Fall Sports Mid-Season Highlights

As we reach the midpoint of October, the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to change. At Saint Joseph Prep, it also means the athletic teams are almost two months into the fall season. Although the football team will compete all the way through their annual Thanksgiving game, most teams have two weeks left of regular season action. For a number of our teams though, the state tournament is calling.

The Girls’ Soccer Team is off to a school record 11-1-1 start and has already clinched a berth in the state tournament. Coming off of an intense battle that resulted in a tie, the Lady Phoenix have since been on a five game winning streak, four of them on the road! It started with solid wins over Pope John XXIII (4-1) and Cathedral (5-0), as they headed into a long-standing league rivalry game with Marian. Knowing that they only needed one more win in order to qualify for the MIAA State Tournament, the girls were especially excited for the match. It was close in the first half, but the girls opened it up in the second half to solidly defeat Marian 4-1. Goals were scored by Molly Wheet ’20, Hannah Burke ’17 and two by JoJo Duplan ’17. Their homecoming match-up with Mystic Valley was a follow-up to their pre-season scrimmage together. It was evident that both teams had improved markedly, and SJP was only able to claim victory after a hard-fought and evenly-matched battle, with a final score of 2-1. The defense, led by Hannah Sansone ’18, Camille Taylor ’19, Annie McElroy ’19 and Allynne Ribeiro ’17 kept us in it, and goalie Maria DiFelice ’20 helped secure the win! Finally, this past Tuesday, the girls tacked on their eleventh win of the season in yet another away game, against St. Clement (3-0). They will face Cristo Rey Boston on Sunday, followed by hosting Lowell Catholic on Monday—Come cheer them on!

The Boys’ Soccer Team is also off to its best start in school history, currently standing with an 8-3 record. After consecutive losses to Lowell Catholic and South Shore Christian Academy, the Phoenix rebounded in dramatic fashion with four straight wins, including convincing victories over SSCA (5-0) and Arlington Catholic (6-0). Now just one win away from a state tournament berth, the boys are playing their best soccer of the season. And with eight seniors on the team, the team is motivated to finish the regular season strong and make some real noise in States! On the offensive side of the ball, Vova Quigley ’17, Richie Fleming ’18, and Jack O’Dea ’19 provide the firepower, while Dante Salvucci ’17, Andrew Donabedian ’17, Benjamin Stratter ’17, and Jonathan Stratter ’17 lead the defense.

The Volleyball Team is also enjoying a strong start. With an 8-5 record, the squad needs just two more wins in seven games to advance to the state tournament. Mary Forbes ’17 was named the SJP Student-Athlete of the Month in September and, along with fellow seniors Audrey McDonough ’17, Rebekah Forrest ’17, Sharon King ’17, and Hayley Leger ’17, is helping to lead the Phoenix back to States!

The fall has also been a season of important “firsts” for the athletic department as well! From humble beginnings with limited participation in their first few years, both the Golf and Cross Country teams recorded their programs’ first victories this fall! John Devlin ’17, Andrew Stefura ’19, Brendan Murphy ’19, and Aidan Kelly ’19 set the tone for the golf team as they head into the home stretch.

The extra miles the Cross Country team has put in this season have been paying off. Earlier this week, the boys’ defeated Archbishop Williams for the school’s first win. Philippe Legagneur ’17 finished second with a time of 19:29, while Brian Wheet ’20 finished 4th at 20:23, both season-best times! Last week, the girls finished 3rd at a CCL JV meet. Cecilia Morello ’20 and Maeve O’Brien ’19 were SJP’s top finishers.

Finally, the Football Team continues to demonstrate impressive levels of perseverance and commitment in the face of adversity. Although they are still searching for their first win of the season, the boys continue to grind every day with their teammates from Matignon. With a lot of football still be played, the seniors, led by A.J. Wilshire ’17, Derik Griffin ’17, Matt Muldowney ’17, Jimmy Sitcawich ’17, Allen Fleureny ’17, Alan Hewson ’17, and Jack McDonough ’17, are showing the future of the program how to work hard and come together as a team.