Knights’ goaltender Will Paganini of Derry, NH was named the week four NJCAA goalie of the week on Oct 3rd.
The freshman’s strong performance helped lead The Knights to a pair of victories that week. One was a 5-0 win against Quinsigamond and the second a 6-1 victory over Bristol. Paganini made a combined nine saves on 10 shots and recorded a shutout, his second of the season.
Women’s volleyball has gotten off to a terrific (5-0) start to the 2023 season, the best start in 10 seasons. This success garnered attention from the NJCAA (National Junior college athletics association). The Knights were among several to receive votes in week 4 of voting on Sept 18th.
Two Knights Abigal Heredia and Vielka Sanchez both of Lawerence currently lead nationally. Heredia leads the league in hitting percentage (.789). Meanwhile Sanchez ranks fifth in service ace per set (2.81).
The Knights will be back in action Saturday for a two-home game set. First against Bristol community college at 11:00 A.M and Holyoke community college at 3:00 P.M.
On Nov 1 the men’s basketball and region 21 champions will begin their 2023-2024 season with midnight madness. The Knights will take on Bunker hill at the fitness center in Haverhill. The doors will be open at 11:00 p.m.
This will be the first time in program history dating back to 1971 that The knights will participate in a midnight madness event. The remaining schedule will be released later this month
For more information contact basketball head coach Darren Stratton at dstratton@necc.mass.edu. Or Athletic director Dan Blair at dblair@necc.mass.edu or Basketball head coach Darren Stratton at dstratton@necc.mass.edu
A new face will be leading the Track and field team in 2023, Melanie Tarbox. Special educator and a nine-year Haverhill high coach will join NECC as their next head coach. The hiring was announced on Sept 6th by athletic director Dan Blair.
In addition, to her nine-year stint as Haverhill high’s track and field and cross-country coach she served as a gymnastics coach for six years for the Hillies.
Tarbox graduated from Bently University earning a degree in marketing. During her four-year career at Bently she participated in both indoor and outdoor track and field. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in education at Merrimack College and doctorate in leadership education at Endicott College.
Tarbox’s prior coaching experience and relationship to the Merrimack valley made her an ideal fit for the job.
“Melanie brings everything to the table that we’ve been looking for in our next track and field coach. She competed in high school and college, she’s a Haverhill native and deep connection in the Haverhill school system” Blair said. “[Bartox] has a strong coaching background of nine years with Haverhill track and cross-country program as an assistant. She knows Merrimack Valley, and the Merrimack Valley is where we do most of our requiting.”
The Haverhill Native lives in Hampton, NH. She will start her responsibilities later this month
After a 13-year hiatus, women’s basketball is back in Northern Essex. Head coach Malaquias Canery and NECC athletic trainer, Nicole Curry hosted a meeting last Tuesday at the fitness center. Several team members were in attendance.
First, physicals within the last 13 months and insurance cards must be submitted by email to Curry before participating. These are due by next week.
“I’m going to love this team forever; you guys are cemented as the first team” said Malaquias expressing his excitement for 2023-2024 season.
The first practice will be held on October 1st at the fitness center. The first scheduled game will be on Saturday November 4th in Conney Island, NY.
“I’m excited we finally got all the right pieces together to make this happen. We have been trying to get a team together for the last couple of years and we finally put all the pieces to the puzzle together” Athletics director Dan Blair said.
One player commented that she was “happy to be part of a team again.”
For additional information contact Athletic director Dan Blair at dblair@necc.mass@necc.edu
In Northern Essex’s first home turf match, The Knights (5-0) claimed a win over Roxbury community college on Sept 16th. They breezed past Roxbury in three best of five sets by scores of 25-3, 25-4 and 25-10 at the fitness center.
Vielika Sanchez and Abigail Heredia, both of Lawerence, led NECC in points with 14 and 13 respectively. Sanchez tallied 7 aces as well.
Defensively, outside hitter Chantel Melgan of Lawerence, MA recorded seven digs.
