By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NORTH READING — Mikayla Panneton is the new head coach of the North Reading High field hockey team this fall. She is taking over for Andrea Slaven, who stepped down after six years, back in January.
Panneton, who was the Hornets’ assistant coach last year, applied for the job in March and she was hired in April.
This is her first-ever varsity head-coaching job but she has been a veteran assistant coach.
“I am very excited about the chance to coach,” said Panneton. “I think the transition will be easier because I was here last year.”
Panneton, 27, played her field hockey at Andover High as she graduated in 2014. She went on to play in college at Merrimack where she graduated with a degree in Human Development.
She then got her graduate degree two years later, also at Merrimack, in Counseling.
Panneton’s first assistant coaching job was at her alma-mater helping out at Andover High for two seasons. She then was a volunteer assistant at Merrimack for one fall before coming to North Reading.
Panneton works as a school counselor at Lowell Catholic where she is entering her fifth year.
“It is going to be a challenge,” she admitted about working at one school and coaching at North Reading. “I wish that I was able to work in the (North Reading) district.”
Before the school year let out in June, Panneton met with her team.
She inherits a squad that finished at 9-9-1 overall as they reached the MIAA Division 3 Round of 16 game before losing to Dover-Sherborn by a final of 2-0.
On Aug. 21, the team started training camp.
“We have a great group of girls,” said Panneton. “We lost a lot of strong seniors from last year but the team is ready to work.”
What will also help the Hornets is that Panneton plans to run nearly the same system that Slaven ran.
“Andrea’s system worked well,” said Panneton, as the Hornets qualified for the states the past two seasons (there was no 2020 state tournament due to the pandemic).
Nicole Schena, who Panneton played with at Andover High, will be the Hornets’ new assistant coach.
The Hornets open the 2023 campaign on Tuesday, Sept. 6 as they take on Cape Ann League newcomer, Essex Tech, up in Danvers.
That game will start at 4:30 p.m.