WINTHROP — When a team finally climbs over the hump and makes the state tournament, that accomplishment is an important feat. But once that goal is reached, the next step is to take things further and make noise in states. That’s the mindset the Winthrop girls hockey team has as the upcoming season approaches.
Winthrop, a co-op that includes players from Lynn and Saugus, made the Division 1 North state tournament last winter after finishing the regular season at 12-6. The team was bounced in the first round after a loss to Westford.
“We had a great season,” Winthrop coach Anthony Martucci, in his 10th season, said. “It was fun, it was successful but we want to be a contender and go further.”
No longer the Bulldawgs, as they were formerly known, the Vikings enter the 2017-2018 season with a huge vacancy to fill at goalie. Gone are the talents of former netminder Gretchen Howard, who graduated last spring.
“I’ve been lucky, we’ve had great goalies in our program in Katie Burt and Gretchen Howard,” Martucci said. “Both were phenomenal goalies so we’ve been fortunate at that position in my years coaching here.”
Currently competing for the open goalie position are senior Sabrina Demro, eighth-grader Summer Tallent and seventh-grader Ana Baurley. The three-way competition has added excitement to the team’s preseason.
“Right now, it’s the most exciting thing we’ve seen in awhile,” Martucci said. “We’ve always known who our goalie was going to be. Gretchen never had a push. This year, these three are all pushing each other because they all want that job. You can see it just in the way they stretch, it’s a battle. It’s something I haven’t seen here before.”
Key returners for the Vikings include co-captains McKayla Norris and Catie O’Shea, both senior centers. Also returning are senior left wing Ashley Miles, junior defensemen Bella Perrotti and Abby Stafford, senior defenseman Emma Carney and junior left wing Emma Carlton.
“I’m very excited for what they bring,” Martucci said of his returners. “The leadership of O’Shea and Norris has been infectious since day one. They’re the first ones on the ice. They wait and fist bump all of the players when they take the ice. I’m excited to see how we do with those girls leading the way.”
Speed will be the name of the game for the Vikings this winter. While Winthrop has been known for playing what Martucci calls a “grind it out” style, the Vikings are implementing an up-tempo pace of play this preseason.
“Right now, we’re very excited about the team speed,” Martucci said. “This is a fast group. The pace of our practices has picked up so much. We’re up-tempo and moving. We haven’t been this fast in a long time. Instead of the grind-it-out style, I think we’ll play open and with a little more skill.”
But in order for the Vikings to move the puck quickly, they’ll have to improve on their passing. That was an area where the team struggled last season.
“At times, we struggled to get out of our zone,” Martucci said. “A lot of that had to do with playing younger kids in the back line and the older players there didn’t have a ton of experience. We were lucky that Gretchen helped cover that up. We’re also looking to become a better passing team. We weren’t a selfish team but we’re hoping to play a more open passing style.”
The Vikings open the season on Dec. 13 when they host Masconomet at Larsen Rink.
