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Season Preview: Softball team, new coach ready to go

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The softball team is under new managment.

After spending the three years as the head softball coach at Massasoit before the program folded, Jordan McDermott was ready to take the year off.

Between training to run the Boston Marathon, which happens Monday, studying for her educator license and spending time with her 1-year-old nephew, she was pretty busy. Then the softball job unexpectedly opened up at Whitman-Hanson Regional High in the first week of March. She applied.

“I said to myself, ‘If I don’t get it, I don’t get it,” said McDermott of applying.

Well, she got it, and she’s excited to dip her toes into high school softball.

“I think, high school is just a better sit for me because I have more dedicated girls and the talent is much better,” said McDermott, a para professional at Indian Head Elementary School in Hanson.

“I’m just able to mesh better with high school athletes.”

McDermott said two of her best attributes as a coach are her athleticism and youth.

“I am able to just jump in the drills with the girls and show them how to do it correctly,” she said. “A lot of these kids nowadays, they’re digital learners. So being able to have a coach who stands on with that and can jump in a drill and show them the correct way to execute a play or the correct way to slide into a base just makes me a better. I’m asking them to do quicker and get it done correctly.”

McDermott takes over a young squad that posted a seven-win season last spring under Jenna Olem, despite its ace Colleen Hughes, now playing at Westfield State, throwing just three innings due to injury.

The injury thrust then-freshman Abby Cleary into the ace role, and she hurled 94 1/3 innings. She’ll lead the staff again this season.

“She just has an excellent poker face when she’s on the mound,” McDermott said. “She shows emotion but she’s game face, game ready. She likes her role and is ready to do what she has to”.

Senior captain Kayla Crawford will be Cleary’s battery mate for the second straight season.

“She knows the program and she knows what’s expected,” McDermott said. “She knows what they’re all capable of doing. She leads by example – on and off the field. She knows the game the very well.”

A Patriot League All-Star last season, junior captain Victoria Ryan is the top bat returning. The second baseman hit a team-high .382 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.

“Victoria brings a lot to then team,” McDermott said. “She is someone who is the first one to make sure that a teammate is situated. She is the first one to put her hand on their back.”

Sophomore shortstop Reese Codero also returns as a starter. She hit .377 last spring and drove in 10 runs. Freshman Annie Cook (third base) and junior Kaylee Corbett (first base) will round out the infield.

Sophomore Emily McDonald will roam left field with junior Sophia Molinari in center and sophomore Ella Scriven flanking her in right.

“They’re just a great group of girls,” McDermott said. “I’m very lucky and very fortunate. These girls are going to have a fantastic season, I can feel it.”

The Panthers will be back in action Thursday, April 11 at 3:30 p.m. at Plymouth South.

“I just want to figure out any kinks, that we have,” McDermott said. “If I have to switch the starting nine, I have to. I see a couple of the games where I think we’re going to do very well. There’s another few games that I think that we may struggle, but it’s all mental to them.

“We’re just going to see what happens, hope we get a few wins and that’ll set the tone for the season for sure.”

Season Preview: Baseball team led on the bump

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Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers return their top two pitchers as they aim for a third straight Patriot League Keenan Division title.

It’s no secret. The Whitman-Hanson Regional High baseball is propelled by its arms.

In senior captains Ethan Phelps and Rian Schwede, the Panthers, winners of back-to-back Patriot League Keenan Division titles, return their top arms from last spring.

“I’m optimistic,” said head coach Pat Cronin, who enters the season with 467 career wins. “You’re always happy when you have your No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers returning.”

Schwede, a four-year varsity player, is the ace. The Endicott-bound right hander pitched to the tune of a 1.64 ERA over 51 1/3 innings last season.

“He’s the main guy,” Cronin said. “He’s as good as anybody in the league. It’s extremely impressive what he does. I have a lot of confidence in him.”

Phelps is one of the best No. 2s around. He posted a 1.36 ERA over 36 innings last spring.

