Two More Wins for RHS Girls Soccer
The Revere High girls soccer team vanquished two more Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals this past week to improve to 11-0-1 overall (9-0-1 in the GBL). The twin wins allowed the Lady Patriots to keep pace in the race for the GBL title with Somerville, with whom the Lady Patriots battled to a 1-1 tie two weeks ago. The rivals are scheduled to meet in the last game of the season on October 27 at Somerville for what should be a battle for the 2023 GBL crown.
Last Tuesday the Lady Patriots, who had allowed only that one goal to Somerville this season, took on the Lynn English Bulldogs and found themselves trailing for the first time all year when English scored within the first three minutes to take a 1-0 lead.
The Revere offense struggled to get going for most of the opening half, but finally tallied a goal late in the first half with Catalina Chizavos bringing the ball down the sideline and cutting to the middle. Catalina passed to Sandra Torres, who then took the ball to the corner of the box and put a hard shot on net. The ball eluded the English keeper and Kesley Morales ran past the goalie and tapped the ball in.
Revere came out on fire after the intermission and struck for five unanswered goals. Kaylin Oliva, with an assist from Erika Mejia, made it 2-1 and Sandra Torres then scored on a free kick from the top of the box. Late in the second half, a corner kick from Emily Torres crossed to the top of the box where Kathy Granados tapped it into the back of the Lady Bulldog net. Ari Pina scored with an assist from Kaylin Oliva and the final Revere goal was notched by Samarah Paiva with an assist from Amilee Hernandez.
“We had some great chances by Kara Leal, Jaimy Gomez, Amina Baroudi and Giselle Portillo, Grace Martinez, Adrianna Catalado, Amilee Hernandez, Emily Torres, and Salma Zahraoui,” said RHS head coach Megan O’Donnell. “They got the ball moving and got many scoring opportunities in the second half.”
Two days later the Lady Patriots observed Senior /Night in fitting fashion with a 3-1 victory over GBL foe Everett at Harry Della Russo Stadium at which seniors Catalina Chizavo, Karla Leal, Jaimy Gomez, Giselle Portillo, Jessica Glavez, Samarah Paiva, Giselle Salvador, and Ari Pina were honored for their contributions to the RHS girls soccer program.
“The game started off tough as always,” noted O’Donnell. “Everett is a strong and well-coached team so they knew how to play us.”
Ari Pina scored an apparent goal 15 minutes into the game, but it was ruled offside. However, later in the half Pina made a great defensive stop and moved the ball up field and hit Paiva (who had been moved to midfield) with a nice pass up the middle. Samarah ran downfield with a one-on-one with Everett goalkeeper Emilia Babcock, whom Paiva beat down and low.
Revere made it 2-0 in the second half when Nataly Oliva scored a goal when she went in alone on Babcock and chipped a shot over the Everett keeper’s head. Giselle Salvador earned an assist on the goal. Oliva added some extra insurance when she scored the third RHS goal with an assist from Pina late in the second half.
Everett scored with under three minutes left in the game on a free kick from Layla Cardona who put it past RHS keeper Nisrin Sekkatt — who has allowed only three goals all season — into the top corner.
“Seniors Karla Leal, Jaimy Gomez, Giselle Portillo all played a strong game, along with our other seniors,” noted O’Donnell, who also added, “Everett goalkeeper Emilia Babcock played a great game for her first time playing goal. She looked like a natural keeper. “
O’Donnell and her crew were scheduled to play at non-league opponent Boston Collegiate this past Monday and to host Chelsea yesterday (Tuesday). They will entertain Medford tomorrow (Thursday) and Lynn Classical next Monday.
They will wrap up their regular season with non-league opponent Northeast Regional next Thursday and then the big match-up at Somerville next Friday (October 27).
RHS/MHS Golfers Defeat Somerville
The Revere and Malden High co-op golf team earned a key Greater Boston League victory with a 42-30 triumph over Somerville at the Mt. Hood course last Tuesday to improve to a sterling 8-1-1 record on the season.
Among the highlights for coach Brandon Pezzuto’s squad were the performances by #2 player Frankie Annunziata, who defeated his Somerville counterpart, 5.5-3.5; Bo Bogan at #6, who stepped in at the last second for an injured Tommy Cronin and won his match, 6.5-2.5; senior captain Ollie Svendsen at #7, who captured his match, 6.5-2.5; and senior captain Ryan Coggswell at #8, who overwhelmed his Highlander opponent by a score of 8-1.
