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SL field hockey building up for the future

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The Silver Lake High field hockey team had a bit of a rebuilding year this past season, but there were certainly positives to take away from it.

The Lakers finished the season at 2-14-2 under first-year head coach Lori Bennett, but saved some of their best play for the end of the season; in their final three games, they went 1-1-1, picking up three points in the standings. In both of the team’s wins, goaltender Sophie Russo had shutouts in net, making the job a lot less stressful for her team’s attack.

With the season over, the Lakers will lose eight seniors to graduation, six of whom were in their starting lineup. These players include Russo, Megan Fay, Hayden Wechter, Colleen Foley, Ashley Swift, Stephanie Bennett, Joe Detterman and Cassie Peck. Of that bunch, Russo, Fay and Foley were the team’s captains.

Although they are losing a pretty good sized senior class, they will have plenty of talent coming back next season. After all, field hockey teams have 11 starters which means nearly half of their starting lineup is expected to return.

Most notably, the team’s returning scorer, Abby Colton, should be back again next season. The junior put up a team-high six goals this past fall. This should prove especially beneficial for the team as offense was not their strong suit this year, so bringing back a top scorer along with some experienced varsity players may help them there.

In addition to Colton, junior Rosalie Moynihan, and sophomores Ava Mirisola and Paige Nally were among the team’s key players this past fall, so they should help propel the Lakers next season in even bigger roles.

The Lakers will also have some of their JV players from this past season help fill some of the voids on their roster next fall.

SL Football ready for Thanksgiving bout against Pembroke

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The Silver Lake High football team has a real opportunity to end their season on a strong note this Thursday.

The Lakers have been in what is essentially a rebuilding year, going 2-8 in their first 10 games, but they can at least up that total to three wins as they host the Pembroke Titans on Thanksgiving morning (10:00 a.m. start time) in their annual bout.

While the game does not really have any implications, it will be one to remember for members of their senior class as it will be the final football game of their Laker careers.

This year’s senior class is exceptionally small for a Patriot League football team, featuring just nine players in all: Jake Waters, Ben Winslow, Dan Duggan, Cam Danahy, Dan Walsh, Bobby Ohlson, Alex Duke, Marshall Roy and Derek Ingersoll. Waters, who has been an asset to the Lakers as a defensive back, may be able to participate in the Thanksgiving bout despite having missed much of the season with an injury.

The game provides the Lakers with a few opportunities: one being to potentially pick up their first Patriot League win this season, another to get their first home win this year and another being to see what type of shape they are in headed into next season. The team will have plenty of returning starters so the bout will be a good indicator of where they look sharp and where they need to improve .

for the 2019 season.

Patriot League awards announced for 5 Lakers teams

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Every year, there are a great deal of talented athletes who come through the Patriot League both in the Keenan Division and Fisher Division to compete against teams throughout the South Shore and beyond.

The athletes are also recognized year after year for what they have achieved on the playing surface and earlier this month, the Patriot League awards were announced for a few different sports. With this in mind, here is a look at which Silver Lake athletes were recognized.

Soccer

Forward Patrick McMahon took home the highest honor possible in boys’ soccer: Patriot League MVP. Needless to say, he was also a league All-Star and the same could be said for many of his teammates including Justin Keating, Colin Canniff, James Gallagher, Alex Loyd and Cole Whidden. While six winners for one team may seem like a lot, it should come as no surprise that the Lakers had so many league All-Stars this year. After all, they went undefeated during the regular season (17-0-1) and won the Patriot League championship.

On the girls side, there were three more All-Star selections. Calliste Brookshire, Izzy Ruprecht and Hannah Vogt were all recipients of the honor. Plus, Ari Damery earned the team’s sportsmanship award while Ellie Swanson was their scholar-athlete.

Cross Country

On the boys side, Ryan McCarthy and Chris Tilton earned the nod as Patriot League Keenan Division All-Stars for Silver Lake. While the girls did not have any All-Stars after going 0-4 in league play, Ally Tonsberg, the Lakers top runner, did receive the team’s sportsmanship award and was also named their scholar-athlete. 

Field Hockey

The Lakers had one player selected as a Patriot League All-Star: senior midfielder Colleen Foley.

Football, Boys Golf and Volleyball

As of Wednesday morning the football, volleyball and boys’ golf Patriot League All-Star recipients had not been revealed, but they are expected to be announced later this month.

SL football falls to Hanover

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The Silver Lake High football team did what they could on defense to stop their opponent from getting much going in their last bout.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the same could be said for the Hanover Indians defense in the same contest. The Lakers hosted Hanover in a non playoff bout on Thursday, Nov. 9 and only one touchdown was scored in the entire contest. It did not come from the Lakers, so they took a 6-0 loss and fell to 2-8 on the season.

On defense, senior captains Marshall Roy and Cam Danahy, both of whom are linebackers, played tough. They each had a tackle for a loss on the Hanover quarterback. Junior defensive lineman Will Hesketh also provided the team with steady pressure up front all night, recording a sack in the bout.

