During upheaval, soccer was his constant

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / October 5, 2008

After being separated from his younger brothers for eight years, Vladimir Greenfield knew only enough English to say, "Hi, how are you" when they were reunited two years ago.

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"I didn't say anything," 18-year-old Vladimir said recently. "I hugged them."

The three boys from Russia have been adopted by David and Nancy Greenfield of Pembroke. Their home on Silver Lake - with six rocking chairs on the porch and two minivans and an adjustable basketball hoop in the drive - is a far cry from the flat in the city of Kransnodar that Vladimir had been sharing with three other boys.

Socialized by soccer, the senior forward at Pembroke High School today blends in with his teammates, and not just because they're sporting mo hawks this season. But the Russian youth separates himself from others with finesse, speed, endurance, and goals.

Through eight games, Vladimir led the team with seven goals, even though his father says he plays "European, pass-the-ball-first soccer, not American, look-at-me soccer." He scored seven goals his first season as a sophomore and eight the following season before the team lost in the South Sectional finals to East Bridgewater.

"You don't have to talk to the kids to play the game," said Vladimir, who hopes to play Division 2 soccer while studying international business in college. "I knew some words: forward, soccer, the positions. I knew numbers. Formations, like 4-4-2."

He could handle numbers off the field, too. Except for geometry, in which he got an A, Vladimir took all his classes pass/fail two years ago. He slowly grasped English with the help of teammates and now carries a 2.8 GPA.

"It made what could've been a horrible arrival and transition easy," Nancy Greenfield said of soccer.

Pembroke coach George Stagno is amazed the teen doesn't act out. Stagno, who spent 28 years as an Air Force intelligence officer during the Cold War, knows just how rough a region Vlad comes from.

"The soccer field is where he expresses himself," Stagno said. "He's always positive and all that pent-up stuff is why he shines. . . . I don't think he has much of an outlet. There's a language barrier, number one, and he only has a couple friends."

"He could be more physical, more unsportsmanlike to get stuff out of his system. He's not. He puts it in the back of the net and that's his way of doing it."

One of nine children, Vladimir and his siblings were abandoned by their parents when the Russian economy collapsed in the late 1990s and they were dispersed among several orphanages.

Meanwhile, Nancy and David Greenfield married in 1995 and lived in Portland, Maine, before moving to Pembroke in 2001. Nancy wanted to adopt internationally, and David, whose great-grandfather was born in southern Russia, wanted to bring his family's lineage full circle. In 1998, the couple adopted Andrei and Ivan, now 13 and 14.

But they didn't learn of the other siblings until they had gained custody of the boys. "It was awful. The thought that there were other kids never crossed my mind," Nancy said.

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Over the next seven years, the Greenfields batted around the idea of looking for the brothers and sisters. "At some point, Andrei did say, 'I fear that one day I'm gonna ask why didn't they try to get my brothers and sisters' when we could," David said.

During that span, the boys' oldest brother, Pasha, stayed with the Greenfields for a summer while chaperoning a youth trip in 2000.

"We didn't want to send him back," Nancy said. "We asked if he wanted to come live here, and he said 'Yes, but not until my brother and sisters are OK.' "

By the time the Greenfields were able to make arrangements six years later, Pasha was too old to adopt and one sister was married. Vladimir had been enrolled in school to become a physical education teacher, but the decision to move to America was his to make alone.

Deliberating for a month, Vladimir decided that the freedoms and friendships he enjoyed while living on his own in Russia paled compared to the Greenfields' offer.

"I couldn't see myself being a gym teacher for my life," Vladimir said. "I thought 'What can I lose?' I wouldn't make it in Russia."

That he would be joining his younger brothers didn't make leaving Pasha any easier.

"I didn't really know them," Vladimir said. "But I knew Pasha well, so it was harder."

The adoption process required the Greenfields to make two trips to visit Vladimir, six weeks apart, before they could bring him home. During the second trip, their 28-day visas nearly expired while they waited for the adoption papers to be processed, but it gave the family a chance to bond and Andrei and Ivan a chance to see what their lives would have been like if they had stayed. The image of two teenagers playing pool and smoking cigarettes in the orphanage was branded into Andrei's mind.

"I wondered if I grew up there, if I'd be like that," the 13-year-old said. "I like to think of myself as Russian. I don't think we would have any connection if Vlad didn't come."

Vladimir spent his first month in the United States watching World Cup soccer while his new family clung to their Russian dictionaries. David subscribed to the Fox Soccer Channel and signed Vladimir up with a club team.

While nobody on the Pembroke team matches his passion for the sport, Vladimir said playing for the school has improved his game. The team plays every day, compared with two training sessions per week with his Russian team.

Away from the field, the transplanted teenager continues the process of assimilation.

He has decorated his bedroom with posters of soccer stars such as David Beckham, Ronaldinho, and Zeidan, along with his own awards, team photos, and a Russian flag over his bed.

He worked at Stop & Shop, once spent half his monthly allowance ($100) on samurai swords purchased on eBay, and says mowing the lawn is his least favorite chore.

"That's a big lawn," he said.

Taking stock of his life while relaxing in front of the TV or surfing the Web, Vladimir realizes life would be much different without soccer.

"Oh, my god," he says, displaying a mastery of the teen lexicon. "I don't know what I would do; I don't see myself without soccer. Everything would be harder."

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

Globe North Sports

Tanners, minus cocaptain, still hot

Manoogian sisters miss final season together

Peabody coach Dennis Desroches speaks to his soccer team, which has been beset with injuries, at practice last week. (Photos by Lisa Poole for the Boston Globe)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / October 5, 2008

Choking back tears, Alyssa Manoogian only had to make eye contact with her little sister, Emily for her to know they wouldn't have one more soccer season together at Peabody High School. The elder Manoogian, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a basketball game this past summer, had just received the doctor's verdict when she drove herself to the practice field to break the news to her sister and the rest of her teammates.

