By Justin A. Rice
Globe Correspondent / November 19, 2009
The Catholic Central Conference is not exactly a beacon for “bigs’’ banging down low in the post, which is precisely why Archbishop Williams senior Valerie Driscoll, a 6-foot-4 center, can’t wait to step onto a court in the Big Ten.
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“Some teams we play against, I’m the tallest girl by eight inches,’’ said Driscoll, who signed a letter of intent with the University of Michigan on the first day of the early signing period.
“It would be good to play someone my size and bang around with her.’’
That is quite a leap for a player, who by her own assessment was awful back whe she was playing middle-school ball.
“I was afraid of the ball, timid,’’ said the Stoughton teen. “I didn’t like playing, but I was tall. The more I practiced, the better I got, and the more I started to like it.’’
In the seventh grade, she was cut from a town travel team. But Archies coach Jim Bancroft saw a player of promise for his Bay State Magic Elite AAU squad. Driscoll lacked toughness but had a soft touch, an ability to run the floor, and a willingness to be coached.
“She was a big girl who hadn’t played a lot of basketball,’’ he said. “In the AAU season we looked for tough opponents, girls with more skill. She took her lumps, got beaten down and knocked down and outplayed many times. She very easily could have thrown up her hands, quit, and walked away. Luckily, she kept on working, and it all paid off for her.’’
In an AAU game in Rhode Island prior to Driscoll’s freshman season, Bancroft recalled, a coaching colleague turned to him on the bench and said, “ ‘Can you believe you got her at Archie for the next four years?’ I said, ‘I know, isn’t that cool?’ because she was doing everything we worked on the last two years. Her confidence grew, and that just helped it explode.’’
Her first two seasons at ABW, teaming up with Megan Black along with the backcourt duo of Casey Capello and Christine Duffy, Driscoll helped the Bishops to back-to-back state titles.
“I knew this was for me, I really am meant to play basketball,’’ said Driscoll, who until that point was unsure of her basketball future.
A year ago, with Black (Suffolk University), Duffy (Southern New Hampshire), and Capello (St. Lawrence) all playing at the collegiate level, Driscoll averaged 19.4 points and 17 rebounds per game and led the Bishops to the state semifinals, despite often facing double- and triple-teams in the paint.
Now she is believed to be the first player from her high school program to play for a Division 1 school. Driscoll visited the Ann Arbor campus during the summer and “just fell in love’’ with the school, she said. Her family subscribed to the Big Ten Network; last Friday, she watched the Wolverines’ opener, a win against Ball State.
“They run the floor really well, they run a lot and have a very high-tempo game, which I like,’’ Driscoll said. There was “a lot of banging around.’’
Coach Kevin Borseth, whose team finished 10-20 last season, is ecstatic to land Driscoll.
“Val is a big, strong presence around the basket, and really demands attention down low,’’ he said in statement. “It is something that we haven’t had, and we are excited to get her into our program. Val is an extremely hard worker and an all-around good person who I believe is going to be a major contributor to our program’s success.’’
First, though, Driscoll is determined to propel Archies to a third state title. “That would be very exciting.’’
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Alves, Gill are leaders of the pack for Stonehill
Globe South Sports
The Boston Globe
By Justin A. Rice
Globe Correspondent / November 15, 2009
On Saturday, Jill Alves of Whitman will compete in the NCAA Division 2 cross-country championships for the second time. And although she’s only a sophomore, Alves is still considered a veteran compared to the other runners on the Stonehill College women’s team.
Riding the performances of Alves and freshmen Erin Carmone and Lynley Joynt, the Skyhawks edged Northeast-10 Conference rival University of Massachusetts at Lowell to capture last week’s Division 2 East Regional title at Franklin Park.
Alves, who finished 155th overall on the 6-kilometer course at the NCAAs last year, is aiming for a better finish this year at the University of Southern Indiana.
“All the girls up front are so ridiculously good,’’ said Alves, who was an Atlantic Coast League All-Star in both cross-country and track at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.
“I have to just worry about where I’m supposed to be in the race and not worry about the girls way up front.
“There are hundreds of girls around you and it seemed like I was in 100th place. It was a very different experience. Hopefully this year I can handle the pressure a lot better.’’
Carmone broke the tape first at the East Regionals, earning an 11-second victory in a time of 22 minutes 16.5 seconds. Alves (23:18.2) was eighth and Joynt (23:18.9) was ninth.
Breaking into the Top 15 at the nationals, though, will be difficult for a squad that is youthful and lacks experience, according to Karen Boen, who coaches both the Stonehill women’s and men’s teams.
“If you can get out there this young, there’s not as much mystery or fear going into the second time,’’ Boen said of running the championships as underclassmen. “Going into her second time, Jill will be much more mentally prepared.’’
Nevertheless, Boen said this year’s combination of freshmen and sophomores is probably the strongest she’s had in her 11 years coaching the women. A lot of that has to do with Alves’s leadership.
“She’s just everything you look for in a runner,’’ Boen said. “She’s determined and has great leadership, just a great disposition.’’
The ninth-ranked men’s team also qualified for nationals, finishing second behind UMass-Lowell on Sunday; former Brockton High standout Kevin Gill covered the 5-mile course in 21:18.6 to finish fourth overall.
“Collectively, we didn’t run as well, but we got the ticket to nationals, that’s all that mattered,’’ Gill said, noting that only the top two teams qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Boen said he hopes the men can finish in the top 10 at nationals.
“They have the talent to do it, they just have to have the guts now,’’ Boen said.
The men qualified for nationals even though number-five runner Ben Rumery was sidelined with the H1N1 virus. He is back at practice and should be ready for the nationals.
A year ago, Gill placed 78th in the 10K at the NCAAs in a time of 32:55 on a hilly and snowy course at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. He said he hoped to finish in the top 40, which earns All-American honors.
“That’s what I’m shooting for this year,’’ he said. “I had this goal since pretty much my freshman year. I thought it would happen last year. This year I just have to put it all together out there, and if it happens, it was meant to be.’’
Gill’s older brother, Keith, graduated from Stonehill last spring as an All-American in all three running seasons: cross-country and indoor and outdoor track. He was named Division 2 Athlete of the Year for indoor track after he set a school record in the mile (4:03.43) in February 2008.
The younger Gill has an impressive resume too. An All-Scholastic runner at Brockton High, he helped the Boxers win two cross-country state championships and he won a state championship in the mile. His first year at Stonehill, he ran the fastest mile ever (4:10) by a freshman.
“He’s a workhorse and a fierce competitor,’’ Boen said.
That fire, however, got the younger Gill into a bit of hot water last Sunday at the Franklin Park race when he went out too hard and didn’t have enough in his tank for the final kick.
He doesn’t regret the strategy though, saying it will make him more battle-tested for the NCAAs.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
The Boston Globe
By Justin A. Rice
Globe Correspondent / November 15, 2009
On Saturday, Jill Alves of Whitman will compete in the NCAA Division 2 cross-country championships for the second time. And although she’s only a sophomore, Alves is still considered a veteran compared to the other runners on the Stonehill College women’s team.
Riding the performances of Alves and freshmen Erin Carmone and Lynley Joynt, the Skyhawks edged Northeast-10 Conference rival University of Massachusetts at Lowell to capture last week’s Division 2 East Regional title at Franklin Park.
Alves, who finished 155th overall on the 6-kilometer course at the NCAAs last year, is aiming for a better finish this year at the University of Southern Indiana.
“All the girls up front are so ridiculously good,’’ said Alves, who was an Atlantic Coast League All-Star in both cross-country and track at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.
“I have to just worry about where I’m supposed to be in the race and not worry about the girls way up front.
“There are hundreds of girls around you and it seemed like I was in 100th place. It was a very different experience. Hopefully this year I can handle the pressure a lot better.’’
Carmone broke the tape first at the East Regionals, earning an 11-second victory in a time of 22 minutes 16.5 seconds. Alves (23:18.2) was eighth and Joynt (23:18.9) was ninth.
Breaking into the Top 15 at the nationals, though, will be difficult for a squad that is youthful and lacks experience, according to Karen Boen, who coaches both the Stonehill women’s and men’s teams.
“If you can get out there this young, there’s not as much mystery or fear going into the second time,’’ Boen said of running the championships as underclassmen. “Going into her second time, Jill will be much more mentally prepared.’’
Nevertheless, Boen said this year’s combination of freshmen and sophomores is probably the strongest she’s had in her 11 years coaching the women. A lot of that has to do with Alves’s leadership.
