Make it three straight victories for the Gloucester High girls hockey team.
Fresh off a thrilling overtime triumph over Masconomet this past weekend, the Fishermen went into Wakefield on Monday afternoon and came away with an impressive 4-2 win.
Claire Warde led the charge by scoring a pair of goals, while Keagan Jewell and Teyah Fleming each had one goal to help their team improve to 3-1 heading into the holiday break.
“We came out a little flat after a tough, physical and emotional OT battle against a strong Beverly team Saturday,” admitted Gloucester coach Rob Parsons. “We found ourselves in the Wakefield zone for much of the game but shots on net seemed to be lacking and our passes just weren’t connecting. Things improved in the second period and we started pressing harder, entered the third frame up 3-2, added one to go up 4-2 and then just managed to hang on from there.”
Melanie Earl tallied an assist for the second straight game while Jewell and Katelin Aloi also recorded helpers. The Fishermen also scored on their lone power play, with Fleming potting one home in the second period after “some nice movement around the zone.”
“That was good to see,” Parsons said of the PP goal. “Any win is a good one and we will learn from this game on what needs to be worked on.”
Parsons added that he and his coaching staff have hammered home the importance of “smart and disciplined small battle hockey”, and his group has taken that to heart in the early stages of the season.
“Good zone coverage, getting pucks deep and on net, traffic out front for rebounds … really just simple, hard nosed hockey goes a long way,” he said.
Gloucester will now enjoy the holiday layoff before swiftly returning to the ice on Thursday at Central Catholic for a 12:20 puck drop.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Masconomet 57, Manchester Essex 47: The Hornets (now 1-3) rallied to make things interesting in the final quarter, but were ultimately unable to get over the hump against a strong opponent. Anna Gardner led the way with 10 points including two 3-pointers while Emerald Jakes also knocked down two triples en route to eight points. Kacey O’Connell and Penelope Riggs each chipped in seven as well. Manchester Essex is now off until next Monday when it travels to Danvers for a noon tip off.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Rockport 59, Academy of Notre Dame 44: After struggling a bit in the first three quarters, the Vikings came alive in the fourth to pull out a home victory. Chase Wheat dropped 21 points to lead the way while Josiah Whitley continued to play well, adding 18 points in the win. Pat Reardon chipped in eight points and sophomore Jerry Adams had seven. Rockport is off until Friday, January 3 when it hosts Manchester Essex at 6:30.