Globe South Sports

Ready to play

with the big girls

Griffin built skills against brothers

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / June 11, 2009

Casey Griffin was willing to cut her hair in the third grade to play on older brother Corey's youth lacrosse team in Hingham. She even posted a sign on her bedroom door that proclaimed, "No girls allowed."

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"I thought I was a boy," recalled Griffin.

She may have had no interest in playing with girls at an early age. But these days, the 18-year-old is pretty excited that she will be able to reunite with two of her closest friends, Ellie Clayton and Kelsey Johnson, on the women's lacrosse team at Dartmouth College this fall.

The last four years, the Hingham Youth Lacrosse alums were rivals, Clayton and Johnson suiting up for Thayer Academy in Braintree, while Griffin played for Noble & Greenough School, a Independent School League foe in Dedham.

"We hated the end of the game because one person had to lose," said Griffin, a four-year varsity player who helped Nobles win all four meetings against Thayer.

"It never feels good," she said. "I remember the last game this year we were so excited to play them and when the game ended they were just so bummed. I was saying, 'I'd be happy to play on their team and not against them.' "

Even though the three girls played for the Revolution Lacrosse Club throughout high school, Johnson and Clayton, both midfielders, couldn't be more thrilled about joining forces full time.

"She's definitely not someone who's fun to play against, I'm very relieved to be playing on her side," said Clayton, who contantly reminded her Thayer teammates never to think they had Griffin pinned down defensively.

"I was guarding her . . . and she just wound up and shot and it went in" from the 8-yard line, said Clayton. "I had her guarded as well as I could. You have to always be ready and on your toes because she'll surprise you. She's such a good person and deserves everything she's getting."

Griffin's resume is pretty impressive, with one common thread: success.

At Noble & Greenough, she was a member of 10 ISL championship teams, covering three sports, including unbeaten lacrosse seasons as a sophomore and junior. The Bulldogs lost just once this spring (13-11 to Buckingham, Browne & Nichols), but Griffin netted the winner in overtime of a 9-8 victory against Governor's Academy to secure the program's third straight league title.

The ISL girls' lacrosse MVP this spring, and a two-time high school All-American, Griffin finished her extraordinary career with 181 goals and 132 assists.

Griffin, who also captained the field hockey and ice hockey teams this year, said giving up hockey will be the hardest part of her transition to college.

"I was worried I'd be bored," she said of only playing one sport. "But going to Dartmouth and playing in a Division 1 program all year long, playing lacrosse every season, I will not have a big break. I think I'll be fine."

Crediting hockey for helping hone her lacrosse skills, Griffin also wields her stick so well because of all those years playing and practicing with the boys - especially her older brothers Corey, now 21, and 20-year-old Mike, who play hockey for Babson and Brown, respectively.

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When Griffin was in elementary school, Hingham Youth Lacrosse only fielded a boys' team for her age group, so the coach told her and her dad, Robert, that if she cut her hair she could play. The coach didn't reveal her gender until after she scored six goals against rival Duxbury.

"I think I wanted to do it, honestly," Griffin said. "I was just willing to do whatever it took to play because there wasn't a girls' team. I loved playing with the boys."

That didn't last forever.

Robert Griffin said that when his daughter reached middle school, she noticed that the boys no longer liked pairing off with her during drills.

"Then she said 'Dad, I just want to go with my own' " team, he said. "But she still practiced with the boys, even in high school."

In seventh grade, playing with Johnson and Clayton for the first time, Griffin had immediate credibility.

"Everybody thought she was so cool because she played with the boys," said Johnson, an Under Armour High School All-American this year. "I wanted to be just like that."

"She was relentless," added Clayton, who also captained Thayer's cross-country team.

Now Griffin is passing those skills on, for a fee: She is charging roughly $40 an hour for lacrosse clinics in her backyard, using nothing but a net, a pitch-back, and her know-how.

"I have tons of little cousins and they always come over and I teach them to throw and pass," Griffin said. "They seemed to love doing it. I was sort of doing it my whole life without realizing it but I never charged for it. This summer I was looking for a job so I put up a flier and thought it would be a good idea."

In three weeks, Griffin, Johnson, and Clayton will head to Hanover, N.H., for the Big Green's rookie camp. Playing with Nobles graduates Sarah Plumb and Broghan Cully, the Hingham girls will start working toward the NCAA championship they always talked about as little girls.

"They're just such great kids," Griffin said of Johnson and Clayton. "I'm just looking forward to going to practice with them and hanging out every day. That will be the best part."

Justin Rice can be reached at rice.ju@gmail.com.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Walk-off wonder

Ken McGagh/Daily News staff

Ashland's Erin Gilfoy (earing helmet) is mobbed by her teammates after scoring the game-winning run in the eighth inning of the Clockers' 2-1 victory over Coyle-Cassidy.

By Justin A. Rice/Daily News correspondent

MetroWest Daily News

Posted Jun 06, 2009 @ 10:43 PM

Last update Jun 07, 2009 @ 12:11 AM

TAUNTON — After giving up the first run of the game to Coyle-Cassidy in yesterday's Division 2 South Sectional championship at Taunton High, Nicole D'Argento dug in to lead off the bottom of the third inning when she noticed her team slouching on the bench.

"Everyone up, up and talking; everyone," the senior pitcher shouted just before grounding out to start the 1-2-3 inning.

D'Argento's constant encouragement didn't pay off until the sixth inning when the Clockers tied the game. But her optimism ultimately helped obliterate any thought of Ashland's 51-game unbeaten streak coming to an end after Katrina Capobianco's walk-off single in the eighth lifted the Clockers to a 2-1 win.

"The team has a good attitude behind Nicole," Capobianco said. "We knew it was just a matter of time. We have a good offense. We just had to stay with it."

Ashland will meet Concord-Carlisle at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Lowell's Martin Field.

"We'll come out Tuesday with the same intensity we had in the last couple innings, really attacking the ball," D'Argento said. "We were passive a little for the first couple innings. Once we came out attacking and put the ball in their court we put the pressure on them."

Most of the pressure, however, was on D'Argento, who threw a three-hit shutout in last year's Division 2 South semifinal to beat C-C. Last night, she allowed just four hits, struck out 13 batters and walked two.

"We wanted to win the game more than anything," she said. "We never played in the position of being down a run like that. It made us want it more. We wanted the come-from-behind win (and to be) 52-0."

Senior Erin Gilfoy opened the bottom of the eighth with a base hit. A wild pitch moved her to second and Kylene Pease's single put her on third.