“She’s just everything you look for in a runner,’’ Boen said. “She’s determined and has great leadership, just a great disposition.’’
The ninth-ranked men’s team also qualified for nationals, finishing second behind UMass-Lowell on Sunday; former Brockton High standout Kevin Gill covered the 5-mile course in 21:18.6 to finish fourth overall.
“Collectively, we didn’t run as well, but we got the ticket to nationals, that’s all that mattered,’’ Gill said, noting that only the top two teams qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Boen said he hopes the men can finish in the top 10 at nationals.
“They have the talent to do it, they just have to have the guts now,’’ Boen said.
The men qualified for nationals even though number-five runner Ben Rumery was sidelined with the H1N1 virus. He is back at practice and should be ready for the nationals.
A year ago, Gill placed 78th in the 10K at the NCAAs in a time of 32:55 on a hilly and snowy course at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. He said he hoped to finish in the top 40, which earns All-American honors.
“That’s what I’m shooting for this year,’’ he said. “I had this goal since pretty much my freshman year. I thought it would happen last year. This year I just have to put it all together out there, and if it happens, it was meant to be.’’
Gill’s older brother, Keith, graduated from Stonehill last spring as an All-American in all three running seasons: cross-country and indoor and outdoor track. He was named Division 2 Athlete of the Year for indoor track after he set a school record in the mile (4:03.43) in February 2008.
The younger Gill has an impressive resume too. An All-Scholastic runner at Brockton High, he helped the Boxers win two cross-country state championships and he won a state championship in the mile. His first year at Stonehill, he ran the fastest mile ever (4:10) by a freshman.
“He’s a workhorse and a fierce competitor,’’ Boen said.
That fire, however, got the younger Gill into a bit of hot water last Sunday at the Franklin Park race when he went out too hard and didn’t have enough in his tank for the final kick.
He doesn’t regret the strategy though, saying it will make him more battle-tested for the NCAAs.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Speaker Pelosi Endorses Mike Capuano for U.S. Senate
By Justin A. Rice
Special to Boston24
BOSTON — Rep. Michael Capuano looked on like a proud student whose teacher just plastered a gold star on his chest on Friday morning as he stood next to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The six-term congressman from Somerville earned Pelsoi’s endorsement to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy just days after a controversy between Capuano’s rival — frontrunner Martha Coakley — squabbled about an anti-abortion amendment in the president’s health care bill.
Capuano jumped all over the Massachusetts Attorney General after she said on Monday that she would not vote for any bill containing the so called Stupak-Pitts amendment that limits federal funding for abortions. The following day, however, Capuano shifted his position, saying he only voted on the bill in congress last weekend to push it through to the Senate and ultimately would not approve anything with anti abortion language.
So when Pelosi pinned her stamp of approval on Capuano in a meeting room at the Omni Parker House Hotel on Friday he could have beamed through the ceiling.
“The vote on the floor is a vote to move the process forward,” Pelosi declared. “Why would we defeat that and then lose an historic opportunity to go forward? Then you see what happens in conference, and then reserve judgment as to whether you want to support the bill at the end of the day.”
“There you have it, this is why she’s speaker, this is why I have faith in her,” Capuano said. “You heard what she said. She is right and everyone in the democratic caucus knows that.”
Pelosi went even further, branding her colleague’s vote for the bill as “courageous” and seemingly took a swipe at Coakley by saying: “Any one of us could have found one reason or another not to vote for the bill. But that was not an excuse for preventing this historic moment from taking place.”
The bill is currently in the Senate and if it passes would move to a House-Senate conference committee where differences in the legislation can be hashed out. If the anti abortion amendment remained, Capuano could vote against the final bill, but Pelosi said she does not think it will come to that.
While some have said Coakley has accused Capuano of flip-flopping to her position, during a radio debate at WTKK-FM on Thursday, Coakley said Capuano was the only one on the attack.
“[The Stupak-Pitts amendment is] incredibly restrictive on women’s rights and went further than any current status quo on women’s rights to choice,” Coakley said. “Having said that I didn’t criticize anyone else. I was asked how I would vote and the congressmen criticized me for it. He’s made a record of asking voters how he’s voted on principle.
“That’s all I said, I still believe it is right and I still believe we can get good healthcare without compromising rights.”
Coakley has done well to energize a base of women voters and has been endorsed by the majority of the female political big hitters in the state, including Senate President Therese Murray.
Just weeks before the Dec. 8 primary, Pelosi’s endorsement was also seen as a huge shot in the arm for the former mayor of Somerville, because he trails the only woman in the race by a wide margin.
Earlier in the week a Suffolk University/7News poll had Coakley netting 44 percent of the vote in her quest to become the first female senator from Massachusetts while Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca each had 17 percent and Capuano had 16. Three percent went for City Year founder Alan Khazei and twenty percent were undecided.
State Sen. Scott Brown and Duxbury businessman Jack E. Robinson are vying for the Republican nomination and the final special election to permanently fill Kennedy’s seat will be Jan. 19.
Capuano is also a key member of the Pelosi leadership team. She chose him to lead a House ethics reform committee and he also accompanied her to Darfur in the wake of genocide there. Pelosi called Capuano “operational” instead of “ideological.” She noted that he was one of the first to support her bid to take the top spot of the House and that they first bonded over the fact that they are both Italian American.
“He’s a tremendous resource to me,” she said. “I have to admit it will be my loss when Michael goes to the Senate but I will be very proud.”
Special to Boston24
BOSTON — Rep. Michael Capuano looked on like a proud student whose teacher just plastered a gold star on his chest on Friday morning as he stood next to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The six-term congressman from Somerville earned Pelsoi’s endorsement to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy just days after a controversy between Capuano’s rival — frontrunner Martha Coakley — squabbled about an anti-abortion amendment in the president’s health care bill.
Capuano jumped all over the Massachusetts Attorney General after she said on Monday that she would not vote for any bill containing the so called Stupak-Pitts amendment that limits federal funding for abortions. The following day, however, Capuano shifted his position, saying he only voted on the bill in congress last weekend to push it through to the Senate and ultimately would not approve anything with anti abortion language.
So when Pelosi pinned her stamp of approval on Capuano in a meeting room at the Omni Parker House Hotel on Friday he could have beamed through the ceiling.
“The vote on the floor is a vote to move the process forward,” Pelosi declared. “Why would we defeat that and then lose an historic opportunity to go forward? Then you see what happens in conference, and then reserve judgment as to whether you want to support the bill at the end of the day.”
“There you have it, this is why she’s speaker, this is why I have faith in her,” Capuano said. “You heard what she said. She is right and everyone in the democratic caucus knows that.”
Pelosi went even further, branding her colleague’s vote for the bill as “courageous” and seemingly took a swipe at Coakley by saying: “Any one of us could have found one reason or another not to vote for the bill. But that was not an excuse for preventing this historic moment from taking place.”
The bill is currently in the Senate and if it passes would move to a House-Senate conference committee where differences in the legislation can be hashed out. If the anti abortion amendment remained, Capuano could vote against the final bill, but Pelosi said she does not think it will come to that.
While some have said Coakley has accused Capuano of flip-flopping to her position, during a radio debate at WTKK-FM on Thursday, Coakley said Capuano was the only one on the attack.
“[The Stupak-Pitts amendment is] incredibly restrictive on women’s rights and went further than any current status quo on women’s rights to choice,” Coakley said. “Having said that I didn’t criticize anyone else. I was asked how I would vote and the congressmen criticized me for it. He’s made a record of asking voters how he’s voted on principle.
“That’s all I said, I still believe it is right and I still believe we can get good healthcare without compromising rights.”
Coakley has done well to energize a base of women voters and has been endorsed by the majority of the female political big hitters in the state, including Senate President Therese Murray.
Just weeks before the Dec. 8 primary, Pelosi’s endorsement was also seen as a huge shot in the arm for the former mayor of Somerville, because he trails the only woman in the race by a wide margin.
Earlier in the week a Suffolk University/7News poll had Coakley netting 44 percent of the vote in her quest to become the first female senator from Massachusetts while Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca each had 17 percent and Capuano had 16. Three percent went for City Year founder Alan Khazei and twenty percent were undecided.
State Sen. Scott Brown and Duxbury businessman Jack E. Robinson are vying for the Republican nomination and the final special election to permanently fill Kennedy’s seat will be Jan. 19.
