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The following coaches will be honored at the Second Annual Coach of the Year/Student Athlete Banquet on May 30, 2012. Each coach below has been named Coach of the Year by the MIAA for their respective sport:

Robert Mahoney, Notre Dame (Tyngsborough) -- Girls Volleyball
Amelia Davis, Algonquin -- Gymnastics
Kevin Burchill, Braintree -- Girls Ice Hockey
Jack Stoddard, Duxbury -- Boys Golf
Alex Naumann, Everett -- Boys Ice Hockey
Michael Foley, Framingham -- Swim
Fred Jewett, Hingham -- Indoor Track
Jim Leonard, King Philip -- Softball
Phil Maia, Lowell -- Cross Country
David Duffy, Needham -- Football
Frank Carey, North Reading -- Baseball
Rick Kates, Notre Dame (Hingham) -- Outdoor Track
David Gianferante, Notre Dame (Hingham) -- Girls Golf
Kim Penney, Reading -- Girls Basketball
David Curley, Rockport -- Boys Soccer
Ed Scollan, Westford -- Boys Basketball
Leslie Frank, Westwood -- Girls Lacrosse

In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Hayley Dowd of Peabody High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Dowd is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Peabody High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Dowd as Massachusetts’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Dowd joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).

The 5-foot-5 junior forward led the Tanners to a 22-0-2 record and the Division 1 state championship this past season. Dowd scored 41 goals and passed for 19 assists, recording seven goals and three assists in six postseason matches. An All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Dowd is a two-time Northeastern Conference MVP. She has 121 goals and 43 assists through three varsity seasons.

Dowd has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of the Peabody High Captain’s Council, she has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach.

“Hayley Dowd can score working with her team, she can go 1-on-1 and if she is double-teamed she finds her teammates with passes for easy goals” said Fred Day, Salem High's head coach. “She never stops working off the ball. I would pay to watch her play.”

Dowd has verbally committed to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.

Dowd joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Players of the Year Sam Mewis (2010–11, 2009-10, Whitman-Hanson), Danielle Dakin (2008–09, Minnechaug), Hayley Brock (2007-08, Acton-Boxborough), and Amy Caldwell (2006-07, Braintree) among the state’s list of former award winners.

Here are the winners from the other five New England states:

CONNECTICUT: PAULA HAGOPIAN, KINGSWOOD-OXFORD

The 5-foot-4 senior forward scored 13 goals and passed for 10 assists this past season, leading the Wyverns to a 5-7-2 record. Also the 2011 Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year and a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Hagopian led Kingswood Oxford to the 2010 New England Prep School Athletic Council Class B championship. She concluded her prep soccer career with 56 goals and 35 assists.

Hagopian has maintained a 3.73 GPA in the classroom. The first chair clarinet player in the Kingswood Oxford school band, she has volunteered locally as a peer tutor and at an area homeless shelter and food bank.

“Paula is so strong that defenders bounce off her,” said Matt Micros, a club coach with Connecticut FC. “She can hold the ball up well and also spin defenders with ease. What she lacks in technique she more than make up for with power and pace.”

Hagopian will attend Yale University where she will play soccer beginning this fall.

Hagopian joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Girls Soccer Players of the Year Riley Houle (2010–11, Windham), Kate McCarthy, (2009-10, Loomis Chaffee), Jessica Schloth (2008–09, St. Joseph), Alex Uscilla (2007-08, St. Joseph), and Bianca D’Agostino (2006-07, Loomis Chaffee) among the state’s list of former award winners.

RHODE ISLAND: McKENZIE MEEHAN, LA SALLE

The 5-foot-5 senior forward led the Rams to a 20-0-2 record and the Division 1 state championship this past season. Meehan scored 80 goals and passed for 14 assists, including two goals and two assists in a 6-2 win over Smithfield High in the state final. The returning Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Meehan is a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She recorded 16 hat tricks in 22 games with six four-goal games, four five-goal games and three six-goal games, concluding her prep soccer career with 181 goals and 41 assists.

Meehan has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of La Salle’s Pegasus Gifted Student Program, she has volunteered locally as a peer Spanish tutor and a youth soccer coach.

“McKenzie Meehan should be on the national team,” said Keith Caldwell, Meehan’s coach with the Scorpions SC club team. “She’s the best goal-scorer I’ve ever seen. She is strong, athletic, tough and she holds the ball well. She’s not flashy. She just scores goals.”

Meehan has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning this fall.

Meehan joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Players of the Year Allison Kelley, (2009-10, 2008-09, La Salle), Katie Reilly (2007-08, St. Mary Academy-Bay View), and Erica Florenz (2006-2007, Scituate) among the state’s list of former award winners.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: MORGAN ANDREWS, MILFORD

The 5-foot-9 junior forward scored 31 goals and passed for six assists this past season, leading the Spartans (11-6-1) to the Division II state quarterfinals. The returning Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Andrews is captain of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women’s National Team and is a member of the Under-23 National Team. The 2011 National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Girls Youth Player of the Year for club play and a two-time NSCAA All-American selection, she has 83 goals and 35 assists in three varsity campaigns.

Andrews has maintained a 3.03 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and mentor, and she founded a local “Kicks for Cans” charity program that involves coaches and players donating their time in exchange for canned goods that are brought to area food banks.

