Medway & Millis December 2019

Page 24 Medway & Millis Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com December 2019
Sports
Harrington Sets High Goals for Medway’s Ice Hockey
Team
By KEN HAMWEY,
Staff Sports Writer
Derek Harrington’s first year
as the Medway High boys’ icehockey
coach hit some bumps in
the road early, but as the season
progressed, his rookie campaign
got high marks.
The Mustangs, who finished
with an overall record of
9-10-2, were Tri Valley League
Small Division champions after
compiling a 6-2 mark. They
also qualified for the Division
2 Tournament, where they
blanked Dedham, 1-0, in their
opener before losing to eventual
State champ Canton.
Not bad for a squad that
started its season at 0-5-1. And,
the transition from Medway’s
jayvee coach to varsity chief
actually went smoothly for Harrington,
who coached Medway’s
junior-varsity contingent for
18 years and also was assistant
head coach for Chris Dwyer and
Chris Ross.
“The transition was rewarding,’’
Harrington said. “We
started slowly, regrouped, and
made some adjustments. Bouncing
back was a testament to the
kids’ perseverance. They worked
hard for the TVL Small Division
title and a berth in the playoffs.’’
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The 48-year-old Harrington
stressed defense in his first year,
and his skaters responded in a
disciplined and dedicated fashion.
His players were a bluecollar,
lunch-pail gang, and he’s
optimistic his second year at the
helm will feature improvement.
“The kids are now familiar
with me, and they know
what my expectations are,’’
Harrington noted. “We’ve got
some definite strengths. With
15 players returning, we’ve got
kids with some experience. Our
depth is good, the players are
fundamentally sound and have
a high hockey IQ. Our goaltending
is strong, our scoring should
be good and our defense will be
dependable.’’
Harrington’s objectives for
his second season, which gets
underway on Dec. 14 against
Oliver Ames at the Franklin
rink, are pragmatic. “We want
to improve daily, repeat as
TVL Small Division champs,
and qualify for the tourney.
This time, however, we want
to go deeper and battle for the
Sectional and State championships.
All those goals are within
reach.’’
Medway’s tri-captains — senior
forward Colin Stover and
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Franklin boys’ hockey coach Derek Harrington expects his players to
work to their potential while enjoying their time on the ice. That is his
recipe for success. Submitted photo.
juniors Nick Zanella (defense)
and Cole Theodore (forward) —
are talented, focused and have
leadership qualities that should
set the tone for the 2019-2020
season.
“Colin is hard skater who
has a strong shot and a quick
release,’’ Harrington said. “A
hard-nosed, physical player, he’s
a good communicator who’s a
supportive captain. Nick is focused
and shows commitment
to the program. A strong skater,
he’s instinctive and has a high
hockey IQ. Cole has good hands
and can move the puck. His
shot is accurate and he finishes
strong. An excellent penaltykiller,
he was our No. 2 scorer
last year (8 goals, 7 assists).’’
Two senior forwards who’ll be
counted on are Tommy Dwyer
and Jack McCarthy. “Dwyer,
who had 8 goals and 1 assist last
year, is physical, has breakaway
speed and a nose for the net,’’
Harrington noted. “McCarthy
sets the tempo. He’s a fast skater
with a strong stride. An excellent
shooter, he’s physical and kills
penalties effectively.’’
Sophomore Evan Monaghan
likely will start in goal after an
impressive showing in four
games last year. “Evan is quick,
technically sound, and instinctive,’’
Harrington said. “He’s
also got a high compete level.’’
Two sophomore forwards
— Alex Infanger and Jack Carr
— should play key roles for
the Mustangs. “Alex is a strong
skater who’s fearless,’’ said Harrington.
“He’s got a hard shot, is
physical and sets the tempo. Jack
is a quality passer who’s small,
but finds his spots to get open.
He’s fast, has a strong work ethic
and is consistent. He played hurt
last year after suffering a shoulder
injury.’’
Defenseman Sam Marchionni
is only a sophomore, but
shows promise on the back line.
“Sam is an all-around competitor,’’
Harrington offered. “He’s
an excellent skater with good
balance. He’s consistent, has
a good hockey IQ, and his ice
awareness is tremendous.’’
Harrington, a Medway police
sergeant who played forward
and was a captain for the
Mustangs in the late 1980s, has
three varsity assistants. They include
jayvee coach Kyle Dwyer,
J.P. Gasparinni and Troy Kelley.
All were hockey captains at
Medway High.
Harrington knows repeating
as TVL division champs will be
a challenge, and he’s expecting
Dover-Sherborn and Dedham
to be prime contenders. “We
lost to both of them last year,’’
he said. “They’ve got talent and
tradition.’’
Harrington’s competitive
philosophy emphasizes that his
players must strive to reach their
potential and also enjoy their
athletic journey.
“If those things are occurring,’’
he said, “then winning
will be the by-product. And,
valuable life lessons that studentathletes
can learn from sports
are resiliency, accountability
and responsibility. Overcoming
adversity is another great lesson,
along with learning how to be a
team-first player who manages
time wisely.’’
Harrington, who is married
and the father of four, has a
bachelor’s and master’s degree
in criminal justice from Stonehill
and Western New England
College.
A 21-year law enforcement
veteran who knows a thing or
two about discipline, Harrington
is hoping his squad can build on
last year’s success by displaying
lots of discipline and dedication.
But, he’d prefer that any future
success come without a
0-5-1 start.