Three More Wins for Undefeated Boys Lacrosse
The Winthrop High boys lacrosse team improved its record to 5-0 with a trio of victories over Northeastern Conference opponents this past week.
Last Monday (April 10), coach Brian Donnelly’s squad knocked off Swampscott, 16-11.
Leading the Vikings’ offensive attack were Alex Daigneault, who potted five goals and earned four assists, and teammate Robert Rich, who also reached the back of the Swampcott net for five goals and earned two assists.
Ace Daigneault struck for four goals with one assist and Jack Hayes added two goals and three assists. Mike Holgerson earned a pair of assists.
WHS goalie Hunter Fife turned in a superlative game in the net, making 22 saves.
“We had a great game against Swampscott,” said Donnelly. “The game was a good battle and the score was back and forth all game with lots of lead changes.
“Our guys were able to hold onto the lead in the fourth and got a couple goals towards the end to hold onto the lead,” Donnelly continued. “Robert Rich has consistently been one of our best players and is an amazing leader. He is a great dodger from up top and creates opportunities for other guys. Alex Daignault played a ‘lights-out’ game as well, scoring five goals and off-loading four assists. We had to move Alex down to attack after coming back from a slight injury earlier in the game and his return was a momentum shift as he was able to find the back of the net as well as create opportunities for other guys. Jack Hayes also played a great second half, showing what it takes to step up as a senior leader.
“Our defense played excellently across the board,” the coach continued. “Freshman Colin O’Leary had an excellent game covering their best midfielder. Colin was all over the field, and it was a tough battle trying to shut down their best player and limit his goals. Welvis Acosta also played fabulously with some huge ground balls and clears that helped us maintain possession of the ball and lead to some points. Hunter Fife also had some huge saves and continues to be super strong for us in goal. He gives the team a level of confidence that is invaluable during peak moments.”
Three days later, the Vikings rallied from a 9-5 deficit in the final period to post an 11-10 victory at Beverly in which Ace Daigneault scored the game-winning goal with 30 seconds left to play.
“This was an amazing team win,” said Donnelly, “Our defense played excellently and we were able to shut down some of their key players in the fourth period. Hunter Fife has been fantastic and has kept us in every game. With him in net, he gives the rest of the team confidence in any situation. Robert Rich continues to be a massive playmaker in important situations. His ground ball game and on-field leadership is massive.”
This past Monday, the Vikings made the long bus trip to Gloucester a worthwhile journey for their effort on the Patriots Day holiday, returning home with a 10-7 triumph over the Fisherman.
“We beat Gloucester in a tough one,” noted Donnelly. “The game was pretty chippy and we were able to hold on for the win.
“Overall, the coaching staff is really happy with the direction we are headed in,” Donnelly said. “We just need to continue to focus on fundamentals and trust our systems. The whole team is coming together and putting some impressive lacrosse together. We have a tough one against Danvers that the guys have been prepping-for. We are really happy going 5-0 into the middle of our season.”
The Vikings will entertain Danvers this morning (Thursday) at 10:00 on the turf at Miller Field and will host Northeast Regional next Tuesday at 5:00. They will trek to Peabody next Thursday.
WHS Baseball Team to Host Gloucester, Cardinal Spellman
The Winthrop High baseball team will host a pair of morning contests to close out their vacation week. Coach Mark DeGregorio and his squad will entertain Northeastern Conference (NEC) rival Gloucester tomorrow (Friday) and non-league opponent Cardinal Spellman on Saturday. The opening pitch for both encounters is set for 10:00 at Veterans Field.
DeGregorio and his crew, who were 3-2 on the season entering their game at Saugus yesterday (Wednesday), are coming off a 5-1 victory over NEC rival Swampscott last Friday.
They will entertain Salem at 4:30 next Wednesday and will trek to Peabody next Thursday.
WHS Girls Lacrosse Hosts Peabody Next Thurs.
The Winthrop High girls lacrosse team will host Northeastern Conference (NEC) rival Peabody next Thursday (April 27) on the turf at Miller Field. The opening draw for coach Emma Marrs and her crew is set for 4:00.
The Lady Vikings will be seeking to get back on the winning track this week after a pair of recent losses to NEC rivals Beverly (14-4) and Gloucester (7-1).
“We had a tough first half against Beverly,” said Marrs, whose squad trailed 9-0 at that point. “However, in the second half the score was 5-4 and it was awesome that we were able to hold them to only five goals. The girls worked really well together. Our draw looked awesome, as well as our transitions. We also had our JV goalie in net, Emily Maddalone. Emily had an awesome game, saving six shots on net.”
Hannah Parker led the WHS offense with two goals. Teammates Kailey Sullivan and Talia Martucci also reached the back of the Beverly net with a goal each.
“Gloucester also was tough,” noted Marrs. “We had a tough time clicking all game. We faced challenges against Gloucester’s zone defense, but we are really looking forward to making adjustments during practice and seeing them again later in the season. We also had a new goalie in net, Tegan Pereira. She stepped up big this week with both of our goalies away and offered to take on goal. Tegan made 10 saves, which is pretty incredible for never having played in net before.”
Kira Diaz scored the Winthrop goal.
Marrs and her crew travel to NEC rivals Danvers today (Thursday) and Saugus on Monday before returning to Miller for next Thursday’s tilt with Peabody.
Viking Boys Win Four Events in Meet With Peabody
Although the Winthrop High boys outdoor track and field team came out on the short end of their meet with Northeastern Conference powerhouse Peabody last week, there were a number of notable performances by the Vikings.
Nick Cappuccio took first place in two events, the high jump with a leap of 5′-6″ and the 100 meter dash with a sprint of 11.2 seconds.
Teammates Daniel Guauque and Thomas D’Amico also took first in their respective races. Daniel won the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.16 and Thomas captured the two-mile run with a clocking of 12:37.4.
Also adding points to the WHS scoresheet with third-place finishes were George Galuris with a javelin throw of 122′-7″ and Benjamin Prew in the 400 hurdles with a time of 70.8 seconds.
On the girls’ side, Jillian Buonpane scored six points with a pair of second-place performances in the 400 hurdles and the 400 dash. Shannon Abbott took third place in the high jump with a leap of 4′-6″ and tied for third in the 110 high hurdles in a time of 20.4. Reese Brodin took third in the 200 dash in 30.5 and Gabrielle Cutter grabbed third in the 400 hurdles.