After wrapping up a season and career that saw her set multiple program records, Winthrop senior goalie Summer Tallent has been selected as the 2021-22 Item Player of the Year for girls hockey.
Tallent played five seasons in net for the Vikings after starting as an eighth-grader, and in 2021-22 she left her mark for good. The talented netminder recorded eight shutouts on the season and put up a goals-against average of just 1.39. Across Winthrop’s 20 games — in which the Vikings went 18-1-1 — Tallent only allowed 27 total goals.
She wrapped up a career that saw her set program records for both career wins (59) and career shutouts (25).
Joining Tallent as Item All-Stars for the 2021-22 girls hockey season are Emma Holmes (Winthrop junior), Julia Holmes (Winthrop junior), Talia Martucci (Winthrop freshman), Jenna Chaplain (St. Mary’s junior), Maggie Pierce (St. Mary’s junior), Kasey Litwin (St. Mary’s sophomore), Sarah Powers (Peabody/Lynnfield freshman), Jenna DiNapoli (Peabody/Lynnfield junior), Hannah Gromko (Peabody/Lynnfield junior), Catie Kampersal (Peabody/Lynnfield sophomore), Alyse Mutti (Peabody/Lynnfield freshman), Audrey Buckley (Peabody/Lynnfield senior), Elsa Wood (Marblehead freshman), Hadley Wales (Marblehead senior), Lily Francoeur (Marblehead sophomore), Lauren Diranian (Bishop Fenwick senior), Abbey Millman (Bishop Fenwick junior) and Ella Tucker (Bishop Fenwick freshman).
Winthrop’s top line of Emma Holmes, Julia Holmes and Talia Martucci caused problems for opposing defenses all season long. Emma Holmes was the Vikings’ leading goal-scorer with 21 goals, and her 19 assists gave her a team-leading 40 points for the year. Julia Holmes and Talia Martucci tied for the team lead in assists (21), while Julia Holmes scored 14 goals to Talia Marucci’s 13.
Chaplain, a Peabody native who was the 2020-21 Item Player of the Year for girls hockey, scored more goals than any other player in The Item’s coverage area this winter with 22. She wasn’t too bad as a playmaker either, as her 19 assists also gave her the most points (41) in The Item’s coverage area. Pierce — who this past fall was named the 2021 Item Player of the Year for field hockey — had yet another impressive season, this time on the ice. Pierce finished the year with 13 goals and 23 assists for a total of 36 points. Litwin played the role of playmaking defenseman to perfection all year, notching 14 assists from the blue line while also scoring two goals.
Powers burst onto the scene as a freshman for Peabody/Lynnfield, finishing in the top five in the area in goals (18), assists (19) and total points (37). DiNapoli, who was an Item All-Star last year as well, had a great season with 16 goals and 11 assists for 27 total points. Gromko scored nine goals and added 12 assists on the year, while Kampersal had 11 goals and 10 assists. Mutti and Audrey Buckley split time in net for the Tanners and both played exceptionally, with Mutti grabbing nine wins and Audrey Buckley earning seven. Mutti had the area’s best goals-against average at 1.31, and her save percentage on the season was a stellar .945. Meanwhile, Buckley put up a GAA of 1.40 and was close behind in save percentage at .932. Both made an identical 242 total saves on the year.
Diranian was one of the top players in the area this winter, leading the Crusaders in goals (21) assists (15) and total points (36). Millman helped complement the offense with 11 goals and eight assists for 19 total points, while Tucker stepped into the goaltender’s role midway through the season and went on a great run down the stretch. Tucker finished the year with a goals-against average of 1.95 and a save percentage of .909.
Wood, who saw playing time as an eighth-grader last year, took a big leap forward in 2021-22 and finished with 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 total points — all of which led the Magicians. Wales wasn’t far behind in assists, finishing the year with 10. Francoeur made more saves than anyone else in The Item’s coverage area with 440, and she finished the year with a save percentage of .902.
Other local hockey players who earned all-star honorable mention status are Amanda Forziati and Julia Lambert (St. Mary’s); Ava Buckley, Penelope Spack and Catherine Sweeney (Peabody/Lynnfield); Mia Martucci, Elle English and Abby Holmes (Winthrop); Grace Morey, Catherine Salvo and Sedona Lawson (Bishop Fenwick); and Hannah Tsouvalas and Ashley Piersol (Marblehead).
