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RI Reds Heritage Society Announces 2020 Unsung Heroes

Providence, RI (4/30/2020): The Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society has announced the names of five RI Interscholastic League hockey players as the 2020 recipients of its annual Unsung Hockey Hero Awards.

Unsung Heroes are high school hockey players who contribute to their teams in ways that perhaps only their coaches and fellow players are aware of. This year's recipients are Sara Lisi from LaSalle Academy, Rose Flaherty from Tollgate, Alexis Malnerich from Barrington High School, and Emma Byrnes and Sean Martin, both from Smithfield High School.

Often, these "Unsung Heroes" exemplify the term "student athlete" but there is usually more than that. Many are civic minded and go above and beyond to serve their community while maintaining their focus on academics and hockey. The stories are as varied as the athletes.

Awards are given to both male and female hockey players in memory of three former Rhode Island Reds stand out players. The Chuck Scherza Award is given to forwards. The Fernie Flaman Award is given to defensemen and the Gil Mayer Award to goaltenders or defensive players.

Sarah Lisi, a goaltender, was selected recipient of this year's Gil Mayer award for women. She attended La Salle Academy, playing for coach Sean McNamara. It was Sarah's first year in the nets, effectively using her experience as a field hockey goalie to become a key player in LaSalle's state championship drive.

Rose Flaherty won this year's Fernie Flaman Award for women. Rose attended Tollgate High School where she earned Honor Roll/High Honors all 4 years. She was coached by David Tibbetts and played for the Warwick Co-op team.

There were three recipients of this year's Chuck Scherza Award for forwards - Alexis Malnerich from Barrington High School, and Emma Byrnes and Sean Martin, both from Smithfield High School.

Alexis Malnerich, who played for the East Bay Co-op ladies, played her first year of hockey this past season. Notably, with her father mostly working out of the country, she lived in two countries during the past ten years. Bust she made her imprint in Barrington, becoming the "can do" model for coach Michael Cox's team.

This was also Smithfield's Emma Byrnes' first year of varsity hockey, playing for coach Kerri Nadeau's Smithfield/Coventry/Moses Brown Co-op team. In addition for her standout ice play, she was also Vice President of the National Honor Society and a four-year member of the French Honor Society and Science Olympiad.

According to Robert Jackson, Sean Martin's "willingness to put others before himself and sacrifice everything for the betterment of the team," set the effort standard for his Smithfield six. Outside the rink, Sean also excelled in the classroom, attaining a remarkable 4.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale while playing two varsity sports.

For further information call 401-230-5905 or e-mail RIREDS15@gmail.com.