Sports 02-03-2016

EHS girls basketball wins an undisputed GBL title

The 2016 Everett High girls basketball team has gone where no Lady Crimson Tide basketball team has gone before — at least in anyone’s memory — by capturing an undisputed Greater Boston League championship.

Coach Tammy Turner’s squad accomplished the feat with a pair of decisive victories on the road against GBL rivals Malden and Somerville this past week.

The twin wins not only completed a perfect 6-0 season for Everett against GBL opponents, but also qualified the Lady Crimson Tide for the post-season state tourney by lifting their overall mark for the year to a sterling 11-2.

In last Tuesday’s 54-44 triumph at Malden, which entered the fray tied with Medford for second place in the GBL and which still had a shot at overtaking Everett for at least a share of the GBL crown, the Lady Crimson Tide grabbed an early lead which they maintained to the final buzzer.

Although Everett led at all of the quarter junctures — 19-11, 27-19, and 40-28 —  the Lady Crimson Tide never could put the Lady Golden Tornadoes away. Indeed, when an Everett cold spell in the fourth period allowed Malden to cut the margin to seven points, a Lady Crimson Tide victory was hardly assured.

However, one of the hallmarks of this year’s Everett girls’ squad is that they do not panic in adverse situations. The Lady Crimson Tide settled down, got back to the business at hand, and staunched the Malden momentum to come away with the double-digit victory.

“Malden started to make a run, but we always were confident that we would pull it out,” said Turner. Nyomi Dottin forwarded a powerful effort for Everett, scoring 15 points and pulling down nine rebounds. Senior captain Talia Riccioli also turned in a superb effort on both sides of the ball with 14 points, seven assists, and three steals.

Yasmeen Guerrier hit for nine points and Jasmine Harding added four points to go along with nine rebounds. Other contributors to the well-balanced Everett scoring effort were Haley Powers and Kiana Wilkerson with four points apiece and Paige Fialho and Vanessa Dias with two points each.

The Lady Crimson Tide next took their road show to Somerville Friday night and made sure that their would be no doubt as to who was the 2016 GBL champ, as they dispatched the Lady Highlanders by means of a comfortable 57-39 victory.

After moving out to an 18-11 lead at the first quarter juncture, the Lady Crimson Tide expanded their advantage to a comfortable 36-20 at the half thanks to a full-court press that produced turnovers, which in turn led to easy Everett buckets.

Although  Somerville got within 11, 44-33, after the intermission, Everett hit the gas once again in the final frame to account for the 18-point margin of victory.

Guerrier, who teamed up with Riccioli for numerous fast-break points, led the Lady Crimson Tide with 20 points. Dottin struck for 13 points and captain Riccioli added 10 to go along with her nine assists. The trio of Powers, Harding, and Walandia Henry chipped in four points each and Wilkerson hit for two.

“I’m very proud of our team,” said Turner. “This is a group of girls who work well together and support each other. They’ve worked hard and deserve to be the GBL champs.”

Turner and her crew now are off until next Wednesday (February 10) when they will trek to Methuen for a non-league battle. They will travel to Salem two nights later (February 12) for another non-league encounter. Although the Lady Crimson Tide have both a GBL title and a tourney berth in hand, they have the important business of improving their record to finish the season with as high a seed as possible in the tourney rankings in hopes of securing at least one home contest.

Faia scores four goals (twice) as EHS hockey team secures GBL title

The Everett High hockey team earned a share of the Greater Boston League title — their first such championship since 1970 — with a resounding 7-0 victory over GBL rival Somerville last Wednesday.

Marc Faia lit the lamp four times for the Crimson Tide. J.J. MacLaughlin, Gino DeSimone, and Ray Suppa also reached the back of the Somerville net. MacLaughlin, Suppa, DeSimone, and Bryan Bessler assisted on two goals apiece with Jason Suppa, Jack MacLaughlin, and Ryan Snook also earning assists.

Goaltender Brendan Calderon earned the shutout victory between the pipes.

The Crimson Tide followed up that big win with another powerful offensive display Saturday with an 8-0 blanking of non-league foe Brookline.

Faia once again was the main man on offense for Everett with another hat trick-plus-one performance.

Ray Suppa, Joe Pascarella, J.J. MacLaughlin, and Bryan Bessler all added a goal apiece. Jack MacLaughlin was credited with five assists for the contest.

Goalie Casarra Roderick posted the shutout.

Coach Jason Lawrence and his crew host Methuen this evening (Wednesday) at Allied Veterans Rink for a 7:00 face-off and then will play at Brookline Saturday afternoon at 2:00.

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