With the wet field conditions, both teams depended on their run games to move the ball downfield, but Hanover was tough in the trenches, so they managed to shut the Lakers out. It was just the second time the Lakers have been held scoreless this season; the other instance of this occurring came in their October 19 bout against the Duxbury Dragons, who won the Patriot League Keenan Division championship.

With the loss, the Lakers are still winless at home (0-5) and have yet to defeat a Patriot League opponent. However, that could all change in their final bout of the season on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 22) against the Pembroke Titans (10:00 a.m. start time).

After all, Pembroke is 1-8 this season and riding a four game losing streak. Their offense is not particularly sharp, averaging less than seven points per game while their defense has let up more than 30 in those same bouts. That said, the Lakers definitely have an opportunity to end the season on a strong note.

Silver Lake football gets offense going as season winds down

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Albeit they did not make it to the MIAA tournament this season, the Silver Lake football team continues to compete hard–and their offense shined last week.

While the Lakers were unable to come out on top in their Thursday, Nov. 1 bout against the Rockland Bulldogs, they scored three touchdowns in the 42-21 bout; it was their third-highest point total of the season and the most they had scored in a game in which they did not come out on top. With the loss, the Lakers fell to 2-7 on the season.

From an offensive standpoint, quarterback Ben Lofstrom helped propel the team’s attack, among others including Michael Cambria, who had a pair of touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving) in the team’s 27-9 win over Norwood one week prior.

The Lakers next bout is this Friday, Nov. 9 against a Patriot League opponent. They are set to host the Hanover Indians in a game that will start at 6 p.m., according to MaxPreps. It is their second to last game of the season as they will have a bye week next week, giving them more time to prepare for their Thanksgiving Day (November 22) bout against the Pembroke Titans.

The Lakers will be at home on Turkey Day this season and both of those games present the team with the opportunity to earn their first Patriot League win of the season; so far, they are 0-5 in league action this year. The two opponents left on the Lakers schedule are in the Fisher Division while Silver Lake is in the Keenan Division and Hanover is 5-4 this season while Pembroke is 1-8 on the year. Offensively, Pembroke has struggled mightily this season, averaging just six points per game while allowing more than 30 in those same contests.

SL Football falls to Whitman-Hanson

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The Silver Lake High football team continued its Patriot League play last Friday night at home and ran into yet another tough foe.

The Lakers hosted the Whitman-Hanson Panthers and while the game was competitive for the majority of it, Silver Lake was not able to get enough big plays to overcome a now-healthy Panthers squad. The Lakers fell 29-6 in the game and to 1-5 on the season.

At first, it looked like Whitman-Hanson could run away with the game. They scored a pair of touchdowns and hit their extra points just three minutes into the game, making it a 14-0 contest before the Lakers had a full offensive drive. However, the Lakers would fight back with a big play of their own later in the quarter.

Sean Waters reeled in a 71-yard touchdown pass from Ben Lofstrom with 2:53 remaining in the first quarter, making it a 14-6 game. The Lakers played stout defense for the rest of the first half, so this would also end up being the score headed into halftime.

Neither side got much going offensively in the third quarter either, but Whitman-Hanson pounded their way downfield and took a two-touchdown lead with 7:29 left in the game with a short touchdown run and successful two-point conversion.

About a minute later, the Lakers threw an interception which set the Panthers up for a 76-yard touchdown run with 5:23 left in the contest to go up 29-6.

Ultimately, that would end up being the final score because when Whitman-Hanson got to the Lakers 4-yard line with under two minutes remaining in the game, they knelt to run out the clock.

The Lakers next bout is this Friday, Oct. 19 (7:00 p.m.) on the road against the Duxbury Dragons, who are 6-0 so far this season.

At last! Lights at Sirrico Field

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Although the Silver Lake High boys football team did not come out on top in their bout against Plymouth North on Friday, Oct. 5 (25-6 loss), there was a special moment for the Silver Lake community prior to the contest.

The game marked the first time the Lakers were able to play a home game under the lights on a Friday night since last season. That’s because the school’s new lights for Anthony F. Sirrico Athletic Field were finally hoisted up and put in place earlier this month.

Earlier in the year, there were questions as to how this would end up happening. The school committee had just a $100,000 budget for the project, but their officials estimated that such an endeavor would cost more than $300,000. Fortunately,  however, members of the community stepped up big time.

Silver Lake High boys’ basketball coach Olly deMacedo, a Silver Lake alum himself, works for Boston Sand and Gravel and because of this, he was generous enough to donate his time to help erect the poles. Liddell Brothers of Halifax also gave their time to help set up the poles while Matt Glynn of Glynn Electrical in Plymouth worked on the electrical hookups for the lights.
deMacedo also organized a GoFundMe page called “Light up the Lake” over the summer which raised more than $25,000 thanks to members of the community chipping in additional capital.

