Sports 02-01-2018

WHS sports roundup

WHS gymnastics hands Beverly first loss in eight years

The Winthrop High gymnastics team put it all together last week to knock off perennial North Shore powerhouse Beverly, ending the Lady Panthers’ winning streak of 70 meets that had extended over a stretch of eight years.

Brandi Carter, Winthrop’s top all-around, had pulled a Tom Brady, injuring her hand in practice before the big meet.

“Brandi sprained her middle finger doing a back handspring on the balance beam,”  said WHS coach Daria Millerick.

However, the setback did not deter Brandi,  who hit all four of her routines for a season-high all-around score of 35.25.

“Brandi was in the zone tonight,” said WHS coach Pete Gobiel. “She was focused and got the job done.

Leading the way on the first event, the uneven bars, was Mary O’Donnell, with her usual perfect bar routine, scoring 7.6.

She was followed by the youngest Lady Viking, Alayna Ronan, with an 8.2. The top scores on the bars were turned in by Megi Zogasi and Brandi DiCicco with scores of 8.6 and 8.65 respectively.

The vault was the second event for the Lady Vikings, with captain Lacy Scott leading the way with an 8.25, followed by O’Donnell, who stuck her first handspring to establish a personal record of 8.4.

Zogasi and Danielle Carter scored 8.45 and 8.55. Brandi hit her twisting vault to record an 8.65.  But not to be outdone, Rachel Farley performed her handspring-full twist to earn an 8.85 for first place.

After the first two events the Lady Vikings held a slim lead, 67.55-66.16, going into their best event, the floor exercise.

“The girls knew they had to be at their best to beat Beverly in their own gym,” said Gobiel.

Leading off for the Lady Vikings was Emily Rodriguez, who came through with a solid routine, scoring an 8.25, followed by Gabriella Giuffre with an 8.55.

Farley and Ronan hit their routines with scores of 8.6 and 8.7. Both Carter and DiCicco then stole the show on the floor, both scoring 9.0 for their highest scores of the season.

However, for Winthrop to ensure a victory, the girls would have to face their biggest obstacle of the season, the balance beam. “Staying on the beam had been a focus of last week’s practice,” noted Millerick.

The first two up for the Lady Vikings, Scott and Gracie Armitstead, scored 7.9 and 7.95. Winthrop needed a few stuck routines and Ronan didn’t disappoint the mostly Winthrop crowd with a season high of 8.7.

“Danielle Carter hit one of her best routines on the balance beam and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Gobiel of Danielle’s season-high mark of an 8.8 to seal the Winthrop  victory.

Carter, swollen finger and all, performed flawlessly, ending the Lady Vikings’ competition for the night with her personal-best score of 8.95, which also was the highest beam score of the evening.

“The girls set some goals at the beginning of the season and beating Beverly for the first time in over eight years was one they can check off the list,” declared Gobiel.

The Lady Vikings’ next competition is tomorrow (Friday) at 7 p.m. at the Winthrop Gymnastics Academy against Essex Tech. This will be the final meet of the season prior to next Friday’s League Meet at the Yellow Jacket facility in Middleton.

 

Exciting week for WHS boys basketball;Youth Night is Friday

The Winthrop High boys basketball team enjoyed an exciting and productive week.

On the plus side, the Vikings traveled to non-league rival Maimonides Academy on Sunday and came home with a 72-61 victory.

Winthrop grabbed a 38-26 lead at the half and never was challenged thereafter en route to a 72-61 triumph. Junior guard Chromo Washington scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Vikings. Devin Pulsifer hit for 16 points and Alex Dernier added 12.

Last Friday Winthrop took on a very tough opponent when Malden came to town. The Vikings got off to a good start as Tayjuan McKenzie, Pulsifer, and David Diaz led the way with 14, 11, and eight points respectively in the first half, enabling Winthrop to go into the locker room with a 38-32 advantage.

The second half proved more of the same, with both teams going back-and-forth to the final possession. With Winthrop trailing 79-77, Pulsifer powered to the rim with six seconds to go in regulation to knot matters at 79-79 and force the contest into overtime.