Capobianco came to the plate next, with the game on her shoulders.

"I was trying not to think about it and do what I can at bat," said Capobianco. "I got the pitch I like and went with it to the opposite field and Erin got in."

Gilfoy got in, but by the skin of her teeth, sliding underneath the catcher's tag.

"Champions never quit," Ashland coach Steve O'Neill told his squad. "We forced the issue. We made things happen. We won that game as a team."

Ashland (24-0) fell behind after C-C freshman Patty Borges hit a one-out double in the third. D'Argento struck out the next batter before senior Jackie Enos sent a ball up the middle on a deliberate half swing, scoring Borges from second. On the same play, Enos was tagged in a rundown between first and second to end the inning.

D'Argento huddled Ashland in the middle of the fifth inning, shouting, "Do you want to win? Then let's do it now!" But the inning ended in another donut despite Megan Murray's leadoff double and Kristen Giombetti's sacrifice bunt to move Murray to third.

Senior Sarah Jeffrey got things going in the sixth with a one-out double, and was replaced on the base paths by sophomore Mariah Stuart. Pease then followed with a grounder to third, but the throw was wide and Stuart scored to tie the game.

Nothing happened for Ashland before the sixth inning. C-C's Kate Bolduc held the Clockers to three hits through five innings and finished with three strikeouts and one walk. In the meantime, D'Argento looked more nervous each inning out. With the game in Taunton, C-C was essentially playing a home game and had the support to show for it.

"The louder they got the harder I started throwing the ball," D'Argento said. "It definitely pumped me up. It pumped everyone up."

As Much as D'Argento likes to shoulder the burden, she loved watching Capobianco come through in the clutch.

"It's a lot of fun to get the winning hit or strike out the side to win the game," she said. "But when everyone steps up and someone else does it, that's more fun - to see other people succeed and make the game-changing play."

Globe South Sports

Team called

out in Vermont

Program cut hits

south ballplayers

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / June 4, 2009

When the University of Vermont baseball team made its annual pilgrimage to Little Fenway Wiffle Ball in Essex, Vt., a one-fourth scale replica of the Red Sox stadium, the three players hailing from Milton, Mass., dominated play.

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"We were all on the same team," recalled UVM sophomore shortstop Matt Duffy, referring to junior pitcher Tom Kelly and freshman infielder James Katsiroubas, former teammates on the Milton Post 114 American Legion team that won the 2006 Northeast title. Duffy and Katsiroubas were also teammates at Milton High, while Kelly played at Catholic Memorial.

"It's known throughout the entire team that there's something about Milton Wiffle ball. That's what we grew up doing."

The Milton trio, however, will not be able to defend their self-proclaimed Wiffle ball crown next season, nor make a return to the American East playoffs with the rest of their Catamount teammates.

In late February, UVM officials cut a program that dates back to 1888, as well as the school's softball program, as part of a universitywide budget management plan. Facing a $1.1 million gap between projected revenues and expenses for next season, UVM cut the athletic department's general fund by 6.5 percent.

The news was an especially tough blow for the baseball team's 22-year head coach, Bill Currier, who guided the Cats to a 22-33 mark and the third round of the America East playoffs.

"He's had such a tremendous career," said senior pitcher Justin Albert of Hull, who hopes to be selected in next week's Major League Baseball draft. "Initially that was one of the first feelings I felt: grief for Coach. He's been beloved by the school and town [of Burlington] forever. It's so unfortunate they cut him short."

The news was a devastating blow to the Cats, who spiraled to a dismal 0-11 start. The decision also put 11 freshmen, seven sophomores, and five juniors back into the recruiting pool, competing with current high school seniors for roster spots. The NCAA allowed other schools to contact UVM players immediately and waived the rule that forces transfer players to sit out a year.

While Katsiroubas is transferring to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, a Division 2 program, Kelly will stay at Vermont. A transfer from Suffolk University, he will accept the university's offer, which is allowing players to retain their scholarship and study at UVM.

In April, the hard-hitting Duffy signed with the University of Tennessee, leaving as the program's last America East batting champion. In addition to his .388 average, he also tied the program's single-season home run record (13), while also setting new marks in RBIs (57) and runs scored (57).

"Fortunately, I have a place to play," said Duffy, named the America East's Player of the Year and a finalist for the Brooks Wallace National Shortstop of the Year Award. "Some of these guys who love to play baseball won't have the opportunity I have.

"[Playing at Tennessee is] a good situation but it's obviously not my first choice to have to leave Vermont," Duffy continued. "It's a terrible situation with what's happened here. At the same time, you have to take the good with the bad and look at it in a positive light."

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Duffy was also courted by Virginia Tech and Auburn but was sold on Tennessee after one visit to Knoxville. Other players were not as fortunate.

"I want to help them, more or less be their agent, and the guy who helps them get to another place," Currier said. "But it's also difficult having to send these kids off to other places. You're happy for them, but it's also like selling each piece of furniture in a house; you have a story about each piece."

This season was especially difficult for Katsiroubas, who was just starting his Division 1 career.

"I didn't let it ruin everything," said Katsiroubas, a third baseman who committed to UMass-Lowell after also considering Northeastern University. "It was just another issue you have to deal with and get through. It's life."

He has dealt with adversity before. His father, James Sr., who taught him the game as a child, died of a heart attack at age 54, when Katsiroubas was a sophomore in high school.

And while his story might put baseball in perspective, it will still be hard for Kelly this fall when he returns to campus solely as a student.

"It's kind of weird because baseball is something I've associated with my entire life," said Kelly, who compiled a 4-5 record with a 5.43 earned-run average in 15 appearances this season. "I've always thought of myself as a baseball player. It puts a different perspective on everything."

Kelly's college career and Milton's pipeline to UVM might be closed, but Currier said he will continue to tap the talent in the South Shore at whatever school he lands at next.

"All four of those guys have been quality players, helping us draw other kids out of that area," Currier said. "It was short-lived but it was a good linkage of good talent from that area. Wherever I go from here, hopefully we can keep that up."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Other programs

get budget knife

By Justin Rice Globe Correspondent / June 4, 2009

Her senior class was the last to wear a softball uniform at University of Vermont, a sad fact that Jeanine Connolly admits will likely not sink in until the end of the summer.

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"I told everyone it probably won't hit me till August and I don't have to go back to Vermont," said Connolly, a 2005 graduate of West Bridgewater High who led the Catamounts (8-38) in RBIs this spring.

