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Leahy steps down as boys’ soccer coach

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After four seasons, Dave Leahy has stepped down as the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer head coach.

A challenge.

That’s what Dave Leahy was looking for — and had — when he took over the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team back in 2017.

Leahy inherited a team that won just one game the previous season, hadn’t been to the tournament in three years and plays in one of the toughest leagues in the state, to boot.

“My goal for the program was to make them believe they could be winners, by putting in the hard work, believing in the results and playing together,” he said.

His message resonated. The Panthers made the postseason in Year No. 1 and went on to two times in his first three years.

But after a four-year run at W-H, which saw the program finish about .500 twice, Leahy has resigned due to work commitments.

“I’m very proud of what the team was able to do during my four years at W-H,” Leahy said. “In three out of the four years we were a playoff-quality team. Every year we had a member of the team graduate and go to play soccer in college, including two that will play this fall. As a team, we started to believe we could defeat the perennial power houses in our difficult league.”

And as a team, W-H kept it positive on the pitch.

“We were good sportsman in my four years, never getting a red card and getting few yellow cards over that time,” Leahy said. “Our style of soccer became very fun to watch overall.”

Leahy said it was a difficult decision to step down.

“It was very hard,” he said. “I really enjoyed being a Panther. Plus, the current team is ready to have a very strong year, and more importantly they are a great group. I wanted to be there to help lead them in any way I could.”

What’s Leahy most proud of accomplishing during his tenure at W-H?

“I’m most proud that opponents and observers of the team respect us now,” he said. “Every team knew they had to play their best, or we were going to come away happy if they didn’t.”

Leahy said he enjoyed his time on the Panthers’ sideline.

“It was a pleasure coaching at W-H,” Leahy said. “I got to coach some incredible young men. Everything wasn’t always easy, as most high school coaches and teachers find in our current times, but the positives were so much greater than the negatives. I hope for nothing but the best for the players I’ve coached at W-H and good luck to ones I didn’t get a chance to coach.”

Season Review: Boys’ soccer meets challenges

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The boys’ soccer team huddles up. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team was a tough out this season.

Proud.  

It’s what fourth-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy is of his club following this past fall. 

“We faced challenges that no Whitman-Hanson team has ever had to endure, but each and every one of these players met the challenges of this 2020 COVID season,” Leahy said. “We have really turned a corner in our program where we expect to now be in every game. This group further put in the minds of our opponents that facing the Panthers is a very difficult challenge.” 

The Panthers finished the season with a 6-7 record, which included a 2-1 win over Hanover in the first round of the Patriot Cup before falling to Duxbury, 3-2, in double overtime the following game. The Panthers lost four games by just one goal. They were defeated by Duxbury, 2-1, in the regular season, dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker against Hingham in the 77th minute and fell to Marshfield, 2-1. 

“We really enjoyed our schedule in a shortened, uncertain season,” Leahy said. “Every single game was a playoff-like atmosphere. So, if we were going to have a shortened schedule, this was perfect for us to show what we can do and get better.” 

Leahy said his team’s strength was its courage. 

“Our style of soccer we have created at Whitman-Hanson takes a lot of bravery to play correctly against top competition,” said the head coach. “We showed that we are brave enough to play our game against anyone.” 

Senior captains Peyton Collins and Brendan Nehiley set the tone for the Panthers this fall. 

A forward, Nehiley scored a team-high five goals to go along with five assists and was named a Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star. Leahy said Nehiley’s summertime job landscaping played a big part in his success. 

“This grown up maturity and physical strength he gained from this made him ready to help lead our group and be stronger to make a real presence known in each game,” Leahy said. “Brendan put this strength and maturity on display this season. He will be missed.” 

Collins, who returned to the team last year after spending his sophomore season at Boston College High, will also be missed. The midfielder netted four goals and dished out a team-high six assists and was tabbed an EMSCA All-Star.  

“Peyton brings professionalism in how he approaches every single part of our training sessions and our games,” Leahy explained. “His will to compete every second was his best quality he passed on to our team, and his intelligence on the ball will be sorely missed.” 

Junior captain Sean McAlpine anchored the defense in front of the goalkeeping tandem of senior Randy Elfman and junior Ethan Smith. 

“Sean is a natural leader and his communication is second to none at his age,” Leahy said. “Sean and senior captain Dalton Desrocher really delivered this summer holding training sessions that were safe and competitive all summer long. Every other player played a big role in making us such a competitive team this season.”

