'Wish it, Plan it, Do it' mantra drives local-fueled Quinsigamond men's basketball team
John Preziosa played and coached basketball at Bunker Hill Community College, so when Bunker Hill’s league rival, Quinsigamond Community College, was seeking a new men’s coach last year, Preziosa jumped at the opportunity.
“I thought it was the perfect match,” said Preziosa, who was a longtime assistant at Salem State.
In 2021-22, the Wyverns started 0-9, but finished with six wins and carried some of that late-season momentum into this year.
QCC has won eight of its first 12 games.
“In the preseason,” Preziosa said, “we went in with some basic themes – ‘Wish it. Plan it. Do it,’ – and the guys bought into it.”
Preziosa, who is a special education teacher at Arlington High, replaced Tishaun Jenkins, who had a successful six-year run as Quinsigamond coach. Jenkins, the former Worcester Voke star, is now teaching and coaching at Springfield Commonwealth Academy.
QCC’s roster is filled with Central Mass. talent, including sophomore Johnny Annan, who was a member of Worcester Tech’s 2019 state championship team and is averaging 13 points and seven rebounds.
Newcomers, including Sean Manning of Grafton, who averages a team-best 14.8 points per game and 3.5 assists, former Narragansett Regional sharpshooter Frederick Monette-Harris (8.9 ppg) and Leominster’s Alex Moison (8.8 ppg) have bolstered QCC’s roster.
The Wyverns’ biggest improvement this season has been defensively. QCC, which is holding its foes to 65.5 points per game, leads NJCAA Region 21 in scoring defense.
“That number is pretty much unheard of on the JUCO level,” Preziosa said. “That’s a strong statement at the JUCO level. Our team has completely bought in to committing at the defensive end of the floor, and we are starting to see those results.”
The Wyverns beat Gateway CC in their final game of first semester. QCC returned to practice the day after Christmas and resumes its 2022-23 schedule Jan. 19.
“We are ready to make a strong push,” Preziosa said.
Holy Cross women's hockey gears up for Fenway
Several members of the Holy Cross women’s hockey team attended the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on a magical Monday afternoon and saw the Boston Bruins, with a terrific third-period effort, beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1.
On Friday, the Crusaders will have the thrill of playing at the home of the Boston Red Sox. HC faces Hockey East foe Boston University as part of a Frozen Fenway women’s doubleheader at 6:30 p.m. Harvard and Quinnipiac faceoff at 3.
“A few of our players got to scout out the venue Monday,” Holy Cross associate coach Meredith Roth said. “The word that comes to mind is ‘excitement,’ and that’s probably an understatement. They are elated. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Roth will lead the Crusaders against the Terriers while HC coach Katie Lachapelle is in Ostersund, Sweden, coaching the United States team in the Under-18 Women’s World Championship.
Roth has been in regular communication with Lachapelle since she departed for Sweden on Dec. 30.
Friday’s game will be the first for Holy Cross (2-18-1, 1-14-0) since a 3-2 overtime loss to BU on Dec. 6.
The Crusaders will have a 30-minute practice on the Fenway ice Thursday.
“To see NHLers go do it and now to see the women out there on that same sheet, under the same lights, I just think it brings a lot of credibility to our sport,” Roth said. “It provides a lot of opportunities for families that might think, ‘My young daughter can be a part of something so special.’ I think it’s going to be a great experience for families and young girls and young boys, and just an awesome time at the ballpark playing some hockey.”
The Holy Cross men’s hockey team played Bentley at Fenway during the 2013-14 season.
Coaching keeps calling for Leominster's Hurley
Dick Hurley “retired” from coaching college softball – or so he thought – in the spring of 2021 when Becker College closed. Hurley, a Leominster resident, guided the Hawks to 160 wins and a 2016 NCAA Tournament appearance in his nine seasons at Becker.
Last year, though, Hurley stepped in as interim coach at Assumption when Jon Landino, who coached the Greyhounds for five seasons, left in early February for an opportunity at Johnson & Wales.
Under Hurley, Assumption advanced to the semifinals of the Northeast-10 Conference tournament.
After the season ended, “I thought I was retired again,” Hurley said Tuesday.
Recently, Fitchburg State director of athletics Matthew Burke reached out to Hurley to see if he was interested in becoming the Falcons’ new coach.
The 73-year-old Hurley was.
“I love coaching,” he said, “and I think I can do a good job for them.”
The Falcons won 17 games last season and went 6-8 in the MASCAC under longtime coach Merry MacDonald.
Hurley, who also coached at Franklin Pierce for nine seasons, said FSU returns some talent, and he is looking forward to his next coaching chapter.
“There’s a passion for this,” Hurley said. “I’m going to take it on. I think we can build it and be very competitive in the MASCAC.”
Head of the Class
UConn freshman forward Alex Karaban of Southborough averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the Huskies’ two games, including a win over Villanova. Karaban is a three-time Big East Freshman of the Week honoree this season.
Boston College graduate guard Makai Ashton-Langford of Worcester posted season highs in points (21) and rebounds (seven) to lead the Eagles to a 70-65 overtime win against Virginia Tech.
Holy Cross senior forward Gerrale Gates averaged 17 points on 65% field-goal shooting and 12 rebounds to lead the Crusaders to wins over Bucknell and Navy. HC is 2-0 in Patriot League play for the first time since 2011-12.
Assumption junior guard Njavan Stewart scored a career-high 28 points in an 83-77 win at Post, which snapped a Greyhounds’ three-game losing streak.
Holy Cross junior guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in wins over Bucknell and Navy. The Crusaders (10-3, 2-0) became the Patriot League’s first 10-win team this season.
Assumption sophomore guard Marina Callahan registered her second double-double of the year with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the Greyhounds’ first loss of the season at Southern New Hampshire.
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: New coach, talented locals have Quinsigamond basketball off to fast start
