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Pasciuto makes mark in the net

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Anthony Pasciuto makes a save against Silver Lake. / Photo by: Sue Moss

First-year starting goalie Anthony Pasciuto has been a key for the Panthers this season.

Starting between the pipes on a regular basis at the varsity level has been something Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer senior Anthony Pasciuto has been waiting for since he was a freshman.

Pasciuto, who has been playing on the pitch since he was in kindergarten, served as the starting goalkeeper at the lower levels during his first two high school campaigns. Last season he backed up Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star Conor Keane on varsity, while receiving reps on defense as well. This fall there was never a doubt, even to first-year W-H head coach Dave Leahy, that Pasciuto was ready to take over.

“He knew he was the starter, I knew he was the starter, he’s just, he’s a great goalie,” Leahy said.

Pasciuto, despite receiving minimal playing time in goal last season, said the move from second to first string wasn’t too much of a challenge.

“It’s not really much different because I’ve been playing goalie my whole entire life, so I’ve been playing goalie and defense so it’s really no change for me,” Pasciuto said. “I used to play goalie in club, so it’s been an easy transition for me.”

Pasciuto, who stands at 6-foot-4, has relished in the opportunity.

In 15 regular season games, he posted a 1.5 goals against average and recorded six shutouts for the Panthers (10-7-1). W-H is headed to the Division 2 South Sectional tournament for the first time since 2014.

“This year in goal I’ve been feeling really good,” Pasciuto said. “Probably my best year in goal in my whole entire life, so I’m feeling really good right now.”

Leahy said his senior goalkeeper has been everything he could have imagined this season.

“We had a tough first week going 0-3 and then from that point on, after a very important Hingham game (2-1 Panthers loss) for him, he has been outstanding in the league,” Leahy said.

In preperation of the new season, Pasciuto said he spent count less hours with the rest of his squad trying to get better at anything they could.

“In the summer, I was on the field four times a week just to work on goalie stuff,” Pasciuto said. “My whole entire team went every single week. We just worked really hard and that’s why we’re here right now, 10-7-1, making the tournament.”

Pasciuto said if there is one aspect of his game that separates him from his opposition on the field it’s his work ethic.

“I’ve been working really hard, I’ve been waiting for this since my freshman year,” he said. “I wanted to be the starting goalie since my freshman year. So, I’ve been waiting for this so I got to make the most of it.”

Not only is Pasciuto crucial to the Panthers’ on field performance, but he’s a leader off the field as well, serving as a captain. Those two combined make a player like him tough for a coach not to appreciate.

“He’s got the heart of a lion and he’s just a gentleman,” Leahy said. “You add all those things up, and he’s an athletic guy, he’s an outstanding goalie and outstanding captain.”

As W-H heads into the tournament, Pasciuto said it is essential for it to keep doing the things that got it there in the first place.

“We have to stay together, stick together,” he said. “One focus, we’re a family, we’re gonna go far. We just [have to] stay focused and hungry.”

Panthers return to postseason play

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The Panthers’ offensive line in a 43-20 win over Silver Lake. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson football head coach Mike Driscoll is “very proud” his team is back in the postseason, a feat it accomplished with a 43-20 win over Silver Lake.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High football team is back in the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

“I’m very proud,” W-H football head coach Mike Driscoll said. “They worked hard in the offseason, they worked hard in season, so they expected it. We’re just happy [with] what they’ve done so far.”

The Panthers are fresh of what Driscoll coined their best game of the season, a 43-20 win over Silver Lake. In the tilt, W-H (5-2) didn’t punt once, and the defense didn’t allow a touchdown until the third quarter, when it was a 35-6 game.

But, the playoffs present a different challenge and W-H certainly knows that. The Panthers have been subject to a first-round exit each of the past three seasons. Last fall it was North Attleboro which ousted W-H from the playoffs. In its two campaigns prior, Driscoll’s squad entered as the final team in, which is no easy task.