And McAlpine, along with the likes of Jack Allen (junior midfielder), Alex Chichlowski (junior center back), Wesley Silva Marquez (sophomore striker)  and Jayden Stafford (junior midfielder) should play a big role in making the Panthers a competitive team next season. 

“We needed to go out and prove ourselves each and every game and every practice,” Leahy said. “We hope to carry this chip on our shoulders next season as well.

“We achieved our main goal of staying healthy during this pandemic, and we kept pushing our program to demand respect in this very tough division. Next fall, we start all over again.”

Season Preview: For boys’ soccer team, improving is the goal

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The boys’ soccer team is looking for constant improvement this season.

The goals are pretty simple this fall for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team.

“Keeping our health is No. 1,” said fourth-year head coach Dave Leahy. “Then improving and having fun are right behind our health.”

Leahy’s messages have resonated since he’s taken the helm of the Panthers, leading them to the tournament in two of the last three seasons, including last fall. There may not be a state tournament to aim for this season, but the philosophy doesn’t waiver. 

“To keep building the program, we have to look at how hard we worked in the off-season, and I’d say that as a group this W-H team worked very hard in the offseason,” he said. “Now we just put all that hard work into a team effort and keep improving each day together.”

The departure of League All-Stars and two-year captains, Stevie Kelly and Jason Broduer, left immense voids for W-H. Brodeur, who is now at Endicott College, paced the Panthers with 17 goals last season, while Kelly anchored the defense and was named to the EMass all-state team. Fellow captain and netminder Andrew Sullivan also graduated. The trio has passed the torch to now-seniors Peyton Collins, Dalton Desrocher, Brendan Nehiley and junior Sean McAlpine this fall.

“They all bring great leadership intangibles to the team, and each has something different to add to the group,” Leahy said of his captains this season. “This is an extremely hard time to be a captain, [but] they have been outstanding thus far.”

Senior Randy Elfman has replaced Sullivan in goal.

“Using Sully’s example, Randy worked extremely hard since the end of last fall to make himself into the best goalie he could, and he definitely has improved a lot,” Leahy said. “He looks to have a strong senior season.”

W-H will be back on the pitch Tuesday, Oct. 27 at home against Silver Lake at 4 p.m.

“[We] are a unified team that works hard each and every day,” Leahy said. “I’d like to see this continue.”

‘Tis the season: Panther athletes get set to play on a very different field

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The fall sports season starts on Friday, Sept. 18 at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

The wait is almost over.

After nearly six months without high school sports, the fall season is finally set to get underway tomorrow at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

Cross country, field hockey, boys’ golf, soccer and girls’ volleyball will all begin practice. Football and fall cheerleading were moved to February.

“These have been difficult times for all of us, but especially our kids,” said W-H athletic director Bob Rodgers. “I am so excited to see them back with their coaches and teammates. I’m not sure people truly understand how much being part of a team means to our students but I know this will help them deal with these uncertain times.

“Our teachers have been working so hard for the return to school and the same holds true for our coaches. I hope everyone remembers that this is uncharted territory for all of us and we will do the best we can to serve our students the best we can. We will learn as we go and adjust when necessary.”

There are a few major changes coming to some sports. Field hockey will be played 7-on-7 instead of 11-on-11. There will be no throw-ins, slide tackling or heading the ball in soccer.

“This season is most certainly challenging, but we will meet this challenge with a covered smile,” said boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy.

That feeling is universal.

“I’m very excited that we get the chance to play this season,” said girls’ soccer junior Kelsee Wozniak. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge with the new rules, but the fact we even are allowed to play is great.”

Said girls’ volleyball junior Lily Welch: “All of my teammates and I are super excited about having a season. Even though it’s hard under the guidelines, we have all been getting together and training with each other. We have also had the chance to be teachers and work with the incoming freshman and I love that.”

There also won’t be a state tournament, but Wozniak said she’ll have no issue staying motivated playing in the Patriot League.

“We play in a very strong conference with talented teams,” she said. “Our goal is to compete and win our league. That will drive us every day to work very hard as a team.”

Regardless of what this upcoming season will look like or even how it may play out, one thing is certain heading into it.

“I can’t wait to get started,” said boys’ and girls’ cross country head coach Steve George.

Season Review: Panther boys’ soccer team has a rebound year

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Brendan Nehiley battles for the ball during the Panthers’ game against Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers made the tournament for the second time in three years.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team set out to put a disappointing four-win campaign last fall behind it, and it did just that.

