Patch Players of the Season: Sara Lehman and Chris Lee

The winter season is over for  sports teams, and it was nothing short of impressive, memorable play from hardworking student-athletes.

Patch chose two of those players, one girl and one boy, who exceptionally stood out as Lexington’s player of the winter season.

GIRLS PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Sara Lehman, sophomore, girls hockey

In just her second year at LHS, sophomore forward Sara Lehman has truly made a name for herself on the girls' hockey team.

The No. 7 Minutemen finished their season Tuesday night at Stoneham Arena, losing 3-1 against the No. 2 Woburn Tanners in MIAA Division 1 quarterfinal play, finishing with a 15-3-4 record. And in just about all of Lexington’s 22 games, Lehman contributed with not only assists and goals, but true sportsmanship and enthusiasm.

“She’s a great player; great kid,” said LHS coach Amanda Ciarletta. “She pushed hard this season and really worked and came up with some key goals.”

Lehman’s numbers this year are nothing short of eye-catching. During the regular season, she scored 26 goals and added 15 assists for 41 points. In the postseason, Lehman added two goals and a pair of assists to bring her season total to 45 points.

In both of Lexington’s games against Woburn this season, the score read 3-1. In the first matchup on Dec. 15, Lexington took the 3-1 victory, and on their second meeting on Tuesday, as mentioned above, Woburn grabbed the 3-1 win. But in both the win and loss for Lexington, Lehman prevailed.

In December’s game, Lehman put the Minutemen on the scoreboard first, netting a goal in the second period off an assist from junior Danielle DelGreco. She then assisted on sophomore Jackie Denning’s goal, the team’s second, and rounded out her night with the Minutemen’s third goal in the third period with help from Denning.

In Tuesday’s state tournament matchup, the sophomore brought her top game again when it counted most, putting in Lexington’s sole goal in the loss. She listened to Ciarletta – when the Minutemen were down 3-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining – who told the girls to put the scores behind them and play as if the game were 0-0.

Woburn’s Colleen Martell scored her team’s third goal at 9:34, putting the Tanners in a comfortable 3-0 lead, but Lehman wasn’t having it. Nearly 30 seconds later she moved full force, scoring on freshman goalkeeper Courtney Davis, putting life back into Lexington and its fans.

“Not many other sophomores have seasons like she does,” said Ciarletta. “We play in a tough league. She’s a real hard worker, a great team player and overall just a great kid. She will work hard for you.”

Lexington Patch covered 12 of the Minutemen’s 22 games this season, and every article mentioned Lehman.

BOYS PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Chris Lee, junior, boys basketball

Quite frequently during LHS basketball games, junior basketball forward Chris Lee ignited energy from the court to his teammates on the bench and the Minutemen fans in the stands.

And although Lexington’s season ended March 1 after the No. 12 team fell 67-52 to No. 5 Central Catholic in the first round of the MIAA North Division 1 sectional, Lee brought his enthusiasm to the final game by throwing down 16 points – a repeatedly seen number throughout Lee’s season.

In Lexington’s season-opener on Dec. 15, under first-year head coach Reggie Hobbs, the blue and yellow came back from a 14-point, second-half deficit to beat Woburn High School 66-58 at home.

Lee, the first player off the bench, contributed 14 points. And to let everyone know that Lexington was playing for nothing but victory, he put down a massive slam dunk with just 29 seconds remaining.

Three days later, Lee had an even bigger game at Wakefield. Lexington lost by one possession, 60-57, at Hobbs’ alma-mater, but Lee finished with a personal win, recording a double-double with 22 points and 13 boards, as well as two blocks.

The junior made 15 points in Lexington’s close Jan. 13 win over Belmont High School, including a three-point play after being fouled by Belmont junior captain John Dillion.

Lee played hard against Wakefield once again on Jan. 25 during Lexington’s Coaches vs. Cancer benefit game. He scored a team-high 16 points in the Minutemen’s 54-43 win over the Warriors and he slam dunked once more in the third, up 25-21, to bring the crowd to their stomping feet.

Coming off the bench in Lexington’s Feb. 18 matchup at Burlington, the team’s final Middlesex League meet, Lee made a familiar team-high 16 points in the 74-66 loss.

And as if 16 were Lee’s favorite number, he bucketed 16 of Lexington’s 52 points in the Minutemen’s single postseason game, where, as mentioned earlier, Lexington lost to Central Catholic, 67-52.

Congrats to both of this season's Patch player picks.