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Season Preview: For boys’ soccer, disappointment part of the process

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Jason Brodeur. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers are using a disappointing 2018 campaign as a lesson.

If you don’t fail, you don’t learn.

That saying fits the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team quite well.

Last fall’s 4-14-1 campaign was filled with disappointment — from injuries to the scoreboard. But as disappointing as it was, there were some valuable lessons gained along the way.

“We were ready to do well and possibly make the playoffs two years in a row, but we had a lot of bad luck and we didn’t quite have the maturity and experience as a group to face the adversity the 2018 season threw at us,” said third-year W-H head coach Dave Leahy. “But the players definitely learned from last season and they are now hungrier and more committed than we have been in my time at W-H as a result of going through last year’s season.”

The objective this autumn is to keep heads held high up no matter how tough the going gets.

“The goal this season is being positive and avoiding negativity during training and games,” Leahy said. “We don’t want to disrupt team focus and motivation on and off the field.”

As for talent, the Panthers welcome back plenty of it. Seniors Stevie Kelly and Jason Brodeur both return as captains.

A league all-star last year, Kelly anchors the backline.

“Stevie works harder than most on and off the field,” Leahy said. “He is an excellent two-sport athlete. He gives everything he has to both sports, and the result is an incredibly hard-working, athletic, leader that will do anything for his team.”

Brodeur led the Panthers in scoring last season with nine goals and four assists from his forward position.

“Jason is a great kid,” Leahy said. “He brings a passion to our squad, while also realizing the game at the end of the day is supposed to fun. Jason has worked hard to be better at his strengths and especially working on things he thought he could improve upon.”

With the rash of injuries last season, junior midfielder Dalton Desrocher received extended playing time and took advantage of the opportunity, tallying four goals, and Leahy believes he can be even better.

“Dalton Desrocher was our most improved player last year, and he continues to improve,” Leahy said. “Dalton can play on both sides of the ball at a high level. He is very important to our team.”

Three key cogs to the Panthers’ 2017 tournament team have also come back, one way or another. Senior midfielder Adam Milewski returns from a broken ankle, while junior midfielders Joel Arsenault and Peyton Collins have transferred back to W-H. A healthy junior midfielder Brendan Nehiley, who missed a big chunk of last season with an injury, will also be key.

Goaltending was a bit of an Achilles’ heel last year for W-H, but Leahy said he’s liked what he’s seen so far from senior returner Andrew Sullivan.

“[He] put in a great effort in the offseason to be a better goalie,” said the coach. “He is looking very good thus far. He is a great leader and example for our team.”

The Panthers open the season Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. on the road against Plymouth South.

“I would really like to see team camaraderie being strengthened, team defense being established and team belief being widespread in the first few weeks,” Leahy said. “We hope to make teams feel uncomfortable when they play us.”

Season Preview: Flexibility and depth are strengths for girls’ soccer

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24-year head coach David Floeck. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers made the postseason last fall, but were unable to make the bang they hoped for, bowing out to Hingham, 2-1, in the Div. 1 South quarterfinals, capping the season at 14-2-4.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team, the goal remains the same.

“We want to get better every day and to be playing our best soccer towards the end of the season and hopefully that means we’re in the tournament and we can make some noise in there,” said 24-year W-H head coach David Floeck, whose team hasn’t had a losing season since 1999.

The Panthers made the postseason last fall, but were unable to make the bang they hoped for, bowing out to Hingham, 2-1, in the Div. 1 South quarterfinals, capping the season at 14-2-4.

“Going out in the second round of the tournament, that’s not something we wanted to see happen,” Floeck said.

Finding the back of the net was admittedly a challenge for W-H, which scored a nine-year low 51 goals. Now, with 44 of the goals back, scoring shouldn’t be an issue anymore. The now-sophomore trio of Olivia Borgen (eight goals), Nora Manning (eight goals) and Kelsee Wozniak (team-high 11 goals) netted over half of those tallies last season.

