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Whitman-Hanson alum Richner ready to roll as its new girls’ volleyball coach

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Alum Samantha Richner will coach Whitman-Hanson’s girls’ volleyball team.

Shortly after wrapping up her athletic and academic career at Whitman-Hanson Regional High in 2013, Samantha Richner then shifted her focus on trying to wiggle her way back into her alma mater. She has.

After four years at Bridgewater State, Richner was added to W-H’s track staff last spring and then as a cross country coach this past fall. Now, she’s been named W-H’s head girls’ volleyball coach, succeeding Ashley Balbian after two seasons.

“I’m very excited about it,” said Richner, who spent the fall of 2016 and 2017 coaching volleyball at Middleboro High. “It’s awesome to be back in Whitman-Hanson, where I grew up, and it’s a beautiful school with good facilities. I’m just excited for it.”

While she was a four-year varsity volleyball player for the Panthers, Richner will be the first to admit she wasn’t known for her prowess on the court, but rather the track. That continued at BSU, where she smashed program records on the track. However, she said all that running will work to her advantage.

“There’s a lot that I learned competing at Bridgewater that I wish I had known when I was in high school,” said Richner, who is a staff member at Whitman Middle School. “Like what’s good and what’s not good to eat and like how to stay in shape. I have a passion not just for volleyball but toward athletics and fitness and nutrition and just how to be a healthy athlete.”

Ironically enough, Richner said what draws her to volleyball the most is what makes it so different from track.

“I like volleyball because it’s a team sport,” she said. “I come from primarily a track-dominant background, so if I have a bad day in track, that’s just on me. But volleyball you have to rely on one another and that’s what I like most about coaching it.”

Richner is confident she’ll have no problem relating to her players.

“I know the facilities, the gym, what it’s like going to school there, and I know a lot of the teachers still and I know what they’re going through,” she said. “When I was at Middleboro, it was still relatable because I played the sport but it wasn’t there. Like this is their home and this is my home.”

So, what will be the characteristics of a Samantha Richner-coached team?

“High energy, exciting, driven and hard working,” she said.

The Panthers finished 8-11 last season.

“I want to bring consistency to the program,” explained Richner, who said she played for four different volleyball coaches at W-H. “My goal for them is, well obviously I want them to win and go to the tournament and even win that, but I also want consistency – to be someone they can be comfortable with. I know it’s going to be an adjustment with another head coach coming in, so long term I want consistency and to grow the program.

“I love athletics, so if I can coach I still want to be a part of it.”

A senior night to remember as boys’ lacrosse rolls past Spellman

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Seniors lead way in win over Spellman.

WHITMAN – With 5:38 remaining in the third quarter, Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior Ryan Downing stumbled to the ground on one knee, but still managed to release a shot that skipped into the net.

It was that kind of night for the Panthers (9-9), who received multi-goal efforts from five of their seniors on their night in a 16-3 dispatching of Cardinal Spellman on Friday, May 17.

It was all Downing in the opening 7:11 as the midfielder ripped home two goals to push the Panthers in front, 2-0.

After the Cardinals cut their deficit to 2-1 at the end of the first, senior Shane Ross kicked off the second tossing in the first of his game-high six goals.

Senior Riley White (two goals) would beat Spellman goalie Sean Barry to his left with a second to go in the first half to give the Panthers a 5-2 advantage at the break.

White opened the third stanza like he closed the second – powering his way in for a goal.

Ross followed shortly thereafter with his second tally to give W-H a commanding 7-3 lead and it cruised from there.

Two more goals from Downing and Ross, and a score from classmate Sean Joanis put W-H in front, 12-3, after the third.

“We had a very slow first half,” said W-H head coach Tyler Sabens. “But when we settled down to our offense and defensive systems, then we started to roll. When we start to play within our game plans, things go our way.”

Ross capped the scoring in the fourth with his sixth goal.

