Girls cross country goes for perfection at home
With just one regular season meet to go, the Marblehead High girls cross country team is on the cusp of perfection after beating host Danvers, 23-34 to secure its sixth straight victory on Oct. 8. It all comes down to Wednesday’ s (Oct. 15, 4:30 p.m.) home meet at Lead Mills against the Winthrop Vikings to seal the deal on a storybook finish.
Captain Marri O’Connell, the program’s running whiz for the last four falls, and Sarah Munroe topped the ticket for the fifth straight meet to lead the way for their teammates.
Norah Walsh came in fifth, just edging her Danvers counterpart that helped secure another win. “(Walsh) ran an excellent race,” said coach Will Herlihy.
Ruby Assa was not too far behind in seventh place, followed by Evelina Beletsky, who turned in her best race of the year, according to Herlihy, to account for eighth place.
“Danvers has a really strong squad, but we had some runners step up to the challenge in a big way to seal the win,” said Herlihy. “Even outside the Top 5, one last (wave) of our runners also ran really well.”
Boys even record at three
The Marblehead boys cross country team extends its winning streak to three following a 17-43 victory over host Danvers on Oct.8.
After starting the season 0-3, these Magicians have come all the way back to even their record at three with one more regular season meet left on the schedule against visiting Winthrop on Oct. 15.
Senior captain Zach Pike bested the entire field in the Danvers meet with a first-place finish. Will Cruikshank, Henrik Adams and Filip Grubor captured the next three spots to help produce the lopsided victory.
Before the Winthrop meet, the Marblehead boys traveled to Falmouth to compete in the annual Twilight Invitational on Oct. 11 as a tune-up for the postseason.
Girls soccer loses bid for unbeaten season
Prior to the game against Peabody under the Piper lights on Oct. 3, Marblehead High girls soccer senior captain Sadie Halpern greets a couple of youth soccer players on Youth Soccer Night. But Sadie was also smiling because she was making her season debut after recovering from ACL surgery. It was a yearlong battle, but through hard work and dedication to go along with a tremendous amount of perseverance, grit and determination, according to coach Lisa Wales, Halpern is back on the pitch. COURTESY PHOTO / ALI HALPERN
The girls soccer team (9-1-2) began last week with a dominating 8-0 win over host Gloucester on Oct 6.
Callie Gilmore led the way on offense with two goals and one assist. Senior Liv Carlson and Alma Gaunt were next in line with two scores apiece. Hailey Gilmore scored a penalty kick goal. Cam O’Brien chipped in with one marker. Isabel Mortensen and Liv Niles each collected one assist. Goaltenders Hailey Gilmore and Lily Heller shared in the shutout effort.
It was the first time that both O’Brien and Gaunt scored in a varsity game. This game also featured Isabel Mortensen’s first varsity assist. Hailey Gilmore left the net to play striker in the second half, and as a result was able to score her first varsity goal on the PK.
“Gloucester has struggled this year with a very young team, but despite the final score, their keeper still made 26 saves,” said coach Lisa Wales. “They never gave up as a team, and their coach said that they don’t go down easy, and I couldn’t agree more.”
Still on the road two days later, these Magicians lost a close battle to Beverly, 2-1, which spoiled their quest for an unbeaten record.
Junior Callie Gilmore scored the team’s lone tally from Carlson in the first half, but before the half ended, the Panthers netted the equalizer. With 12 minutes left in the game, the home team scored on a penalty kick to account for the game-winner. Hailey Gilmore did her part in net to keep the game close, making nine saves.
“We were without senior captain Sydney Ball, who was injured,” said Wales, “but senior captain Ashley Mortensen, junior Ainsley McDonald, senior Courtney Hitscherich and senior Liv Carlson stepped up and were outstanding in this game. We left it all out on the field, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
But the Marblehead girls turned that score around, when they returned to Piper last Friday (Oct. 10) to beat non-league Manchester Essex, 2-1.
Ball got it going after taking a cross from junior Lucy Church to tie the game at one in the second half, before junior Callie Gilmore took a pass from sophomore Lucy McDonald to put home the game-winner. Hailey Gilmore made some fantastic stops in the first half to keep her teammates in the game, and had six saves altogether from start to finish.
Field hockey enjoys another winning week
The field hockey team (7-4-2) ended up with another winning week after starting it off with a close loss to visiting Gloucester, 3-2 on Oct. 7. They were able to bounce back against non-league host Everett the next day, 1-0, before edging Essex Vocational Tech, another non-league foe, last Friday (Oct. 10) in Danvers, 2-1.
