The day that the GHS boys’ and girls’ Hockey programs have been waiting for all season has finally arrived; the beginning of playoffs. With the brackets released this Sunday, both teams have made it into playoffs, past the first round, and are gearing up for their big games.
Girls Hockey
The GHS girls’ hockey team has been on their best campaign in years. Following the past few years of failing to make the playoffs, the group has stormed through opponent after opponent to take the 17th seed in Division 2. Their record stands at a solid 13-5-2 (before playoff rankings).
The team has only lost to Peabody twice, Beverly twice, and Shawsheen. With strong captains in Ella Costa, Abby Lowthers, and Brooke McNiff, the trio leads the team in both offense and defense. Costa, ranked 7th in the North Shore’s scoring leaders, is aggressive in her movement across the ice and puck-handling ability. Lowthers and McNiff are similarly talented, with Lowthers ranked 17th and McNiff ranked 13th.
The team has a defensive powerhouse in sophomore Keagan Jewell. The defender possesses power in the defensive zone as well as creating movement in front of her opponents’ net.
Senior Lily Pregent leads the scoring leaders, putting up a total of 26 points in the Gloucester Times’ latest list. Pregent is involved in a great deal of plays in the offensive zone and creates opportunities for her linemates, like Ari Scola and Sydeny Bouchie, to score.
Jenna Connelly is similar in passion, ranked in 5th place with 20 points. With Connelly’s speed and grit, she fazes her opponents to put the puck into play. Sophomore Kaydin Cusumano has been a rock between the pipes, performing a stellar performance in net game after game.
Throughout the sling of strong senior players, an 8th-grade trio continues to shine on the ice. Fiona Black, Elizabeth Gentile, and Kaya Collins all possess the same kind of aggressive and chippy attitude as their older counterparts while contributing big to team wins.
The girls have been struggling lately in the win department, dropping their last 2 battles and tying the prior. Despite this struggle, the girls can easily overtake the 16th-ranked Walpole team with their aggressive power.
The team awaits results from the #1 vs #32 ranked teams for the Sweet 16.
Boys Hockey
After a rough few games, the boys D2 bracket came out and Gloucester ranked 12th. With a game at home in the first round coming up, the group has been practing hard to show their worth on the ice.
The team started off on a hot streak after their season opener loss, but faced some trouble after star players like Colby Jewell, Jackson Hakes, Chris Lojacono, and Will Linn went on the injury reserve. The team continued to face rough patches the remaining season, ending with a record of 10-8-2.
However, it’s clear that this aggressive group of players mean business and they’ve proved it all season. Despite this adversity, the team has proved their domination even in losses.
Assistant captains Brett Cunningham and Jewell lead the team in scoring, most often finishing games with at least 1 point on the board. These offensive powerhouses shine when close to the net. Similarly, juniors Cade Cooper and Colby Warren share a similar drive and skill that their captains have.
Another player that has been shining lately is assistant captain Chris Karvales. Karvales, who had a slow start to the season, has been on a scoring streak and is performing exceptionally. The 4th assistant captain, James Sanfillipo, is a lockdown defender who can stun his opponents quick. With defensemen like Captain Joe Orlando and Lojocano, the opposing team’s offensivemen cannot stand a chance.
Hakes has been a strong offensemen for the Fishermen as well, often aiding his teammates in the offensive zone and creating plays. Charlie Terelak is another key player in the Fishermen’s plan, a player who can quickly dump the puck deep into the net when the other team least expects it.
A number of freshmen have also brought some power to the roster, with strong players in Peter Gilraine, Cade Francis, Sam Sanfillipo, and Linn.
The team plays the Newburyport Clippers on Saturday at 1:30pm. Check ghsfishermenathletics on Instagram or the miaa website for location information.
