As keeper, Finn Carlson, kicks the ball down the field a Hornet player ducks as an Amesbury opponent flies through the air. The Hornets played the Indians to a 0-0 tie after 80 minutes of grueling play at Hyland Field on Saturday. Both teams were very active back and forth on the field demonstrating how fit the referees had to be to keep up the pace. More photos at https://www.facebook.com/TheManchesterCricket/.
After a 0 - 2 loss to a speedy, physical Newburyport side on Wednesday, the Hornets would look to right the ship on Saturday against Amesbury under the tutelage of a brand new coach. The Amesbury boys came to play with a different attacking and defending structure. Senior captain Finn Carlson earned man of the match honors with several sparkling saves, one where he dove skyward and parried the ball over the net. The Hornets created some fierce attacking chances late but were kept off the board and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Next up for the Hornets on Wednesday is North Reading who sit at the top of the CAL Large school table.
Manchester Essex Cross Country hosted Ipswich on Saturday, Oct. 24 in their final Baker Division meet. The day started by recognizing our seniors and their families. The girls' seniors are Captain Oli Turner, Captain Anna Whitten and Eliza Woodward. On the boys' side are Captain Will Kenney, Captain Eli Heanue, James Wendell, Logan Patrick, Tyler Erdmann and Josef Vytopil. Losing 9 seniors will have a big impact on next year's teams but the boys have some good depth this year and both teams should get an influx of good 8th grade runners.
The girls' team lost 37 to 22 to fall to 1-3 for the year. Oli Turner led the team with a third-place finish followed closely by Jane Whitten in 4th place. Mary Annabelle Chrzanowski was able to stay ahead of Ipswich's 5th runner to score 7 points. Anna Whitten and Eliza Woodward completed the scoring with 11 and 12 points.
The boys' team won 25 to 31 completing their sweep of Baker Division teams 4-0. Will Kenney won the race in 16:39, 51 seconds ahead of Ipswich's best runner, Finn Russel. Cormac Edgerton was 3rd in 18:21. Finn Ohara edged out Ipswich's 3rd runner to take 5th place with Eli Heanue close behind for 7th place. Colin Harrison was the 5th runner for the Hornets finishing 9th in 19:32. Charlie Lations also contributed to the scoring beating the Tigers 5th runner.
The Hornets have two crossover meets remaining against Kenny Division schools, Newburyport on Wednesday at home and Lynnfield away on November 5th.
The Hornets Field Hockey Team improved their record to 5-1 with a 2-1 win against Newburyport and 8-1 win against Amesbury. Sophomore goalie Paige Garlitz kept the Hornets in the game with impressive play in the net, while senior Jen O'Neil contributed to the stellar defense. Freshman Cailie Patrick, tied the game 1-1 and Lily Athanas scored the go-ahead goal in the second quarter to secure the win. A whole team effort is what led to a win against Amesbury, with six different goal scorers. This week, the Hornets travel on Tuesday to North Reading and Friday to Hamilton-Wenham.
Girls Varsity Soccer had two away games this past week, first at Newburyport HS and then at Amesbury HS. The game vs Newburyport finished as a 0-0 tie, with strong performances from all players including Goalkeeper Leilani Brown and Defender Bradlee Brooks in particular. The second game finished 1-1 vs Amesbury with the goal coming for the Hornets from Senior Captain Dasa Hase. This game featured really strong performance from the Hornets with lots of possession and chances to score more goals.
The Manchester-Essex golf team wrapped up a short but successful season last week. The final home match of the year vs. Pentucket was played on Tuesday at Essex with the Hornets taking a 142-78 victory. Senior Sam Rice led the team with a strong 32 points. The win set up a crucial final match at Rockport on Friday with the Cape Ann League Baker Division title on the line. Despite strong contributions from the five seniors playing in their final match – Rice, Sean O’Neill, Charlie Gendron, Trip Graves and Griffen Kempskie – the Hornets fell to host Rockport 133-130. The team finishes with a solid 8-4 record, good enough to qualify for the state tournament which unfortunately will not be held this year due to the pandemic.
