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You are here: Home / Archives for Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Borgen, Manning & Melia the ‘driving force’ behind girls’ soccer’s title run

January 6, 2022 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Four years ago, Olivia Borgen, Nora Manning and Ava Melia cracked the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team as freshmen. 

They made an immediate impact. 

Borgen and Manning netted eight goals apiece, which was good for second on the team. Melia was a standout on the back line. 

Four years later, they depart as the senior captains of the program’s first-ever state title. 

“They were the driving force, in a sense that they’ve experienced some big games,” said W-H head coach David Floeck. “We didn’t have the state tournament the year prior but they had the experience from their freshman and sophomore years of playing in a state tournament, so their leadership on and off the field was really invaluable for us. They were definitely the engine that made us go — those three.” 

The state championship game is a perfect example. 

The Panthers looked down and out as they trailed a Silver Lake team — that had shut them out in both of their previous two meetings — 1-0 late in the second half. 

Olivia Borgen, despite being in a walking boot with a sprained right ankle until she boarded the bus, provided the spark with the equalizer in the 69th minute. 

Shortly thereafter, Manning made perhaps the play of the game when she drew a foul on the Silver Lake keeper in the box.

Enter Melia. She rocketed home the penalty kick for a 2-1 W-H lead. 

Manning followed it up with a goal of her own to add some insurance. 

“Liv and Ava are my best friends and it is so special to me that I got the chance to spend some of the best years of my life with them,” said Manning, who netted 12 goals and dished out 15 assists. “Playing with them these past four years has been amazing. I’m going to miss playing with [them] more than anything and I still can’t believe it’s all over.”

Added Borgen, a back-to-back All-New England selection, who scored a team-high 23 goals with 14 assists: “It’s so special to have shared this journey with them. From tiny little freshman trying to fit in on the team to senior captains leading our team to a state championship, it feels unreal.”

Said Melia, a two-time EMass first-teamer: “To make varsity together as timid, young freshman to later make it all the way as captains and state champions is amazing.”

Borgen and Melia are no stranger to lifting hardware. Back in 2017, they won the National Championship together with their South Shore Select club team. 

“Sharing that with her has given us an amazing relationship,” Melia said. 

The three will head their separate ways next year to continue their soccer careers. Borgen will play at Penn State, Manning is heading to Stonehill College and Melia is going to Bryant University. 

“They led the way with their energy level and how much it mattered,” Floeck said. “They were really committed to try and bring a state championship to the school.” 

Filed Under: News Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Ava Melia, David Floeck, Feature/Profile, Nora Manning, Olivia Borgen, Sports, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Girls' Soccer

Boys’ hockey wins a pair in Week 4

January 6, 2022 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Make it two straight wins for the W-H boys’ hockey team. 

After it was knocked out of the Cashman Tournament by Rockland on Monday, Dec. 27, the Panthers bounced back with a shut out win over Rockland, 4-0, in the consolation game Wednesday, which it followed up with a 2-1 victory over Pembroke on Saturday. 

“We haven’t had the best start that we wanted,” said W-H head coach Rob Peters. “We had a lot of guys returning and we’d like to be a little better than where we’re at. The Silver Lake game, we just didn’t show up, didn’t have a great game and they answered the bell against Rockland and they answered the bell against Pembroke.”

Senior captain Erik Dean (29 saves) and the Panthers (3-2-1) killed a pair of late power plays to stave off the Titans.

Pembroke got on the board first just 2:40 in with a power-play goal before W-H junior Joe Culley knotted the score at 1-1 with 43.1 seconds remaining in the first period. Sophomore Luke Tropeano and junior Matt Solari picked up the assists. 

The trio then hooked up again with 10:37 left in the second when Culley once again took a feed from Tropeano and Solari and flicked it home for his second of the game and a 2-1 Panthers lead. 

“We’re getting our game going, we’re getting going in stride,” Peters said. “We’re going to keep moving and keep getting better every day.”

