Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, August 30, 2019 Saugus soccer: Boys seek return to playoffs T By Greg Phipps he Saugus High School boys’ soccer program has shown steady improvement over the past couple of years, and firstyear head coach Josh Hickey hopes to keep that trend going in 2019. The Sachems are coming off a 12-7 performance last fall, which landed them in the playoffs. Having suffered through a winless campaign back in 2016, Saugus made the tourney two years ago as well, but the team is still looking for that elusive first playoff win. Hickey said that’s on the list of objectives for the future. “We keep making strides. We’ve grown in numbers, grown record-wise and individually,” he pointed out. “We’re also getting better collectively as a group. We want to continue making those strides, along with making the playoffs again and to try and win in the playoffs.” Led by captains Juan Oliveira, Alec Aldred and Vincent Coluccio, the Sachems should form a pretty balanced unit this fall. “I think we’re good in all areas. We’re strong defensively and our strikers are solid,” Hickey said. Made up of mostly underSaugus High School boys’ soccer captains Juan Oliveira, Alec Aldred and Vincent Coluccio. (Advocate Photo by Greg Phipps) classmen this year, Saugus hopes to get major contributions from its younger players. “The team is predominantly juniors this season, so we’re looking for them to step up and contribute.” The Sachems, who were blanked by Northeast Metro Tech, 3-0, in the first round of last year’s postseason tourney, open the regular season on Sept. 9 with an away Northeastern Conference matchup against Lynn English at Manning Field in Lynn. Saugus Soccer: Girls look to continue winning ways By Greg Phipps W ith two consecutive excellent seasons under their belt, the Saugus High School girls’ soccer team expects to be in the thick of contention again in 2019. The Lady Sachems are coming off a strong 16-win season last year after winning South title the year before. Head coach Chris Coviello said he’s confident his squad can duplicate and perhaps even better its performance this fall. “I think we’ll have another solid team this fall,” he said. “Overall, we’ll be good in all areas.” The lone question mark graduated last spring. “We lost some scoring from last year, but I think we’ll be able to make up for that,” Coviello said. “Our defense, goaltending and midfield play is pretty strong.” This year’s unit is led by captains Jessica Nazzaro, Kiley Ronan and Shaylin Groark. Coviello said each of them is a seaSaugus High School girls’ soccer captains Jessica Nazzaro, Kiley Ronan and Shaylin Groark. (Advocate Photo by Greg Phipps) 17 games and taking home the Northeastern Conference might be the offense, since some of the team’s top scorers soned performer in her fourth season playing at the varsity level, and will provide the needed leadership. The Lady Sachems posted a 1-0 first-round win over Bedford in last year’s postseason tournament before falling 4-0 to a powerful Swampscott team in the second round. This season, Saugus opens with two road games: at Somerville next Thursday, Sept. 5 and at Gloucester on Sept. 9. The City of Everett and Everett Bank wish to honor Kathleen Rush for 39 years of service. Kathy has been an intricate part of the community and was recently presented with a citation for her outstanding dedication to the City. Everett Bank’s Board of Directors and staff would like to take this opportunity to thank Kathy for her exemplary work. Congratulations on 39 wonderful years!
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