“I’ve watched him grow a lot,” Cronin said. “He just loves the game of baseball. I’ve seen him mature mentally and physically since he was a freshman.”

Cronin said senior Sean Mackay, junior Devin Coulstring and sophomore Thomas Marshall will all likely log some innings on the bump as well.

But for the Panthers, who have been bounced in the first round of the tournament the past two years, to take the next step, their hitting must take it to the next level. Cronin said he’s already seen an improved approach.

“They’re swinging the bats how some of my really good teams have swung the bats,” Cronin said. “I’m optimistic.”

At the end of last season, Cronin challenged then-freshman starting shortstop Danny Kent to become a better hitter. Cronin said he has.

“When we went into the batting cages at the end of the year, I said, ‘Look, this is what you have to do. You got to develop a big swing, you got to turn around the head of the bat, you got to stay behind the ball and you got to catch the ball in front,’” said the coach. “He’s now swinging the bat like a veteran. What a difference.”

Two-time Patriot League All-Star, senior captain Mike Cook, is the centerpiece of the lineup. The Babson-bound second baseman knocked in a team-high 22 runs and hit .394 last season. He also stole 19 bases, which tied for the team lead.

“He’s another key guy for us,” Cronin said. “He can slide, is good defensively and a leader. We will present some problems if we get on.”

Phelps (.300 and 19 steals last season) and senior Derek Frank (.291 and 10 RBIs) will set the table for Cook. Frank moves from the right field, where he starred, to catcher. Schewde will hit fourth with Kent in the five hole.

“We have a good nucleus coming back,” Cronin said. “They were all on varsity last season. I’m confident in that group.”

Junior lefty Chris Zalewski with probably hit sixth and play third base, Coulstring is likely to hit seventh and play in right field, senior Will Newell will play in left an probably hit eighth with junior Robbie Nicholson rounding out the lineup and playing first base.

The Panthers do have their share of key losses from last season, including league all-star and catcher Ryan Sawtelle (hit team-high .400), Jimmy Dolan (hit .317) and Korey Howard (3-0 with 1.84 over 19 IP).

W-H will also set out for its third straight Patriot League Keenan Division title this season.

“If you’re not playing for the championship from Day 1, you’re never going to understand what it’s going to mean to be a program,” Cronin said. “These guys have come off three out of the past two years winning back to back championships, so they’re already way out there.”

The Panthers begin the season with a home game against league foe Scituate Monday, April 8 at 4 p.m.

“I’m looking for us to hopefully we can hit the baseball,” Cronin said. “That’s going to give us the opportunity to grow. I’m looking for them to come out and swing the bats. I pretty much can guarantee you that we’re going to play good defense and with Schwede and Phelps, we’re always in the game.”

Season Preview: Boys’ tennis team grows

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Courtesy photo

The Panthers have 10 freshmen on the roster this season.

Growing the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ tennis team’s numbers was a universal goal heading into last offseason. So far, so good.

This spring, there were 17 kids, 10 of whom were freshmen, that showed up to tryouts and made the team. There were 10 players in total on the roster last season.

“I was so excited [to see the high turnout] because to me that shows we’re building so much in the program,” said second-year head coach Alyssa Hayes, whose team finished 5-12 last season. “All of the returning players really tried to get new players to come and play.”

Hayes credited the summer tennis program run by Sue Moss, an assistant coach on the girls’ team, for the spike in numbers as well.

“I know that also helps the athletes,” Hayes said. “That helps give them a nice place to play tennis and the hope is they return in the spring.”

With such a young roster comes development.

“The 10 of them (freshmen) are new to tennis or have been playing but this is their first time being on a team for tennis,” Hayes explained. “We’re working on the basics like how to serve, how to hit cross court, how to have the best backhand grip and how to score.”

The upperclassmen are also lending a helping hand and benefiting at the same time.