Elsewhere around W-H: 


Boys’ basketball (4-2) was in Florida for the Avon Park Tournament. Bob Rodgers’ club tipped off the tourney with a 58-57 victory over Haines City (Florida) on Monday, Dec. 27. Junior Cole Champingie led the way with 15 points, while senior captain Ryan Vallancourt tossed in 13. … On Tuesday, senior Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder registered a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as W-H fell to Cypress Creek (Florida), 71-66, in the second round. Vallancourt scored 19 points in the loss. … The Panthers capped their trip on a high note Wednesday with a dominating 68-27 victory over Hardee County. Vallancourt netted a team-high 13 points in the win. 

Girls’ basketball (6-0) couldn’t have asked for a better trip to Daytona Beach. On Tuesday, Dec. 28, the Panthers opened the Father Lopez Shootout with a 60-22 win over Episcopal School of Jacksonville (Florida). Senior captain Lauren Dunn drained four triples en route to an 18-point outing to pace W-H. … On Wednesday, all 10 Panthers scored in a 69-41 route of The Master’s Academy (Florida). Senior Anna Stone pumped in a game-high 16 points in the victory. … On Thursday, it was the other Stone twin — captain Meg Stone — who netted 16 points as the Panthers wrapped up their trip down south with a 64-21 win over the host, Father Lopez. 

Girls’ hockey (2-3) opened the week with a 3-2 loss to Billerica/Chelmsford on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Senior Caitlin Dilley and junior captain Shea Kelleher each had a goal and an assist. … The co-op bounced back for 5-4 overtime win over Canton on Thursday. Senior Lily Ulvila netted the winner. …. Then on Saturday, Kelleher netted a hat trick, but WH/SL fell to Hanover, 4-3.

Boys’ indoor track on Wednesday, Dec. 29, saw a pair of seniors — Jake Caterer and Nathan Tassey — qualify for the All-State Championship. Caterer did it with a 19-foot-6 long jump, while Tassey posted a time of 10:12.7 in the 2-mile run to qualify.

Girls’ indoor track was also back in action Wednesday, Dec. 29. The highlight? Senior captain Myah Kamperides ran the mile in 5:42.0 to qualify for the All-State Championship. She had already qualified in the 600-meter run and 2-mile run.

Wrestling (6-1) downed Cohasset, 55-24, on Tuesday, Dec. 28. Winners for the Panthers were: freshman Charlie Lussier (106 pounds via pin in 1:19), senior Joe Boss (113; forfeit), sophomore Graham McInnis (120 via pin in 4:29), classmate Austin Gamber (126 via pin in 1:51), junior Aidan Guiliani (132; 2-0), fellow junior Braden Kain (138; 8-0), freshman Cooper Lussier (152 via pin in 1:06), junior Rocco Hanaphy (160 via pin in :42), senior captain Rocco Ruffini (220 via pin in :37) and junior Maddox Colclough (285 via pin in 3:05).

*Express weekly roundups include scores from Sunday to Sunday. 

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Pembroke High, Pembroke High Boys' Hockey, Rob Peters, Sports, Weekly Roundup, Whitman-Hanson Regional High, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Boys' Hockey

Wrestling sweeps in W-H’s Week 3

December 30, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team is making some noise. 

On Thursday, Dec. 23, the Panthers swept a tri-meet against Quincy/North Quincy (54-21) and Boston College High (52-30) to improve to 5-1 on the season. Freshman Charlie Lussier (106 pounds), senior Joe Boss (113), sophomore Austin Gamber (126), junior Aidan Guiliani (132) and freshman Cooper Lussier (152) all won both of their matches by pin. Juniors Braden Kain (138) and Rocco Hanaphy (160), senior captain Rocco Ruffini (220) and junior Maddox Colclough (285) also went 2-0 on the day. 

Elsewhere around W-H:


Boys’ basketball (2-1) received a game-high 31 points from senior Amari Jamison and rolled past Hanover, 72-53, on Tuesday, Dec. 21. 

Girls’ basketball (3-0) remained perfect with a 53-34 triumph over Hanover on Tuesday, Dec. 21. Senior captain Lauren Dunn canned six threes en route to a 20-point night to lead the way. 

