ESPN

We unveiled our first state wide Top 25 MIAA girls lacrosse poll this afternoon. To view it, CLICK HERE.

The next poll update will be Thursday, April 18.

NOTE: Thursday's games were not reflected in this week's poll.

A few notes and observations about this first poll:

Westwood remains No. 1: Can anyone knock off Westwood? The Wolverines have won two straight Division 1 state titles, and are a favorite to three-peat with a loaded group of returning lettermen, led by two dynamic juniors -- Northwestern-bound midfielder Jamison O'Neill, and fleet-footed attack Ela Hazar. The Wolverines come into this first poll of 2013 exactly where they left off 2012, as the No. 1 team in the state.

TVL reigns supreme: Westwood has owned the Tri-Valley League for as long as we can remember, but there is still plenty of talent the rest of the way down. Four teams from the TVL are represented in the first poll of 2013, more than any other league in the state, led by Westwood at the top and followed by Medfield (16), Dover-Sherborn (18) and Hopkinton (21).

Here's how the poll breaks down by league affiliation:

Tri-Valley - 4
Dual County - 3
Mid-Wach A - 3
Valley Wheel - 3
Bay State - 2
Cape Ann - 2
Merrimack Valley - 2
Hockomock - 1
Independent - 1
Middlesex - 1
Northeastern - 1
Patriot - 1
South Shore - 1

Scott Barboza and correspondent Bruce Lerch preview the 2013 MIAA boys' lacrosse season in this edition of the High Schools Podcast (LISTEN HERE).

They break down the favorites across all divisions in the state while setting out some story lines to watch this season, in addition to an early handicap of the race for the Mr. Lacrosse award.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its recipients in each sport for its Coach of the Year awards. Each coach will be recognized at the third annual MIAA Coach of the Year/Student-­Athlete of the Month banquet on Wednesday, May 29.

Below are the winners:

Chris Gould, Amherst - Boys' Outdoor Track
Robert L'Homme, Bishop Feehan - Girls' Cross Country
Thomas Rivet, Chicopee - Boys Soccer
Donald Savi, Dedham - Girls Soccer
Chris Sweet, Duxbury - Boys Lacrosse
Friend Weiler, Duxbury - Girls Ice Hockey
Kirk Fredericks, LincolnSudbury - Baseball
Alyssa Schatzel, Masconomet - Girls Volleyball
Brenda Sullivan, Maynard - Field Hockey
Michael Kirby, Narragansett - Softball
Robert Ryan, New Bedford - Boys Tennis
Wayne Griffin, North Attleborough - Wrestling
Paul Worth, North Shore Tech - Football
Jose Rocha, Peabody - Boys' Cross Country
Shawn Thornton, Pope John XXIII - Girls Basketball
Jeff Nelson, Reading - Boys' Golf
Mark Pierce, St. Bernard's - Boys Basketball

SHREWSBURY, Mass. -- The mindset of Brandon Bingel is quite simple. The St. John’s Prep pitcher knows his out pitch is a fastball and over his career here it has worked effectively. But against St. John’s Thursday afternoon, Bingel knew the Pioneers were sitting dead red on his fastball and decided to change his repertoire up a bit.

The Bryant University-bound right-hander mixed in a change up and a tight slider which kept the St. John’s hitters off-balance long enough to earn a 2-1 victory at chilly Pioneer Field.

“I felt all of my stuff was on today,” said Bingel, a senior. “Usually I like to go fastball until a team shows me they can hit it. I knew (St. John’s) was a good hitting team so I decided to go with my slider and change which they really couldn’t hit so it worked out.”

After losing their season opener to defending Division 1 state champ Xaverian, the Eagles (4-1) have now rolled off four straight victories. This one, however, was far from easy.

With this contest tied 1-1 through five innings, Prep scored the eventual game winner in its half of the sixth. Tyler Noe was plunked by Pioneer starter P.J. Browne. The junior lefty’s day was done at that point despite putting forth a strong outing by scattering three hits and fanning five.

Reliever Jacques Boilard was called upon to keep the game deadlocked. Noe stole second and advanced to third on a ground out. Senior Nick Bragole then grounded a single up the middle plating Noe with the go-ahead run.

Having scored 22 runs in its first two games, St. John’s (2-1) went down unceremoniously over the final two innings as Bingel earned the complete game victory, surrendering five hits and striking out 11.

“Brandon had all three of his pitches going today,” longtime Prep coach Pat Yanchus said. “St. John’s is a very good team and always gives us a good game. There weren’t a lot of hits today but we took advantage of the ones we got.”

