Writing Portfolio
A collection of my favorite profiles, features, game recaps, and news I've penned separated by organization
The Boston Globe
Covering a range of sports from high school to professional in Massachusetts, I have written many exciting stories. Here are some of my favorites and to see my full list of stories you can click on my archived profile below.
Lleyton Hewitt gave 100 percent every time he was on the tennis court, and now he’s a Hall of Famer
July 16, 2022
Whether he was on a practice court with coach Tony Roche or Centre Court at Wimbledon, Australian Lleyton Hewitt played tennis at full speed, the only way he knew how. That drive also landed him in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. He was officially inducted Saturday, in an evening ceremony on the same court he played his first match at the venue. In his commemorative ITHF blazer, he stood in front of family, friends, and tennis greats to give his speech, thanking all that had helped him get to this point, including his first coach, Peter Smith. “I would continually try to impress Peter but nothing ever felt good enough,” he said. “But I look back now and I realize how important that mindset was. He kept me grounded and kept me striving to improve.”
D’Angelo Ortiz pens letter to father David ahead of Hall of Fame induction
July 22, 2022
David Ortiz has been receiving praise from his colleagues and fans from around the world in the lead-up to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. Now, his son has weighed in. In a letter published by NESN on Friday, D’Angelo Ortiz shared with the world what he thinks of his father. “Dear Pops,” D’Angelo began, before detailing not just the life his father had, but the influence his father had on him. “From the time I was 3 years old, I knew what a big-league clubhouse was supposed to look and feel like,” D’Angelo wrote. “I had the coolest childhood a young baseball fan could ask for, and that doesn’t happen without you being you.”
Shrewsbury heads back to American Legion World Series for third time in six years
August 10, 2022
Shrewsbury Post 397, with its roster of childhood friends and former rivals, will head back to the American Legion World Series for the third time since 2017 after winning the Northeast regional title on Sunday. The push to win an elusive title continues Thursday in Shelby, N.C., with first pitch against the Mid-South champions from Troy, Ala., at 1 p.m. Shrewsbury has hosted the Northeast regional for the past six years at Holy Cross’ Fitton Field, giving families and friends the opportunity to support the team. Winning it in front of a home crowd made it that much better. “For these young men,” head coach Frank Vaccaro said, “they’ll have a memory that they’ll remember the rest of their lives.”
Samantha Tam and Isobel Streeper eager to lead Needham to a three-peat title
September 1, 2022
Samantha Tam and Isobel Streeper have been linked as teammates on the volleyball court for five years, starting with their play for the SMASH 12U club program. Now, as juniors at Needham High, they will be at the forefront for a Rocket squad that reigns as the two-time defending Division 1 champion. The two have been companions at every step of their shared volleyball journey — building an on-court chemistry and inseparable bond along the way.
Juniors Taylor and Grace Lacerda bring their ‘twin telepathy’ to bear on the court for No. 4 Franklin
September 15, 2022
The Franklin girls’ volleyball team is the four-time reigning champion in the Hockomock League. And with the departure of four graduates, headlined by Globe All-Scholastic Cailyn Mackintosh, 2022 projected to be a rebuild. But the Panthers, ranked fourth in this week’s Globe Top 20, are finding early success with a pair of 5-foot-9-inch twins, juniors Taylor and Grace Lacerda, leading the way.
Off to a 10-0 start, Revere knows the secret of its success is to ‘Stay green’ and keep it positive
September 30, 2022
Sitting in a circle and screaming in unison, “P-A-T-S — Pats, Pats, Pats,” before the first serve of every game, the well-synchronized and diverse Revere girls’ volleyball team is off to an impressive 10-0 start, following a 3-1 win over Greater Lowell on Thursday. Preparing for the 2022 season, the Patriots played together in a summer league for the first time, a move spearheaded by coach Lianne Mimmo and her four senior captains: Tassya DaCosta, Fiona Musaraj, Ayra Vranic and Sabrina Indorato.
For Julia and Kevin Goyette, coaching together at Ursuline has only strengthened their father-daughter bond
October 13, 2022
When she played basketball, softball and baseball growing up in Randolph, Julia Goyette’s father, Kevin, was a constant presence at her youth games. A natural teacher, Kevin helped his daughter learn the nuances of those sports and improve as a player. He balanced his work as a labor attorney to coach Julia’s teams, expanding his parental support and involvement to become the Little League president in Randolph. But when Julia enrolled at Ursuline as a seventh-grader, and was inspired to try out for volleyball, it forced Kevin to expand his horizons and learn a sport he knew virtually nothing about by sitting and watching his daughter play and become the school’s season record-holder for digs and kills.
Net gain for New Mission girls’ volleyball: A City League championship
October 28, 2022
Modesto Gomez remembers the two-win season in 2019, his first as the girls’ volleyball coach at New Mission. The Titans were not competitive. But he took note of the commitment level of his players. On Friday afternoon, New Mission put the finishing touch on an unbeaten run through the Boston City League with a 25-21, 25-13, 25-19 sweep of O’Bryant at Madison Park High for the program’s first league title.
Net gain for New Mission girls’ volleyball: A City League championship
October 28, 2022
Modesto Gomez remembers the two-win season in 2019, his first as the girls’ volleyball coach at New Mission. The Titans were not competitive. But he took note of the commitment level of his players. On Friday afternoon, New Mission put the finishing touch on an unbeaten run through the Boston City League with a 25-21, 25-13, 25-19 sweep of O’Bryant at Madison Park High for the program’s first league title.