Right side hitter and setter, Telaviv Nunez of Lawerence, MA put The Knights on the board 1-0 assisted by middle blocker Margo Martinez in set one. After falling behind 3-2, The Knights went on a 16-1 run to lead 18-3. A lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The third and final set was a closer affair. With a 14-5 Knights advantage RCC closed the gap by collecting five points 14-9. However, The Knights bounced back finishing the match with an 11-1 run. Heredia delivered the dagger with a kill for the 25-10 victory.
For the second week in a row The Knights baseball moved up a spot in NJCAA weekly poll rankings. They received a total of 70 votes. The Knights had a record of 4-0 that week.
The Knights have boasted exciting talent at both the plate and on the mound this season. Sophomore Tristan Caimpia has anchored a rotation that is second in the league in shutouts (nine) and first in batting average against (.195). Richard de La Cruz of Boston, MA and Kameron Levesque of Haverhill contributed to the lineup that ranks first in the league in slugging percentage (.633). Freshman infielder, Domenic Crozenzi of Boston, MA has shown promise.
Through 27 games The Knights are 24-6 (.800). And have a six-game win streak.
The Knights will take the field again on Thursday April 27th to face Massasoit community college at Trinity stadium.
Darren Stratton, the current Men’s basketball coach has been given the newly created role of Assistant Director of Auxiliary Services for transportation and athletics. Athletic director Dan Blair announced the promotion this week, NECC newsroom reports.
In this new role Stratton will manage NECC’s new transportation program between the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses. Stratton will also serve as the liaison for athletics to the college’s athletic coaching programs. Other responsibilities include assisting the student alumni office to enhance student athlete alumni outreach.
Meanwhile, Stratton will continue his duties as the Basketball head coach, a position he has held for twenty seasons.
NECC has found its next Volleyball head coach, Franchesca Nival. Athletic director, Dan Blair announced the hiring earlier this year.
“My goal is not just be a coach but being but a mentor” said Nival.
Nival will be taking the helm of a Knights volleyball team that finished 7-11 overall and 6-7 in conference play last season.
This will be Nival’s first opportunity to coach at the college level. She previously served as an assistant coach at Lowell high school for two seasons. Nival coached two clubs, The Andover pumas and Athletics sports club. Additionally, Nival is the current owner of Athletics sports club, an organization that trains teenagers to prepare to play volleyball at the high school level. Nival is also a certified coach by USA Volleyball.
Before coaching she played four seasons at Lowell High school and three seasons at UMass Lowell, serving as an outside hitter defensive specialist.
On April 19th Northern Essex (22-6) tops Southern Maine community college (16-12) 12-5 at Trinity stadium.
Starter Alex Sweeney of Raymond, NH (3-1) struggled with his command in the first two innings yielding three walks. He settled in and cruised in the next six innings.
Richard Matos De La Cuz of Boston, MA who went (1-for-5) made his lone hit count. He hit a towering three-run home run into the center field bleachers.
Sweeney opened the first inning allowing a leadoff double and two walks to load the bases. He worked around the jam with back-to-back fly outs and a strikeout to escape the inning.
A rough second inning from Sweeney put The Knights in a 4-0 hole.
With the bases loaded Seawolves pitcher threw consecutive wild pitches, it made the score 4-2. A two RBI double by Kameron Levesque of Haverhill, MA evened the score at four.
After three quiet innings, The Knights bats woke up in the sixth inning scoring a pair of runs. An RBI single to left field by Orlando Payne of Lawarence, MA put The Knights ahead 5-4. Domenic Crocenzi of North Providence, RI was walked to put runner at first and second. Payne was driven in by a base hit past the second baseman.
Anthony Marcano of Boston MA led the inning off the seventh with a base hit. A botched pickoff attempt by Southern Maine advanced him to third base. With two outs, Payne came through with an RBI triple to lead 8-4. Payne pushed his luck attempting to stretch the triple into an inside-the-park home run and was thrown out at home plate.
De La Cruz put the game away in the eighth inning with a three-run home run to over the center field wall, 11-4.
Jagger Lovinelli of Huntington beach, CA was sent in to close the game. He allowed a solo home run and a walk but still recorded three more outs to lockdown down the 12-5 win against Southern Maine.
Up next, The Knights headed on the road April 21st to face Quinsigamond community college.