“This senior class, they’re just incredible leaders and incredible scholar-athletes,” Sabens said. “They do things the right way. They work hard every day in practice. They set an example to all the underclassmen on the way things are supposed to be done.

“They’re leaving a legacy that’s going to last for years beyond them graduating. That’s all I can ask for.”

W-H returns to action Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on the road against Marshfield. With a win, the Panthers make the tournament, while a loss will end their season.

“As long as we can take care of business the way we’ve been practicing I think things are looking up Tuesday against Marshfield.”

Schwede pitches W-H baseball past Duxbury, into postseason

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DUXBURY — Make it four.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High baseball team is headed to the playoffs.

Powered by 6 2/3 frames of shutout ball from senior captain Rian Schwede and a timely run in the top of the seventh inning, the Panthers bested Duxbury, 1-0, clinching their spot in the Div. 2 South tournament.

“This was a big win,” said W-H skipper Pat Cronin. “Schwede does not throw a bad game. He’s as tough as nails.”

Schwede was locked in a pitchers’ duel with his former AAU teammate, Duxbury southpaw Charlie Coon all afternoon.

Scoreless with no outs seventh inning, Coon got sophomore Danny Kent to strike out swinging. However, Kent reached first on a wild pitch. Classmate Thomas Marshall then bunted a single over the third baseman’s head, making it two on with no outs. Senior Aidan Cafferty joined the wild inning with his own bunt single, loading the bases with no outs. Four balls later, senior captain Ethan Phelps pushed across the one and only run.

After getting the first two outs, one which came on a diving stab by Kent at short stop in the bottom of the seventh, Schwede was lifted with the tying run on third. Marshall took care of the rest, inducing a fly ball to right.

“I went out there and he was honest with me and said, ‘I’m toast,’” Cronin said of pulling Schwede. “I knew we were going to go with Tommy Marshall — he’s money. What a great game.”

The Panthers (10-1) had their chances to strike early, with two runners on in each the first, third and sixth inning. But they were unable to capitalize against Coon, who stuck out 12.

“We were out hit away,” Cronin said. “But good pitching will stop good hitting, just like Schwede stopped them.”

Schwede, who entered with a 3-1 record and 0.82 ERA, didn’t allow a runner on base until the fourth.

Phelps provided a spark on offense with two hits and two steals.

W-H travels to North Quincy tomorrow for a league tilt at 4 p.m.

Season Preview: Softball team, new coach ready to go

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The softball team is under new management.

After spending the three years as the head softball coach at Massasoit before the program folded, Jordan McDermott was ready to take the year off.

Between training to run the Boston Marathon, which happens Monday, studying for her educator license and spending time with her 1-year-old nephew, she was pretty busy. Then the softball job unexpectedly opened up at Whitman-Hanson Regional High in the first week of March. She applied.

“I said to myself, ‘If I don’t get it, I don’t get it,’” said McDermott of applying.

Well, she got it, and she’s excited to dip her toes into high school softball.

“I think, high school is just a better sit for me because I have more dedicated girls and the talent is much better,” said McDermott, a para professional at Indian Head Elementary School in Hanson.

“I’m just able to mesh better with high school athletes.”

McDermott said two of her best attributes as a coach are her athleticism and youth.

“I am able to just jump in the drills with the girls and show them how to do it correctly,” she said. “A lot of these kids nowadays, they’re digital learners. So being able to have a coach who stands on with that and can jump in a drill and show them the correct way to execute a play or the correct way to slide into a base just makes me a better. I’m asking them to do quicker and get it done correctly.”

McDermott takes over a young squad that posted a seven-win season last spring under Jenna Olem, despite its ace Colleen Hughes, now playing at Westfield State, throwing just three innings due to injury.

The injury thrust then-freshman Abby Cleary into the ace role, and she hurled 94 1/3 innings. She’ll lead the staff again this season.

“She just has an excellent poker face when she’s on the mound,” McDermott said. “She shows emotion but she’s game face, game ready. She likes her role and is ready to do what she has to”.

