Grady Avila and Lucy Irwin were recognized with a special honor on Thursday night by the Boston Bruins.
Avila (Lowell) and Irwin (Central Catholic) were named recipients of the annual Boston Bruins-MIAA Sportsmanship Awards. At the conclusion of every hockey season, players from each league around the state are honored for displaying exemplary sportsmanship.
During the second intermission of Boston’s 6-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets, the recipients were honored on the TD Garden video board and also had the chance to meet team president Cam Neely before the game. A total of 29 student-athletes were recognized in what was the 24th straight year of the partnership between the MIAA and the Bruins.
Avila, a senior, was a key piece for Lowell this winter.
“Grady has overcome personal loss to be a valuable member and leader of our team,” said Lowell head coach Brian Akashian. “He personified our core values of working hard; being physically and mentally tough; not making excuses; and being a great teammate. Grady truly represents the City of Lowell, Lowell High School, and our hockey program in the greatest possible light.”
Irwin, who also starred on the soccer field in the fall, epitomized what it meant to be a good teammate on and off the ice for Central Catholic despite battling an injury.
“Lucy wrapped up a stellar high school athletic career this year and unfortunately missed out finishing her hockey season due to injury,” said Central Catholic head coach Ron Cardillo. “During her time at Central, she performed at an all-conference level in multiple sports. Her relentless dedication, drive, and passion in the arena and in the classroom are great examples for her teammates. She has grown as a captain and leader the last few seasons, which will serve her next team well when she plays soccer on scholarship at Stonehill next fall.”
Petrides to take over at Central
Central Catholic announced on Thursday that Dimitrios Petrides was named the next head coach of the boys soccer team.
Petrides, who has over 10 years of coaching experience, most recently coached with NEFC North Shore. As an assistant coach at Medford from 2014-19, Petrides played a big role in the team’s two appearances in the Division 1 North Final.
The Raiders turned in a 14-6 record on the pitch last fall, earning a win over Westboro in the Division 1 preliminary round before being ousted in the round of 32 against No. 3 Newton South.
Spring sports
Just like that, the spring season is here. Over the next two weeks, Valley Sports Daily will be rolling out preview content for eight sports. Schedules are currently being input in accordance with Arbiter and will be finalized by the end of the week. Look for our “Players to Watch” stories to begin to go live on Monday.
*Only submitted info from coaches will be included in previews.
