Candia News : sports

Candia-based team rolls to state championship following nine straight victories

Hooksett Editor — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:52:00 GMT

The Candia Yellow jackets won the 2008 U13 boys Division 2 New Hampshire State Championship on Nov. 9, beating Hudson, 1-0, and capping a nine-game winning streak that began in early October.

Following a regular-season victory on Oct. 5, the team, with players from Candia, Hooksett, Deerfield and Chester, dominated the Columbus Day Tournament in Sanborn, Maine, taking the trophy without allowing a single goal in four contests.

That was just the beginning. After a 3-1 win to close the Seacoast Youth Soccer League regular season, the Yellow Jackets won two tough contests to secure the league title and a spot in the state finals.

In the Seacoast semis, the locals needed penalty kicks to boot Rochester and advance. Evan MacDonald assisted James Grace’s first-half tally, but Rochester tied the match late in the second half. A pair of scoreless, tense overtime sessions followed. But Connor Grace, Garret Bolton and MacDonald connected on their penalty kicks, and goalie Lucas McCabe leapt to stop Rochester’s last chance, preserving the win.

Facing Portsmouth, a team that handed Candia one of its three losses this year, the Yellow Jackets jumped to an early lead in an eventual 3-1 triumph, securing the Seacoast crown.

Ike Dugas’ arching kick gave Candia a 1-0 first-half edge, then Jacob Laliberte extended the lead in the second half. After a Portsmouth goal, Connor Grace left three defenders behind to account for the final score.

Facing the Hudson Roadrunners, the Granite State Youth Soccer League champs, Dugas struck early, tallying in the 13th minute. That was all the scoring necessary as McCabe earned his sixth shutout in the last of Candia’s 14 wins, aided by the nearly flawless defensive play of Jamie Brennen, Travis Dionne, Drew Groves and Brian Jutras. The rest of the championship squad includes Jordon Brock, Brian Caito, Ethan Fultz, Zack Osborn, Joe Rapaglia and Brandon Brown.

Playoffs approach; Candia dominates

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:46:00 GMT

The Candia Moore School girls soccer team ran its record to 7-0 with victories over previously undefeated Chester and Wilton and started October with a tough victory against a determined Auburn bunch.

On Sept. 25 the team beat previously unbeaten Chester, 4-0. Three scores by sixth-grader Sarah Michaud and a tally by seventh- grader Victoria Vincent led the charge, while the defense remained solid behind seventh-grader Taylor Wright.

The team then overcame a long ride to Wilton and two-goal deficit, scoring four in a row to defeat a much larger team, 4-2. Michaud and Vincent scored two goals each from their wing positions, while midfielders Gabby Desjardins, Cassie Lacroix and Sydney Bolduc controlled play and made fine passes to the wings.

The team completed the three-game road trip with a 3-1 win at Auburn, which needed a win to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. Vincent scored two goals, and Lacroix added a goal as part of a solid all-around effort.

Desjardins hit the crossbar several times. The young defense continued to shine with Rachel Gamache, Sam Lemay, Hope Willard, Sydney Bolduc and, in goal, Sarah Lavallee.

After two home games, playoffs start Oct. 20. The finals are set for Thursday, Oct. 23.

Lamprey River’s fun run continues in tough regional bracket

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:43:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

His daughter and her teammates were running for the elevator, headed back to the lobby for more good times with friendly competitors new and familiar.

Meanwhile, Lamprey River’s manager, Ken McLaughlin, as well as the all-star team’s coach, Ken Lavallee, were in a hotel room, forced to review some statistical details that will soon be forgotten.

But memories of the state champions’ trip to Albany, N.Y., for the Eastern Regional softball championship won’t slip away so easily.

The trip, said McLaughlin, has been a refreshing eye-opener. True, the 11- and 12-year-old all-stars have yet to cross the plate in three contests – a 9-0 loss to Connecticut on Saturday, July 26; a 7-0 setback to Maine the following day; and a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Rhode Island on Monday, July 28.

But the girls, added McLaughlin, have crossed paths with some fine athletes and, more importantly, fine people.

“The other coaches are so friendly. They’ve all been here before and go out of their way to make us feel comfortable,” said McLaughlin. “They’re just out here – all of them – to make sure the kids have fun.”

Post-game pool parties, barbecues and impromptu gatherings are the norm, and Lamprey Between the lines, the girls have completed every game save one; the loss to Maine was shortened due to rain on Sunday, July 27.