Vermont cut its softball and baseball programs in February for financial reasons. And at other New England colleges, athletes from communities south of Boston have also been adversely affected by program cuts.

Apponequet Regional grad Ethan Lincoln was on the men's soccer team at Maine, which has been cut along with women's volleyball.

"It's still just as frustrating but it makes it easier to know other people are going through it, too," said Lincoln, who hopes to transfer to Montclair State. "But it hasn't reduced our anger towards what has happened."

At MIT, Bohan Liu of Quincy (pistol) and Canton's Jake Shapiro and Jacob Sharpe (men's gymnastics) were members of two of the eight programs that will be eliminated.

Maine and UVM will honor scholarship commitments to athletes on cut programs who wish to remain at school. They also granted permission to any school that wants to contact an affected athlete. The NCAA allows the players to transfer and play immediately without sitting out a year.

Last week, Connolly said most of her former nonsenior teammates, including sophomore pitcher Jocelyn Abaray of Acushnet, were still in limbo while four others have decided to stay at UVM.

"It's very sad, considering our team had two juniors and two seniors and the rest of the team was sophomores and freshmen," said Connolly, who plans to attend grad school for athletic training for physical therapy. "We had a very young team so it was heartbreaking for these girls."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Middleboro leaves

in style

After falling to Foxboro,

it’s off to prom for seniors

By Justin A. Rice

Enterprise Correspondent

Posted Jun 04, 2009 @ 12:16 AM

Last update Jun 04, 2009 @ 12:19 AM

TAUNTON — Just before the start of the final inning Wednesday, at Taunton, Middleboro High’s four baseball seniors walked to the visitors’ dugout, shook hands with the Foxboro players and coaches and received applause from their fans as they rushed off to trade dirty sliding pants for pressed tuxedo stripes.

It was hardly the curtain call Evan Anderson, Tony Miranda, Nathan Bradstreet and Steve Marble envisioned for Wednesday’s Div. 2 South semifinals. But at that point, Foxboro’s 14-1 victory was deep in its pocket and Middleboro’s senior prom was set to start in about an hour at a downtown Boston hotel.

“If you have to leave early for something, I guess senior prom isn’t that bad to leave for,” Anderson said on his way to the parking lot. “But we had a good season. This was probably one of the most fun teams as far as camaraderie I’ve ever been on. All season, we’ve given it a good run.”

The No. 11-seeded Sachems (16-8) defeated Pembroke (4-1) in the preliminary round and Diman (11-0) in the first round of the playoffs. Finally, a 6-0 quarterfinal victory against Bishop Stang brought Middleboro to the game the program hasn’t been able to win since current head coach Bill Lawrence took over the team in 1998 — a year after the team won the state title. The Sachems lost in the semifinals the next three seasons.

“We just can’t get over the hump; I’d like to see the seniors go to the finals, but Foxboro played well,” Lawrence said of the Warriors, who will play No. 8 Bishop Feehan or No. 20 Plymouth North in the finals at a location and time to be determined. “They’re going to do OK.”

Seeded No. 18, Foxboro (16-9) beat Duxbury (3-0), Dighton-Rehoboth (2-0) and Coyle-Cassidy (2-1) to advance to the semifinal. Its offense finally broke open Wednesday. After posting a run in the opening inning, the Warriors batted around in the next two innings to take a 10-1 advantage.

Just as Foxboro’s luck struck early, Middleboro’s bad luck came at the same time.

In the Sachems’ first at-bat of the game, Miranda hit the ball down the third-base line but it was barely foul. Two batters later, junior Mike Van Riper hit into an unusual 3-6-3 double play after the first baseman fielded the ball off the bag.

“We came out flat and they came out to win,” Lawrence said. “When we hit the baseball, they made plays. Our pitching wasn’t as good as it’s been, but that’s what you expect with sophomores. It’s good experience for the future.”

While pitcher Joe Clagg struck out three, walked four and allowed five hits to get the win for Foxboro, sophomore pitcher Travis Levesque (4-3) suffered the loss. He gave up six hits, including a five-hit, five-run second inning in which he took a line drive to the foot.

“Once I sat down on the bench, it started bugging me the most,” Levesque said of the injury.

Ultimately striking out one batter and walking two in 21/3 innings of work, Levesque was replaced by another sophomore, Andrew Porter. Inheriting a full diamond, Porter walked in two straight runs. A throwing error to second on the next at-bat brought in the final runs of the inning, making the score 10-1 after 31/2 innings.

Anderson, (8-2), the team’s ace, was unavailable after throwing 97 pitches in the previous game. He played right field Wednesday and drew one walk at the plate.

“Things might’ve been different if he was out there,” Lawrence said of Anderson. “We definitely have more confidence with him out there, but the sophomores pitched today and they are going to do OK.”

Lawrence added that the game was invaluable experience for a young team featuring a half-dozen sophomores, including Sean Newcomb, who knocked in the only run of the game for Middleboro. In the second inning, junior Jake Szulak reached on a walk. Two batters later, he scored from first and slid headfirst into home plate.

“Our luck has run out, but I give Travis credit; he stepped up as a sophomore,” Anderson said of Levesque. “He has a bright future as Middleboro’s No. 1 pitcher. This is a big game for such a young team. It will really give them experience for the next few years to come.”

And while Wednesday afternoon’s final result might’ve been forgettable for the Sachems, at least the evening was guaranteed to provide everlasting memories.

“That was a sign of respect,” Lawrence said of letting the seniors leave the game early for the prom. “I told them ‘Get out of here, you’ve earned the right to get to the prom on time.’ They gave me their best all year long.”

Globe South Sports

Stadium draw

helps SCORES

Organizers of the SCORES Cup have Gillette Stadium for the tournament's backdrop. (Justin Rice for The Boston Globe)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / May 28, 2009

FOXBOROUGH - Limping through the concourse at Gillette Stadium before a recent New England Revolution game, hobbling on opposite legs and looking like they were tied together for a three-legged race, David and Nicole Chang slowly headed for their seats.

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Hobbled by ankle injuries - David was hurt in a recreation league game, Nicole on the family trampoline - the Norwood couple was uncertain if they would be able to play in Saturday's fifth annual SCORES Cup on the very pitch where the Revs were about to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Saturday's all-day corporate challenge at Gillette is the number one fund-raiser for America SCORES New England, an after-school soccer/creative writing program serving third- through eighth-graders in 24 Boston public schools.

"It's special for everyone who loves to compete," said David Chang, a participant in the first SCORES Cup before becoming a board member and organizer. "To think we get to play in this stadium where we watch the pro teams."