Capuano is also a key member of the Pelosi leadership team. She chose him to lead a House ethics reform committee and he also accompanied her to Darfur in the wake of genocide there. Pelosi called Capuano “operational” instead of “ideological.” She noted that he was one of the first to support her bid to take the top spot of the House and that they first bonded over the fact that they are both Italian American.
“He’s a tremendous resource to me,” she said. “I have to admit it will be my loss when Michael goes to the Senate but I will be very proud.”
Friday, November 13, 2009
Rising Out of the Crowd
by Justin A. Rice/Special to USCHO
Nov. 10 — Carl Hagelin didn’t exactly stand out from the crowd when he attended Red Berenson’s Michigan Hockey Camp as a youngster almost a decade ago, even though he traveled all the way from Sodertalje, Sweden, to skate in Ann Arbor and in Berenson’s graces.
“No I don’t [remember him] ; I remember his older brother, Bobbie, was a really good prospect,” Berenson, Michigan’s 26-year hockey coach said. “Carl was really young then but his brother was noticeably good.”
Berenson might not recall the younger Hagelin attending his camp, but Berenson and his camp left an awfully large imprint on the impressionable mind of the younger Hagelin. About seven years after attending camp in Ann Arbor for the first time, Hagelin was drafted in the sixth round (No. 168 overall) by the New York Rangers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft but chose instead to play for the Wolverines.
“I was always the tiniest kid on the team. I was a late bloomer on and off the ice,” said the junior left winger, who didn’t start playing hockey until he was about 8 years old. “When I was 16 or 17 I grew and put some weight on.”
But even though his brother went pro (currently playing in Denmark) straight away, Hagelin turned down opportunities to take the same track. Instead the 6-foot, 181-pounder decided to follow in the footsteps of his father by attending school in Michigan. While his father went to Western Michigan, Hagelin turned down Ferris State and Northern Michigan to become a Wolverine.
Michigan's Carl Hagelin had 31 points as a sophomore (photo: Melissa Wade).
Michigan's Carl Hagelin had 31 points as a sophomore (photo: Melissa Wade).
The 21-year-old left-hander, however, didn’t finally make a name for himself in Ann Arbor until his sophomore season when he set single-season highs for points (31), assists (18), goals (13), game-winners (four) and multi-point games (8).
Through eight games this season, Hagelin was the Wolverines’ second-highest point scorer with seven (three goals, four assists).
“I think Carl can have a better year offensively,” Berenson said. “He’s emerging as a top college player. If he can put the puck in the net he’ll go a long way with his game and he won’t surprise anyone.
“From my understanding he was not a high-end playing coming up. He was a late bloomer. Now he’s an elite skater. Something must’ve switched on in his body because he put it all together. There’s no question some humility comes along with [being a late bloomer] . Carl is a terrific individual. He’s humble and he works so hard. He earned the respect of the players before he ever stepped on the ice in the offseason workouts with his work ethic.”
This season Hagelin was added to the power play and going into a late-October, two-game sweep at Lake Superior State, Berenson said he would try using the Swede on two different lines simultaneously to try to spark the then 2-2 Wolverines. On Oct. 30 Hagelin registered the game-winning goal and an assist against Lake Superior State for his 13th career multi-point game and second of the season.
Being on the power play also means Hagelin is expected to produce around the net, an area of his game with which he has struggled. In a 3-2 loss against defending national champion Boston University on Oct. 24, Michigan scored twice in the final period to tie the game before losing. Hagelin missed several opportunities around the net during the game but said the loss was a good gauge of where the team was at.
“It’s always good,” he said of playing top teams. “We like playing all the good teams. Last year we lost to BU 7-2. We had a bad attitude and it decreased our self confidence. This year we showed we have a lot of character in that third period. By coming back we showed what team we can be, a hard-working team in the third period.”
And if Michigan continues that hard work it could make it all the way to the Frozen Four, which this year is 45 miles down the road from Ann Arbor in Detroit. Hagelin would be in good company among the Swede-heavy Detroit Red Wings, some of whom Hagelin has skated with during the summers.
“Before I came here I wasn’t that big of a [Red Wings] fan,” said Hagelin, adding that he only makes the trip from Ann Arbor to Joe Louis Arena about four or five times a season because it is too time consuming.
That wouldn’t be an issue come April, when the Frozen Four makes its way to Detroit’s Ford Field.
“Obviously that’s one of our goals this year to win the NCAA championship,” he said, “but we can’t look that far ahead.”--
Nov. 10 — Carl Hagelin didn’t exactly stand out from the crowd when he attended Red Berenson’s Michigan Hockey Camp as a youngster almost a decade ago, even though he traveled all the way from Sodertalje, Sweden, to skate in Ann Arbor and in Berenson’s graces.
“No I don’t [remember him] ; I remember his older brother, Bobbie, was a really good prospect,” Berenson, Michigan’s 26-year hockey coach said. “Carl was really young then but his brother was noticeably good.”
Berenson might not recall the younger Hagelin attending his camp, but Berenson and his camp left an awfully large imprint on the impressionable mind of the younger Hagelin. About seven years after attending camp in Ann Arbor for the first time, Hagelin was drafted in the sixth round (No. 168 overall) by the New York Rangers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft but chose instead to play for the Wolverines.
“I was always the tiniest kid on the team. I was a late bloomer on and off the ice,” said the junior left winger, who didn’t start playing hockey until he was about 8 years old. “When I was 16 or 17 I grew and put some weight on.”
But even though his brother went pro (currently playing in Denmark) straight away, Hagelin turned down opportunities to take the same track. Instead the 6-foot, 181-pounder decided to follow in the footsteps of his father by attending school in Michigan. While his father went to Western Michigan, Hagelin turned down Ferris State and Northern Michigan to become a Wolverine.
Michigan's Carl Hagelin had 31 points as a sophomore (photo: Melissa Wade).
Michigan's Carl Hagelin had 31 points as a sophomore (photo: Melissa Wade).
The 21-year-old left-hander, however, didn’t finally make a name for himself in Ann Arbor until his sophomore season when he set single-season highs for points (31), assists (18), goals (13), game-winners (four) and multi-point games (8).
Through eight games this season, Hagelin was the Wolverines’ second-highest point scorer with seven (three goals, four assists).
“I think Carl can have a better year offensively,” Berenson said. “He’s emerging as a top college player. If he can put the puck in the net he’ll go a long way with his game and he won’t surprise anyone.
“From my understanding he was not a high-end playing coming up. He was a late bloomer. Now he’s an elite skater. Something must’ve switched on in his body because he put it all together. There’s no question some humility comes along with [being a late bloomer] . Carl is a terrific individual. He’s humble and he works so hard. He earned the respect of the players before he ever stepped on the ice in the offseason workouts with his work ethic.”
This season Hagelin was added to the power play and going into a late-October, two-game sweep at Lake Superior State, Berenson said he would try using the Swede on two different lines simultaneously to try to spark the then 2-2 Wolverines. On Oct. 30 Hagelin registered the game-winning goal and an assist against Lake Superior State for his 13th career multi-point game and second of the season.
Being on the power play also means Hagelin is expected to produce around the net, an area of his game with which he has struggled. In a 3-2 loss against defending national champion Boston University on Oct. 24, Michigan scored twice in the final period to tie the game before losing. Hagelin missed several opportunities around the net during the game but said the loss was a good gauge of where the team was at.
“It’s always good,” he said of playing top teams. “We like playing all the good teams. Last year we lost to BU 7-2. We had a bad attitude and it decreased our self confidence. This year we showed we have a lot of character in that third period. By coming back we showed what team we can be, a hard-working team in the third period.”
And if Michigan continues that hard work it could make it all the way to the Frozen Four, which this year is 45 miles down the road from Ann Arbor in Detroit. Hagelin would be in good company among the Swede-heavy Detroit Red Wings, some of whom Hagelin has skated with during the summers.
“Before I came here I wasn’t that big of a [Red Wings] fan,” said Hagelin, adding that he only makes the trip from Ann Arbor to Joe Louis Arena about four or five times a season because it is too time consuming.
That wouldn’t be an issue come April, when the Frozen Four makes its way to Detroit’s Ford Field.
“Obviously that’s one of our goals this year to win the NCAA championship,” he said, “but we can’t look that far ahead.”--
Monday, November 9, 2009
Victory is transcendent for Habs, White
By Justin Rice
HockeyPrimeTime.com
Friday, November 06, 2009 19:07
BOSTON – While progress has come at a painful pace for the Boston Bruins this season, their archrival Montreal Canadiens — who have also been snakebitten by the injury bug — are moving in light years by comparison.
