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Dealing with a delayed spring sports season at Whitman-Hanson

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The spring sports season is delayed until at least May 4.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ tennis team, optimism was high — and rightfully so — as it looked toward this spring.

The Panthers are set to return all 18 players from last year’s team that won its first tournament game in program history.

Now, the girls’ tennis team, like the rest of the clubs, is grappling with a delayed start to the spring due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We were looking forward to our best season thus far,” said girls’ tennis head coach Sue Sookiasian. “Coach (Sue) Moss and I are keeping the faith that we will be able to have some sort of an abbreviated season.”

This spring is also key for the boys’ lacrosse team, but for the opposite  reason. The Panthers are tasked with making up for the loss of 10 seniors. Five of those seniors combined for 112 goals, one was its Patriot League All-Star starting goaltender and another was a captain on defense.

“It’s definitely tough because I would have liked to get a full season in to develop the younger guys because the majority of starters last year were seniors,”  said boys’ lacrosse head coach Tyler Sabens. “I’m hopeful that we’ll have a spring season even if it’s short.”

If all goes as planned and there are no further setbacks, that short spring season will get underway on May 4 with tryouts. Games will get underway about a week later, according to athletic director Bob Rodgers. 

Baseball skipper Pat Cronin, who started coaching 47 years ago, has never seen anything like this, but he understands the delay is necessary. 

“[I] Feel for the kids, of course,” Cronin said. “The seniors are in their final year and will be unable to ever get back the time missed. While virtually my entire life has been centered about the classroom and athletic fields, missing a season or part of a season is a small price to pay if we can help to save lives.”

Head girls’ lacrosse coach AC Decker, who was hired last offseason, is possibly facing his first spring without picking up a stick since he was introduced to the sport back in 1975. 

“The girls are devastated, especially the seniors,” Decker said. “I can tell that there were many players who were very prepared and ready for the season. The captains, Marissa Connell and Riley Bina (sitting at 92 career goals), organized teams for indoor leagues and kept the players motivated.

“Going into my second year, I felt much better prepared. We were hosting a small preseason jamboree, and I was able to set my schedule this year.”

Josh Lopes is set to enter his first spring at the helm of the boys’ tennis team. He doesn’t think the season will actually happen — and if it does — he won’t have a good feeling going in. 

“I don’t know much about the team at all, especially what the experience levels are,” Lopes said. “Quite a few are first-year players. I had met with anyone interested in playing but it does feel like we are going into the season essentially blind. I don’t really know what to expect in terms of ability and players. It was actually part of the excitement for me, thinking about what the possibilities could be.”

Steve George, the girls’ outdoor track head coach, noted it’s frustrating not being able to communicate with his athletes about potential practices and workouts because of a strict MIAA policy that states, “A coach may not directly or indirectly require an athlete to participate in a sport or a training program outside of the MIAA defined sport season.”

“This pandemic has created an immensely frustrating time for me as a coach,” George said. “I’m literally isolated from the athletes, but in addition there are rules placing limitations on what we can discuss or suggest out of season.”

With that said, he is immensely concerned about his athletes getting hurt if the season ends up getting underway.

“I have a growing concern about injury, if and when we do return,” he said. “Accelerating training would increase that likelihood, and the MIAA will proceed with caution to ensure adequate practices take place prior to competition. But many of the athletes will not want to hold back, despite a lengthy period of inactivity and that could be disastrous. My job is to keep them healthy and safe and that is how I intend to proceed.”

Boys’ outdoor track head coach Stephen Schlicting tries to post a tweet each day to keep in touch with his athletes, but he knows it’s not the same as seeing their faces. 

“It seems like a long time since I’ve seen the team,” said Schlicting, who also coaches the boy’s indoor track team. “I’m hoping we have this thing beat by May 4. We had a very good group this past winter, and I’m looking forward to the others who will join and start next month.”

Softball head coach Jordan McDermott has been doing her best to keep her players’ spirits up. 

“I did do a challenge for a week with the girls where I gave them a challenge and they had the option to do something,” McDermott explained. “I loved how I made it not only for the softball girls but for all those who follow my account; it was pretty cool to see other girls from other schools and towns get involved. I go live here and there on my account and try to check in on the student-athletes. My goal is to keep the girls engaged, active and optimistic.”

One thing is certain: each coach is devastated for their senior(s). 

Season Review: Injuries hamper girls’ lacrosse

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The girls’ lacrosse team vs. East Bridgewater. / Photo by: Marcus Casey

The girls’ lax team had a 7-11 record and bunch of injuries.

It was yet another injury-riddled campaign for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ lacrosse team.

Senior captain Annika Putur (whole season), senior goaltender Marie Foscaldo (out for season after spring break), senior starting defenders Chloe O’Neil (six-plus games) and Gabby Trongone (seven-plus games), junior starting midfielder Riley Bina (seven games), sophomore Maggie Newcomb (six games), freshman starting goalie Ava Barry (last four games) and junior defender Treasa Duffy (missed most of the first half of season) missed significant time as the Panthers missed out on the tournament for just the second time in the last six years with a 7-11 record.

First-year head coach AC Decker said that despite the sub-.500 record, he felt the season went well.