Boys’ hockey (1-1-1) rallied back from a 2-0 deficit but ended up falling 4-3 in overtime to Plymouth North on Wednesday, Dec. 22. The Panthers’ goals were provided by sophomore Billy Morgan, junior Joe Culley and senior Bobby Hunter. 

Girls’ hockey (1-1) fell to Hingham, 4-1, on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Junior captain Shea Kelleher had the co-op’s lone goal. 

*Express weekly roundups include scores from Sunday to Sunday. 

Filed Under: More News Left, News Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Sports, Weekly Roundup, Whitman-Hanson Regional High

Boys’ basketball back in the win column

December 23, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team is back on track. 

After its 35-game winning streak was snapped by Scituate in its season opener, the Panthers shook off a slow start against Silver Lake and rolled past the Lakers for a 75-47 home victory on Friday, Oct. 17. 

“As soon as the guys started to get in the flow and run the floor a little bit better, I think we keyed off our defense,” said W-H head coach Bob Rodgers. “It’s good for them to get their first win. It’s a young team — most of these guys haven’t played varsity before — so it’s nice to get a W.”

W-H trailed 7-1 midway through the opening frame and then entered junior Cole Champignie. The junior (11 points) knocked down one of his three first-quarter triples and ignited a 31-0 Panthers run in the process.

“He’s really been one of the kids I’ve been most happy with here in the early going of the season,” Rodgers said. “He doesn’t just shoot it, but he’s pretty long, he hits the glass well. He’s somebody who is really working his way into the rotation.”

Senior Malcom Alcorn-Crowder was a force in the middle with 12 points and 15 rebounds, while senior captain Ryan Vallancourt netted 15 points in the win. 

In other highlights:

Girls’ basketball (2-0) is off to a 2-0 start. Mike Costa’s team opened its revenge tour with a 49-39 win over Scituate on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The Panthers turned it up on the defensive end, holding the Sailors scoreless in the first quarter. On offense, senior captains Abby Martin (13 points) and Lauren Dunn (12 points) and junior Caitlin Leahy (10 points) all scored in double figures. … On Friday, senior captain Meg Stone pumped in 15 points off the bench to lead W-H past Silver Lake, 59-22. 

Boys’ hockey (1-1) rebounded from an season-opening loss to Duxbury and edged Plymouth South, 3-2, in overtime on Saturday, Dec. 18. Sophomore Luke Tropeano (two goals) potted the winner with just under a minute to go in the extra frame. Junior Matt Solari had the other goal. 

Wrestling (3-1) dropped a 48-27 decision to Oliver Ames on Wednesday, Dec. 15. Winners for the Panthers were: freshman Charlie Lussier (106 pounds via forfeit), sophomore Graham McInnis (120; 13-6), sophomore Austin Gamber (126 via pin in :30), freshman Cooper Lussier (152 via pin in :45) and senior captain Rocco Ruffini (220 via pin in :28). … On Saturday, W-H placed second in the Sandwich Early Bird tournament. The Panthers had four champions on the day. Charlie Lussier ran the table with four pins, senior Joe Boss (113) had three pins, Gamber also had three points and junior Maddox Colclough (226) had three pins of his own. 

Filed Under: More News Right, News

Season Preview: Exciting season in store for wrestling team

December 16, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Freshman Charlie Lussier. / Courtesy photo

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team is expecting to be “highly competitive” this season.


There is a lot of optimism surrounding the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team this winter. 

Why, you ask?

“I believe we can fill all 14 weight classes before we get to January,” said sixth-year head coach Gary Rabinovitz. 

That has been problem that has hindered the Panthers’ ability to add to the win column in the past. 

“By doing this with a majority of quality wrestlers the results will be very positive,” Rabinovitz said. 

W-H returns just five wrestlers from last spring’s season, in which they went 6-7. Senior captains Pat Collett and Rocco Ruffini are two of them. 

Collett is in his second year as a captain and his fourth as a starter. He will compete at 145 pounds. 