The Vikings had their chances to put Malden away in the OT session, but the visiting Golden Tornadoes hung tough and pulled out an 85-79 win.

Winthrop was led in the scoring department by McKenzie with 25 points, Pulsifer with 24, Diaz with 11, and Washington with 10.

Coach Dave Sacco and his Vikings will host Swampscott tomorrow (Friday) evening in a contest that will be highlighted by the always-popular Youth Night festivities. The event will feature a giant raffle, with a grand prize of Apple Air Pods. Other prizes include Nike basketball sweatshirts and X-box and I-tune gift cards. There also will be a half-court shot competition at half-time.

Pizza from the Pizza Center and home-made baked goods will be available for sale.

 

 

WHS girls hockey defeats Waltham, 2-0

The Winthrop High girls hockey team chalked up a 2-0 victory over Waltham last Wednesday at Larsen Rink.

The Lady Vikings outshot Waltham, 14-3, in the opening period, but the Waltham goalie was equal to the task, leaving Winthrop empty-handed and taking a 0-0 tie into the first intermission.

The Lady Vikings continued to control play at both ends of the ice in the middle stanza and finally were able to reach the back of the Waltham net to take a 1-0 lead on a goal by Gemma DiMento, assisted by Emma Carney.

Emma had made a nice play at the Waltham blue line and carried the puck deep into their zone. She held it nicely along the boards and sent a pass to Gemma below the goal line. DiMento then picked up the puck and walked right in, jamming it past the Waltham goalie.

“It was nice to see Emma make a play like that and get on the score sheet,” said WHS head coach Anthony Martucci. “She is another senior leader who is playing well for us. It was a very smart play by her.

“Gem is a goal scorer, she has great hands, great vision, and her hockey IQ is off the charts,” added Martucci. “The way she just took the puck hard to the cage was great.”

The Lady Vikings’ dominance continued in the third period, with eighth grader Sophia Kennedy adding an insurance goal when she carried the puck and made a semi circle around the offensive zone before placing a beautiful wrist shot into the far corner.

“That goal by Sophia showcased her skill set and her incredible shot,” noted Martucci. “She can finish for sure. Sophia is a fantastic skater. She is so strong and very agile. She must have fought off three people to get that shot. She has that ‘Wow’ factor in her game.”

Winthrop ended up outshooting Waltham by a wide differential of 42-13.

“It was a hard-fought game,” said Martucci. “We heavily outshot them, but their goalie was equal to the task.”

Summer Tallent went all the way in net for Winthrop.

“It was nice for an eighth grader to get a shutout in her first season between the pipes,” said Martucci. “She has been great for us.”

St. Mary’s of Lynn came to town Saturday for what has become quite a rivalry game for the two schools in recent years. However, the 11-2 Lady Spartans, who are ranked third in the state (behind Austin Prep and Woburn, the only two teams to have defeated St. Mary’s) skated back to Lynn with a 6-2 victory.

St. Mary’s grabbed a 2-0 lead after one period, outshooting Winthrop 9-4.

“We were back on our heels for most of the period,” said Martucci. “They did get one very nice goal on a well-placed wrist shot by Codi Butt. Their second goal was a case of us just not getting the puck out.”

The Lady Spartans expanded their margin to 5-1 after two stanzas. McKayla Norris scored the Lady Viking tally.

“We had a power play to open the period, but they got a short-handed goal that kind of broke our back,” said Martucci. “We kind of got deflated after the third goal and then they grabbed a fourth and a fifth before we answered with a goal from McKayla, who has done it all for this team. She scores, blocks shots, kills penalties, and takes important face offs. She has meant so much to us since she has come to this program. It is nice to see her getting the stats in her final season.”

The third period belonged to Lady Viking senior goalie Sabrina Dembro, who had come into the game midway through the second period.

“Sabrina came in cold off the bench — which is very hard to do — and played fantastically,” Martucci said. “She made some big saves when she came in. For us  to get a performance like that from her was awesome, because she works so hard in practice, and is such a great kid. I was really proud of how she played.”

The lone goal of the period for Winthrop came from Sophia Kennedy, who grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone and took it wide on their defenseman. She then went around the net and wrapped one in off their goalie.

