Page 6 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE - Friday, January 11, 2019 Golden Tornadoes swim team wins two By Steve Freker T hey certainly jumped back into the pool in strong fashion after a lengthy layoff with no signs of rust whatsoever. The Malden High School (MHS) Tornadoes co-ed swim team went nearly two weeks without a meet but was running on all cylinders this past week with pair of exciting wins to go to 4-1 on the season. Malden greeted the New Year with a thrilling, down-to-the-lastminute, 92-91 victory over visiting Peabody in a key Northeastern Conference (NEC) meet at the MHS Pool on January 3. On Tuesday this week, the Tornadoes squad topped visiting Danvers, 98-80. Ochoa, Lombardi and Wang lead Malden past Peabody, 92-91 Kevin Ochoa (200 freestyle, 100 butterfl y), David Lombardi (200 individual medley, 100 backstroke) and Haoxi Wang (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle) all won two events in a 92-91 win over Peabody that came down to the very last event. Malden also won two relays, and fi rstplace finishes proved to be of ultimate importance since Peabody finished in second Revere-Malden co-op hockey team doubles up Everett for fi rst win By Joe McConnell T he Revere-Malden boys’ co-op hockey team (1-3 in the Northeastern Conference South Division, 1-7-1 overall) got a much needed win on Wednesday night, Jan. 9, when they doubled up Everett to the tune of 8-4 at the Cronin Rink. The win came after a 6-2 loss to Gloucester last Saturday. “We hung in there against a really good club [Gloucester], and it shows we are making some progress in each game,” said coach Joe Ciccarello. The Fishermen led after one period by only a 1-0 count. But a couple of Gloucester power play goals turned this game around in their favor rather quickly. “Overall, we are making better decisions, and we’re not turning the puck over, but we still have to fi nd a way to stay out of the [penalty] box,” said Ciccarello. The veteran Revere coach knows that the team can’t afford being shorthanded, because of its lack of depth. As a result of those inopportune penalties, the Gloucester boys took a 4-1 lead into the third period. Zach Rufo netted the fi rst Revere goal in the Gloucester game from Wayne Cintolo. Ricky Briana netted the team’s third period tally assisted by Cintolo. HOCKEY | SEE PAGE 9 and third place in most of the events where the Tornadoes fi nished on top. Malden trailed by a point, 85-84, after Chloe Akombi (1:12.12) won the 100 breaststroke. The Tornadoes then needed a win in the fi nal event of the day, the 400 freestyle relay... and got it. Ochoa, Wang and Lombardi were joined by Abby Tang in putting up a 3:48.5 fi nish and sealing the meet victory for Malden. Peabody took second and third in the event, so anything less than a fi rst-place fi nish would have sunk Malden. “It was a great eff ort for our swimmers in that event, especially considering the pressure on us to win the last event,” MHS assistant coach Jessica Bisson said. Longtime head coach Paul DeVincentis heads up the Tornadoes swim team coaching staff . Malden got off to a good start with a win in the 200 freestyle relay, paced by a 1:49.37 time by the team of Lombardi, Akombi, Ochoa and Wang. Ochoa won the 200 free at 1:55.70 and Malden’s Joanne Ho (2:27.44) placed second. Lombardi (2:10.91) and Sebastian Romani (2:35) went 1-2 in the 200 IM for Malden, and Wang’s 23.88 seconds outpaced Peabody in the 50 free sprint. Malden relinquished 1-2-3 in diving (with no facility for it at the MHS Pool) but rebounded with Ochoa’s 55.0 seconds fl at win in the 100 fl y. Wang won the 100 free with a time of 53.63 seconds. Peabody took fi rst in the next two events, but Malden kept pace when Akombi (5:62.6) fi nished second in the 500 free MHS senior Kevin Ochoa is congratulated after his win in the 200 freestyle event in the Golden Tornadoes meet victory over Danvers on Tuesday. (Courtesy Photo/Malden HS Athletics) and Ryan Vasili was third. Also important was Malden’s second-place fi nish in the 200 freestyle relay, with Joanne Ho, Luis Gilbert, Vasili and Akombi at 1:56.09. Lombardi won the 100 backstroke at 59.06 seconds to bring Malden down just a point at 77-76, and Akombi’s win in the 100 breast set up the dramatic fi nal event and meet win. Malden wins two in a row with 98-80 victory over Danvers Host Malden won nine events in a 98-80 win at the MHS Pool over visiting Danvers in an NEC meet. Kevin Ochoa won the 200 free (1:55.10) and 100 butterfly (54.5 seconds) and was part of the winning 200 medley relay (1:48.25) with David Lombardi, Tony Giech and Haoxi Wang. Ochoa was also part of the winning 200 free relay (1:38.06} with Lombardi, Geich and Wang. Lombardi won the 200 IM at 2:09.31 and the 100 backstroke at 58.41 seconds. Wang won the 100 freestyle at 53.12 seconds, and Giech won the 100 breast at 1:07.56. The relay team of Abby Tang, Chloe Akombi, Sebastian Romani and Luis Gilbert placed third in the 200 medley relay at 2:07.44. Kevin Sotheparnehaisit was third in the 200 free at 2:11.22. Geich was second in the 200 IM at 2:15.75. Wang was second in the 50 free at 27.22 seconds. Vasili placed third in the 500 free at 5:52. The relay of Gilbert, Tony Luu, Vasili and Romani was third in the 200 free relay at 1:58.05. Sothparnehaisit was third in the 100 backstroke at 1:01.45. Akombi was second in the 100 breaststroke at 1:12.59. The Malden swim team is back in action on Tuesday, January 15 on the road at Gloucester.
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