“Morgan Andrews, the kid’s a phenom,” said Jason Dewhurst, the director of coaching for the Stars of Massachusetts club team. “She plays way above her years. She always shows up to play, whether it’s training or games, it doesn’t matter. She’s a fierce competitor and wants to win. She deserves all the accolades she gets.”

Andrews has verbally committed to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.

Andrews joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Players of the Year Kailey Blain (2009-10, 2008-09, Merrimack), Kristy Zurmuhlen (2007-08, Fall Mountain Regional, and Lindsey Miller (2006-07, Bishop Guertin) among the state’s list of former award winners.

MAINE: CAITLIN BUCKSBAUM, FALMOUTH

The 5-foot-5 junior midfielder led the Yachtsmen to a 13-4-1 record and the Class B state championship this past season. Bucksbaum scored 10 goals and passed for 11 assists. In her first year at Falmouth High, Bucksbaum was a Maine Sunday Telegram First Team All-State selection and earned First Team All-Western Maine Conference recognition. As a sophomore in 2010, she started for Ardrey Kell High in Charlotte, N.C., which reached the Class 4A state final.

Bucksbaum has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of Falmouth High’s Environmental Action Committee, she has volunteered locally as a peer math tutor, a youth soccer coach and with the Ronald McDonald House.

“Caitlin Bucksbaum is a good player. Her appetite to get better is amazing,” said Jason Dewhurst, the director of coaching for the Stars of Massachusetts club team. “She’s quick, athletic, has good feet and can strike a ball from distance.”

Bucksbaum joins recent Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Players of the Year Allison Walton (2010–11, 2009-10, Brunswick, Elise Amioka (2008–09, Marshwood), Rachele Burns (2007-08, Gorham), and Kelsey Wilson (2006-07, Gorham) among the state’s list of former award winners.

VERMONT: LAUREN BERNARD, COLCHESTER

The 5-foot-3 senior forward/midfielder scored 24 goals and passed for five assists this past season, leading the Lakers (7-6-2) to the Div. I state quarterfinals. The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Bernard is a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was chosen as Burlington Free Press Player of the Year. She is a former member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-15 Women’s National Team, and a current member of the Under-18 National Team player pool.

Bernard has maintained a 3.93 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally with youth soccer programs and camps.

“She’s very strong technically and her left foot is deadly,” said Dwight Irish, head coach of rival Vergennes High. “If she has a little bit of room and she’s anywhere near the goal, she’s going to change the game.”

Bernard has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College this fall.

Bernard joins recent Gatorade Vermont Girls Soccer Players of the Year Brittany Pfaff, (2009-10, Rice Memorial), Natalie LeClair (2008–09, 2007-08, Essex), and Emily Milbank (2006-07, Champlain Valley Union) among the state’s list of former award winners.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association officially announced this morning that they have tapped Medway High School Principal Richard Pearson as its next Associate Executive Director. He will begin July 1 and replace outgoing Deputy Executive Director Bill Gaine, who is set to retire at the end of June.

Here is the MIAA's official release, courtesy of Media Relations director Nathan Bonneau:

Richard L. Pearson, currently principal of Medway High School, has been named Associate Executive Director of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Administrators’ Association (MSSAA). He will assume his new position in June.

He will succeed William N. Gaine Jr., the long time Deputy Executive Director, who will retire on June 30, 2012.

In making the announcement, Richard F. Neal, Executive Director, said, “Richard has been an active member of our two associations for many years and is well informed on the mission, responsibilities and operations of both organizations. The fact that his peers elected him to serve as MSSAA President this year is testimony to the respect he has among the educational community as a leader.”

With the MIAA, Mr. Pearson has served on many committees, including the Tournament Management Committee and Lacrosse Committee, and is currently serving as Chair of the District C Athletic Committee.

Mr. Pearson was named principal at Medway H.S. in August, 2004. Among his many accomplishments in that position was supervising the opening of a new school. He was assistant principal at Foxborough H.S. from June, 2000 to August, 2004.

A musician by education, he holds a Bachelor in Music Education degree from The Ohio State University. He began his teaching career as Band Director in Walpole and later in Medfield. He holds a Masters in Education degree from Bridgewater State College and is currently in the process of completing course work in the doctoral program at Northeastern University.

Mr. Gaine joined the Associations as Assistant Executive Director in October, 1979 and has had major responsibility in the areas of student/athlete health and safety initiatives over the years. He also had executive responsibility for all phases of management for most Association-sponsored sports with current oversight for ice hockey, football and baseball. He was promoted to his present position in 1994.

Mr. Gaine has been the architect and catalyst for the development and growth of the MIAA’s Student Services Program which includes Sportsmanship, Wellness, Leadership, Community Service and Coaches’ Education. The MIAA and Mr. Gaine have been recognized statewide and nationally for creating programming focused on student athletes that enrich their interscholastic experience through a curriculum of educational athletics.

Today marks the first day of the National Letter of Intent signing period for high school seniors in football and several other sports. We will have you covered all day today with signings, so be sure to stick with us.

This blog entry will be updated throughout the day as we receive commitments and signings from throughout Massachusetts and the New England area.

Any commitments or signings can be sent to Brendan Hall (bhall@espnboston.com) or Scott Barboza (sbarboza@espnboston.com).