“It has been really nice to see experienced players work with younger players to get everyone improving,” Hayes said. “Even the experienced players improve from working with the younger players because they bring something new to the team as well.”

For the Panthers, improvement is key this season. They return just two starters with the graduation of five key seniors from last spring.

Junior captain Brian Fox developed into a force for W-H last season. He rallied off four straight victories at one point and played a key role in the Panthers’ three-game winning streak to end the campaign. He moves from No. 2 singles to No. 1.

“He’s been holding that strong so far,” Hayes said. “He’s just so positive, so organized, he really brings consistency. He reminds the kids when practice is or he’s always there getting them stretched and started. He’s a good role model.”

A starter in doubles last season, senior Matt Hickey will be the Panthers No. 2 singles player.

“He has truly stepped up and fought his way into second singles,” Hayes said. “I am looking forward to seeing him play in the new position.”

The other spots are really up for grabs right now.

“We’re still competing, but they’re doing awesome,” Hayes said. “They’re going head to head every practice. I do have a few freshmen that are contending for that top-seven spot, too.”

The Panthers begin the season Monday, April 8 at 4 p.m. at home against Sandwich.

“I just want to build some consistency, to build some good routine” Hayes said. “I think for a lot of them, it’s new. I want to see how they do transferring their skills from practice to matches.”

Season Preview: Gymnastics team goes co-op, works with new coach

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Sarah O’Shaughnessy takes the helm of the gymnasitcs team.

There are alot of changes with the gymnastics team this season at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School.

The first is the program is now a co-op with Middleboro, expanding on the two schools’ relationship that includes boys’ and girls’ swimming/diving teams.

Secondly, Sarah O’Shaughnessy is the new voice of the club, taking over for Rachel Cohen-Sferuzza, last season’s Patriot League Coach of the Year. O’Shaughnessy has an extensive gymnastics background and has been coaching since the age 14.

“My coach at Massachusetts Gymnastics [Center] asked me if I wanted to start coaching,” O’Shaughnessy expanded. “So, I was there for about seven years and I coached recreational and the bronze, silver and gold team.”

After residing in Florida for the past couple of years, O’Shaughnessy returned to Massachusetts in August.

“Someone reached out to the director of mygym, Tammy, and asked her if she would be interested and since she coaches Notre Dame [Academy of Hingham], she was like, ‘I think you should do it,’” O’Shaughnessy said.

The Panthers, who finished 9-4 last season with the help of regional qualifier Britney Blackstone, are led by senior captain Erin McCoy.

“You can tell she is a leader,” O’Shaughnessy said. “She’s very positive. She’s always there and very welcoming to Middleboro girls and she’s a very good person for the team.”

With teamwork key in gymnastics, O’Shaughnessy said she’s aiming to create it between the two schools. Six of the team’s girls come from W-H, while the other four come from Middleboro.

“It’s honestly about making it so the two teams are comfortable and knowing who their teammates are and everything and just have a good time, get to know each other,” O’Shaughnessy said.

O’Shaughnessy said she’s still trying to figure out where the team is strength-wise.

“They’re working together and there haven’t been any negative things, so,” O’Shaughnessy said.

Other players from W-H include captain Joelle Puopolo, Kate Pihl, Adrianna Caperello and Madison Scaccia.

The Panthers return to action Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Massachusetts Gymnastics Center in Pembroke for a league meet. 

“I’m more trying to get them to come together,” O’Shaughnessy said. “I know they didn’t think they were going to have a team at all, so I’m more trying to get them to come together.”

Season Preview: Girls’ indoor track faces a deep Patriot League

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The Panthers will be led by captains Ally Bartlett and Samantha Perkins.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ indoor track team is aiming to stay afloat as it works its way down a grueling schedule.

“Ideally, we would like to win several meets in what has become a very deep and talented Patriot League,” said fifth-year head coach Steve George, whose team went 1-3-1 last winter. “But realistically, we have eight to 10 girls who are very athletic and have the experience needed to be successful this season.”