Senior captain Kayla Crawford will be Cleary’s battery mate for the second straight season.

“She knows the program and she knows what’s expected,” McDermott said. “She knows what they’re all capable of doing. She leads by example – on and off the field. She knows the game the very well.”

A Patriot League All-Star last season, junior captain Victoria Ryan is the top bat returning. The second baseman hit a team-high .382 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.

“Victoria brings a lot to then team,” McDermott said. “She is someone who is the first one to make sure that a teammate is situated. She is the first one to put her hand on their back.”

Sophomore shortstop Reese Codero also returns as a starter. She hit .377 last spring and drove in 10 runs. Freshman Annie Cook (third base) and junior Kaylee Corbett (first base) will round out the infield.

Sophomore Emily McDonald will roam left field with junior Sophia Molinari in center and sophomore Ella Scriven flanking her in right.

“They’re just a great group of girls,” McDermott said. “I’m very lucky and very fortunate. These girls are going to have a fantastic season, I can feel it.”

The Panthers will be back in action Thursday, April 11 at 3:30 p.m. at Plymouth South.

“I just want to figure out any kinks, that we have,” McDermott said. “If I have to switch the starting nine, I have to. I see a couple of the games where I think we’re going to do very well. There’s another few games that I think that we may struggle, but it’s all mental to them.

“We’re just going to see what happens, hope we get a few wins and that’ll set the tone for the season for sure.”

Season Preview: Baseball team led on the bump

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Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers return their top two pitchers as they aim for a third straight Patriot League Keenan Division title.

It’s no secret. The Whitman-Hanson Regional High baseball is propelled by its arms.

In senior captains Ethan Phelps and Rian Schwede, the Panthers, winners of back-to-back Patriot League Keenan Division titles, return their top arms from last spring.

“I’m optimistic,” said head coach Pat Cronin, who enters the season with 467 career wins. “You’re always happy when you have your No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers returning.”

Schwede, a four-year varsity player, is the ace. The Endicott-bound right hander pitched to the tune of a 1.64 ERA over 51 1/3 innings last season.

“He’s the main guy,” Cronin said. “He’s as good as anybody in the league. It’s extremely impressive what he does. I have a lot of confidence in him.”

Phelps is one of the best No. 2s around. He posted a 1.36 ERA over 36 innings last spring.

“I’ve watched him grow a lot,” Cronin said. “He just loves the game of baseball. I’ve seen him mature mentally and physically since he was a freshman.”

Cronin said senior Sean Mackay, junior Devin Coulstring and sophomore Thomas Marshall will all likely log some innings on the bump as well.

But for the Panthers, who have been bounced in the first round of the tournament the past two years, to take the next step, their hitting must take it to the next level. Cronin said he’s already seen an improved approach.

“They’re swinging the bats how some of my really good teams have swung the bats,” Cronin said. “I’m optimistic.”

At the end of last season, Cronin challenged then-freshman starting shortstop Danny Kent to become a better hitter. Cronin said he has.

“When we went into the batting cages at the end of the year, I said, ‘Look, this is what you have to do. You got to develop a big swing, you got to turn around the head of the bat, you got to stay behind the ball and you got to catch the ball in front,’” said the coach. “He’s now swinging the bat like a veteran. What a difference.”

Two-time Patriot League All-Star, senior captain Mike Cook, is the centerpiece of the lineup. The Babson-bound second baseman knocked in a team-high 22 runs and hit .394 last season. He also stole 19 bases, which tied for the team lead.

“He’s another key guy for us,” Cronin said. “He can slide, is good defensively and a leader. We will present some problems if we get on.”

Phelps (.300 and 19 steals last season) and senior Derek Frank (.291 and 10 RBIs) will set the table for Cook. Frank moves from the right field, where he starred, to catcher. Schewde will hit fourth with Kent in the five hole.

“We have a good nucleus coming back,” Cronin said. “They were all on varsity last season. I’m confident in that group.”