“The coaches were extremely proud of the group and in particular Bo’s performance,” said Pezzuto. “He was able to step in seamlessly because of his diligence throughout the season. He has improved so much and I am proud that his hard work is paying off. He is a great kid and adds such value to our program.”
Pezzuto added, “During our practice on Monday at Kelley Greens in Nahant, one of our players, Malden junior Dante Federico, had a noteworthy, once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment. Dante hit a hole-in-one in front of his coaches and peers on the 4th hole measuring approximately 145 yards. It was the first time I’ve experienced this with any of my golfers in my nine years of coaching. It was incredible. Dante is a joy to be around and his teammates and coaches were so happy that it was him. Some of his teammates, including Jonathan Wells, mentioned to me that they were happy that it happened to Dante, he deserves it. It was a truly special day for Dante and our program.”
RHS Girls Run Record to 4-1
The Revere High girls cross country team chalked up their fourth straight victory with a runaway 16-43 triumph over Greater Boston League rival Malden last Wednesday on the local course.
“Hiba El Bzyouy, Afnane Amine, and Daniela Santana Baez all ran strong and bettered their personal-record paces,” said RHS head coach Katie Sinnott. “Those three have made a tight pack, which makes our team stronger. When these three runners finish a course within about a minute of each other, it pushes the placement of the other team back, causing that team to score more points. Our competitors have had a hard time finishing between these three, which is what has been a game-changer for us. It’s been really great to have them on the team.”
Lady Patriot ace runner Rocio Gonzalez Castillo, on her last time running her home course, finished first and improved on her race time from last week by nearly two minutes.
“We will next face Chelsea at their home course,” noted Sinnott of today’s meet with the Lady Red Devils at Admiral’s Hill. “Their course is challenging and they have a couple of very strong runners, so we will need to prepare well.”
Overall Results:
Revere 16-Malden 43
Individual Results:
Rocio Gonzalez Castillo – 1st – 22:44
Olivia Rupp – 2nd – 23:08
Hiba El Bzyouy – 3rd – 23:39
Afnane Amine – 4th – 23:43
Daniela Santana Baez – 6th – 24:52
Yasmin Riazi – 8th – 27:07
Stephanie Reyes – 11th – 29:58
Rania Abdelhannane – 13th – 32:04
RHS Boys Soccer Defeats English; Clinches Tourney Spot
It was a level week for the Revere High boys soccer team, who went 1-1-1 in their three contests against Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals and in the process earned a berth in the post-season state tourney.
Last Tuesday the Patriots defeated Lynn English 4-1 a victory that punched a ticket for coach Manny Lopes and his crew for a Journey to the Tourney. Brayan Medina scored two unassisted goals for Revere. Teammates Nicolas Morgira (assisted by Eric DeCarvalho) and Latrell Ashby (assisted by JV Cunha) also reached the back of the Bulldogs’ net. The win raised Revere’s record to 7-2-1, thereby assuring the Patriots of at least a .500 record that is needed to qualify for the post-season tournament.
Two days later, Revere and Everett dueled to a 1-1 tie. Ashby, once again assisted by Cunha, scored the Revere goal.
On Saturday the Patriots took on first-place Somerville in a contest that Revere needed to win in order to maintain a realistic chance for a GBL title. However, the Highlanders edged the Patriots by a tight 2-1 margin, with Francisco Navarette, assisted by Jeremy Romero, accounting for the Revere tally.
Somerville improved to 9-1-1 in the GBL with three league games remaining, while Revere fell to 7-3-2. The Patriots need to win both of their remaining GBL contests and hope that the Highlanders either lose all three or lose two and tie one in order for Revere either to win the GBL crown or share it.
The Patriots were set to play at GBL rivals Chelsea yesterday (Tuesday) and Medford tomorrow (Thursday). They will entertain non-league opponent Excel Academy next Wednesday evening at 6:30 under the lights at Harry Della Russo Stadium in a contest that will be highlighted by Senior Night festivities.
Lopes and his crew then will await word of their seeding and opening round opponent in the upcoming Division 1 state soccer tournament.