The Eagles grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third. Natty Cabral opened with a double to left and was bunted to third by Alex Moore. Cabral came home moments later on Tommy Buonopane’s fielders choice.

St. John’s answered back with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame. A bloop single by Micah Cummings was followed up by an opposite field Kevin Quinlivan double to left. With two runners in scoring position, Tom Petry grounded a single to left to plate Cummings. But Bingel avoided further trouble by striking out Mike Sullivan and Scott Manea ending the threat.

“Obviously Bingel is a heck of a pitcher,” Pioneers coach Charlie Eppinger said. “We had some opportunities in that third inning and then in the fifth when Cummings led off with a double but we couldn’t get a bunt down to advance him and we ended up failing to score in that inning. If you can’t score in situations against a team like that it is going to come back to bite you and today it did.”

STARTING ELEVEN
Attack – Ela Hazar, Jr., Westwood
Attack – M.J. Keefe, Sr., Andover
Attack – Amy Arnold, Sr., Masconomet
Midfield – Megan Hennessy, Sr., Winchester
Midfield – Tess Chandler, Sr., Hopkinton
Midfield – Alex Dalton, Sr., Notre Dame (Hingham)
Midfield – Jamison O’Neill, Jr., Westwood
Midfield – Marina Burke, Sr., Westwood
Defense – Molly Strakosch, Sr., Needham
Defense – Rachel Talanian, Sr., Norwell
Goalie – Annee O’Connor, Jr., Needham

WATCH LIST
Attack – Isabella O’Connor, Jr., Notre Dame (Hingham)
Attack – Weezie Gross, Jr., Andover
Attack – Amy Arnold, Sr., Masconomet
Attack – Allison Ryan, Sr., Norwood
Attack – Hannah Dinardo, Sr., Weston
Attack – Sarah Martin, Sr., Minnechaug
Attack – Riley Hellstein, Sr., Agawam
Attack – Natalie Soliozy, Sr., Ipswich
Attack – Bianca Brueckner, Sr., Weston
Attack – Jenna Klinka, Jr., Westford
Midfield - Maddie Stenberg, Sr., Needham
Midfield – Julia Simmons, Sr., Notre Dame (Hingham)
Midfield – Marina Burke, Sr., Westwood
Midfield – Abby Quirk, Sr., Lincoln-Sudbury
Midfield – Jill Scyocurka, Jr., Longmeadow
Midfield – Shannon Fitzgerald, Jr., Newton North
Midfield – Kathryn Dunn, Jr., Cohasset
Midfield – Lizzie Suschana, Jr., Longmeadow
Midfield – Rebecca Olsen, Jr., Concord-Carlisle
Midfield – Catherine Conley, Jr., Needham
Midfield – Emily Giumetti, Sr., Duxbury
Midfield – Sarah Smith, Sr., Acton-Boxborough
Midfield – Grace Celona, Sr., Bishop Fenwick
Midfield – Madeline Ward, Sr., Norwell
Midfield – Mariel Teague, Sr., Notre Dame (Hingham)
Midfield – Amelia Brown, Sr., Notre Dame (Hingham)
Midfield – Hope Kissick, Sr., Norwell
Midfield – Katelyn Noschese, Sr., Medfield
Midfield – Bailey Mongillo, Sr., Westford
Midfield – Maggie Collins, Sr., Marblehead
Defense – Audrey Samuelman, Sr., North Andover
Defense – Kasey Keane, Jr., Westwood
Defense – Madeline Curley, Jr., Cohasset
Defense – Molly Fitzgerald, Jr., Cohasset
Defense – Kristen Hickey, Sr., Ursuline
Goalie – Maria Platsidakis, Sr., Mansfield
Goalie – Aileen Kelly, Jr., Framingham
Goalie – Zoe Ochoa, Sr., Longmeadow
Goalie – Rachel Massicotte, Sr., Wayland
Goalie – Erin Shaughnessy, Sr., Westford

GRAFTON, Mass. -- The events which took place last June at Rockwood Field in Worcester are scrapbook material now. After 10 months of celebration, pats on the back and congratulatory messages, the Grafton High softball team is back at work.

What is different this year than in years past is the Indians return as defending Division 2 state champions. But if you ask any of the returning players about last season’s magical run, they are quick to point out that was last year and this is this year.

