Bow News : lacrosse

Athlete of the month: Bow’s Bucchino a rock in net for state champs

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:11:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY
Sponsored by Indian Head Athletics

David Bucchino won’t be in net when the next Bow boys lacrosse season starts, but he’ll still have an impact in the crease.

In addition to working closely with his protege during practices, the recently graduated Bucchino steadied the Falcons en route to a second consecutive Division II title, earning him the honor of Indian Head Athletics Athlete of the Month for June.

During Bow’s three postseason contests, Bucchino allowed just under six goals per game, but it wasn’t only his work during games that impressed Falcons mentor Chris Gaudreau.

“He’s just got it. His talent as far as being a leader and getting other kids to follow is even more impressive,” said Gaudreau. “Not only does he have talent, but he carries himself in exactly the way you’d want him to.”

Next year, the Falcons turn to a junior netminder with little varsity experience. John Fanaras was the backup goalie this year, and he was able to soak in a great deal of advice from Bucchino, a fellow left-hander.

“There have been a lot of skills I picked up from him, from hugging the post and keeping the angles,” said Fanaras. “I also got to see the way he handled himself in a lot of big situations. He holds his composure very well, and that’s something that every goalie should take into consideration.”

Both Fanaras and Gaudreau said Bucchino carries the same intensity he has during games while on the practice field.

Bucchino, who plans to play lacrosse at Elmira College next year, said it will be difficult to move on from the Falcons, yet he knows he’s leaving the team in good hands with Fanaras taking his place.

“I told him before I left that he had big shoes to fill, but he’s ready. I have a lot of confidence in him,” said Bucchino. “They gave me a lot of respect. It’ll be really hard for me to leave, but I definitely went out with a big bang.”

During the end-of-year awards ceremony at the high school, Bucchino was given the Male Sportsmanship Award – not just for the spring season, but for the entire year.

Gaudreau will miss Bucchino next season, both on and off the field.

“He’s really a coach’s dream,” said Gaudreau. “He attacks the ball, and he makes saves that you wouldn’t expect him to be able to make. Every game there were four or five goals that he kept off the board. He just saved us.”

(Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Indian Head Athletics.)

Bow boys take second straight title

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:09:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Chris and Steve Gaudreau keep sharing the wealth.

On Wednesday, June 10, the brothers coached the Bow boys lacrosse team to a 15-8 victory over Dover, clinching their second consecutive Division-II title and third in six years.

Last year, Steve returned after a one-year hiatus, joining Chris and 10 seniors en route to the championship. This year, after taking a heavy hit from graduation, Chris said there were many holes to fill but added the players in the pipeline made the transition nearly seamless.

“For us, it’s like deja vu. It’s almost too good to be true,” said Chris Gaudreau.

“We’ve used the word lucky, but a lot of it is that we’ve been very fortunate to have these great kids that listen, work hard and allow us to coach them. I hope we can continue to be in the mix, but you never know, which is why these last couple years have been so special.”

Though the Falcons continued their dominance after losing double-digit seniors the last two years, Gaudreau said the departure of goalie David Bucchino and attacker Sean Dippold – two of three captains and four recent graduates - may be just as tough to overcome.

“David is a phenomenal player, and with all his (personal) honors, he was a leader in the truest sense of the word,” said Chris Gaudreau. “And Sean, he stepped in his junior and senior years and was just an absolutely tremendous competitor. He led by example by the amazing amount of emotion and intensity he brought. And he took it to even another level in the playoffs this year.”

While Dippold notched three goals to help lead the Falcons past Dover, Bucchino stopped 16 shots to secure the victory.

Junior Alex Davies stole the offensive show with six goals, and classmate Christian Calkins impressed with five assists to complement his three tallies.

“We’re very proud of this team, especially because these kids played their best at the end of the season,” said Chris Gaudreau. “We were simply dominant at times in the playoffs, and more importantly we carried ourselves well. We made mistakes along the way, but we owned those mistakes.”

Along with Davies and Calkins, the Falcons’ third captain, backfielder Griffin Sandler, is expected back, as are midfield standouts Greg Bueddeman and Chris Roberts and sophomore defender Greg Stevens, among a plethora of other talented athletes.

Chris Gaudreau said it’s tough to envision a change in the current co-coaching arrangement.

“We’re both young, and splitting responsibility equally, we’re able to stay sharp and energized,” he said. “Never say never, and things change, but I don’t see either one of us going anywhere anytime soon.”

Bow girls win crown – again

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:06:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

They’ve been there. They’ve done that. And they didn’t mind doing it again.

Bow High School’s girls lacrosse team has been to every title game since Division II play began in 2002, and on Thursday, June 11, the Lady Falcons won a fourth state championship with a 13- 7 victory over Bishop Guertin at Southern New Hampshire University.

Alison Meagher and Samantha Gallerani notched four goals and two assists apiece to lead Bow.

Early on it appeared the nearly 500 spectators on hand were in for a see-saw battle; Bow clung to a 3-2 lead after only 4 minutes, 59 seconds of play.

The Cardinals knotted the score at 3-3 with 15:07 remaining in the half, but the Falcons outscored Guertin, 4- 1, in the final 15 minutes of play to take a 7-4 lead into halftime.

The lead expanded to as many as eight, and Bow cruised to the win.

Sophomore Lindsay Bucknam scored twice and assisted on a pair of goals; senior Caitlin Pratt added two goals, and sophomore Rachel Roberts and junior Lauren Wheeler both collected an assist.

“They’re tough every single year,” said Bishop Guertin head coach Ron Cote. “They just know how to win.”

Bow was 12-1 during the regular season to earn the No. 3 seed in the bracket, but none of the teams in the postseason gave the Falcons much of a challenge.

In fact, the six-goal decision over the Cardinals was the closest game Bow played this postseason.

Goaltender Leanna Shea returned from a toe injury only a few weeks ago, bouncing back extremely well in the title tilt to stop 14 shots and earn the win.

Bow’s head coach, Chris Raabe, said returning to the final contest of Division II play is always the preseason goal.