“They’ve worked on the physical part of their game and came back bigger, stronger and faster,” Floeck said. “They certainly have worked on things they needed to work on. We’re extremely impressed with the type of years they had last year, but if they duplicate that, we’d be disappointed because that means they didn’t grow.”

A striker, Wozniak was an EMass first-team selection and earned a spot in the Patriot League All-Star game, and she should be the catalyst of the offense yet again.

“She has the chance to go down as one of the best players we’ve ever had in this program when it’s all said and done,” said Floeck, whose program has churned out All-Americans in three straight seasons. “I don’t know that we’ve identified a ceiling for her yet. She has tremendous potential.”

Senior midfielders Riley Bina (captain), Anika Floeck and junior midfielder Alexis Billings will also be crucial assets to the offense.

Though, question marks do loom, in terms of experience, on the other end of the pitch, with the graduation of defender Olivia Johnson (starter for Endicott College), four-year starting goalie Skylar Kuzmich (starter for Hofstra University) and All-American back Sammy Smith (starter for Boston College), all of whom were captains last fall.

But the Panthers do return some talent back there, in seniors Sam Perkins (league all-star last season), Erin Wood, Courtney Woodward (captain) and sophomore Ava Melia.

In net, there’s a healthy competition going on between juniors Reese Codero and Kylee Colclough.

“They’ve been working with [Skylar Kuzmich] all along and both gotten varsity experience due to injuries or different opportunities,” Floeck said. “We feel pretty good about both of them. If we think both are at the same level, we can split them or they can play different games.”

Floeck said the Panthers’ strengths are their flexibility and depth.

“We have a number of players that play different positions,” said the coach. “We have a number of people who can put the ball in the back of the net, so if teams start to take away one aspect of what we’re doing there’s other players that can take advantage of that. We’ll have six or seven kids on our bench that can come in and score or help us defend.”

W-H opens its campaign at home Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. against league foe Plymouth South.

“We had a couple games that we didn’t perform at our best and it cost us the league championship,” Floeck said. “We’re gonna try to work on that to make sure we don’t have those missteps because we’re in a league where if you go out and lose a game or tie a game you shouldn’t have, it’ll cost you.”

 

Hanson’s Sweeney ready to tackle freshman campaign for Springfield College football team

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Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum Quinn Sweeney is a freshman on the Springfield College football team.

Growing up, Quinn Sweeney’s father Keith always had a simple message for him when it came to the college selection process.

“He just said to pick the school that was the right fit for me,” said Quinn, who hails from Hanson.

So, that’s what he did, and his choice just happened to be Springfield College, where his father achieved all-star status as a defensive back. He’d also get the opportunity to play football there, but education was a bigger factor in Quinn’s decision.

“Toward the end of my sophomore year, I decided I wanted to become a physical education teacher,” Quinn said. “We researched a bunch of schools and Springfield and Bridgewater [State University] were my top choices. I felt most comfortable at Springfield. Following in his footsteps is like icing on the cake.”

His offseason was busy.

“[I] lifted three times a week and did conditioning three times a week,” Quinn said. “The strength and conditioning staff is really big on recovery and giving your body time to recover from workouts. I was lucky to get to play in the Shriners [Football Classic] game in June, so that was kind of like a mini camp to get back into the football mode.”

Whitman-Hanson Regional High football coach Mike Driscoll often lauded Quinn, who was a Patriot League All-Star last fall as a senior, during his playing days for the Panthers, coining him the “energy guy” and an essential part of the “heart and soul” of the line at either his end position on defense or post at tackle on offense.

“He loves football,” Driscoll said of Quinn last August. “He’s just the type of kid who can get off the ball and he’s worked on a lot of his quickness.”

Now, as Quinn readies to kick off his freshman campaign on the Pride, he’s is taking it one practice at a time.

“Preseason camp goes until Sept. 4,” he said. “I’m just trying to get better every day and put together a string of good practices. If I do that, everything will take care of itself.”

Springfield begins the season Saturday, Sept. 7 on the road against Western New England at 1 p.m.

“I have been given an amazing opportunity and I want to take advantage of everything the school has to offer,” Quinn said. “Football-wise, I’d love to be part of the team — brotherhood is what we call it here. Just do my part to help our team have success.”

