SWAMPSCOTT – While many teammates share special bonds, two athletes on the Swampscott High School hockey team are closer than most.
Frank and Dominic Pappalardo – who go by Frankie and Dom – are brothers on the team. This past season marked their third time playing together, and Frankie, a senior, said he was lucky to be accompanied by his younger brother, a sophomore, on his sendoff year.
“We’ve been playing street hockey together since we were really young, so it was really cool to have him for my senior season,” said Frankie, whose Big Blue were eliminated by Dedham in the Division 4 state tournament after an 8-9-3 regular season.
The Pappalardos, who live in Swampscott, have been playing together for a long time, on both organized teams and freely in their neighborhood since they were toddlers.
“We’d go onto the street with roller blades,” Frankie said. “ [Dom] would play goalie, and I’d just shoot on him for hours.”
Dom is a goalie, and has played up with Frankie’s teams for many years as his older brother’s class didn’t have a goalie.
“It’s definitely a bit of a challenge playing with older kids,” Dom said.
The team, as a whole, also experienced its own set of challenges this season. Many members contended with injuries and illnesses throughout the season, so there wasn’t a single game that included a roster of all 19 players.
Gino Faia is the head coach of the team. He attended Swampscott High School, and 27 years ago, returned as an assistant coach for the hockey team. He is currently in his 24th season at the helm.
“The way the kids battled and fought hard, just to be able to get in the playoffs again, I couldn’t be more proud of this group,” Faia said.
With all of those roster shakeups, Frankie and Dom still played every single game for the Big Blue.
“[Frankie] was one of the few guys that played every single game. He didn’t miss a practice, and he was just a pleasure to coach,” Faia said. “And Dom played every single game as well. They both show up to the rink every day, ready to work.”
Dom played all but one minute for Swampscott the entire year. The only minute he missed was because the blade on his skate came off.
Frankie and Dom share a strong brotherly connection – one that’s very tight, but very competitive.
“I always score on him, so it was nice in practice to have a goalie I could score on every time,” Frankie said jokingly.
Sometimes, their friendly competitiveness can get the best of them. Once, at practice, Frankie screamed at Dom for letting in a goal he should have stopped. Dom didn’t seem bothered by it at all.
“We’re both very competitive, and it just boils over sometimes,” he said.
Frankie left his mark on the program – and Faia – through both his play and character.
“He was always hustling. He practiced hard and played hard. He was just one of those guys that you leaned on,” Faia said.
Frankie is a member of a big class, with nine seniors on the Swampscott team. With this many graduates from the 19-man roster, the school might shift to a co-op team next year.
Dom will be returning next year for his junior season. This winter, he was named a Northeastern Conference All-Star. After playing a year with his brother, he looks to find equal success next year without him.
“It’s gonna be nice meeting the new group of guys, and we are looking to have a lot of success next year,” Dom said.
Nathaniel Ford is studying journalism at Endicott College.