“At some point, the streak will end,” said Raabe. “That’s how we start each year, using that as motivation. They don’t want to be the team who doesn’t make it here. It’s become tradition for us, and having them know that every year makes my job a little easier.”

Defending champ Bow finds its way following April setback

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:22:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Losses are never fun, but Chris Gaudreau can’t deny early-season setbacks have benefitted his Bow boys lacrosse team the last two years.

Despite losing 10 seniors from the 2008 Division II championship squad, Gaudreau, who coaches the Falcons with his brother Steve, said this year’s unit has shown significant improvement following an 8-6 defeat at Timberlane in its fourth contest.

Since that stumble, Bow has won five straight games and improved its record to 8-1.

On Friday, May 15, the Falcons traveled to Dover, where the Green Wave moved the matchup from afternoon to evening.

“I think they were looking for a playoff atmosphere under the lights,” said Gaudreau.

It certainly provided a litmus test for both squads.

After allowing Dover to score first, the Falcons took a 5-2 lead into the second quarter, held a 7-5 advantage at half time, traded two goals apiece with the Green Wave in the third, and pulled away in the final period for a 12-8 victory.

“That was a real dogfight of a game, but I feel we’ve been playing better and getting better every time out since that early hiccup (against Timberlane),” said Gaudreau. “The challenge is going to be keeping that going and making sure we’re peaking at the right time.”

That’s a reasonable expectation, he said, thanks to the leadership and postseason experience of senior goalie David Bucchino, classmate Sean Dippold, an attacker, and junior backfielder Griffin Sandler, Bow’s three captains.

“All three know what it takes and know what we expect,” said the coach. “They know how to win.”

While Dippold has accumulated 15 goals and 19 assists through nine contests, Alex Davies and Christian Calkins have really sparked Bow’s attack.

Davies, who split time all over the field last season, leads the current squad with 35 goals and 19 assists, while Calkins, who was not with the Falcons in 2008, has contributed 20 tallies.

Junior speedster Greg Bueddeman, on the other hand, has stepped out of the offensive limelight to become a playmaker as the team’s center midfielder.

“For someone who didn’t have a whole lot of experience taking faceoffs in the past, his success in that area is one of the main reasons we’ve had so many quality transition opportunities,” said Gaudreau. “He’s one of the best finishers we’ve ever had here, and he had more than 20 goals last year. We’ve been really impressed with his willingness to change for the sake of the team.”

Junior Chris Roberts, who also started for the locals last season, solidifies the midfield. Defensively, Sandler and sophomore Greg Stevens have saved a backfield almost completely depleted by graduation.

Stevens has utilized superb hands and stickwork to shut down the opposition’s top offensive threats, said his coach.

Though the pieces seem to be falling into place, Gaudreau said the current lot of players still has a lot to prove if a repeat is expected.

“We’re definitely on a similar track (to last year) in that we had that early game where we just didn’t bring it, which seemed to wake us up and give us that drive,” he said. “But … this league is stacked. Every team that makes the playoffs is going to have an extreme fight on its hands. If you don’t put out your best effort, you’re probably going to lose in this league.”

Those contributing for the Falcons for the first time this season include senior Nat Bresler; juniors Curtis Perry, Kyle Tracy, Chad Wilkinson, Jacob Hughes, Collin Evans and Michael Dal Pos; sophomore Dylan Erickson and freshman Brad Clark.

Perennial power Bow thumps Bedford in opener

Goffstown Editor — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:33:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Despite falling in the 2008 Division II finals to Hanover and graduating seven seniors, Bow High School girls lacrosse remains in the midst of a dominant run that began in 2002, when the league was first established.

“This program has a certain amount of history, and they have pride for that,” said head coach Chris Raabe. “They don’t want to be the class to break that.”

Raabe’s Falcons left the gate quickly in 2009, easing past firstyear Bedford High School with a 20-3 victory. Five goals from senior attacker Caitlin Pratt and a hat trick from sophomore Lindsay Bucknam led the team.

Even in victory, Raabe wasn’t completely satisfied. She has plenty of time to work with her group. The team’s next scheduled game is Saturday, April 25, against St. Thomas Aquinas.

The coach said her team’s passing against Bedford was sloppy at times. She said poor passing was one of the causes of Bow’s title-game loss in ’08. Mackenzie Langsten scored 2009’s first goal, tallying 43 seconds into the contest and adding another little more than two minutes later.

Bow’s high-octane style of play utilizes its deep roster of experienced players, including seven seniors.

“I lay more on them because I know they’ve been through it,” said Raabe. “And I know what they are able to handle.”

As Bedford continues its inaugural season, the Bulldogs eye the Falcons as a model program. “It was a great learning experience (opening against Bow) and a chance to see the caliber of play and where the bar is set,” said Bedford’s head coach, Jill Bartlett. “That’s a team that we can look at and try to emulate.”

Across the field, Bow High rakes in lacrosse awards

Bow Editor — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:02:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Throughout the 2008 season, the Bow boys lacrosse team took one fellow Division II foe after another to school.

Even Chris Kelleher, coach of D-I Salem, admitted the Falcons smacked his squad with a lengthy measuring stick during an 8-1 interdivisional loss.

“Some of the kids were saying, ‘They’re D-II, so no problem ... ” said Kelleher, following the April 26 setback. “Skill-wise and athletically, I don’t think they’re that different than us. Mentally, though, there’s a big gap there.”

The Falcons even taught their own coaches not to underestimate them.

“Every year we expect to be in the mix because we have such a great youth program, but when you lose 14 seniors from the previous season … you just don’t know how kids are going to respond moving into larger roles,” said co-head coach Chris Gaudreau. “We had a bunch of kids step up to a level that would have been unrealistic for us to expect prior to the season.”

After watching the Falcons sweep through the playoffs and easily pass their final test with an 11-5 title game victory, it’s evident other D-II coaches learned their lesson as well.

When the final results were graded, 10 Bow players and both head coaches were voted to the New Hampshire all-state lacrosse team.

Sibling revelry

Chris and Steve Gaudreau shared the throne when Bow won its first boys lacrosse title in 2004.

