Saugus High School Fall Sports Roundup

By Dom Nicastro

Saugus volleyball team navigating a rebuilding year

Saugus High School’s volleyball team is navigating a challenging yet promising season under the guidance of Head Coach Mikayla Niles. With only three returning players this year and 10 graduates from last season, Niles knew this would be a rebuilding year. However, she remains optimistic about her team’s progress.

“As much as it is the athleticism that we have and the talent that we have, we also only had three returning this year. I graduated 10 last year,” Niles said. “So, you know, it’s a rebuilding year on top of, like, okay, we can hang at a varsity level here. It’s been a little bit of up and down, good games, bad games, here and there. But, you know, each and every day they’re improving, and I’m very positive.”

The team’s current record of 4-5 reflects a hard-fought season. Saugus recently suffered a tough loss to Everett, dipping below the .500 mark heading into this week.

Despite injuries and the need for players to step into new roles, Niles is pleased with the team’s resilience. One player from the junior varsity squad has even earned a permanent spot on the varsity roster, contributing to the team’s depth.

“I’m just kind of happy with overall how the team’s doing,” Niles said. “Fortunately for me, this year, I’m only graduating half of my team, so at least I have half of them coming back, which is nice. Everyone is playing at that higher pace and higher level than what they’re used to.”

One standout player this season has been senior captain and middle hitter Gia Saunders, whom Niles describes as “dynamite” on the court. “She’s just been an animal up there in the front row for me,” Niles praised. “The amount of kills she’s having each game, just her coverage. … From last year to this year, she’s done a complete 360.”

Another key player is senior utility player Brianna Feldman, who has excelled in various positions throughout the season. “Every time I switched her around and moved her, she always stepped up to the occasion. It was like, ‘Yeah, Coach, I got you, no problem,’ and I love that confidence,” Niles said.

Even though senior captain Maria Silva suffered a season-ending injury before the first game, her presence remains invaluable. “She shows up every day to practice, every day to those games with a smile on her face,” Niles said. “She’s always bringing the girls up. She’s definitely one of those heart-and-soul kids on your team.”

Looking ahead, Niles is optimistic about the remainder of the season. The team has several key matchups, including games against Salem, Peabody and Marblehead. With a little over half the season left to play, Saugus is still in the running for tournament contention.

“Being at .500 and hanging in there and battling, you know, I couldn’t ask anything more from the kids,” Niles said. “We just gotta get to that .500 mark.”

Saugus girls soccer team tops Beverly

Saugus beat Beverly, 3-2. It was a hard-fought game from the first minute up until the last. Beverly scored first, and Saugus came out “slow and unorganized,” according to Sachems Coach April Martinez. Then, 19 minutes in, Madison Botta scored a goal from an assist from Shawn Sewell.

In the second half, Beverly scored fairly early to put Saugus down, 2-1.

“We changed our formation and then turned up the pressure which caused a penalty kick with a foul against Botta,” Martinez said. “Sean Sewell took the penalty kick. The goalie made a save on the shot but the rebound came back out, and Shawn followed it in for the goal.”

With nine minutes to play, Liliana Hernandez made a pass to Shalyn Sewell for the goal to put Saugus up, 3-2.

“The girls fought hard until the very end, and we ended up winning, 3-2,” Martinez said. “A big shout-out goes to Maria Garcia who is my sophomore center back that stopped everything that came her way. She stopped a couple of shots from going in. She was just a force in the back.”

Saugus field hockey team shows marked improvement

Saugus gave a pretty good fight before losing to Danvers, 1-0. “This was a beautiful game to watch,” Saugus coach Barbara Guarente said. “The team as a whole played outstanding. They brought everything they were doing at practice to the game and it showed.”

Saugus a few days later beat Malden at home, 5-0. Julia Strout scored first and had two assists in the game. Angelina Dow had two goals, one on a stroke, and Teaghan Arsenault had two goals and 1 assist on the day.

Saugus then tied Marblehead, 1-1. Strout scored in the third quarter from a pass from Arsenault. It was another great game by the team, according to Guarente. Jordyn Ripley-Deminski had 11 saves.

Saugus fell to Peabody, 2-1, on the road. Strout scored the Sachems’ only goal.

Saugus followed that up with a 1-0 loss to Swampscott at home in another great game.

“Our team has improved immensely,” Guarente said. “Our first game against Swampscott we lost 5-1. The team is coming together. They have improved in moving to the ball, being aggressive and communicating with each other. Jordyn has also improved immensely from the beginning of the season to now. She now runs from one side of the net to the other, makes numerous back-to-back saves and is clearing the ball a lot further.”

Saugus travels to Beverly on Friday, Oct. 4. It is 2-7-1.

Saugus golfers make strides

Saugus dropped matches against Winthrop, Gloucester and Danvers. Sophomore Artie O’Leary stepped up for the team, taking over the No. 1 spot when Hunter Arsenault was sidelined due to an injury. Arsenault made his return against Danvers and came up just short in his match but battled along with the rest of the team.

“The Sachems have been moving in the right direction behind the leadership of our upperclassmen Hunter and Artie showing the younger guys how to fight through adversity and keeping a good attitude,” Saugus coach Dan Bertrand said. “It is encouraging to see strong mental toughness. We match up against Salem, Wakefield and Peabody to end our season as a team.”

Saugus boys soccer team hovering at around .500

The Sachems stood at 4-5-2 after 11 matches. They beat Winthrop for the second time this season at home, 3-1. A goal was scored by Noah Giron and two by his co-captain, Abraham Costa.

The team also beat Swampscott, 2-1. The first goal was scored by Xavier Martinez and assisted by Costa, who scored the second goal on a feed from Martinez.