And the Habs, compared to the rest of the NHL, are still moving at a turtle’s pace.
In a game that saw the two original six franchises face off for the 700th time Thursday night, the Bruins (6-7) — despite losing one of their best scorers, David Krejci, to the H1NI virus — avoided their longest scoring drought in 80 years by 51.7 seconds.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that Montreal (8-8) needed extra time to win the 2-1 shootout, at least they could take stock in the fact that rookie Ryan White collected his first NHL point in his first NHL game.
“It wasn’t [pretty] but it’s my favorite one up to date I’ll tell you that,” White said of assisting on his team's only regulation goal. “It wasn’t like it was a nice backward pass or anything like that, but it was perfect and I wouldn’t want to get it any other way.”
What was started with White's utilitarian assist was finished spectacularly by former Bruin Glen Metropolit. The first-period goal came after White fed Andrei Kostitsyn in the neutral zone, poking a puck that popped out of a collision between Dennis Wideman and Matt Hunwick. Kostitsyn drove to the net, which he wrapped around from the left to the right and dumped the puck off to Metropolit in front of the goal at the 17:32 mark.
“It was beautiful; those guys made a great play,” White said. “I just made a little one in the zone but it worked out good.”
About five minutes later the Bruins had a goal disallowed after a replay showed the net was jarred off the hook before Patrice Bergeron knocked the puck in. But Bergeron would finally get a goal, the team’s first in 192:06, by slamming home a rebound off Derek Morris’s shot.
“Once again, it’s like a broken record,” Blake Wheeler said. “We say the same thing over and over again, night in, night out. You’ve got to be tired of it. You look around; we’ve got a lot of guys who can score goals and all of a sudden we are going on nine periods of no goals. We’ve got to take that to heart. We’ve got to take it personally.”
While the Bruins were glad to finally see the end of their goal-scoring drought, the game also marked the end of a losing streak for Habs goalkeeper Carey Price.
“I hadn’t won in six games, and that was not the time to get upset,” Price, who finished with 42 saves for his third win of the season, said of allowing Bergeron’s goal. “I had to refocus in a hurry because if I let it slip, then I lose another game.”
In the shootout Price stopped Wheeler, Bergeron and Mark Recchi while Montreal’s Mike Cammalleri beat Bruins netminder Tim Thomas on the only shootout goal to improve the Canadiens’ overtime mark to 7-0.
In the end, a game billed as a matchup between teams that are shadows of their previous selves transcended mediocrity through the sheer intensity of their historic rivalry.
“It’s always fun,” Metropolit told reporters before a which was the first meeting between the two teams since Boston knocked Montreal out of the playoffs last season. “Who knows what kind of rivalry we’ll start tonight?”
NOTEWORTHY: Wheeler was on the Krejci’s left wing Tuesday night, a day before Krejci was diagnosed with H1N1.
“Kind of took me by surprise, like everyone else,” he said. “I guess that’s the way the word is today. You’ve got to be careful. Obviously we wish him the best and a speedy recovery.”
The Bruins were quick to point out they had no plans to be vaccinated for the swine flu, unlike the Calgary Flames, who recently took heat for jumping ahead of eligible Alberta citizens who were waiting for innoculations.
“We do the best we can. David Krejci is not around the team, and hopefully that’s where it will stop, but there is no guarantee,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. “We are all vulnerable to it, we just have to deal with it the best way we can.”
HockeyPrimeTime.com
Friday, November 06, 2009 19:07
BOSTON – While progress has come at a painful pace for the Boston Bruins this season, their archrival Montreal Canadiens — who have also been snakebitten by the injury bug — are moving in light years by comparison.
And the Habs, compared to the rest of the NHL, are still moving at a turtle’s pace.
In a game that saw the two original six franchises face off for the 700th time Thursday night, the Bruins (6-7) — despite losing one of their best scorers, David Krejci, to the H1NI virus — avoided their longest scoring drought in 80 years by 51.7 seconds.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that Montreal (8-8) needed extra time to win the 2-1 shootout, at least they could take stock in the fact that rookie Ryan White collected his first NHL point in his first NHL game.
“It wasn’t [pretty] but it’s my favorite one up to date I’ll tell you that,” White said of assisting on his team's only regulation goal. “It wasn’t like it was a nice backward pass or anything like that, but it was perfect and I wouldn’t want to get it any other way.”
What was started with White's utilitarian assist was finished spectacularly by former Bruin Glen Metropolit. The first-period goal came after White fed Andrei Kostitsyn in the neutral zone, poking a puck that popped out of a collision between Dennis Wideman and Matt Hunwick. Kostitsyn drove to the net, which he wrapped around from the left to the right and dumped the puck off to Metropolit in front of the goal at the 17:32 mark.
“It was beautiful; those guys made a great play,” White said. “I just made a little one in the zone but it worked out good.”
About five minutes later the Bruins had a goal disallowed after a replay showed the net was jarred off the hook before Patrice Bergeron knocked the puck in. But Bergeron would finally get a goal, the team’s first in 192:06, by slamming home a rebound off Derek Morris’s shot.
“Once again, it’s like a broken record,” Blake Wheeler said. “We say the same thing over and over again, night in, night out. You’ve got to be tired of it. You look around; we’ve got a lot of guys who can score goals and all of a sudden we are going on nine periods of no goals. We’ve got to take that to heart. We’ve got to take it personally.”
While the Bruins were glad to finally see the end of their goal-scoring drought, the game also marked the end of a losing streak for Habs goalkeeper Carey Price.
“I hadn’t won in six games, and that was not the time to get upset,” Price, who finished with 42 saves for his third win of the season, said of allowing Bergeron’s goal. “I had to refocus in a hurry because if I let it slip, then I lose another game.”
In the shootout Price stopped Wheeler, Bergeron and Mark Recchi while Montreal’s Mike Cammalleri beat Bruins netminder Tim Thomas on the only shootout goal to improve the Canadiens’ overtime mark to 7-0.
In the end, a game billed as a matchup between teams that are shadows of their previous selves transcended mediocrity through the sheer intensity of their historic rivalry.
“It’s always fun,” Metropolit told reporters before a which was the first meeting between the two teams since Boston knocked Montreal out of the playoffs last season. “Who knows what kind of rivalry we’ll start tonight?”
NOTEWORTHY: Wheeler was on the Krejci’s left wing Tuesday night, a day before Krejci was diagnosed with H1N1.
“Kind of took me by surprise, like everyone else,” he said. “I guess that’s the way the word is today. You’ve got to be careful. Obviously we wish him the best and a speedy recovery.”
The Bruins were quick to point out they had no plans to be vaccinated for the swine flu, unlike the Calgary Flames, who recently took heat for jumping ahead of eligible Alberta citizens who were waiting for innoculations.
“We do the best we can. David Krejci is not around the team, and hopefully that’s where it will stop, but there is no guarantee,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. “We are all vulnerable to it, we just have to deal with it the best way we can.”
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Branco blossoms as Brockton’s top scorer
By Justin A. Rice
Globe Correspondent / November 5, 2009
Morgan Branco has recorded a staggering six 3-goal performances for the Brockton High girls’ soccer team this fall. But the goal that stands out the most in her mind didn’t even come off her own foot.
In a match against Durfee late last month, the sophomore forward broke free at midfield and dribbled untouched into the box. When a defender approached, Branco dished a feed just in time to freshman Felicia Mulholland, who converted an insurance goal for a 3-1 lead with 3:01 left.
“For me that was a big thing,’’ said Branco, who has netted what is believed to be a school-record 28 goals, along with seven assists, through 18 games.
“Everybody thought I could shoot and I could’ve shot, but I thought passing to Felicia was a better thing.’’
That kind of unselfish play has been prominent for a Boxers squad that has qualified for the state tournament for the first time in five years, its 13-2-3 record a major turnaround from last year’s 5-9-3 finish.
“This was a long time in the making, we really struggled,’’ said eight-year head coach Andrea Tassinari. She saluted the leadership of her three senior captains, stopper Jennifer Love, forward Kate Wegener, and midfielder Sunshine Yang, who have never appeared in a tournament game.
Team records do not date back to the program’s first season in 1969, but the 13 wins are believed to be a school record. The impressive numbers continue in goal, where senior keeper Kelsey Sheridan has registered 10 shutouts. A three-sport athlete, Sheridan was shifted to goal as a sophomore.
