She’s put her diabetes on ice
Andover’s Memmolo manages game, Type 1
Regardless of what happened in the game before, Meagan Keefe knows that her Andover girls’ hockey team will show up to practice on time.
“They are never late,” said Keefe. “I know that comes from Rose.”
Rose Memmolo sets the tone for Andover in many ways: from making sure the team full of newcomers is on the ice at exactly the right time, bringing an attentive tone to drills, and encouraging her teammates on the ice.
“She is kind and approachable,” said Keefe. “She wants everyone to play their best.”
The senior captain has a legacy of success both on the ice, and in field hockey, giving her the proper perspective to lead her peers. She is a two-time Division 1 state champion defender in field hockey, and was a key scorer in the Golden Warriors’ run to the Division 2 semifinals last winter with 19 points (11 goals, 8 assists).
This season is a touch different from what Memmolo is used to. Minus nine graduates from last year’s squad, Andover is 6-7-3. The Golden Warriors are still a contender in the Merrimack Valley Conference/Dual County League, arguably the most difficult conference in MIAA hockey.
That adversity is no match for what Memmolo faces on a daily basis. A Type 1 diabetic, she manages the realities of a lifelong disease while still playing the sports she loves. It has taken several years to find a practice and playing protocol that works but she now has a good command of her routine.
“It took a lot of adjusting, figuring out what worked and what didn’t work,” said Memmolo. “Some days, my blood sugar would react differently to what I ate before and some days it would be totally fine.”
Keefe recalls a time in which Memmolo couldn’t jump onto the ice for practice until her blood sugar levels balanced out. Both player and coach have now reached a mindset of dealing with the ups and downs.
“There are things she can’t control and I can’t control,” said Keefe.
What works now? Eating three hours before the game, then making sure any pregame snack is light on carbs. That seems to keep Memmolo’s blood sugar levels from skyrocketing. Thanks to advances in medical technology, in-game monitoring of her levels is easier than ever.
“I check between periods and I have someone on the bench that holds my phone [which is connected to her continuous glucose monitor] and keeps me updated,” said Memmolo.
“For a while I had [insulin] shots and then had to prick my finger to test my blood sugar, and now I have an insulin pump and I can just easily type in anything that I need. I have a continuous glucose monitor that gives me readings every five minutes, which is amazing.”
Another aspect of managing Memmolo’s diabetes was learning how her body reacted differently to her two chosen sports.
“I do notice that the adrenaline rush for field hockey isn’t quite the same as it is in hockey,” said Memmolo. “That adrenaline will counteract any insulin that I have, which will just make my blood sugar go up. So field hockey is almost a little bit easier in terms of keeping my blood sugar in a good range.”
Memmolo speaks about her diabetes much like the biology major she is considering as a course of study at Colby College: interested in the cause-and-effect, without letting it hold her back.
“She is such a good advocate for herself,” said Keefe. “She doesn’t make it something that’s negative.”
The mentality carries over to her leadership. Given Andover’s turnover from last year’s squad, Memmolo doesn’t lead from a negative place. She thinks back to the earlier part of her own high school career for inspiration.
“When I was a freshman, I was always super nervous and I didn’t really know how to deal with it,” said Memmolo. “You could just tell my plays were super quick and weren’t always fully thought out. I would think, ‘The puck’s coming to me, what should I do now?’ Now that experience helps me when I try to make the freshmen feel more welcome. They are on the team for a reason.”
Bolstered by recent wins over HPNA and Beverly/Danvers/Ipswich, Andover is consistently improving. Keefe is working with the team on more consistent scoring and finishing, and thinks they will be tough to play come tournament time, where they have moved up to Division 1.
Much of that is due to the accountability and high level of play Memmolo brings to every practice, something Keefe and her players admire.
“I wish I could copy and paste her for future years,” said Keefe.
Ice chips
With a 11-2-2 record and the No. 15 spot in the Globe’s Top 20, Winthrop is in a good spot heading toward the tournament. But the Vikings have a gauntlet ahead of them in the last few weeks of the regular season.
They started the tough stretch with a 1-0 win over No. 9 Peabody/Lynnfield/ North Reading on Monday, with sophomore goalie Riley Towse locking down the shutout. But the schedule only gets tougher. The Vikings host No. 4 Falmouth Saturday, then face Beverly/Danvers and Masconomet — two key Northeast battles — to finish out the season.
“We’ve been working hard to get into a playoff mode,” said Winthrop coach Butch Martucci, who recorded his 200th career win Saturday. “I think this’ll be a great stretch for us with four teams that are very good. We know we’ve got the work cut out for us, but we’re willing to work and we’re ready.”
A pair of reigning Globe All-Scholastics from the Patriot League hit big milestones Hingham junior Caroline Doherty netted her 100th career goal in a Saturday win over North Quincy/Quincy and Duxbury senior goalie Anna McGinty recorded her 1000th career save on Saturday against Pope Francis.