“I think a lot of it comes down to just match-ups, and we haven’t had good matchups for us,” Driscoll said. “Last year we had to go into North Attleboro as a young team, and that’s intimidating. We were the eight seed [two] years in a row so you’re not going to get much luck there.”

This time around, W-H which is boasting its best record since 2004, will enter the Division 3 South Sectional tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face off against No. 4 Stoughton at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at Brockton High’s Marciano Stadium.

The Black Knights, who hail from the Hockomock League Davenport Division, finished their regular season campaign at 5-2. A 28-24 triumph over Catholic Memorial in Week 3 was by far their most impressive win. Stoughton’s last loss came two weeks ago at the hands of North Attleboro, 35-21. It was the Red Rocketeers who ended the Panthers’ playoff run last season in first round of the Division 2 South Sectional tournament.

“They got a good team,” Driscoll said of the Black Knights. “They fly around on defense [and] their offense is very methodical. Their running backs are good, they have a huge tight end, and defensively they create some match-up problems for us, but I think it’s going to be a classic game.”

Since the MIAA switched to a new playoff format at the outset of the 2013 season, the Black Knights, who are coached by Greg Burke, have made it past the first round each time – which included a trip to the Division 3 state semifinals in 2013.

Driscoll said the key to this one is going to be unfamiliarity.

“When you play these teams over and over again in the league, they tend to know you, and will take away something, or will try to,” he said. “This is a little bit different match-up so teams are just going to come out and do what they do. It’s going to come down to who makes the plays during the game and who’s going to make the plays.”

LEANING ON PHELPS

W-H is going to rely heavily, like it has done all season, on the legs and arm of junior dual-threat quarterback Ethan Phelps, the repertoire he has built with his receiving corps, the steady presence of junior running back Brendan Frawley and the two-way leadership of senior Riley Holland if it’s going to upset Stoughton.

The winner will advance to play the victor of No. 8 Walpole (2-5) at No. 1 North Attleboro (6-1) in the South Sectional semifinals next week.

“I finally feel like we’re where we need to be,” Driscoll said. “We’re probably a year away, but we can be competitive in this, and I like the matchup. I think its two really even teams. If we do what we do, we’ll be pretty good in this tournament.”

Whitman Nationals a hit in Cranberry League

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Led by general manager Conor McDonough, the Whitman Nationals are located smack in the middle of a Cranberry League that features eight teams ranging from Bourne to Quincy.

Who doesn’t love baseball?

From the state tournament qualifying high school team in the spring to the American Legion squads battling for a spot in the postseason right now, Whitman is filled with action on the diamond all year. However, many forget about the other boys of the summer. That is the Whitman Nationals.

Led by general manager Conor McDonough, the Nationals are located smack in the middle of a Cranberry League that features eight teams ranging from Bourne to Quincy.

Founded in 1960, the Cranberry League features some of the top talent in the Massachusetts from college athletes to former collegiate standouts.

For the Nationals (0-17), who kicked off their season May 21 with a doubleheader against the Canton A’s, it has been a rough few months as they sit in search of their first win of the year.

However, there have been a handful of solid performances on the field for Whitman.

On the mound, Jared Silva leads the Nationals with 16.1 innings pitched, in which he has gone 0-2 with a 2.14 ERA. He has struck out 15 batters and surrendered just six walks and 21 hits.

At the plate, Jose Collazo boasts a team-best .423 on base percentage and is slugging .500. Ben Carney leads the club in hits with nine in 17 games.

Whitman will hope to get on track Sunday, July 9, as it travels to Quincy for a doubleheader with the Phillies. Game times are set for 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Senior Legion edges Brockton Post 35

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Ten strikeouts from John Murphy pushed Whitman Post 22 past Brockton Post 35, 5-4.

WHITMAN — After the final out was recorded and the handshakes finished, the Whitman Post 22 Senior Legion team gathered in left field as per usual. There was one man who was the center of head coach Todd DeCouto’s congratulatory speech after a 5-4 win against Brockton Post 35 Sunday, and that was John Murphy, and rightfully so.