(NOTE: The Ivy League does not recognize National Letters of Intent)

FOOTBALL

DIVISION 1 FBS
Khary Bailey-Smith, Weymouth - UMass
Brendan Battles, Nauset – UConn
Dereck Beck, Bridgton Academy (Maine) - UMass
Rennick Bryan, Hillhouse (Conn.) - UConn
Casey Cochran, Masuk (Conn.) – UConn
Nevin Cyr, Cushing Academy - UMass
Steve Daniels, Worcester Academy – Boston College
Montrel Dobbs, Ansonia (Conn.)/Milford Academy (N.Y.) - Temple
A.J. Doyle, Catholic Memorial – UMass
Jevon Elmore, New London (Conn.) - Army
Colby Energen, Xaverian - Army
Drew Ghio, Bristol Central (Conn.) - UConn
Malik Golden, Cheshire Academy (Conn.) - Penn State
Tim Joy, Chelmsford – Boston College
Jake Kiley, New Hampton (N.H.) - Penn State
Vondell Langston, Everett – UMass
Abner Logan Jr., Dexter – Maryland
Jordan Lucas, Worcester Academy – Penn State
Tyler Matakevich, Trumbull (Conn.)/Milford Academy (N.Y.) - Temple
Obi Melifonwu, Grafton – UConn
Eric Olson, BB&N – Northwestern
Armani Reeves, Catholic Memorial – Ohio State
John Robinson, Worcester Academy – UMass
Jovan Santos-Knox, Xavier (Conn.) - UMass
Canaan Severin, Worcester Academy – Virginia
Jason Sylva, Tabor Academy – UConn
Cam Williams, Catholic Memorial – Ohio State

DIVISION 1 FCS
Gordon Acha, Duxbury – Elon
Max Andrews, John Bapst (Maine) - Maine
Aaron Berardino, Windsor (Conn.) - Central Connecticut State
Shaun Bowman, Cheshire (Conn.) - Sacred Heart
Henry Bumpus, Concord-Carlisle – Brown
Austin Calitro, Danbury (Conn.) - Villanova
Connor Caponegro, Cheshire Academy (Conn.) - Rhode Island
Tyler Cardoze, Cushing Academy - Bryant
Tyler Catalina, Wachusett/Kent (Conn.) - Rhode Island
Don Cherry, Trumbull (Conn.) - Villanova
Andrew Coke, Andover – Brown
Dan Connaughton, BB&N – Penn
Jack Connolly, St. Sebastian's - Dartmouth (also lacrosse)
David Conroy, Walpole/Bridgton Academy (Maine) - Fordham
Brandon Cusmano, Masuk (Conn.) - Central Connecticut State
Patrick D'Amato, Xavier (Conn.) - Stony Brook
Casey DeAndrade, East Bridgewater – New Hampshire
Joe DeMichele, Daniel Hand (Conn.) - Central Connecticut State
Nick Dichiara, BB&N - Colgate
Aaron Dixon, Danbury (Conn.) - Bryant
Ryan Farrell, Xaverian - New Hampshire
Ryan Harrington, Cushing Academy - Sacred Heart
Max Hentzelman, Bishop Hendricken (R.I.) - Bryant
Tyler Hurd, Vermont Academy (Vt.) - Central Connecticut State
Sam Hutchings, Worcester Academy - Albany
Josh Ingalls, Wells (Maine) - Maine
Robbie Jackson, Natick/Dean College - Rhode Island
Brandon Johnson, Wakefield - Sacred Heart
Dom Kozlowski, Cushing Academy - Bryant
Andrew Lauderdale, Trinity (N.H.) - New Hampshire
C.J. Logan, Watertown/Northfield-Mt. Hermon - Villanova
Corey Majors, Worcester Academy – Villanova
Sacoy Malone, Springfield Central – Maine
Kevin McCarthy, Hingham - Columbia
Jameson McShea, BC High - Harvard
Michael Money, Fairfield Warde (Conn.) - Central Connecticut State
William Morlock, Newtown (Conn.) - Bryant
Cre'Shon Morrison, Capital Prep (Conn.) - Central Connecticut State
Marko Piedmont, Wilton (Conn.) - Bryant
Alex Morrill, Lebanon (N.H.) - New Hampshire
Will Quigley, Marblehead – Brown
Patrick Ricard, David Prouty - Maine
Adam Richard, BC High – Lafayette
Cameron Shorey, Philips Exeter – New Hampshire
John Snee, BC High – Sacred Heart
Andrew VanderWilden, Concord-Carlisle – Brown
Karl Sery, Hudson - Bryant
Mike Walsh, Swampscott – Brown
Chuck Watson, Middletown (Conn.)/Dean College - Central Connecticut State
John Warner, Xaverian - Fordham
Don Webber, Duxbury – Holy Cross

DIVISION 2
Jared Anderson, East Longmeadow/Bridgton Academy (Maine) - St. Anselm
Chris Calvanese, Xaverian - Bentley
Wes Crowell, Worcester Acdaemy - Southern Connecticut State
Kendal Dardy-Jones, St. Sebastian's - Assumption
Faisal Kanaan, Natick - Bentley
Matt McDermott, Central Catholic - Bentley
Gordon McLeod, BC High – Stonehill
Bartley Regan, BC High – Stonehill
Richard Sullivan, Swampscott – Merrimack