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"She immediately came over to my car," said Alyssa Manoogian, the MVP of the Northeastern Conference last season, who will play at Colgate next fall. "[Emily] just knew. I tried to hide it but she knows. She knows by the look in my eye when something's not right. Being my sister, that's the way it is. She was strong at first; she hugged me and said 'It's OK, it's not the end of the world.' . . . She wanted to be strong because I was a mess."

Two years apart, the sisters only had last season together on the field and they were looking forward to one more before big sis went off to college.

"I thought we were going to play two seasons together," Emily said. "I was wicked excited. Our last game, we didn't even think it would be the last so it stinks. I would give anything to be out there with her."

Luckily, Peabody was far from a one-player show. Featuring the top three scorers in the league last year, the Tanners went 18-2 before losing to Winchester in the second round of the state tournament. Erika Digiacomo, a junior last year, had 28 goals and 20 assists while Alyssa Manoogian had 22 goals and 24 assists. As a freshman, Emily Manoogian added 17 goals and 12 assists.

This season they are doing well without their midfield leader and cocaptain. Through nine games, Digiacomo has netted 9 goals and 11 assists for Peabody (7-2) while Emily Manoogian has 12 goals and 5 assists, playing her sister's old position.

"She plays midfield on her club team so she wasn't out of position," Alyssa Manoogian said of her sister, who played forward last season. "It's definitely an adjustment but she's not struggling."

The Tanners have endured other injuries as well this season. Sophomore sweeper Angie Ellison went down after the second game with a stress fracture in her foot and another captain, senior Caitlyn Tinkham, just returned this past week from an injury.

"Just like any other team, we have injuries," Peabody coach Dennis Desroches said. "I guess it's our turn now. It just seems like injuries hit our impact players."

Desroches does look at the sunny side, saying that losing his star athlete has allowed him to put a down payment on the future rather than relying on one player.

"These other players are getting time on the field, that experience of knowing they have to perform and produce," he said, adding that Manoogian left a void that can't be filled.

"She could score, but what made her extremely successful on the field was that she had awesome field vision and was able to distribute that ball. Above that, her tenacity on the field, her almost refusal to lose, and her unwillingness to fail can't be replaced."

Alyssa said she is enjoying her role as coach and cheerleader but said it's easier done than said when it comes to telling her teammates what to do on the field.

"It's harder from the sidelines not to physically be able to do it, but I know they respect what I have to say so it makes it easier," she said.

Her sister added: "I know she might be telling me to shoot the ball early, and I might be mad at the time, but I know she's right."

Recently Alyssa hasn't spent as much time with the team - she underwent surgery less than two weeks ago. Once she starts rehabilitation, she will not be able to be around the team as much either.

When Alyssa is there to watch games, Emily sometimes feels guilty playing the game her big sister can't.

"I try to make the most of it and play as hard as I can," Emily said, "because I know she would give anything to be out there."

Pru advisory panel vows openness

An artist's rendering of the new plaza at street level in front of the proposed 242-foot office building at 888 Boylston St. (CBT Architects)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / October 5, 2008

As the fight over the height of two new towers continues, the embattled advisory board charged with overseeing Prudential Center expansions since 1988 is bowing to community pressure to be more transparent.

To the chagrin of many Back Bay residents, the Prudential Project Advisory Committee, or PruPAC, is poised to allow the towers at the already mammoth complex to exceed the 155-foot limit under current zoning.

But at a Sept. 25 meeting of PruPAC's subcommittee on community benefits, the group showed signs of a new openness. Democratic state Representative Marty Walz of Back Bay, a member of PruPAC for almost two years, called the subcommittee together to clarify how PruPAC doles out community benefits payments pledged by developers.

As with past Prudential Center developments, community benefits for the proposed 242-foot office building at 888 Boylston St. and a proposed 27-story residential tower on Exeter Street would be allocated to neighborhood organizations that PruPAC approves. PruPAC also recommends Pru projects for Boston Redevelopment Authority approval.

"In the past, PruPAC did not meet in public and does now, and that is a good thing in my view," said Walz, who was unable to attend the Sept. 25 meeting. "So it is a step in the right direction."

Walz said PruPAC members affiliated with an applicant for funds should disclose those connections in the future.

Disclosure is a sticking point for longtime Back Bay resident and neighborhood activist Shirley Kressel, who is trained as a landscape architect. At the Sept. 25 meeting she argued that money is motivating PruPAC's inclination to sign off on the taller towers.

"The more square feet that's approved, the more money you get," Kressel said, referring to the fact that PruPAC would control $1.25 in community benefits per square foot. "That's an incentive to approve it."

Boston Properties pledged a combined $471,999 in community benefits when the two towers were first proposed in 1990. That money remains on the table, although PruPAC members said they will eventually ask for an inflation adjustment. Then, PruPAC would accept grant applications from community groups.

In the interest of transparency, PruPAC members agreed to hold off on funding decisions.

"The initial consensus is we shouldn't have a meeting until after PruPAC puts in recommendations so it doesn't look like we're being bought off," PruPAC president Betsy Johnson said at the meeting.

Johnson pointed out the current conflict of interest of board vice president, Elliott Laffer, who was not at the meeting. Laffer is executive director of the Boston Ground Water Trust, which was allotted $50,000 in community benefits for the first four phases of Prudential construction. However, he was not employed by the city at that time.

Johnson also said the South End Land Trust, for which she volunteers, received $100,000 last time around, but said another PruPAC member nominated the group for funding.