“Literally after one game, I pulled her into the coaches’ room and said: ‘Look, Kelsey, you’re a basketball and softball player, a natural athlete. Guess what? You’re our new goalie,’ ’’ Tassinari said. “And that was it.’’
Sheridan said she didn’t feel comfortable in goal until last season and “I’m still not completely 100 percent. I don’t feel like a goalie because I played my whole life as a field player.’’
Branco, however, said it’s hard to tell that she is a relative newcomer at the position.
“You would never think that if you saw her play,’’ she said. “Without her we wouldn’t have the season we’ve had. She’s had so many big stops and really makes the difference on our team.’’
Sheridan, who plays the saxophone, is one of four Boxers who’s also a member of the school’s marching band, joining Evelyn DeJesus (flute), senior Jill Lynch (flute), and senior Lesley Blanchette (trumpet).
The four often rush from their soccer games to perform in the halftime show at Boxers football games. “When it comes down to it,’’ said Sheridan, “I’d rather save goals than play notes.’’
Branco has been playing sweet notes all season.
She earned a spot on the varsity as a freshman, but because of the team’s depth up front, she settled in as a midfielder, moved into the starting lineup at midseason, and scored four goals.
“I wanted to prove myself to [Tassinari],’’ she said. “That I could be on the field with everyone else and I was not just a freshman who should just be practicing. I tried to prove I have the same skills.’’
In her second season, she has developed into the Boxers’ top scoring threat since Ashley Bourne scored 20 goals in 2002.
Her first four-goal game came Sept. 15 in an 8-1 victory against Taunton. Two days later, she had three goals against Mashpee in a 5-0 win, then scored four goals the next game against Attleboro in a 6-0 victory.
“When I started scoring a lot in the beginning of the season, I knew this was our season,’’ said Branco, who credits all the goals to better ball movement. “Our team was doing really good, and I kept getting that many goals. After a while, I said if I can get this many in one game, I can get them in another game.’’
Midway through the season, foes were marking her with multiple defenders, and yet she still managed to score three goals in a 5-1 win over Fontbonne Sept. 3 and then all three in a 3-1 victory against Framingham Oct. 5. Her final hat trick came against Mashpee Oct. 29.
But the Boxers have plenty of depth. Wegener (10 goals, 12 assists), freshman Amy Yang (10 goals, eight assists), and Mulholland (10 goals, nine assists) are all double-figure scorers, which Tassinari attributes to Branco’s unselfish play.
“In the second week of September [Branco’s] goals started piling up and it was like ‘this is weird,’ ’’ the coach said. “But she’s never been the player who says ‘I’m the leading scorer, it’s all about me, me, me, give me the ball.’ ’’
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
Globe Correspondent / November 5, 2009
Morgan Branco has recorded a staggering six 3-goal performances for the Brockton High girls’ soccer team this fall. But the goal that stands out the most in her mind didn’t even come off her own foot.
In a match against Durfee late last month, the sophomore forward broke free at midfield and dribbled untouched into the box. When a defender approached, Branco dished a feed just in time to freshman Felicia Mulholland, who converted an insurance goal for a 3-1 lead with 3:01 left.
“For me that was a big thing,’’ said Branco, who has netted what is believed to be a school-record 28 goals, along with seven assists, through 18 games.
“Everybody thought I could shoot and I could’ve shot, but I thought passing to Felicia was a better thing.’’
That kind of unselfish play has been prominent for a Boxers squad that has qualified for the state tournament for the first time in five years, its 13-2-3 record a major turnaround from last year’s 5-9-3 finish.
“This was a long time in the making, we really struggled,’’ said eight-year head coach Andrea Tassinari. She saluted the leadership of her three senior captains, stopper Jennifer Love, forward Kate Wegener, and midfielder Sunshine Yang, who have never appeared in a tournament game.
Team records do not date back to the program’s first season in 1969, but the 13 wins are believed to be a school record. The impressive numbers continue in goal, where senior keeper Kelsey Sheridan has registered 10 shutouts. A three-sport athlete, Sheridan was shifted to goal as a sophomore.
“Literally after one game, I pulled her into the coaches’ room and said: ‘Look, Kelsey, you’re a basketball and softball player, a natural athlete. Guess what? You’re our new goalie,’ ’’ Tassinari said. “And that was it.’’
Sheridan said she didn’t feel comfortable in goal until last season and “I’m still not completely 100 percent. I don’t feel like a goalie because I played my whole life as a field player.’’
Branco, however, said it’s hard to tell that she is a relative newcomer at the position.
“You would never think that if you saw her play,’’ she said. “Without her we wouldn’t have the season we’ve had. She’s had so many big stops and really makes the difference on our team.’’
Sheridan, who plays the saxophone, is one of four Boxers who’s also a member of the school’s marching band, joining Evelyn DeJesus (flute), senior Jill Lynch (flute), and senior Lesley Blanchette (trumpet).
The four often rush from their soccer games to perform in the halftime show at Boxers football games. “When it comes down to it,’’ said Sheridan, “I’d rather save goals than play notes.’’
Branco has been playing sweet notes all season.
She earned a spot on the varsity as a freshman, but because of the team’s depth up front, she settled in as a midfielder, moved into the starting lineup at midseason, and scored four goals.
“I wanted to prove myself to [Tassinari],’’ she said. “That I could be on the field with everyone else and I was not just a freshman who should just be practicing. I tried to prove I have the same skills.’’
In her second season, she has developed into the Boxers’ top scoring threat since Ashley Bourne scored 20 goals in 2002.
Her first four-goal game came Sept. 15 in an 8-1 victory against Taunton. Two days later, she had three goals against Mashpee in a 5-0 win, then scored four goals the next game against Attleboro in a 6-0 victory.
“When I started scoring a lot in the beginning of the season, I knew this was our season,’’ said Branco, who credits all the goals to better ball movement. “Our team was doing really good, and I kept getting that many goals. After a while, I said if I can get this many in one game, I can get them in another game.’’
Midway through the season, foes were marking her with multiple defenders, and yet she still managed to score three goals in a 5-1 win over Fontbonne Sept. 3 and then all three in a 3-1 victory against Framingham Oct. 5. Her final hat trick came against Mashpee Oct. 29.
But the Boxers have plenty of depth. Wegener (10 goals, 12 assists), freshman Amy Yang (10 goals, eight assists), and Mulholland (10 goals, nine assists) are all double-figure scorers, which Tassinari attributes to Branco’s unselfish play.
“In the second week of September [Branco’s] goals started piling up and it was like ‘this is weird,’ ’’ the coach said. “But she’s never been the player who says ‘I’m the leading scorer, it’s all about me, me, me, give me the ball.’ ’’
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
Bentley football team on cusp of playoff berth entering finale
By Justin A. Rice/Daily News correspondent
Daily News Tribune
Posted Nov 05, 2009 @ 02:06 AM
WALTHAM — Even though the Bentley University football team didn't play last week, it had one of its most productive weeks of the season as far as the standings and polls are concerned.
During its bye week, the Falcons clinched at least a share of the Northeast-10 Conference football championship after Merrimack College outshot Southern Connecticut State, 52-42, on Friday night.
The team also cracked the Top 25 in the AFCA Division II poll for the first time since 2004 and is No. 4 in the Super Region One.
``Which was exciting to hear, but it doesn't mean anything unless we win this Saturday,'' said junior offensive lineman Jared Kawadler. ``It's going to be a huge game.''
Bentley (8-1, 6-1) can clinch the league title outright at noon on Saturday with a victory in its regular season finale at Stonehill College (4-5, 3-4).
``That has been our goal from Day One when we started this year,'' Bentley head coach Thom Boerman said of winning the league.
While Bentley controls its own destiny in terms of the league title, a bid to the postseason is a bit more complicated. A win on Saturday should guarantee its first berth in the Division II tournament since 2004. The Falcons could also make it if they lose, as long as they maintain at least a No. 4 seed in the regional rankings.
``That's something that's harder to control is the national playoff picture,'' Boerman said. ``We've been in the hunt most of the year for a playoff slot, and if we win we're virtually guaranteed a spot. But it's a selection committee, so who knows?
``There's so many factors. I don't know what will happen if we lose. I just have to go under the presumption that we have to win to make it, and if we lose, shame on us.''
Last year's 35-7 loss to Stonehill was so shameful Boerman has been showing his team film from the game.