Steve left for a year, in 2007, and the Falcons fell one win short of their second title. This season, Chris said his brother provided the extra boost needed to once again hoist the title.

Now, they share another accolade: New Hampshire coach(es) of the year.

“Steve and I have coached together a lot, in basketball and lacrosse, but this was really a storybook year for us,” said Chris. “I mean, you have years when you’ve got great kids, and you have years when you have a lot of talent, but to have it all in one, and to share that with my brother, well, this was one of those unforgettable seasons you might get once in a lifetime.”

The defense never rested Nick Sarette and Andrew Hunter were voted team captains prior to the season. Neither disappointed, said Gaudreau.

“Nick’s the kind of guy I’d put on the other team’s best player and ask him to shut them down,” said the coach of the first-team all-stater. “That’s a lot of pressure, to be a stable force while everyone else got their feet under them.

“Andrew is a coach’s dream. He’s a kid that has a good amount of ability, but he probably gets more out of himself than he should, and I mean that as an extreme compliment,” Gaudreau continued. “He’s a true gentleman in a sport that gets real physical. He keeps his head about him, and he’s probably the hardest-working kid I’ve every had.”

While the captains took much of the attention in the backfield, Gaudreau said it was Zy Noury who held the defense together.

The senior, who wanted to be an attackman his freshman year, played stellar “D” all season.

“It was a tricky position for him because a lot of times we’d stick Andrew and Nick on the other team’s best players and kind of left Zy on an island,” said Gaudreau. “He was just rock solid for us.”

Net gains

Goalie has never been a position of need on the Bow High School lacrosse field. As Gaudreau put it, “We’ve had great goalies that have handed the torch over, one after another.”

Yet it was junior netminder David Bucchino who may have impressed his coach more than any of his predecessors.

In a sport predicated on scoring, Bucchino maintained a 65- percent save percentage throughout the season, holding opposing teams to 4.3 goals per game. To put that into perspective, the Boston Cannons’ Kip Turner, Major League Lacrosse’s statistical leader in goals against average, has allowed 12.79 shots past him a game. He maintains a .517 save percentage.

And Bucchino’s presence, said Gaudreau, grew with the weight of the games.

“He was going along, playing steadily good, and at the end of the season, on the biggest stage, he really rose up,” said the coach. “I mean, he was seeing the ball really well. He really frustrated the other team’s scorers.”

Bucchino made 10 saves in an 8-4 quarterfinal victory over Bishop Brady, 18 saves in a barnburner against Winnacunnet, and denied 12 Oyster River shots in the finale.

Now that’s just offensive

Leading a balanced offense throughout the season was Steven Gallerani, the leading vote-getter among attackmen.

The senior led Bow in scoring with 41 goals and 20 assists. He was also Bow’s lone representative in the New Hampshire-Vermont all-star game, where he found the back of the net three times.

“For him to step up and be our leading scorer … We thought he would have a real solid year, but we couldn’t have expected him to be as dominant as he was,” said Gaudreau. “He was kind of a quarterback back there.”

Sean Dippold, who notched 25 goals and tallied 31 helpers, was also recognized for his contributions with an all-state honorable mention.

The junior, who played all over the field as a sophomore, was able to use his strength and size to dominate in front of the net this season.

Gaudreau said Dippold may have been the most fundamentally sound player on the field.

Mid-level exceptions

The Bow midfield, said Gaudreau, was the difference in the state title game.

Alex Stevens, with his superior offensive talent, and sophomore Greg Bueddeman, with his stellar speed, each received a firstteam nod.

Stevens, an all-state attackman his junior year, was asked to change positions this season to strengthen Bow’s midfield.

“I don’t know how many kids would embrace that change and do what’s best for the team. I’m very impressed with the maturity in which he handled that for us,” said Gaudreau. “He really presented a great matchup problem for other team’s midfielders. It’s harder to match up there, because a lot of times guys kind of get lost in transition, and that’s where Alex really excelled for us.”

While Stevens was a known commodity, Bueddeman played JV his freshman season.

“We thought Greg could do some damage in the midfield, but to score 18 goals and be one of the main scorers on the first line would really have been a lot to expect of a sophomore,” said Gaudreau. “Usually sophomores show up (mentally) one day, and the next day they’re a little bit off their game. But he was really a game changer with his legs and speed. When he turns it on, he finds another level.”

Longstick middie Griffin Sandler, who Gaudreau said plays with the most intensity he’s seen, and Chris Roberts, who took charge of Bow’s first-line faceoffs, each received honorable-mention nods.

“Chris, we expected to be on varsity, but we didn’t expect him to play nearly as much as he did,” said the coach. “He got opportunities because of injuries and some other things, and he played himself into a position where we couldn’t take him out.

“If team energy was low, there’s a good chance Griffin would go out there and do something to change it,” added Gaudreau of the soon-to-be junior, who captains next year’s team with Dippold and Bucchino.

National intelligence

Steven Lagos didn’t make the all-state lacrosse team, but he earned an honor on a larger field.

The senior, who notched 10 goals and eight assists playing first-team midfield, was one of three Granite Staters named to the U.S. Lacrosse Academic All- American team, which combines excellence in the classroom with a high level of play on the field.

Long-time Bow youth lacrosse teacher leaves legacy of success

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:16:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

In 1994, when Howard Roever and two others started the Bow Youth Lacrosse (BYL) program, his team of players struggled to score a goal most of the season, let alone win a game.

Since then, lacrosse in town sure has changed.

Following 14 years with Bow Youth Lacrosse, Roever recently stepped down as the group’s director after helping build a program that has served as the foundation for youngsters who eventually played for Bow High School – home to multiple state champions.

“We’ve accomplished more than we could have imagined. When we started we just hoped there’d be a high school program,” said Roever. “We took our lumps, but it was a learning experience.”

Bill Lawson was one of the original three members – Steve Moltisanti was the third – who started BYL.

“Howie’s been there from day one and put in all the time to organize everything while he is there, as well as working with the older boys since they started,” Lawson said. “He is very passionate about the sport, and the kids like him because of his intensity.”