On Sept. 25, Johnson suggested she'd be willing to forgo future money donated to the Land Trust, but during a phone interview the next day she was disappointed by the lack of trust in PruPAC.

"It's harming a neighborhood and 600 other people for what seems to be pettiness," she said.

In 1989, PruPAC handled $1,384,000 in community benefits tied to the complex's shopping arcade, the Prudential tower, the Belvedere apartments, Shaw's Supermarket, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which opens this week.

Responding to Kressel's claim that money is motivating PruPAC's support of height increases, both Johnson and BRA senior project manager John O'Brien said they made developers come down from 265 feet to 242 feet on the 888 Boylston building to minimize shadows.

"Your argument that the bigger the better, it's not true, it's not true," O'Brien told Kressel on Sept. 25. "We got it down in size."

Walz is also opposed to building above 155 feet, which Johnson says is allowed because the two towers are designated Special Project Development Areas. A similar exemption was given to the Mandarin hotel in 2002, according to Kressel, allowing it to increase in height from 120 feet to 150.

Johnson said she understands that neighbors who helped hash out the original Back Bay zoning code don't like the idea of overhauling it, but she said there's a bigger picture to consider in terms of discouraging sprawl.

"It's five stories on the back side of the Pru within a corridor of Back Bay's tallest buildings," Johnson said.

About 20 residents expressed their disapproval of the project during a BRA meeting at the Boston Public Library on Sept. 23. The BRA said the public comment period would end Oct. 31. Johnson, however, said PruPAC's vote was likely to come the week of Oct. 13 or 27.

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

Williams captures first win in historic

first night game at home

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AMELIA KUNHARDT/The Patriot Ledger

Norwell’s Forrest Detwiler (22) celebrates after he catches a long pass for a touchdown, giving the visiting Clippers a 6-0 lead in the first quarter.

By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Oct 03, 2008 @ 10:35 PM

Last update Oct 03, 2008 @ 11:19 PM

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BRAINTREE — Friday night was an evening of firsts at Memorial Field.

On the first Friday night football game under the lights at home in Archbishop Williams school history, the Bishops (1-4) also collected their first win of the season in an 18-16 thriller against Norwell that came down to Nick Querzoli’s game-saving blocked field goal with 19.2 seconds left in the game.

“I came off the end, I jumped the snap and blocked that thing,” the senior captain said.

Trailing 18-6 with 5:10 left in the third, Norwell senior running back Jamie Waters brought it down to the 7 with a 25-yard run before junior running back AJ DeBenedictis scored on a two-yard run. That touchdown cut the score to 18-14 with 2:17 left in the quarter after DeBenedictis also added the two-point conversion.

Norwell got within two with 10:01 left in the game. After pinning the Bishops at the 12, a long snap sailed over the head of Dan Varasso and out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Then Norwell seemed poised to score the game winner before DeBenedictis fumbled at the 15 to the Bishops’ Tim O’Brien. Two plays later, Williams fumbled the ball back to Dan Regan at the 22 with 5:45 to play.

The Bishops put in a goal-line stand after sophomore Sean Provenzano sacked senior quarterback Mike Lodigiani on fourth down at the 15-yard line. Then Provenzano ripped a 40-yard run that still didn’t clinch the game for the Bishops.

After Norwell regained possession, Lodigiani, who finished with 123 passing yards, completed four huge passes that set up the winning 25-yard field goal attempt. Norwell senior Marshall Haskins, who was kicking the first field goal of his career in place of injured Christian McInnis, was blocked by Querzoli.

“We like to keep them close,” Williams coach Bill Kinsherf said. “You couldn’t ask for a better end to a great night. The crowd was great, the lights were awesome, and the field was awesome.

Besides two huge sacks in the final quarter, Provenzano ran for 105 yards and one touchdown.

He was joined in the backfield by another sophomore, Alex Furtado, who ripped Norwell for 155 yards on 18 carries, including a 79-yard touchdown.

BC High remains unbeaten

BC High remains unbeaten after tie with defending state champions

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LISA BUL/The Patriot Ledger

BC High's Robbie Bergquist gets a congrats from teammate Ryan Wallace for a goal in the first half against St. John's of Shrewsbury.

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By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Oct 03, 2008 @ 12:33 AM

Last update Oct 03, 2008 @ 12:37 AM

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BOSTON — Not long after he was told he’d be starting his first ever varsity soccer game in goal for Boston College High School against defending Div. 1 state champ St. John’s of Shrewsbury on Thursday afternoon, Zach Gregoricus was doing drills with senior keeper Joe Travers, who suffered a concussion against Medford on Monday.

“I was really nervous the whole school day because they are the state champs,” Gregoricus said after allowing the equalizer in the second half of a 1-1 tie at Viola Stadium.

“We let down for a little bit at the start of the second half and they got it in. It’s just hard coming out on your first game playing against the state champions and having them coming right down your throat.”

Both teams remain unbeaten this season, with BC High going to 5-0-3 and the Pioneers moving to 8-0-3.

Travers, a Medford native who caught an elbow to the head against his hometown high school Monday, was running the scoreboard in the press box when his understudy allowed the tying goal in the 18th minute of the second half off Tyler Uppstrom’s header.

“It’s a tough play,” Travers said. “I don’t think he was sure if he should come out on that. He kind of hesitated but it wasn’t really his fault.”

It just so happened the drills Travers was working on with Gregoricus before the game were to help him figure out when to come off his goal line and when to stay home. A few minutes after the goal, Uppstrom came charging at goal again on a breakaway. This time, Gregoricus came out of the net and grabbed the ball before Uppstrom could shoot.