What Grafton accomplished a year ago was historical and undaunting. The Indians were considered a strong program, according to those who follow this game closely, but not one who was expected to vie for a Central Mass. crown let alone a state championship. But this team refused to buy into the banter. From the opening game of last season, Grafton ran amuck through Central Mass., winning its first 19 games. A setback against St. Peter-Marian did little in changing the course of the Indians prolific ride. They rolled through the Central Mass. postseason tournament, bumped off Western Mass. champ Hampshire Regional in the state semifinal, before slipping past Abington to secure a state crown.

“There is no way I will ever forget the experiences of last year,” said junior pitcher Kendal Roy, a key component to last season’s success after going 18-1 inside the circle, sporting an 0.72 ERA and recording 176 strikeouts. “That was the best time ever. But it’s 2013 now and 2012 is over. It’s a new season. We have some new girls added this year and lost a couple from last year’s team. What we did last year doesn’t matter anymore. We need to come out this year and redeem ourselves and show we are still the same team.

"We are young and even if we don’t win we know will live another day and move on. I think that’s the way to view all of this.”

Starting on varsity as a freshman, Roy, who was selected to last year’s ESPN Boston MIAA softball All-State Team, carried an overall record of 43-5 into the 2013 season. It's unfathomable what that mark could be once she graduates next year. Roy has become one of the premier hurlers in the state and should carry that torch through the next two years.

“We know we have one of the best pitchers in Central Mass.," 14-year head coach John Gemme said. “In most cases, once we get a lead you start feeling a little more comfortable with Kendal [Roy] on the mound. She never gets rattled and she never thinks she is better than anyone else on this team. I know in a lot of cases where someone gets most of the accolades and it gives them a big head but that has never been the case with Kendal.”

When asked about her own personal accomplishments, Roy is quick to defer the spotlight on to herself, instead choosing to talk about team achievement. That is one of the reasons why the chemistry among this group has remained so positive. Everyone on this team gets along with one another and there is not a shred of animosity to be found. To a player, the Indians play as one complete unit. Their mission and purpose approaching each season never changes.

“One thing about this team is we have very few who take the winters off, put the glove away and don’t see it again until now,” said assistant coach Mike Roy, Kendal's father. “That’s why we are where we are. The majority of these girls are constantly working on their game throughout the winter months because they want to get better.”

You will often hear music blaring from a boom box inside their dugout, as part of the Indians' pre-game routine. During games, team members huddle in unison to sing songs and shout out various chants of support. In essence, you would be hard-pressed to find another program more loose, upbeat and relaxed as this one.

“As long as we are doing what we are supposed to be doing out on the field I don’t think it’s a problem for us to have some fun while we do it,” said Tara FaFord, a senior third baseman who will play at the University of Bridgeport next season.

It's no secret that teams will be gunning for the Indians this year, although Grafton is already off to a 5-0 start. That is the scenario most teams face in their attempts to defend a title.

But Grafton offers up a simple response: bring it on.

“We know everyone we play is going to bring their best game at us,” senior catcher and Bryant University commit Ali Page said. “Every team we play is going to look at us like it is their Super Bowl. Last year, we were very methodical in how we did things and took a game-by-game approach. I feel we need to continue to do that again this year in order to remain successful.”

One thing that doesn't get brought up is the added pressure of trying to win back-to-back crowns. Talk of a repeat is never uttered. At least not yet. Gemme says he prefers to play out the regular season first and see what happens from there.

“Last year these girls showed up everyday trying to get better at something,” he said. “This year we are approaching it the same way. As a coach you ask yourself what do I need to do to make us get better because everyone else you play against is going to try and knock us off. Those teams are going to continue to work to get better and we need to do the same thing.”

Only one time last season did Grafton not play to its capability. What a late season defeat to St. Peter-Marian, a team that finished with 11 losses and failed to qualify for the postseason, did was only spoil an opportunity for a perfect season and, in turn, serve as a wake up call.

“Getting that taste in your mouth of losing was something we hadn’t experienced all year,” FaFord said. “We sort of forgot how to lose so after losing that game we all agreed that we never wanted to feel that way again.”

Added Roy, “The St. Peter-Marian loss was probably the best thing that could’ve happened to us. We were so high about being 19-0 heading into that game and to be taken out by a team that didn’t even make the districts proved that we are human and we can lose a softball game if we fail to show up and play.”

PEABODY, Mass. –- Beverly’s defense was air-tight for 6 and 2/3 innings, but the Panthers couldn’t advance the game to extra innings, making two consecutive errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Peabody the 1-0 win.