“There are kids who have been out of the program for eight years, but I still see them and get a big hug,” said Roever. “It’s such a big part of my life, and hopefully I made enough of an impact that they appreciate it.”

Roever decided to step down mainly to spend more time with his family.

“It just seemed appropriate because my other son will be a senior (at Bishop Brady), and I want to watch him and help coach my freshman. It’ll give me more time to focus on them,” said Roever. “I think I might be a little bored next spring.”

Roever plans on continued involvement in the sport, refereeing youth games and possibly coaching at the high school level.

Lawson said when the youth program was started, there was only a small group of players.

“It was very different. Lacrosse was small in the state of New Hampshire when we started, so we wanted to just give it a try and see how it goes,” said Lawson. “We went from starting something new in the area to now, (when) the kids see it as a sport that’s been around forever as far as they’re concerned.”

Roever takes pride in what he taught players on the field, and he hopes they carry that knowledge into their everyday lives.

“Anyone who’s seen me coach, I can be a little loud. But at the end of the day you are shaking hands with the other team, and it is about respect. In the business world you might be at each other, but we’re all human beings,” said Roever. “You try to teach them to be good sports, teach them respect and to do the right thing. You can take lessons from the game and take them outside of the game.”

Bow girls' lacrosse team falls to Hanover in state title game

Bow Editor — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:03:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

It’s another year, yet the jerseys are usually the same. For the fifth time since Division II girls lacrosse was established in 2002, Bow and Hanover played for the state championship.

The outcome, of course, wasn’t decided until the final minutes.

But unlike last season, when the Lady Falcons pulled a minor 17-16 upset against their rivals from the Vermont border to take a 3-1 advantage in title tilts, this year it was the Lady Marauders who dashed Bow’s hopes of an undefeated season, 12-9, at Manchester Memorial on June 4.

“Remember last year’s game? Well, that’s in their memories, and there’s eight seniors, so they had that in the back of their minds,” said Hanover coach Marianne Doyle.

“The fact that we hadn’t lost all year, it’s a good thing, and it’s a little bit of a monkey on your back,” said Bow coach Chris Raabe. “It seems like every year it’s us and them. Last year, we gave them their only loss. This year, they gave it to us.”

Indeed, the Lady Marauders, who fell to the locals, 13-11, earlier this season, rebounded from a 4-1 first-half deficit to take a 5-4 lead before the break. They scored twice in the opening minute of the second half, and held an 8-4 lead by the time Bow scored again. In a 12-minute span that began with 6:52 left in the first half and ended with 19:51 remaining in the second, the Lady Falcons were outscored 7-0.

“They know Bow, and they know our games can be streaky with them … and they know there can be momentum shifts,” said Doyle, who watched Bow draw to within three goals with 4:17 remaining in the game, more than enough time for the division’s highest scoring team. “When there was three minutes left, I think that was the longest minute I’ve every experienced in women’s lacrosse. (But) Bow had very few uncontested shots, and the shots that went in were great shots.”

Still, Raabe said her players missed downfield passing opportunities and subsequently forced some ill-advised shots.

“I think they were just trying to get some momentum going our way,” she said. “It wasn’t for lack of trying, and I’m proud they stuck it out and were still taking shots to the end. It’s just every time we tried to change something, it was something else that wouldn’t go our way.

“We missed the cage a lot. We hit the pipe a couple times,” added Bow’s coach. “We were struggling with our midfield coming back. We were getting slammed on the draws. We had a rough day.”

Though the Lady Falcons returned to the title game this season after graduating 13 seniors, they lose seven more leaders heading into 2009.

None may be more difficult to replace than speedy midfielder Kiley Corson, said Raabe, though Lindsay Segal- Bator, Kelly Lynch, Nichole Buckley, Sarah St. Onge, Abigail Leach and Jackie Laboe will all be missed.

Returning, however, are juniors Mackenzie Langsten, Alison Meagher, Rachel Roberts, Laura Aurilio, Orli Gottlieb, Caitlin Heindl, Caitlin Pratt and Leanna Shea; sophomores Donna DeMaria, Hope Hartley Camille Laboe, Erin Gail MacDonald, Sarah Large, Samantha Gallerani, Lauryn Wheeler and Hannah Whitley; and freshmen Lindsay Bucknam and Maggie Crisman.

Falcons take care of unfinished business, win D-II title

Bow Editor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:05:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

It was a familiar feeling, to be sure. Chris Gaudreau jumped in the air, his arms pumped, his smile broad.

Next to him, his brother, Steve, did the same.

In 2004, the last time the Bow boys lacrosse team won a state title, the two were together, only then Steve was the head coach and Chris was his assistant.

Steve left the program following that season, and Chris took over.

Steve returned as assistant to Chris, though they say they’re co-coaches.

The combination of the two, in any order, apparently means championships. “I told him he must be the difference maker,” said Chris.

On Tuesday, June 3, the Falcons defeated upstart Oyster River, 11-5, to lay claim to their first title in four years.

That, after the program graduated 14 seniors following a 2007 season in which it finished Division II runner-up to St. Thomas.

“We came in this year with a lot of holes to fill and a lot of hard work to be done, and I just feel like this group has grown so much over the season,” said Chris Gaudreau. That maturation, said the head coach, likely began after Bow suffered its first and only loss of 2008, an 8-2 setback against Dover on April 15.

“We had a little bit of a pit stop there, and we really took a look at what we were doing and how hard we were working, and we really dedicated ourselves,” he said. “After that Dover game we really questioned our toughness. We knew there was some talent out there, but we won this thing because we were mentally tough.”

Not only did the Falcons carry one loss into the DII tournament, where they earned the No. 1 seed, but they added three playoff wins – including an 8-4 quarterfinal triumph against Bishop Brady and a 5-4 semifinal squeaker against Winnacunnet - to their 14 regular-season victories.

Their most convincing win, however, came on the state’s biggest stage, at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter. After going down by a goal in the first minute, Bow responded with six unanswered goals and didn’t allow Oyster River to score again until midway through the third quarter.

The two squads then traded goals, but the contest was never closer than four points, and the Falcons pulled away late to secure the crown.