“That’s one of the things I’ve been working on, not hesitating,” said Gregoricus, who finished the day with four saves. “(Their goal is) just one of those things you learn from. I got real pumped up and told myself, ‘I’m gonna save the ball’ and I came out and got it.”

St. John’s goalkeeper Mark Kotsopoulos was unable to stop junior Robbie Bergquist’s shot in the 26th minute of the first half.

“I just scrambled in front of the ball, it popped over and I one hit and put it in the left corner,” the Norwell native said of his third goal of the season.

The assist came from Adam Cherubini, a junior forward from Weymouth. A minute before stoppage time began in the second half, however, Cherubini’s own header was saved by a diving Kotsopoulos.

“That was a good save,” said Cherubini, who leads BC with six goals. “I’ll give it to the goalie. He’s a great goalie. I didn’t see him. We just should’ve finished the ones we had earlier in the game.”

Despite the Eagles missed opportunities, BC coach Billy Ryan was pleased with the performance, given that his starting keeper is at least out for Saturday’s game against Hingham.

“It’s a good result, our kids played hard,” he said. “They are the defending state champs and undefeated. We kind of had a mental lapse when they scored, but I’m still proud of the result.

“(Gregoricus) did not have any outstanding saves but he played a steady game. He only knew he was starting right before kickoff. For his first varsity game he did outstanding.”

Photo courtesy of Boston College Boston College quarterback Chris Crane took over as QB after Matt Ryan was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.

By Justin A. Rice, Sept. 25, 2008

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Let’s be clear: Chris Crane has not been benched.

Local kid can still make good and be big man on campus at Boston College. The former Trinity High School star might’ve been booed in the first half of Saturday’s game against Central Florida, but the Mechanicsburg native responded in the second half by leading BC’s offense to 31-unanswered points on the way to a 34-7 victory at Alumni Stadium.

With that said, redshirt freshman and fan-favorite Dominique Davis will also have ample opportunity to make the folks down in Lakeland, Fla. proud of their own native son as well. It is, in fact, official: The Eagles (2-1) will quarterback by committee the rest of the way this season.

“At that position, you get more credit than you should, and you get more blame than you should. That just goes along with that position,” BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski said Sunday during his weekly teleconference. “Yes. We’re going to get [Davis] some more playing time. He had about 20 snaps Saturday, and he made some good decisions. I thought he managed the clock well. It’s all a learning process, and we’re going to continue to get him some snaps. As I mentioned before, I’m not going to be in a position next year where the starting quarterback hasn’t had any snaps at all in a game situation.”

The fact is that neither Crane nor Davis is former BC quarterback and current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. And Crane is content with that. Crane, who is 46-of-87 passing through three games with two TD passes and five interceptions, is being incredibly mature about the new game plan.

“Coach wanted Dominique to take some of the pressure off so I could step back and see things, not from the first person perspective, just to get an overview,” Crane said Wednesday. “And the coaches have done that all throughout their past and said it usually helps and it did. So it was the game plan going in and it ended up working out by the end of the game. You kind of get to take a look at the defense, you get to see what they’re doing exactly. You can only see so much when you’re in the quarterback position, but when you’re on the sideline you get to see everything that’s happening. It helps in that sense and it just slows the game down. You’re not actually under duress so you get to see how much time you have to throw the ball.

“It helped. We opened it up a little bit more (in the second half). I got, almost, into a groove and a rhythm. It felt good to air it out a lot in the second half and not just short passes, but throw down the field.”

After collecting two touchdowns on short runs in the second half, Crane ripped off a 27-yard third-down scramble. Then he connected with senior Brandon Robinson on a 48-yard score — also on third down for the longest touchdown pass of Crane’s young career to give the Eagles a 24-7 edge.

“I really needed that just to build my confidence,” said Robinson, who also praised Davis’s debut drives in which he managed the game well and was 4-for-7 passing with 30 yards.

Crane finished the game 16-of-34 for 207 yards and three interceptions.

“I told him before the game, ‘Go play this game like you’re playing in your back yard. Just go out and throw the thing around. Just have fun with it,’ “ Jagodzinski said. “I think sometimes he wants to be perfect and there’s no quarterback that’s perfect. You’re going to make mistakes.” All Crane has to do to figure that one out is look down the road at Foxboro, Mass. to Matt Cassel, who was thrust into the New England Patriots’ starting lineup when Tom Brady went down with a knee injury.

“When the year started we had Tom Brady as the other quarterback in New England,” Crane said, referring to himself as the second quarterback in town. “That’s a tough act to be right next to. Matt Ryan did alright with it but I’m a new quarterback. When he went down we had two fresh quarterbacks and our offensive coordinators wanted to go out and just manage the game. And it’s tough. The Patriots have seen how tough it can be. But everyone has to rebound and pick each other up.

“It was a tough game for him last week and I liken that to our Georgia Tech game,” Crane continued, speaking of the Patriots 38-7 loss to Miami and BC’s 19-16 loss to GT. “Even though we only lost by three and we were in the game the whole time, it was heart breaking. It’s the adversity that you experience in the season and it’s the way you bounce back and I’m sure the Patriots will bounce back next week. I’m sure Matt Cassel will do great too. You can’t have too bad weeks in a row. You consciously and subconsciously practice and play so that you don’t have two bad performances in a row.”

And while Crane didn’t necessarily have a bad or a great week against Central Florida, he said most of his family and friends from back home are still holding out for the Virginia Tech (Oct. 18), Clemson (Nov. 1) and Notre Dame (Nov. 8) to ask him for tickets.

“It’s been mostly family that has been up so far but you can bet for the Notre Dame game, Virginia Tech and Clemson I’ve gotten quite a few requests,” Crane said. “Which will be tough but I’ll do my best to help.”

