LYNN — St. Mary’s senior defenseman Mady Hentosh has been a key piece to the puzzle for the Spartans since she joined the varsity team in 2015 as a freshman. Spartans coach Frank Pagliuca has watched Hentosh, a two-year co-captain, grow into an exceptional leader for the Spartans on and off the ice. Earlier this week, Hentosh made her future plans official when she committed to continue her hockey career at Division III Endicott College.
“I’m super proud of Mady,” Pagliuca said. “She’s just a great kid on and off the ice. She puts in a lot of work not only on the ice but also academically. I think that opened up a lot of opportunities for her. I’m glad it worked out for her at Endicott. They’re going to be lucky to have her. I think she’ll do very well at Endicott moving forward.
“Mady carries herself with great character and poise,” Pagliuca said. “She’s always going to help her teammates when they need assistance. Her demeanor, she sets a great example with (co-captain) Codi Butt for their teammates to follow. She consistently sets a great benchmark for where we are as a program and she represents that tremendously.”
Hentosh visited Endicott’s campus in Beverly and found that it reminded her of St. Mary’s.
“Endicott has a sense of community that’s a very similar aspect to St. Mary’s,” Hentosh said. “The community feel, along with the athletics, I thought it was a perfect fit for me.”
During the recruiting process, Hentosh also drew interest from UMass Amherst. She weighed her options before choosing to commit to Endicott.
“I kind of looked for the whole feel of it,” Hentosh said. “Once you step on the campus you kind of just know you can see yourself there. You hear about how good Endicott’s programs are, both athletically and academically.”
A Peabody native, joining the Gulls means Hentosh will stay close to home.
“It’s definitely going to be fun having my family close by,” Hentosh, a two-sport athlete who also plays lacrosse, said. “Say I’m sick on a weekend, it’s going to be good that I’ll have my parents close. No matter where I would’ve ended up I’m sure they would’ve been at every game. They’re my No. 1 supporters.”
Hentosh credited her teammates, as well as Pagliuca, for helping her during her St. Mary’s career.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Hentosh said. “Coach Frank has played a big role in my career. He has made me the player I am today. I have to give credit to him and my teammates.”
The Spartans are well on their way toward giving Hentosh a senior season worth remembering. St. Mary’s has already qualified for the state tournament and holds a 13-2-2 record with three games remaining in the regular season.
Hentosh, who has scored 21 goals with 46 assists in her career, pointed to chemistry and commitment as the keys to the success the Spartans have reached this winter.
“The season has gone well,” Hentosh said. “This year’s team definitely has a good sense of chemistry on and off the ice. Our relationships off the ice carry over on the ice. Our energy and commitment have been stronger than years past. It’s definitely showing in our results. It has been a positive year.”
With six points on the table, the goal for the Spartans is to close the regular season on a high note in hopes of earning the best possible seed in the postseason. St. Mary’s visits Archbishop Williams Saturday and has two games in the Hingham Hockey Showcase next week.
“Our goal is to get all six possible points to get a first-round home game in the playoffs,” Hentosh said. “That’s our main focus right now.”