This year's tournament will feature 16 teams playing 7-on-7 round-robin games from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Three fields will be set up across the width of the field, and the practice facility behind the stadium will also be used. Winners will be honored at halftime of Saturday's Revolution-D.C. United game.

The draw to play at Gillette Stadium, at $5,000 per team, was so popular last year that the tournament netted $95,000, a large jump from the $63,000 raised the previous year at Tufts University.

Craig Tornberg, vice president of business development for the Revolution, said the $5,000 fee is a good deal, considering the stadium charges $10,000 to hold a clinic on the Gillette turf.

"So to have the opportunity to play here for $5,000, knowing it is going to a good cause, and doing it in a $350 million stadium; when do you have the chance to do that in a lifetime?" said Tornberg, also a board member at SCORES the last two years.

In the struggling economy, eight corporations that fielded teams a year ago did not reenter, including defending champion Reebok. But the downtown Boston financial firm Chang works for added a second team.

"People just want to come to Gillette," said Chang, joking that his company was even forced to make cuts.

And once their cleats meet the field turf, competition is fierce, even if 90 percent of the 68,756-seat stadium is empty.

Tornberg said he was expecting the level of play to equal that of a Sunday beer league.

"Then I came out and watched the competition, it was amazing," he said. "I'm not sure if it improved because they were in Gillette, but competition was intense. It was amazing to watch."

The pool of players included a few former members of the Brazilian league and two Revolution alums (Greg Lalas and Kevin Wiley).

"We're safe; nobody we saw was necessarily ready for prime time," Tornberg said.

But they do take the competition seriously.

"This is for fun, but at the same time I don't think any of us step on the soccer field to play for fun," said David Chang, who played at Brookline High. "Last year was the best competition in [the tournament's] four years."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Globe South Sports

She's got her

groove back

After Celiac diagnosis,

teen regaining strength

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / May 14, 2009

SOMERVILLE - Her pre-meet meal was not "the breakfast of champions." Instead, unhappily, Melanie Frazier chewed on a little gluten-free cereal prior to Saturday's Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Invitational at Dilboy Stadium.

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"It was very bad, it tastes like cardboard," said the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional senior, who was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease, a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. Those with the disease can not tolerate wheat, rye, and barley.

"I don't think that I'll ever eat that again."

Well, maybe just a few bites.

Frazier went out and set a school record in the long jump, her 18-foot, 7-inch leap outdistancing the field at Dilboy Stadium. She also placed third in the 100 meters in a time of 12.56 seconds, qualifying for the Division 1 state meet in both events.

It marked a return to form for one of the state's top athletes, who had struggled with her endurance for months until her condition was finally properly diagnosed two weeks ago. "I didn't want to feel terrible through this whole season - this is my last season," said Frazier, who won the long jump at the Division 1 state meet last spring and finished second in the 100. "I wanted to do well. It's just good to know what it is before I go to the state meet."

Frazier started to feel lousy three months ago: She couldn't hold down food, she felt lethargic, and her weight was down about seven or eight pounds.

Cynthia Frazier originally thought her daughter was suffering from the stress of senior year and picking a college. But she didn't feel better after accepting a partial track scholarship to the University of New Hampshire. "Once all that was set and it continued, we finally went to a doctor and said this needs to be looked at," said her mother.

Frazier said her pediatrician referred her to a gastrointestinal specialist, who suspected anything from lactose intolerance to Crohn's disease.

The 5-foot-4-inch Frazier still managed to leap 17-4 and win the Division 1 indoor title this past winter while finishing second in the 55-meter dash in 7.37. Her coach, Paul Urban, remained in the dark throughout most of the winter and the beginning of the spring. "As a coach I could tell something definitely was not right," Urban said.

"I could just see she was lethargic in her workouts. She was not looking like the same old Mel. Being the competitor she is, she continued to fight through it. I think we got it together. Just eating gluten-free, she's been able to hold it down. . . . It's a few weeks from [the state meet], when it really matters, and she's only going to get stronger."

A few weeks ago, a blood test revealed Frazier was missing an enzyme that helps break down whey and wheat, one people with Celiac disease usually don't have. She eliminated gluten from her diet and noticed an immediate difference. But being an athlete previously fueled by carbohydrates, adjusting to a new diet has not been easy, especially when she can't just unwrap a granola bar for a quick snack. "It's only been two weeks," she said of eating mostly organic foods, including lots of salad, chicken, steak, fish, and vegetables. "I do wish I could have peanut butter and jelly."

But more than anything, she's relieved.

"I knew I would figure something out eventually," she said. "There was nothing I could really do. I can't get mad at myself because it was not my fault. I was upset I was jumping so terribly and I didn't run my best. I knew things would come around eventually. I knew I wasn't going to be sick the rest of the season. If I was, that would stink, but I just kind of thought positive about it.

But her faith was being tested as late as last week. During a dual meet, she ran the 100-meter dash in 12.8 and long jumped 15-10.

"My goal was always to jump 18 [feet], I always wanted to do that," Frazier said. "My sister graduated from Syracuse yesterday [Friday] and I didn't go so I could do well [at the meet]. My mom told me, 'If you don't do well, your sister is going to be really mad at you for not being there.' "I had that in the back of my head. I wanted to get a good seed time [at states] and . . . be stress-free about that."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Furtado lifts Taunton

to softball victory

over Durfee

---

By Justin A. Rice

ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT

Posted May 08, 2009 @ 10:08 PM

---

TAUNTON — Warming up in the circle before the top of the seventh inning on Friday night at Taunton High, junior Colleen Kirby’s pitch bounced off home plate and stung her catcher, Jess Furtado, in the right thumb.

Tied 1-1 with Durfee High, the Tigers (11-2) managed to retire the side in the seventh even though Kirby walked the first batter and the next batter’s sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second. But Furtado’s parents fretted behind the backstop the entire half inning as their daughter licked her wound between every pitch.

“I guess her thumb didn’t hurt after all,” one observer quipped after Furtado drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to pocket the 2-1 victory.

“She jammed it on a pitch but I block out pain in big situations, I guess,” Furtado said after her shot to the left-center gap scored senior Jess Moitoza from first base. “I’m a patient hitter. I wait for my pitch and when I see it I try to not to miss it and that’s what I did on that one.

“Jess is the fastest girl on our team. I had no worries.”

Kirby couldn’t say she had no worries when Furtado came to the plate; the pitcher never thought her catcher would be the one bailing the team out of a jam after she jammed Furtado’s thumb.