After all, fulfilling a few ticket requests is the least he can do to repay everyone who has supported him throughout his five seasons in Chestnut Hill.

“They realize the situation I’ve been put in being behind Matt for four years,” Crane said. “Now that I’ve gotten my opportunity, my friends, family, supporters, they’ve been there for me and I can’t thank them enough.”

Northeastern takes direct route to rout of UCD

By Justin A. Rice - Special to the Bee
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, September 28, 2008

BROOKLINE, Mass. – When in New England, play like New England.

Northeastern made UC Davis look like the New England Patriots during Saturday afternoon's 27-10 defeat of the Aggies at Parsons Field. While that might sound like a good thing, the Patriot-like performance came six days after Ronnie Brown and the Miami Dolphins' spread option offense scorched New England 38-13 at Gillette Stadium.

"We put that package in after watching the Dolphins game last week," Northeastern running back Alex Broomfield, a Miami native, said of the unbalanced formations featuring direct snaps to the running back.

Broomfield, a senior, rushed for 152 yards, including two carries on direct snaps for 87 yards. He also threw a 21-yard touchdown pass.

"We know they do direct snaps," said Aggies defensive lineman Mike Faletoese, who had four tackles and two sacks. "We've seen them do it in their first three games. We were prepared for it. I guess not enough."

One play after the Aggies (1-4) took a 10-0 lead on Brandon Tucker's 15-yard touchdown run and redshirt freshman Sean Kelley's 27-yard field goal, Broomfield took his first direct snap of the game for a 48-yard jaunt to the Aggies' 19. Three plays later, the Huskies (1-3) scored on a three-yard pass to wide receiver Conor Gilmartin-Donohue.

On the Aggies' next possession, they ran a play that featured a wacky formation in which three offensive linemen lined up near the left sideline.

Then, after Wil Colon sacked and stripped sophomore quarterback Greg Denham from behind, the ball squirted to the Aggies' 4-yard line, where linebacker David Akinniyi recovered it. Northeastern scored three plays later to go up 14-10 with 10:17 left in the first half.

Just after Denham tossed his second of four interceptions, Broomfield took his second direct snap with 2:03 left in the half. This time, the 5-foot-7, 192-pound back found tight end Brian Mande-ville in the end zone for a 21-10 lead.

Late in the game, UCD drove to the Northeastern 15 before Denham's pass went through Conor Kirkpatrick's hands and into the arms of Nate Thellen. The sophomore safety went 92 yards for Northeastern's final score with 3:01 remaining.

"I don't want to make any excuses," said Denham, who finished 30 of 51 passing for 288 yards with four interceptions, five sacks and two fumbles. "I take full responsibility. It doesn't matter that the weather (was bad). We have to get it done.

"It's my job to lead the team."

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Globe North Sports

Melrose regroups in bid for 1st banner

Girls volleyball off to 8-0 start

Melrose High School's Hannah Brickley, a team captain, spikes the ball during a game at Watertown High last week. (yoon s. byun/globe staff)

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / September 28, 2008

There is no state championship banner hanging in the gym, yet, but look at the impact the Melrose High girls' volleyball program is having on area youth. The team's annual summer camp attracted 153 local youngsters, who no doubt are following the lead of a group of players that are determined to dominate again.

Melrose varsity cocaptains Hannah Brickley, Kelly O'Neill, and Colleen Hanscom pulled their teammates, including 16 incoming freshmen, out of bed twice a week this summer for 9 a.m. workouts without members of their coaching staff present. Apparently, going 22-0 before losing to Central Catholic, 3-1, in last season's Division 2 North final left a bad taste in their mouths.

"When it came to tryouts the coaches were really impressed," said Hanscom, a junior setter with 153 assists this season. The freshmen "had already picked everything up."

"This past week two freshmen [middle hitter] Alyssa DiRaffaele and [outside hitter] Jill Slabacheski moved up to varsity."

O'Neil, the lone senior, worried about the maturity level of her teammates coming into the season but has since realized how grounded the junior class is, noting that Melrose was 8-0 at midweek.

"It's nice to know it will still carry on," the defensive specialist said.

"There's a lot of younger kids with great talent so we should be good for years to come."

The junior class is led by Brickley, who leads the team with 83 kills this year. The 5-foot-9-inch middle hitter was also a force to be reckoned with last season, collecting 216 kills on her way to being named to the Division 2 all-state team. That honor was no consolation to the ultimate prize, which has eluded Melrose. Despite going 18-5 in 2006 and 21-1 in 2005, the Red Raiders have never won a state title. In 2005, they lost to Medfield in the championship.

"We just haven't won the big one yet but we're doing OK," head coach Scott Celli said. "We always have really talented, athletic kids in the program."

Brickley said last year's final loss was more devastating to the four seniors than anyone because her class knew they could regroup for two more runs. Still, she can relate to the New England Patriots perfect season ending Super Bowl loss last season, even though Melrose was still two matches away from the state championship when it fell.

"You work so hard, you've done so good and then you lose it," she said.

"The game we lost wasn't the state championship but it was still a big game. It was devastating at first but after we looked back at it, it was a good learning experience."

Celli said losing to Central Catholic in the playoffs last year made the team mentally stronger.

Tactically, he said the coaches realized they had to move their tallest players to the front lines and become bigger hitters at the net.

"We noticed we had trouble with [net play] in that game," Celli said of the Central Catholic match. "We've learned a lot defensively and did some mixing and matching to free people up to be in better positions. The biggest thing we take out of it is learning how big the game was last year and what it takes to improve our game so if we get back to that game this year we'll know what we have to do to come out on top.