The right-hander hurled a complete game and simply dazzled the Brockton bats all evening – recording 10 strikeouts and surrendering four hits en route to the victory.

“We came out to play today,” DeCouto said. “Johnny has been our go-to guy on the mound, so I was expecting a good game from him, which we got. When the curveball is working, he is really almost unhittable.”

Thanks to a pair of two-run innings, Post 22 was able to go up 4-0 early and they never looked back in a pivotal bout with playoff implications on the line.

After Murphy was able to strand two Brockton runners on base in the top of the first, Whitman gave him some support. A quick Nick Spyropoulos single that cracked the hole between shortstop and third base got the inning going and he was sent home two batters later when James Dolan reached on an error to put Post 22 up 1-0.

After a Brett Spano double play pushed Tim DeCouto, who was on base via a hit by pitch, over to third base, Ryan Sawtelle knocked him in to make it 2-0.

James Dolan would begin the bottom half third inning with a rocket to left field for a double. Spano then would reach second courtesy of an error to knock in Dolan and make it 3-0.

The next batter, Sawtelle, would continue his monster game with a double to plate Spano and extend the Post 22 lead to 4-0.

After a scoreless fourth inning from both squads, Murphy would get Post 35 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth, in what was the quickest half inning of the game.

In the bottom half of the frame, Spano got the action going with a line-drive single to right field, and he was sent home on a Sawtelle poke to left field, pushing Post 22 up 5-0.

“He’s been huge for us,” DeCouto said of Sawtelle. “He’s had a lot of big hits for us this year.”

However, Brockton would not go easy as Post 35 was finally able to get to Murphy with four runs, on three hits, in the top of the sixth inning to slice its deficit to 5-4.

Murphy would return to the hill for the top of the seventh, after Post 22 was unable to get anything cooking in the bottom of the sixth, and he was able to work around a two-out single to close out a 5-4 Whitman win.

Sawtelle led Post 22 on offense with three hits and two runs batted in as Caleb Burke chipped in two hits.

“He’s been huge for us,” DeCouto said. “He’s had a lot of big hits for us all year.”

The victory moved Whitman to 6-9-1 and Brockton fell to 5-12.

Post 22 sits in the ninth spot, one point behind Rockland Post 147 (7-8), in the Senior Legion standings in a league that the top eight make the playoffs.

Whitman will be back on the field at home against Pembroke Post 143 (12-4) Friday, July 7, at 5:45 p.m.

“That should be a good game,” DeCouto said. “We beat them the first time around, and there at the top of the standings, so it’ll be good to see them here.”

Eli hockey standout

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Yale freshman Billy Sweezey has found smooth going on the ice as he has also worked to tackle the challenges of an Ivy League college’s classrooms. / Courtesy photo

Hanson native Billy Sweezey has been a standout for Yale’s men’s hockey team.

Commitment, confidence, grit, poise, resolve and wit. All are on full display when you watch Yale men’s hockey defenseman Billy Sweezey skate.

The Hanson native just concluded his inaugural campaign on the ice for the Bulldogs. He coined it his “most fun” season yet. The 6-foot-2, 204-pounder appeared in all 33 games for Yale, scored a goal, notched five assists and led the club with a +13.

Sweezey’s path to one of the oldest schools in the nation is an interesting one. After beginning school and high school hockey at Archbishop Williams, he transferred to Noble and Greenough, repeated his sophomore year and played three seasons there and was honored as a captain his senior campaign. After Nobles, he decided to take a year off from school and competed in the United States Hockey League for the Chicago Steel. In the midst of all that, he committed to Yale as a junior in high school.

Sweezey said one of the toughest shifts to the collegiate ranks he was tasked with was not on the ice.

