THE MHS boy’s hockey team recently celebrated their playoff-bound season with a year-end banquet. (courtesy photo)
SAUGUS—The Melrose High boy’s hockey team celebrated their unpredictable and exciting season that included a playoff run, with a banquet held at Prince Pizza in Saugus on March 11.
Both varsity and junior varsity players received their certificates, pins, letters, bars and stars.
The night was the occasion for the team to celebrate their outgoing seniors and their post season appearance in the MIAA playoffs that saw them advance in opening round and force No. 3 seed Scituate to overtime during quarterfinals.
While they didn’t name captains for next year, coach Joe Ciccarello took a moment to distribute honors and awards to deserving players. They include:
Melrose Hockeytown Award. This goes to the player who has shown outstanding dedication to the Melrose Hockey Community. The winner was senior Tyler Muse.
“Overwhelmingly, people agreed that Tyler Muse has given so much of his time and effort into the Melrose Youth Hockey program making many of the younger players can’t wait to grow up and play for Melrose High Hockey,” said a proud coach Ciccarello.
Two players shared the Coaches Award: senior Alex Sevastynov and Will Ryan. “We really couldn’t determine a sole person who personifies what it means to be a team player and always practices what the coaching staff is preaching on a daily basis. Alex and Will have been such great team players and shown everyone what being on a team is truly about.”
The last award given was the prestigious High School Hobey Baker Award, given to a player that exemplifies outstanding character and sportsmanship. The winner was Jack Wright.
Said his coach, “Few players it certainly could have been given to, but the staff truly felt senior Jack Wright was most deserving. He was a great leader and played the game hard and always carried himself with true respect for the game.”
After summer and offseason workouts, the team will look forward to naming captains next winter.
Notes Ciccarello, “We watch all summer and offseason and see who is stepping up and leading the team. We use input from the players’ recommendation, the staff, and then I make the final decision sometime before the first game next year.”
This season the team says goodbye to capt. Jack Wright, Jackson Burdik, Brendan Healy, Michael Fuccione, Declan Baker, Ethan Burns, Sasha Sevastyanov, Will Ryan, Joe Kelleher, capt. Colin Fahey, Tyler Muse, and Joe Smith.