"It was a great year for us. Don't get me wrong, you like to win that match but it was a pretty good year for us."

But before the Red Raiders can even think about advancing to the state championship they have a giant item on their to-do list: Slaying Division 1 power Barnstable on Oct. 23.

"They lost one game in Massachusetts in the last seven years," Celli said. "That being said, that would be a tall task for us."

North Quincy boys, girls soccer teams take pair from Quincy

AMELIA KUNHARDT/The Patriot Ledger

North Quincy's Nick Carbone (11) and teammate Danny Russell (3) celebrate after Carbone scored a goal to give his team a 1-0 lead against Quincy.

By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

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QUINCY — Shrieking from Quincy High School’s locker room reverberated through Veterans Memorial Stadium on Wednesday night.

The New Kids on the Block weren’t giving a free concert. And the Presidents’ match against crosstown rival North Quincy (3-2-1) wasn’t even over. The source of the halftime ruckus was Quincy senior defender Julie Leone’s goal at 28:12 of the first half – the first goal in two seasons for the Presidents (0-5-1).

“When we were walking in the locker room we heard them,” said North junior forward Cara Murtagh, who scored two goals in the second half to give the technically visiting team a 2-1 win. “We knew it would be louder if they won the game.”

Senior defender Brittany Folkins assisted on both goals.

Leone, in the meantime, was pleased with her one goal.

“It’s a step up,” she said.

The North Quincy boys team won by a 2-1 score in a thriller during the first match of the doubleheader.

On a breakaway during stoppage time, Sherkel John Lewis missed a hair left of the post and North Quincy goalkeeper Ryan Louis with the game tied 1-1.

On the resulting goal kick Red Raiders junior midfielder Jon Couchenour passed to senior forward Mike Prioli with just under five minutes left of stoppage time.

“I got it on top of the 18 (-yard box), did a little fake and the defender bought it,” Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic midfielder Shane Regan said, “and I slid it in the corner. I just knew we had to score, I came down and did it. We got a break.”

The senior’s fifth goal of the season pushed North Quincy to 3-2-2 while Quincy fell to 0-6.

“It was a wild one,” North Quincy coach Rich Hanlon said. “Every time we play each other it is no matter the records.”

Sophomore forward Nick Carbone netted the first goal of the afternoon, his first of the season, at 4:03 of the second half before John Lewis scored the Presidents’ first goal, his third of the year.

“I thought I had it,” John Lewis said of his breakaway. “I don’t know what happened. I tried. We played hard. Everyone tried.”

Quincy coach Jason Karalexis was equally dumbfounded.

“Most of the time Sherkel finishes his chances,” he said. “Definitely a heart-breaker. Our kids played hard. They had some chances, we had some chances. Unfortunately it didn’t work out. I liked the team’s effort. I’m looking forward to the next game.”

“It would’ve been nice to tie. Unfortunately we’re still looking for some points.”

Patriots defenders admit Miami Dolphins offense caught them by surprise

Patriots defenders tried to adjust to Miami's spread offense but failed. 'They were always a step ahead,' Richard Seymour said.

Posted on Mon, Sep. 22, 2008

BY JUSTIN A. RICE

Special to The Herald

HECTOR GABINO / EL NUEVO HERALD

Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams protects the football as he rushes for a first down during the fourth quarter against the Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

FOXBORO, Mass. -- The New England Patriots went back to school Sunday afternoon.

The franchise that prides itself on preparation, in-game adjustments and overall football scholarship got schooled by the type of option offense NFL players normally only see their collegian counterparts run.

The result: A 38-13 trashing at Gillette Stadium that ended New England's NFL-record, 21-game regular-season win streak.

''That's something you usually see in college,'' defensive lineman Ty Warren said of the Dolphins' spread offense that featured running back Ronnie Brown taking direct snaps while quarterback Chad Pennington lined up as a wide receiver.

FANTASY GAME

Brown ripped the Patriots for 113 yards rushing on 17 attempts, including two short touchdowns off direct snaps in the first half and throwing another direct snap to Anthony Fasano for a third-quarter touchdown.

For an encore, Brown ripped a 62-yard TD run off a direct snap in the final quarter to break the franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a game.

Overall, Brown took six direct shotgun snaps, even handing off two to fellow running back Ricky Williams, who was often running in motion.

''We had trouble with a lot of things. That was one of them,'' Pats coach Bill Belichick said of defending the spread offense. ``We had trouble a lot.''

The head master refused to detail how Brown and the Dolphins befuddled New England's defense, which heading into Sunday ranked ninth in the NFL, allowing 270 yards per game. But safety Rodney Harrison shed a little more light.

''Unfortunately, we had no idea they were going to come out and run those kind of plays,'' said Harrison, who had a combined 12 tackles.

EARLY TROUBLE

The Patriots' first glimpse of the option came with 2:32 left in the first quarter. Brown took the snap and faked to Williams. Circling back right to left, he ran 2 yards for the game's first score. Miami used a similar play near the end of the half, this time resulting in a 5-yard Brown touchdown and 21-6 advantage.

But what the Pats saw next proved to defensive end Richard Seymour that this wasn't a fluke, rather a calculated trend. Taking his first direct snap of the second half, Brown, a lefty, rolled left and threw a 19-yard TD to Fasano halfway through the third.

''I thought that was a game-plan scheme, where they game-schemed us, as far as what they were trying to do,'' Seymour said of Brown's TD pass, which put Miami up 28-6.

``They ran some passes off of it, some different runs, some outside runs, some inside runs. They moved their offensive linemen around and did some things we weren't prepared for. We made some adjustments, and we didn't get the job done. They were always a step ahead of what we were trying to do. Even in our base defense, we didn't wrap up and tackle. It was just a bad day all around.

