Waltham High teams go down swinging in postseason losses

It was a successful winter season for the Waltham High School (WHS) athletics program, as the boys hockey, girls hockey and girls basketball teams all managed to qualify for postseason play.

The only caveat of having a bunch of teams in the tournament is that tough losses are sometimes inevitable. Each squad played away from home last Wednesday night and they all went down to some tough competition.

Boys hockey – St. Mary’s 2, Waltham 1

The Hawks entered Lynn’s Connery Arena with some momentum after smoking Newton North, 6-1, in their last regular season game.

Waltham fought until the bitter end in this Round of 32 matchup vs. St. Mary’s, but the Spartans ended up getting the edge. The Hawks went down 1-0 early, but the sibling combination of Shane and Garo Gebeyan kept the team afloat.

Shane, playing in his final game for Waltham, tied the action at one goal apiece by ripping a second-period score while younger brother Garo stood tall in net with 30 saves. However, a goal by St. Mary’s Finn Racki with 22 seconds remaining in the tilt proved to be the decisive blow for the Hawks.

The contest marked the last game behind the boards for legendary Waltham head coach John Maguire, who announced his plans to retire on Friday after 40 years at the helm.

Girls hockey – Peabody 2, Waltham 0

The Hawks got down early in this one and couldn’t dig out of the hole despite their best efforts. Peabody’s Shirley Whitmore netted a goal 41 seconds into the game which proved to be the difference.

Waltham managed to record 24 shots on goal, and goaltender Miyana Bahl was stout throughout the contest, racking up 27 saves. The Hawks couldn’t quite manage to break through, however, and a Peabody goal with five minutes made it an insurmountable lead.

The loss puts an end to what was a nice campaign, head coach Chris Smith’s first at the helm. The Hawks concluded the regular season with an impressive 13-5-2 record.

Girls basketball – Arlington 41, Waltham 30

The Hawks like to pride themselves on winning “rockfights,” as head coach Marc Lovett puts it. This game certainly fell under that category, as Waltham brought its gritty defensive style of play to the forefront against the Spy Ponders.

WHS, who qualified for the tournament with a 10-10 record, just couldn’t get over the hump offensively. The postseason win was Arlington High’s first since 2015. It was also the first game played in the brand new gymnasium at Arlington High School. Arlington had been playing its home games at the old Waltham High School gym throughout the season.