Talking Whitman-Hanson athletics with AD Bob Rodgers

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A question and answer with Whitman-Hanson AD Bob Rodgers.

The suspense and unknowns are two aspects of a new year that Whitman-Hanson Regional High athletic director Bob Rodgers can’t get enough.

From state titles to Patriot League championships to major milestones, he’s seen it all in his previous eight years as the school’s AD, and he’s setting a lofty goal for year No. 9.

The Express chatted with Rodgers about what to expect going into the fall.

Q: What gets you most excited for a new year of athletics?

A: “Students grow so much in the offseason, both mentally and physically. It’s exciting to see that improvement and growth. You never know which students will come back and have all-star seasons. It’s also exciting to feel the energy that high school sports brings to the entire school climate.”

Q: What’s your favorite part of the school year and why?

A: “I love it all, each season has its special qualities. My favorite is whatever season we are in. I will admit there is something special about the fall though because everyone is refreshed and excited for the new beginning.”

Q: How do you feel playing a sport benefits students?

A: “The self-discovery students enjoy by playing sports is invaluable. Young people (if those around them will allow it) get the opportunity to navigate adversity and solve problems in a safe environment. I believe this truly helps shape their ability to do the same later in life. All of the personal qualities of work ethic, discipline, dedication, sacrifice, teamwork, loyalty and all of the other components of character are allowed to grow through the high school athletic experience.”

Q: What are the highs and lows of being an AD? 

A: “The highs are all about the kids. Seeing them pursue their goals and enjoy the journey is so rewarding. Knowing they are creating memories they will have for a lifetime is really special. In terms of lows, I don’t really look at it that way. But I will say sometimes the negativity gets me down. When people are highly critical of one of our programs without cause gets me disappointed. Usually that negativity comes from a misinformed place.”

Q: For those who don’t know, what goes into the role of an AD?

A: “It’s a great job and I love it, but the demands are tough. Most ADs work all year and are available seven days a week and often late hours. We handle finance, human resources, scheduling, policy implementation and creation, working with our league and state association, public relations and culture development as well as coaching education and training.”

Q: When you look back on last year, what moment(s) stick out? 

A: “It’s so hard to pick one moment. Truthfully every team is special in its own way and each one has special moments I enjoyed.”

Q: Have there been any improvements in athletics for this upcoming year?

A: “This will be our first full year with the new scoreboard and we are hoping that every team that plays on that field will be using it.”

Q: Are there any teams at W-H that you have your eye on to make a deep postseason run or perhaps surprise some people?

A: “The best part of going into the season is that no one knows how teams will do as so much of it depends on how the kids trained when none of us were looking.”

Q: Are there any dates that fans of W-H athletics should mark down on their calendars for any reason?

A: “That entire first week of games will be a blast.”

Q: What are you hoping to see as the year gets underway?

A: “I hope we break the record for student participation this year once again. We have seen our numbers increases each of the last three years. My dream would be to have every student in the school join a team so they could learn how truly special it is to be on a team.”

Talking South Shore Tech athletics with AD Joe Marani

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A question and answer with South Shore Tech athletic director Joe Marani.

Sports will likely never be the draw for South Shore Tech, but it’s tough to deny that the athletics program is on the rise.

Joe Marani, who is entering his 21st year as the school’s athletic director, is a big reason why.

The Express chatted with Marani about the improvements going into the season, the highs and lows of being an AD and more.

Q: What gets you most excited for a new year of athletics?

A: “The fresh start, the new players, the new coaches, just the overall buzz and attitude of a new group of seniors and leaders makes starting up very exciting.”

Q: What’s your favorite part of the school year and why?

A: “The one word answer is summer, but that’s not true. I love the first month of school because everyone knows it’s a clean slate and the returning athletes get to prove themselves. You can immediately judge what kind of offseason you had. That never seems to get old.” 

Q: How do you feel playing a sport benefits students?

