Lynn English girls hockey coaches optimistic for third-year program

The English High girls hockey team hit a couple of bumps in the road in its first few games of the season, but new coaches Jack Comeau, Ric Aylwin and Riley Kreamer have plenty of reason to be optimistic that the third-year team will be OK in the long run.The combined team, which has players from English, Classical, Winthrop and Revere high schools, along with several eighth graders from Lynn and Winthrop, is 1-3. The Bulldogs lost their opener to Waltham, 2-0, but then came back and romped past Gloucester, 12-3. The other two losses came against Masconomet and Wayland.The good news, however, is that the numbers are pretty good at 22, which allows Comeau and his fellow coaches to utilize three forward lines and two lines of defense.The first line features two Winthrop girls, Lindsey Barker (left wing) and Vanessa Caruccio, center. Barker is a sophomore and Caruccio is a junior. Lynner MacKenzie Clark, one of three players to come out of Pickering Middle School, served notice almost immediately that she’s going to be tough to stop. The eighth grader scored five goals in the Bulldogs’ lopsided win over Gloucester.The second line features Sarah Clewer of Winthrop at center and two Lynn girls, Chelsey Bartlett and Adrianna Russell, at left wing and right wing, respectively. Bartlett is an eighth grader at Pickering and Russell is a junior at English.The third line is centered by Winthrop junior Rachel Mailhiot with Pickering seventh grader Madison Molea at one wing and sophomore Ashley Petrello of Revere on the other wing.Winthrop’s Ashley Fiandaca and Desiree Trainor, a junior and senior, respectively, provided the first line of defense with Classical sophomore Kelly Deveny and Winthrop junior Candice Kirk. English’s Amanda Witunsky has been in net with Aleasha Depres, also from English, providing backup between the pipes.”The girls are having a lot of fun,” Comeau said. “It’s a good group.”Comeau said out of the 20 skaters and two goalies, there are only three girls who are new to playing hockey. He said the players in general have been quick studies.”They learn quick. They’re focused and they listen,” Comeau said. “It makes it so much easier for the coaches. When we teach them a play, they pick up on it. They learn it. I think we’re going to do OK.”There are three seniors on the team, Despres, Victoria Milan from Classical and Amanda Morash from Revere. There are four middle school players. In addition to Clark, Bartlett and Molea, there’s a defenseman from Winthrop, Amanda Cordes. There are three girls from English, three from Pickering, four from Classical, four from Revere and eight from Winthrop, including Cordes.”I think we have good building blocks,” Comeau said. “I think we’ll flourish from here.”The Bulldogs are practicing at least three times a week, Comeau said. The team utilizes Larsen Rink in Winthrop, the new Cronin Rink in Revere and Connery Rink in Lynn. The play a 16-game schedule, but only two will be in Lynn.Rounding out the Bulldog roster are Janae DeSantis of Revere, Yvonne Milan, Classical, Lauren Selvitella, Revere, and Katie Simmons, Classical. Comeau, Aylwin and Kreamer also receive some coaching assistance from former players Brittany Coppinger and Katie Oram.