“Pat brings a great deal of passion to our program and realizes that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” Rabinovitz said.

Ruffini wrestles in the 220-pound weight class. 

“Rocco has really grown as a leader over the past three years and we are looking not only at his vocal leadership but also his technical abilities,” Rabinovitz said. 

Senior Joe Boss (113 pounds) and juniors Maddox Colclough (285) and Aidan Guiliani (132) are also back. Junior Braden Kain is also reruns at 138 pounds after taking last spring off for baseball. 

“All four of these wrestlers wrestle hard every day and believe in their abilities,” Rabinovitz said.

The Panthers also have three newcomers with five to six years of wrestling experience in freshman twins Charlie (106) and Cooper Lussier (152) and sophomore Austin Gamber (126). Gamber came to W-H from North Carolina. 

“I expect that our upperclassmen will help these young men to mold the future of Whitman-Hanson wrestling,” Rabinovitz said. “I truly believe that we have the chemistry to be highly competitive this season and going forward.”

W-H, which opened its season with a clean sweep over Durfeee (64-12), Cambridge Rindge & Latin (44-30) and Sandwich (45-12), is back on the mat Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Sandwich Early Bird tournament.

“We need to wrestle smart and learn both from our success and failures,” Rabinovitz said. “It is going to be a very exciting season, I can guarantee that.” 

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Gary Rabinovitz, Season Preview, Sports, Whitman-Hanson Regional High, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Wrestling

Season Preview: 35-game winning streak or not, it’s a clean slate for boys’ basketball

December 12, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Senior Amari Jamison is one of the Panthers’ top returnees. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team enters the 2021-22 season riding a 35-game winning streak.


Seven hundred and seventeen days. 

That is how long it has been since the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team lost a game. 

That is right, nearly two years. 

Seriously, its last loss was Dec. 26, 2019. 

After concluding the 2019-2020 campaign with 23 straight wins en route to a share of the Div. 2 state title, W-H went a perfect 12-0 last season and won the Patriot Cup. 

It enters the new year riding a state-best 35-game winning streak. But 22-year head coach Bob Rodgers is all about wiping the slate clean this winter. 

“I don’t look at it as a 35-game winning steak,” Rodgers said. “I look at it as 2020 had a 23-game winning streak and 2021 had a 12-game winning streak and right now 2022 is 0-0. I’m trying to keep it from being a distraction to the kids.”

The Panthers once again have some giant voids to fill. This time it is the graduation of their one-two punch in Patriot League Keenan Division All-Stars Nate Amado and Cole LeVangie. 

Amado dumped in 24.2 point and snagged 9.3 rebounds per game last season en route to being voted the Patriot League Keenan Division MVP. He has moved on to Babson College, where he is second on the team averaging 11.7 ppg.

LeVangie, who scored 13.6 points, grabbed 9.1 rebounds and dished out 8.3 assists per game last season, has fit in quite well at Suffolk. The freshman is posting 9.1 ppg. 

“I think it was very easy to know that when you have Superman and Batman on the floor something good is going to happen,” Rodgers said. 

The Panthers head coach added it will be a team effort to fill their shoes. 

“Right now, we are trying to establish our identity after losing two incredible impact players,” Rodgers said. “This year, the players know they have to count on each other and they may all have to step up a little bit more.”

Fortunately for Rodgers, he didn’t just have two league all-stars last season, he had four. And two of them are back in Amari Jamison and Ryan Vallancourt. 

Vallancourt captains the Panthers. He netted 6.1 points and dished out 4.8 assists per game last season. He will start at shooting guard. 

“We’re extremely lucky to have somebody of his character and his skill level to be leading our team,” Rodgers said. 

Jamison, who will start at small forward, dumped in 9.0 ppg and shot 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. 

“He’s a dynamic player and extremely athletic,” Rodgers said. 

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound senior Malcom Alcorn-Crowder will clog up the middle. He averaged 8.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last winter. Senior Andrew Guardia will run the point, while classmate Dom Masone will man his post at power forward. 

W-H tips off its season on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 6:30 on the road against Patriot League foe Scituate. 

