Based on their achievements in the classroom and respective athletic endeavors, Peabody girls hockey standout Eleni Spack and Salem basketball star Elian Rodriguez have been selected as March’s Moynihan Lumber Student-Athletes of the Month.
Spack played many roles for the Peabody/Lynnfield/North Reading girls hockey co-op. The four-year varsity player was the team’s leading scorer and captain.
“She works with all players on the team to help them improve,” said PLNR coach Guy Angiuoni. “When our goalie was injured, she offered to play goalie.”
The senior, who also played four years of soccer and two years of softball before transitioning to lacrosse, compiled 17 points on the ice and received All-Northeastern Hockey League honors.
“This season was pretty hard,” said Spack, a North Suburban Wings hockey club player. “We lost 11 people . . . pulled up middle-schoolers. But, at the same time, I saw lots of resilience and that’s what’s important.”
Spack gives it her all in the classroom, too. She sports a 3.77 GPA and ranks in the top nine percent of a 330-student class. The National Honor Society and AP Scholar member takes five AP classes.
Her secret? Put aside time, set goals, meet those goals, and repeat.
“And you just need to do it — do the work,” said Spack, who enjoys history and hopes to become a veterinarian. “I’m such a history geek. I also love my sciences.”
When asked to reflect on her career and the Moynihan award, Spack was quick to respond.
“I couldn’t be happier with my hockey career and I love my teammates,” she said. “I’m incredibly happy (about this award) and it shows the hard work I’ve put in . . . and the people around me — I couldn’t have gotten there without them.”
It’s been a busy few months for Rodriguez, too. His Witches captured the Div. 3 boys basketball state championship in March — the program’s first in 31 years.
“The last few months have been really good. We left it all on the court,” said Rodriguez, who netted 27 points in a 57-51 win against top-ranked Hanover. “The crowd was amazing.”
Rodriguez, the Northeastern Conference Player of the Year and a 1,000-point scorer, captained Salem to a 24-2 record. He averaged 22.1 points and 5.3 assists per game.
“We were competing every day at practice and giving it our all, showing we wanted to be there and go far,” said Rodriguez, who plays AAU basketball for North Shore Sports Academy, “and the coaching staff, I can’t thank them enough. Coach Tom Doyle was probably the best coach I’ve ever had — he knows the game really well.”
But school comes first for Rodriguez. A Witch of the Month recipient for athletic and academic success, he sports a 3.3 GPA.
His secret is staying focused and “not fooling around in class.” Like Spack, his favorite subject is history.
“When it’s time to get your work done, you have to lock in on that — that’s what I did,” he said. “I feel like my hard work is being shown academically and in sports.”
