EHS Roundup
EHS hockey team
edges Somerville, 1-0
The Everett High hockey team turned in its best performance of the season to earn its biggest win of the season, a 1-0 triumph at Somerville Friday evening.
J.J. McLaughlin lit the lamp with a shot from the slot that rang in off the goalpost midway through the second period to account for the winning margin. James Liberge assisted on J.J.’s goal that finished off a 3-on-2 break.
Crimson Tide goalie Casarra Roderick turned in a stellar, 35-save performance in net to record the shutout.
“I’m incredibly proud of how our team played,” said EHS head coach Jason Lawrence. “We played hard at both ends of the ice for a full 45 minutes. Players sacrificed their bodies and gave it their all and the result was a big win for us.”
The triumph catapults the Crimson Tide above the .500 mark with an 8-7-1 record, drawing Everett within three points of qualifying for the post-season state tourney with four games left on their schedule.
Two nights earlier the Crimson Tide settled for a 6-6 tie with Brookline in a contest played at Walter Brown Arena at Boston University. Everett bolted to a 3-0 advantage in the opening eight minutes of the encounter when the fire alarms went off, forcing the teams and fans to evacuate the premises.
When play resumed, the Everett momentum had dissipated and Brookline struck back to tie matters at 3-3. The Crimson Tide would take leads of 4-3 and 6-4, but each time Brookline responded, notching the last goal with about two minutes to play that created the final deadlock.
Marc Faia scored two goals for Everett, with teammates Bryan Bessler, Louis Staffiery, Liberge, and J.J. McLaughlin also lighting the lamp.
The Crimson Tide will wrap up their season — weather permitting — starting tonight (Wednesday) when they host Brookline in a rematch. Face-off is set for 7:00. They will meet Newton North tomorrow evening at the Fessenden School rink and then will play host for the annual Bishop Mulloy Tourney next week. The Crimson Tide will take on Salem Monday at 4:00 and then meet either Somerville or Northeast Regional Vocational School Wednesday.
Lady Crimson Tide
edge Marblehead, 38-34
The Everett High girls basketball team earned one of its biggest wins of the season with a 38-34 triumph over Marblehead Saturday evening. The victory pushed the Lady Crimson Tide to two games over .500 at 8-6 as they continue their quest to qualify for the post-season state tournament.
“This was a big win for us for a number of reasons,” said EHS head coach Tammy Turner. “In addition to keeping us on track to qualify for the tourney, Marblehead had beaten us fairly handily when we met the first time, so it was nice to turn the tables on them in the rematch. This also was the first close game we’ve won all season (the Lady Crimson have dropped a number of games by narrow margins), so hopefully the team is learning what it takes to win a game when the pressure is on.”
The Lady Crimson Tide jumped out to an early lead, grabbing a 16-8 advantage after one period which they expanded to 25-14 at the half. However, Everett managed just four points in the third stanza, allowing Marblehead to slice the gap to four, 29-25, and setting up what would prove to be a nail-biting finish.
With the score tied at 37-37 with 57 seconds to play and Everett in possession, Nyomi Dottin drew a foul and sank one of her two free throw attempts. A defensive stop by the Lady Crimson Tide on the ensuing Marblehead possession gave the ball back to Everett and another Marblehead foul sent Talia Riccioli to the line. Talia sank one of her two tosses to make it a 36-34 affair.
The Everett defense once again held firm and the automatic Marblehead foul sent Riccioli back to the charity stripe with 2.9 seconds showing on the clock. This time Talia sank both fee throws, icing the victory for the Lady Crimson Tide.
Netta Johnson, who sparked Everett’s opening-period surge with eight points, led the Lady Crimson Tide with 10 points on the night. Lunica Figueroa hit for eight, followed by Dottin with seven, Yemi Okhihan with six, Riccioli with five, and the duo of Talia Mirra and Haley Powers with a free throw apiece.
“We played a pressing defense to start the game that caused turnovers and created some fast-break baskets for us,” said Turner. “But Marblehead hung tough and made a run at us. We responded to their challenge and played well at both ends in the final minute which is indicative of how our team is coming together.”
The Marblehead contest took on special significance after the Lady Crimson Tide dropped a 38-30 decision to Lynn Classical Wednesday night. Everett had won the first meeting between the teams earlier in the season, but a slow start in which Everett trailed 12-4 after the first period put the Lady Crimson Tide in a hole from which they never could extricate themselves.
Everett pulled within 19-16 at the half, but could not sustain their moment after the intermission and fell behind 26-19 after three periods. The Lady Crimson Tide made a run in the final frame to pull within three, but that would prove to be as close as Everett would get.
Riccioli topped the scoring chart with 12 points. Okhihan and Johnson chipped in six points each, Jasmine Harding added four, Figueroa contributed two, and Dottin sank a free throw.
Turner and her crew have a busy stretch ahead with four games in five days, all on the road. They play at Saugus Friday, at Haverhill Saturday, at Salem Monday, and at Lowell Tuesday.