“I want to focus on doing all of the little things that make up a successful basketball team and let the results just kind of fall into place,” Rodgers said. “It’s really easy to fall into the trap of looking at the past successes and trying to live up to state championships, winning streaks, league titles — all of that — and get lost in the idea that those happen because those teams took care of all those little details.”

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Bob Rodgers, Season Preview, Sports, Whitman-Hanson Regional High, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Boys' Basketball

Overcoming the odds: Kamperides runs to Bryant

December 9, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Kamperides sings her letter of intent to run for Bryant University. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior cross country captain Myah Kamperdies will run at Bryant University.


Myah Kamperides was bullied so bad her freshman year that her mother was ready to send her to a private school. 

Then she discovered running. 

“I didn’t think Whitman-Hanson was for me and wasn’t going to come back,” Kamperides said. “But then I joined the track team that winter and later that spring I decided to join cross country and knew I couldn’t leave. It wasn’t only because of the sport, but because I was so quickly making friends on the team and had such amazing coaches I just could not leave.”

She is glad she stayed. 

Now a senior captain, Kamperides is a three-time cross country team MVP, indoor track MVP and five-time Patriot League All-Star. She recently committed to continue her running career at Division 1 Bryant University. 

“I toured it and absolutely fell in love,” Kamperides said. “They are a small school which is what I need. I also met the team and coaches and every single person was so welcoming. I even communicate daily with the other commits and love them already.”

She will run both cross country and track for the Bulldogs.

“Running has changed my life in so many amazing ways,” Kamperides said. “I eat well and am constantly bettering myself. After a rough day at school, the only thing I look forward to is seeing my team and running.” 

Rough days at school are few and far between for Kamperides, who boasts a 3.94 GPA in the classroom, while taking AP Spanish, AP psych, AP English literature, and AP statistics. She is also a member of the National Honor Society. 

“I love to challenge myself and feel it makes me work harder,” she said. 

Kamperides ran 30 varsity races in cross country since she joined the team her sophomore year. She was the Panthers’ top finisher in each one. 

“She has set the bar rather high in cross country,” said W-H head coach Steve George. “She has dominated the sport at Whitman-Hanson during that time.” 

George said it is no secret why she attained a high level of success. 

“She is not only an extremely hard worker but she has supported our training plan to the letter without question,” George said. “Myah encourages her teammates to do the same without question.” 

That is not the only reason she has been a two-year captain. 

“In a literal sense Myah has provided leadership by training at the front of the pack every day for the past three years,” George said. “But it goes beyond that. She organizes summer strength and conditioning for the team. She is a vocal supporter for all her teammates. She approaches and completes each and every training session with a smile. Her enjoyment is infectious among the rest of the squad. I’ve had many incoming athletes how they can be like Myah. I suggest they follow her around — if they can.” 

And that is just the leader Kamperides wants to be. 

“I strive to be the person the underclassmen look up to,” she said. 

Kamperides and the Panthers open the indoor track season on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 4:30 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. 

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Bryant University, Bryant University Women's Cross Country, Bryant University Women's Track & Field, Feature/Profile, Myah Kamperides, Steve George, Whitman-Hanson Regional High, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Girls' Cross Country, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Girls' Indoor Track, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Girls' Outdoor Track

A big hit: Welch wins MVP in girls’ volleyball

December 9, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Lily Welch was named league MVP. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball senior captain Lily Welch was tabbed the Patriot League Keenan Division MVP.


Gyms were closed and the state was locked down. 

Remember that last year?

Of course you do. 

But it did not stop Lily Welch from getting in her reps. 

“I set up this old badminton net between two trees in my yard so I could practice hitting and peppering over it with my mom,” Welch said. 

Later that fall, Welch and the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball team stumbled to a 3-9 record during a COVID-shortened campaign. 

“It just felt like every game I was putting in my everything, during remote school I would lift before going to practice, and I wanted it so bad, but we would come so short every game,” Welch said. 

She decided to take a year off from playing basketball to focus solely on volleyball. 