“I feel I met the team where they were at and threw a lot of new concepts their way as the season went on,” he said. “I think they really gelled as a team.”

The Panthers’ performance in a rigorous Patriot League didn’t do them any favors. They went 2-9 against their league foes.

“It’s a tough league to move up in,” Decker said. “We had a pattern of starting games slowly and that let teams get out to an early lead. It’s hard to play from behind on a regular basis. We did better with this as the season went on, having some game where we played the full 50 minutes, but this is still a work in progress.”

What’s not a work in progress is Bina. Not even missing nearly 10 games could hold her back. She led the club with 37 goals, which she complemented with 13 helpers en route to Patriot League All-Star status.

“Riley earned the respect of her teammates due to her competitive nature and also her pure skill to transition the ball and find the back of the net with great shooting percentage,” Decker said. “She also tended to score more goals in competitive games than against easier opponents.”

Senior attack and captain Zoe Lydon was the lynchpin to the offense, racking up 35 goals and a team-high 53 points.

“Zoe leaves everything she has out on the field,” Decker said. “She takes it to the goal when needed and rides all the way to the other restraining line. She was one of the few players who consistently put in solid 50-minute games.”

Senior captain Sami Whitman (25 goals and nine assists), classmate Taylor Ross (20 goals and seven assists) and freshman Brooke Connors (12 goals and seven assists) also put forth solid offensive seasons.

One player that surprised Decker wasn’t on offense, but rather the other side of the field. It was freshman Joli Flamos, who started every game.

“Joli Flamos, who had not played before, was showing incredible speed, agility and a great sense of where to be on defense,” Decker said. “I took a risk and put her on varsity and the rest is history.”

Decker said the high point of the season for him wasn’t a win, a goal or a great play, but watching the girls gel – older and underclassmen.

“I remember at the end of season, at Pembroke during the JV game and the varsity players were sitting on the track joking with each and had to quiet themselves down,” he recalled. “I watched how the younger players were as much a part of it as the seniors. I remember smiling, thinking, ‘This is what it is all about, seeing them together as a team.’”

Decker said he has his work cut out for him over the next few months.

“In the offseason, I plan to go back through the game film and pull out select clips of things we do well and need to continue to do,” he said. “I will also take clips of what the other teams are doing well that we need to do. I also know what we need to work on and I will plow through my drill books and create some new drills to address our weaknesses.

“Also, due to all the injuries, we ended the season with 27 players on the roster, so we return 18 players for next season, all of whom were with the team since spring break.”

Season Preview: New girls’ lacrosse coach AC Decker aiming to continue winning ways

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New girls’ lacrosse coach AC Decker is looking to build on the program’s past success– and more.

After spending the past four years as a referee, AC Decker is looking forward to leading the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ lacrosse program this spring.

“I’ve been working on development of goalies,” said Decker, whose spent many years working with the Hingham and Norwell lacrosse programs. “I’ve been involved in growing programs, so it seems like a good fit for me at Whitman-Hanson.”

And the Panthers are certainly a growing program, having made the tournament four out of the past five seasons under the tutelage of former head coach Dave Rowell, despite playing a rigorous Patriot League schedule.

“My goal is to do at least the minimum of what they’ve been doing,” Decker said. “They have a really good base.”

Decker said he’s looking to build on the foundation Rowell poured, while implementing a few of his own tweaks.

“An example (of a tweak) on defense is how to hold the stick,” said the first-year head coach. “They tended to hold the stick straight up or tipped forward, and I want the bottom hand out and the stick tipped backward.

“On offense, everybody can play lefty and righty. They’re more comfortable typically with their right hand. So if they catch the ball in their right hand, heading toward the defender, the defender checks it and they lose the ball and that’s been happening. So I’m really pushing them to use the outside hand, no matter what hand it is.”

Coming off a 10-10 season, which included a tournament win, the Panthers were hit hard by graduation. They lost Kasey Molito (their single-season saves leader) in net, Lauren Bonavita (team-high 67 goals) and defenders Cam Boyce and Camille Miller. Senior captain Annika Putur was their only returning defender, and she’s out for the season with a torn ACL.

Freshman Joli Flamos and junior Marissa Connell are likely to anchor the Panthers on defense. The position behind them, goalie, is a three-way battle between senior Marie Foscaldo, junior Brooke Beauregard and freshman Ava Barry.

While the defense is a bit uncertain, the offense is not. Senior captain and attacker Zoe Lydon (30 goals and 23 assists) and junior midfielder Riley Bina (29 goals and 21 assists) will shoulder the load.

“I see them definitely as key contributors,” Decker said. “We can strike pretty quickly, which is something I focused on. We’ve really worked on where to position yourself. When the transitions have occurred, they’re done it really well.”

Senior captain and attack Samantha Whitman and sophomore midfielder Savannah Poirier should both also contribute on offense as well.

The Panthers will be back in action Thursday, April 4 at 4 p.m. at Hingham.

“I’m looking for the girls to implement 85 percent of what I taught them,” Decker said. “I think we’ll do well with that. We have some pretty competitive teams early on. My goal is to be the best team we can the first day of the playoffs.”