Against Gloucester, Chloe Rowland scored on a penalty corner in the first quarter, and Layla Dulac then tacked on the other goal in the fourth quarter from Carolyn Black. Goalie Elizabeth Hayes came up with nine saves to keep things close. “(Hayes) plays with both her head and heart, and we’re fortunate to have her on our side,” said first-year coach Alison Carey.
Carey, talking about the team in general, says that “(their) cohesion is starting to hit its peak, and it feels like it’s coming together at just the right time.”
The Marblehead coach then went on to say: “Credit once again has to go to our incredible defensive line of Kate Andriano, Avery Wysor, Paige Waldman and Meggie Grenier. They are smart, calm players, who are strong and athletic. They communicate so well together. All four played the entire 60 minutes against Gloucester, never slowing down at any point.”
Carey also singled out midfielders Keliane Salem, Carolyn Black and Elise Donnellan after the Gloucester game. “They are strong, smart, fearless players, who really pushed us into scoring opportunities in this game,” she said. “Shea Bickell, who has been playing forward this season, recently stepped back to midfield. She’s also a smart player, whose versatility is certainly a major asset for our team.”
The Magicians will see Gloucester again on Oct. 21 at its place on Cape Ann, hoping to avenge this close loss. But first, they had to head to Everett, where they got back on the winning track against the Crimson Tide on Oct. 8.
Sadie Beane scored the lone goal of this game in the second quarter from Salem. Hayes played the first three quarters in net, making one save. Molly Beauchesne took over the goaltending chores in the final period.
The coach also mentioned Addie Rotigliano, who, she said, “was relentless in the scoring circle (against Everett).” Overall, the team had 11 shots on goal. but just couldn’t find a way to get more than one past Tide goalie Wilins Julien.
The Marblehead girls closed out last week in Danvers against the aforementioned Essex Vocational Tech.
Salem ignited the attack with a goal in the second quarter from Zoe Dwyer. Dwyer then netted the winning goal on a solo effort in the third quarter. Hayes was credited with six saves to help secure another win.
Volleyball makes it six in a row
The volleyball team (11-2) rattled off three more victories last week, all by 3-0 shutouts, to extend its winning streak to six as the regular season winds down with only five matches left to play. They defeated Salem and Peabody on the road, before finally coming home last Friday (Oct. 10) to take down non-league Reading.
Against Salem on Oct. 6, Lila Moniz led the offense with 13 kills, while Greta Sachs (10 kills) and Mari Modrzynska (12 kills) also reached double digits. Setter Eva Burke accounted for 35 assists.
Libero Sydney Faris anchored the defense with a standout performance receiving serves, while passing at a 2.5 rate. She also came up with 20 digs.
On Oct. 8 against host Peabody, Sachs powered the offense with 14 kills to help her teammates remain undefeated in the Northeastern Conference. Moniz was next in line in kills with 11. Modrzynska had 10. Burke was the assist leader with 28. Faris anchored the defense, receiving serves at a 2.4 rate to go along with 22 digs.
With a balanced offensive attack against the Rockets, Moniz was the leader with 12 kills. Sachs had 8 kills and 3 blocks. Burke tallied 31 assists, while also running an efficient offense throughout. Defensively, Faris anchored the back row once again with 12 digs. Moniz and Modryznska were steady in receiving serves that helped maintain the team’s successful rhythm.
Golfers retain Tedesco Cup for fourth straight year
After a week off, the Marblehead golfers (11-2-2) returned to tie Danvers, 36.5-36.5 at Tedesco on Oct. 7.
Tyler Forbes (6-3), Max King (5-4), Will Macrina (5-4) and Dylan Whitman (5.5-3.5) secured the wins against the Falcons. Greyson Leventhal tied his match. Forbes was the team’s medalist after shooting a 37.
Coach Bob Green’s team then took off for Winthrop to face the Vikings the very next day, where they defeated the Blue & Gold, 44-28.
Forbes (5.5-3.5), Leventhal (7.5-1.5), King (5-4), Macrina (5.5-3.5), Joy Meshulam (5.5-3.5) and Colby Moore (6-3) accounted for the victories. Bowden Laramie tied his match, 4.5-4.5. Leventhal was the medalist against the Vikings with a 35. Forbes, King and Macrina all shot 36’s.
The Marblehead boys then went up against rival Swampscott in the annual Tedesco Cup match. It was the team’s third straight day competing on the links, but they showed no signs of weariness after beating the Big Blue to retain the Cup for the fourth consecutive year, 39-33.
Leventhal (7.5-1.5), Macrina (5-4), Moore (7-2) and Whitman (6.5-2.5) won their own individual matches. Moore was the medalist with a 36. Leventhal was close behind, ending up shooting a fine score of 38, followed by 39’s for Macrina and Laramie.
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