It paid off. 

Welch racked up 263 kills, 190 digs and 140 blocks this past season, propelling W-H to a program-best 13-6 record. She was named the Patriot League Keenan Division MVP. 

“Aside from her dedication, her talent is what sets her apart from others on the court,” said W-H head coach Samantha Richner. “Lily is dripping in athleticism, but she is constantly working on being better. She never settles and always wants to be better, and is shows.”

Welch was the catalyst in upset wins over both Hingham (17 kills and eight blocks) and Duxbury (15 kills). 

“During the game versus Duxbury at Whitman-Hanson, she showed so much leadership,” said fellow senior captain Abby Martin. “She was telling us everything she knew about the team the day before and was getting everyone hyped up before the game.”

It was that kind of leadership which is why Welch was a two-year captain. 

“She makes everyone around her better by honestly showing up to practice everyday and staying late after practice helping girls on the team,” Martin said. “She has a passion for this sport like no one else and she is just happy doing it.”

There is more. 

“During the offseason, Lily is constantly in communication with me and her team working on ways to improve for the upcoming season,” Richner said. “She dedicates her time to hosting and participating in clinics, volunteering to help run camps, and hosting captain’s practices.”

Welch believes her passion set her apart. 

“I practice almost everyday all year, I believe there’s always a way you can be getting better,” Welch said. “You can be talented or athletic but if you don’t want it, all of that means nothing. Volleyball is something I love so much and when I’m on the court there’s nothing I want more than to be the best I can be for my team.”

While Welch doesn’t have plans to play at the next level, she intends to stay involved in the game she loves. 

“Wherever I end up, I want to coach or teach lessons for volleyball and I will definitely be back to help and watch the younger players at Whitman-Hanson,” she said.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Abby Martin, Feature/Profile, Lily Welch, Samantha Richner, Whitman-Hanson Regional High

Season Preview: Girls’ basketball out for revenge

December 9, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

Senior captain Abby Martin during the Panthers’ scrimmage. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team is once again shooting for a league title.


The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team is not happy about how last season ended. 

That was with a loss to Hanover in the Patriot Cup final. A week before, W-H was shut out in the fourth quarter and fell to Scituate. 

The Panthers still finished the season with a 9-4 record. Not bad, but not good enough for a team itching to bring the program its first league title since 2010. 

As it sets its sights on the 2021-22 campaign, W-H will have a chance to avenge a few of those late-season losses right away. 

Its first three games of this season are against Scituate, Silver Lake and then Hanover. 

“The girls definitely, at the end of last year, were a little disappointed,” said head coach Mike Costa, who enters his third year on the Panthers bench. “I don’t think we played the way we wanted to and it did kind of left a little sour taste in their mouth.”

So they put in even more work this offseason. 

“They played all spring and summer with their AAU teams,” Costa explained. “They played summer league, they played fall AAU together — something that they haven’t done in the past — to try and build that chemistry on the floor.” 

The Panthers boasted a trio of league all-stars last season in Reese Codero, Rylie Harlow and Abby Martin. 

Codero is now playing at Roger Williams, while Harlow is on Fitchburg State’s roster. However, Martin, a senior captain and forward, is back and that’s good news for the Panthers. 

Martin took over games at times last season. She netted 14 points and snagged 21 rebounds in a win over Marshfield, and pumped in 17 points and corralled nine boards in a statement win over Plymouth North. 

“We relied a lot on her last year — both offensively and defensively,” Costa said. “She kind of carried our team offensively last year. We expect big things from her again this year, especially losing two other starters in Reese and Rylie — everybody has got to pick up the slack, but we’re leaning heavily on Abby to control both ends of the floor.”

Starting point guard Caitlin Leahy (junior) and starting shooting guard Lauren Dunn (senior captain) are also back.

 

Senior captain Lauren Dunn during the Panthers’ scrimmage. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“If you look at any of the good teams, if you have a really good backcourt that can carry you,” Costa said. “Our staff is completely confident in both Caitlin and Lauren and think they’re probably two of the top guards in our league.” 