Pat Ruotolo pitched a gem for Peabody, throwing all seven innings in his first start of the year, he struck out 10 Beverly batters and gave up just four hits. He was at his best in crunch time, putting up consecutive three up, three down innings in the sixth and seventh. Coming into the game, it wasn’t coach Mark Bettencourt’s gameplan to give the UConn-bound righty the start on the mount.

Andrew McLaughlin was supposed to start on the mound for Peabody, saving Ruotolo for Lynn English on Friday, but McLaughlin was very sick for the majority of the day -- something that Bettencourt found out as he got to the field.

“Andrew is a gamer, so if he says he can’t pitch, then he can’t pitch--he was feeling pretty sick. Although, having Pat as a fill-in isn’t bad either,” Bettencourt said with a laugh about starting his ace instead.

Ruotolo struggled to command his breaking ball early in the game, something his coach attributed to the jitters of his first start.

“Pat’s gonna be Pat," Bettencourt said. "Early in this game, he was a little hesitant about his curve ball. But I think around the third inning you started to see him pick it up a notch, he started to get a little more confidence, you started to see the ball jump out of his hand a little bit more. He got stronger when that game went on."

He finished the complete game victory in 98 pitches.

“And he could have gone another inning or two,” claimed his coach.

Beverly got a fantastic performance from their starting pitcher as well. Eric Messina was constantly getting his team out of jams, pitching all seven innings and making a living off of getting Peabody’s batters to hit ground balls. For almost the entire game, his infield behind him was rock solid—turning double plays and getting to tough ground balls.

But the defense couldn’t hold on in the end.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, George Tsonis ripped a grounder that went under the glove of the shortstop, and Bettencourt immediately put in speedster C.J. Alimonti to pinch run for Tsonis at second base.

On the next play, Matt McIsaac (2-for-2, two stolen bases) hit a grounder to third base, and Alimonti came around to score on a throwing error to win the game.

“It’s funny, every time we play each other it comes down to who makes the first mistake," Bettencourt said. "Both teams, for 6 and 2/3 innings, played solid baseball. They made some great plays, their kid battled and got out of situations...luckily for us, that’s a pressure groundball right there."

The coach went back to his ace pitcher when talking about the difference in the game. Beverly second baseman Cam Rogers went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases of his own, but outside of Rogers, Ruotolo had the Panthers’ number for the vast majority of the game.

“I don’t care who you are, when you have your first start of the year you’re going to be a little jittery -— I don’t care if it’s Pat Ruotolo or a freshman,” Bettencourt said. “I think he got the jitters out in those first couple innings. [Late in the game] he was attacking people, he has the confidence to do it.”

GRAFTON, Mass. -- During the top of the sixth inning, and her team locked in a tight-fisted 1-1 duel against Division 1 foe Holy Name, Grafton ace pitcher Kendal Roy began to sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” from inside her dugout. Her teammates quickly caught on and followed her lead. Suddenly a chorus of this famous song resonated all over Nelson Field.

This is the demeanor of the Indians. They play relaxed, are never uptight and have a great time playing the game they love. This off-beat conduct certainly has paid dividends for Grafton in the past. Last year, they won the Division 2 state championship boosted by the same mannerisms. On Wednesday, this personality helped carry them again as the Indians erupted for seven runs in the sixth to claim an 8-5 victory over the Naps.

“To us a 1-1 game is definitely different than losing 1-0,” said Roy, who allowed six hits while striking out nine which gives her 59 for the season. “When we tied it, 1-1, we all looked at it as if it was a 0-0 game. Once we tied it we knew we were doing fine.”

Holy Name hurler Kelsey Saucier (7 hits, 9 walks, 8 Ks) was in control early, holding the Indians to a single run through five innings. But things unraveled quickly for her in the decisive inning. The junior had lost command of her blazing fastball, as many pitches were starting to finish high above the strike zone.

Saucier opened the inning by plunking Tara FaFord, walking Michelle Goulet and allowing Marissa Ruggiero to reach safely on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. With the pressure on, Saucier threw a belt-high fastball to Tess Fitzmaurice, who roped a three-run triple to center making the score 4-1. Makayla Ritzie followed by lining a double to left scoring Fitzmaurice. Ritzie would later score on a fielder’s choice putting the Indians ahead 6-1. Two more Saucier walks resulted in two more runs on RBI singles from Roy and FaFord.

