Tag Archives: Pentucket High School

December 21, 2013 · 11:54 pm

Notre Dame (Hingham) pins rare loss on Pentucket 36-32

Kendra Delahunt (12 points) looks for an opening between Kelsi McNamara and Riley Holden

Janey Mathisen (8 points) scored the last five points for Notre Dame Academy

(West Newbury MA) The Pentucket girls don’t lose very often. Under Coach John McNamara, the Sachems have an extraordinary 159-21 record.

But on Saturday afternoon Notre Dame Academy (Hingham) rallied to pin one of those losses on the Sachems, 36-32, in a nonleague game.

Both teams had significant roster turnovers and plenty of inexperienced players saw significant minutes. The result? Turnovers and missed shots galore.

Pentucket (1-1) is a team that likes to press their way into points and are usually successful at it. Teams make mistakes in the backcourt and the Sachems run up points in a hurry. That consecutive point thing, however, just never happened against the Cougars (3-0) thanks to the ball-handling/passing skills of Kendra Delahunt (12 points) and Janey Mathisen (8 points).

Most of the NDA miscues, and there were plenty, were in the frontcourt and didn’t lead to breakaway layups.

So with the Pentucket defense not turning up points, there was a need for some good outside shooting. Credit Notre Dame. They played a zone defense that took away most of the open outside shots of the Sachems especially those of Kelsi McNamara. Holding Kelsi to six points with no 3’s was a key to the Notre Dame victory.

Hannah Hollow (#21) tries for a 4th three

But those on hand at Pentucket are muttering as they read, “What about #21 in the fourth quarter?” And they make a great point.

Sophomore Hannah Hollow (#21) almost single-handedly pulled this one out for Pentucket. In the first 3+ minutes of the final quarter, Hannah found a spot on the left side and knocked down three straight 3’s. Suddenly in a game in which points were hard to come by, the Sachems had a bunch of them and actually grabbed the lead, 32-31, with 4:47 left to play.

But Pentucket wouldn’t score again and the Cougars, despite five turnovers the rest of the way, had enough to win with two inside scores by Janey Mathisen. Janey added a free throw with eleven seconds left to ice this one for the visitors.

Ironically, in a game where Pentucket could have used a boost in almost every area of the game, there in the stands were key graduated parts of the 24-2 team of 2012-13……………..Alex Moore, Tess Nogueira, and Coley Viselli. That threesome was great at providing offense and defense.

A trio of Pentucket defenders chase Janey Mathisen

Notre Dame “helped” keep the game close by struggling from the free throw line. The Cougars missed twelve of twenty-three attempts including four of their last five in the final quarter.

Meghan Curtis of NDA was the only senior on either roster.

Interested parties from Hamilton-Wenham and Masco (next two opponents on Pentucket’s schedule) were on hand for this game.

Kayli Hom started for Notre Dame but left due to sickness in that same quarter.

McKenna Kilian (23) and Kelsi McNamara (12)

Pentucket had not played for eight days.

Temperatures in the 50’s were a bit unusual for the first day of winter but I’m not complaining.

Notre Dame was the state Division 2 champions in 2009.

Notre Dame hosts Bishop Fenwick this coming Monday at home (6:30PM). On the same day, Pentucket travels to Hamilton-Wenham for a 5:30PM game.

Notre Dame Academy box

Pentucket box

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge significantly if you click on them.)

Kelsi McNamara gets double-teamed

Hannah Hollow (9 points) in the corner

Janey Mathisen gives NDA the lead for good in the 4th quarter converting a rebound

opening tip

NDA coach Mike Barrett talks to his team

Taylor Moore (20) heads down the middle

Kendra Delahunt (45) leads a fast break

McKenna Kilian (23) goes for the block

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Filed under Notre Dame Academy (Hingham), Pentucket

Tagged as Hannah Hollow, Janey Mathisen, Kendra Delahunt, Pentucket High School

March 4, 2012 · 12:19 am

Danvers cruises to D3 North semis with (75-45) win over Pentucket

Will Angelini (20 points) contests George Merry (13 points)

Eric Martin (23 points) including nineteen in the first half

(Danvers) The Danvers Falcons made it look way too easy as they buried Pentucket, 75-45, in the D3 North quarterfinals on Saturday night at DHS.