“That was a tough loss for us. We felt like we could have and should have played better,” Martucci noted. “It is a learning experience. We are a fairly young group, especially at some key positions, so this one we will store in the memory bank, and use the experience later.”

Martucci also had high praise for Sydney Mignosa. “Sydney had some great shifts for us in this game. She is a tireless worker in practice, and a great team player. She can bring it with a combination of size and speed. I liked the way she played in this game.”

Martucci and his crew will travel to LoConte Rink Wednesday to play Medford.

 

WHS girls basketball falls to Malden, 63-53

The Winthrop High girls basketball team dropped a 63-53 decision at Malden last Friday.

The Lady Vikings started slowly, trailing 16-7 after the first quarter. Winthrop fought back in the second period, implementing their relentless full-court trap which created some turnovers and transition baskets for the and enabling the Lady  Vikings to narrow the Malden advantage to 22-18 at the half.

Winthrop came out after the intermission and continued with a combination of a full court defense and a full court trap. The strategy paid off handsomely, as the Lady Vikings outscored Malden 23-11 in the third quarter to move out to a 41-33 advantage at the third buzzer.

However, the Lady Golden Tornadoes finally figured out how to break Winthrop’s  trap/pressure defense and outscored the Lady Vikings 30-12 over the final eight minutes. Malden hit on 13-of-16 attempts from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to key its comeback victory.

Senior Francesca Capone, junior Emma Turner, and freshman Maura Dorr all hit for 11 points. Freshman Caroline Earl added nicely to the well-balanced WHS scoring attack with 10 points.

“As a team we need to do a better job taking care of the ball, limiting our turnovers and not getting into foul trouble late in the games,” said WHS head coach Kristen Degou. “I think that is the key for the girls to put together a complete game. By playing these tough NEC DI and DII games, the coaching staff is confident that the girls will be battled-tested and ready for their DIII games coming up over the next couple of weeks.”

The Lady Vikings were set to host Marblehead this past Tuesday and will entertain

Atlantis Charter School tonight (Thursday) at 6:00 PM. They will travel to Swampscott tomorrow (Friday) evening and return home to face Peabody next Tuesday.

 

JV girls team rolls past Tornados

The Winthrop High girls junior varsity team jumped out to an 11-2 lead at the end of the first quarter in their contest at Malden and never looked back, cruising to a 34-9 victory over the Lady Golden Tornados last week.

The Lady Vikings were led in the scoring column by freshman Jenna Dorr with seven points and Holly Vaccaro and Sierra O’Connell with six points apiece.

“I was really proud of the girls,” said coach Rick Pulsifer. “They came out strong and never let up. It was the definition of a team win. It started with great team defense which carried over to offense, as the girls moved the ball well, making extra passes which led to scoring from 10 different players.”

 

WHS boys hockey splits two contests

It was an up-and-down week for the Winthrop High boys hockey team. The Vikings rolled to a 9-0 romp over Peabody last Wednesday at Larsen Rink, but then came up on the short end of a 5-2 decision at Medford on Saturday.

Coach Dale Dunbar and his crew now stand at 7-5-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the North Division of the Northeastern Conference. The Vikings were scheduled to host Marblehead (1-6-2 NEC North) last night (Wednesday) and then will travel to Bourque Arena at Endicott College in Beverly to take on first-place Danvers (9-0 NEC North), which is among the top-rated teams in Division 2.

Winthrop will entertain Beverly next Wednesday. Face-off at Larsen is set fr 6:10.

 

From the Press Box

The Bentley Hockey Rink

By: Jim Lederman

The Boston Herald feature story on Friday was the new $45 million ice-hockey rink on the campus of Bentley University.

The Bentley Athletic Director – former Viking outstanding football mentor (A33-game win streak) begins his 50th season as Bentley baseball coach.

I spoke with Billy Vecchio, Winthrop firefighter and the ‘Ice Man,’ who installed ice and paints rinks on Saturday morning. Billy was on his way to Bentley, the home opener is Feb. 16 vs. Army. Bentley plays in the Atlantic Hockey League. The ‘Commissioner’ is legendary ex-Vikings assistant coach Robert ‘Barney’ DeGregorio.