“(Oyster River) beat the No. 2 and No. 3 seed, so we didn’t take them as a No. 7, we looked at them as a No. 2,” said senior Steve Gallerani, who scored four of Bow’s goals. “Wow, this was just a great ending for all the seniors who didn’t really get a chance last year. It was just a great year.” While Gallerani led the team in scoring, Alex Grip found the back of the net twice; Brian Moore added a goal and two assists; Alex Stevens and Sean Dippold each contributed a goal and an assist; and Greg Bueddeman and Stephen Lagos each scored once. Alex Davies also offered a helper.

In the semifinals, Bow dispatched a Winnacunnet team that had not lost since April 25. “That was a hot team, that was a very good team, and we were lucky to get the win,” said Gaudreau, who added that his squad wouldn’t even have a shot at the title if it weren’t for the stellar play of David Bucchino and his 18 saves against the Warriors. “He was just fantastic,” said the coach. “He saved us an awful lot. I mean, our defense played well, but Winnacunnet had some quality possessions and great looks, and when they got there, time and time again David came up big.”

While Bucchino took care of business on his end, Dippold led the Falcons in scoring with two goals and one assist. Davies, Zack Steck and Stevens also notched points, and Grip added an assist.

“These kids, you know, only if you spend every day with them in the trenches do you know how hard they work,” said Gaudreau. “We ask an awful lot out of them. I’ll tell you what, I’m so proud of these kids right now.”

Bow girls lacrosse team still has shot at playoffs

Bow Editor — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:59:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

The varsity program is in its third year of existence, yet the Hopkinton girls lacrosse team is competing for a playoff spot. With a 9-5 win against Merrimack Valley on Saturday, May 17, Hopkinton upped its record to 5-7 and can finish with a .500 regular season by defeating 4-8 Plymouth, on Tuesday, May 20, and 4-9 Pelham on Friday, May 23.

That still may not be enough to earn a Division-III postseason berth.

“It all depends on what happens with the teams in front of us,” said second-year head coach Curt Martin. “We set a goal that we wanted to make the playoffs this year because we felt like we were right there with the majority of the division, and so far the scores reflect that.”

Indeed, Hopkinton has been competitive in all but two contests. With the exception of lopsided losses to D-III superpowers Portsmouth and Hollis, the Lady Hawks have outscored their opponents, 93-77.

Hopkinton has posted a 17-4 triumph at Somersworth, a 12- 3 victory at Derryfield and 16-2 win at Pembroke.

And the team continues to mature.

“It’s been frustrating at times, in the sense that some of those games we’ve been leading or right there on the doorstep and end up losing because of a mental breakdown,” said Martin. “But Saturday’s game against Merrimack Valley is probably the best game we’ve played in terms of maintaining our focus all 50 minutes. If we played that way a few of the other games, I think the outcomes may have been different.”

Still, that growth gives Martin hope for the future, especially next season when he returns 20 of 23 players, including 11 current juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen.

“We have a lot of playing experience returning. A lot of those juniors have been playing varsity since freshman year,” said Martin.

However, losing senior captains Elyssa Bairstow, an attack wing, Kristen Murphy, a defenseman, and Pam Kelig, the team’s goalie, won’t be easily overcome.

While the offense of junior Steff Bailey and sophomores Kaley Cook and Danielle Gonzales has led the attack, it’s been the defensive presence that has fueled most of the team’s victories, said Martin.

Leading the backfield this season are juniors Sarah Dobe, Meg Wilson, Brittany Dow and Brooke Porter.

Junior Amanda Moody and freshman Nicole Mitchell have provided defensive depth. Others playing for the Lady Hawks this season include juniors Hanna Gesen, Mackenzie Migdal, Abby Pfeiffer, Amy Smith and Becca Trento; sophomores Claudia Lawton and Jessica Pennell; and freshmen Becca Dow, Nicole Kimball, Alysson Moody and Hallet Sargent.

“It’s been a fun, hard-working group of kids that’s really been a pleasure to coach this season,” said Martin. “I think this team should continue to get better and better each year.”

When they’ve lost, it’s typically been by two or three goals. When they’ve won, it’s generally been in convincing fashion.

In boys' lacrosse blowout, D-II Bow teaches D-I Salem a thing or two

Bow Editor — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:20:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Physically, the visitors were every bit the equal of their hosts. But Salem’s boys lacrosse team, which trekked nearly 80 miles round trip for an interdivisional contest on Saturday, April 26, proved it has a long way to go to match Bow’s proven mental makeup.

The Falcons, last year’s Division- II runner-up and fresh off a 7-6 double-overtime defeat of D-II champ St. Thomas Aquinas a day earlier, played steady, heady lax in an 8-1 victory over the Division-I Blue Devils.

“Some of the kids were saying, ‘They’re D-II, so no problem.’ Well, they’re also the state runner-up, and they’re always strong,” said Salem head coach Chris Kelleher. “Skill-wise and athletically, I don’t think they’re that different than us. Mentally, though, there’s a big gap there.”

True, Bow controlled play by every physical, statistical measure – shots on goal, saves by David Bucchino in the first half and Nick Calkins in the second, and, of course, assists and goals scored – but that doesn’t completely explain Bow’s dominance.

“We talk about mental toughness, about things we can control,” said Bow’s cocoach, Steve Gaudreau. “The kids have consistently done a good job in how they react to situations.”

Against Salem, Bow forced the visitors to do most of the reacting. Only a nifty catch-and- shoot goal late in the fourth quarter prevented Bow from securing the shutout.

Meanwhile, the offense produced three goals in the first quarter and three more in the second, and Bow rotated in a number of players who helped the Falcons pull away.

“Someone like (sophomore midfielder) Chris Roberts had an opportunity, and he’s worked his way up,” said head coach Chris Gaudreau. “We’ve got a lot of kids that are fundamentally sound. That’s a credit to the youth program in town.”

Game notes

Sean Dippold, Stephen Lagos and Alex Grip tallied in the first quarter, then Alex Davies and Steven Gallerani gave Bow a 5-0 edge. Dippold capped the first-half barrage. Gallerani netted both of the Falcons’ second- half scores, one each in the third and fourth quarters.