DIVISION 3
A.J. Baker, Swampscott - Union
Drew Burnett, Needham - Tufts
Corey Burns, Whitman-Hanson - Tufts
Garrett Ewanouski, Catholic Memorial - Tufts
Sam Hodgson, St. Sebastian's - Bowdoin (also lacrosse)
Patrick McLaughlin, St. Sebastian's - Williams
Andrew Murowchick, Needham - Bowdoin
Dan Pierce, Needham - Middlebury
Mark Riley, Needham - Bates (also lacrosse)
Justin Roberts, BC High - Tufts

BASEBALL
Nick Ahearn, Xaverian - Babson
Jared Clement, St. Sebastian's - Wheaton (Mass.)
Peter Cimini, St. Sebastian's - Bowdoin
Thomas Crispi, Roxbury Latin, Columbia
Mark Cunningham, St. Sebastian's - Bates
Tim Duggan, Xaverian - Fairfield
Brooks English, Milton Academy - Vassar
Sean Gustin, Belmont Hill - Holy Cross
Brian Hocking, BC High - Stonehill
Chris Hoyt, Xaverian - Stonehill
Mike LaVita, Xaverian - Skidmore
Chad Martin, Governor's Academy - Bowdoin
Bob Melley, BC High – UConn
Christopher Nadeau, St. Sebastian's - Bowdoin
John Nicklas, St. Sebastian's - Boston College
Conor Reenstierna, St. Sebastian's - Bates
Phil Sciretta, Noble & Greenough - Virginia Tech
Max Tishman, Lawrence Academy, Wake Forest
Rhett Wiseman, BB&N - Vanderbilt

FIELD HOCKEY
Katy Cronin, Franklin – Holy Cross
Maggie Travers, Scituate - Stonehill

BOYS SOCCER
Devin Devoy, Bishop Feehan - Northeastern
Jack Hilger, Hopkinton - Princeton
Nick Hoffman, Quabbin - Bentley
Colin Patch, LaSalle (R.I.) - Connecticut College
Forest Sisk, Lincoln-Sudbury - Amherst
Colin Sweeney, Algonquin - High Point
Mitchell Taintor, E.O. Smith (Conn.) - Rutgers
Tyler Zon, Noble & Greenough - Swarthmore

GIRLS SOCCER
Celia Balf, Waring - Albany
Rachel Blauner, East Bridgewater – Boston University
Jennifer Coppola, Franklin – UMass
Alex Levesque, Methuen - Rhode Island
Nandi Mehta, Lexington - Northwestern
Claire Pleuler, Gloucester - Boston University
Jessie Valenti, North Reading - Rhode Island
Hannah Weagle, Ipswich - Franklin Pierce

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Kendall Knous, Franklin – Wake Forest

And you wonder why coaches become prematurely gray and develop ulcers?

Just ask Hendricken coach Keith Croft and Chariho coach Mike Kelly.

Each coach reached for something to soothe their stomachs after his team won its respective Super Bowl.

Hendricken retained its Division I title by upsetting previously-undefeated La Salle, 17-14, while Chariho won the Division II title – the first state football championship in school history – by edging Central, 26-25.

How each team won was the stuff of legend.

La Salle led 14-10 with 55 seconds left in regulation when Laionel Cintron caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Brannigan which helped avenge a 39-14 pasting the Hawks suffered at the hands of the Rams in September.

The championship was the eighth in school history for the Hawks. And, ironically, the reception only was Cintron’s 13th of the season for the run-oriented Hawks.

Chariho trailed 25-20 with four minutes left on the clock thanks to a second touchdown run by Central’s Mike Washington. But on the ensuing kickoff, Colton place caught the ball on his two and sprinted 98 yards for arguably the biggest touchdown in Chariho history – one that produced the 26-25 victory.

The other two Super Bowls had less dramatic finishes but were just as important to the respective victors.

Rogers, which at one time dominated Division I, beat Middletown 27-7 for the Division III title while Mount Pleasant captured its second consecutive Division IV Super Bowl title by outlasting Central Falls, 22-13.

Senior Reeyon Watts helped the Vikings avenge a loss in the 2010 Super Bowl to the Islanders by rushing for 170 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.

The title was the first as a coach for Rogers’ alumnus Frank Newsome who played on three Division I Super Bowl teams from 1988-90.

Emmanuel Marsh caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Dunlap and scored on a four-yard run to pace the Kilties.

In addition, Marsh played a solid game at safety – a position he had not played before the Super Bowl because coach Paul Rao felt he would best fit in a Cover-3 defense.

(Read full post)

WORCESTER, Mass. -- The first goal the Canton Bulldogs surrendered in the playoffs was a costly one.

Saturday, the team lost 1-0 to Auburn in the Division 2 State Girls Soccer Championship. With 28 minutes left in the game, Auburn’s Jenna Scanlon received a pass in the right corner. Before she could be buried in the corner by the Canton defense, she sent a crossing pass to the front of the net.

The Canton (19-2-2) goaltender hit the ball up in the air, and Alysha Brunelle crashed the net to put home the rebound for the score.

“It looked like the goalie was coming out, but Jenna and I had been practicing that for a long time,” Brunelle said. “I finally got a foot on it and it went straight in.”