“I felt like the biggest jerk,” said Kirby (11-1), who struck out four, walked three and allowed two hits. “I was standing next to one of our coaches saying she’s not going to be able to grip the bat. I felt so bad. But she pulled through.”

The winning RBI also prevented Taunton, which plays Franklin at 5 p.m. today, from taking the field in extra innings.

“Not having to go out and pitch another inning, it’s ideal to say the least,” Kirby said.

Taunton’s play was scratchy, to say the least, in the opening inning as Durfee’s second runner (Caitlin Carey) reached base on an error before Kirby walked the third batter (Guilia Khoury) and gave up an RBI single to the fourth (Hilary Cabral).

“I just buckled down and focused,” Kirby said of getting back on track after the first inning. “My defense helped out a lot, too. We pulled through hitting. We were knocking on the door and once we started putting it in the holes it started to generate runs. We started getting runners on base.”

Once they rapped the door with their knuckles by getting two hit in the fourth inning after only putting the ball in play one time to that point, the Tigers couldn’t score. With runners on second and third with no outs, senior Jasmyn McCone was called out after her squeeze bunt hit her after it hit the ground. The next two batters were struck out by Khoury, who fanned four batters on the night for Durfee.

“It was a perfect bunt, it was just bad luck,” Taunton assistant coach Heather Sargent said. “We just kept chipping away at it.”

Taunton’s luck more than changed the rest of the way as Caitlyn Walsh’s RBI single in the fifth inning tied the game by bringing Moitoza home.

“It was exciting right to the end,” Sargent said. “Those are the people we want up in that situation. We got kind of lucky getting them up in that situation. They did what they can do. Those are our big hitters and they did their job.”

Nobody came up bigger than Furtado.

“She’s a strong kid, nothing bothers her,” Sargent said. “If she had a broken ankle she’d be playing, too.”

Hingham star

snags record

Gorman leads on lacrosse team

(Above), Hingham's Shannon Delaney (21) watches her shot get by Quincy's Vanessa Hodgdon (14) at Monday's game. (Left), Hingham's Mary Kate Gorman (6) gets by Quincy's Sarah Ahola (13). (Photos By Robert E. Klein for The Boston Globe)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / May 7, 2009

Nobody handed Jenifer Larose a record book when she took over the Hingham High girls lacrosse program three years ago.

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So when the 27-year-old coach's star player, Mary Kate Gorman, scored five goals against Hanover in a 17-2 victory April 30, everyone involved assumed the senior center must have climbed atop the Harborwomen's charts for most career points with 304.

But as news of Gorman's achievement's proliferated, the Hingham athletics department received a phone call from the family of Cristi Gigon, whose 311 points from 1992 to 1996 made her the program's career points leader.

"It was just good for us to know who the record-holder was," Larose said of finding out that Gorman still needed seven points to eclipse the record. "Nothing is handed down from one coach to another with all the records."

If Larose chooses to pass records on to her eventual successor, Gorman will most likely be the first name in the book.

On Monday, the senior tri-captain recorded exactly enough points in a 19-5 win against Quincy High School to break the record, which fell after Gorman's final goal of the game. Play was stopped for the second straight game as Gorman's teammates mobbed her with congratulations.

Gorman said the first celebration wasn't a false start.

"That was just celebrating 300 points in general, there wasn't really any certainty about what the record was," Gorman said before describing the second celebration. "It was really a special moment. The whole team got really excited and ran onto the field. Their team was really classy, they were clapping for me as my team ran out.

"It's a moment I'm always going to remember, the highlight of my career."

After Gorman took a pass from Danielle McNiff, her 230th career goal and 312th point came off a left-handed shot. Leading her team in scoring the last three seasons, Gorman also has 82 career assists, one more than Gigon had.

"That means a lot to me honestly," Gorman said. "I would much rather have an assist than a goal. That shows that we're working together as a team. Any one player can score a goal, but an assist shows you're working that much harder to help another player out."

But that is a mind-set Gorman had to consciously work toward since joining the varsity squad as a freshman. After taking over the program when Gorman was a sophomore, Larose noticed teams were beginning to faceguard Gorman because they caught on that she was looking to score rather than pass.

"Definitely, early in my career I was looking for goals, that instant gratification," Gorman admitted. "As I matured and my game matured, I can recognize it's more important to help out teammates than get the glory by myself. The glory is great, I love the attention, but I want it to be spread out because everyone else works as hard as I do."

Beyond Gorman's achievements on the field, this season for the Harborwomen (10-2) is also highlighted by Larose's long relationship with the seniors. The team's other two captains, Laura McKenzi and Lindsey McLoud, were in Larose's eighth-grade history class four years ago at Hingham Middle School.

Gorman wasn't one of Larose's students in middle school, but the history teacher did work with her on a National History Day project. Gorman dressed up as Abraham Lincoln for the assignment.

"She's always been a very dedicated student," Larose said of Gorman, who will be a pre-med major and play lacrosse at Tufts University.

The relationship between coach and players prompted Larose to plan a team spring break trip a few weeks ago to Orlando, where Hingham beat Masconomet Regional High at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex twice.

"One reason I set up the trip back in October is because I knew this group of girls so well," Larose said. "I knew they are not only a unique talent on the field but a great group of girls off it. I have lots of trust in them and expectations for what the season could hold and I wanted to do something special."

Larose, who played lacrosse for Duxbury High and Siena College before taking her first head coaching job in 2005 at Scituate High, is still looking to bring home Hingham's first state championship since 2001.

Last season the Harborwomen finished the season 13-5 after being eliminated in the first round of the Division 2 South sectional. The 14-13 loss to Norwell, which went on to win the sectional before losing to Winchester in the state final, came after Gorman appeared to score a goal as time expired. But the refs ruled the goal no good.

"We definitely think about it," Gorman said. "We don't want to feel that again. That disappointment is definitely a motivating factor for this year. We just need to believe in each other and have confidence and know we can do it because this is definitely our year."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Springfield native Ron Brace

hopes to have the Patriots

as his family and Foxboro as home

by The Republican Sports Desk

Sunday May 03, 2009, 6:01 PM

By JUSTIN RICE

FOXBORO - Born and bred in Massachusetts, Ron Brace has played football in several area codes across the state; first in 508, then in 617 and now once again in 508.

If there was ever doubt, however, about which one of those three-digit combos the former Worcester Burncoat High School and Boston College defensive lineman calls home, that's because one of the newest New England Patriots never played football in the area code closest to his heart and tattooed on his back.

