only Winthrop and Peabody, with a 9-5-1 league record.

Winthrop defeated Beverly in their first meeting this season a month ago, 5-2.

Martucci and his crew then will await word of their seeding and first round opponent in the upcoming Division 1 state tourney. The Lady Vikings are one of only two undefeated teams in D-1 (the other being top-ranked Austin Prep) and are ranked third in the D-1 polls according to the web site Hockey Night in Boston. Winthrop is rated 17th in the so-called MIAA power rankings, which takes into account strength of schedule and margin of victory.

WHS Boys Basketball Wins Season Finale, 65-50

The Winthrop High boys basketball team closed out their regular season on a winning-note with a 65-50 victory over Northeast Regional this past Tuesday afternoon.

The Vikings led at all of the junctures, 10-8 after one period and 26-18 at the half, before pulling away after the intermission with a 23-point explosion in the third period for a 49-33 advantage to put the game away.

George Galuris led a well-balanced Vikings offense in the scoring column with 21 points, including a quartet of three-pointers. Chris Cappuccio, who was named to the Northeastern Conference all-star team, struck for 17 points.

Teammates Luca Zanelli and Zach Bogusz also reached double figures with 12 points apiece.  Point guard Mikey Chaves chipped in four points.

“It was a nice win to close out the year,” said WHS head coach Mike Triant. “We had a tough stretch of games prior to this one where we continue to show flashes that we can compete with these higher-caliber NEC teams, but then kind of get mental blocks and forget all the things we were doing.

“This game was all about doing all the little things that we have talked about all year and the kids did a great job,” Triant continued. “We talked to the seniors pre-game about controlling all of their last home-game emotions until after the game and I’m really happy they all won in what is most likely their last game at WHS.

“I say it all the time, but they’re a special group in so many ways,” Triant added. “Pre-season, our goal was to get to 10-10 and we fell just short, but to look at where we have been and where we are, they should be proud of the direction we are going.  

“I’m very proud of Chris for being named an NEC all star,” said Triant. “He has been a great leader for us over these past two years.”

Triant and his crew, who presently are ranked 27th in Division 4 in the MIAA power rankings with a 7-13 record (the top 32 teams in each division, as well as schools not in the top 32 with winning records, qualify for the tourney) now will await word of their final seeding and first-round opponent in the upcoming state tournament.

If the rankings hold up, Winthrop would be taking on fifth-ranked Jeremiah Burke High School of Boston in an opening-round tilt.

WHS Boys Hockey Knocks Off Masco

The Winthrop High boys hockey team earned its biggest victory of the season last Thursday with a 7-2 triumph over Masconomet, a team that entered the contest in first place in the North Division of the Northeastern Conference with a perfect 10-0 record.

The Vikings didn’t merely defeat the visiting Chieftains — they thrashed them.

After the teams traded goals early in the opening period, Winthrop’s coming on a lamplighter by Pete Silverman, assisted by Hunter Fife, the Vikings reeled off three unanswered tallies to move out to a 4-1 advantage at the first horn.

Jack Hayes (assisted by Silverman and Mike Holgersen), Phil Boncore (assisted by JD Parker and Bobby Diaz), and Boncore again (assisted by Parker again) reached the back of the Masco net.

Silverman’s second goal of the game, assisted by Holgersen and Billy Hayes, left matters at 5-1 after two periods.

Winthrop then turned the contest into a full-fledged rout to start the final period on goals by Joe Hayes (assisted by Silverman) and Diaz (assisted by Parker).

Anthony Indrisano earned the win in net with a superb performance in which Antony turned aside 23 Masco shots.

Two nights later the Vikings traveled to take on non-league opponent Somerville and brought home a 6-0 triumph. Winthrop jumped out to an early 3-0 in the opening period on goals by Nate Evangelista (assisted by Robert Nooonan), Joe Hayes (assisted by Silverman), and Jack Hayes (assisted by Silverman).

After a scoreless middle stanza, the Vikings put the game away with a trio of lamplighters off the sticks of Parker (from Fife), Silverman (from Jack Hayes and Holgersen), and Holgersen (from Jack Hayes and Robert Rich).

Winthrop then came out on the short end of a 4-2 decision to non-league opponent Cambridge this past Monday. After spotting Cambridge a 2-0 lead in the opening period, Holgersen, assisted by Silverman and Jack Hayes, sliced the margin to 2-1 with a goal in the second period, but Cambridge responded with two tallies to start the third period.

The Vikings pulled their goalie in the waning minutes and closed the gap to 4-2 on a goal by Parker, assisted by Boncore, but that would prove to be as close as Winthrop would get.

The loss was a frustrating one for the Vikings, who had defeated Cambridge, 5-2, in their first meeting this season and then outshot the Cantabridgians on Monday by a wide margin, 53-18.

However, the Vikings hit the post a number of times — and sometimes, that’s just the way the puck bounces.

Coach Dale Dunbar and his crew, who stand at 9-9-1, were set to wrap up their regular season  at Northeastern Conference South Division foe Saugus last night (Wednesday).

The Vikings then will await word of their final seeding and opening round opponent in the upcoming Division 4 state tourney. Winthrop presently is ranked fifth in D-4 and would face 28th-ranked Oakmont, which plays in the Coughlin Conference in Central Mass.

WHS Girls Basketball Awaits Tourney Opponent

The Winthrop High girls basketball team completed a superb 16-6 regular season, in which the Lady Vikings captured the South Division title of the Northeastern Conference, with a 52-44 victory over Northeast Regional this past Tuesday.

Winthrop presently is ranked 18th in the MIAA Division 4 power ratings. If the ratings hold up by the end of the week, this means that the Lady Vikings would travel to 15th-ranked Cohasset in the tourney’s opening round.

Cohasset has an inferior 10-9 record, but the MIAA’s ratings system rewards strength of schedule and margin of victory, which often can be a controversial measurement.

Post-Season Accolades for WHS Girl, Boy Skaters; Martucci Coach of Year

The Winthrop High girls and boys hockey teams received numerous post-season accolades this past week.

For the boys, senior captain JD Parker and sophomore Pete Silverman were among the six selections for the all-conference team of the Northeastern Conference.

In addition, their teammate, junior Jack Hayes, was selected to the all-star squad of the Lynch (North) Division of the NEC.

On the girls’ side, WHS senior captain and goalie Summer Tallent, the all-time winningest netminder in the history of the girls’ program, was named the co-Most Valuable Player of the Northeastern Hockey League (NHL).

Lady Viking head coach Anthony Martucci was named the NHL’s Coach of the Year.

Lady Vikings Emma and Julia Holmes were two of the six girls who were named to the all-conference team.

Teammates Mia and Talia Martucci, Abby Holmes, Elle English, and Mia Norris were named NHL all-stars.