With their multi-event experience and success, seniors Ally Bartlett (captain) and Dorothy DiMascio-Donohue and junior Samantha Perkins (captain) will boost the club.

“All three girls can long jump, high jump, throw the shot put, run the hurdles and dash events and can run mid-distance events if called upon,” George explained.

George said he is also counting on junior Courtney Woodward, sophomore Hailey Minicucci and freshman Skylar Jordan to fill similar roles of competing in multiple events.

“Courtney moves back from distance/mid-distance where she was good, to faster events at which she is very good,” George said. “Hailey is a speedster and Skylar is a diamond in the rough and will improve dramatically through the season.”

In the mid-distance and distance events, the Panthers will be led by the cross country team’s top runner, junior Tori Boss, and senior Maeve McDonough. Sophomores Izzy Amado and Anna Sullivan are also valuable pieces due to their versatility.

“[I] feel certain that we will be very competitive in the 600, 1,000, mile and 2-mile each week,” George said. “I’m also confident with our 300 runners.”

It’s the sprinting, hurdles and relays that have been a focal point on improvement for George. The Panthers added former standout, Samantha Richner to their staff to build up the group.

“Bringing on coach Richner addresses the areas of sprints, hurdles and field events and we are hoping to see improvement in those areas,” George said. “Putting together our relay teams (4×400 and 4×200) is a priority as is getting them in sync with each other. Obviously handoffs are crucial in those events and we are working with all the potential relay runners to find a good fit.”

George said a few freshmen have caught his attention early on, but most namely Emily Hanrahan.

“Emily looks like a terrific shot putter,” the coach said. “[That’s] something we have been looking for since I arrived five year sago.”

The Panthers are back in action Friday, Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m. against Hingham at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury.

“With a relatively small team of 35, we necessarily move kids to different events every meet,” George said. “Almost everybody with experience has had to participate in various events already and they are ready to do whatever it’s best for the team.”

Season Preview: Boys’ indoor track has some big shoes to fill

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Returner Billy Martell last season. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The boys’ indoor track looks to build over the season.

Head coach Mike Driscoll’s expectation of his Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ track team is for it to show constant improvement.

The Panthers, who finished the year 2-3 last winter, have some large voids to fill with the graduation of all four of their Div. 3 All-State qualifiers in Brian Edwards, Brett Holmes, Andrew Newman and Jack Ryan.

“Those holes are big with those guys, and they create some problems in our lineup, but there will be kids stepping into their roles,” said the team’s sixth-year head coach. “I don’t know if they can say they’re going to step into Jack Ryan’s shoes or a Brett Holmes’ shoes or Andrew Newman’s shoes, but we certainly have kids who are ready.”

W-H does return its fair share of talent. Senior captain Billy Martell emerged last season as one of its top sprinters and relay runners. This season, he’ll throw the shot put in addition to running the 55-meter dash, 300-meter dash, long jumping and running a leg of a relay.

“He’s just a fast kid,” Driscoll said. “He can throw the shot put up to 40 feet. He fills a lot of holes on a track team.”

Martell, along with fellow senior captain Dan Kline, classmate Brandon O’Brien and junior Kyle O’Brien, are at the center of the Panthers’ strength – their sprinting.

“We feel like the sprinting group is our top group,” Driscoll said. “We have some really good distance runners, too.”

The distance runners are led by a bevy of cross country runners from the fall.

Senior captain Shane Schraut, a boys’ cross county captain, will run distance and relay in addition to hurdling as well.

“He’s a great leader and a passionate kid about track,” Driscoll said. “He’s very dynamic. He can cover a lot of ground in a lot of events. He can go from the 600 down all the way down to the 55 dash.”

Other cross country runners in the fall bolstering the Panthers in the distance events will be junior Brandon Hager and sophomores Liam Cafferty, Theo Kamperides and Chris MacDonald.