"That was just a hometown deal, that's all it really was," Brace said of the large tattoo on his back featuring the digits 4-1-3 inside a silhouette of Massachusetts that he got about two months before being picked 40th overall in last weekends NFL draft.

The Springfield native didn't start playing football until after moving to Worcester during junior high to live with his father. But Brace's hometown hero status was solidified after the Patriots traded second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to Oakland before selecting the 6-foot-3, 330-pounder.

Nevertheless, playing for the team he grew up cheering for has its perks and its pitfalls.

"I gotta get off Facebook and change my number," Brace said after his first practice during New England's rookie minicamp Friday morning on the Gillette Stadium practice field. "I got people calling me who I didn't even know had my number."

A tribute page on Facebook, the social networking Web site, was created after Brace was drafted, and already has 291 members and two pages worth of well-wishers, including one former classmate who at 11:33 p.m. on April 28 wrote, "I'll be watching for u on TV . . . I can't wait to watch u sack Peyton (Manning) . . . oh btw, can I borrow 5 bucks?"

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the added pressure that comes along with playing so close to home, doesn't compare to the pressure players place on themselves.

"I don't know if it really matters where they come from, if they come from Alaska, Boston or Texas," Belichick said. "They have their own expectations, but I think it is a positive that he's been around here. He has some familiarity with the area. It makes the relocation a lot easier. All the normal things that any of us would have to do in relocation, hopefully that is an easier adjustment for him.

"Defensively, he's been in a good system. (BC) had a lot of success there. They had good competition last year with (B.J.) Raji, the other tackle. I saw good competition in the ACC. It's going to be a big transition to the NFL, that goes without saying. But in relative terms, he's had about as good preparation for it as anybody else has had at Division I football. I think being closer, being around here, that it helps with the relocation process," Belichick said.

But while the Eagles ran several pro style defenses under former BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who has spent the majority of his career coaching in the pro ranks, none of those schemes are nearly as complex as the single 3-4 system New England uses.

The BC defensive tackle, who will most likely backup Vince Wilfork at nose tackle, will also have to learn how to line up over the center and attack two gaps in the offensive line at once rather than just focusing on one like he did at BC.

On Friday, Brace answered nearly all of the media's questions by talking about how important it was to keep his nose in the playbook and butt in the video room, pushing as much football knowledge between his ears as he can in the shortest amount of time possible.

"College football and the NFL are two different things," Brace said. "In college, you can stick out by being the most talented, but when it comes to here everybody is the most talented, and the difference-maker in the person who puts in the most work."

Raji, a first-round draft pick, is also making the transition to the 3-4 defense with the Green Bay Packers. Raji was taken ninth overall despite a report on Sports Illustrated.com that he tested positive for an illegal substance, a story that was later retracted.

Brace distanced himself from his former roommate, saying he hasn't talked to him on the phone at all recently. But Brace did say he does feel bad that Raji has had to endure so much before he ever even put on an NFL uniform.

"He's been my friend for the last five, six years, so there's no way I couldn't have feelings for him," Brace said. "I mean that's my friend. But at the same time right now we're all at our jobs, and you can't call each other during work."

Brace hasn't just limited contact with his former teammates, he's also given up the homemade donuts he used to make for his BC friends last summer before training camp started. Brace learned the recipe from Jackie Hernandez, who rents a room at Brace's childhood home on Clifton Street in Springfield, where Brace lived with his grandparents before moving to Worcester.

"I'm not even looking at oil," Brace said. "I'm just looking at my playbook."

Three-way star

earns notice

BC High's Kiley is a Face in the Crowd

Bill Kiley started on three state Division 1 championship squads for Boston College High School. This year, he's batting .333 as the team's first baseman; in 2007, he along with goalie Joe Cannata (30) and Mike Vasilchuk (22) celebrated the team's victory in the Super 8 championship; last fall, he fired a pass against Taunton. (Robert E. Klein for The Boston Globe)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / April 30, 2009

His Facebook profile recently featured a photo of Bill Kiley displaying his prized catch, a large striped bass he hauled in late last summer in Boston Harbor.

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When did the Boston College High School senior from Quincy ever find the time to cast a line? The last three summers, he has shuttled between practices and games with the Quincy American Legion Post 95 baseball team and football practice for the Eagles. And there's also the occasional skate at the Quincy Youth Arena.

In this age of so many young athletes focusing strictly on one sport, and say, becoming the next Tiger Woods, Kiley's versatile talent, and the ability to multi-task, and star, is noteworthy.

And Sports Illustrated has taken notice.

In the April 27 edition, on Page 26, Kiley was featured in the magazine's weekly "Faces in the Crowd" section.

"Bill, a senior at Boston College High," SI wrote, "is the first athlete in school history to start on three state Division I championship teams: hockey (2007), baseball ('08), and football ('08). He was named all-Catholic Conference in baseball (first base) and football (quarterback) for the championship seasons, and this school year he was a captain on all three teams."

Those feats were news to Kiley until BC High AD and football coach John Bartlett approached him after the Eagles beat Brockton, 13-7, in the Division 1 Super Bowl last December.

"It kind of hit me right there," Kiley said. "I was like 'wow, that's incredible.' I didn't even realize it."

"We may not see that again, it's just one of those stats you hardly ever see," Bartlett said.

It didn't take much digging for Bartlett to realize that Kiley was an original.

The school had only won eight state titles in the modern era before Bartlett took over as AD in 2000. They have since won another 17. After some back and forth with Sports Illustrated via e-mail, Bartlett was informed on April 17 that Kiley made the cut.

Swimmer Erick Vendt (class of 1999) and track and field athlete Michael Green ('84) are the only two other Eagle athletes to previously appear in Faces In The Crowd.

But they were recognized for their accomplishments at the University of Southern California and the Naval Academy, respectively.

Kiley has always been adept at juggling a busy schedule, in particular prior to his arrival at BC High, when he also played basketball and lacrosse.

"Especially in light of the level in which he's competed," BC High baseball coach Norm Walsh noted. "It is tough in a place like ours where what you do in the off-season is so important. Generally guys play two sports. He squeezes it in around everything else he does, which is not easy."

Equally as remarkable as his ability is the fact that Kiley never felt pressure to phase out any one sport.

"I've never had a coach come up to me and say 'You have to concentrate on one sport, do this,' " said Kiley, who was hitting .333 for the Eagle baseball team at the beginning of the week.