“It’s the beginning of the season and we’re not quite in shape yet,” Naps coach Aimee Lee said. “I think that was a main factor today and once they started getting hits we started getting that feeling of being defeated.”

That feeling didn’t resonate for to long. Holy Name (2-1) made a valiant comeback attempt in the bottom of the sixth. A pair of Grafton errors led to two runs making it an 8-3 contest. The Naps closed to within three run following RBI by Heather Drummond and Deanna DiPilato.

But Roy bore down from there allowing no further damage.

“I owe this entire game to my team,” added Roy, her team now 5-0. “We got some huge hits when we needed them and it really boosted our confidence and energy. These are the types of games that push us to be as good as we can be. Holy Name is a great team and we knew going in it would be a great game. These are the games that make us a better team.”

The Naps grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening frame when Ana Biney (3 hits) scored from second on a two-out single by Saucier. Holy Name had a couple of opportunities to add to its total in the early going but a couple of web gems from center fielder Kate Cardoza kept it a one run game.

Grafton eventually tied things in the fifth. Ritzie, the No. 9 hitter, led off with a single, stole second and took third on a pass ball. The junior came home moments later on a Saucier wild pitch.

“Everything seemed to come together for us in that sixth inning,” Grafton coach John Gemme said. “But even before that Kate [Cardoza] made some great plays in center field for us which, if she hadn’t, could’ve changed the complexion of this game [Ritzie] has been working really hard at getting her swing more compact and today it showed with her getting a couple of hits. For Tess [Fitzmaurice], getting that triple was huge. It was her first hit of the year and came at a good time. She has been working very hard on her hitting and it certainly paid off today.”

LYNN, Mass. -- A cold, windy early April afternoon turned out to be as good a day as any for Lynn English lefthander Ben Bowden to make his debut for the 2013 season. The Vanderbilt-bound senior struck out 15 batters and allowed just two hits and an unearned run as the Bulldogs eased by Salem, 7-1, in their season-opener at Fraser Field.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Bowden has been one of the most highly-touted pitchers in the state since the beginning of the 2012 season, when he threw a perfect game against Marblehead in his first start of the season. Bowden earned a spot in the "Starting Rotation" of ESPNBoston.com's All-State Team by season's end, with six wins to go with 82 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. He will be a name to watch this spring as he gets into a groove -- in front of a half-dozen Major League scouts today, he topped out at 89 miles per hour on the radar guns, hitting the 85-86 range with regularity.

Bowden spoke with ESPNBoston.com following the win to talk about his vastly-improved conditioning, the new pitches he's added to his repertoire, and what baseball means in the pride-filled city of Lynn.

Q: Take me through your game day routine, during the day and then leading up to the game.
A: "During the day obviously we have school, so I'm pretty amped up during the school day. But today, I felt kinda crappy. I've had a stomach bug the last few days, and it's pretty bad, but I get pretty amped up during school, I try to forget about it as much as I can until I get out. And then I get out, get dressed, get down to the field as fast as I can and start stretching. I stretched today for about a good 40 minutes or so, and then I was ready to rock."

Q: You're obviously pretty geared up for this first start. What do you do in a situation like that, with an illness?
A: "I had a feeling I was going to get it -- my dad got it, my sister got it, so I had a pretty good feeling I was going to get it. I just hoped it would come soon, and it would be gone for today. But I was just praying it would go away, I felt pretty crappy last night and today I felt OK as the day went along. I started feeling it again, but it will be gone tomorrow."

Q: A few weeks ago when we spoke, you said you feel the best you've ever felt going into a baseball season. What contributed to that?
A: "I honestly think basketball and conditioning helped, but I was also throwing on the sides a lot more than I ever have before. Definitely, the throwing helped a lot. I kept a consistent schedule, probably twice a week, and kept a light pace -- you know, not blowing it up. That's definitely helped.

Q: Was there anything you were looking to tweak with those throwing sessions, from last year's performance?
A: "I developed a slider over the off-season, and that needs a ton of work. I tend to lose my legs towards the end of the game, and I just got to do a better job conditioning, working my legs more, staying compact to the plate throughout the game, keeping my front side in and not flying open."

Q: I understand you've lost a lot of weight from last year.
A: "I'm probably 40 pounds [lighter] now. I was pretty heavy at the end of August. I did a lot of working out, stopped eating junk food, started eating the right stuff. I feel a lot lighter on the mound, I feel like I can run a lot easier, pulls aren't as bad as they were last year. It's all beneficial.

