Revere’s Frankie Annunziata leads Tide hockey turnaround with scoring surge, steady leadership

By Dom Nicastro

A year ago, the Everett–Revere–Malden–Mystic Valley boys hockey team was searching for answers.

This winter, it’s finding belief — and much of that starts with Revere’s Frankie Annunziata.

The senior captain and defenseman has been nothing short of electric, piling up 15 goals and two assists through the team’s first seven games, an eye-popping total for a blue-liner on a squad that currently sits at 3–4.

Just as important, Annunziata has become the emotional and competitive backbone of a program that has taken a major step forward after going 1–19–1 last season and 6–13–1 the year before.

“Going into the year, I wasn’t sure what was coming,” Annunziata said. “We have a young team once again and after having a losing record last year I knew I had to step up as a senior for the younger guys.”

That mindset showed up immediately. Annunziata opened the season with a three-goal performance in the opener, setting both a personal tone and a standard for a young roster still learning how to win at the varsity level.

“Having three goals in the first game not only set the tone for me but gave all the younger guys an idea of how high school sports can be,” he said. “It felt good.”

A different team — and a different captain

Head coach Craig Richards has seen the change up close.

“Frankie’s been a bright spot for us,” Richards said. “He’s really embraced the captain role, the senior role. He’s putting the puck in the net, he’s mentoring the young kids, he’s doing the right thing. I really feel like he could be a Division 1 player and compete.”

The production speaks for itself, but Richards said the bigger shift has been maturity. Annunziata, who struggled with discipline a year ago, has cleaned up his game while elevating everyone around him.

“That’s a kid who last year couldn’t stay out of the penalty box,” Richards said. “This year, the discipline matured. The leadership this year has been great.”

Richards credited Annunziata’s simplified approach — picking spots, trusting lanes, and letting the game come to him — for unlocking the offensive surge.

“He’s probably got more goals already than he did all last year,” Richards said.

For Annunziata, the scoring has been gratifying, but the responsibility that comes with it matters just as much.

“I feel great being able to score so many goals in a short amount of games,” he said. “That was special not only for me but my teammates looking up to me. They count on me, and it feels good to give them someone to look up to.”

Youth movement paying dividends

While Annunziata leads the way, Revere’s impact doesn’t stop with its senior captain.

Bradley Roach, an eighth-grade defenseman from Revere, has been one of the season’s most pleasant surprises. Roach has already established himself as a top-four defenseman, contributing two goals and two assists while playing with poise well beyond his years.

“He’s been a godsend,” Richards said. “We didn’t know we were getting him. He showed up the first day of tryouts, and he’s been in the top four ever since. He’s a great kid, a great teammate, and he works his ass off.”

Roach recently scored his first varsity goal and followed it up with another the next game, flashing a heavy shot and a fearless approach against older competition.

Also gaining valuable experience is freshman defenseman Jacob Navarrete of Revere. While Navarrete hasn’t shown up on the scoresheet yet, Richards praised his growth, work ethic and team-first mentality.

“He’s improved 100 percent from the last time I saw him,” Richards said. “He’s a really good kid, a great teammate, and he’ll get there.”

Signs of progress — and belief

The Tide have shown flashes of what they can be. Recent results include a 5–2 loss to Lynn, a 7–6 loss to Greater New Bedford, and an 8–0 win over East Boston, a stretch that highlighted both the offensive upside and the fine margins the team is still learning to navigate.

“We kept a good streak going until recently,” Annunziata said. “We got used to being a better team than before, and we let it slip away. We lost two games that should have looked completely different.”

Still, the outlook is far different than it was a year ago.

“We are ready to win the next few,” Annunziata said, “and turn the season back in the right direction and make the tournament for the first time in a while.”