``We'll probably get the corrections from this film and then bury the film -- bury the tape out on the field somewhere.''

WELKER IMPRESSED

Even former Dolphin Wes Welker, who had 55 yards receiving on six catches Sunday for New England and has been the beneficiary of diverse offensive schemes, marveled at Brown's performance.

''He's got a lot of talent, and he definitely showed how versatile he is and why he was the No. 2 overall [draft] pick,'' Welker said. ``I don't think you ever see a loss like this coming. It's one of those deals where they wanted it more, and they played a lot better than we did.''

A new Smith starring for SL

AMELIA KUNHARDT/The Patriot Ledger

Dee Smith helped break the game open for Silver Lake against New Bedford on Friday.

By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Sep 22, 2008 @ 01:21 AM

Last update Sep 22, 2008 @ 01:25 AM

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QUINCY — Dee Smith might’ve started the process of following in his brother Jeff’s footsteps on Friday night, returning the first kickoff of his Silver Lake Regional football career for a touchdown. But the younger Smith wants to be clear that he’s his own man.

After all, the day after the younger Smith went 85 yards for a touchdown to lift Silver Lake to a 28-16 victory against New Bedford, the elder Smith, a renowned Boston College returner, could only muster a 56-yard return on Saturday to set up the Eagles’ go-ahead score – and eventual win – against Central Florida.

“It’s hard: a lot of people expect me to be like him, but I’m my own person,” the Silver Lake senior from Plympton said of his brother, who surprisingly returned to the Eagles’ lineup this season after suffering several concussions as a sophomore. “But I still look up to a lot of the things he does. I was actually really impressed (with Jeff’s return). I thought he was gonna go all the way. I thought it was a good motivational boost for the team.”

Dee’s kickoff return on Friday was a motivational boost in its own right. After New Bedford scored three points on the opening drive, Silver Lake (2-0) responded with Smith’s touchdown that came off a brand new blocking scheme. More impressive than scoring on that first time was that Dee had missed several practices with strep throat-like symptoms.

“I was pretty sick,” Dee said. “I came back and this is what they came up with. It was good. It worked; the blocking was perfect. Coach (Dana Battista) decided it would be a good change. Instead of a wedge up middle he saw an opportunity to get to 50-yard line on the return. He had everyone run over to sidelines make a wall.”

The younger Smith, who is keeping his options open about college, said even though he doesn’t like to be compared to his brother, he still takes his advice about kick returning. In 2006, the elder Smith returned 23 kicks for 645 yards (28.0 average), placing him first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and eighth in the nation in kickoff returns.

“He usually tells me to try to use my instincts and not to overthink it,” Dee said, “because otherwise you could freeze up and he just wants me to use my speed.”

Boston College's Donnie Fletcher, right, tackles UCF's Ronnie Weaver in the first quarter. (AP)

September 21, 2008

Greco injured in UCF's loss to Boston College

BY JUSTIN A. RICE
FOR FLORIDA TODAY

In a season known more for flip-flopping politicians than quarterback controversies, UCF and Boston College changed their minds on the QB position so many times that fans of both parties had a hard time voting for one signal caller over the other.

But the 41,267 on hand Saturday afternoon for the 34-7 BC victory at Alumni Stadium didn't need a recount to declare the game sloppy on all counts, from missed field goals (three overall), botched punts (two for BC) and a seemingly infinite number of interceptions (seven total).

More than anything, however, the first meeting between the two programs was marked by quarterback questions. While Chris Crane and Dominique Davis rotated drives in the shadow of legendary Eagles quarterback Matt Ryan, redshirt junior Michael Greco split time with freshman Rob Calabrese after injuring his knee during the Knights' fourth drive of the afternoon.

Despite throwing an interception on his first career pass, Calabrese kept the Knights on the move, engineering a 49-yard drive that ended with a missed field goal.

"I wanted to get him in," UCF coach George O'Leary said of Calabrese, not explaining why he leapfrogged redshirt freshman Joe Weatherford on the depth chart. "I put him in and he did some good things, probably not enough good things.

"(Greco) got hit and his knee blew up and he wasn't as mobile as he was in the first half. But I thought he did some good things."

Greco returned in the final moments of the first half to lead the Knights (1-2) to their only scoring drive of the day. With 32 seconds remaining in the first stanza, he kept the ball on 3-and-4 from the 45. Then the lefty cut to midfield, slipped a tackle at the 20 and scampered to the 1-yard line where he dove for the end zone and was knocked out at the one. Three plays later, Greco rolled 10-yards backwards before regaining ground to set up a goal-line collision that ended in a 1-yard TD.

UCF players were unavailable for comment after the game. While Greco's score gave the Knights a 7-3 lead at the break, BC (2-1) started the second half with Jeff Smith's 56-yard kick return to set up Crane's 1-yard touchdown run.

Down 10-7, Calabrese returned to the game after Greco threw another INT but the freshman couldn't muster much. Then Crane collected another 1-yard TD run to cap a 6-play, 59-yard drive to go up 17-7. Calabrese, -- who finished the day 4-for-8 passing with 37 yards and an interception -- led another short-lived drive before punter Blake Clingan pinned the ball at the 1-yard line.

A few plays later, Crane threw the ball into the hands of UCF sophomore linebacker Lawrence Young at the 10, but senior kicker Darin Daly eventually missed his second field goal of the day within 25 yards. He hit the left upright just as BC kicker Steve Aponavicius did in the first half.

Finally hitting his stride in the fourth quarter, Crane ripped off a 27-yard third-down scramble before connecting with senior Brandon Robinson on a 48-yard score again, on third down. The longest touchdown pass of Crane's young career gave the Eagles a 24-7 edge and the game.