Danvers moves on to face Wayland in the D3 North semifinals at Wilmington High School on Tuesday (7PM).

In this one, Danvers (17-4) broke away from a 6-6 tie after four minutes and by halftime were in complete control (44-24).

Pentucket (14-8) was smothered defensively down one end and victimized down the other end by a team packed with players able to get to the rim.

Danvers scored twenty-five baskets in the first three quarters and twenty-one of them were layups or converted rebounds. Let’s just say they turned up plenty of high percentage shots.

Junior Eric Martin (23 points) had nineteen in the first half. Danny Connors (18 points) added twelve first half points.

Meanwhile, Pentucket had very few good looks thanks to persistent man-to-man pressure. A big plus for Danvers was that defenders had shot-blockers beyond them closer to the basket. There were very few easy Sachem attempts.

6-6 Will Angelini (20 points) led Pentucket scorers with nifty moves around the basket. When he went out with his second foul with 2 ½ minutes left in the first quarter the Danvers lead was only 13-8. The rest of the quarter the Falcons put a 10-4 run in place and took a 23-12 lead over the team from West Newbury.

Danny Connors (18 points) layup

Halfway through the second period that 11-point quarter edge had become twenty (38-18) and you knew that things were not likely to get any closer. The Falcon advantage increased to 63-34 by the end of the third quarter.

The most exciting play of the game was in the second quarter when Will Angelini flew in from the right on a feed from Patrick Kelly and put down a rousing dunk.

When DHS coach John Walsh announced in the press that Corey McNamara was the best shooter he had seen this year, you knew that the word would reach the Falcon defenders. Corey has been no stranger to tight coverage this season. That Danvers could limit the senior to eight points says something about their defenders.

One nice thing about this type of game is that the reserves get to play in front of a large crowd. There were people turned away.

Corey McNamara (8 points) defended by Jon Amico

DHS is close to installing permanent bleachers. The extra seating provided by those bleachers would have helped in handling a crowd estimated between 800-1000.

The students on hand were especially well behaved after school officials got within range of them.

The lights in the gym flickered with about six minutes left. Someone quipped at the time that the lights had gone out for Pentucket quite a while earlier.

6-7 George Merry ran into foul trouble covering Will Angelini but still ended up with thirteen points.

Will Angelini and Corey McNamara have been significant players for the Sachems for a number of seasons. There was seldom a game in which they weren’t heavily covered. They still managed to score a lot of points. Replacing the two of them will be a huge challenge for PHS coach Leo Parent.

After watching Danvers play I left wondering how any team in D3 can beat them. They executed so well at both ends.

Danvers is a team that plays the regular season against D2 teams and then drops down to D3 for the tournament. Most D3 schools in that arrangement struggle to qualify for the tournament (10 wins) and often need the Sullivan Rule to get in. Not Danvers. They won the challenging Northeast Conference (South) this season. They could well be playing in the Worcester Centrum later this month.

Two coaches with games tomorrow were in the crowd – Tom L’Italien (Newburyport) and John McNamara (Pentucket girls).

Danvers boxscore

Pentucket boxscore

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge significantly if you click on them.)

Will Angelini

Nolan Dragon

Danny Connors and Parker Kelly

action under the basket

Will Angelini floats in

George Merry

Nick Bates looks for an opening

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Filed under Danvers, Pentucket

Tagged as Corey McNamara, Danny Connors, Danvers High School, Eric Martin, George Merry, Pentucket High School, Will Angelini

May 3, 2011 · 9:15 pm

Alex Ministeri Pitches Pentucket Past Amesbury 9-3

Alex Ministeri leaves the mound at game’s end after a 3-hit, 12-strikeout performance.

Alex struck out the side in three innings including the 7th.

(Amesbury) Way too much Alex Ministeri for Amesbury (5-4) as the Pentucket junior K’d twelve and scattered three hits in the Sachems, 9-3, win at AHS on Tuesday afternoon.

Pentucket defeated Amesbury, 6-2, in their first meeting at Pentucket on April 19th.

Alex Ministeri’s only struggles were in the second inning when he issued a couple of walks and then a hit to Noah Cligerman to load the bases with two outs. Next came a grounder to third by John Fournier that bad-bounced past Corey McNamara to drive in two. John tried to steal and a bad throw from catcher Mike Doud gave the Indians a third run.