``We watched that game film and we got that bad taste in our mouth,'' said senior linebacker Matt Zahoruiko. ``We definitely don't want that on Saturday.''
They also don't want to share the league championship. This season would be the third time Bentley has had at least a share of the NE-10 championship. The Falcons won the title outright in 2003, and shared it with C.W. Post the following year.
``We have paid zero attention to that,'' Boerman said of clinching the tie. ``I'm not a huge fan of that. Somebody should be champion of every conference. If we're co-champs, that's great, we would be honored, but we're not focused on that at all.''
Another thing the first-year head coach is trying to keep off his mind and his players' minds is that he was nominated for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year.
``I'm not even thinking about that,'' he said. ``That's a nice honor. That's kind of cool, but I mean the guy leading the voting is way ahead. I appreciate the fact that someone nominated me and I appreciate the support.
``I'm sure all my relatives will vote for me (via the Internet). Other than that, I don't think about that at all. In my first year, even being nominated is a heck of an honor. But first things are first, we gotta take care of business and beat Stonehill. That's where our focus, attention and energy are this week.''
So much so that Boerman has also been showing his team film from games against Stonehill in the early 1990s when the two teams had a bitter rivalry, including when Bentley overcame a two-touchdown deficit in the final five minutes to win.
``That was kind of fun to watch, just seeing that atmosphere between the two schools,'' Zahoruiko said. ``That rivalry is something we, as students, don't know about. It was cool to go back and see the history between the two teams and what the rivalry was about.''
The regional rankings will be used to determine the seedings for the NCAA Division II playoffs. The top two teams in each region receive a first-round bye and the next two hosting first-round games. The NCAA tournament field will be announced Sunday afternoon between 3-3:30 p.m. on ESPNEWS.
``It's been heck of a ride so far and I hope it's not over on Saturday,'' Boerman said. ``If it is, I'm so proud of the team. It's been a heck of a season.
``Hopefully, we'll prevail and see where the chips lie in terms of a playoff spot.''
Daily News Tribune
Posted Nov 05, 2009 @ 02:06 AM
WALTHAM — Even though the Bentley University football team didn't play last week, it had one of its most productive weeks of the season as far as the standings and polls are concerned.
During its bye week, the Falcons clinched at least a share of the Northeast-10 Conference football championship after Merrimack College outshot Southern Connecticut State, 52-42, on Friday night.
The team also cracked the Top 25 in the AFCA Division II poll for the first time since 2004 and is No. 4 in the Super Region One.
``Which was exciting to hear, but it doesn't mean anything unless we win this Saturday,'' said junior offensive lineman Jared Kawadler. ``It's going to be a huge game.''
Bentley (8-1, 6-1) can clinch the league title outright at noon on Saturday with a victory in its regular season finale at Stonehill College (4-5, 3-4).
``That has been our goal from Day One when we started this year,'' Bentley head coach Thom Boerman said of winning the league.
While Bentley controls its own destiny in terms of the league title, a bid to the postseason is a bit more complicated. A win on Saturday should guarantee its first berth in the Division II tournament since 2004. The Falcons could also make it if they lose, as long as they maintain at least a No. 4 seed in the regional rankings.
``That's something that's harder to control is the national playoff picture,'' Boerman said. ``We've been in the hunt most of the year for a playoff slot, and if we win we're virtually guaranteed a spot. But it's a selection committee, so who knows?
``There's so many factors. I don't know what will happen if we lose. I just have to go under the presumption that we have to win to make it, and if we lose, shame on us.''
Last year's 35-7 loss to Stonehill was so shameful Boerman has been showing his team film from the game.
``We watched that game film and we got that bad taste in our mouth,'' said senior linebacker Matt Zahoruiko. ``We definitely don't want that on Saturday.''
They also don't want to share the league championship. This season would be the third time Bentley has had at least a share of the NE-10 championship. The Falcons won the title outright in 2003, and shared it with C.W. Post the following year.
``We have paid zero attention to that,'' Boerman said of clinching the tie. ``I'm not a huge fan of that. Somebody should be champion of every conference. If we're co-champs, that's great, we would be honored, but we're not focused on that at all.''
Another thing the first-year head coach is trying to keep off his mind and his players' minds is that he was nominated for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year.
``I'm not even thinking about that,'' he said. ``That's a nice honor. That's kind of cool, but I mean the guy leading the voting is way ahead. I appreciate the fact that someone nominated me and I appreciate the support.
``I'm sure all my relatives will vote for me (via the Internet). Other than that, I don't think about that at all. In my first year, even being nominated is a heck of an honor. But first things are first, we gotta take care of business and beat Stonehill. That's where our focus, attention and energy are this week.''
So much so that Boerman has also been showing his team film from games against Stonehill in the early 1990s when the two teams had a bitter rivalry, including when Bentley overcame a two-touchdown deficit in the final five minutes to win.
``That was kind of fun to watch, just seeing that atmosphere between the two schools,'' Zahoruiko said. ``That rivalry is something we, as students, don't know about. It was cool to go back and see the history between the two teams and what the rivalry was about.''
The regional rankings will be used to determine the seedings for the NCAA Division II playoffs. The top two teams in each region receive a first-round bye and the next two hosting first-round games. The NCAA tournament field will be announced Sunday afternoon between 3-3:30 p.m. on ESPNEWS.
``It's been heck of a ride so far and I hope it's not over on Saturday,'' Boerman said. ``If it is, I'm so proud of the team. It's been a heck of a season.
``Hopefully, we'll prevail and see where the chips lie in terms of a playoff spot.''
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sabres' Miller Makes Good
First Impression on Wilson
Northeast
Written by Justin Rice
Friday, October 30, 2009 23:18
Northeast Division notebook:
At the helm of the worst team in the NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson not only got an up-close look Friday night at one of the best teams in the league, the Buffalo Sabres. He also got a glimpse of his new netminder.
Well, his goalkeeper for the Olympics, that is.
Wilson, the head coach of the U.S. Olympic team, watched his Toronto team (1-8-2) fall 3-2 on Friday night after Tim Connolly netted a power-play goal 1:04 into overtime.
On the bright side, Wilson watched Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller make 33 saves. Taking a 1.60 goals-against average and .944 save percentage into Friday night, Miller (8-0-1) has led his squad to a surprising 8-1-1 start.
“I’m well aware of how well he’s played this year,” Wilson told reporters before the game. “We expect him to be one of our goalies, if not the starting goalie. “I just hope Buffalo doesn’t wear him out.”
The Maple Leafs, who came in with the best power-play unit in the league, finished 0 for 4 with the man advantage on Friday night. Toronto completes a five-game road trip against Montreal on Saturday.
BUFFALO
Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier announced that rookie defenseman Tyler Myers will stay with the Sabres indefinitely. Regier said on Thursday that Myers, who still has junior eligibility remaining, will “remain with the team for the foreseeable future.” Myers’ three-year, entry-level contract officially began against Toronto on Saturday night. He had two goals and three assists through nine games. … The Sabres are 9-2 in their last 11 games against Toronto, including six straight wins. ... Buffalo defender Toni Lydman missed his third consecutive game on Friday with a groin injury. ... Before returning home to take on the Leafs, the Sabres swept a three-game road trip, including a 4-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.
BOSTON
Despite a 2-1 loss to New Jersey on Thursday night that dropped the B’s record to 5-5, the underperforming team was pleased to come 86 seconds away from playing a complete game. “I can’t say I’m disappointed with the way we played but [I’m] definitely disappointed with the outcome, Bruins coach Claude Julien said told the media after his team gave up the game winner to Dainius Zubrus with 1:26 to play. … The first meeting between two original-six teams will be on Sunday, when the Bruins travel to New York for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Rangers. It is the second in a stretch of three games in four nights for Boston.
MONTREAL
After having a four-game win streak broken by a 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, Montreal looked to get back on its feet with a win against Chicago on Friday. After coming back from a 2-0 deficit, the Habs fell 3-2. Before its win streak, Montreal (6-7-0) had lost five straight. ... Monday marks the 50th anniversary of the date former Montreal goaltender Jacques Plante altered hockey forever. On Nov. 1, 1959, after taking a shot to the nose off the stick of New York Ranger Andy Bathgate, Plante became the first goalie in pro hockey history to wear a mask.