"No one has said to me 'Oh, you might want to drop this sport and practice this sport.' It's always been know I was going to play three sports at one time and that's how my family conditioned me. I never had any peer pressure."

Even so, Kiley said he felt like he was shortchanging his hockey teammates when he returned to the ice late this past season, unable to participate in the skating sessions during the fall. His hockey coach, Joe McCabe , said the 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound defenseman made the transition just fine.

"Coming off the football field and putting on a pair of skates, that's difficult for anybody," McCabe said.

Only a handful of McCabe's players over his 21-year tenure have played both football and hockey and McCabe wishes that was not the case.

"I'm not looking for a guy to play hockey 12 months a year, I'd rather see play different sports," he said.

Headed to Bentley University this fall, Kiley will hang up his skates and is likely to put his glove on the hook as well, concentrating on football, at either quarterback or safety.

His three-sport days might be over, but his legacy is well inked in the annals of BC High, and Sports Illustrated.

"It's a world-renowned magazine, everyone reads it and the most respected writers write for the magazine; just to be in that conversation is humbling," said Kiley. "I love sports, they are such a big part of my life."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Somerville pair pave

way for North runners

in Marathon

David Paterson of Tewksbury carries a friend's son across the Boston Marathon finish line.

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

By Justin A. Rice, Globe Correspondent | April 26, 2009

For Diona Fulton, 29, the most satisfying part of running through Wellesley during last week's Boston Marathon wasn't Wellesley College's famed "wall of sound." It was running past another group of spectators.

"That was the best part of the whole race, going through Wellesley and seeing a handful of my students screaming 'There goes my gym teacher,' " the Somerville resident and longtime substitute teacher at Fiske Elementary School said the morning after running the 113th Boston Marathon last Monday. "They had a sign out for me. It was so fun. It made the race for me. It put a spring in my shoes."

Of the 927 runners from 55 communities in Globe North's Massachusetts coverage area, Fulton's time (2 hours 52 minutes, 5 seconds) qualified her as the best runner out of 378 North Shore women who completed the 26.2-mile course. Running only about 20 minutes slower than winner Salina Kosgei of Kenya, Fulton recorded the fastest female time among Bay Staters, and the Topsfield native was the 31st woman overall to cross the finish line.

Somerville is also home to the race's fastest Massachusetts man, David Bedoya, whose 2:27.13 was about 18 minutes behind the winner, Ethiopian Deriba Merga.

Bedoya, 32, said his life has changed since the Globe recognized him last year for being the fastest runner in the former City Weekly circulation area. Given the fact that his wife delivered their first son, Leo, in October, the same month Bedoya successfully defended his PhD dissertation in environmental engineering at Northeastern University, the Spaniard expected to run slower than last year's time of 2:27:33, which was second best in Massachusetts.

"I had his name on my left arm; it was fun because a lot of people were calling me my son's name," Bedoya said after dropping Leo off at daycare just before 8:30 a.m. the day after the race. "It was big motivation for sure."

Bedoya, 32, who now works at a consulting firm and teaches at NU, was the 36th man to cross the line on Monday.

And on Tuesday instead of using his usual mode of commuting to work by running, Bedoya relaxed and drove.

Mark LaRosa of Melrose was the second-fastest man from the region, with a time of 2:33:14. LaRosa has trained with Bedoya, even though he runs for the Boston Athletic Association and Bedoya runs for the Greater Boston Track Club.

"I was standing next to David on the start line," said LaRosa, 30, a graphic designer. "He was trying to run a lot faster than me from the start, so after the first 30 seconds or so he started pushing up. So we never really ran together."

LaRosa also has a toddler in his family and is expecting another one soon. As their families grew and their quality of sleep diminished, LaRosa and Bedoya decreased their road work by about 35 percent, running roughly 80 miles per week. But while LaRosa said cutting back from the 120-miles-per-week regimen that helped him run a personal best 2:23:48 at the Chicago Marathon in 2006 caused him to lose confidence mentally and physically, Bedoya benefited from the break.

"My philosophy is that there is no point in running more miles if you cannot recover from them," Bedoya said. "I cannot sleep 10 hours a day. That's been my approach this year, and it worked well."

Jill Trotter of Westford, on the other hand, proved that Bedoya and LaRosa should be able to log high mileage once again when their children are a little older. Trotter, 37, the fourth-fastest woman in the north region with a time of 3:06:12, has three children ages 3, 6, and 8. Trotter started to run a consistent 55 miles per week once she started training with the Greater Lowell Road Runners and Nate Jenkins, who finished seventh in last year's Olympic Trials.

"Just doing that, it boosted my confidence to know that I could go out and run that pace for a full marathon," said Trotter, who was forced to taper down to 20 miles the last three weeks of training because of a leg injury. "Just having the training behind me definitely boosted my confidence."

Her children also boosted her confidence with about 10 miles left in Monday's marathon.

"Around mile 16, I had a lot of family and friends," she said. "Yes, it was great."

Fulton, the teacher in Wellesley, runs for the Somerville Road Runners and was also prodded by a former coach, who died of kidney cancer two years ago at the age of 54. Recognizing Fulton's potential, the late Steve Burton sat her down the year before he died and said, " 'Enough with doing this for fun; why don't you start trying?' " Fulton said, recalling the moment she decided to bump her training up from 60 miles a week to 100. "Since then, I'm a high-mile guru. I run 120 and 130 miles a week. It kind of helped me out."

Fulton, who began Monday's race by keeping pace with the elite women before falling back, shouldn't have a problem maintaining a high mileage schedule if she ever chooses to have children of her own.

"I don't require a ton of sleep," she said. "It's helpful. I run twice a day, go to bed late and wake up early."

© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

Eisenmann a hit for

East Bridgewater

Nicole Eisenmann does it all in EB win

---

---

Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise

East Bridgewater's Nicole Eisenmann, delivers a pitch to a Whitman-Hanson batter.

By Justin A. Rice

ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT

Posted Apr 25, 2009 @ 11:44 PM

Last update Apr 25, 2009 @ 11:50 PM

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Even though she came into her senior season with six school batting records in her pocket, including the single-season and career home run titles, East Bridgewater’s Nicole Eisenmann is careful not to boast about her big bat.

After a four-RBI effort in a 4-0 victory against Whitman-Hanson on Saturday morning, both, Eisemann and her coach, Mike Dunphy, highlighted her grounder to knock in the first run of the game in the third inning rather than the senior captain’s two-run home run two innings later that gave East Bridgewater a 3-0 edge.