Speedy Greg Bueddeman contributed two assists, and Dippold also had multiple helpers. Roberts assisted on Gallerani’s second score.

Bow girls aim at fourth lacrosse title

Bow Editor — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:13:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Chris Raabe knows it has to stop sometime. She just hopes – for her seniors – this isn’t the year.

The Bow girls lacrosse team has reached the state final each season since the inception of Division II lax in 2002, and the Lady Falcons wore the crown three of those six years, winning in 2003, ’05 and ’07.

Last season, Bow defeated Hanover, 17-16, on a late-game Kiley Corson goal in the finals, avenging its lone loss in a 12-1 season.

Raabe, who has led the team to the title round each year, said this season expectations are no different.

“Skill-wise, we are very similar. Desire-wise, our desire to make it (to the championship) is probably a little stronger every year we get there because they want to keep it going,” she said. “The girls are pretty intense so far. Practices are pretty intense.”

The Lady Falcons return 13 players, and Raabe said they have the potential to be even better than last season.

Leanna Shea, a junior, and Erin MacDonald, a sophomore, return in net. Raabe said with a year of varsity experience under their belts, both are in position to excel in 2008.

And Bow’s attack is potent and faster than ever, said the coach.

Corson, a midfielder, and attacker Abigail Leach, both seniors, return with designs on another title.

Junior Mackenzie Langsten, who notched four of Bow’s 17 goals in the championship last year, is back as well, as are classmates Caitlin Pratt, Alison Meagher and Orli Gottlieb.

Senior Jackie Laboe anchors the backfield, and Caitlin Heindl completes a solid veteran core.

Sarah Large, who was called up from junior varsity during last year’s tournament, will contribute on defense, and Lauryn Wheeler adds to the Falcons’ attack.

Many athletes reached pinnacle in 2007

Bow Editor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:28:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

It began with some strong individual efforts in the winter – a trickle of championships earned by Bow, Hopkinton and Concord athletes on the slopes and the mats.

It continued in the spring and summer, with various teams hoisting title plaques for their lacrosse, baseball and softball prowess.

It concluded with the Hopkinton boys soccer team winning a second straight Class M crown.

In between, 2007 included some poor behavior from socalled fans in the stands at a Little League game and the arrest of a rising basketball star at a local college.

But those two disappointing examples and some near misses on local fields couldn’t overshadow a successful year in Bow-area athletics.

Winter

Wrestling
Bow High finished fifth at the Division II championships. It was a bit of a disappointment for the team, said coach Jim Kaufman, but not for D.J. Meagher. The 145-pound senior pinned his opponent in the finals in under two minutes, earning him a trip to the Meet of Champions. Connor McDonough, Ben Morrow, Josh Nawn and Spencer Wolverton joined Meagher at the M of C.

Concord, after defeating nemesis Timberlane for the first time in regular-season history, fell to the Owls in the Division I championship, 239.5 to 237.5 points.

“This one’s gonna sting for a while, a long while,” said senior heavyweight Dan Herrick, who lost a tight match in the closing seconds that swung the outcome. Still, Tyler Saltsman, Alex Buessing, Derek Bisson, Rob Garcia, Harry Paul, Marshall Gleason, Brandon Paige, Pat Boyle, Bob Daniel, John Meadows and Levi Byers all joined Herrick at the Meet of Champions.

Once there, Bow’s Meagher and Concord’s Saltsman and Buessing won the M of C in their respective weight classes. Meagher and Saltsman then dominated at the New England wrestling championships, with Saltsman winning his first regional crown and Meagher his second in a row.

Skiing
The Concord boys won the Division I Alpine title, and both the boys and girls teams won the Nordic title.

Bow’s Ian Hanson not only won the Division III state slalom title, he finished second in the giant slalom, then took 10th at the Meet of Champions and earned an invitation to the Eastern High School Championships.

The Nordic teams were also impressive for the Falcons. The boys won the Division III state title, and the girls finished second. The group also turned the usual pecking order on its head in the process.

“Our seniors, and especially our captains, are also coaches, setting examples for teammates,” said head coach Chris Naimie. “They even wax the skis for everyone else.”

Sarah Gilroy of Hopkinton won the girls Division IV slalom crown.

Hockey
Bow, for the fourth straight year and fifth in six years under head coach Tim Walsh, reached the state semifinals and was stopped.

“You have to look at the positive side that we’re here and other teams aren’t …” said Walsh. “But it is frustrating because I’m sick of … going in there and saying, ‘You know, it was a great season, but, unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top.”

Bishop Brady outplayed the state champion Bishop Guertin Cardinals in the state finals, but despite a goal from Bow native Brooks Herrington, Brady fell to Guertin, 2-1.

Gymnastics
Concord entered the girls gymnastics state championship as the top seed, but left in fourth place. Bow’s Stephanie Cormier competed as an individual and placed eighth, while Hopkinton’s Julia Lynch finished 19th.

Basketball
The Bow Memorial girls and boys teams turned in impressive seasons. The girls went undefeated. The boys won the Bow Athletic Club tournament, defeating Hudson, the lone team to hand the locals a loss in 2007.

No area high school team – Bow, Hopkinton or Concord – reached the state semifinals, though the Hawks were within range of top-seeded Conant. A slow-down tactic left the Hawks trailing after three periods, 12-3.

At the college level, cousins Mike Chergey, at Plymouth State University, and Paul Chergey, at Southern New Hampshire University, overcame hand injuries to contribute important minutes as freshmen. As the 2007- ’08 season approached, Paul Chergey was indicted on drug charges and suspended from the SNHU team.

Indoor track and field
Brendan Hyland and Kyle Audet finished second and third, respectively, in the 1,500-meter run at the Class L indoor track and field championships.

Bow’s 4 X 200-meter relay team of Emily Hannon, Jill Hannon, Julia Waddell and Timiny Mosher earned all the team’s points with their third-place effort.

Swimming
Hopkinton sent a team of young athletes to the state swimming and diving championships in February. It was the first time the school sent a relay team to Durham.