OTTAWA
The Ottawa Senators fell victim to their own success on Thursday night, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 just two weeks after beating Tampa by a count of 7-1. “We definitely used that as motivation,” Lightning center Steven Stamkos told reporters after scoring two goals and three points.
First Impression on Wilson
Northeast
Written by Justin Rice
Friday, October 30, 2009 23:18
Northeast Division notebook:
At the helm of the worst team in the NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson not only got an up-close look Friday night at one of the best teams in the league, the Buffalo Sabres. He also got a glimpse of his new netminder.
Well, his goalkeeper for the Olympics, that is.
Wilson, the head coach of the U.S. Olympic team, watched his Toronto team (1-8-2) fall 3-2 on Friday night after Tim Connolly netted a power-play goal 1:04 into overtime.
On the bright side, Wilson watched Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller make 33 saves. Taking a 1.60 goals-against average and .944 save percentage into Friday night, Miller (8-0-1) has led his squad to a surprising 8-1-1 start.
“I’m well aware of how well he’s played this year,” Wilson told reporters before the game. “We expect him to be one of our goalies, if not the starting goalie. “I just hope Buffalo doesn’t wear him out.”
The Maple Leafs, who came in with the best power-play unit in the league, finished 0 for 4 with the man advantage on Friday night. Toronto completes a five-game road trip against Montreal on Saturday.
BUFFALO
Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier announced that rookie defenseman Tyler Myers will stay with the Sabres indefinitely. Regier said on Thursday that Myers, who still has junior eligibility remaining, will “remain with the team for the foreseeable future.” Myers’ three-year, entry-level contract officially began against Toronto on Saturday night. He had two goals and three assists through nine games. … The Sabres are 9-2 in their last 11 games against Toronto, including six straight wins. ... Buffalo defender Toni Lydman missed his third consecutive game on Friday with a groin injury. ... Before returning home to take on the Leafs, the Sabres swept a three-game road trip, including a 4-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.
BOSTON
Despite a 2-1 loss to New Jersey on Thursday night that dropped the B’s record to 5-5, the underperforming team was pleased to come 86 seconds away from playing a complete game. “I can’t say I’m disappointed with the way we played but [I’m] definitely disappointed with the outcome, Bruins coach Claude Julien said told the media after his team gave up the game winner to Dainius Zubrus with 1:26 to play. … The first meeting between two original-six teams will be on Sunday, when the Bruins travel to New York for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Rangers. It is the second in a stretch of three games in four nights for Boston.
MONTREAL
After having a four-game win streak broken by a 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, Montreal looked to get back on its feet with a win against Chicago on Friday. After coming back from a 2-0 deficit, the Habs fell 3-2. Before its win streak, Montreal (6-7-0) had lost five straight. ... Monday marks the 50th anniversary of the date former Montreal goaltender Jacques Plante altered hockey forever. On Nov. 1, 1959, after taking a shot to the nose off the stick of New York Ranger Andy Bathgate, Plante became the first goalie in pro hockey history to wear a mask.
OTTAWA
The Ottawa Senators fell victim to their own success on Thursday night, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 just two weeks after beating Tampa by a count of 7-1. “We definitely used that as motivation,” Lightning center Steven Stamkos told reporters after scoring two goals and three points.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Boston still vexed
by school busing
BOSTON | More than three decades after a federal court order forced Boston to desegregate schools by busing black students to white neighborhoods and whites to black areas, the birthplace of public education is still fighting the battle.
But the lines no longer pit race against race, with 87 percent of the student body now minorities.
Now the city is wrestling with school-choice issues and an antiquated busing system that can send a lone student on a bus ride across the city. And the more the Boston Public Schools system assigns students to neighborhood schools, rather than bus them across town, the more likely it is that children in the poorest neighborhoods will go to the worst-performing schools.
Boston schools still let parents pick schools, but only within three enormous and controversial geographical zones. Buses carting only one student often crisscross the city - contributing to next year's nearly $80 million transportation budget at a time when the district faces a projected $100 million budget shortfall.
Proposals to replace the 20-year-old school-assignment zones with five smaller ones fizzled twice this decade, most recently in June. And while the city secured federal funding this month to take another stab at overhauling its busing system, the issue remains a political hot potato that is not among the talking points of either mayoral candidate.
"And they won't talk about it because it's very divisive," said Myriam Ortiz, executive director of Boston Parent Organizing Network, which successfully argued that Boston Public Schools' recent proposal to return to neighborhood schools drastically decreased access to quality schools for the city's poorest students, "because communities where better schools are located could care less about the communities where the underperforming schools are located."
"I know this for a fact. A few months ago, we heard parents testifying that their schools should not receive budget cuts because their schools perform better. They said, 'The schools that are not performing, budget cuts should be their punishment.' "
At a recent debate, Mayor Thomas M. Menino had his performance on education graded by his opponent - City Council member Michael F. Flaherty Jr., who gave him an "F" - and by himself. He said he'd grade himself "maybe a B-plus, no, a B. I'll be generous."
The two men sparred over the mayor's record: "We boast of having the best colleges and universities in the world, yet children who actually do graduate from Boston Public Schools will never get an opportunity to compete," the mayor's 40-year-old challenger said. Each man slung around statistics on dropouts, but neither addressed the educational elephant in the auditorium at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: busing.
Mr. Menino, who called for the abolition of busing in his 2008 State of the City Address, could not be reached for comment for this report.
During a phone interview, Mr. Flaherty, a proponent of neighborhood schools who said he recently realized the need to focus initially on improving school quality, did address busing frankly.
"The city has a long history with the subject; at the same time, things have changed tremendously," said Mr. Flaherty, who was born five years before the 1974 forced-busing ruling. "We need to be sensitive to the issue and recognize the past. I've seen Boston at its best and at its very worst. To dismiss and discount the past is shortsighted. We need to put all the issues on the table.
"The discussion around school assignment can be polarizing already. With that said, maybe we do need to have a frank discussion about race in Boston, where we came from and where we are now before we embark on this particular issue."
While Boston's third attempt to rewrite its school-assignment plan since 2004 has gone untouched this political season, Washington has taken notice.
On Oct. 1, 35 years after the now-deceased federal Judge W. Arthur Garrity Jr. ruled that Boston Public Schools practiced de facto segregation, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Boston a $241,680 grant.
The Technical Assistance for Student Assignment Plans grant is designed to help school districts reconcile long-term effects of busing by studying the practices of cities nationwide. The 11 districts awarded the grant have 12 to 24 months to use the funds and cast wide nets in reaching out to school-assignment experts and civil rights activists.
For the Boston Public Schools system - which has 72 percent of its students eligible for subsidized free and reduced-price meals - the challenge is deflating a bloated transportation budget without impeding access to the city's best schools.
Superintendent Carol Johnson shelved her five-zone plan in June after it was revealed that the majority of the district's underperforming schools were concentrated in the two zones populated by the city's poorest residents.
Parents in those two zones were irate after learning they wouldn't have equal access to bilingual and special education.
"We are pleased about the grant; it will help propel us further and faster," Ms. Johnson said by phone. "But even if we had not gotten the grant, we are committed to making changes to improve the quality of schools in Boston."
While BPS abolished race-based school assignment in 1999, the district currently conducts a school-choice lottery, in which students apply to elementary and middle schools within their zone of residence. They can apply to schools outside their zone as long as they are within walking distance of their home. High schools are accessible citywide.
Ms. Johnson was widely applauded for tossing out her five-zone plan this summer. But even after she announced in August that she was applying for federal money to aid her new efforts, skepticism remained widespread.
"I don't believe they're going back to the drawing board," said Carlos Henriquez, a City Council candidate who says 10 out of 11 elementary schools in his predominantly black and Hispanic district chronically underperform. "They are waiting until November 3 is over, then they'll propose a plan that convinces nobody." Election Day is Nov. 3.
In 2004, before Ms. Johnson's tenure began, a similar school-assignment proposal also failed. Just as they did this summer, community organizers and parents argued that the district should improve underperforming schools before addressing transportation woes.
While Ms. Johnson says BPS can simultaneously work toward improving poor schools and ending busing, Mr. Henriquez said presenting a school-assignment plan would be much easier once all schools performed equally.
"They can quickly throw together a transportation plan," the 32-year-old said, "but no one can put together how to improve 10 of 11 schools."
In 2008, state officials deemed 100 of 143 schools "in need of improvement" before Ms. Johnson closed or consolidated chronically inadequate schools. About three-quarters of the city's 135 schools underperform today, but Ms. Johnson has increased the number of seats in well-performing schools.
