If the early snow isn't enough of an indication, winter is here. And that means the highly-anticipated 2017-18 Andover High winter season is officially underway.
Boys hockey just missed its first trip to the Super 8 tournament in program history a season ago, and brings back nearly all of its firepower from last year. The Golden Warriors return high-scoring Caeden Dillman (15 goals) and Mike Reilly (14 goals) and a dominant defense led by Jake Lachance.
It's a new start for the girls basketball team, which was hit hard by graduation and welcomes new head coach Alan Hibino. But the Golden Warriors do bring back a pair of four-year starters in Taylor Landry and Gia Bramanti.
The boys basketball team is very young. But whenever senior three-sport superstar Cedric Gillette is in uniform, something special is always possible. The girls hockey team will rely heavily on star goalie Sean D'Urso and the wrestling team is paced by Kevin Kiely, Matt Meagher and Payton Heidtke.
BOYS BASKETBALL
2016-17 season: 13-9, D1 North quarterfinals
Returning starters (2): Cedric Gillette, 6-0, Sr., guard; Emmett Kim, 6-1, Jr., guard
Returning Lettermen: Kevin Flowers, 5-11, Sr., guard; Kyle Rocker, 6-2, Soph., guard; Stephen Shaw, 6-2, Jr., forward
Promising Newcomers: T.J. Jayasinghe, 5-11, Jr., guard; Rishi Srinivasan, 5-10, Jr., guard; Colin Kirkpatrick, 6-0, Jr., guard; Shamus Florio, 6-2, Soph., forward; John Marshall, 6-2, Soph., guard; Michael Slayton, 6-1, Soph., forward; Charlie McCarthy, 5-11, Soph., guard; Ryan Grecco, 6-2, Frosh., center
Captains: Cedric Gillette, Emmett Kim
Returning scoring leaders: Cedric Gillette 6.6, Emmett Kim 5.5
Returning honorees: none
Fast facts: No. 11 Andover topped No. 6 Methuen in the Division 1 North tourney then fell to Central in the quarters. ... Longtime assistant Alan Hibino replaced E.J. Perry as the coach of the Andover girls. Ex-Haverhill head coach and longtime area AAU coach Michael Trovato and former Central assistant Scott Armstrong have joined the staff. ... Dave Fazio says this is his youngest team in his 29 years at Andover. ... Sophomore Charlie McCarthy is the son of former Central football standout Steve McCarthy.
Assistant coaches: Carol Martini, Pat Murnane, Michael Trovato, Scott Armstrong
Coach Dave Fazio: (29th year, 437-200)
GIRLS BASKETBALL
2016-17 season: 22-2, lost in D1 state semis
Returning starters (3): Taylor Landry, 5-7, Jr., guard; Gia Bramanti, 6-0, Jr., guard; Shea Krekorian, 5-7, Soph., guard
Returning lettermen: Caroline McDonald, 5-9, Sr., forward; Sarah Sullivan, 5-8, Jr., guard; Megan Zalanskas, 5-8, Jr., forward; Alexa Pacy, 5-7, Jr., guard; Brooke Hardock, 5-10, Soph., forward
Newcomers: Elizabeth Pustis, 5-4, Soph., guard; Concetta Archambault, 5-6, Soph., forward; Christine Reardon, 5-6, Soph., forward; Tatum Shaw, 5-6, Frosh., guard
Captains: Caroline McDonald
Returning scoring leaders: Gia Bramanti 8.0 (36 3’s), Taylor Landry 6.1
Returning honorees: Gia Bramanti and Taylor Landry, All-MVC
Fast facts: First-year coach Alan Hibino takes over after serving as an assistant for the boys team for 15 years. He is also a two-time state champion coach for the girls tennis team. Former coach E.J. Perry was 65-27 over four seasons. ... New assistant Kerry Cashman is also a first-year assistant AD at the school. She was 30-10 the last two years as head coach at Bradford Christian. The other new assistant, Connor Arnold, was an AHS star. ... Eagle-Tribune Super-Teamers Alyssa Casey (MVP) and Jillian Webber graduated. ... Junior Aislinn McMahon transferred to Tilton. ... Megan Zalanskas’ brother, Nick, was an MVC All-Star junior linebacker for AHS.