The Panthers went 10-8-2, earning a berth in the Div. 2 South tournament for the second time in three years. The Panthers, entered as the 11th seed, and fell to Bishop Feehan, 2-1, in the first round.

“This was a good year for us, and I am proud of the whole program because we seemed to have a lot of fun this season and we learned more as a result,” said third-year W-H head coach Dave Leahy.

The loss to the Shamrocks put a punctuation mark on the careers of Jason Brodeur and Stevie Kelly. Both were league all-stars and two-year captains.

A forward headed to Endicott College, Brodeur paced the Panthers with 17 goals.

“Jason came into this season having improved a great deal,” Leahy said. “He had a good overall season, but I think he started to play his best soccer toward the end of the season, and this is exactly what every leader should do. Jason grew as a leader and he was a great example for us all.”

Kelly, who was also a league all-star last season, anchored the defense and was tabbed to the EMass all-state team.

“He managed to improve even more this year,” Leahy said. “Halfway through the season, he really started to take on his leadership role and pushed his teammates to be their best, by being just a great example of how to work hard everyday, 24/7. Stevie showed this program what hard work can do for you.”

Another prime example of what hard work can do for you is senior goaltender Andrew Sullivan, who looked like a different player this past fall. He turned the goaltending position from an Achilles heel last autumn to a strength this season.  After a strong start to the year, Leahy couldn’t overlook what he was doing, so he made him a captain.

“Sully had one of the best turn around seasons I have been a part of coaching,” Leahy said. “He worked as hard as he could immediately following last year‘s season, all the way until last week. He gained confidence from this work and he became an outstanding example for his teammates and the whole program.”

The transfer back to W-H of juniors Joel Arsenault and Peyton Collins had an immense impact on the Panthers’ season as well. Arsenault had five goals and two assists, while Collins had four goals and a co-team-high seven assists, before his season was cut short due to an injury on Oct. 7 against Marshfield.

“Peyton didn‘t skip a beat, and he basically joined the coaching staff the rest of the way,” Leahy said. “What a great leader and future coach Peyton is.”

Leahy knew not having Collins on the field was going to challenge his team, which responded by winning its next game, 1-0, at Martha’s Vineyard.

“It was a character test for us and we came away with a victory and important belief,” Leahy said. “That allowed us to have success against Duxbury (2-0 win), Hingham (1-1 tie) and come very close to beating Bishop Feehan.”

With Arsenault and Collins, both of whom can play midfield and forward, headlining the returning players next fall, along with junior midfielder Brendan Nehiley (seven goals, seven assists) and sophomore center back Alex Chichlowski, Leahy is optimistic for what the future holds.

“The outlook of the program is to get back to the playoffs again next season,” said the coach. “Keep learning and keep getting better.”

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 Review: For boys’ soccer team, an ‘unlucky, learning’ season

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The Panthers huddle up. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers had a four-win season due to a variety of reasons.

Head coach Dave Leahy described this past season as an unlucky, learning experience for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team, which went 4-14-1.

The Panthers were down three key pieces before the season even began with the transfers of sophomores Peyton Collins to BC High and Joel Arsenault to Brockton and broken ankle of junior midfielder Adam Milewski, sustained in the preseason.

However, the Panthers hung tough at the outset — rallying around the losses rather than using them as excuses — as evident by their 2-0 start.

But once they got into their first half of league play, the Panthers dropped six of their next seven, and finding the net was becoming an issue. W-H pumped in just 10 goals over those seven games. Four of them came in a 4-1 victory over Plymouth South.

“The biggest difference between this year and last year (11-8-1) was the group of seniors,” the second-year head coach said. “Last year we had more seniors who had played together for many years. This year our group of seniors was smaller in numbers and had played together a lot less.”

As the fall wore on, W-H lost sophomore starter Brendan Nehiley for two weeks and junior starting goalie Andrew Sullivan for the last fourth of the season.

With the rash of injuries came opportunities, and sophomore Dalton Desrocher took advantage.

“Dalton Desrocher stepped up and had a consistent season in the center midfield positions, playing consistent defense, passing the ball well and adding a few goals,” Leahy said.

The boys did finish the year on a high note with a 2-1 triumph over Rockland.

“It was like our only playoff game,” Leahy said. “It was important for seniors to go away with a positive and for returning players to have something to build on in the preseason.”

The Panthers were led on offense by nine goals and three assists from junior captain Jason Broduer and seven goals and four assists from senior Nolan Clack.

The defense was buoyed by senior Ben Rogers and junior captain Stevie Kelly, the team’s lone Patriot League All-Star.