Junior lefty Chris Zalewski with probably hit sixth and play third base, Coulstring is likely to hit seventh and play in right field, senior Will Newell will play in left an probably hit eighth with junior Robbie Nicholson rounding out the lineup and playing first base.

The Panthers do have their share of key losses from last season, including league all-star and catcher Ryan Sawtelle (hit team-high .400), Jimmy Dolan (hit .317) and Korey Howard (3-0 with 1.84 over 19 IP).

W-H will also set out for its third straight Patriot League Keenan Division title this season.

“If you’re not playing for the championship from Day 1, you’re never going to understand what it’s going to mean to be a program,” Cronin said. “These guys have come off three out of the past two years winning back to back championships, so they’re already way out there.”

The Panthers begin the season with a home game against league foe Scituate Monday, April 8 at 4 p.m.

“I’m looking for us to hopefully we can hit the baseball,” Cronin said. “That’s going to give us the opportunity to grow. I’m looking for them to come out and swing the bats. I pretty much can guarantee you that we’re going to play good defense and with Schwede and Phelps, we’re always in the game.”

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.”

Season Preview: Boys’ tennis team grows

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Courtesy photo

The Panthers have 10 freshmen on the roster this season.

Growing the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ tennis team’s numbers was a universal goal heading into last offseason. So far, so good.

This spring, there were 17 kids, 10 of whom were freshmen, that showed up to tryouts and made the team. There were 10 players in total on the roster last season.

“I was so excited [to see the high turnout] because to me that shows we’re building so much in the program,” said second-year head coach Alyssa Hayes, whose team finished 5-12 last season. “All of the returning players really tried to get new players to come and play.”

Hayes credited the summer tennis program run by Sue Moss, an assistant coach on the girls’ team, for the spike in numbers as well.

“I know that also helps the athletes,” Hayes said. “That helps give them a nice place to play tennis and the hope is they return in the spring.”

With such a young roster comes development.

“The 10 of them (freshmen) are new to tennis or have been playing but this is their first time being on a team for tennis,” Hayes explained. “We’re working on the basics like how to serve, how to hit cross court, how to have the best backhand grip and how to score.”

The upperclassmen are also lending a helping hand and benefiting at the same time.

“It has been really nice to see experienced players work with younger players to get everyone improving,” Hayes said. “Even the experienced players improve from working with the younger players because they bring something new to the team as well.”

For the Panthers, improvement is key this season. They return just two starters with the graduation of five key seniors from last spring.

Junior captain Brian Fox developed into a force for W-H last season. He rallied off four straight victories at one point and played a key role in the Panthers’ three-game winning streak to end the campaign. He moves from No. 2 singles to No. 1.

“He’s been holding that strong so far,” Hayes said. “He’s just so positive, so organized, he really brings consistency. He reminds the kids when practice is or he’s always there getting them stretched and started. He’s a good role model.”

A starter in doubles last season, senior Matt Hickey will be the Panthers No. 2 singles player.

“He has truly stepped up and fought his way into second singles,” Hayes said. “I am looking forward to seeing him play in the new position.”

The other spots are really up for grabs right now.

“We’re still competing, but they’re doing awesome,” Hayes said. “They’re going head to head every practice. I do have a few freshmen that are contending for that top-seven spot, too.”

The Panthers begin the season Monday, April 8 at 4 p.m. at home against Sandwich.

“I just want to build some consistency, to build some good routine” Hayes said. “I think for a lot of them, it’s new. I want to see how they do transferring their skills from practice to matches.”

Season Review: Boys’ basketball courts success

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Photo by: Sue Moss

The boys’ basketball team finished the year 18-7, including a pair of playoff wins.

Once again, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ basketball team was tasked with replacing its entire starting five at the outset of the season. Once again, it was no problem as the Panthers marched to their 11th straight tournament appearance.