McLaughlin laughed goodnaturedly while explaining the team’s uncharacteristic lack of hitting and occasionally poor fielding. He also conceded the opposing teams’ pitching has been every bit as good as his two fine hurlers – Sarah Lavallee of Candia and his daughter, Kim McLaughlin. “They’re also all well-coached,” said the elder McLaughlin, who admitted he and Lavallee are being outmaneuvered by mentors with far more experience at this level.

Connecticut, for example, fields roughly the same team that finished third in the nation in 2007.

The Lamprey River girls, who’ve already won the friendship of players from across the region during the trip, have one more chance to return to the Granite State with a game victory.

They were scheduled to face Massachusetts on Wednesday, July 30.

Lamprey River 10 and 11s reach losers bracket finals

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:28:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

They made it further than any Lamprey River Little League all-star baseball team before them.

This year’s 10- and 11-yearolds, with players from Candia, Raymond and Nottingham, not only pushed several perennial Little League powers aside during their unprecedented run, but they gave 2008 champ Goffstown all it could handle in a 4-3 loss in the losers bracket finale on Friday, July 18.

In fact, it took a Goffstown rally in the bottom of the sixth and final inning to prevent the locals from meeting Bedford for the state championship.

Still, manager Paul Coates said it sure was a wild ride. “This team was the most relaxed, fun-loving team that I have ever coached,” he said. “I have been coaching for some time, and this group of players were always a joy. They worked hard … and never let the pressure get to them. They always respected each other and their opponent.”

That was never more evident, said Coates, than at the end of the Goffstown game, when an opposing parent approached assistant coach Carl Edin to thank him.

“(She) expressed her appreciation and respect for (Edin’s son) Adam and the other players for congratulating her son, who hit in the game-winning run. She said that she had never seen such sportsmanship,” said Coates. “This was typical of the Lamprey players throughout the tournament. Win or lose, they understood that all that was required was to give their best effort. On Friday, Goffstown was just a little better, and our players recognized their efforts in a great well-played game.”

The fact that Lamprey River suffered both its setbacks to the champs, said the manager, makes the run that much more impressive.

After beating Manchester South, 4-1, the boys were knocked into the losers bracket courtesy of a 10-0 thumping by Goffstown.

Many teams would have folded. Instead, Lamprey River came from behind to defeat Pelham, 4-2, handed Bow a 5-2 loss, then socked a solid Windham squad, 6-1, before taking down Derry American, 4-3.

“It’s very difficult in Lamprey River, as opposed to a Little League composed of one town, for the kids to come together in an all-star format,” said Coates. “This team was comprised of 14 players who all made a commitment to play. Not one kid was cut in tryouts, and right from the onset they developed a strong concept of team play. They brought four towns together and made one Lamprey River.”

Practices, added the manager, were where the players gelled.

“They never got down on themselves, and they helped each other out quite a bit,” said Coates. “There wasn’t one superstar among them. They were a true team.”

In addition to Edin, others contributing during Lamprey River’s ride include Candia’s Garrett Bolton; Raymond’s Jeffrey Bouchard, McKenna West Coates, Dennis Cowan, Alan Towle, Matthew Layman and Tim Trefethen; and Nottingham’s Alex Sprague, Jamie Sigmund, Tyler Comte, Connor Gaffney, Carter Medeiros and Benjamin Porter.

Assisting Coates were Carl Edin and Dan Gaffney. Others helping the players during practice were Tim Layman, Rob Porter, John Sigmund and Sam Towle.

Lamprey River sweeps to state title, heads to regional tourney

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:22:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

In winning the New Hampshire Little League 11- and 12-year-old state championship on Monday, July 21, Lamprey River allowed no hits, no runs and no errors, beating two-time defending champ Auburn, 10-0.

The new champs head to Albany, N.Y., for the Eastern Regional tournament, and, according to Auburn’s manager, Ray Pelton, they’ll need to improve on that fine effort if they plan to beat some of the best teams in the country.

“The pitching is dominant. Just unbelievable,” said Pelton, after watching a dominant performance by Lamprey River’s Sarah Lavallee, who fanned five and was backed by a flawless defense.

Ken McLaughlin, River’s manager, agreed with Pelton, knowing his group must wield some mighty bats when pool play begins on Saturday, July 26. “We need to be more patient (at the plate), and we need to hit those gaps (with some extra-base hits),” said McLaughlin. “But these girls are playing so well right now.”

Indeed, the state champs won three straight contests by a combined score of 39-6.

Lavallee and Kim McLaughlin, who steps inside the circle for the regional opener against Connecticut in Albany, shared pitching duties throughout the state tourney run.

And when the River was at bat, it was odd to see the bases empty.