It was the first goal Canton gave up in the past five games.

Canton dominated the possession battle in the first half, spending most of it in its offensive zone. Its best opportunities came from two corner kicks, but the team was unable to convert them.

After going into the half scoreless, the Rockets came out in the second with a renewed energy. They put Canton back on its heels early and often, which lead to the eventual goal.

There was no stirring halftime speech or schematic adjustment that helped propel Auburn (22-0-1), though. Team execution was the difference.

“It was the passing game,” said coach Paul Turner. “I was just trying, as desperately as possible to have them keep the ball on the ground, which created a ton of stuff. It always did all season long. It just created opportunity after opportunity.”

“Canton is a great team,” he added. “We knew we could possess the ball and when we did, that’s basically what happened.”

Canton did not go away quietly however. Six minutes later, the team set up a corner kick to the left of Auburn goalkeeper Jordan Hauge (16 saves). After a short pass, Lauren Berman fired a shot at Hauge, but it went a foot wide of the goal.

Minutes later, Meg Lannon’s shot hit the crossbar, inches away from tying the game.

In the final two minutes, Brianna Duserick lead a late charge from midfield. She sent a crossing pass to Lennon, whose shot missed the far post by a few feet. Hauge sent the free kick down the other end of the field and the horn blew, putting an exclamation point on the Auburn Rockets’ season.

“This feels awesome, this is what we’ve been working for the longest time,” said Scanlon. “We are definitely high on life right now.”

She added, “Our freshman year we got knocked off right away and then in our sophomore year, we got knocked off in the district finals. We wanted to come back and win districts, which we did, and then we made it all the way here and lost in a heartbreaker to Medfield.

"This year, we knew as seniors we were going to give everything we had. We’re seniors now, so there’s nothing left to give. We gave it our all and it finally happened.”

FIELD HOCKEY
Division 1
Andover 1, Longmeadow 0

Division 2
Watertown 3, Oakmont 1

SOCCER

Boys Division 2
Groton-Dunstable 2, Concord-Carlisle 0

Girls Division 2
Auburn 1, Canton 0

VOLLEYBALL Division 1
Barnstable 3, Central Catholic 0

Division 2
Marlborough 3, Melrose 1

Division 3
Frontier Regional 3, Case 2

WORCESTER, Mass. -- After losing in the sectional quarterfinals in 2010 the Peabody Tanners used that loss as motivation for the 2011 season, which they finished as division one state champions.

“We had that early exit last year,” said Tanners head coach Dennis Desroches. “I know that was a driving force for us coming into this year.”

Peabody (22-0-2) was a 1-0 victor over the East Longmeadow Spartans (18-3-1), thanks to Katie Brunelle’s first half strike. But the Tanners had plenty of chances to put the game away in the first half.

Peabody striker Haley Dowd forced a save from East Longmeadow’s goal keeper Anne Stack just over two minutes into the match, from a free kick on the edge of the box.

In the fourth minute, Dowd sent her strike partner Victoria DiGiacomo clean through on goal with a perfectly-weighted through ball. Stack read the play well, and came sprinting off her line to make a tackle, not a save, at the top of her box and stop the danger.

With just 13 minutes to go in the first half, Dowd made a sensational run, going thirty yards past the Spartans defense only to be denied by Stack again.

It was starting to look like in wasn’t going to be the Tanners night.

“East Longmeadow is an excellent defensive team, so when have all those opportunities you have to take advantage of those,” Deroches said of his team’s first half frustration.

But Peabody finally got its deserved breakthrough in the 37th minute, from Brunelle.

Stack hurried a clearance off of the East Longmeadow goal line after a wayward back pass almost snuck through for an own goal. But her clearance only went as far as Brunelle, who took full advantage of the opportunity and scored the game's only goal just before the half.

“With a team like ours, who scores a lot of goals, we always have a lot of opportunities,” Brunelle said of Peabody’s first-half scoring chances. “I knew eventually someone was going to score, I didn’t know it was going to be me, but as long as we score that’s all that matters.”

The Tanners' defense and midfield limited East Longmeadow’s scoring chances in the second half, and held on for the 1-0 victory.

“Fortunately for us, that one goal held up,” Desroches said of Brunelle's strike. “Hats off to East Longmeadow, they really played us to the final whistle.”

BOYS SOCCER

Division 1 State Championship
Ludlow 2, Masconomet 1

Division 3 State Championship
Sutton 3, Georgetown 1

GIRLS SOCCER

Division 1 State Championship
Peabody 1, East Longmeadow 0

Division 3 State Championship
Dover-Sherborn 3, Hopedale 1

FOOTBALL

MIAA Top 25
West Springfield 29, No. 8 Springfield Putnam 12
No. 13 Springfield Central 28, Westfield 0
No. 17 Longmeadow 27, Northampton 0
No. 25 Gardner 35, Murdock 3

LYNN, Mass. -- Canton's Lady Bulldogs were a little unsettled about playing in Wednesday's Eastern Massachusetts state semifinal.

But junior midfielder Lauren Berman put those nerves to rest with a well-placed shot three minutes into the match, and the Lady Bulldogs never looked back, winning comfortably 3-0 over Newburyport.

“The girls on the bus were more nervous than I’d ever seen them,” Canton head coach Paul Turner said. “The first goal really settled us down, and then we started playing.”