Leahy said as disappointing as the campaign was, he’s optimistic the team can use it to its advantage.

“We worked very hard as a group heading into the 2018 season, but bad luck got in our way,” Leahy said. “I hope the disappointments felt by returning players in the program will feel motivated to improve as much as they possibly can to get us back on the more successful side in 2019.”

Clack clicking for W-H boys’ soccer

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Clack against Pembroke this season. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Through the Panthers’ first three games, senior midfielder Nolan Clack has two goals and two assists.

Senior midfielder Nolan Clack has been a man on a mission this season for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team.

It took the four-year varsity player just two games to match his goal total (two) and halve his assist total (four) from last fall. In the Panthers’ season opener, Clack racked up two assists in a 2-1 victory over defending Div. 4 South champion Cohasset, 2-1. His first came off a corner kick to junior captain Jason Broduer and other came toward the end of the first half when he fed sophomore Brad Pelissier, who found the back of the net.

Two days later, Clack was the one finding the back of the net – not once, but twice – in a 6-1 triumph over Rockland. His first tally came five minutes in to set the tone, putting W-H up 1-0. With 15 minutes left in the opening frame, Clack scored again to make it 4-0.

“What he did in the first half against Cohasset and the first again against Rockland, he made us a better team because of his play,” W-H boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy explained.

PUTTING IN THE WORK

Clack’s early success was preceded by a summer centered around soccer. After back-to-back tough seasons in 2015 (4-14) and 2016 (1-16), both of which Clack were a part of, he and the Panthers got a taste of success last fall in what was their first season under Leahy. Their win total rose by 10 and they made the playoffs for the first time in three years. The advances had Clack wanting more and aiming to be a bigger part of the action. So, he knew the work he had to put in to better his game.

“Every day, me and captain Steve Kelly, we just went to the field,” Clack said. “We just worked on everything we needed to over the offseason. Every day.”

Improving hisshot was high on his to-do list. “My dad would come to the field and [my right foot was] all we’d work on for like an hour,” Clack said.

In addition to just coming to the field, Clack was in game action for a few months with his club team, the FC Boston Bolts, playing in numerous tournaments. Leahy’s noticed the effort put in.

“Nolan has done an excellent job at coming back from his junior year to his senior year, and he worked as hard as he could in the offseason to make himself the best player he can be, and he’s continuing to work hard,” Leahy said.

Adding more fire to Clack’s desire for success was when he found out the Panthers were going to be down two key players to transfer just a few weeks before the season.

“It just put a chip on our shoulder,” Clack said. “We don’t want to show that were bad, we don’t want to show that we’re too good, we just wanna play the way we wanna play.”

Clack looks to keep rolling Friday, Sept. 21 when the Panthers (2-1) host Hanover at 4 p.m.

“I just want to get over .500 and help the team as much as possible to win,” Clack said.

Season Preview: Leahy, W-H boys’ soccer team positive and optimistic

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The Pathers’ during their Aug. 25 scrimmage against Bridgewater-Raynham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team is rallying around positivity.

As he enters his second season at the helm of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team, Dave Leahy is preaching the same message to his players as when he first got there.

“Last year it was to be positive and I think every single year, the goal is to be positive and make each player try to bring out the best in each other,” Leahy said.

His reasoning is straightforward.

“I think negativity gets the opposite (of success), so positivity helps people feel like they can do their best,” Leahy explained.

Leahy’s logic seemed to have played at least a part in the Panthers’ success last season, of course with player production accounting for a big chunk. W-H finished with 11 wins (10 more than the previous season), cracked the postseason for the first time since 2014 and even won a game (2-1 over Catholic Memorial) in them.

“Well, we were the first team to make playoffs in a while so it proves that we can get there,” current junior captain Stevie Kelly said.

Positivity doesn’t just translate into wins, but also acts as a way to pull the Panthers closer, especially at the outset of this fall. In addition to graduating a skilled crop of seniors — headlined by former captains Anthony Pasciuto (goalie and Patriot League All-Star), Kyle Nehiley (forward and Patriot League All-Star) and Cameron Rogers (defender) — W-H had a trio of unexpected departures that tested its program.

“We had a few really talented players [leave us],” Leahy explained. “We had an injury, and a private school and then going to another public school, and that happened in the last two weeks.

“But what happened was the team kind of just came together instead of separating and kids realized there was opportunity where maybe there wasn’t as much before.”

The Panthers may have had a few talented players exit for a variety of reasons, but they return a solid core.