"Right now, I'm fluctuating between 215 and 220 [pounds]. I was 252 [by the end of last August]. A lot of fast food, on the road alot, out in Long Beach for the Area Code Games. But I'm happy I got it off, and I'm in the best shape I've been in a while."

Q: You get attention for your velocity, but you work in your changeup and curve nicely.
A: "I'm not exactly happy with my velocity yet. I want to be a lot higher at the end of the season. Obviously, first start, you know, after coming off this nice little sickness, [and] I haven't thrown a pen in seven days, so this is kinda my pen and the start.

"But my changeup, I've always had a pretty good changeup, I'm actually still developing it. I'm developing a straight change, as well as a circle -- I've always had a circle. My slider today, I felt that a few of them were pretty good, and a few them weren't that good, I was a little disappointed in myself on that. I wasn't getting through them as well as I should have."

Q: How does it feel when you ring a guy up on high heat?
A: "I love ringing guys up on fastballs. You get to hear the pop of the glove, and the whiff -- hopefully, they whiff. Looking is OK, too. Coach Phibbs called a great game today, I got all the trust in the world in him. And then our catcher Drew [Gentile] did a great job behind the plate."

Q: What do you feel you are representing when you put that jersey on?
A: "A city of a lot of sports fanatics, and it's pretty cool because my coach and teachers all know when my games are, they're always asking when I'm starting. So, I had a few teachers out here today, so that's pretty cool. A lot of people I've known, like [assistant coach Bill] Dutch, he's been here in Lynn since he was a little kid. He was brought up a Bulldog, he went to school at English. I feel like when I go out there and do a job and get the win, I feel like I'm getting a win for everyone, especially coach Dutch. He does a lot of unbelievable things for the kids in Lynn. It's a cool feeling."

Q: What's it like throwing in front of Major League scouts like today?
A: "Last summer when I was throwing in Syracuse, Georgia, Long Beach, I kinda got used to it. Not that you ever get too used to it, you still get the extra jitters, but it's an honor to be recognized by those guys and have them come out and look. It's a cool feeling. You get a little extra fired up, because you see those guys with the guns back there, but you just got to remain calm and just do your thing and not try and get too amped up, you know?"

Q: Where do you think you need to improve the most this year?
A: "I absolutely have to improve on my slider, but I've also got to improve on spotting up and keeping the ball low. You can't do that [leaving the ball up in the zone] at the next level, those are some of the top hitters in the country, so I've got to work on spotting up."

WESTWOOD, Mass. – As Catholic Conference rivals BC High and Xaverian traded goals like dueling banjos through three quarters of Tuesday’s game, you could find a parallel for this season. With four teams in the initial ESPN Boston MIAA Top 25 poll, the conference figures to be among the state’s most competitive and deep this season.

But through the first couple of week of the season, as in Tuesday’s action, the No. 8 Hawks have emerged from the pack.

Xaverian ran its league record to 3-0 in the early going with a 9-7 win over the No. 11 Eagles at the Hawk Bowl.

“Being three-and-oh in the conference means everything to us right now,” Hawks head coach Tim Gardner said. “You have to treat every one of these league games as championship game.”

Xaverian attackman Jake Cox paced the Hawks (3-1, 3-0) with a four-goal performance.

The Hawks trailed 5-4 at the half, but tied it heading into the fourth on Cox’s third of the game. Xaverian pole Chris Ciolfi gathered a ground ball near midfield and went the distance, regaining the lead for the Hawks with 9:42 to play.

BC High (1-2) again responded about two minutes with a goal from Billy Breen.

But the Hawks retained the lead for good a minute later with Harry Walsh’s rip from about 15 yards out. Ryan McClellan added another less than a minute later for a two-goal cushion.

Alex O’Brien claimed BC High’s seventh tally, but the Eagles were shut out down the stretch as the Hawks saved their most effective possession effort of the game for its most critical stage.

Cox added his fourth of the game — on the man-up — during the final minute.

“Our weakness today is that we didn’t possess the ball as much as we should have in the second half,” Eagles head coach Tim Kelly said. “We played a lot of defense and, if you give a team like Xaverian those chances, they’re going to put the ball away.”

SHIFT AND A SLIDE
Gardner wasn’t overly pleased with the Hawks offensive effort – citing too many unforced errors against the Eagles. However, Xaverian was able to cash in during crunch time in the face of a staunch BC High defense led by Duke commit Ian Yanulis.