Canton got on the score sheet inside the first three minutes thanks to a lovely shot from Berman. She curled a left footed shot from the top of the box into the top right hand corner for the opening score.

"We were nervous coming into the team room today, we were all jittery and didn’t know what to expect,” admitted Berman after the victory.

Her goal gave Canton the confidence to play their game, and they doubled their lead in the 27th minute. Meg Lennon powered her way through the Newburyport box and had a few kind deflections but made sure with the finish, low far post, for a 2-nil lead.

Canton (19-1-2) almost finished the game off before halftime, but Kenseny Waterman's free kick from 23 yards out rattled off the crossbar and the Lady Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Waterman controlled the midfield in the second half second for Canton, stuffing out any attack the Newburyport Clippers were building.

“What we try not to do is get into a ping pong game, we try to put the ball down and I though Kensey did that really well,” said Turner of his defensive midfielder. “Kensey put her foot on the ball and got our outside backs playing, and the best way to defend is to keep the ball.”

Newburyport (17-3-3) did have a chance to pull one back with under ten minutes to go, but Liza Twomey’s shot hit the post. Berman, who is committed to Maryland, added her second of the match in the 76th minute, and the Bulldogs rolled on for a 3-0 victory.

Canton will travel to Worcester on Saturday to play Auburn (20-0-1) for the division two State Championship.

LYNN, Mass. -- Victoria Ortega’s 92nd minute goal in the second period of extra time sent the Dover-Sherborn Raiders to the division three state championship in dramatic fashion.

The Raiders (15-5-3) enjoyed the majority of the possession during the game and in extra time, but they were unable to make it count on the scoreboard. They didn't crack the scoreline until the second period of extra time, and have made late game heroics a habit this post season.

“We had to earn it the hard way,” explained Raiders head coach Dave Wainwright. “But this team likes to do things the hard way, I don’t know why, but we love our drama at Dover-Sherborn.”

The breakthrough came off a corner kick early in the second overtime. Raiders senior midfielder Nadine Cutler whipped in a corner, which sophomore Jackie Gouldreault cushioned down for Ortega to smash home.

“Nadine took the corner and she had a nice ball in, like we’ve been doing all game,” said Ortega about her match winner. “It came in, it was deflecting around and Jackie pushed it out to me and I had the shot with everything I had, I saw it go in and it was great.”

Gouldreault and Ortega owned the midfield for most of the match. Despite having less possession, the Royals (13-4-6) still had some quality scoring chances.

In the ninth minute, forward Kristin Hogan ripped off the Royals' first shot of the evening, but was denied by Raiders freshman keeper Megan Hall. D-S controlled the game's tempo with its five-man midfield, but were still unable to find the game's first goal.

Gouldreault had two good chances late in the first half, including a blistering shot in the 33rd minute that sailed inches over the crossbar. Hogan had the best scoring chance for either side with the final kick of the first half, but was again denied by Hall.

Hogan had another chance when the teams retook the field. Royals senior forward Nicoline Holland played in a lofted cross which Hogan took down brilliantly, but the shoot ripped just wide left of the net.

Georgetown junior goalkeeper Jamie Block made three of her five saves over a ten-minute span in the second half. In the 62nd minute, Gouldreault sent in a cross to Raider forward Taylor Coutts, who headed a shot on target, only to be denied by Block.

Block then made two spectacular diving saves denying Gouldreault and Coutts on separate occasions. Royals head coach Colleen Gibbs had high praise for her net minder after the defeat.

“She’s been solid all year long,” said Gibbs. “She’s a great keeper, she’s made some great saves tonight, she’s been playing hard all year and she’s come through for us a lot.”

After the teams finished regulation scoreless, Ortega scored the winner in sudden death overtime.

“We just take it game by game, we just play for our seniors,” said Ortega of her upperclassmen. “We love them and we do everything we could do, and we got it done.”

WEYMOUTH, Mass. — It was apparent how much attention Peabody’s Hayley Dowd was going to get from the Oliver Ames' defense once the clock started to tick in the Div. 1 state semi-finals last night at Weymouth High.

For the majority of the game, the Tigers battered, bruised and smothered Dowd with a number of defense players and defensive looks to keep her off the scoreboard.

Sometimes great players just find ways to make their presence felt.

Dowd notched the game-tying goal and played a big part in Victoria Digiacomo’s game-winning goal in the first overtime as Peabody (21-0-2) advanced to the state finals with a 2-1 victory over Oliver Ames (17-3-3).

“When I have my chances I try to take it, and I think that’s what we did tonight,” said Dowd. “They are a good, tough team and it was one of the better teams we played this year. They were very physical.”

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead on the foot of Kristina Simonson in the 28th minute off a feed from Emily Grotz.

Dowd got her opportunity to finally break free of coverage early in the second half when she potted the game-tying goal in the 44 th minute for the Tanners.

Digiacomo and Dowd worked well up front against the Tigers back line with several scoring opportunities, but a little bit of over anxiousness saw those plays whistled for offside infractions.

In the opening minutes of the first extra session, the combo connected when Dowd sent a shot on goal and somehow it got through the Tigers defense to the waiting foot of Digiacomo to end the game 2:33 into the period.