“The transition into a college classroom, especially at a place like Yale, was pretty tough,” Sweezey said. “My dad always stressed doing well in school to my brother and me, so I was able to get back into the swing of things after a few weeks.”

Sweezey said everything on the ice went relatively smooth after he was able to work diligently with his coaches to get past the adjustment period.

“The biggest difference is the speed,” Sweezey said. “Guys are faster and stronger so you have that much less time to make a decision out there. The room for error is extremely small.”

One aspect Sweezey said he prides himself on is his physicality on the ice. However, it can be a detriment at times, and caused a few issues at the early stages of the season. Though, he was able to figure out how to become more disciplined, which can be seen by a season-best sixgame no penalty streak from Jan. 13 to Jan. 28.

“I think I improved in that aspect a lot this season,” Sweezey said of his discipline. “A lot of it comes down to being able to relax during the games and keep my emotions in check; never getting too high or too low.”

The rising sophomore said when he reflects back at his 2016-17 campaign, one moment that comes to mind is Yale’s 3-2 overtime win over Dartmouth in the first round of the ECAC playoffs on March 4. In the triumph – the Bulldogs’ last home tilt – Sweezey netted a third-period assist that knotted the score at 2-2.

“After the game and handshakes, we lined up and saluted our games for the final time,” Sweezey said. “It really hit me that I was going to be part of something really special for the next three years.”

Sweezey, who went through the Hanson School System up until high school, said he looks forward to the offseason for a bevy of reasons.

“I still see all my friends from home when I’m there and look forward to coming home,” Sweezey said. “I’ll probably skate two to three times a week doing skills work. Then I’m in the gym lifting four to five times a week. I also play three on three with my best friends once a week which is probably the most fun.”

Josselyn firing up Dragons

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Brandon Josselyn, a 2005 Whitman-Hanson Regional High graduate who finished his career at 20-4 with a .470 batting average, has been named the new head baseball coach at Duxbury High.

One pitch at a time.

That’s the philosophy Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum Brandon Josselyn is trying to instill in his players as he settles into his new role as the manager of the Duxbury High baseball team.

After previous skipper Gordon Cushing stepped down from the helm of the Green Dragons, Josselyn applied for the gig and was named his successor in August, and his path to the job is a unique one.

The Hanson native was one of top players ever produced on the diamond at Whitman-Hanson. The right-hander tallied a 9-0 record and pitched to the tune of a 1.10 ERA in 2005 during his senior campaign and finished his career at 20-4 with a .470 batting average.

Josselyn said one his takeaways from former W-H manager Pat Forbes was how to attack the game from both themental and physical side.

“I remember more how to compete and to get in the dayto- day stuff and take baseball very seriously from [him],”Josselyn said.

Not only did he star on the baseball field, but it was quite apparent Josselyn would have a leadership role down the road when he was tabbed a captain on the football and indoor track team his senior season.

“It was more of an honor back then,” Josselyn said. “To be recognized by my peers as someone who can be seen in that way is probably something I look back and think highly of the most. It was a nice honor.”

After graduating, Josselyn took the next step heading to Yale to compete at the collegiate level, where he ran into his first major speed bump.

“I had mono, I had my wisdom teeth out and I had strep all going into the season,” Josselyn said. “I was supposed to be the starting left fielder and I lost that job and the kid that came in and replaced me because I had mono was hitting .500 by the time I was cleared to get back in and play so that was tough.”

However, he would bounce back settling into a niche on the bump developing a slider-sinker combination en route to being named Ivy League Pitcher of the Year his senior season.

After being drafted by the Seattle Mariners as the second pick in the 25th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Josselyn spent two seasons in their organization before deciding it was time to move on.

“That following spring training, so going into my third season, that spring training you kind of see your name on the list and every day the list kind of changes,” Josselyn said. “There was one day my name was on the Single-A roster again to go back to Clinton, Iowa. I was already one of the older kids because I was drafted as a senior in college, so I just didn’t see the organization valuing me and I just thought if I was going to go back to the same level, well that’s three years at this level, I thought I had enough success to move on.”