RHS Field Hockey Plays Well vs. Methuen
Although the Revere High field hockey team dropped its two contests this past week to Malden Catholic and Methuen, there were some highlights for coach Alex Butler’s Patriots.
In the contest with Malden Catholic, Matthew Terrell scored a goal in the second quarter for Revere. In a 4-0 loss to Methuen, “Our team played hard all four quarters against a very skilled field hockey team,” said Butler. “Our goalie, Sonia Haily, made some incredible saves throughout the game.”
Butler and her crew are scheduled to travel to Peabody tomorrow (Thursday) and to Saugus on Friday. They will entertain Greater Boston League rival Everett next Wednesday.
RHS Volleyball Wins Set vs. Chelsea
Although the Revere High volleyball team dropped its three matches this past week, there were some highlights for the Lady Patriots.
In a 3-1 loss to Chelsea, which is in second place in the GBL with only one loss, Hadassa Dias and Liv Yuong each had six kills. In a 3-1 contest with Greater Lowell Tech, Revere’s comeback in the fourth set just fell short by a score iof 28-26.
RHS head coach Emilie Hostetter lauded the effort of Lady Patriot captain Lea Doucette in the match with Lowell Tech. “Lea led the team through her positive energy and hustle,” noted Hostetter.
Revere was scheduled to play at Somerville this past Monday and will travel to Essex Tech next Monday. They will entertain Swampscott next Tuesday and Chelmsford next Wednesday.
RHS Cross Country Boys Getting Faster
Although the Revere High boys cross country team came up short in last week’s meet with Malden, RHS head coach Mike Flynn was pleased with his team’s performance.
“I was very happy with our times because most of our runners had their best time on their home course,” said Flynn.
The Revere finishers were:
— Youness Chahid finished 2nd with a time of 16:38,which was a minute and a half faster than his time last week;
— Zaraius Bilimoria finished 5th with a time of 19:46, which was almost a full minute faster than last week;
— Vincent Phan finished 12th with a time of 22:31, which was 1:09 faster than last week;
— Nick Barry finished 18th with a time of 29:45; and
— Abdo Rochdi finished 19th with a time of 29:48
Flynn and his Patriot crew are scheduled to make the short trip to the bottom of Broadway today (Wednesday) to take on Chelsea on the latter’s home course at Admiral’s Hill.
Revere/Malden Golfers Win GBL Title, To Play in State Tournament
The Malden/Revere High golf team concluded its Greater Boston League schedule with a match at Kelley Greens on Monday against Lynn Classical. The match resulted in a 44.5-27.5 win and improved the team’s record to 8-1-1 in the GBL and 9-1-1 overall.
The team has qualified for the Division 1 State Tournament, which will be played this Monday at the Renaissance Golf Club.
In addition, the win also secured the GBL Championship for the team, marking the first time either program has won the GBL championship since 1981 — over 42 years ago.
“The coaching staff is very proud of how our team came together as a group and rallied behind a shared goal,” said head coach Brandon Pezzuto. “It really is a testament to the leadership our group has. Additionally, this accomplishment is credited to some of the recent graduates who were a part of the first few years of our co-op. They really helped us develop a positive culture grounded in respecting the game and learning and growing each opportunity we have to swing a golf club.
“A predominant number of our golfers come to our program with little to no golf experience,” Pezzuto added. “The hard work that all of our golfers have put in makes this accomplishment even sweeter.”
Some highlights from the match included #1 Chris MacDonald winning his match, 5.5-3.5; #2 Frankie Annunziata, who won 6.5-2.5; #3 Matt LaCroix, who tied his match 4.5-4.5; #4 Jacob Simonelli, who won 6.5-2.5; #5 Jonathan Wells, a 7.5-1.5 winner; #7 Ryan Coggswell, who triumphed by a score of 5.5-3.5, and #8 Ollie Svendsen, who won 6-3.
“The coaching staff cannot say enough about the resilience of the group,” said Pezzuto. “The start wasn’t our best, with 6-of-8 starters losing the first hole, but our team just grinded and battled through the entire match. The mental toughness to continue to battle through adversity is what the coaching staff is most proud of. It really demonstrates our maturation throughout the season. As firm believers in the phase ‘sports imitate life,’ our coaching staff is most proud of our team’s resilience.”