“I’ve had a copule of those this year where I just see the net and I’m like ‘you aren’t going to score if you don’t get it on net,’” said Dowd. “I figured I’d get the ball on net and see what happens. Victoria made a great run into the net to get there right before the goalie.”

Added Digiacomo: “It squirted through and then it was me and the goalie. I got one step ahead of her and I poked it in. I didn’t even see it go in until she was on the ground.”

There was a game within the game on the pitch last night with Dowd and Tigers’ defender Clarissa Romero. The Tigers’ coaches had Romero stay with Dowd every step of the way, and in some instances bodies were flying all over the field in an intense, physical one-on-one matchup.

“She was outsanding,” Tigers coach Britt Sellmayer said of Romero’s effort. “She’ playing with a fractured nose and to go toe-to-toe with the premier player in Massachusetts, she did a great job.”

Dowd, who was taken to the turf on several occasions on rushes towards the net, said she was happy to play physical and she welcomed the challenge from a tough-minded Tigers’ back line.

“We played physical and we were going back-and-forth,” said Dowd. “I’m not mad at her and she’s not mad at me. That’s the way it is.”

FIELD HOCKEY
Division 1 North
Acton-Boxborough 2, Chelmsford 1
Andover 4, Weston 2

Division 2 North
Belmont 2, Newburyport 1
Watertown 2, Winchester 0

BOYS' SOCCER
Division 1 North
Billerica 3, Peabody 1
Chelsea 3, Somerville 2 (OT)
Masconomet 1, Acton-Boxborough 0
Medford 2, Lincoln-Sudbury 1 (OT)

Division 1 South
BC High 1, Catholic Memorial 0
Greater New Bedford Voke 2, Wellesley 1
Nauset 2, Brockton 0
Needham 2, Silver Lake 1 (OT)

Division 2 North
Concord-Carlisle 1, Melrose 0
Danvers 2, Pentucket 1
Wayland 1, North Andover 0 (OT)
Winchester 2, Stoneham 0

Division 2 South
Canton 3, Westwood 2
Hingham 1, Norwell 0
Hopkinton 2, Bishop Feehan 0
Sandwich 4, Duxbury 0

Division 3 South
Bristol-Plymouth 1, Archbishop Williams 0
Cardinal Spellman 4, Seekonk 0
Dover-Sherborn 4, Hanover 0
Nantucket 2, Old Rochester 1 (PKs)

GIRLS' SOCCER
Division 1 North
Acton-Boxborough 2, Lexington 1
Chelmsford 4, Newton North 3 (OT)
North Andover 4, Medford 0
Peabody 3, Concord-Carlisle 0

Division 1 South
Bishop Feehan 1, Franklin 0
Marshfield 3, Notre Dame (Hingham) 1
Oliver Ames 5, Needham 0
Whitman-Hanson 4, Dartmouth 3 (OT)

Division 2 North
Stoneham 1, Arlington 0 (OT)

Division 2 South
Canton 6, Scituate 0
Dedham 1, Cardinal Spellman 0 (PKs)
Duxbury 1, East Bridgewater 0
Medfield 2, Old Rochester 0

Division 3 South
Dover-Sherborn 6, Nantucket 0
Norwell 4, Carver 0
Seekonk 7, Old Colony 1
Ursuline 4, Norfolk Aggie 2

VOLLEYBALL
Division 1 South
Barnstable 3, New Bedford 0

Division 1 Central/West
Franklin 3, Westford Academy 0

Division 2 North
Bishop Fenwick 3, Stoneham 0
Melrose 3, North Reading 0

Division 2 Central
Marlborough 3, Westborough 0

Division 3 North
Lynnfield 3, St. Clement 0

Division 3 South
Case 3, Sacred Heart 0
Holbrook 3, Bristol-Plymouth 0

Division 3 Central
Douglas 3, Hopedale 2
Millis 3, Marian 0

FIELD HOCKEY
Division 1 North
Andover 4, Weston 2

Division 1 South
Duxbury 2, Sandwich 1
Walpole 3, Franklin 2 (2 OT)

Division 2 North
Watertown 2, Winchester 0

Division 2 South
Cohasset 1, Harwich 0
Canton 2, Dover-Sherborn 1 (2 OT)

BOYS' SOCCER
Division 2 South
Westwood 4, Scituate 2

Division 3 North
Georgetown 8, Mystic Valley 0
Lynnfield 5, Matignon 1
Rockport 4, Boston International 1
St. Mary’s 3, Hamilton-Wenham 2 (2 OT)

GIRLS' SOCCER
Division 1 North
Acton-Boxborough 2, Lexington 1

Division 2 North
Arlington 2, Bedford 1
Gloucester 2, Dracut 1 (PKs)
Newburyport 2, Belmont 1
Stoneham 4, Danvers 1

Division 2 South
Scituate 2, Somerset 0

Division 3 North
Georgetown 4, Shawsheen 0
St. Mary’s 3, Greater Lowell 1
Watertown 2, Mystic Valley 0

GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL
Division 1 North
Andover 3, Masconomet 0
Central Catholic 3, Peabody 0
North Andover 3, Tewksbury 1
Reading 3, Billerica 1

Division 1 South
Barnstable 3, Walpole 0
Brockton 3, Mansfield 0
New Bedford 3, Dartmouth 0
North Attleborough 3, Notre Dame 1