“Hopkinton is a small, small school, but I don’t think (swimming) is going to go away,” said coach Joanne Jackson.

Spring

Baseball
Hopkinton, the top-ranked team in Class M, lost to Conant in the semifinals, 4-3, leaving the bases loaded and ending an otherwise stellar year.

“It’s a painful loss. Conant was a team we beat readily twice in the regular season,” said Hopkinton manager Dave Chase. “We had such a strong season. I honestly don’t know if the better team won, but I think they had a better day than us.”

Track and field
Hopkinton’s girls team won the Class M-S championship with 124 points, 51 more than its closest pursuers. The Hopkinton boys took ninth.

Christine Head won the pole vault at the Meet of Champions with a 10-foot effort, then improved to 10-06 at the New England Regionals the following weekend.

“I usually get nervous when I have to perform in general, so I purposely did things that forced me to be in front of lots of people,” said Head. “… I want to do well in college, so I’ve got to start working on those things before I get there.”

The Bow boys finished 10th at the Class I meet, while Concord’s Brendan Hyland again won the Class L 1,600-meter run.

Softball
Concord, as the No. 6 seed, reached the Class L semifinals, losing to second-seeded Londonderry, 2-1.

Lacrosse
Bow put both its teams in the Division II state final. The boys, seeded third, fell to top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas, 7-5.

But the girls, on then-junior Kiley Corson’s shot with less than 20 seconds remaining in the match, added to the school’s trophy case, beating Hanover, 17-16, for the Division II state title.

“I shot at the same spot earlier and scored, so I figured I’d aim at the same spot and try again,” said Corson.

It was the second time in three years Bow beat Hanover for the crown.

Hopkinton, the No. 1-ranked boys team in Division III, was stunned in the semis by No. 4 seed Merrimack Valley in overtime.

Tennis
Concord did it again, winning its second straight title, ninth in 10 years and 23rd overall following a 5-2 win over West. Despite losing four of their top six players, the Crimson Tide went undefeated and missed very little en route to the crown – except for their head coach, Dave Page, who dodged the post-game cooler of water.

The Bow boys were knocked from the postseason in the semifinals, a 7-2 loss to Portsmouth that was much closer than the final score indicated.

“The other two coaches for Portsmouth, they were very nervous about what was happening,” said Bow head coach Drew Groves. “This was a lot closer than they had anticipated. Our kids were playing some great, inspired tennis.”

Summer
American Legion baseball Though the Concord senior team missed the American Legion postseason, the junior team earned the playoffs with a 7-6 win over Salem. The group was eliminated by top-seeded Derry, 3-2.

Little League/

Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball and softball
The Kearsarge Mountain South 10U Babe Ruth softball allstar team finished in the top four at the New England regional tournament. “(Spending time together off the field) is what they really enjoy,” said manager Richie Vaillancourt. “But coming in one game away from playing at nationals isn’t something they’re going to forget either.”

The 14U Bedford Hornets softball team, with players from Bow, Hooksett and Windham, won the state American Softball Association tournament and New Englands and advanced to the Eastern national tournament and PONY national tournament.

Bow lost to Concord National and was eliminated from the District 1 Little League baseball tournament, while the Bow girls dropped a pair of Little League games in the 11- and 12-year-old majors softball tournament.

Concord National continued after the win over Bow, handling Manchester East and Goffstown before finally dropping a 10-9 decision to Salem American.

“I’m just really very proud of this group of boys,” said Concord National manager Dave Angus. “… Every coach has to make that farewell speech, and it’s one of the hardest things you have to do.” It was apparently very difficult for some National “fans,” who berated and threw food at the umpiring crew following the team’s elimination.

“I was afraid for my safety,” said umpire William Dreckmann. “I wanted to call the police.”

The Kearsarge Mountain North U10 Cal Ripken baseball team went 5-1 to win the district title, then came up two wins shy of a state crown.

“Just making the state tournament was an achievement, and we played very competitively,” said manager Dave French. “So I don’t think anyone was disappointed.”

Granite State Senior Games After winning the 5,000-meter race walk, Bow’s Jack Finan said he plans to participate at nationals in 2009.

“I’m shooting to make it to San Francisco,” he said. “I want to see if I can get that far after making it to nationals this year.”

Stan Irzyk of Concord won the pistol shoot in the men’s 75- to 79-year-old age group.

*** Croak won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash in the men’s 70- to 74-year-old division.

Donelda Horne of Hopkinton, in her second competitive swimming competition, won gold in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke.

In her first GSSG appearance, 95-year-old Marg Bruner of Concord won the 85-and-older 10-pin bowling gold medal.

Punt, Pass & Kick
Bow’s Jack Yvars won the boys 10- and 11-year-old division at the NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick, hosted by Neighborhood News at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium.

Hopkinton’s Sam Winslow was second in that division, while Bow’s Mac Kimball was runner-up in the boys 8- and 9-year-old division.

Triathlon
Rob Ricard of Bow completed his first full Ironman triathlon and earned a trip to Hawaii for the Ironman World Triathlon championship in the bargain.

“I had no concept of distance, training or what it would take to qualify for something like that,” said Ricard, who swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles during a very busy day.

Fall

Football
Bow reached the Division V playoffs and trailed just 7-0 at halftime, but couldn’t keep pace with eventual state champion Pelham, falling 42-7.

“You can’t win when you’re inconsistent, and that hurt us today,” said Bow football head coach Paul Cohen. “But it’s been a great season.”

Soccer
The girls of Hopkinton and Bow both fell in the postseason quarterfinals.

The boys of Hopkinton and Bow both reached the state finals. Bow dropped a 1-0 decision to Hanover in the Class I final. But Hopkinton defended the Class M crown with a 3-0 win over Winnisquam.

“Every game has been a tournament atmosphere and everyone’s been gunning for us, so to come in and be able to pull off the back-to-back (titles) is really something,” said Scott Zipke, Hopkinton boys soccer head coach.

At the college level, New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, despite playing with as few as 10 healthy players, went 11-3-2 and won the Yankee Small College Conference women’s regular- season championship.