A: “The benefits are enormous. It allows students the opportunity to experience life lessons. It gives students the chance to start making decisions on their own and makes them more responsible for themselves. It’s the first time for a lot of kids where they are tested mentally, physically and emotionally, and they grow tremendously because of it. It’s not perfect for every student, and the coaching and leadership needs to be knowledgeable of the real purpose of sports in school. But it’s usually the most remembered part of high school.”

Q: What are the highs and lows of being an AD?

A: “The lows are the meetings, the clerical work, the constant communication issues. But the highs far outweigh the lows. Watching our players perform. Watching them grow up. Seeing the relationship develop between players and coaches. Once you have been involved in sports a part of you never leaves it and its seems like fun forever.”

Q: For those who don’t know, what goes into the role of an AD?

A: “The sheer enormity of it. You have to deal with every aspect and every department in a school. The cooperation and coordination to do anything in sports is enormous. Also being a vocational school we have more time committed to other organizations. The technical side can be daunting. Social media and computer skills are essential. The list goes on and on. We actually have four organizations that we are part of and all requiring us to follow their rules and attend their meetings.”

Q: When you look back on last year, what moment(s) stick out?

A: “No. 1: last year’s  girls’ lax MIAA tournament game versus Fontbonne. Our girls played great. I got to see first-hand the great athleticism our female athletes displayed all year. It was an awesome exhibition.

“No. 2: talking to the players and coach of our JV boys lax team. The coach, who was a former varsity coach, told me it was the best team and group of kids he had worked with in some time. They had a great season. 

“No. 3: the varsity baseball team beating Tri-County. That team had a great year but needed to beat someone big and Tri-County had only lost two games or so when we went over there and beat them. 

 “All three of those things stand out to me.”

Q: Have there been any improvements in athletics for this upcoming year?

A: “Quite a few actually. We are renovating the baseball field, which is also our fall practice field for soccer and football.  So we have to practice off campus this year. We have a new locker room out near the football field which is nearly complete. Football will use that freeing up space in our boys inside locker room. Our superintendent just announced that we will be installing lights on our football/soccer/lax field sometime later this year. That is probably the most exciting news regarding the facility.

“Other improvements are staff improvements. Our kid and parents are very lucky that we have added Mike Hernon to our faculty and put him on as an assistant AD. That is a huge benefit since he has many years’ experience as the AD at Upper Cape. Also John Barr, a former SST athlete has joined the staff. We have new coaches in football, golf, volleyball and soccer. Whenever that happens there is always a level of excitement that gets added. So things just keep getting better at SST.”

Q: Are there any teams at SST that you have your eye on to make a deep postseason run or perhaps surprise some people?

A: “I think cross country is in a good position. Volleyball has been steady for a while so we always look towards them. Football has been up and down but always plays good football so they will be fun to watch. Golf might be the sleeper in the fall. They came in second place last year so we are hoping for good things from them. But any of our teams could make a run at a championship. Boys’ basketball was not expected to be that good last year and they won the league. That is the type of thing we are shooting for with all our teams now.”

Q: Are there any dates that fans of SST athletics should mark down on their calendars for any reason?

A: “Well, for football, the Upper Cape game and the Old Colony games tend to be our big games. Volleyball versus Norfolk Aggie is always big.”

Q: What are you hoping to see as the year gets underway?

A: “I hope to see improvement in all our teams. It will be great to see what the soccer team will do. The same with football and golf. Overall, it’s just nice to see the numbers of participants growing and our teams competing. I hope to more and more of that.”

Part 3: W-H alums playing in college this year

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This is the final part of a series highlighting the members of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High Class of 2019 headed to play ball in college.

NATE BEATH/CURRY FOOTBALL – In his one season as a Panther, he posted some big numbers, registering 58 tackles and 5.5 sacks and recovering three fumbles, while also contributing out of the backfield on offense as well.

MIKE CONNORS/STONEHILL FOOTBALL – Senior two-way starter posted 100 tackles from his linebacker post to finish his career with back-to-back 100-tackle seasons.

MASON GORMAN/WENTWORTH MEN’S LACROSSE – The future Leopard sparked the Panthers’ turnaround this season, leading the team with 58 points on 32 goals and 26 assists.