The athletic facilities are tops in the area (second only to Boston College)

Kudos to Bob DeFelice!

Let the Games Begin!

 

Invasion of the Patriots

The defending NEC Ladies Hoop Champions – The Revere High School Patriots – invaded the Chris Tsiotos Court on Tuesday night.

The final score Patriots 65 – Vikings 51.

Showed the distance the young Vikings have to climb to be a winning program. The Patriots have two division one-college players in the starting lineup – Vallentina Pepic and Tatianna Iavociello (Niagara University).

I listened to hoop guru Gary Grillo – give me the ‘State of the Union’ on the progress of a young, but deep and talented Vikings squad!

Co-captain Francesca ‘Frankie’ Capone played her finest game in a Vikings uniform. The senior, three-sport standout was huge on the boards and she led many fast breaks that resulted in points. Co-captain Caitlyn Driscoll has improved and gives 100-percent every game.

The freshman players and a strong Jayvees squad led by coach Rick Pulsifer, shows the Vi kings future will be strong.

The strong feeder program led by Dean Galuris, Angelo Marcocio and Rick Pulsifer, will help the program get stronger.

The 2014-2015 Lady Vikings reached the Garden for the Division title, only to lose a powerful Archie Williams team with three Division One players. Three NEC all-stars Kristen Siscamanis, Niki Tsiotos and Nina Bartlette are playing Division 2 college basketball. Name me one NEC school that can claim that distinction?

Go Lady Vikings!

Let the Games Begin!

 

 

Super Bowl 52

The Patriots are chasing their third super bowl crown in the last four years.

In 2017 was the greatest comeback in super bowl history; Tom Brady brings the Pats back from (28-3) to an overtime thriller with James White scoring the winning touchdown.

In (2014-2015) the greatest play in super bowl history, a Malcolm Butler interception and a Pete Carroll super crew u p decision to pass on the one-yard line. This years super bowl will feature – Brady, the Gronk (he did not play last year), Danny Amendola and the greatest coach in NFL history, leads to a record sixth super bowl for Belichick and Brady – Pats Win!

 

Her are guest predictions for Super Bowl Sunday.

I will consult with the Speaker of the House – Bob DeLeo for his predictions on “Super Sunday”

‘Aerial’ Al Petrilli, “Brady is not done.” Pats – 35 Philly – 21

Maxwell J. Smart – Danny A is the man. Pats – 35 Philly – 24

Gus M. Martucci (Ace Handicapper) Pats – 28 Philly – 7 “Stellato’s Boys will not fail.”

Councillor Peter Christopher Pats – 31 Philly – 14

School Committee Chair – Tino Pats – 38 Philly – 14.

The Voice of the Vikings – Pats – 34 Philly – 20

“One more ring for TB-12”

Let’s Go Patriots!

The Dynasty Continues!

Let the Games Begin!

 

 

Making The Cut

February spells ‘ Tourney Time’ annually for Viking teams. The hockey team under the tutelage of coach Dale Dunbar is chasing their 11th consecutive trip to the MIAA Playoffs.

The ‘hockey sextet’ with 10 senior skates has seven games remaining on their schedule (including last night vs. Marblehead at home).

The Vikings need five points in the final six games – three wins.

Danvers – Saturday at Endicott

Beverly – Wednesday, Feb. 7th at Larsen Rink

Bishop Fenwick – Saturday, Feb. 10 at Peabody

Gloucester – Wednesday, Feb. 14 at Larsen Rink

Mansfield – Saturday, Feb. 17 1:30 at Larsen Rink

Saugus, Thursday, Feb. 22 at Kasabuski

The voice predicts – The Vikings will play in Division 2 – North in the MIAA Playoffs. Let’s play Lynnfield so we can pay them back for last year!

Tourney Time – March Madness

Let the Games Begin!

 

 

The 2018 Hall of Fame

The 2018 Winthrop High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductions ceremony will be held on October 20th.

