LYNN — It’s not too often that a young player at a strong Division 1 hockey program has the opportunity to make a meaningful impact, but that’s exactly what St. Mary’s junior forward Nick Napolitano has done over the past two seasons. Since his freshman year in the 2015-2016 season, Napolitano has made leaps and bounds in his improvements both on and off the ice.
“I’m just trying to get better every day, keep growing,” said Napolitano. “Things have been going well but there’s a long way to go, we all just have to keep pushing.”
As a freshman, the Revere native was a role player with a fairly small role on the team. He had one goal and one assist on a team that scored 106 goals and went all the way to the Division 1 state title game, losing in double overtime. His sophomore year saw his role increase significantly, and he used that increase in playing time to take on the role of the facilitator. He netted three goals and was third on the team in assists (only behind star senior forwards Mike Zampanti and Dante Maribito). Napolitano also played a big role in the Spartans’ run back to the Division 1 state title game, even notching an assist in the win over Framingham for the championship.
Now, in his junior season, Napolitano has taken another step forward. He now centers the first line, and his 11 goals and 11 assists (22 total points) rank him among the team leaders in both categories.
“He’s really turned a corner this season,” said St. Mary’s coach Mark Lee. “He was a big part of last year’s team even though he was young, and this year he’s bigger, faster and stronger. He does a lot out there for us.”
“I just try to focus on doing my job out there, whatever I have to do,” Napolitano said.
One of the things that Lee notes about Napolitano is that, since he’s only a junior this season, he will be a leader on the team next season once another crop of seniors leaves for graduation. He’ll likely be looked on to do a lot for a team that will lose six seniors, including both captains and this year’s leading scorer, Anthony Bono.
“He’s certainly one of the guys we look to that’s going to keep this program moving forward,” Lee said. “He’s a good skater, can handle the puck well and is growing into his role as the first line center.”
But let’s not look too far in the future, there’s still plenty left to do this year. The Spartans are still right in the thick of the battle for as they defend their Division 1 state championship.
As someone who has a chance to get back to a third consecutive state title game, Napolitano knows there’s no slowing down now.
“We’ve just got to keep working hard out there every day,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of big games coming up, so now’s the time when we have to work harder than everyone else.”
The Spartans closed the regular season at 12-6-4. They fell short of a bid in the MIAA Division 1A Super 8 tournament, but they were seeded No. 2 in the Division 1 North tournament while earning a first round bye in the process. St. Mary’s begins its title defense with a quarterfinals clash against No. 7 Winchester on Saturday afternoon (1) at Woburn’s O’Brien Rink.