DYLAN MCCUE/KEYSTONE COLLEGE FOOTBALL – Brings some varsity experience to Keystone.

SHANE SCHRAUT/WENTWORTH MEN’S TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY – Put together a solid season captioning the boys’ cross country team and then starred in the hurdles and long jump during the track seasons.

RIAN SCHWEDE/ENDICOTT BASEBALL – The three-time Patriot League All-Star posted a 0.79 ERA in 62 1/3 innings, while holding opponents to a .167 batting average this spring.

QUINN SWEENEY/SPRINGFIELD FOOTBALL – Patriot League All-Star had eight sacks and 84 tackles at defensive end, while also starting on the offensive line.

RYAN TRONGONE/WPI FOOTBALL – Two-way starting lineman had 65 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

Way-too-early fall preview

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A way-too-early fall preview.

At Whitman-Hanson Regional High, fall sports are creeping up, with the cutoff date for signups having just passed.

Here’s your early fall preview:

Boys’ cross country should improve drastically on its 3-5 mark last season. Steve George’s club is returning a heap of talent – led by the fast footed junior, Theo Kamperides, and senior Brandon Hager – both of whom were league all-stars. It doesn’t stop there. The Panthers are returning nine of their top 10 runners. The expectations are high for this group because the talent is there.

Girls’ cross country will return its top runner in senior Tori Boss and its No. 3 runner in senior Niki Kamperides, along with a talent core of underclassmen. The girls should be able to improve on a 3-5 mark last fall.

Field hockey’s emphasis should be on offense, offense, offense. The Panthers pumped in just 14 goals in a tough 2-10-6 campaign last fall. Juniors Delanie MacDonald (five goals last season) and Lauren Clark (three goals last season) are going to have to kick start the offense. Fellow junior Madi Savicke (1.67 GAA last season) returns in net.

Football is setting out to replace almost everyone – its quarterback, running backs, middle linebacker, secondary, two-way linemen, you name it. But, it’s tough to say Mike Driscoll’s squad, still searching for a playoff win, is rebuilding, because how are you supposed to know the talent level of the incoming crop of starters?  There are going to be a lot of positions up for grabs.

Boys’ golf can never be counted out. However, Brian Dempsey’s club is going to have its hands full trying to make up for the production of two-time team MVP and two-time league all-star Owen Manning. Junior Aidan Miller and senior captain-elect Matt Korzec key the returnees.

Boys’ soccer is hoping to put a challenging and “unlucky” 4-14-1 campaign last fall behind it. The Panthers have some momentum coming into the year, having won the final game of the season last fall. There’s a bevy of talent on this club, led by senior captains, forward Jason Brodeur (team-high nine goals last season) and defender Stevie Kelly (the team’s lone league all-star). A healthy Adam Milewski and Brandon Nehiley will also be key.

Girls’ soccer hasn’t missed the tournament since 1999 and don’t expect it to this fall either. Yes, the talented duo on defense of Olivia Johnson (headed to play at Endicott) and Sammy Smith (headed to play at Boston College) and goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich (headed to play at Hofstra) are all gone, but there’s just something about this program that it just doesn’t seem to be affected by graduations. Twenty-seven of the Panthers’ 51 goals last season came off the foot of then-freshmen Olivia Borgen, Nora Manning and Kelsee Wozniak. The trio is primed for a huge season.

Girls’ volleyball is pretty much starting from scratch with W-H alum Samantha Richer taking over the helm. Rising senior captains Olivia Martin (right side hitter), Lexi Connolly (outside hitter), classmate Ella Sweeney (middle hitter) and rising junior Caileen Hurley (setter) key the returnees, but there’s a lot of experience gone.

Part 2: W-H alums playing in college this year

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This is the second of a three-part series highlighting the members of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High Class of 2019 headed to play ball in college.

NOLAN CLACK/MITCHELL COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER – Clack was one of two players to pace the offense, scoring seven times and tallying four assists.

MIKE COOK/BABSON BASEBALL – A three-year starter at second base and four-year varsity player, Cook never hit below .300, and he led the Panthers in average (.364) and RBIs (14) this past spring.