"I think we have some evidence that we made some improvement," Ms. Johnson said. "I also think that since some parents feel they didn't get any of their top three [school choices], they still want us to make sure we address that issue. Yes, some people will feel better about the school their child is in, but not everyone is satisfied. That's why it's important for us to have the grant. We need to think about all the different ways to have a choice system."
While busing battles in Seattle and Louisville played out in the Supreme Court two years ago, Boston has hashed out school-assignment debates hyper-locally in church basements, school cafeterias and auditoriums.
And while the Supreme Court ultimately limited the role race can play in determining student assignment, in Boston the issue is not especially racial, since only 9 percent of public-school students are white, compared with 39 percent black and 37 percent Hispanic.
The battle in Boston pits those trying to preserve access to quality schools, as well as the English language and special education, versus those lobbying for a return to neighborhood schools.
East Boston resident Gloribell Mota wasn't satisfied with the middle schools in her predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood a few years ago. So her son traveled 1 1/2 hours by bus each way to attend a better school.
Ms. Mota credits that decision for helping him test into Boston Latin School, the jewel of the district and the nation's oldest public school, founded in 1635. But leaving the neighborhood to attend middle school wasn't easy.
"It wasn't like he could stay after school with his friends hanging out, it was straight home an hour and a half on the bus," said Ms. Mota, whose daughter is in kindergarten. "I want to make sure she has those options as well.
"Until BPS takes a structural look at some of the schools, parents will continue to oppose [a new busing plan]. They want quality schools in the neighborhoods."
Ms. Mota recently walked a few blocks from her home to attend her daughter's parent-teacher conferences and acknowledged that neighborhood schools can foster community and parent involvement.
When defending her school-assignment proposal last winter, Ms. Johnson said the geographical districts reflected parents' desires to choose schools closer to home.
Neighborhood schools, however, are not a silver bullet. The Orchard Gardens Pilot School sets aside 75 percent of its seats for students within walking distance of the school in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, but Mr. Henriquez notes that it still underperforms.
Ms. Johnson said she understands why parents are pushing so hard for high quality, but added that the debate can sometimes get sidetracked by focusing too much on transportation and school choice.
"I do sometimes think we lose track of what the core of our work in schools is," Ms. Johnson said. "The core business of schools is about student achievement. That is what this is about. We have to keep making sure we ask questions that drive the agenda toward student achievement and student success, as opposed to focusing solely on choice.
"Parents do want choice, but to what end?"
Globe South Sports
From around the world,
they get their
kicks in Randolph
The Mbengam brothers, Godfred (11) and John (10), flank soccer teammate Linus Lindbereg.
(Barry Chin/Globe Staff
)
Shortly after arriving from Sweden in August, Linus Lindberg was mowing the lawn at the Randolph home of his host family when he was approached by a pair of teens from Cameroon.
The Mbengam brothers, Godfred and John, had heard about Lindberg’s prowess on the soccer field and were making their pitch for the 18-year-old to join the Randolph High boys’ soccer team.
It was his intention to play for the Blue Devils. But the gesture of the Mbengam brothers went a long way in forging a fast friendship and helping the exchange student quickly assimilate to life in the high school hallways and on the soccer pitch.
Just a few months removed from that initial meeting, Lindberg has developed into one of the most prolific scorers in program history, his 23 goals at midweek just two shy of the school record.
But more important, the unlikely trio has helped Randolph qualify for the MIAA Division 3 tournament for the first time since 2002.
The bonding of the trio “just happened,’’ Lindberg said. “They were polite to me and greeted me to the team.’’
Godfred, 17, and John, 16, can relate to adjusting to life in Randolph: The pair arrived in town five years ago after leaving their native Cameroon.
“I was the same as him, I didn’t know anybody,’’ Godfred said between bites of a hamburger and fries this past week. “I wanted to make him comfortable, show him around. Show him his classes. Make sure everywhere we go, we go together. Make him feel at home.’’
The Mbengam brothers, along with their four siblings, were adopted in 2004 by their great aunt, Helene Sonkem, and her husband, Victor, an engineer at the state Department of Environmental Protection. Their mother had died suddenly when they were toddlers.
Helene, a former nurse who moved to Randolph in 1997, started the adoption process in 2002.
“When my niece [their mother] died, my mother was taking care of them,’’ said Helene, who has three children of her own. “Then my mother died, and they were living in the village going through hard times.
“Back home, they are still talking about [the adoption] even though it’s been five years. I went through a lot to bring them here, I did so much. I think it was their destiny.’’
Helene said athletics are what helped her great nieces and nephews adjust to their new home.
All the siblings play, or have played, sports at Randolph High, including Anna, a sophomore goalkeeper for the Randolph girls’ soccer team.
“Soccer is what they do in Cameroon,’’ Helena said. “That’s all they knew.’’
One day their physical education teacher noticed them kicking a ball around and recommended they play for Eastern Mass FC, a club team.
Now as juniors, they are thriving in the both the classroom and on the soccer field, competing against each other every step of the way.
“When I play soccer, that’s when I have joy,’’ said John. Said Godfred: “When I play soccer it looks like I’m free. I have control. Even when I’m hurt, I put cleats on, and the pain goes away.’’
They have also excelled in track, helping their 4x400-relay indoor team win at the New England meet last winter.
Exchange students are not foreign to Randolph High.
Varsity boys’ soccer coach Ed Weiand, also the boys’ tennis coach, estimates he has coached eight exchange students in the last 15 years.
Dr. Louis Silvagnoli, who is sponsoring Lindberg, usually hosts one student each year.
The diverse Randolph community has helped ease the transition for foreign-born students, said Weiand, who has seven countries represented on the soccer team this season.
“What we have to offer is very unique in terms of diversity in the community,’’ said Weiand, in his 18th year at the Blue Devils’ helm and 24th year as a special education teacher in the district. “I meet so many different kinds of kids from so many backgrounds.’’
The transition is not always smooth, however.
On occasion, John Mbengam will get frustrated when his teammates are not playing up to his level. He and his brother started playing soccer shortly after their mother died and worked their way up to club and school teams. Soccer, they say, is learned more organically in Cameroon than in this country.
“Back home, if you mess up they yell at you,’’ said John, who along with Godfred has played varsity soccer since he was a freshmen. “Here you don’t get yelled at, you get patted on the back because it’s for fun. I don’t play to have fun. I play to win.’’
In Lindberg, who suits up for a club team in Sweden because there are no school teams, John Mbengam found an instant wingman.
“Ball movement just clicked, he always knows where to go,’’ said John, a striker, who had five goals and six assists at midweek. “I don’t even have to tell him. I was like, ‘All right, he’s the man.’ ’’
Lindberg is classified as a senior at Randolph, but when he returns to his home in Landskona, Sweden, at the end of the school year, he will have one year of high school left to complete.
The fact that so many of Randolph’s players come from soccer cultures has allowed the team to compete with opponents who have played together since youth soccer.
“They have a better understanding of the game than Americans,’’ assistant coach Jon Ridolfi said. “It’s my favorite sport, so I’m sorry to say it, but here we have other sports to focus on. That’s just the team concept they all recognize from growing up. They learned soccer as a team game.’’
Initially however, the United Nations-like squad struggled to get on the same page, starting 2-2-2, including a tie against Middleborough, before ripping off five straight wins.
En route to an 8-5-2 start (2-5-2 Patriot League), Randolph has netted 55 goals. And with Godfred anchoring the defense, the Blue Devils allowed only 18 goals.
On Oct. 21, Randolph exacted revenge against Middleborough, winning, 2-1, to clinch a playoff berth.
“It’s very exciting,’’ Weiand’s wife, Teresa, said of the team making the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. “He called me a million times when they finally clinched, and he finally got a hold of me. It’s nice because they’ve struggled. The high school is excited that they finally have a winning team.’’
For the Mbengam brothers, giving the school something to rally around is the least they can do after everything the community has done for them.
“It was like ‘wow,’ ’’ Godfred said of helping to turn the team around, part of an overall athletic resurgence at Randolph. “It was like giving them back what they gave to us.’’
Lindberg is happy to be a part of the turnaround and to have forged a friendship with the Mbengam brothers.
“It’s pretty amazing,’’ Lindberg said of the brothers’ story. “A lot of people couldn’t handle that. I know what they went through from some of the things they told me and I’m amazed.’’
Justin Rice can be reached at rice.ju@gmail.com
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
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