History was made at Salem State’s Rockett Arena on Wednesday night, and it came in well deserved fashion.
With her girls hockey team taking on rival Marblehead, Gloucester’s Keagan Jewell potted two goals and dished out an assist to officially land at 100 career points. In doing so, the senior standout became the first player in program history to accomplish the coveted feat.
“It was honestly an amazing feeling, but what made it really special was being able to celebrate it with my teammates, coaches and family,” said the humble Jewell, who helped lead GHS to a convincing 4-0 win on the night that avenged an earlier season loss to the Magicians.
“Being the first female player at GHS to reach that milestone definitely makes it even more meaningful,” she added. “It has been an honor to be a part of the program and I hope it sets a standard and motivates a lot of the talented younger players to believe in what’s possible.”
A gifted skater with a knack for finding the back of the net, Jewell has been a staple in head coach Robert Parsons’ lineups for years now. She serves as a captain this winter, and has filled numerous roles on the ice including at both forward and defense.
This year alone, she’s now piled up a team-high 16 goals and 8 assists (24 points), one of the top marks in the entire North Shore area. She’s had multiple hat tricks thus far yet plays an unselfish brand of hockey, regularly making the right play for the betterment of her team.
Jewell has certainly benefited from a well-rounded lineup around her, too, with virtually the entire roster contributing at one point or another. Fellow seniors Teyah Fleming, Elliana Parsons, Charlotte Earl and goalie Kaydin Cusumano have all been terrific as leaders both on and off the ice; freshmen Claire Warde, Emma Brown, Emma Krawczyk, Lexi Francis and Avery Benjamin have each chipped in offensively in big spots; and sophomores Fiona Black, Kaya Collins, Joss Twombly, Elizabeth Gentile and Melanie Earl all play key roles.
But Jewell unquestionably carries the torch as the team’s go-to scorer, and it’s her consistently sensational play has not only led to a previously elusive individual milestone, but has helped the Fishermen find their groove in the wins/losses column as they head down the regular season stretch.
As it stands, Gloucester sits at 6-10-0 overall and holds the No. 23 spot in the Division 2 MIAA power rankings. The team is destined for a playoff berth, and as winners of two straight, three of four and four of their last six games, they’re starting to play their best hockey at the most opportune time.
“I think we’re definitely starting to put things together, but we’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” said Jewell. “We’ve learned a lot from earlier in the season and those experiences are helping us play with more confidence and consistency.
“If we want to make a real run come playoff time, we’ll need to stay disciplined, play each game with full effort and trust each other in every situation. When we focus on details, compete hard, and play for one another, I think we can be a tough team to beat.”
Obviously it’s no guarantee, but Gloucester does have a real chance at running the regular season table. The Fishermen have four games remaining, starting with a home tilt against Peabody on Saturday (4 p.m.), followed by rematches with Newburyport (whom GHS beat 6-1 earlier this year), Medford (4-3 GHS win first time) and Bishop Fenwick (2-1 GHS loss first time).
Jewell will have a few more days to bask in the glory of such a well deserved accomplishment, and then, it’s right back to work.
“It’s not something I ever focused on as a main goal,” Jewell said of reaching 100 points. “I never went into a season thinking about hitting a certain number and rather I just tried to improve every day. It’s really special to see how all my hard work added up to something bigger than I ever expected along with support by my teammates.”
Sports Editor Nick Giannino may be contacted at 978-675-2712 or ngiannino@northofboston.com.