JOEY DEPINA/EASTERN NAZARENE MEN’S BASKETBALL – Captain scored roughly 110 points, while shooting roughly 38 percent from the field.

DEREK FRANK/MASS MARITIME BASEBALL – First-year catcher knocked in five runs and scored another 13 for the 15-win Panthers.

DAN KLINE/WENTWORTH MEN’S TRACK & FIELD – Was named the team’s MVP in the spring thanks to strong performances in the 110-meter hurdles and javelin.

OWEN MANNING/BRYAN UNIVERSITY MEN’S GOLF – A two-time team MVP and two time Patriot League All-Star, Manning averaged 4.1 shots over par en route to advancing to the Div. 2 state qualifying tournament.

KYLE O’BRIEN/WESTFIELD MEN’S TRACK & FIELD – Posted a career year as a senior this past winter, capped by a ninth-place finish in the 600-meter run in the Div. 3 championships.

ETHAN PHELPS/COLBY COLLEGE FOOTBALL – Three-time Patriot League All-Star racked up over 650 yards on the ground and punched into the end zone 12 times.

SHANE ROSS/WEATON MEN’S LACROSSE – Captain was a key part of the Panthers’ turnaround, netting 35 goals and dishing out 18 assists.

ED SCRIVEN/QUINNIPIAC MEN’S HOCKEY – Converted from the wing to defense, and had 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points on the year.

*This is the second part of a three-part series. 

Panthers win summer hoops league

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By Jack Dunn/Whitman-Hanson student intern

The W-H girls’ baskeball team won their summer league, in which they recently competed at East Bridgewater High School.

They played against Archbishop Williams, Cardinal Spellman, Carver, East Bridgewater, and W-H Red.

The team was coached by Eric Nunez and led by captains Hannah Damon, Brittany Gacicia, and Olivia Martin. In the finals they competed against a well-rounded East Bridgewaterteam.

“It is good for the girls to continue playing with one another to develop that on court chemistry and to have the ball in theirs hands throughout the offseason,” said coach Michael Costa about the experience at summer league. “It is also good for our younger players to experience and compete against varsity level type talent. However, I do not put a lot of stock in the record throughout the summer.

“A lot of times teams are not at full strength and there are many teams that do not have coaches on the bench with them and it is a lot more lax than a regular season game,” Costa said. “Obviously you want to win anytime you step on the floor but I do not take a lot away from it.”

Part 2: W-H alums playing in college this year

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From the pitch to the court, there are several members of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High Class of 2019 taking their skills to the next level.

KATHRYN DUNN/CURRY COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – Captain and Patriot League All-Star led the 12-win and tourney-bound Panthers in points (11.5), rebounds (eight) and assists (3.5) per game.

MARIE FOSCALDO/WHEATON COLLEGE WOMEN’S LACROSSE – Foscaldo brings her goalie skills to the next level.

MEGAN HENAGHAN/SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – The 6-foot-2 center snatched 4.9 rebounds per game this past season.

CHLOE HUMPHREYS/ASSUMPTION WOMEN’S SOCCER – Humphreys brings a blend of speed and athleticism to the Greyhounds.

OLIVIA JOHNSON/ENDICOTT COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOCCER – Captain paced the Panthers’ defense all the way to the Div. 1 South quarterfinals.

SEAN KUKAUSKAS/BRIDGEWATER STATE MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD – Set personal bests in the 100-meter dash (:11.97), 200-meter dash (:24.91) and the high jump (5-6) this spring.

SKYLAR KUZMICH/HOFTSTRA UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S SOCCER – Four-year starter and Patriot League All-Star finished her career with 45 shutouts and  72-7-7 record.

ERIN LEAHY/REGIS COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – Captain, who missed the entire 2018-19 season due to injury was a league all-star the winter prior. Can play in the post or run the point.

SAMMY SMITH/BOSTON COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOCCER – An All-American this past season, she posted seven goals and was a two-time Patriot League All-Star.

*This is the first part of a three-part series.