Kline will also throw shot put, and chip in running a relay and hurdle.

“Dan is one of the best hurdlers in the league,” Driscoll said. “He’s a very hardworking kid.”

Junior Pat Bui fills gaps in the 55-meter dash, 300-meter dash and shot put.

The Panthers are back in action Friday, Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m. against Hingham at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury.

“We’ll see where we matchup with Hingham,” Driscoll said. “We still might have enough depth to win a league championship but we’ll compete.”

Season Preview: Panthers wrestling team no longer lacks experience

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Tyler Cullinan records a pin in the Panthers’ opener. / Photo from: Gary Rabinovitz

The Panthers look to snap a streak of two seven-win seasons.

What was once a weakness is now a strength for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team.

“We were very young last season and all of our returning wrestlers gained valuable varsity time,” said third-year head coach Gary Rabinovitz. “In wrestling, experience and mat time counts and we have a lot of that returning this year. Taking your licks one year makes you a better wrestler the next.”

The Panthers return all three of their Div. 2 South Sectional qualifiers and their top two wins leaders, as they try to push past the seven-win mark, where they’ve been stuck on for the past two winters.

“The goal has been to grow this program to the next level and that has not changed,” Rabinovitz said. “We will look to improve on our dual meet win-loss record and then qualify several wrestlers for the D2 state championships in February.”

The program’s youth is its best chance to propel it to the next level. Junior captain Steve Brooks returns to the mat to compete in the 152-pound weight class yet again after posting a team-leading 19 victories and 15 pins to qualify for Div. 2 South Sectionals last season.

“Steve worked hard in the offseason wrestling at Dungeon Training Center in Hanover,” Rabinovitz said. “With two sessions of offseason wrestling under his belt, Steve should be a more competitive wrestler this year.”

Sophomores Matt Butler, Damari Goldsmith-Greene and Myles McInnis headlined an impressive core of freshmen to hit the mat last season. The three combined for 38 wins. Butler returns to the 126-pound weight class after he ranked second on the team with 16 victories, placed in three tournaments and qualified for the Div. 2 South Sectionals.

“Matt Butler brings a lot of energy and experience to this year’s team,” Rabinovitz said.

Goldsmith-Greene produced 11 victories and 55 points out of the 132-pound weight class last winter. “Damari has been working very hard every day in practice and looks like a seasoned veteran,” Rabinovitz said. “Damari will start the season in the 138-pound weight class and looks to drop to the 132-pound weight class before too long.”

Myles McInnis also racked up 11 victories, but in the 106-pound weight class. This winter he’ll compete at 113 pounds. His brother Joel McInnis, a senior, was the team’s other sectional qualifier after a 12-win season at 145 pounds, a weight class he’ll return to.

“Both were varsity starters last season and have tons of experience,” Rabinovitz said.

Junior Tyler Cullinan will serve as one of the captains and bump up to the 170-pound weight class from 160, where he tallied 11 wins last season.

“Tyler surprised many as a wrestler last season with a deadly headlock that I know he will be using again this season,” Rabinovitz said.

Junior Matt Rock will provide the team with some much-needed depth due to his ability to compete at both 120 and 126 pounds. Senior captain Christian Schneider is back from a knee injury and will wrestle in the 195-pound weight class. A pair of freshmen in Joe Boss (106 pounds) and Jason Rapoza (182) will be looked upon to have an immediate impact.

“I look for this team to grow week after week so that we peak at the proper time, that being sectionals and then the state tournament,” Rabinovitz said.

The Panthers return to mat Saturday at Dec. 15 beginning at 9:30 a.m. for a super-quad meet in Marshfield. 

“Dec. 19 at Silver Lake will be a real barn-burner, as we have split the last two seasons,” Rabinovitz said. “Jan. 30 should also be a big match with Duxbury as we surprised them last year at Duxbury.”

