MAY 20, 2026
For what felt like the first time in ages, the sun poked through the clouds and provided a near-perfect day for Winthrop’s boys lacrosse team to finish off their incredible season.
Before the recap, however, it is crucial that we shine a light on the 9 graduating seniors, who up and down provided the spark needed for the team’s success this season. Below are words from Head Coach Brian Donnelly on each of the graduating seniors.
#99 – Jack Thompson:
“Jack joined us this year for his first year of lacrosse with the program. Jack is an animated character whose personality shines through while getting the sideline pumped. He is the self proclaimed king of the “five dollar player with $500 dollar drip” and when he gets in the game uses his minutes to attack the net. He is by far the shiniest player on the team.”
#19 – Aidan Coffey
“Aidan is another player who joined the WHS lacrosse squad for the first time. Aidan is a hardworking defensive middie who when he hits the field, the bench goes crazy. Aidan’s love for being on the team is infectious and he has become a great teammate. He has had some solid minutes this year and has had some of the most fun when he hit the field.”
#24 – Tomas Babine
Tomas has been a massive contributor this year at the attack position and is an excellent facilitator on offense. Tomas leads the attack with a cool, calm and collective intensity that is refreshing to see on the field. He has 21 assists on the year and is our third leading goal scorer, netting 12 goals. Babine can do some serious damage on face offs and even stepped up huge in our Malden Catholic game to get three saves in goal. Tomas will do whatever is asked of him on the field and he is truly a team player.”
#3 – Chris Beshere
“Chris is one of the hardest working players that the Winthrop lacrosse team has seen. Chris has spent his three last three years grinding to be the player he has become. Chris was first man last year and solidified his starting position this year having massive games against swampscott and beverly. Chris loves to learn the game and has improved massively throughout his time here as a Winthrop Viking lacrosse player and has become one of the most formidable defenders in the league. Chris has had some massive ground balls that have led to quick time outs this year. Chris is an excellent defender, teammate and is beloved by his teammates.”
#12 – Declan Howard
“Declan has become an absolute menace on defense, being a two year starter . Howard has had some massive takeaways and had the biggest deflection of the year last year that led to the 2025 NEC south win against Swampscott. Howard has some tenacious checks and his stick skills continue to improve every game. He is as quick on his feet as he is with a joke and is a great teammate. Declan has become a formidable defender and can match up with anyone in the NEC.”
#8 – Nicky Romano (CAPTAIN)
“Nick Romano is an absolute brick wall in Net. Nick is a two year captain, starter and vocal leader on the team. Nick plays with a confidence and swagger not seen at the high school level. He is an excellent communicator during games and leads his team into battle every game with a focused intensity. Nick’s ability to see the ball is incredible and is good from close and outside. Nick can throw absolute darts to our clearing middies and finds cutting players that often lead to goals. Nick is not afraid to come out of the net to make a clear happen that often leads to fast break goals. Nick is an animated leader who elevates his defense and team to great heights. He averages 12+ saves per game and has 8 assists on the season.”
#11 – Ace Daigneault (CAPTAIN)
“Ace is a pure lacrosse player who has an absolute cannon of an outside shot. His accuracy is excellent from anywhere on the field and is an amazing dodger who creates space out of nowhere and is incredibly hard to cover despite drawing doubles or triples from defenses. He is tenacious on defense and is a ground ball machine. He comes off the edge on our face-offs and can scoop in insane traffic. He is committed to helping develop young players and has an excellent mind for the game of lacrosse. He is a big time player who, when the game is on the line, delivers. We were happy to have Ace back this year where he has netted 83 goals and 43 assists. That gives Ace a total of an impressive 100 assists and 197 goals as a Viking with 297 points total.”
#5 – Sean Dolen (CAPTAIN)
“Sean is a two year captain, a vocal leader and one of the best close defenseman in the league. Sean is an absolute force on defense and is tasked with covering the best attack man every game. Sean is our team leader and elevates the play of everyone around him. He gets his team into position and gives the players around him the confidence to be better. Sean is able to turn the ball over in big situations and has an excellent ability to find people in tight clears. His stick skills are incredible and his clearing ability has gotten him 8 assists on the season and a goal. Sean is the epitome of a student athlete and is respected by his peers, teachers and school community. Sean is as excellent a human as he is a lacrosse player.”
#9 – Seth Sacco (CAPTAIN)
“Seth Sacco is a two year captain who is an amazing leader, incredible person, excellent dodger and one of the top players in the state. Seth creates opportunities for himself and everyone else on the field with his amazing dodging skills and excellent finishing. Seth can and will score from anywhere on the field. He has an excellent mind for lacrosse and pushes his teammates to improve everyday. Seth is an amazing team leader who develops young talent through his vocal leadership and constant effort. He believes in himself and encourages those around him to believe in themselves too. He is the all time Winthrop High School leading goal and points leader who has 87 goals and 41 assists on the year. That brings him to a total of 92 assists, 241 goals and 333 total points for his career. That is an impressive record. Seth has given it all to the program.”
With the experience out on the field brought to them by this special group of seniors, the Winthrop Vikings took down NEC rival Marblehead for the first time in team history. This game was characterized by common goal-scorers, such as Ace and Seth, however, both Johnny Ferrara and Tyler Smith both stepped up in huge ways, scoring a goal each.
On the other side of the ball, the defense worked tirelessly to keep Marblehead out of net, with huge plays and absolute grit coming from Declan Howard, Paul Ferrara, Chris Beshere, and Riley Moccio. Each and every time, if they weren’t able to get it done, Nicky Romano was right behind them, boasting an incredible game in net.
Winthrop’s resilience on both sides of the ball proved king in this matchup, as they finally find a way to knock off Marblehead before heading into the MIAA Playoffs, where they have clinched the 5 seed in Division 4.
