PEABODY — The 2020 season was difficult for everyone, and that includes the Bishop Fenwick boys hockey team.
With a truncated schedule, it was difficult for the Crusaders to get a rhythm going last year. Coming into this year, head coach Jim Quinlan is excited that there will be a slight return to normal.
“I’m really excited because last year was tough,” Quinlan said. “We were out there for five weeks out of the year, and when you have five weeks of practice, you can’t really get anything going and that killed us. We were on for a week and we were off for a week. And last year if a kid came down with COVID from the other team, we all got quarantined. This year, we’ve still got to wear masks, there are still protocols and there are kids getting sick with the flu and stuff like that. I just hope that hopefully, it’s not like last year. Hopefully, we don’t have to sit out, knock on wood, and we get to practice and get to have a normal hockey season.”
Quinlan stated that the team has a good nucleus of seniors, juniors and sophomores, as well as a couple of freshmen.
“My team is going to be a hard-working team, all my teams are,” Quinlan said. “This group here is a special group. I mean, there are 10 seniors on my team. They work hard every day. They are a team, they do everything together. When everybody is on the same page, you play good (hockey). We will be in every game, win or lose.”
Senior center Marc Wilson, senior defenseman Kinnery Muniz and senior defenseman Michael Faragi are the captains of the team along with junior Max Vieira. They will have senior leadership in the form of forwards Nick Wesley, Dan Reddick, Kevin Wood, and Ryan McGann along with goaltender Dillon Bloom.
“I’m looking for a lot out of them as leaders,” said Quinlan. “They will help the younger kids.”
The Crusaders open their season at home against Arlington Catholic on Dec. 18.
