Slaven earns Coach of the Year

Published November 21, 2019

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NORTH READING — On Nov. 4, the Cape Ann League field hockey coaches selected their All-Star teams and three North Reading High players made the team.

Ava Czarnota led the way making the CAL First Team. The junior forward led the Hornets in points with 19 as she had four goals and a team-high 15 assists. Last fall, she was on the CAL Second Team All-Stars.

“She has great ability and she was ready to be a big contributor this season,” said Hornets head coach Andrea Slaven, who was also named the CAL Coach of The Year.

Two Hornets made the CAL Second-Team All-Stars: Emma Lord and Emma Borland.

Borland is a junior goalie who went 9-8-2 in net this season. She made 101 saves on 132 shots for a 76 percent save average.

SENIOR CAPTAIN Emma Lord was one of three Hornets named Cape Ann League All-Stars recently. (John Friberg File Photo)

“She had a knee injury last year,” pointed out Slaven. “She came back this year and stepped up her game. I am expecting big things from her next year.”

Lord is a senior midfielder who had six points with two goals and four assists.

“She played a very difficult position playing the left-mid,” said Slaven, about the tri-captain. “She did a great job in controlling the pace.”

The Hornets made their first postseason appearance this year since 2015 as they lost 3-0 at Gloucester in the first round of the Division 2 North state tournament.

With that defeat, North Reading ended the year at 9-8-2. They went 8-7-1 in the CAL coming in sixth place in the CAL Kinney Division as all six schools finished at least .500 in league play.

The team will lose eight seniors to graduation. Along with Lord, they will also lose Jeny Collins (forward), Leah Corvino (forward), Julia DiNapoli (defenseman), Makenna Lamont (midfielder), Maggie Majeski (defenseman), Sammie Mirasolo (forward) and Julia Smith (defenseman).

Lord, Collins and Majeski were the three captains this fall.

“Six of those seniors were starters and they were the main reason that I got the Coach of The Year,” said Slaven. “They left their mark here and helped bring us to the tournament for the first time in four years.”

Slaven, who just completed her third year at the helm, also thanked her assistant coach Alicia Ward, for her help.

North Reading will have seven veterans back next September.

“All seven of them will come back with a lot of experience,” said Slaven.