The Class of 2018 is eligible to WHS graduates of (10 years last class) and teams are eligible. The 2016 Hall of Fame inducted 12 individuals and two championship teams.

Nomination forms are available at he office of Attorney Chris Tsiotos, 193 Winthrop Street or calling 617-846-9192.

The Hall of Fame originated in 1997. We welcome all nominations for outstanding athletes.

 

Lady6 Vikings Hockey

Coach Anthony ‘Butch’ Martucci’s Lady Vikings hockey team needs 5 points to play in the Division One Tourney – The Lady Vikings play

Medford – Wednesday, Feb. 7th at Medford

Marblehead – Saturday, Feb. 10th, 1:30 at Larsen Rink

Shrewsbury – Thursday, Feb. 15th at Larsen Rink

Medford – Saturday, Feb. 17th at Larsen Rink

Haverhill – Wednesday, Feb. 21st at Larsen Rink.

Coach Martucci’s Lady Vikings will play in their 10th consecutive MIAA Tourney.

That is a “Voice” prediction!

Let’s Go Lady Vikings!

Let the Games Begin!

 

 

The Tire Man

Congrats to Bob Katz – aka – the ‘Tire Man’ – Now retired from NU-Tread Tire, East Boston after the business – 85 years old – Closed this week.

Bobby was an outstanding guard on the 1964 Vikings undefeated NEC Championship team. We inducted the team in 2016 in the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Bobby claimed he opened the holes for Steve ‘The Tank’ Adamson enroute to the NEC Championship. The only blemish on their schedule was the (8-0) loss to Revere on Thanksgiving. One of Winthrop’s greatest football teams – sorry Gus – the 1981 team ranks “Number One” in the annals – a 33-game win streak, under coach Robert DeFelice – never to be equaled!

Bobby can concentrate on his golf game at the WGC. Enjoy your retirement “Bobby K” and stop cheering for Marblehead!

Go Vikings!

Let the Games Begin!

 

 

Get Well – Captain Frank

I have to send my best wishes and prayers to my former classmate and friend – Colonel” Frank Pomeroy – ex-WHS Golf Captain, ex-Winthrop Golf Club President – Frank Pomeroy, on his road to recovery after a couple of serious operations.

Frank is recovering in Chelsea and we all send our best that Frank return to the legendary WGC – the Winthrop Golf Club – Get back on the course!

A speedy recovery to Captain Frank!

See you at the WGC!

 

 

The Larsen Tradition

I have reported Vikings hockey from 1975 – 1975 when the Vikings captured the Division One State Tile – undefeated (26-0-1) and the tradition continues to grow!

Winthrop hockey has won more games than any high school hockey team in the state since 1976. Take a look at the NEC banners that hang from Larsen Rink. This is a Winthrop hockey tradition.

On Wednesday night a big battle will take place at Larsen Rink – Winthrop vs. Marblehead – the two top teams over the past 50 years – the Vikings and the Magicians.

I am sure the rink was filled last night (Wednesday) when the game was played. The Big rival for many ex-Vikings was beating Marblehead in all sports.

The (2017-2018) Vikings hockey team is chasing a trip to the MIAA Tournament. Larsen Rink will be filled again many more times to keep that Larsen Rink tradition alive!

Go Vikings!

Let the Games Begin!

 

 

 

The Brooks Brothers

The Vikings trounced the Peabody Tanner (9-0) on Wednesday night at Larsen Rink. The rink was filled with proud Viking families cheering for the Vikings.

The “Brook Brothers” – captain Henry Brooks and his young brother Michael recorded scoring a goal each. Proud grandfather Pat Staff remarked, “Ordered two new suits from legendary ‘Brooks Brothers Clothing’ for Henry and Michael.”

Mom and dad George and Mary were smiling, uncle Pat (a former Viking football standout) was in the house. The scene at Larsen Rink – proud Winthrop families cheering for the Vikings, always adds to the ‘Larsen Rink’ tradition.

Brian and Stacie Marley cheering for co-captain Tyler Marley. Steve and Jeannie Holgerson cheering for co-captain Steve and young Joey, flying around Larsen Rink.

