The Knights defeated Roxbury community college 66-39 at the fitness center on Jan 30. The win puts the Knights at (8-6) and (7-2) in conference play. 

The Knights opened the first quarter on a 9-0 run in five minutes. A layup by the Tigers broke the streak and onto the board 9-2. Mirelys Morales of Dracut, MA tallied five of the Knights first nine points. NECC further expanded their lead to 12 on an 11-6 run, 20-9. 

The Tigers crawled back with a second quarter 17-10 run to trail by only five points. The Knights clung onto the five-point lead as they entered the locker room 30-25. 

When the second half started The Knights, offence started to heat back up. The Knights opened the quarter with a 25-4run, highlighted by a three pointer from Kameryn Pastorello of Billerica, MA to lead 50-29. The Knights carried a 29-point lead into the fourth quarter. NECC closed out the final quarter 16-10 EnRoute to a 66-39 victory over Roxbury, 

Morales’s recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. In addition to Moralses’ impressive night, Emma Ruggiero of Chelmsford, MA and Kamryn Pastorello of Billerica, MA recorded double figures points, with 14 and 13. 

On Jan 23 the nationally ranked Knights took down The Community college of Rhode Island 92-73. The victory extends their winning streak to three in a row. NECC improved Thier record (15-1) this season. 

NECC got off to an electric start with an 11-0 run over the opening four minutes. CCRI broke the streak with a layup onthe rim at the 16-minute mark. The Knights answered with a 9-2 run in eight minutes to extend their advantage to 16 over CCRI. Darlin Santiago of Salem, MA closed the half with a pair of free throws. The Knights entered the break with an 18-point lead, 50-32. 

The Knights picked up where they left off. 30 seconds into the half Camill Palaciouglu of Tuebingen, GR picked off a pass and fed it to Javien Kirmil of Lowell, MA for two points. The Knights continued to build onto their lead with a 14-2 run, 66-34 at the 15-minute mark. NECC lead by as many as 32during that stretch. CCRI chipped away at the defect getting as close as 19 but the effort wasn’t enough as NECC coasted into a 92-73 win 

Luis Reynoso of Lawerence, MA led the way on offense with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Kirmil  and Karl Wolfgang of Doula, Cameron joined him in double digits with 18 and 10 respectably. On defense Reysnso had a team high four steals. 

As a team, The Knights shot a scorching hot (47.6) percent 31-60 from three and (51.7) percent overall 10-21. 

Women’s basketball fell to the community college of Rhode Island 80-33 on Jan 23. The Knights drop to (7-6) this season. CCRI improves to (10-5). 

NECC’s struggled to make baskets. The Knights were 14-5 in field goal attempts and 1-17 from behind the ark. They shot (27.5) percent as a team.  

Mirelys Morales of Dracut, MA who was the only Knight who reached double figures with 23 points. She contributed on defense as well with a pair of steals and blocks. Mariah LaSalle of Lawerence, MA chipped in off the bench withfour points and three rebounds. 

A three-pointer by CCRI three point put them on the board first. NECC responded with a 4-0 run in what would turn out to be their only lead of the game, 4-3. CCRI answered back with a 14-2 run to lead 17-6 at the 2:41 mark. The Knights quickly whittled the deficit down to seven. The burst was capped off with a field goal by LaSalle with nine seconds remaining in the quarter.  

Unfortunately, The Knights couldn’t carry their momentum into the second quarter. They found themselves down by double digits again when CCRI sunk a shot from three-point land to expand their lead to 11two minutes into the quarter. 

The Knights entered the locker room down by 24, 39-15. 

The third quarter was all CCRI. The Knights trailed by as many as 45 points thanks to a 28-7 run by CCRI. In the final frame started the Knights kept pace with CCRI 13-11. However, they never threatened a comeback as NECC fell 80-33 

Each run the Knights made where basket Knights basket was responded to by CCRI. The defense which allowed CCRI to shoot (51.7) percent as a team. Couldn’t make up for the poor shooting performance. 

On Nov 24th soccer head coach Eusbio Marote received the Matt Cushing coach of the year award. Marote is the first NECC recipient of this award.

Marote has led the team since it was reestablished in 2019 after a 25-year hiatus. In four seasons he has accumulated an all time (26-27-4) record. 

“He’s been working hard since he took over the restart of the program in 2019. This award is a great testament to that hard work.” Said Athletics director Dan Blair. “He’s built the program up from the start. Every single student who went out and had an impact on the success of the team was someone he went out with and personally recruited to come to NECC and the men’s soccer program. He’s brought in some impactful players that are getting it done in the classroom and on the pitch” 

The Knights finished 2023 with an (11-3-1) record and secured the top seed. The knights won their first ever playoff winwith a 6-1 victory over the community college of Rhode Island. 

 Northern Essex is no stranger to successful sports programs. Knights baseball and basketball have both been ranked nationally and perennial championship contenders. Now volleyball has joined the ranks.  

The 2023 Knights finished an undefeated season at (23-0), a program best and claimed their first region title since 2018.The team finished last season 11-17, a 12-win turnaround. 

Most of the team members are Lawerence natives who had played together in high school. Abigal Heredia of Lawerence, MA Cited this familiarity translating to chemistry on the hardwood. 

Leading the team is first year head coach Franchesca Nival. Nival previously played as a middle hitter and defensivespecialist for four seasons at Lowell high school and three at UMass Lowell. Nival’s prior playing experience helped shape her abilities as a coach. 