Nauset boys’ basketball wins thriller over Nantucket to deliver coach Kevin Harrigan his victory at the helm
December 13, 2022
At Nauset High, boys’ basketball is a communal experience. Kevin Harrigan, a 2004 Nauset graduate, knows this better than anyone, earning his first career win at the helm for the Warriors in a 51-50 triumph over Nantucket in a Cape & Islands matchup on Tuesday night. Harrigan, co-owner and boys’ director at Sims Basketball Academy in Sandwich, has been coaching some of the seniors on the team since middle school, several of whom made a difference in the win over Nantucket.
The Berkeley Beacon
Spending three semesters as Sports Editor, I have had the priveledge to write about all types of stories regarding Emerson College Athletics. Here are the highlights:
Baseball team grapples with transportation, game coverage issues
March 11, 2021
Players on Emerson’s baseball team said they are frustrated by the distance they have to travel to practice and play—a hurdle they say is just one of many they face. Due to the lack of available fields in the city, the baseball team plays games at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, which is 20 miles away from campus, and practices at Maplewood Park in Malden which is seven miles out, each one requiring a bus ride from campus.
It was great to be back in Fenway Park
April 7, 2021
Before Saturday, “Play Ball!” was an expression I hadn’t heard in Fenway Park since game two of the 2018 World Series. My return to Fenway Park on Saturday also marked the first in-person baseball game I’ve been to since the Milwaukee Brewers played the Miami Marlins at Marlin Park on Sep. 11, 2019. When Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced a limited number of fans would be allowed at Fenway Park to begin the Boston Red Sox’s 2021 campaign, I was all over it. I hopped on StubHub and purchased tickets—after a brief hiccup. Tickets are only available in twos or fours, so I called my close friend and we decided to attend the Red Sox’s second game of the season against the Baltimore Orioles.
Two women’s soccer players removed from team for violating COVID-19 policy
October 28, 2021
Two members of the women’s soccer team were removed from the team for violating COVID-19 protocols in early September, and both now face disciplinary action from the college. The team members, starting goalkeeper Megan Rose, a team captain, and Margarita Ivanova, a forward, were removed from the team after both defied the terms of their college mandated isolation. (Ivanova currently serves as The Beacon’s assistant living arts editor).
‘I’m just happy I was able to get it done’: Men’s basketball center hits 1,000 points
February 10, 2022
Six minutes into the second half of Saturday’s game, Emerson center Jarred Houston sank a layup that would cement his place in Emerson Basketball’s thousand-point club. Houston’s thousandth point was just one part of his contribution to the Lions’ 83-65 victory over Clark University, in which he was the highest scorer. Due to a shift in COVID-19 protocols, Houston was able to meet the career milestone in front of live spectators—including his family.
Emerson men’s lacrosse player signs the first NIL deal in college history
March 17, 2022
Two men’s lacrosse players, Austin Franklin and Lex Torrington, combined to secure the first deal regarding a player’s Name, Image, and Likeness in the college’s history. The NCAA changed its stance on players profiting from their NIL in July 2021, mediated by new state laws. The deal was officially signed with Archie’s New York Deli on Mar. 10. Though the conditions include promotional videos on social media accounts, a fundraiser with the Daniel J. Hollis Foundation, and a few free t-shirts, the center of Franklin’s deal is the Yahoo Bacon.
Lions salvage two goals in dying minutes to survive NEWMAC quarterfinals
November 3, 2022
With less than a minute left in the second half of overtime, the women’s soccer team stared down a one-goal deficit and the end of the 2022 season. Still, after a lucky deflection and a perfectly played one-on-one, the Lions saved their season with two goals in 32 seconds, beating Wheaton College 3-2. When the whistle sounded at Rotch Field on Nov. 2, 2021, it marked the end of the Lions’ season following a loss to Wheaton. 364 days later, the No. 3 Lions (10-2-5, 4-2-1) had a chance to enact their revenge on the No. 6 Wheaton (7-9-2, 4-5-1) and took it.
Emerson’s women’s soccer clinches NEWMAC championship with 1-0 win over Clark
November 6, 2022
As the scoreboard counted down at Rotch Field Saturday afternoon, senior midfielder Cali Bruce—along with her teammates—was focused on making sure the Emerson Lions’ one-goal lead would not be erased. But despite her attention narrowed in on defending until the end, she couldn’t help but think as time expired. “As it ticked down, all I could think was, ‘We did it,’” Bruce said. “We finally did it.” The women’s soccer team clinched the NEWMAC Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Clark University Cougars, completing a historic run to the conference title—the first in program history. The playoffs began with a thrilling last-minute comeback against Wheaton College on Tuesday night and continued with a 3-2 win against no. 2-ranked Babson College on Thursday.
Men’s soccer historic run ends in NEWMAC finals loss to Babson
November 6, 2022
With the sun beaming down at Hartwell-Rogers Field, the calming breeze became chilling, only audible in the silence surrounding the Emerson men’s soccer team bench following the loss to Babson in the NEWMAC finals. From the beginning, the Lions were doubted by the entire conference, chosen by the NEWMAC Coaches’ Poll to finish dead last following a lackluster 3-11-2 campaign in 2021. Athletic Director Pat Nicol said she didn’t predict the Lions would be in the title fight, but knew the team was on track toward success. “I can’t say that I thought we would be in the championship game,” she said. “I knew we had potential … it was just a matter of time and a little bit of luck.”