Autumn Masse and Amelya VanDeWalle, who earned a game ball for her triple and two RBI against Auburn in the final, consistently reached base and ran wild. Lavallee and cleanup hitter Gabby Desjardins, both Candia residents, each drove in a run.

The bottom half of the lineup and River’s reserves were also productive. Hannah Keefe, Brandie Valentine, Meredith Reed and Audra Jenkins – the team’s No. 6 through 9 hitters in the championship matchup – all scored a run, as did Makayla Philibert and Kayla Thomas off the bench. Candia’s Sydney Bolduc, a starter in the team’s mercyrule win against Pelham a week earlier, also reached base.

They’ll need to continue to battle because the competition improves – according to Pelton – exponentially at regionals. “It’s a different level of play there,” he said. “A lot of smallball. If you score three runs in a game, you’re doing well.”

Regional lineup
After the tourney opener, Lamprey River faces Maine on Sunday, July 27; Rhode Island on Monday, July 28; and Massachusetts on Wednedsay, July 30, to complete pool play.

Lamprey River wins three straight in state tourney, needs one for title

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:22:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Three up, three down.

That’s not describing the end of an inning for the Lamprey River 11- and 12-year-old all-star softball team. It’s an accurate account of the team’s state tournament games to date.

Most recently, the locals mercy- ruled host Pelham, 10-0, on Monday, July 14, behind the nohit pitching of Kim McLaughlin and a potent offense.

“I just can’t say enough about that team over there,” said Pelham’s manager, Steve Notini. “That’s a sound team, a good team. And they’re well coached.”

Manager Ken McLaughlin and coach Ken Lavallee assembled a group of 11 players – five from Raymond and three each from Candia and Nottingham – that quickly became one unit.

“They all play against each other all year, and they just want to compete,” said McLaughlin, who added they respect each other’s talent and enjoy each other’s company. “They don’t care about anything else.”

Lamprey River is, right now, the state juggernaut at this level. Both the young McLaughlin and Candia’s Sarah Lavallee throw hard from inside the circle, making at-bats an uncomfortable experience for foes.

“Sarah’s 11 years old, and she’s accurate (with her pitches),” said McLaughlin, who said Lavallee throws even harder than his daughter, who fanned two Pelham batters in the second, third and fourth innings.

Lavallee recorded 13 strikeouts against two-time defending state champion Auburn on Thursday, July 10. She also doubled in a run against Pelham.

A solid defense, one that didn’t make an error in the shutout win, takes care of most everything else. Catcher Hannah Keefe also threw out a would-be base stealer with a strong throw to second base.

And the team can hit. Lamprey River put up 18 runs to Merrimack Valley’s four in the tourney’s first game on July 9, another fiveinning affair, then ripped Auburn the next night, 11-2.

Audra Jenkins and Kayla Thomas, who started the game on the bench against Pelham, contributed mightily in the earlier wins. Jenkins was 3-for-4 in the two games, and Thomas reached base three times and stole home against Auburn.

In the middle of the lineup is cleanup hitter Gabby Desjardins of Candia. McLaughlin said she catches for Lavallee, plays a solid third base and runs well. She also blasted a triple that produced River’s final run against Pelham.

Sydney Bolduc is the team’s other Candia resident. She drew a walk and scored in the fifth. “She’s a really fast, athletic player,” said McLaughlin. “And she’s really improved her hitting toward the end of the year.”

Autumn Masse and Amelya VanDeWalle hit 1-2 in the Lamprey lineup. Each scored twice down in Pelham.

Brandie Valentine and Meredith Reed patrol the middle of the infield at shortstop and second base, respectively. Reed was robbed of an extra-base hit in the locals’ five-run first inning by Pelham’s left fielder, and Valentine drove in two runs with two singles. They hit seventh and eighth in the loaded lineup.

Lamprey River needs one win to secure the state Little League softball title, but it must wait until

Monday, July 21, to attempt it.

The team is guaranteed to face one of the squads it has already throttled. Staying focused, said McLaughlin, won’t be an issue.

“Every single one of ’em has a sense of the game,” said the coach on a post-game walk to the parking lot. “Their parents deserve the credit for that. They’re so supportive of the girls in everything they do.”

Auburn boy awaits word on national Punt, Pass & Kick standings

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:20:00 GMT

By Ryan O’connor

Joey Dudek of Auburn has no immediate gridiron plans. That doesn’t mean the son of former Plymouth State standout, Heisman Trophy finalist and Denver Broncos running back Joe Dudek isn’t using his football pedigree to great advantage.