Golf
Concord took second, falling three shots short of a third straight Class L state title.

“We knew the competition was much better this year … (Our team) actually had a better score than last season,” said Concord golf head coach Chick Smith. The Bow Falcons finished seventh in Class I.

Kurt Eddins and Matt Levins finished third and sixth, respectively, in the two-day individual tournament as Concord’s representatives.

Bow’s Matt Lennon finished two shots out of the top 10 in Class I. Hopkinton’s Colin Barnea tied for sixth at the Class M-S individual tourney.

College coaching New Hampshire Technical Institute’s Paul Hogan earned induction into the Plymouth State Hall of Fame.

Crew
Like swimming, crew is gaining popularity in the state, with Concord’s student-athletes discovering the team-oriented sport.

“When it comes to crew, you need really a perfect harmony between all four or eight people,” said Grayson Richey, a former crewman and present coach with the team.

Cross country
Hopkinton’s girls won the Class M-S crown, then narrowly missed a trip to New Englands following a solid team effort at the Meet of Champions against much larger schools.

Field hockey
Derryfield School, featuring players from Hopkinton, Hooksett, Bedford and Windham, finished the season undefeated and won the Class M-S state title on Oct. 28. The crown is Derryfield’s first in the sport in more than 20 years.

“It’s tough for us because we’re a Class S school, so … we’re always playing teams that are twice our size,” said coach Lenny McCaigue. “To win it is just a dream come true for us.”

Hopkinton reached the state semifinals before falling to top-seeded Newfound Regional.

Bow scores! – Down early, Falcons come back, take and lose lead, then win title

Bow Editor — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:54:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

With just under 20 seconds left on the game clock, Bow and rival Hanover deadlocked at 16 goals apiece, Falcons junior Kiley Corson had only one thought as she prepared for a free shot.

“Oh, my gosh. I’m going to miss,” she admitted. “It was all on me.”

If Corson was nervous, it didn’t show.

She moved forward, aimed at the opposing goaltender’s weak side – Corson’s left, waist high – and planted the ball firmly in net, securing Bow’s second championship victory over Hanover in three years on June 6 at Memorial Field.

“I shot at the same spot earlier and scored, so I figured I’d aim at the same spot and try again,” said Corson.

Her coach, Chris Raabe, was impressed.

“At halftime, she was complaining that her shot was horrible, so it was nice to see her put one in at the end,” said Raabe. “That’s great placement, to put (the ball) at (the goalie’s) offside hip was perfect.”

Down at halftime, 11-8, after giving up the first four goals of the game, Bow came out after the break more like the team that went 12-1 on the season and less like the team that lost, 16-11, to Hanover on May 11.

“In the first half it was really frustrating because we had so much adrenaline that we couldn’t control it,” said sophomore Mackenzie Langsten, who led the second-half push after sitting most of the first half.

Bow scored the first seven goals of the second half, including four by Langsten and two by Corson, to take a 15-11 lead.

Hanover charged back to a 16-16 tie, leading up to Corson’s game winner.

Even Raabe admitted she was worried.

“I thought we were going into overtime,” she said.

But it was the coach’s motivational tactics with Langsten and her maneuvering of sophomore goaltender Leanna Shea – benched late in the first half in favor of freshman Erin Gail MacDonald, only to have Shea come back and shut Hanover down to begin the second half – that had the Falcons throwing their sticks in the air at game’s end.

“It was a little bit high scoring, but it was a great game,” said Raabe. “It was a shooting fest.”

Game notes

In addition to Corson’s three goals and three assists and Langsten’s four goals, senior Sherry Darrell netted four goals and classmate Briana Roberge added two more.

Also contributing in scoring were sophomores Alison Meagher, who had a goal and two assists, and Colby Jacobson, who had one goal.

Shea had eight saves, and MacDonald had two.

Sticks and stones – D-II Bow downs D-I Tide

Bow Editor — Wed, 23 May 2007 20:17:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Too bad the game didn’t affect the standings.

After a few years of trying to plan a game against Division-I power Concord, the boys of Bow lacrosse showed they’re a Division II team in name only, beating the Crimson Tide, 6-1, at Southern New Hampshire University on Tuesday, May 22.

“Bow’s a very athletic team,” said Concord head coach Daren Premo. “They’ve got a bubble of athletic guys right now, and they played the way we expected. We would expect this type of game from them if they were a Division I, Division II or Division XVI.”

The Falcons, coming off a stinging 4-3 loss to St. Thomas the day before, struck first when senior attacker D.J. Meagher found an open Nick Laboe for the 1-0 lead with 5-minutes, 7 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Crimson Tide, entering the game 10-5 in D-I play, quickly evened things less than 40 seconds into the second frame after Matt Gilbert scored on a Kyle Starr assist.

Then it was all Bow.

Falcons goalie Pat Acone held the Crimson Tide in check, and the offense supplied a 2-1 lead with just more three minutes left before the half; midfielder Eli Mishkit scored the Falcons’ second goal.

Bow, 10-1 in D-II action, kept attacking as Alex Stephens found an open lane, sped past two Concord defenders and scored for a 3-1 Bow lead. Deven Erickson capitalized when Concord’s Eric Moore was handed a two-minute penalty for an illegal check. Erickson’s goal made it 4-1, before Mishkit added another less than one minute later.

But the Falcons weren’t the only ones flying high, as play was stopped in the fourth quarter when players from both squads let emotions take over.

“Anytime you’re going to have a Concord, Bow, Bishop Brady game, you’re going to have high emotions,” said Premo after three of his players were benched after the brawl. “You just tell them there’s more after this, and no one needs to be ejected. We’ve got the playoffs coming up, and everyone needs to keep their heads in it.”

Stephens agreed, saying it was no surprise seeing the rivals get heated.

“Once we got up, we sort of anticipated that because it’s such a big rivalry,” said Stephens. “We came into it not having much to lose because we were the underdogs because we’re Division II, so that helped give us some added motivation. This was a big win, especially after the St. Thomas loss and with the playoffs right here.”

Bow wraps up its season against rival Bishop Brady on Thursday, May 24.

And this time, the game counts.