“It sets the foundation for future teams to build on,” said 19-year head coach Bob Rodgers, whose team finished the year 18-7. “It’s now an expectation that we’re gonna make the state tournament.”

However, unlike last season, the Panthers advanced in the tournament, winning their first two games as the eight seed. In the first round of the Div. 2 South playoffs, they knocked off ninth-ranked Dennis-Yarmouth, 60-57, followed by a win over top-seeded Randolph, 60-51, in the quarterfinals.

“I didn’t really know what to expect going into the season,” Rodgers said. “It was really a case of a really balanced team. We didn’t have anyone who scored 15 or 20 points per game. I couldn’t be more happy than what this team accomplished and how we grew from the beginning of the year to where we were at the end.”

In their third trip to the semifinals in the past four seasons, they succumbed to second-ranked New Mission, 79-70, in overtime.

The Panthers were indeed led by a balanced effort on offense with five players contributing 5.5 ppg or more.

“We didn’t have any inside presence, in terms of pounding it into a post player, but we really got to the hoop really well,” Rodgers said. “We had a lot of guys that could drive and knock down the 3 really well.”

The Panthers certainty did knock down the 3 ball really well. After connecting on just 149 triples last season, one that Rodgers coined an apparition, they sunk around 200 this year.

Junior Ben Rice scorer led the 3-point barrage with around 50. He also led the team in scoring with over 11.6 ppg.

“Ben is an absolute gym rat,” Rodgers said. “He’s always in the gym working on his shot. He had steady improvement in his game in terms of becoming a better defender and becoming someone we can rely on to do more than just shoot the ball.”

With an ability to get into the lane for a quick two and knock down a shot from beyond the arc, sophomore Cole LeVangie produced close to 10 ppg, which was good for second on the team.

“He can handle the ball and can shoot it,” Rodgers said. “He’s very unselfish and plays a total team basketball game.”

Junior Stevie Kelly was a sparkplug at the point for the Panthers’ offense, delivering over 130 assists on the season and averaging right around 8.3 ppg.

“He’s just a hard-nosed, tough player who can affect the game on both ends of the court,” Rodgers said. “He’s a terrific defensive player. He’s physically stronger than most guards he goes up against. He was an outstanding player for us this year.”

Rodgers said he knows exactly what he is looking for from his players this offseason.

“It’s going to take the entire group to committing to getting stronger and basically playing the game together, and still improving our shooting and still improving our basketball skill,” said the coach. “It’s going to depend on which guys are bringing guys into the gym with them, not just going into the gym themselves.”

Whitman-Hanson Express Postseason Accolades: Winter Sports

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Athletes of the Season

Boys’ basketball: Stevie Kelly | Junior – From playing sparingly last season, Kelly worked his way up the depth chart and was a force on both ends of the court this winter. The point guard was third on the team in scoring at around 8 ppg and was tops in assists with over 130.

 

 

Girls’ basketball: Kathryn Dunn | Senior – The senior captain finished her Whitman-Hanson career a two-time team MVP and two-time Patriot League All-Star. The 5-foot-9 stretch forward paced the Panthers in points (11.5 ppg), rebounds (8 rpg) and steals (2.2 spg) this season. She will play at Curry.

 

 

Boys’ hockey: Owen Manning | Senior – Selected as both a Shriners and Patriot League All-Star, the forward tallied six goals and tied for the team lead with 14 assists. The senior served as an assistant captain.

 

 

Girls’ hockey: Emily McDonald | Sophomore – The sophomore forward was a staple on WHSL’s first line. A captain-elect, she ranked second on the team with 15 points, courtesy of six goals and nine assists.

 

 

Boys’ indoor track: Brandon Hager | Junior – The Panthers’ top scorer, he set personal bests in the 1,000-meter run (2:50.18) and 1-mile run (4:49.42). At the Patriot League championships, the junior placed second in the 2-mile run and was part of the second-place 4×400 relay team.