“It’s all ball movement,” Gardner said. “But when you have unforced errors, it takes you out of your momentum. It’s hard to running against the guys that they have. It’s a good defense and a solid scheme. You just have to move the ball quicker. When we were able to keep possession, we were able to work for good shots.”

FAR FROM OVER
While the Hawks are perched atop the conference standings in the early going, Kelly – a longtime BC High assistant in his first year as head coach – believes the race is far from over.

“You know they’re always going to be tight, I’ve been around it enough to see it. We lost in overtime to [Catholic Memorial], we lose by two here. Three-and-oh is a lot of breathing room early in the season, but it’s a long way.

“You know things are going to tighten up because we play each other so well and so often.”

WESTFORD, Mass. -- With so many league matchups taking place early in the season, Acton-Boxborough knew it had to make a statement against Westford Academy to avoid losing pace in the Dual County League Large race.

The Colonials did exactly that, dominating in all phases of the game en route to an 18-13 victory over the No. 4 Grey Ghosts at Westford Academy.

Ten different players found the back of the cage for A-B (4-1 overall, 1-1 DCL), topped by Scott Rogers (four goals, two assists) and J.T. Kelly (four goals, one helper). Trevor Konenenko added a hat trick while Hunter Arnold and Brian Picca each contributed a goal and two assists.

On defense, poles Ian Maxwell, Gabe Cormier, Austin Wolf and James Gnall, along with LSM Kevin Brogie, were outstanding in front of goalie Rick Kronenwett.

"We're very athletic," said A-B head coach Pat Ammendolia. "Last year I think we had some great lacrosse players. This year, we have some good lacrosse players but I think we've got great athletes on this team. We can run and that's definitely a strength of ours, team speed. That's what we like to do, get out there and try to run by people."

In order to do that, the Colonials needed to have possessions and the trio of Joe Cormier, Gabe Cormier and Josh Bucens took care of that. Joe Cormier was particularly dominant as the main draw-taker and A-B won all eight faces in the opening quarter and the offense staked the team to a 6-1 lead.

The Colonials would extend that lead to as many as nine goals in the second as Joe Cormier, Arnold, Konenenko, Bryan Sweeney, Rogers, and Kelly all scored during a 6-1 spurt. Loyola-bound attackman Jay Drapeau (four goals, assist) had the first tally of the frame for Westford (4-1, 1-1) and added two more before the half to make it a 12-5 game.

"We isolated their shorties up top, we ran our system and dodged up top," Rogers said of the offensive explosion. "Their slides were a little late and we just put it to them, put the ball in the back of the net. When we ran down the alleys, their slide would come from the crease. J.T. [Kelly] did a good job of popping up to the high crease and getting a couple looks. I got both my assists to him."

Acton-Boxborough pushed the lead back up to nine in the third (15-6) as Rogers, Max Emond and Kelly all connected before Josh Sawyer (four goals, assist) slowed the run. The Colonials slowed the pace in the fourth, trading goals to start the frame with Joey Biggins getting the final score for an 18-9 lead with 5:05 left. The Grey Ghosts popped in four in a row to close it out.

"I think I underestimated their athleticism a little bit," admitted Westford coach Matt Tholander. "I knew they had good, individual, on-ball defenders but I didn't realize that the faceoff circle was going to be a huge problem for us. Faceoffs and ground balls were the big differences in the game."

"Our unsettled defense has been better this year and we obviously got caught up a little bit there with our matchups," he continued. "We knew defensively, we weren't ready at the beginning of the year and we're a long way from where we need to be but like I said to the kids, I've been on this side of it multiple times with A-B where they bum-rush us and next time around, it always seems to work out that you always get another shot at them."

STARTING ROTATION
Megan Colleran, Jr., North Attleborough
Anna O'Neill, Sr., King Philip
Lauren Ramirez, Sr., Dracut
Kendal Roy, Jr., Grafton
Shannon Smith, Sr., Milford

STARTING NINE
Tori Constantin, Sr. 2B, King Philip
Stephanie Cornish, Sr. 3B, Abington
Alexis DeBrosse, Sr. SS, New Bedford
Caroline Fairbanks, Sr. 3B, Milford
Nicole Lundstrom, Sr. C, Dighton-Rehoboth
Bella Picard, Sr. SS, Blackstone Valley Tech
Madi Shaw, Jr. SS, Bridgewater-Raynham
Dakota Smith-Porter, Sr., P/SS, Turners Falls
Reilly Weiners, Sr. C, Agawam

