The fall season was memorable for the Tewksbury High School athletic program. The football team advanced to the Division 4 Super Bowl, and the girls soccer team advanced to the Division 3 quarterfinals.
That success has carried over to the winter season, particularly on the ice. The Redmen boys hockey team is 13-0-1 and the Tewksbury/Methuen co-op girls hockey team is also unbeaten at 11-0-1.
The teams have combined for a 24-0-2 record.
“We are very fortunate to be where we are at this point in the season,” said Tewksbury/Methuen interim head coach Ryan Sheehy. “We have played some tough teams and have come out with wins so far. I credit the leadership of this team and the hard work the team has been putting in on and off the ice. We have a great group of girls this season, and they have been so much fun to be around, but they know when we need to go to work. They practice hard, work hard, and listen to the coaching staff. They make the adjustments we point out in games to make our team better and to win. We have a great group of captains who have helped lead us to where we are now.”
The Red Rangers have outscored teams 32-3, and goalie Lydia Barnes has an eye-popping 0.25 goals against average, posting nine shutouts in 12 games. In front of her, defensemen Lyla Chapman, Maeve Burns, Lauren Ryan and Kenzie Dunnet have been lights out. Sammy Ryan is a dangerous offensive weapon.
Sammy Ryan and Tewksbury/Methuen are off to an 11-0-1 start. (Courtesy photo)
On the boys team, Tyler Bourgea, fresh off his six-goal outburst last week against Weymouth, already has 28 goals, 22 assists and 50 points this season, and 86 goals, 92 assists and 178 points in his career.
But the Redmen aren’t a one-man show. Entering Wednesday, Kevin Andriolo (10-23-33), Jason Shreenan (12-9-21) and Jake Cunha (4-23-27) had combined for 26 goals and 54 assists. Andriolo had 86 career points, and Cunha, a junior defenseman, had 82 career points.
The team’s goalies, Cole Abruzi (1.20 GAA, 3 shutouts) and Owen Sovie (1.29 GAA, 3 shutouts) have also been standouts all season.
Chelmsford boys
The Lions are off to a strong 9-4-0 start, outscoring opponents 40-21. Junior captain Aidan Kenney missed the first three games of the season with a broken shoulder, but since his return, he has 12 points, including nine goals and three assists over nine games.
“Aidan is playing with sophomore Cam Panzeri for the first time, as Cam transferred back to Chelmsford from Lowell Catholic. The two of them have developed great chemistry, with Cam scoring three goals and adding 13 assists. They both play for a ton of minutes and have been pivotal in our early success this year,” Chelmsford head coach Kevin Leonard said.
Junior defenseman Max Ludwar and goalie Will McNeal (1.50 GAA) have been exceptional as well.
Dracut/Tyngsboro boys
Dracut/Tyngsboro is off to a flying 10-1-1 start and is in complete control of the MVC/DCL Division 3 title. Senior captain Charlie Wilkie has been immense, with 13 goals and 19 assists across 12 games. Freshman goalie Grayson Blakley has also opened some eyes with his 10-0-1 mark and 0.90 GAA.
Lowell boys
Senior Grady Avila has been solid in goal for the Red Raiders (5-9-0). He is approaching 1,500 saves in his career. More importantly, “he is a leader among peers and is everything a Lowell High School student-athlete should be,” said head coach Brian Akashian.
Westford Academy boys
The Grey Ghosts are struggling with no wins, but senior Peter Burns is excelling on the ice and with his leadership during the tough times.
“I believe that true character is revealed not when a team is raising a banner, but in how a leader responds when the results don’t go their way,” said head coach Chris Carpenter. “Peter Burns is the type of student-athlete who sets the standard for our entire program. Peter was part of our MVC/DCL championship team in his sophomore year and played on two teams ranked in the top 10 in the state, but his legacy as our captain is defined by this current season.
“Despite facing a challenging record, his work ethic has never wavered. He is consistently the hardest worker on the ice and is a mentor to our underclassmen on and off the ice. He is showing them what it takes to be successful and play at the highest level. While the scoreboard hasn’t always reflected his effort this year, the culture of resilience he is instilling in this locker room will be felt for years to come.”
Shawsheen Tech boys
The Rams are 10-2-1 and have outscored opponents 58-24 with senior assistant captain Justin Thibert leading the charge. In December, he surpassed 100 career points, and thus far this season he has scored 22 goals and added five assists for 27 points, bringing his career total to 115. He’s coming off a four-goal explosion.
Shawsheen Tech’s Justin Thibert has already tallied 22 goals this winter. (Courtesy photo)
“He is a scoring threat each time he is on the ice,” said head coach Chuck Baker. “Justin has produced two hat tricks and has had multiple points in eight of 13 games.”
Groton-Dunstable boys
The Crusaders are another team off to a strong 9-5 start. The team has been led by a handful of players, including goalie Cam Columbus (2.24 GAA), Rob Flynn (9-10-19), Jonas Carpenter (9-7-16) and Griffin Southwick (6-5-11). Ben O’Brien, Jack Saboliauskas, Owen Bernard and Jared Cappella has combined for 14 goals and six assists.
Defensively, the team is led by seniors Mac Kahwati, Owen Enos, Owen Eastman and Anthony Polcari. Kahwati and Enos have a plus-13 and plus-14 mark, respectively, and have combined to score four goals and dish out 15 assists.
Alvirne/Milford boys
In New Hampshire, Alvirne/Milford started out 1-2 and has since reeled off six wins, outscoring teams, 40-11. Brandon Ganas (9-7-16), Brandon Callahan (6-4-10), Mason Tomkins (5-4-9), Chris Bozza (4-4-8) and Landon Briand (2-3-5) scored 17 goals in the six games, while goalie Kian Corcoran has been strong between the pipes.
Brandon Callahan is off to a hot start for Alvirne/Milford. (Courtesy photo)
Billerica/Chelmsford girls
The Billerica/Chelmsford co-op team is 6-4-2, and sophomore Lauren Sullivan is smack in the middle of the success. A versatile player who sees time as a forward and defenseman, Sullivan five goals and four assists.
Elsewhere in Division 1, Shawsheen Tech/Bedford/Lowell is 8-3, Westford Academy is 7-5-2 and in Division 2, Wakefield/Wilmington is 8-5-1.
Billerica/Chelmsford is receiving fine play from Lauren Sullivan. (Courtesy photo)