After a brief stint in investment banking, Josselyn was ready for another change which led to him joining Duxbury as a math teacher in 2013.

“You want to teach them things that they can pick up along the way and things that they can take with them along the way, so there are definitely some parallels,” Josselyn said. “It’s certainty a different philosophy, me in the classroom and me in baseball.”

In 2014, he took over as the girls’ cross country coach at Duxbury in the fall and began managing the freshman baseball team in the spring, and now he’s ready for the next step.

“I’m a believer in just concentrate and focus on every single pitch,” Josselyn said. “If you’re an outfielder, put yourself in the right position based on the kid’s swing. If you’re a pitcher, whatever pitch the catcher is calling to execute that pitch and that kind of stuff. Let the results fall wherever they’re going to fall, but put yourself in a place to be successful from practice and from concentration in a game and results will take care of themselves.”

Josselyn will make his return to his alma mater May 1 when the Panthers host the Green Dragons at 4 p.m.

Season Preview: Ready for redemption

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Jenna Olem has her sights on the postseason for her softball team this spring.

After a playoff hiatus last season, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High softball team is eager to get back into postseason contention.

The growing pains were tough for head coach Jenna Olem’s club in 2016. One year after posting a 15-5 regular-season record and earning a spot in the Division 1 South Sectional quarterfinals, W-H entered a state of rebuild, with the departure of many core pieces. Eight of the Panthers 12 losses came when they were tied or held a lead heading into the second inning. The fourth-year skipper is confident her club, which returns nine players, has learned from its mistakes.

“Last year we struggled defensively,” Olem said. “We made a lot of errors. We also did a poor job closing out games. This season our experience going through what we went through last year and not being able to finish is the main focus.”

Leading the team this spring will be senior captains Kristin Arthur, Kelly Burke, Emily Cook and Sarah Saccardo. Cook and Saccardo (2016 Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star) have started every game at the varsity level since their freshman season, Arthur is a three-year starter and Burke is W-H’s top home run threat.

On the mound, W-H will be led by 2016 team MVP and Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star, junior Colleen Hughes.

“She pitched for us, played center [field] and second [base],” Olem said. “This year she looks to be this team’s ace after spot starting last year. She is long and athletic and has a natural downward motion on the ball so it’s tough for hitters to make really good contact on her when she can locate.”

Cook, who toed the rubber in the Panthers’ 4-1 first-round win against Bridgewater-Raynham in 2015, will play a significant role on the bump as well.

When she’s not on the mound, Cook will start at shortstop, senior Kelly Burke will man first base duties, sophomore Kayla Crawford will play second and junior Hailey Norris will start at the hot corner with Arthur returning behind the plate.

In the outfield, Saccardo anchors the group in centerfield, classmates Julia Donovan and Julia Pendrak roam left and right, respectively.

Olem said she believes her club has the potential to turn what was a weakness last season into a strength this spring.

“We moved Cook to shortstop and she has such great instincts and confidence over there, and Saccardo to centerfield which plays to her strengths of getting to every ball and has a very strong arm,” Olem explained. “So, with those two and Arthur, who is a very strong catcher behind the plate, we are solid up the middle.”

W-H will be back on the field Thursday, April 6 at 4 p.m. as it plays host to North Quincy.

“I think you’ll see a team ready to redeem themselves from last year’s subpar season,” Olem said. “[Our returning players] all came into the season a better player than they were last year. They are a team that is ready to get back to their winning ways from a few years ago.”

State cheer champs

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The day after winning their MSSAA Div. 2 state championship, the W-H cheerleaders supported the boys’ basketball team in its state title game at TD Garden. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High cheerleaders won a state title Sunday.

On Sunday, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High cheerleaders landed two things – their routine and a MSSAA Division 2 state title.