Season Preview: Health, leadership key for boys’ hockey

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Senior captain Ed Scriven (top), senior assistant captain Owen Manning (bottom left) and junior assistant captain Adam Solari (bottom right). / Photo by: Sue Moss

After missing out on the tournament by two points last season, the boys’ hockey team is healthy and ready to go.

After an injury-riddled second half of the season led to the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team missing out on the playoffs by two points last winter, everyone’s healthy, and the team is looking to show what it can do when it has a clean bill of health.

“It’s safe to say one of the goals is to qualify for the state tournament,” said eighth-year head coach Chris Googins, in the third season of his second stint with the club. “It hasn’t happened for a while and it would be pretty neat for the kids.”

Sophomore defenseman Kevin Willis, who sustained a torn ACL last season, is one of the key players back from injury for the Panthers. He, along with classmates Jack Allen and Josh Pike and junior Reed Watson, will see significant time on the blue line.

“I’d say the level of importance on defense is our strength,” Googins said. “It’s one of the first couple of things we discuss through the course of the year, whether on or off the ice, and they really bought into it the first couple of days it looks like they’ve been doing a good job just defending.”

Junior forward Chris Stoddard, who was tied for fifth on the team with nine points through 12 games last winter, was sidelined for the final three weeks. This season, he’ll be joined by classmates John Hagan and Eddie Collins on the second line.

“They’ve been in the program for three years,” Googins said. “There’s high expectations for that group.” On the first line for the Panthers will be senior captain Ed Scriven, senior assistant captain Owen Manning and junior assistant captain Adam Solari. All are multi-sport captains and provide the team with substantial leadership.

LEADERSHIP

“We have three really good captains this year,” Googins said. “They’re also good mentors.”

Scriven’s 11 goals were second on the team last season, and he’ll be relied upon heavily to make up for the production lost with the gradation of league all-stars Korey Howard and Alex Uva, who combined for 27 goals and 26 assists.

“Ed’s got a dynamic shot,” Googins said of Scriven, who also captained the golf team. “He’s got a very hard shot, and he’s put in a lot of time. He’s put in a lot of work in the offseason. He’s a very good and a very fluent skater with a dynamic shot, so that’s a goodcombination to have in high school hockey.”

Manning, who was also a golf captain, scored seven goals and dished out six assists last winter.

“Owen is a highly respected kid on and off the ice,” Googins said of Manning. “Owen brings a nice level of grittiness and he’s got a real good hockey IQ. He knows when to shoot and he knows when to pass. I consider him to be one of our top playmakers.”

Solari’s eight-goal, 11-assist campaign last winter shined a light on what he can bring to the table. But so did his election as an assistant captain.

“It speaks for himself as a junior to be elected a captain by his peers,” Googins said of Solari, who also captained the boys’ cross country team. “He’s very well respected by his peers. He’s got a really quick release, a real quick release, and he’s got a knack for the net, and I’m hoping that can carry over from last sea son.”

In net, it’s a three-player battle between junior R.J. Flynn, sophomore transfer from Archbishop Williams Bobby Siders and freshman Erik Dean to take over the reins from Ricky Welch.

“Competition is healthy, it really is,” Googins said. “It makes everyone better.”

The Panthers open the season Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3:10 p.m. at Hobomock Arenas against league opponent Pembroke.

“The kids are very receptive to learning, very knowledgeable of the game,” Googins said “They know the level of intensity that needs to be present at practice, and there’s minimal motivating at practice because it’s pretty up tempo. They know what the barometer is now.”

Season Preview: Lots of depth on girls’ basketball team

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Jenna Olem talks to her team against Scituate last season. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers return a lot from a team that posted an eight-year best 13-9 record last winter, as head coach Jenna Olem begins her sixth season at the helm.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team, the pieces to the puzzle are there, now it’s just about connecting them.

“It has a been a four-year process of them all coming together for this year particularly,” said sixth-year head coach Jenna Olem.