“I don’t keep count,” Eisemann said firmly when Dunphy asked what her career home run total was, which, after some thought, he figured was 18.

“Driving in runs is more important than home runs,” Eisenmann said a few moments earlier. “It’s about situational hitting. Not big hits.”

But she also admitted that it feels pretty good to give it a ride once in a while.

“Yeah it does,” she agreed with a nod and a grin.

Eisemann was also the winning pitcher for the Vikings (5-2, 4-0 South Shore League), striking out five batters and retiring nine straight hitters in the final three innings.

“That was the first time (Whitman-Hanson) was shut out all year,” Dunphy told his players after they redeemed a 14-2 loss to Cardinal Spellman the last time out on Friday. “That’s what we need to do when we play schools like this.

“We’re very confident going into the South Shore League now. The way we acted today is how we have to act all the way through. If we want to be champions, that’s what it takes every game from here on out. Not ‘one game on, one game off.’”

Dunphy called the win his team’s best defensive effort of the year, singling out center fielder, senior Gianna Desisto, for making four big outs, including catching a line drive with a runner on second and no outs in the fourth.

“Desisto took that away from them,” Dunphy said of Whitman-Hanson’s chances to put runners in scoring position. “When they did get some runners on, Nicole toughened up and shut them out.”

Rylee Burt pitched three innings in relief for the Panthers (5-3, 5-2 Patriot League), making her first appearance since pulling her groin in a win against Duxbury two weeks ago. On Saturday, after Whitman-Hanson starting pitcher Amanda Daily gave up three hits and one run, Burt walked two and struck out two while letting the rest of the runs score.

Whitman-Hanson coach Sandy Lombardi said they tried to conserve their best pitcher in the hopes that she will be healthy when the team returns to league play Monday, Lombardi also said they were up against the toughest pitcher in Eisenmann they will probably see all year.

“We got some hits but we couldn’t get hits back to back,” Lombardi said of her squad’s four-hit effort before commending Eisenmann’s own hitting, especially the home run. “I think that boosted their morale. It was a close game before those runs.”

But the Vikings’ first, and most important run, came after both Eisenmann and Daily each had shutouts going into the third. E-B’s leadoff hitter, sophomore Ashley Smith, got on base on an infield error, and senior catcher Kayla Palaschak’s sacrifice bunt moved Smith to second. Eisenmann was at the bat next and opted to show her wisdom rather than her might.

“She knew to shoot a ground ball through the infield to get one run up,” Dunphy said of Eisenmann, who collected another RBI in the sixth with another base hit. “Then to come back and put (runners on) second and third and shut them down with her pitching, she’s the real deal.

“She’s going to Stonehill (College). She’ll play just as well at Stonehill.”

Globe South sports

In Drummey they trust

Coach has long bond with Walpole team

Walpole's Jackie Kelliher (in white at left) kept Norwood's Jess El Bach from gaining position, and teammate Brooke Waite (in white at right) advanced the ball in front of Kathleen O'Day in Monday's 15-8 triumph, which moved the Rebels to 5-0 on the young season. (Photos by Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / April 16, 2009

Their trust, and faith, in Tim Drummey has been built over time, dating to their grade school days when they picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time.

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So when Drummey asked his Walpole High players to run a defensive drill last week, a bit unique in nature, there was no questioning his motive.

"He made the girls on offense pretend to cradle the ball in their stick and had the defense put their sticks down and pretended they had their sticks up," said Walpole High captain Molly Haswell. "We held our arms up like we were holding the stick but we really didn't have it. I'm sure the track kids [practicing nearby] were all laughing at us."

"So even in practice when the drills sound a little crazy, everyone goes along with it because we know they have some point to it."

They trust Drummey because, in essence, he taught them to play the game.

Eight years ago, he founded a girls' youth lacrosse program in town, believing that it was unfair that his stepdaughter, Alexandra Guisti, and her friends had to travel to Westwood to play while boys in town had their own league.

"I said, 'This is crazy' and sat down and talked with coaches from the boys' program and they told me how they did it," said Drummey, a 42-year-old Norwood native who didn't play the sport until he was in college at Curry.

Others were consulted, too, including Leslie Frank, coach of the highly successful girls' program at Westwood High, about launching a youth program. And from that strong foundation, Walpole has developed into a winner at the varsity level.

Drummey was a volunteer assistant on last year's 11-9-1 squad, which knocked off top-seeded Hopkinton, 14-13, in the first round of the Division 2 South tournament and this season has taken over as head coach. He replaces twin sisters Anna and Aubrey Cochrane, who left to pursue graduate degrees.

When the Rebels beat Hopkinton, "We were the first ones they called," said Frank, who guided Westwood to the Division 1 state title last year.

"It's just cool to get that call because my team openly cheers for them. At some point we'll have to stop cheering for them because at some point it's possible they will be our opponent in years to come. But right now we like to support each other."

This year's 5-0 squad includes 10 players who were a part of that inaugural youth season: sophomore attack Sarah Buckley; junior midfield Michaela Brady; junior defenders Sarah Fassett and the Tosone twins, Alicia and Julia; and senior captains Haswell, Emily Painten, Kellie Sullivan, senior Kim Gambon, along with Drummey's other stepdaughter, Shelby Guisti.

"They were the youngest group that came up and came through," said Drummey. "We're proud of that group that came up and came through."

Shelby Guisti (9 goals, 20 assists) and Buckley (21 goals, 8 assists) pace the team in scoring.

All of their parents helped coach as well, taking notes on the sidelines rather than socializing, Frank recalls observing.

"They went to the websites we told them to go to and took home copies of the [instructional] CD we gave them," Frank said. "They weren't going to let it rest on a four-hour clinic. They were going back and doing research and putting in homework, if you will, to take to the next level."

There were no doubt growing pains along the way, but Sullivan said while it took time for the players to learn passing, catching and fielding ground balls, it helped that most of the parents were also new to the sport.

"They made us feel like it was OK because we were just starting out, like 'We're gonna get better,' " Sullivan said. "They gave us the confidence we needed to play. The hardest part was a lot of other towns already started programs. We lost a lot of games so it was tough always being the underdog."

But the work has paid off.

And it goes without saying that the transition with their coach has gone smoothly, given that all the players already knew Drummey, who still is coaching his youngest daughter in the youth league along with Sullivan's younger sister, Casey, a third-grader.

"He still coaches youth lacrosse, that's so great of him," Sullivan said of her coach. "Those kids by the time they get to high school they are already going to be familiar with him and the way he coaches. I feel like the next couple years will be pretty good."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.