 

 

Girls’ indoor track: Ally Bartlett | Senior – The senior captain scored nearly 40 percent of the Panthers’ points this season. The team MVP, Bartlett posted team-bests in the hurdles (9.34 seconds), long jump (15-4) and shot put (26-4.5).

 

 

Wrestling: Damari Goldsmith-Greene | Sophomore – Goldsmith-Greene placed in four tournaments. A South sectional finalist at 138 pounds, he led the team with 120 points and 29 wins. He added seven pins.

 

 

Girls’ swimming/diving: Maddie Navicky | Junior – A three-time South Shore League All-Star and two-time team MVP, Navicky led the co-op in scoring. She was also a sectional and state qualifier.

 

 

Gymnastics: Sarah Bombardier | Junior – The junior earned the co-op’s top score of the season (32.55) and earned a 31.69 all-around meet average.

 

 

Coach of the Season

Boys’ hockey: Chris Googins – In the third season of his second stint with the boys’ hockey team, Googins brought the Panthers to the MIAA tournament for the first time since 2013. Googins said after the season: “It’s happening. Kids are actually taking the sport seriously and realizing that you got to play the game and train for the game year-round if you want to compete.”

 

*All photos by Sue Moss

Season Review: Boys’ hockey team leaves Googins with many reasons to be proud

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Many stepped up this season to push the Panthers to their first tournament appearance since 2013. / Photo by: Sue Moss

After the Whitman-Hanson Regional High boys’ hockey team fell to Westwood, 5-1, in the first round of the Division 2 South Sectional tournament, head coach Chris Googins had a simple message for his team.

“I told them, ‘Don’t underestimate what we achieved as a team this year. It was a few years since we’ve been to the tournament. There were a lot of good things that were accomplished this year,’” said the ninth-year coach, in his third season of his second stint with W-H.

A few years is an understatement. It had been since 2013 when the Panthers last made the playoffs. After coming within two points last season, they made it by one point this time around with a 10-9-1 mark.

“The big difference is there was a little bit more depth this year,” Googins said. “There’s some kids that emerged. A lot more depth was the key to it and when we did have injures this year, there were kids that stepped up and filled the voids and we moved on.”

Some games the Panthers were even able to roll out a third line featuring sophomore Josh Pike and juniors Calvin Cooper and Reed Watson.

“It’s the first time in my three years [back] here I can actually say we played at times three lines,” Googins said. “They did a real nice job.”

The Panthers’ top line was where, of course, they received a bulk of their production. Junior Adam Solari paced the Panthers with 10 goals and 14 assists and classmate Chris Stoddard was close behind with 13 goals and 10 assists.

“Adam had a nice season offensively,” Googins said. “When given time and space, he’s pretty creative.

“Chris Stoddard had multiple games with multiple goals. It was to absolute no surprise he could do that. He’s a gritty little kid who has good hockey IQ. He’s a very deceptive player.”

Senior assistant captain and forward Owen Manning was also a playmaker up front, potting six goals and dishing out 14 assists. Along with being one of two Panthers league all-stars, he was selected a Shriners All-Star Classic participant.

Senior captain Ed Scriven (11 goals and 12 assists) started the season on the first line but converted to defense to fill a void. He was also named a league all-star. Behind Scriven, sophomore goalie Bobby Siders, a transfer from Archbishop Williams, emerged as a rock. He held Duxbury, the eventual Division 1 state champion, to three goals over six periods of action and won consecutive do-or-die games down the stretch.

“He was given the opportunity to come in and earn the starting job, which he did,  and for the most part he was steady,” Googins said of Siders.

Googins said he can visualize Whitman-Hanson hockey becoming a contender in the not so distant future. It all starts in the spring.

“The kids are really buying into the importance of how much you have to work in the offseason and getting out of your comfort zone,” he said. “Whether it’s working out or whether it’s trying to play high-level hockey in the offseason to compete with surrounding towns. It’s happening. Kids are actually taking this sport seriously and realizing that you got to play the game and train for the game year-round if you want to compete.”