The Panthers, under the leadership of head coach Tanisha King, boasted a 197.70 score to top North Attleboro (196.3), Shawsheen Valley (193.1), Assabet Valley (178.0), Milford (177.0), Billerica (174.5) and six other competing schools.

“It felt amazing considering especially in the fall, we didn’t place where we wanted to,” King said. “They have done amazing picking up from coming in fifth [in states in the fall] to going down to Dallas and winning the national title down there and then just keeping up the momentum all the way through states.”

With the victory, senior captains – Alison Joanis, Hannah MacDonald, Olivia Villanueva and Payton Wright – captured their sixth state title.

“They have all been four years on varsity,” King said. “Their commitment and dedication these past four years has been remarkable. They’re not only amazing cheerleaders but they’re role models.”

The win comes on the heels of the cheerleaders scoring a 202.20, which was tied for the highest out of 27 competing schools, Sunday, March 5 to claim a South regional title.

It has been a busy season for the W-H cheerleaders. They have captured an NCA national title, a Patriot League championship, a regional title and now a state title.

King said it’s easy to be complacent in the midst of winning but her team’s competition keeps it from being content, and coming in fifth during the fall season served as a wake-up call.

“It’s not an easy road,” King said. “It’s not like we’re in a division where you’re expected to win every time. Every year there is either a new team that steps up to the plate or even the teams that are hungry for their chance to win a state title. I always try to tell my team, ‘There is always someone in the gym working harder than you,’’’.

The squad vies for a Division 2 New England crown Saturday, March 18 at Providence Career and Technical Center at 10:30 a.m. This will be the last competition of the year for W-H.

“Since Dallas, we’re trying to go for that perfect record,” King said. “Go out and perform your routine one more time, the best you can and hopefully come home with the New England title again.”

Panthers’ run ends

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Photo by: Sue Moss

Playing in front of a sea of red Monday evening at historic TD Garden, Whitman-Hanson fell to Brighton by the final score of 94-48 in the Division 2 state semifinals.

BOSTON — The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team’s improbable tournament run has come to a close.

Playing in front of a sea of red Monday evening at historic TD Garden, Whitman-Hanson fell to Brighton by the final score of 94-48 in the Division 2 state semifinals.

North champion Brighton (22-5) stepped on the gas pedal early on and never let up, as its 3-point shooting and presence inside proved too much for South champion W-H (19-4) to handle.

“They’re an outstanding team, they have so much talent,” W-H head coach Bob Rodgers said of Brighton. “They’re so talented, so athletic, can shoot the ball so well. They shot the ball great tonight. They’re very skilled. They deserved to win this game tonight.”

The 94 points are the most allowed by the defensive-minded Panthers all season.

The Bengals darted out of the gate – connecting  on seven of their first 11 attempts – and a Tyrone Perry 3-pointer gave Brighton a 16-7 lead with 3:24 remaining in the first quarter.

“Usually you got to take one thing away and then hopefully the other thing doesn’t beat you,” Rodgers said. “We really didn’t do a good job at either one of those. They were able to get to the paint anytime they wanted and every time they had a wide-open three they took it and when they missed, they did a great job at rebounding.”

Down 18-7, the Panthers would score the next five points via a Luke Tamulevich layup and Nikko Raftes trey, to pull back within single digits, 18-12.

However, Brighton would respond – outscoring W-H 11-2 to close the opening frame to push ahead 29-14.

“We had a bit of momentum,” Rodgers explained. “I said, ‘Maybe we’ll get to halftime and get it under 10.’ But the fact is it just wasn’t Whitman- Hanson’s night, it was Brighton’s.”

The Panthers buckled down on defense in the second quarter – limiting the high-powered Bengals offense to 16 points – but could only muster 12 points themselves and fell behind 45-26 at halftime.

The third quarter proved decisive for Brighton – which shot 10 of 13 from the field – as it outscored W-H 31-9 to build a commanding 76-35 cushion.

“Our identity all year has been to play great defense,” Rodgers said. “When you’re facing a team like that and you have to deal with their ability to penetrate, it’s really hard to get out on their shooters as well.”