Kelly provides a steady presence in many facets of the game at centre-back.

“Last year he was all hustle and just won balls for us,” Leahy said of his captain. “This year he’s our field general and he’s the intelligent guy leading our defense. The maturity, and the leadership and growth is just great to see.”

Senior Matt Hickey and juniors Kyle O’Connor and Cezar Zurita return in front of the net as well.

“I think our strength right now would probably be our defense and possessing,” Kelly said.

Along with Kelly, junior Jason Brodeur will also captain the Panthers. The junior midfielder was their leading goal scorer last fall with nine.

“He’s a talented kid,” Leahy explained. “Everything he has for weaknesses he made sure that he worked on in the offseason. He wants to be as good as he can so he doesn’t just work on his strengths, he works on his weaknesses.”

Senior Nolan Clack (two goals and four assists in ’17) and sophomore Brendan Nehiley (seven goals and five assists) also both provide some playmaking ability and experience in the middle.

The goalkeeper position is still up for grabs between senior Griffin Nickerson and junior Andrew Sullivan.

“Right now, we have two strong contenders,” Leahy said. “It could be that they split time, who knows?”

The Panthers open their season Saturday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. with a home game against Cohasset.

“I think that we can play good, successful soccer,” Leahy said. “I’m not sure what the overall record will be at the end of the year, but we’ll play some good brand of soccer and we’ll play good defense and we’ll play together.”

Season Review: Boys’ soccer rises to meet challenge

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The Panthers after a Nov. 4 win over Catholic Memorial in the opening round of the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer team – under the watch of first-year head coach Dave Leahy – qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2014.

At the outset of the season, first-year Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ soccer head coach Dave Leahy acknowledged there were challenges ahead.

“I am looking for our players to face the multiple challenges each game throws at us in a positive, unified effort. If we can stay together as a family throughout the first two weeks, we will be able to face any challenge going forwardtogether,” he said.

The Panthers entered the new year trying to put a wretched one-win 2016 campaign in the rearview mirror.

W-H opened 2017 with a 3-2 loss to Silver Lake, and eventually finished out its first week of play at 0-3. It was tough, but the Panthers remained confident they had what it took to be successful.

In their second week of action, the Panthers had turned the corner. It started with a 3-2 win on the road against Plymouth South and carried over to a 3-0 victory over Plymouth North three days later.

“We started to believe and we kept pushing forward each day after that,” Leahy said. “We had some setbacks but it was never for too long. We had a few bad halves, but never a bad game. We kept learning and improving.”

W-H, driven by a sheer desire to succeed, would then go on to claim victories in eight out its next 13 games to cap off the regular season at 10-7-1. In the midst of the Panthers’ surge, a 2-1 triumph over Quincy qualified them for the Div. 2 South Sectional tournament for the first time since 2014. Leahy said it was just a case of getting his team to buy into the fact it could be successful.

“For whatever reasons the team had been unlucky for a few seasons, and as a result we had learned that we were typically on the losing end at the end of the game,” he said. “So, getting this belief changed for us was the biggest.” In the preliminary round of the tournament, No. 13 W-H downed No. 21 Catholic Memorial, 2-1, in game that was decided with penalty kicks.

However, in the next round, the Panthers’ run came to an end at the hands of Oliver Ames, 4-0.

“The biggest advantage was playoff experience,” Leahy said. “They wanted to jump out early and try and end the game quickly. And they succeeded in doing so.”

While postseason maturity may have worked against W-H this November, the script may be flipped next time around. The Panthers will have an abundance of young talent back in the fold next season, which includes four of their top-five goal scorers in sophomores Jason Brodeur and Adam Milewski, and freshmen Joel Arsenault and Brendan Nehiley.”

The majority of teams that win championships were in the playoffs in prior years,” Leahy said. “So, playoff experience is integral to a successful program.”

As for departures, W-H will lose 11 seniors – headlined by captains Kyle Nehiley, Anthony Pasciuto and Cameron Rogers. Their shoes won’t be easy to fill.

“They came into preseason motivated,” Leahy said. “They worked hard in the offseason and were ready to play hard this summer. Each day they all worked hard to improve and their efforts were noticed by our underclassmen. They took their role seriously and led with courage. They were outstanding for us.”

As the Panthers embark on the offseason, there is a lot more clarity now then there was just a few short months ago.

“I am extremely proud,” Leahy said. “This team had to learn a lot and do it quickly together. They came together and worked hard for each other and kept pushing forward. It was a fun ride.”