Costa said Dunn is the Panthers’ best on-ball defender and Leahy is their best passer. 

Senior captain Meg Stone is also back in the middle. Costa said he expects her and Martin to be a force on the glass together. 

“I think it’s going to be tough for teams to match up with our size,” Costa said. “We just look to exploit the matches we’re given any night. We’re versatile that we have multiple people that can score in different ways.”

Freshman Cassidy Briggs, Lillie MacKinnon and Taryn Leonard will give the senior-laden Panthers some youth. 

“They’ve been great additions to the team,” Costa said. “We’re losing so many seniors so we have to start to mold some of these younger players.” 

W-H opens the season Tuesday, Jan. 14 when it hosts Scituate at 6 p.m. 

“We’ll take it game by game and practice by practice and see what happens,” Costa said. “At the end of the day, we’re just going to trust the work we put in and let the chips fall.” 

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, Mike Costa, Season Preview, Sports, Whitman-Hanson Regional High, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Girls' Basketball

Girls’ soccer wins first-ever state title

November 20, 2021 By Nate Rollins, Express Sports Correspondent

They say it’s tough to beat a team three times in a season.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team proved why.

Down 1-0 late in the Div. 2 state final to Silver Lake, a team the Panthers hadn’t scored against in their previous two meetings, they finally broke through — erupting for three goals in the final 11 minutes to capture their first-ever state title.

“I’m at a loss for words,” said 26-year W-H head coach David Floeck. “We’ve worked so hard. This is a tremendous accomplishment for them.”

Senior Olivia Borgen, who was knocked out of the Panthers’ state semifinal win Wednesday with a sprained right ankle, snuck home the equalizer in the 69th minute.

“She is gutsy,” Floeck said. “She has been in a [walking] boot all the way until we got on the bus for the game. She said, ‘Coach, I’m taping it. I’m going to give everything I got.’”

“I just needed to give it my all,” Borgen said. “It was the last game. Even if I was in a boot 30 minutes before I came here, I just needed to push through and give it my all. We’ve worked so hard to get here. I’m just so proud of this whole team.”

It remained tied until the 77th minute when Lakers goalkeeper Emma Hudson got called for a foul, taking down a W-H senior captain Nora Manning in the box. The result? A penalty kick.

Fellow senior captain Ava Melia buried it for a 2-1 lead.

“Its just the best feeling ever,” Melia said. “I could not be happier. This team deserves it.”

Manning sealed it with a goal of her own in stoppage time.

“I’m so excited,” Manning said. “It was our goal from the beginning of the season. It feels so amazing to finally achieve that.”

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: 2021-22 Coverage, David Floeck, Division 2 state title, Game Story, Silver Lake Regional High, Silver Lake Regional High Girls’ Soccer, Sports, Whitman-Hanson Regional High, Whitman-Hanson Regional High Girls' Soccer

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Your Hometown News!

The Whitman-Hanson Express covers the news you care about. Local events. Local business. Local schools. We honestly report about the stories that affect your life. That’s why we are your hometown newspaper!
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IN THE NEWS

Honoring the fallen on Memorial Day

June 1, 2023 By Tracy F. Seelye, Express Editor

Heart-felt personal tributes by Select Board members to late family members and town residents who … [Read More...]

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Whitman-Hanson Express

LATEST NEWS

  • Fatal train crash involving pedestrian investigated June 1, 2023
  • Honoring the fallen on Memorial Day June 1, 2023
  • New use for old math June 1, 2023
  • Questions raised on raising revenue June 1, 2023
  • Tennis teams close out season on some high notes May 25, 2023
  • Legal advice delays OK of flags, sidewalk paint May 25, 2023
  • Boards choose next leaders May 25, 2023
  • Local elections see low voter turnout May 25, 2023
  • Select Board fetes Hickey May 18, 2023
  • The beauty of invention May 18, 2023

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Whitman-Hanson Express  • 1000 Main Street, PO Box 60, Hanson, MA 02341 • 781-293-0420 • Published by Anderson Newspapers, Inc.