The tradition continues – the Mignosa family cheering for co-captain #3 – Tyler Mignosa. The Costin family cheering for Bryce. The Adamson gang!

Let’s Go Viking!

Let the Games Begin!

 

 

Remembering hockey state champions 1976

By: Jim Lederman

The 1976 Winthrop Vikings undefeated (26-0-1) State Champions captured the Division One title in the legendary Boston Garden.

I had the thrill of writing about the memorable season from start to finish. The Vikings coached by legendary coach Bill Falasca (inducted into the prestigious WHS Athletic Hall of Fame) put the town of Winthrop on the map.

The Vikings established many records during the log and exciting season. The highest scoring line in the state, the ‘Irish Line’ – Bobby McDonald, Jackie Burke and Joey MacDonald scored 212 points – ‘Bobby Mac’ scored 57 goals.

Bobby Mac played at Harvard University. Jackie Burke played at Harvard. Danny Brugman, tourney MVP was captain of Yale University.

Stephen Goddard (Number 7) was number one defenseman in Division One and played at Salem Stated. Goddard, McDonald and Brugman were inducted in the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Despite the undefeated regular season, the tournament in the legendary Boston Garden established Winthrop as a ‘a Power’ in Eastern Mass and the top team in the NEC and on the North Shore.

The Victories of Arlington (4-1) on a Saturday morning, the thrilling ‘triple overtime’ (three hour) game on Thursday night (4-3) over Norwood, with goalie Ramon Diaz making 59 saves were memories for the players and thousands Viking fans form Winthrop. I will always remember celebrating in The Iron Horse Restaurant.

The state witnessed the awesome talent of the undefeated State Champions. Led by a defense corps of Kevin McGee, Brian Crombie and Billy Gillogly and many more outstanding hockey players.

Assistant coaches ‘Barney’ DeGregorio and Tom Holmen were keys to the Viking success. This team established the Vikings ‘Hockey Tradition’ and 40 years later – the Vikings continue to be one of the ‘top two’ teams in the Northeastern Conference.

WE salute the 1976 State Champions and toss the praise!

Go Vikings!

Vikings Hockey Number One!

Let the Games Begin

See you at Larsen Rink!

Winthrop swimmers power English to winning season

By Cary Shuman

Six student-athletes from Winthrop high School are making a big contribution to the success of the Lynn English swim team this season.

Junior captains Caroline Zuffante and Caleigh Peterson, senior Chris Haskell, sophomores Mary Lawlor and Heather Callanan, and freshman Carlie Harris have helped English compile an 8-3 record in the Northeastern Conference heading into Saturday’s Lynn City Meet.

“The Winthrop swimmers form a strong core to my team,” said English coach Lisa Trahant. “We have received first, second, and third-place finishes from them in each of our meets.”

Zuffante has emerged as one of the top swimmers in the program, according to Trahant. “Caroline has qualified for the sectionals in the 500-meter freestyle and is close to qualifying in the 200-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke,” said Trahant. “She’s always helping the underclassmen and she’s been a great role model as a captain.”

Trahant also praised the leadership of Peterson, who, like Zuffante, was elected a captain by her teammates.

“Caleigh is a great person who is willing to compete in any event in which we need her,” said Trahant. “She’s also been outstanding in working with the other student-athletes with their techniques.”

Harris (100 backstroke, 200 free) has been a consistent scorer in her first varsity season. Callanan has been making steady improvement in the 50-meter freestyle event. Her sister, Andrea, was a member of the team last year.

Lawlor has qualified for the North Sectionals in the 100-meter backstroke while also competing in the 200 individual medley. Haskell has been a steady contributor all

The Winthrop contingent will be hoping to lead the team to the championship in the 50th Annual Lynn City Meet this Saturday at Lynn Tech. Lynn Classical has won the last seven city titles but English defeated the Rams during the regular season.

“I’ve hadn’t had a win in my coaching career in the City Meet,” said Trahant, a former Lynn city champion swimmer while at English. “These athletes have been so motivated and dedicated to the team this season, so we’re looking for a great outcome in the meet.”

Winthrop High has enjoyed a cooperative agreement with the English swimming program for several years.

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