As Melrose makes a run, Fennell breaks 100
Published January 31, 2020
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose Red Raider hockey team is turning around their season at the right time following a four-game winning streak that has seen them beat Lexington, Bishop Fenwick, Winchester and Wakefield to improve to 7-6-2. With 16 points towards playoff qualification and 7 games left, Melrose has a very good chance of locking a playoff spot in the Div. 1 North field.
The Red Raiders have had good reason to celebrate. Junior captain Brendan Fennell recently broke the 100 point mark and has improved his career stats to 113 points, 63 assists and 50 goals since his freshman year. The junior is on par to break a longtime record of 132, if not this season, but next.
Fennell continues to lead the team in scoring with 14 goals and 18 assists.
“Brendan is a special player. I consider him a viable candidate for league MVP,” says Melrose coach Vin Mirasolo. “He’s a kid who is good at every sport and hockey is just one of them. But to achieve this, especially as a junior, says so much. We’re proud of his efforts.”
Mirasolo also points out that senior Cam Marks is close to approaching 100 points too. “Cam’s having an excellent season.”
Both came in handy during Melrose’s 3-2 win over Winchester at O’Brien Rink in Woburn on January 25. Melrose benefitted from goals by Marks, Fennell, and Andy Calvert.
And Fennell certainly made his mark during Melrose’s 4-2 win over Bishop Fenwick on Jan. 23. He scored two goals in the contest. Teammates Cam Gorman and Quinn McCarthy also found the net. Gorman’s score came on assists by TJ Sullivan and Joe McNeely, while McCarthy’s was aided by Brendan Fennell and Charlie Haggerty.
And then, just this past Tuesday, Melrose traveled to Lexington and beat the Minutemen, 5-2. This time it was Haggerty who shined, and he helped seal victory with a hat trick. He scored Melrose’s first three goals on assists from Fennell and Quinn McCarthy. Fennell then added to his big numbers this season with the game’s last two goals to keep Lexington out of the game, 5-2.
Melrose’s offense remains diverse this season, with Haggerty and McCarthy also top producers with 12 goals and 7 goals, respectively. Sean Senior meanwhile, is second in assists for the team with 11 and 20 points overall this year.
Right now, the Red Raiders are playing the kind of hockey that coach Mirasolo anticipated in the pre-season. “I knew it would take some time for us to be playing our best hockey. I think we needed some time to mesh and workout different combinations. But right now, the kids are embracing their roles. It’s certainly good to be on the winning side.”
He pointed to the team’s effort against state-best Burlington a few weeks back. Despite the one-point loss, Melrose showed a kind of grit that kept the Red Devils on edge. In fact, Melrose outshot Burlington most of the game and dictated play. “I feel like that was a turning point for us,” says the coach. “It showed the kind of character this team has to keep fighting.”
He also credits the work of his goalies Nick Sicurella and Joe Shields. “Nick was our goalie in our Wakefield win and Joey picked up wins against Fenwick and Winchester. They’re getting there and working hard. They’re keeping us in games, which is what we want from them right now.”
As Melrose presses on with a goal to enter playoffs and make a run, they will face another round against Freedom rivals Burlington, Stoneham and Wilmington in the coming weeks. They also face some heavyweights in Xaverian and Malden Catholic down the road. It’s a formidable schedule, but the coach anticipates a formidable effort.
“This team is handling the emotional ups and downs of winning and losing,” he said. “They show mental toughness. When everything is working, we can be a very tough team to beat.”
Freedom League Standings League Overall
Burlington 7-2-0 10-3-0
Melrose 5-5-1 7-5-2
Wakefield 4-6-0 7-6-1
Wilmington 3-5-1 7-6-1
Stoneham 1-7-1 5-7-1