Boys Soccer Earns 1–1 Tie in Opener
The Winthrop High boys soccer team earned a 1-1 tie with Northeastern Conference (NEC) South Division rival Saugus in their 2023 season-opener last Wednesday evening under the lights at Miller Field
Viking Fabiano Rodriguez earned the honor of scoring the first Winthrop goal of the season, reaching the back of the Sachem net in the first 10 minutes of play. Saugus notched the equalizer late in the first half.
“The boys had a great opening game, even though it ended in a tie,” said WHS head coach Phil Ronan. “We were all over them, dominating the play, hitting a post on one occasion and then striking one of our own players with the ball which was on its way into the Saugus net. We were a little snakebitten.
“We outplayed them for most of the game and finished strong, with several more chances to win, but couldn’t finish,” Ronan added.
This past Monday evening the Vikings hosted NEC North foe Beverly and came out on the short end of a 4-0 decision.
“Beverly is a physically-imposing team with a lot of players over six feet tall,” said Ronan, “and they were highly-skilled with 11 seniors and seven juniors.”
The Vikings played superbly through the first 20 minutes, maintaining a nil-nil deadlock, but the Panthers broke through before the half ended to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
“Their size, speed, and skill eventually wore us down in the second half, though we had several chances to score and played a very good game with maximum effort throughout against a more-experienced and veteran squad,” Ronan added.
Ronan and his crew have a busy week ahead. They were scheduled to host non-league opponent Arlington Catholic yesterday (Wednesday) and will entertain NEC South foe Gloucester next Monday. They will trek to NEC North opponent Danvers next Wednesday and to non-league rival Boston Collegiate next Thursday.
WHS Golf Team Earns First Win
The Winthrop High golf team gave new head coach Jack Wallace his first career victory with a 59-13 victory at Salem last Wednesday.
“This was a great team win,” said Wallace. “Every member of the team won his match. I’m very proud of them for taking care of business.”
Highlights of the victory came from seniors Petey Silverman and Andrew Faretra, who won their matches with 9-0 shutouts. Senior Captain Eli Wickham defeated his Salem opponent in convincing fashion, 8.5-0.5, and sophomore Tomas Babine was a big winner. topping his Salem counterpart by a score of 8-1.
The Vikings came up short last Tuesday in a match with Beverly at the Winthrop Golf Club (WGC). Among the top performers for Winthrop were freshman Nikita Rossi, who played very well to score three points; freshman Ryan Murphy, who battled to a two-point loss; and senior Joey Rich, who secured 3.5 points for the Vikings.
Wallace and his crew have a busy week ahead. They were scheduled to make the long trek to Gloucester yesterday (Wednesday) and will return to the WGC to host Saugus today (Thursday), Salem on Monday, and Swampscott next Wednesday. They will travel to Peabody’s home course next Thursday.
“It should be a good week,” noted Wallace.
Cross Country Runners Do Well in First Meet
The Winthrop High boys and girls cross country teams competed in their first meet of the season last Wednesday on their home course at Deer Island against Peabody.
Although both the boys and girls squads officially lost the meet because they do not have enough athletes (a cross country team needs at least five runners to be able to compete), WHS head coach Nik Beshere was pleased with his runners’ individual performances.
“Each runner did an amazing job,” said Beshere.
Liam Kenney was the first Viking boy across the line in a time of 17:35, followed by teammates Thomas D’Amico in 17:57 and Liam Natareno in 18:13.
On the girls side, April Ferguson crossed the line in 20:06, followed by Bailey Ferguson in 20:27, Jillian Buonopane in 21:17, and Annabelle Giardino in 22:18.
The next meet for Beshere and his crew is set for next Tuesday in a tri-meet with Beverly and Gloucester at the J.C Phillips Estate in Beverly.
WHS Volleyball Wins Its Season Opener
The Winthrop High volleyball team won its 2023 season-opener, a 3-0 shutout of non-league opponent Excel Academy last Thursday.
“This was a great way to start off our season,” said WHS head coach Lauren Kelly. “We had a strong game from everyone all around.”
The following day the Vikings came out on the short end of a 3-0 decision to another non-league opponent, Northeast Regional.
Despite the final score, there were a number of positive signs for Winthrop. In the first set, which Northeast won 25-14, Zoey Bogusz, Anastasia Gajica, Rachel Flynn, and Bridget Hickey all served aces, with Gajica also making two blocks.
In the second set (25-14 in NE’s favor), Gianna Indrisano had a serving streak of three points with one ace and Mira ivanis had a successful kill. In the final set (25-16), Lily Conway delivered a kill.
This past Monday Winthrop took on another non-league rival, St. Mary’s of Lynn, and fell by a score of 3-0:. The Vikings played well in the opening set, battling hard before falling by a score of 25-20
“This was a great set to start off the match,” said Kelly. “The team played well with Lily Conway, Rachel Flynn, and Anastasia Gajica all getting kills.”
In the second set, which was won by St. Mary by a score of 25-12, Gianna Indrisano had a serving streak of two points and Mira ivanis had a block. In the final set (25-17), Rachel Flynn had numerous successful digs against a tough server.
“Overall, this was a fun game to play despite losing,” noted Kelly. “The spirits were high and the team worked really hard.
“The season is off to a good start,” Kelly added. “Captains Rachel Flynn and Bridget Hickey have been a big help organizing the team and keeping the positivity alive. I am looking forward to the season ahead.”
Kelly and her crew have four matches in a nine-day stretch, starting with contests at Northeastern Conference (NEC) rivals Swampscott (this past Tuesday) and Marblehead yesterday (Wednesday) and then at non-league Mystic Valley next Monday. They will return home to host NEC foe Salem next Wednesday.
WHS Girls Soccer Opens Season
Although the Winthrop High girls soccer team came up on the short end of its season-opening contests vs. Saugus (8-1) and Beverly (6-0) this past week, long-time WHS head coach Tracey Martucci was upbeat about her team’s performances.
“It’s been a tough start for us so far,” said Martucci. “Both Saugus and Beverly are very talented with a lot of experience. Getting beat by the caliber of teams that we play and the way my team keeps their composure and never gives up says a lot.
“Sometimes the effort means more than the outcome,” Martucci added. “I’m very proud of these girls. In the past two years we have graduated 14 seniors in 2021 and 11 seniors last year. We have nine new starters on the field this year, so it will take time for everyone to adjust to each other.”
Sophomore Stella Osburn earned the honor of scoring the first goal of the Lady Vikings’ 2023 season in the contest with Saugus, assisted by junior Marwa Jaafar. Martucci and her crew will make the long journey to Gloucester on Monday and then will return home to host Danvers on Wednesday and Boston Latin Academy on Thursday.