St. Mary’s boys hockey ready to blend youth with experience

For the St. Mary’s boys hockey team, its 14-year run of qualifying for the state tournament was very much in doubt late last season. But the Spartans rattled off a four-game unbeaten streak down the stretch to keep that string alive.St. Mary’s eventually played its way to the Division 1 North semifinals but was victimized by a defensive breakdown in a 9-5 loss to Wakefield. The Spartans and coach Mark Lee will hope to take that experience into this season when they drop the puck next week.”We are going to be a blue-collar team,” Lee said. “But I think we’re going to surprise some teams. We will be as successful with how hard we work.”The Spartans will have a roster that has just three seniors on it ? but many underclassmen who saw a good amount of ice time last season.Seniors Casey Goll, Corey Bartlett and Matt Molloy and junior James Perkins will serve as the team captains this season.Bartlett will skate on a line with standout freshman Connor Parent and Brendan Mageary, while Goll will comprise the top defense pair along with freshman Doyle Somerby, a 6-4 freshman who played his way into the lineup late last season.Another big cog returning for St. Mary’s is goaltender Donald Hesse. Hesse won the starting job next season and posted a stellar 2.30 goals-against average in his first varsity season.”Having him back is huge,” Lee said. “He took over last year and really did a great job.”Marblehead transfer Justin Levine, who helped lead the Magicians to the Division 3 North semis a season ago, will join Perkins and Derek Stella on another forward line, while Mike Ristuccia-Tom Braswell-Bobby Mullins will comprise the other forward line.Cam Kennedy, Nikko Markham and Molloy will complete the defense.”We have some talented young freshmen that have come in with the guys that have played quite a bit,” Lee said. “There is a big change in faces, but it’s a great group that’s eager to learn.”Along with its always-challenging Catholic Central League slate, the Spartans will have nonleague games with the likes of Malden Catholic, Hingham and Springfield Cathedral. Last season, MC and Hingham both went to the Super Eight, while Springfield Cathedral won the Division 1 state title.The Spartans will also play in a newly revamped Saugus Federal Credit Union Christmas Tournament and will finish the season with a visit to the Newburyport Bank Ice Hockey Classic.”We play a real competitive schedule and I think that helps us,” Lee said. “It’s tough getting in with it, but once we get there, it’s a big help.”