Fall Sports Review
By Kate Reardon—Many local agencies and organizations work hard to ease a wide array of needs in our communities. Yet sadly, they often struggle to balance an abundance of help at the holidays with being largely forgotten throughout the year. This reality inspired the creation of what we hope will become a dearly held tradition for our school: APH, the Light in WinteFall 2017 was a great season for The Academy at Penguin Hall Athletics with all four programs taking positive steps forward from last fall and each team demonstrating growth over the course of the season. Our student-athletes continue to build our school’s culture of kindness through displays of teamwork and sportsmanship on and off the field, court, and trail.
Thanks to the increased participation this year, our cross country runners were able to log the school’s first official meet results with a full team running. Not only that, but the girls earned the program’s first-ever wins at the varsity level. The team finished the season with a 7-5 record, highlighted by two wins over Lynn Classical and Landmark at a home meet here on campus.
Our field hockey club spent the fall season building a foundation for future program growth. The five club members impressed all around with their positivity, creativity, and willingness to make the best of any situation. The team could be spotted on campus and at Iron Rail partaking in any number of activities, from skills practice, field hockey, and baseball to core workouts, t-shirt making, and more.
The soccer team finished the season with a 6-8 record. Up from 10 players last year to 20 this fall, depth of roster was a key component of the team’s success. Over the course of the fall the team worked to develop as a unit on the field. The back line played solid defense all season, and the midfield and attacking players communicated well in their efforts to create plays moving up the field, often capped off by a beautiful shot on goal. Despite a number of injuries, the team continued to develop as players showed a willingness to fill in at different roles.
The volleyball team had a fantastic season, finishing with an 8-4 overall record. The season was bookended with firsts: the first game of the season marked the first win in program history, as well as the program’s first-ever win over a varsity opponent, which came in the final match of the season. The contributions of new players along with the improved skills of returning Penguins made a clear difference in the team’s performance. At the dual match-up against Landmark, the squad put on a show, completing passes, setting up plays, and communicating non-stop on the court, all of which set the tone in two thrilling matches.
Many thanks to our players, their families, and our coaches for an outstanding Fall 2017 athletic season, and congratulations to all involved for the mark you have made on the growth of APH Athletics. Go Penguins!