WATCH LIST
Olivia Antczak, Soph. P, Central Catholic
Allie Colleran, Jr. SS/OF, Concord-Carlisle
Megan Cook, Jr. P, Bellingham
Haley Currie, Sr. 3B, Burlington
Sara Dawson, Soph. P, Bridgewater-Raynham
Kaleigh Finigan, Sr. 3B, St. Mary's (Lynn)
Bridget Furlong, Sr. 2B, Malden
Courtney Girouard, Jr. P, Fairhaven
Galen Kerr, Sr. P, Concord-Carlisle
Taylor LeBrun, Soph. C, Milford
Rachel Levine, Sr. CF, Milford
Michaela Mazure, Soph. INF, Burlington
Shannon McLaughlin, Jr. P, Tewksbury
Paige Mulry, Jr. C, Boston Latin
MacKenzie Navarro, Jr. 1B, Taunton
Alicia Reid, Sr. CF, Abington
Kelsey Saucier, Jr. P, Holy Name
Rachael Smith, Jr. P, Winchester
Lauren Tuiskula, Sr. P, Leicester
Jurnee Ware, Sr. P, Hudson

A source confirmed to ESPNBoston.com tonight that UMass has added two more in-state prospects to its growing list of preferred walk-ons for the 2013 season.

Bob McGovern of the Maroon Musket was the first to report that Worcester Tech offensive lineman Chris Sotir will be walking-on to the Minutemen's program. The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder was a captain for an Eagles squad that went 3-8 this past season.

The source also confirmed that former Brockton High standout Jesse Monteiro will be walking on. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder did a post-graduate season at Tabor Academy this past fall. In 2011 with Brockton, Monteiro caught 14 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns, and had two interceptions on defense. Monteiro was an impact at several positions last fall for the Seawolves -- most notably wide receiver, slotback, cornerback and kick returner -- but generally projects to either cornerback or slot receiver at the college level.

That adds to the growing list of Class of 2013 prospects set to walk-on. Sotir and Monteiro join Barnstable's Andrew Ellis, Dennis-Yarmouth's Joe Tyo, Dexter's Costa Toubekis, Medfield's Will Giggi, Mystic Valley's Klysmann Afonso, and Mashpee's Jordan Keli'inui and Zak Orcutt among the preferred in-state walk-ons.

Former New England Patriot James Ihedigbo will be running his second annual clinic for high school players on Saturday, April 20, at his alma mater Amherst Regional High School.

The day will consist of Ihedigbo -- an Amherst High (2002) and UMass (2007) graduate who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens this past year -- leading off with a welcome speech, followed by individual drills, 7-on-7 passing scrimmages, lunch and an awards presentation.

All high school student-athletes from Massachusetts are invited to participate. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is just $20 to register.

The event is being organized by UMass' Association for Diversity in Sport club. All profits from the James Ihedigbo Invitational will benefit HOPE Africa, an organization he founded in 2007 in an effort to continue his father's dream of helping those back in his home country of Nigeria. HOPE Africa helps deserving African students who have a deep determination to excel through education by providing them scholarships to elite American Universities as well as providing a network of support, resources and opportunities. While in the United States, students will participate in service projects and engagement within their American communities.

For more information, CLICK HERE for the event's website. You can also contact Alex Mercer (amercer@student.umass.edu) or Caleb Engelbourg (cengelbo@student.umass.edu).

Defending Division 1 state champion Duxbury opens another season as the No. 1 team in our initial MIAA boys' lacrosse poll Top 25 poll.

The Dragons, despite losing 10 Division 1 recruits off of last year's team, are deep again and looking for their 10th state title in the last 11 years. They will surely face a stiff challenge from Lincoln-Sudbury, which checks in at No. 2, and boasts a host of Division 1 talent in its own right. Last year's Division 1 state runner-up Needham begins the season at No. 3

CROWDED IN D2
Once again, the Division 2 race should be one to watch. Defending state champion Concord-Carlisle gained the highest ranking by a D2 team, peaking at No. 5. But they'll field challenges throughout the year from a bunch of D2 teams huddled in the Top 10. Hingham claims the No. 6 spot, followed by Catholic Memorial (No. 7), Reading (No. 9) and Medfield (No. 10).

The Central Mass competition in the division will also be tightly contested with defending sectional champion Algonquin (No. 16), but look for Grafton to make a push, starting out at No. 18, and No. 23 St. John's (Shrewsbury) is always a force.

There is one lone Division 3 representative in our initial poll, with defending state champion Dover-Sherborn appearing at No. 13.