Girls hoop starts slow, fall short vs. Somerville
The Everett High girls basketball team got off to a slow start, falling behind 27-11 at the half and 45-22 after three frames, but mounted a comeback effort in the final period that fell short, 51-40, at Somerville Tuesday in the Lady Crimson Tide’s lone contest last week, the other being snowed out Friday.
“We allowed Somerville to control the tempo to start the game,” said EHS head coach Tammy Turner. “We dug ourselves a hole and we never were able to recover.”
Yemi Okhihan enjoyed a fine day for Everett, leading the way in the scoring department with 12 points. Jess Wade, whom Turner praised for playing a fine all around game, also hit for double figures with 10 points. Savannah Spinney and Daphnica Nazaire added four each, Talia Riccioli contributed three, and Kwanecha Aldridge chipped in two points.
Turner and her crew have a busy week on tap, with a home game tonight (Wednesday) against Haverhill, traveling to Peabody Friday, hosting Medford Saturday, and trekking to Salem Monday.
Boys hockey team blanks Brookline, 4-0
The Everett High boys hockey team put it all together at both ends of the ice to skate away with a 4-0 victory over visiting Brookline last week at Allied Veterans Rink.
The Crimson Tide started fast, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the opening period. Shawn Doyle, assisted by J.J. McLaughlin and Steve Faia, and Faia (who had a goal and two assists on the night), assisted by Doyle and Bruno Machado, lit the red lamp for Everett.
James Liberge tipped home Derek Bankus’s shot from the point on a power play goal
to make it 3-0 in the middle frame. Faia also earned an assist on the play.
The Crimson Tide defense and goalie Vin Sottosanti, who racked up his first shutout of the season, continued to stymie Brookline through the final period. Chris Roderick, freshly-returned from an injury, put the icing on the Crimson Tide victory cake with a goal late in the game (assisted by Machado) on a slapshot from the point for the 4-0 finale.
“The entire team played well,” said EHS head coach Alex Naumann. “It truly was a team effort at both ends of the ice.” However, in addition to the Crimson Tide who scored the goals, Naumann mentioned the quartet of Alex Belluschi, Jacob Locke, Gavin Broderick, and Chris Griffin, a foursome who both take turns playing together as a unit and jump in with other lines, for their fine efforts.
Earlier in the week, the Crimson Tide came out on the short end of a 6-2 decision to Salem. Reardan Sweeney and Faia potted the Everett goals.
Naumann and his squad were set to travel to Salem for a rematch tonight (Wednesday) and will wrap up their season next week in the Bishop Mulloy holiday tournament. A make-up date for their snowed-out contest from the weekend had yet to be announced.
Girls hockey team drops heartbreaker, 3-2
Although the Everett High girls hockey team came out on the short end of a 3-2 decision to Winthrop last Wednesday at Allied Veterans Rink, EHS head coach Erin Reilly termed her team’s effort “our best outing of the season.”
The Lady Crimson Tide had lost its first encounter with Winthrop (which at one time this season was ranked in the top 20 in the state) by a wide margin (10-0), but the second time around proved to be a different story.
After Winthrop took a 1-0 lead in the opening period, the teams traded goals in the second frame, with Everett scoring twice and Winthrop once to leave matters at 2-2 entering the final 15 minutes.
Seniors Rebecca Westgate and captain Lauren Mahoney lit the lamp for the Lady Crimson Tide, who as a team gave the visitors (who were looking to clinch a berth in the post-season state tourney with a win) a battle at both ends of the ice far exceeding what Winthrop had expected based on the first meeting between the teams.
“We’ve improved a lot as the season has progressed,” noted Reilly. “Our younger and less-experienced players have really come along well.”
The contest remained deadlocked in a fiercely-fought final frame until Winthrop broke the stalemate with just 51 seconds left on the clock.
“It was a very exciting game,” said Reilly. “Both teams gave it everything they had. It was a great hockey game that neither team deserved to lose.”
Reilly and her crew were set to be back in action last night (Tuesday) at Medford in a make-up of their snowed-out contest from the weekend. They will host Cambridge tonight (Wednesday) at 8:00; travel to St. Joseph’s Academy Friday); and wrap up their season Saturday afternoon against Peabody at 1:10 which will feature Senior Day festivities.