BOSTON — Ashley Freitas and Thomas Fish of Danvers High School share a lot in common.
Both are seniors who play ice hockey; Fish for the hometown Falcons and Freitas for the co-operative Beverly/Danvers/Ipswich girls program. Both scored 13 points this season, both were team captains, and both are huge fans of the Boston Bruins and, in particular, scoring star David Pastrnak.
To cap off their careers, both Freitas and Fish were honored Thursday night at TD Garden as Bruins MIAA Sportsmanship Winners during the second intermission of the team’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Danvers High athletic director Drew Betts nominated both players for the award, with Fish being one of 17 male recipients and Freitas one of a dozen females.
The Bruins and Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) partner up each year to honor student-athletes from boys and girls high school hockey leagues across Massachusetts who exemplify commitment to sportsmanship, teamwork and dedication both on and off the ice.
“I heard about it three weeks ago when Mr. Betts called me down to his office. I was really excited to hear he had nominated me and that I had been chosen,” said the 17-year-old Freitas, a varsity regular since her eighth grade season. She also served as captain of the Falcons’ girls soccer team during the fall.
“It meant a lot to me coming from him and being recognized in such a way.”
“It was a pretty easy decision to put Ashley up for this award,” said Betts. “The way she carries herself in the hallways, the way she leads by example … she’s just a terrific student-athlete.”
Freitas, a standout defenseman helped her team win the Northeastern Hockey League crown this winter under new head coach Chris LeBlanc. Her three goals and 10 assists put her among the North Shore’s leading scorers among blue liners.
“There was more defensive pressure on us this season, having a brand new eighth grade goalie (Avery Mason),” said Freitas, who has a 3.7 GPA and is headed to UConn to study allied health sciences. “So I’d try to get the puck out of the zone quickly and rush it up ice when I could. It worked out great for us this year.”
Fish, a four-year member of the Falcons’ varsity boys hockey team, had four goals and nine assists this past season while skating left wing on either the first or second line. He, too, was thrilled to hear from Betts he had been chosen for this honor.
“I pride myself on my sportsmanship on and off the ice,” said Fish, also a standout golfer at DHS. “So I loved hearing what this award was for.”
Although he wishes the Falcons had won the Northeastern Conference title — they finished in a three-way tie for second, one point out of the top spot — he did relish beating rival Gloucester twice during the season for the first time in nine years. That included a 5-2 opening night victory in Gloucester where Fish scored his team’s final goal.
“I took my role as captain very seriously,” Fish, owner of a terrific 4.0 GPA who is headed south for college (possibly Clemson) to study finance, said. “(Fellow captain Drew Godfried) and I helped run practices, talked to coach (Bill Sheehan) all the time, and worked to get the team going in more ways than just getting ready for games. I knew as a captain I had to carry that energy. It’s something I never took for granted.”
“Thomas represents everything you hope for in a student-athlete. He has a great work ethic, is humble in his success, and is fully committed to his teammates,” Betts said. “Whether competing on the ice for hockey or on the course for golf at Danvers High School, he leads with consistency, character, and quiet determination.”
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