Division 1 Central/East
Brookline 3, Boston Latin 0
Quincy 3, Latin Academy 0
Newton North 3, Somerville 0
North Quincy 3, Cambridge 0

Division 1 Central/West
Acton-Boxborough 3, Wellesley 0
Algonquin 3, Shepherd Hill 1
Lincoln-Sudbury 3, Natick 1

Division 2 South
Bishop Feehan 3, Cardinal Spellman 2
Dennis-Yarmouth 3, Somerset 1
Fairhaven 3, Bourne 0
Greater New Bedford Voke 3, Silver Lake 1

Division 2 Central
Canton 3, Groton-Dunstable 0
Hopkinton 3, Hudson 0
Marlborough 3, Medway 0
Westborough 3, Medfield 1

Division 3 Central
Douglas 3, Blackstone Valley 2
Hopedale 3, Ayer-Shirley 0
Marian 3, Sutton 0
Millis 3, Millbury 0

BOYS' SOCCER
Division 1 North
Acton-Boxborough 1, St. John’s Prep 0 (PKs)
Billerica 1, Brighton 0
Chelsea 3, Framingham 2 (OT)
Lincoln-Sudbury 1, Westford 0
Masconomet 2, Revere 0
Somerville 1, Brookline 0

Division 1 South
BC High 3, Dartmouth 2 (PKs)
Brockton 3, Walpole 2
Catholic Memorial 1, Oliver Ames 0
GNB Voke 1, Franklin 0
Nauset 2, Newton South 1 (OT)
Needham 4, King Philip 1
Silver Lake 2, Marshfield 0

Division 1 Central
Algonquin 4, Tantasqua 0
Shepherd Hill 2, Marlborough 1

Division 1 West
Ludlow 1, West Springfield 0
Amherst 2, Agawam 1
Division 2 North
Concord-Carlisle 5, Northeast 1
Danvers 3, Bedford 2 (2 OT)
Melrose 3, Salem 2
North Andover 2, Dracut 1
Stoneham 5, Charlestown 1
Wayland 2, Lynn Tech 0
Winchester 1, Belmont 0

Division 2 South
Canton 7, Randolph 0
Duxbury 1, Holliston 0
Hingham 4, Foxborough 0
Hopkinton 3, Plymouth North 0
Sandwich 5, Medway 0

Division 2 West
South Hadley 2, Athol 0

Division 3 North
Rockport 4, Boston International 1
St. Mary’s 3, Hamilton-Wenham 2 (2 OT)

Division 3 South
Archbishop Williams 3, CCA 0
Bristol-Plymouth 1, Old Colony 0
Cardinal Spellman 5, Bishop Connolly 0
Dover-Sherborn 6, Harwich 0
Hanover 5, Mashpee 2
Nantucket 4, E. Bridgewater 1
Old Rochester 2, Cohasset 1 (OT)
Seekonk 6, West Bridgewater 1

GIRLS' SOCCER
Division 1 North
Chelmsford 1, Lincoln-Sudbury 0 (PKs)
North Andover 1, Andover 0 (PK)s
Newton North 2, Beverly 1
Peabody 4, Westford 0

Division 1 South
Bishop Feehan 4, Mansfield 0
Dartmouth 2, Braintree 0
Marshfield 1, Plymouth South 0
Needham 3, Brockton 2 (PKs)
Notre Dame (Hingham) 2, Wellesley 1
Oliver Ames 3, Falmouth 2

Division 1 Central
Algonquin 5, Quabbin 0
Shrewsbury 3, Shepherd Hill 0

Division 1 West
Agawam 2, Ludlow 1

Division 2 North
Arlington 2, Bedford 1
Stoneham 4, Danvers 1

Division 2 South
Canton 7, Diman 0
Cardinal Spellman 4, Dighton-Rehoboth 1
Dedham 3, Norton 1
Duxbury 2, Apponequet 0
East Bridgewater 2, Sandwich 0
Medfield 4, Hopkinton 0
Old Rochester 5, Randolph 1

Division 2 Central
Holy Name 2, Tyngsborough 0

Division 3 North
Lynnfield 3, Ipswich 0

Division 3 South
Dover-Sherborn 5, Blue Hills 0
Nantucket 4, Avon 2
Norfolk Aggie 2, Sacred Heart 1
Norwell 6, Pope John 0
Seekonk 3, West Bridgewater 2

VOLLEYBALL
Division 1 South
Barnstable 3, Walpole 0
New Bedford 3, Dartmouth 0

Division 2 North
Bishop Fenwick 3, Boston English 0
Melrose 3, Burlington 0
North Reading 3, Greater Lawrence 0
Stoneham 3, Greater Lowell 0

Division 2 South
GNB Voke 3, Silver Lake 1

Division 2 Central
Hopkinton 3, Hudson 0
Marlborough 3, Medway 0
Westborough 3, Medfield 1

Division 3 North
Austin Prep 3, Notre Dame 0
Lynnfield 3, PMA 0
St. Clement 3, Pope John 2

Division 3 South
Bristol-Plymouth 3, Bristol Aggie 0
Holbrook 3, Ursuline 1
Sacred Heart 3, Avon 1

Division 3 Central
Douglas 3, Blackstone Valley 2
Hopedale 3, Ayer-Shirley0
Millis 3, Millbury 0