The Panthers return all but three players from last winter’s roster that led the program to an eight-year best 13-9 record. Almost all the seniors have been with Olem since at least their sophomore seasons, while the returning three juniors and two sophomores received significant playing time last season. The core showed signs of greatness, displayed by their 7-0 start last season, but stumbled down the stretch, going just 6-9 the rest of the way. Olem said she believes this season’s team is more prone to halt a slide like that.

“I think last year, we did have a younger team, with only two seniors,” Olem said. “The juniors, now seniors were getting their first taste of real playing time as were the sophomores and freshmen. It’s natural to hit some bumps within the mid-January stretch, but I think the girls are experienced enough to stop the bleeding quickly when they face adversity.”

Senior two-year captains and Patriot League All-Stars Kathryn Dunn and Erin Leahy will lead the way once again this winter.

Dunn led the team in nearly every statistical category last season, including points (11.3), assists (1.9) and steals (1.8). Her 5.7 rebounds per game, ranked second. Dunn will be used mostly as a stretch four to open up the court.

“Many of our offensive sets will be designed to get the ball in her hands to lead the offensive attack,” Olem said. “To be honest, I think Kathryn is capable of doing even more for us this year, especially as far as scoring goes. I want her to have that confidence that if she has a chance to score, we want her to score first.”

After being used mainly down low last season, Leahy will slide back into the point guard role, where she was as a sophomore.

“Her ability to see the floor, control the pace of play and handle defensive pressure are crucial,” Olem said. “Erin also presents a problem to opposing defenses because she is so much bigger than most guards. She can shoot the three, post up, and find the open man.”

Sophomore Reese Codero (4.1 PPG last season) will start at the two guard, joining Dunn and Leahy in the starting lineup. Junior Brittany Gacicia and senior Meg Henaghan are the front-runners to round out the starting lineup at small forward and center, respectively. However, Olem said she doesn’t read too much into who takes the court for the opening tip.

“The great strength about this team is that there is no real drop off between the starters and the people coming off the bench,” she said. “Everyone has something to offer. I think the versatility of our roster is balanced that we can fit a lot of people into the starting lineups depending on matchups, so I believe it will change through out the season.”

Olem said that when the 6-foot-2 Henaghan is on the court, she’ll look to her to provide a steady presence down low, due to the team’s lack ofheight elsewhere.

“She can take up space in the paint, block or alter shots and get rebounds,” Olem said. “She will have to use her skillset and her body to be that dominant player on the boards and anchor the defense down low.”

With Henaghan providing the Panthers with just about their only size down low, as opposed to last season when senior captains Halle Julian and Alyssa Nicholson clogged up the paint, Olem said their offensive philosophy will differ.

“We will be more dependent on playing with more guards, instead of traditional post play as we’ve done in the past,” Olem said. “We have so many players who can do a variety of things with the ball. Because they are mostly interchangeable skill-wise I feel confident I can use them in a variety of positions. We will have more of a spread offense look and continue to run.”

However, their aggression on defense, set and embodied by senior Olivia Johnson, will not change.

“[Olivia] brings that unbelievable sense of competition to everyone and is an absolute game-changer on the defensive end,” Olem said. “I think defense obviously sets the tone and shows the toughness of the team and will be something that we stress every day in practice. We will press and mix up our defenses depending on matchups.”

Olem noted she was pleasantly surprised to see the improvement of both junior Hannah Damon and sophomore Rylie Harlow, while she’s excited to see what junior Olivia Martin will bring to the offense this season.

The Panthers begin their campaign Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. on the road against Patriot League foe Quincy.

“There is no considerable drop off from one player to the next and many of the players have interchangeable skills, which is nice to have,” Olem said. “I think that on any given night, a different player will have an opportunity to help the team win.”

Season Preview: WHSL girls’ hockey is much improved

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Emily McDonald of Whitman keys the returnees back for WHSL. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The WHSL looks to move on from a 2-18 season last winter.