“There are some things that me as a player wished my coach did in the past, so I implemented those things as well as other things I learned as a player” Nival explained. 

The Knights faced off against Century community college on Nov 9th for the NJCAA tournament in Cedar Rapids, IH.NECC fell to The Wood ducks three sets to none in the match. 

For the third straight week men’s basketball sit in the #2 spot of the NJCAA weekly rankings. The NJCAA voting committee announced the week four rankings on Monday, Dec 4. 

NECC also ranks first in offensive rebounds per game (24.4), defensive rebounds per game (39.5) and total rebounds per game (63.8). 

The Knights had a 3-0 record that week. They are currently (11-0) and (7-0) in region play. 

Northern Essex concluded The Turkey classic with a women’s basketball 72-51win on Nov 26. The Knights improved to (3-1) with the victory. 

The Knights got on the board first with free throws from Briannah Namale of Lowell, MA. A corner three from McKaylaDingle of Haverhill, MA stretched their lead to 4-0. The Knights went on a 6-0 run for a 10-0 advantage. The sharks got on the board at the five-minute mark with a pair of free throws. A two-point shot from Dingle gave The Knights a 15-point lead. The score was 24-6 Knights after one. 

Early in the second quarter, The Sharks’ Alyssa Dixon made a basket as she was fouled by Mellisa Fuentes of Lawerence, MA during a shot. Dixon was sent to the line to complete the three-point play, 24-9. Suffolk kept pace with NECC going on a 12-10 run over the final four minutes of the quarter. The Knights took a 32-19 lead into the locker room. 

The Sharks whittled their deficit down to single digits in the third quarter on a layup by The Sharks’ Theresa Rivera 36-28. The Knights responded with a 15-0 run to lead 51-28 at the nine-minute mark in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter The Sharks were able to keep up with The Knights, outscoring them 23-22, but we’re never able to get closer than 20 points. The Knights hung on for the 72-51 win. 

Dingles was the team leader in points (22) Namale finished with (17). Mariah LaSalle of Lawerence, MA Emma Ruggiero of Chelmsford, MA and Mirelys. Morales of Dracut, MA all tallied nine points.  

The nationally ranked men’s basketball completed a two-game sweep of The Turkey classic on Nov 26. The Knights ran past Suffolk County community college 82-50. The win extends their streak to eight in a row, (8-0) 

The Knights got a jump on The Sharks leaping out to a 11-3 run in the opening three minutes of the game. A 9-2 run over the next two minutes put NECC firmly into the driver’s seat for the game, 20-5. Midway through the half each team went scoreless. Sharks forward, Samir Bell, hit a two-pointer at the seven-minute mark, 26-13 to break the cold streak. Over the final six minutes The Sharks outscored NECC 17-15. The Knights held a 41-30 advantage at the break. 

Each team started the second half quietly. A tipped in pass at the rim by Edwin SamMbaka of Paris, France at the 17-minute mark ended the drought 43-30. The basket pushed The Knights lead into the teens. With 10 minutes remainingNECC went on a 12-2 run to lead by 23 points, 61-38 and putting the game well out of hand. 

The Knights found a solid offensive performance from their starting rotation. Four of the starters scored in double figures,Luis Reynoso of Lawerence, MA (14), Karl Wolfgang of Doula, Cameron (13), SamMbacka (11) and Jalen Aquino of Lawerence, MA (10). Off the bench Gabe Zorilla of Lawerence, MA and Kyoya Sisaki of Tokyo, Japan added 9 and 8 points respectably. 

Reynoso recorded his seventh double-double in the young season. On defense he added two blocks and steals. 

Wolfgang and Aquino were both named to the NECC Turkey classic all-first team for their performance. 

On Nov 25 Northern Essex opened its 2nd annual NECC Turkey classic with a 99-61 blowout victory over SUNY

Adirondack. The Knights (7-0) showed offensive fireworks shooting 49 percent from field goal range and scoring a season high 99 points. 

The knights struck first with a three-pointer from Jalen Aquino of Lawerence, MA. Over the next two minutes The Knights went on an 8-2 run to lead 11-2. The Timberwolves locked in defensively holding NECC scoreless across three minutes. Javien Kirmil of Lowell, MA sunk a three at the 14-minute mark to end the dry spell and stretch the Knights’lead to eight points 14-6. 

Adirockdack attempted to comeback by slicing their deficit to five points 26-21at the seven-minute mark. The Knights put a stop to it with a 19-5 run that buried The Timberwolves and gave The Knights a commanding 45-26 lead into halftime. 

In the second half The Knights entered cruise control. Over the first four minutes NECC added to their lead on a 13-2 runto lead 58-28. Darlin Santiago of Salem, MA hit back-to-back shots from behind the arc to extend their advantage to 64-32 and they never looked back. 

Five Knights scored in double figures. Karl Wolfgang of Doula, Cameron led the team in points with 17. Santiago andKirmil chipped in 11 points apiece. Luis Reynoso of Lawerence, MA was the team leader in rebounds with 14. 

One of the bright spots for The Timberwolves was Ben Aprilante who scored a game high 19 points on 8-12 shooting. Hegrabbed six rebounds and a steal. 

On defense, Reynoso recorded three steals and three blocks. Wolfgang tallied three steals as well.