As a result of these efforts, the Lakers were able to knock down the price and can now play night games on their home field yet again. This not only helps the football team in the fall, but also the soccer teams and field hockey team. In the spring, the lacrosse teams as well as the outdoor track and field team also play their home games on the field.

Had the Lakers not gotten new lights, they would have joined a group of just two of the 29 other South Shore schools who do not play on Friday nights: South Shore Vo-Tech and Holbrook/Avon.

Lakers football falls to Hingham

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The Silver Lake High football team went up against one of the top teams in the Patriot League and could not get much going against the formidable opponent in their homecoming bout.

The Lakers hosted the Hingham Harbormen on Saturday, Sept. 29, after playing on the road for the past few weeks. Ultimately, home field advantage did not help the Lakers as they fell 46-6, 1-3 on the season.

On the opening drive, the Lakers did make a great defensive stop on Hingham. Matt Gabra intercepted a pass at the Lakers’ own 4-yard line, giving his team some momentum. However, Hingham managed to force a safety on the Lakers to go up 2-0.

From there, Hingham proved themselves as the more dominant team in the bout. They had no problem moving the ball downfield, forced a Lakers interception and blocked a punt as they put up 24 unanswered points. In that span where the Lakers could not get much going offensively, punter Owen Thompson had a 54-yard boot that pinned Hingham at their own 10-yard line midway through the second quarter.

The Lakers lone touchdown of the game came with 3:11 in the first half. Quarterback Ben Lofstrom tossed a jump ball to wideout Bobby Ohlson who snagged it for a 31-yard touchdown grab. The team’s two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, so the Lakers trailed 24-6.

At halftime, the Lakers were down 32-6. The Lakers were unable to make a big second half comeback. They threw a pick six in their own red zone in the third quarter which put Hingham up 40-6 with a successful two point conversion.

This week, the Lakers will be challenged yet again. They will host the Plymouth North Eagles, who are 3-1 on the season, on Friday, Oct. 5 (7:00 p.m. start time).

Lakers Football prep for N. Quincy Week 1

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The Silver Lake High boys’ football team will stay within the Patriot League in the first week of the regular season.

The Lakers are scheduled to host the North Quincy Red Raiders on Saturday, Sept. 8 (2:00 p.m. start time) in their opener. Certainly, a win to start the season would give the Lakers a leg up on the competition as they hope to earn their third straight playoff bid. Right now, it appears as though the Lakers have a strong chance to achieve that feat.

The Red Raiders are in a different position than many teams this season. They went 4-7 last year, graduated the majority of their offensive line and will have a new quarterback taking over. Plus, they have a new head coach in Ryan Craig, who coached youth football for the past several seasons.

Since the Red Raiders experience is primarily on the ends on both sides of the ball, as well as at running back and in their secondary, a strong run game and tough run defense will likely be the key to victory for the Lakers in this one.

Neither team has much experience on the line, but having senior co-captains Marshall Roy and Cam Danahy at linebacker should give the Lakers some confidence when it comes to stopping the opposing running backs.

Regardless of who is at quarterback–junior Jesse Miller or sophomore Ben Lofstrom–having Bobby Ohlson, a senior co-captain, at wide receiver should help the team gain some yards in the air when needed. However, the running back corps led by the other team’s captain, Jake Waters, will likely determine how the game goes offensively for the team–as will the protection they receive up front.

Per usual, the first game of the season will give fans a glimpse of what the Lakers are capable of achieving this season. Playing against another young team should be a good test to see how they will fare in the league this season.

Lakers football forges new identity this season

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The SIlver Lake High football team has a bit of a different look this season.

The team which made it to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, graduated quite a bit of talent and is now working with a younger, less experienced squad.

This time around, the Lakers have just nine seniors on their roster and more than 20 juniors; the issue they face is that not a lot of these players have a ton of varsity experience. Perhaps the biggest unexpected blow was losing their return man Diamani Williams, whose family moved elsewhere.

Right now, it’s unclear who will be the team’s starting quarterback; competition exists between Jesse Miller, a junior, and Ben Lofstrom, a sophomore. What is clear is that the Lakers do have some talent at wide receiver. Two of their captains, Bobby Ohlson and Jake Waters, man the position.

Defensively, the linebacking corps should be a strength for the Lakers. This is because two more of their captains, Marshall Roy and Cam Danahy, play there. Waters also brings experience on the defensive side of the ball, playing cornerback.

However, the Lakers offensive line will be brand new. They lost every one of their starters to graduation which gives opportunities to some other players like seniors Alex Duke, Derek Ingersoll and juniors Will Hesketh and Aidan Crone.

T he Lakers are coached by Chris DiGiacomo, who is in his fourth season with the team. So far, he is 18-15 in his head coaching tenure with the Lakers; last year’s squad finished the season at 7-4.

The Lakers open up their regular season at home on Saturday, Sept. 8 against the North Quincy Red Raiders (2:00 p.m. start time). In all, they have seven regular season games scheduled, not including their annual Thanksgiving day bout with the Pembroke Titans.