Greco rounded out the game, but his completion to Rocky Ross on 4th and 9 from the BC 31 was overturned on an illegal touching penalty. As BC tacked on 10 more points, Greco threw his third interception and finished 12-of-24 passing for 92 yards. He added 54 yards rushing.

The loss snapped a three-game road winning streak for the Knights, but didn't waiver O'Leary's confidence in his quarterbacks.

"I'll look at the film and stuff, but I think I'm gonna play two quarterbacks," he said. "I have no problem with that. There's no quarterback controversy."

After Saturday's game, it looked like BC would also continue to go with two quarterbacks. Crane finished the game 16-of-34 passing for 207 yards and three INTs while Davis, who fans have been itching to see play all season, was 4-of-7 for 30 yards in his debut.

Maybe both teams will have the quarterback question figured out by Nov. 4.

Marshfield Rams too confident

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By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Sep 19, 2008 @ 11:07 PM

Last update Sep 19, 2008 @ 11:21 PM

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MANSFIELD —

Marshfield might have beaten Beverly Hills High, but it was no match for Mansfield on Friday.

After a 22-6 loss at Alumni Stadium, senior quarterback Jon Mullen admitted that his team came in a bit too confident after returning from California.

“There was definitely some of that but there’s no excuses, you still have to show up and play,” said Mullen, who scored on the final play of the game for a 10-yard rushing TD. “Mansfield punched us in the mouth. Thank God it wasn’t a league game.

While the Rams have lived on ramming the ball down their opponent’s throats, they could only muster 28 yards rushing in the first half and a little over 100 yards rushing.Mansfield coach Mike Redding couldn’t believe how poor the Rams ran but said his team was prepared to stop it because they run the same offense.

“We really stepped up and played well defensively,” he said.

Marshfield coach Lou Silva agreed with Mullen that the performance was not indicative of the Rams’ capabilities.

“We had a pretty lousy week of practice and that carried over,” he said. “They simply beat us. We had no running game, no passing game. They physically beat us up on both sides of the ball and that hasn’t happened in a while.”

Mansfield took a 14-0 lead into halftime despite throwing two interceptions. First, junior defensive back Stephen Sousa intercepted Busharis only to have the Rams’ drive end with a punt. Then linebacker Jake Russell picked off Nikolas Busharis before Marshfield’s drive stalled on downs.

The Rams finally got their run game going to start the second half, marching the ball from their 27 to the Hornets 36 on 12 plays. But Mullen threw an interception that Mansfield marched the ball to the 1-yard line where they turned the ball over on downs. Mansfield tacked on a safety after Rams punter Brandon Borror-Chapell fumbled the long snap.

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Copyright © 2008 GateHouse Media, Inc. Some Rights Reserved.

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.

Canton posts field hockey win

Canton’s possession game proves too much for Sharon

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AMELIA KUNHARDT/The Patriot Ledger

Canton's Colleen Moriarty takes control.

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By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Sep 18, 2008 @ 02:53 AM

Last update Sep 18, 2008 @ 03:03 AM

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SHARON —

Even though Olivia Kenyan was standing on the winning side all afternoon at Sharon High School, she also had to stand in the hot sun wearing full pads the entire second half on Wednesday.

Canton’s sophomore goalie was isolated nearly the entire game as Sharon (0-5) only managed to get into Canton (3-1-1) territory once in the first half and maybe twice in the second half. In fact, Kenyan didn’t finally save Sharon’s first and only shot of the game until the final minute of her squad’s 2-0 field hockey victory.

On the other hand, Sharon senior goalie Lauren Adams earned her keep despite the loss. She stopped 12 shots and faced 15 penalty corners without letting up a goal.

“Once they come at me more and more, I just kind of get ready,” Adams said. “If I’m gonna have to block shots I’d rather have them keep coming at me so I can be prepared. I’d almost rather be doing something than standing in the sun.”

Canton head coach Fior Griffin, who wasn’t pleased with her own team’s performance yesterday, was extremely impressed by Adams’ play in net. After the game she asked Sharon coach Peg Arguimbau who her goalie was and told her counterpart how great Adams played.

“Their goalie did a good job,” Griffin said after running off a laundry list of foibles from her own side, including passing, off-the-ball movement, tempo and confidence. “We had possession most of the game, but we have to want it, possession doesn’t win games.”

Griffin conceded one of the reasons the game’s pace was so slow was because her team was playing on natural grass for the first time this season.

“It’s hard to push the ball through the grass,” said senior center/midfielder Colleen Moriarty, who collected her third goal of the season at 8:54 of the second half. “I think we’ll be more prepared now that we know what to expect (on grass). We like the speed of the turf better. We’re more used to it because we have turf at home.”

Moriarty was joined on the scoreboard by senior forward Stephanie Sementelli, who took a pass from sophomore left forward Emily Dillon at the 13:13 mark of the first half to net her second goal of the year.

Griffin, whose team lost in the Div. 2 state championship game last season, is glad there’s plenty of time to prepare her team for another run at the title, but she’s not looking ahead.

“We still have a lot of league games,” she said.

In the meantime, Sharon is just happy to be improving. For the second straight game they played with a new defensive strategy that has allowed them to clear clusters out of the circle so Adams can see the ball better from goal.

“The last game we used the new positioning and only lost 1-0,” Adams said, “but before that we lost 5-0 and 6-0. So it’s making a big difference.”

Arguimbau agreed: “We’re improving, that’s what counts. Our goalie had a good game today. She’s more comfortable with (the new formation) and the girls are more comfortable with it. It’s working. We just had those two little blips. It happens, and, Canton’s a strong team.”