Shuyi Chen also contributed to this article
For most of the Revere/Everett/Malden/Mystic Valley (REMM) ice hockey team, this is just another season coming to a close. For three Malden seniors, the door is closing on their hockey careers.
Jake Simpson, John “Jacky” Summers, and Aaron Al-Marayati are their names. Since their “mites” days playing with the Malden/East Boston youth program, the three have worked hard to get to the top level; Simpson and Summers are now team captains.
Al-Marayati has been forced to fight through some extra challenges; he has Stargardt disease, which has progressively deteriorated his vision since his early childhood, and is legally blind. Still, he has adapted and competed to earn the position as goaltender in several games for a varsity high school team.
The three seniors were honored on January 27 against Lynn in which the team won their fifth game of the season by a score of 5-2. Within the matchup was plenty of conflict; these two hard-nosed teams have struggled this season and fought for another victory.
Each senior from all four schools brought their family out onto the ice before the game for a picture. The ceremony was bittersweet for many people who are watching their child play their last few games of hockey.
Al-Marayati was the netminder for the night. Summers nearly scored just a minute and a half in; REMM dominated the first period of play, in which tempers began to flare. The team netted two goals in the frame, both from Mystic Valley’s Riley Constantine, one of which came off a deflected shot from Simpson.
Lynn gained some steam in the second period, earning some more chances and opportunities early. They did earn themselves a trip to the penalty box after responding to a REMM hit with a punch. However, REMM did not capitalize on the opportunity and Lynn put one in the back of the net shortly after.
In a wild event, the fire alarms within the rink went off but play did not cease. Through the flashing lights, two consecutive REMM shots caught iron but did not find the goal. Lynn countered the opportunity and found a breakaway in which they tied the game. A scuffle ensued shortly after, but that only fueled Revere’s Matt LaCroix goal that just barely crossed the line. The period came to an end with REMM leading 3-2.
The third period went similarly to the first as REMM began to take charge again; Lynn’s struggles with discipline continued to hurt them as they found themselves shorthanded for long periods of time. With just under six minutes left, Simpson scored a rebound goal to extend the lead. Thirteen seconds later, Everett senior Jacob Cantone scored in the slot after a pass from Mystic Valley’s senior Lukas Deguirre.
“I was so happy to score on senior night,” Simpson exclaimed. “I wanted to rip my celebration in front of the stands.” He also said that REMM “should have won by more” and were the “better team.”
Lynn racked up a few more penalties before a massive hit from Summers. Players charged at Summers, who held his ground. A fight broke out and multiple players threw punches on both sides. After the referees finally separated the two sides, they decided to run the clock out with 2 minutes left. In doing so, REMM secured a 5-2 senior night victory.
“Jacky is an anchor on our defense,” said Head Coach Craig Richards. “He had two kids from the other team jump on his back at the end and instead of fighting back, he just held his ground. That takes a lot.”
Al-Marayati earned what would be his final high school victory. “Aaron is one of the toughest kids I know,” Richards proclaimed. He left it at that; although there is plenty more to say, that line defines his journey well.
Boiling tempers culminating in a fight is an epitome of this hockey season for REMM, who have had a tumultuous journey with some ups and plenty of downs. Still, the season did not officially end until mid February. One of the games was a rivalry matchup with Northeast Metro Tech at home; it was bound to be a hot-tempered game with two schools that know each other so well, similarly to the Lynn contest. Although REMM had been eliminated from postseason tournament contention, the fire was still there to try and pick up at least one more win before their season wrapped up.
Northeast started strong in the first period, taking a lot of time on attack and puck possession. That was until the penalties started flowing in, a sign of things to come. Revere’s Frankie Annunziata took an illegal hit to the head, drawing a major cross-checking penalty that would give the team five minutes on the power play. Deguirre found the net for the game's first goal, ending the period.
The second period was strong for Northeast until they ran into another penalty. Annunziata got drilled high again for the second major penalty of the game, a rare occurrence. A five minute penalty ensued, minimizing any chance for REMM to concede a goal. Northeast’s Erich Schulz tied the game in the closing minutes.
Finally, in the beginning stages of the third period, Mystic Valley senior Liam Thompson fired a hard shot low of Northeast goaltender William Baker’s left pad. The puck bounced to Cantone who fired it high into the net to take the lead. For the remainder of the period, Northeast continued to rack up penalties and put themselves at a disadvantage. The clock wound down and REMM took a 2-1 rivalry victory.
REMM would go on to lose the final two games of their season to Bedford and East/West Bridgewater, finishing with a 6-13-1 record.
Richards emphasized further the drive the team shares: “No matter what happens with these guys, they don’t quit. They don’t know what quit means.” It was this quality that enabled the team to fight so hard in their final games against Lynn and Northeast despite being out of playoff contention.
Despite the difficulties that the team experienced this year, there were memories made that the players, coaches, and fans will never forget.