Up substantially, Brighton didn’t let up in the final frame – holding W-H to 13 points while pumping in 18 (six via treys) itself to further pad its victory.

Sophomore guard Tajh Hunter netted four of the Panthers’ fourth-quarter points.

W-H, despite the loss, was able to cycle in all of its players onto the court.

Seniors Raftes and Tamulevich, like they have done all season, led the Panthers in scoring with 11 points apiece. Junior Sean Leahy chipped in five points and four boards as nine Panthers, including seven players set to return in 201718, tallied points.

“It was awesome that a lot of the guys were able to get some points and get that ability to play at the [TD] Garden, it will be a life memory for them, and I guess that was one of the bright spots when you have a game like that,” Rodgers said.

Sachems end WHSL season: Team finishes best campiagn

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The teams shake hands at game’s end. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake girls’ hockey bowed out of the Div. 2 state tournament with a 2-0 loss to Winchester.

KINGSTON — They say all good things must come to an end. For the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake girls’ hockey team, that proved true Sunday.

The co-op gave it everything they had, but came out on the wrong end of the stick in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Winchester in the first round of the Division 2 state tournament held at The Bog Ice Arena.

Sixth-seeded WHSL (15-4-3), which was in the midst of its best campaign since its inception in 2014, allowed a quick goal 3:05 in, and could never recover, as No. 11-seed Winchester added another tally late in the third to secure its victory. The Sachems silenced a WHSL offense, which found the back of the net 120 times coming in, and had only been shut out once (5-0 against Duxbury Feb. 5) all season.

“They did a good job shadowing Hannah [Tracy] and Mel [McAleer] all game, taking away time and space for them to create offense,” WHSL head coach Kevin Marani said. “They played a strong game.” 

Winchester (14-4-4) will meet No. 14 Canton (12-4-6) in the quarterfinals Saturday at 5:15 p.m. at Galo Ice Arena.

At the 11:55 mark of the first period, the Sachems’ Mariah Redler snuck behind the WHSL defense and found herself all alone with netminder Melissa Crone and flung a shot on goal. The senior goaltender looked as if she had made the stop, the referee at the goal line signaled for the save, but the referee at center ice overruled him.

“It absolutely did not go in the net, but sometimes you’ve got to fight through those things,” Marani said. “Melissa was great in goal all game, like she’s done for us all season.”

The Sachems had a few more quality chances on net – including a Redler blast from the face-off circle – but Crone stood strong in goal. WHSL found itself on the power play with 9:14 remaining in the second period, but failed to even record a shot onnet. Late in the second period, Mary Kate Webb ripped a blistering shot on Winchester goalie Baile Lazarus, who turned the senior captain away with a glove save.

With time winding down in the second frame, Tracy found herself in 1-on-1 with Lazarus, who yet again rose to the occasion to preserve the shutout.

2:59 into the third period, Meave Hickey beat Crone on a wrist shot to push the Sachems ahead 2-0, and that is where it would stand.

Over the past three seasons, the Panthers have snatched back-to-back SEMGHL Northeast titles, have not missed the MIAA tournament and have gone 3819-5. 

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Melanie McAleer (Hanson) was a focal point of the Sachems’ defense. / Photo by: Sue Moss

But this go-around had the makings of something special. Not only was it the first year WHSL had made it out of the preliminary round of the tournament, it was the last season on the ice sporting red and black for seniors Tess Corkery, Crone, Sophia Dauksevicz, Katie Johnson, McAleer, Tracy and Webb. 

If there was ever a lining coming from the defeat, it is the mark all seven of them have had on the underclassmen of the team. They helped establish a culture, a tradition, a foundation and most importantly a hockey program.

“They’re a great group of girls,” Marani said. “With them, they brought girls that could have gone to other schools and now that they get the fever of WHSL hockey, I think they’re going to stay.”