For the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake high school girls’ hockey team, it’s a lot more clear heading into this season than it was going into last winter, when it returned just eight players.

“It was a shock to all of us,” said fourth-year head coach Kevin Marani of the lack of familiar faces to start last season.

With the exception of a select few, Marani had no idea who was going to play, or even who could play and where.

“Last year was a trying year,” he said.

While it was a trying season, it certainly wasn’t a lost one for WHSL, which went 2-18 overall with both wins coming in the final month. The Panthers had 15 new faces, 11 of whom were freshmen.

“The first part of any freshman year, you’re just learning,” Marani said. “You think you know high school hockey and speed and you don’t.”

Nine of those now-sophomores are back, along with a handful of upperclassmen, while a former league all-star has returned and a few incoming freshmen have impressed, all combining to put WHSL in a good spot this winter.

“The experience that we have with all the sophomores that we have along with the return of [Alyssa Murphy] and there are a couple freshmen are going to be helpful for us,” Marani said. “The newness of playing in high school hockey is gone and now it’s experience. Confidence breeds success.”

Yes, junior Alyssa Murphy (Kingston), who played for the junior hockey team Walpole Express last season, has returned.

“She’s just a great kid, a great hockey player,” Marani said.

Murphy scored 20 goals and dished out 23 assists as a freshman. WHSL scored just 31 goals last winter.

“When we let up a goal, we’d be defeated,” Marani said. “We could not score. She’s also a lot faster from when she was a freshman, she’s probably one of our faster, if not fastest girls.”

Murphy will captain the team with senior Maddie Soule (Hanson).

“She’s a great leader and great kid,” Marani said of Soule “I believe the two captains that we choose, we could not be happier.”

Emily McDonald (Whitman), who scored three goals last season, will be looked upon to produce even more in her sophomore campaign.

“This year, I can see the strength,” Marani said. “She’s stronger. Her shot’s better. Her passes are more crisp, pure strength.”

Sophomores Caity Hazley (one goal, nine assists last season) and Ellie Grady (one goal, two assists), both of Kingston, also provide some goal-scoring potential on the wing.

Senior Zoe Lydon (Hanson) and sophomores Neve Corkery (Kingston) and Caleigh Thompkins (Kingston) will help sure up the blue line with the transfer of junior Natalie Nemes (Kingston), the team’s lone league all-star last season, to Tabor Academy.

GOALKEEPERS

After entering last season with no goalies, the Panthers embark on their upcoming campaign with two sophomores Kat Gilbert (Halifax), who is the starter, and Rylee Moran (Whitman). Both have been working with a goalie coach brought on about midway through last season.

“Kat had started and just didn’t know the nuances of being a goalie and this summer, both her and Rylie have gone to multiple, multiple goalie clinics and it’s just about knowing how to play the position,” Marani said.

Marani said he’s put a heavy emphasis on improvement in two key areas thus far that go hand in hand with success in the win column.

“It comes straight down to passing and shooting, and that’s something these girls have been working on in every practice, along with [then] going home and shooting against a garage door or a wall and passing it against a wall,” he said “They see the teams we play and how good of a passing team they are. If we can improve our passing and our shooing, hitting the open net, we’ll score a lot of goals.”

Marani said he’s excited to see what his sophomore-driven team does in the future.

“Going through tough times makes you closer,” he said. “You can either get closer or start fighting with each other. They want to take a team that was 2-18 and make the state tournament and maybe one day win a league championship. There’s still three years to go. They’re only going to mature more and they do have the talent.”

WHSL will open the season Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. against Dennis-Yarmouth at Troy Kent Arena.

“I just want to see competitiveness,” Marani said. “I want them to be a competitive team. Go out and play like you can win and let the chips fall in the net. If we don’t win, that’s fine. I want to see we’re competing and improving every game and if we can do that by the end of the year, we’re going to be fine.”