PEABODY — The Bishop Fenwick girls hockey team took a big step forward last year, finishing well above .500 and earning a spot in the state tournament. Now, as the 2020-2021 season is set to begin, the Crusaders are back on the ice with more experience and maturity.
“Last year, we had a really good sophomore class that grew by leaps and bounds,” said coach John Kasle, who is starting his second season at the helm. “Those girls all have that one extra year of experience now, and the jump in skill has been noticeable.”
The Crusaders went a program-best 12-5-3 last season, earning the No. 11 seed in the Division 2 tournament before eventually coming up short against Winchester in the opening round.
But the biggest loss of the year came once the season was over, when star goalie Cailyn Wesley graduated from the program. An All-Item selection as a senior, Wesley won 11 games and made 409 total saves, with a 2.11 goals against average and a 0.911 save percentage. In total, Wesley made over 1,000 saves in her career at Fenwick.
“Cailyn is a special person and a special player, and she gave so much to this program over the years,” Kasle said. “It’ll certainly be a tough loss and probably the biggest void we’ll need to fill on our roster.”
But aside from the loss of Wesley, Fenwick is in pretty good shape as far as returning contributors go. Leading the way will be senior Gabby Davern, who was the team’s leading scorer and an All-Item selection last year with 18 goals and nine assists for 27 points. Davern is on track to notch her 100th career point early in the 2020-2021 season, as she currently has 91 career points (52 goals, 39 assists).
“We’re extremely fortunate to have all of our top scorers returning,” said Kasle. “It certainly takes a bit of the pressure off of the younger girls and allows them to continue to grow at their own pace. I feel that we have a really nice blend of youth and experience this season.”
Also returning as key contributors are junior Emma Perry, junior Lauren Diranian and sophomore Abby Millman, who all showed off their scoring prowess last season. Defensively, Allison Countie, Catherine Salvo and Grace Morey are back on the blue line. Seniors Shannon Nagy and Olivia LoJacono will also be vocal leaders for the Crusaders.
The Crusaders were able to get back out on the ice last weekend, and the enthusiasm has been sky-high from the first practice on.
“Enthusiasm is at an all-time high and we’re all just excited to be back out on the ice this year,” said Kasle. “The biggest thing we’ve been doing in the early days of practice is getting used to the new safety protocols, and everyone seems to be coming around nicely with that.”
Fenwick will once again run through the gauntlet for its league schedule this season, as the Catholic Central League is one of the stronger leagues in the state.
“It’s an incredibly competitive league and we wouldn’t want it any other way,” said Kasle. “Going up against teams like St. Mary’s twice and Austin Prep twice plus battles with Arlington Catholic and Matignon will be tough. But we’re looking forward to our opportunity to compete night in and night out.”
Fenwick opens the season next Saturday, Jan. 2 (11:30) on the road at Bishop Stang.