The 3-0 lead didn’t last long as Pentucket (5-3) answered with six runs in the top of the third. That 6-3 advantage was more than enough for the Sachems as Alex dominated Amesbury over the final five innings.

How dominating was he? He retired the side in order in four of the five innings. He struck out the side in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th. He gave up just one hit.

Amesbury starter Mac Short sailed through the first two innings before getting into big trouble in the third facing ten batters. Walks (5) and hits (3) were the deadly combo that produced six runs. Both Josh Creamer and Zack Brut had two RBI for Pentucket during the explosion.

Chris Eiserman (#34) scored two runs and drove in two as well.

Pentucket added to their lead in the fifth off reliever Tim Williams with three more runs. Chris Eiserman drove in a pair with a liner to center and Turner Newton sent Chris home with a infield hit.

I was impressed with Amesbury’s field. Also, the hillside seating provided a great view of the field of play.

Third baseman Corey McNamara was victimized by a bad-hop grounder that led to Amesbury runs in the second and then it was shortstop Tyler Lay’s turn for the same fate on a similar grounder in Pentucket’s six-run third.

Alex picked Tyler Lay off first in the second inning.

(I collect my own stats and draw my own conclusions. Mistakes are unintentional.)

Tyler Smith (#16) scores one of Amesbury’s three second inning runs.

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Filed under Amesbury, Pentucket

Tagged as Alex Ministeri, Amesbury High School, Chris Eiserman, Corey McNamara, Josh Creamer, Mac Short, Mike Doud, Noah Cligerman, Pentucket High School, Turner Newton, Tyler Lay, Zach Bruk

April 29, 2011 · 8:06 pm

Pitching and Defense Send Pentucket Softball Past Georgetown 6-1

Julianne Meehan gets some well-deserved congratulations from her Pentucket teammates.

Sarah Dickinson – two hits, two RBI, and two defensive gems

(Georgetown) Pentucket (4-3) erupted for five runs in the sixth inning and defeated Georgetown, 6-1, in a CAL league game on Friday afternoon.

The pitching of Pentucket’s Julianne Meehan and Georgetown’s Sarah Erlandson was impressive. About the only swatting was of the ever-friendly gnat population by everyone in attendance.

Julianne had eleven strikeouts while Sarah collected fifteen. Each pitcher allowed only four hits.

The difference between them was walks. Julianne gave up just one (in the first inning) while Sarah gave eight free passes.

A deadly combination of walks (4) and wild pitches (3) along with an error and two hits did in the Royals in the sixth inning. Sydney Snow and Colleen Jenkins were home on wild pitches before Sarah Dickinson’s single to left brought in two more. Sarah would score the fifth run on an error by Kassi Barba at third.

The tough part for the Royals was that all this happened with two outs.

Sarah Erlandson – 15 strikeouts for Georgetown

Georgetown (2-2) had trouble mounting any sort of attack against the Sachems because of Julianne’s pitching plus some extraordinary defense.

The Sachem centerfielder set the tone in the first inning by running in and snagging a low line drive by Taylor Nelson. If that ball gets by her, with two outs, the runner on base and possibly Taylor herself may have scored.

Later it was shortstop Sarah Dickinson’s chance to impress. She ended the fifth with a diving stop to her left of Amy Cronin’s base-hit-in-the-making and got up and made the play to first. She ended the 6th inning by again going left and taking a hit away from line-drive hitting Shannon O’Brien with a runner on.

Julianne closed things out in the seventh by fanning the side.

Georgetown got its only run in the fourth. What looked like bad running by Sarah Erlandson (who had doubled) turned into a run. After Shannon O’Brien struck out for the second out, Sarah broke for third. A good throw by catcher MK Corrado gets Sarah out easily but the throw sailed into left and Sarah scored.

Pentucket also picked up a run in the fourth. Second baseman Shannon Killian dropped Julieanne Meehan’s pop up and then the ball was thrown away (right to where I was sitting) and Julianne was awarded third. A wild pitch brought her home on a close play at the plate.

I was introduced to something called the “look back” rule. It led to Pentucket’s final out in the 6th inning. The drift of it seems to be that if the pitcher has the ball in the circle, a runner has to continue in the direction she’s going. Sounds like one of those dreaded judgment calls.