Assistants: Connor Arnold, Kerry Cashman
Coach Alan Hibino: (1st year)
BOYS HOCKEY
2016-17 season: 15-6-2, lost in D1 North final
Returning lettermen: Michael Reilly, Sr., forward; Caeden Dillman, Sr., forward; Jake Lachance, Sr., defense; Andrew King, Sr., forward; John Kuta, Sr., forward; Jack Murray Sr., defense; Matthew Schuhwerk, Jr., forward; Matthew Belluche, Jr., defense; Patrick Archambault, Jr., forward; Alex Trottier, Jr., goalie; Cole Chingris, Jr., goalie; Michael Feeney, Soph., forward
Promising newcomers: Jack Keeler, Sr., forward/defense; John Waccome, Sr., forward; Alex Weinreb, Jr., defense; Michael Leone, Soph., forward; Evan Arpin, Soph., forward; Jackson Gress, Soph., defense; Tyler Durling, Soph., forward; Tommy Tavenner, Frosh., defense; Steven Ingram, Frosh., forward; Shane Lachance, Frosh., forward; Samuel Murray, Frosh., forward; Jake Brizner, Frosh., goalie
Returning goal leaders: Caeden Dillman 15, Mike Reilly 14
Returning honorees: Mike Reilly, Matt Belluche, All-MVC/DCL
Assistant coaches: Britt Kostraba, Peter Loring, Steve Belmonte, Anthony Licciardello, Scott Lachance, Bill Irwin
Fast facts: Andover’s trip the Division 1 North final was the furthest a Warriors team has advanced since going to the Division 2 final in 2007. ... New assistant coach Anthony Licciardello starred for Chris Kuchar when he coached the Amesbury/Whittier co-op team. Whittier Tech graduate Licciardello scored a team-high 16 goals as a senior in 2012-13. ... Freshman Shane Lachance is the brother of senior defenseman Jake Lachance and the son of assistant coach and 13-year NHL veteran Scott Lachance.
Coach Chris Kuchar: (4th year, 39-17-11)
GIRLS HOCKEY
2016-17: 8-10-2
Returning lettermen: Ally Wright, Sr., forward; Gabby Vaccaro, Sr., defense; Kyra Morrisette, Sr., goalie; Callie Willey, Jr., forward; Emily Wagner, Jr., forward; Emma Gilmartin, Jr., forward; Katie Adams, Jr., defense; Sean D’Urso, Jr., goalie; Emma Berube, Jr., goalie; Laura Olson, Jr., defense; Sara Carleo, Soph., defense; Laren Fraiser, Soph., forward
Newcomers: Anna O’Sullivan, Sr., defenseman; Emily Abbott, Sr., defenseman; Madeline McLean, Jr., forward; Hannah Rowe, Soph., forward; Kate Gemmell, Soph., forward; Elizabeth Shannon, Frosh., forward; Kelsey Dennehy, Frosh., forward; Hanna Medwar, Frosh., forward; Lilly Reeves, Frosh., forward
Captains: Alison Wright. Gabby Vaccaro
Candidates: 21
Returning goal leaders: Callie Willie 5, Emma Gilmartin 5
Assistants: Jeff Smith
Fast facts: Top defenseman Gabby Vaccaro is coming off an excellent state championship season as a captain in field hockey. She didn’t play hockey last year because of a torn ACL. ... Freshman Kelsey Dennehy is the daughter of Merrimack College coach Mark Dennehy. ... Freshman forward Elizabeth Shanahan played on the Vipers last year and is expected to give the offense a big boost. ... Emily Wagner, Callie White and Emma Gilmartin have looked good in the preseason. ... Goalie Sean D’Urso was runner-up for MVC Player of the Year last year. ... Freshman Hanna Medwar was a star for the field hockey team.
Coach Kevin Drew: (4th year, 27-30-6)
WRESTLING
2016-17 season: 8-16
Returning starters (9): Matt Donahue, Sr., 126; Payton Heidtke, Sr., 285; Matthew Meagher, Sr., 145/152; Kevin Kiely, Sr., 138; Grant Long, Sr. 132; Joshua Page, Jr., 120; Patrick Fragala, Jr., 195/220; Noah Krueger, Jr., 145/152; Kelvin Davila, Soph. 152
Returning lettermen: Sam Huntress, Sr., 132; David LaPointe, Jr., 160; Ethan Coyle, Jr., 220/285; Nick Dalton, Jr., 220; Matt McGregor, Jr., 132/138; Brendan Major, Soph., 170; Lukas Kaufman-LaDuc, Soph., 126/132
Promising newcomers: Sean Hellman, Soph., 113; Elias Maita, Soph., 145; Daonysos Hatzigiannis, Frosh., 106; Sean Ballou, Frosh., 152/160
Candidates: 25
Captains: Kevin Kiely, Matt Meagher, Payton Heidtke
Fast facts: There was only one senior on last year’s team. ... Payton Heidtke committed to Bryant for football. ... Matthew Meagher also plays football and lacrosse.
Assistant coaches: Ken Najem
Coach Mike Bolduc (3rd year, 20-33-2)
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