Joey Dudek, 11, won the 10- and 11-year-old division of the local NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester on Aug. 7. He also won the sectional competition in Bristol, R.I., on Oct. 14. Then he took the practice field at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 28 prior to the New England Patriots game against the Washington Redskins.

There, after receiving three complimentary tickets to the game for reaching the regional competition, Joey beat all competitors to put himself in position to advance to the national final.

“Punt, pass and kick, for a free type of event, is really first class,” said the senior Dudek. “I mean, it was great to get the tickets to the game and have the opportunity to really enjoy the experience.”

Joey must now wait. His score of 277, which combines his punting, passing and kicking distances, is currently No. 2 in the country.

Fifteen groups of aspiring athletes have competed to date, but there are still 17 groups left. The top four scorers compete at an AFC playoff game in January.

“We’re watching the scoreboard because if he has to start practicing again, we have to find a warm place to do it,” said Joe Dudek.

While elated with his showing at the competition thus far, Joey said the experience has its drawbacks.

“It’s exciting, but I’m frustrated I have to wait to hear if I make the finals or not,” he said. “I kind of wanted to be one of the last people to go, so I had a better idea of what I had to beat.”

Joey’s mother, Jodi, said her son nearly didn’t compete.

“We’ve asked him every year, and each year it’s, ‘No, I think I’m all set.’ But a couple days before the event this year he decided, ‘Yeah, I’ll give it a try,’” she said.

Still, Joey is the first to admit he’d rather be playing hockey or lacrosse.

In addition to his father’s storied football accomplishments, his mother played high school softball and basketball and college field hockey, where she received an Olympic invite before injuring her knee.

“He’s got a nice combo (of athletic genes), and he is a good athlete who seems to pick up any game and do very well after practicing for just a little while,” said Joey’s father. “He works very hard at all the sports he puts the time into.”

In addition to excelling on his travel hockey and lacrosse teams, the sixth-grader tried out for and made the middle school ice hockey team in Derry.

And that is just fine with his father, who said he and his wife encourage Joey and his 7-year-old sister, Taylor, who has already developed a fondness for competitive swimming, to participate in whatever they enjoy.

“I didn’t play organized football until sophomore year in high school, and frankly, if you’re a good athlete, you can take it up right away,” said the former Plymouth State star. “So I’d rather see him take it up later and enjoy now what he wants to do, especially with hockey and lacrosse being sports where you have to develop skill at an earlier stage to be successful.”

‘Disappointing’ – Post 79 shows flashes, misses playoffs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:29:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

His team’s year didn’t go as well as expected, but Post 79 manager George Abood said his team showed, during the last week of the season, its true capabilities.

“Disappointing. I don’t know what other word to use,” said Abood. “We had a good roster of veterans, but it didn’t work out. I had higher expectations for this year than happened. We still beat the good teams when we played our game, but with the talent we had, I think we should have made it to the playoffs.”

Finishing the season 8-12 in district play and 12-15 overall, Post 79 beat out-of-district foes Merrimack, 20-7, and Goffstown, 19-11, and lost to Concord, 7-6, and to Salem, 16-3.

But the highlight of the season, said Abood, came on July 24 against Portsmouth, a top-tier team fighting for a playoff spot.

In the 10-7 victory, Hooksett’s Kalvin Fosher, leading the team in hitting all season, knocked two doubles and blasted his fourth home run of the year in a three-RBI performance.

Matt Moreau smashed another home run, one of two hits, and Peter Gray belted a three-run shot.

Matt Gutterson and Jay Freethy combined for five hits, including a double by Freethy.

Dylan Clark, a 16-year-old, pitched eight innings, scattering seven hits and three earned runs to pick up the victory, and workhorse Andrew Schnaars of Bedford pitched the final two innings, holding the opposition to two hits and one run.

Post 79 loses 12 players off the current squad, but Abood said the team will maintain a strong core to develop around, led by 16-year-old speedster Sean Lyons of Bedford, who hit .340 at the plate and played good defense in the outfield, and occasionally the infield, all season.

Freethy also had a great season, said the manager, batting .370 and contributing stellar defense at third base and filling in at shortstop when needed.

Though none of his pitchers was consistently exceptional, Abood said Hooksett’s Matt Boyd was tough to beat on occasion.

Other locals on Manchester Post 79’s squad include Candia’s Keith Trombley and Brandon Czaja, Hooksett’s Nate Abbe and Bedford’s Bryan Lacaillade.

CYAA soccer sign-ups available

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:41:00 GMT

The Candia Youth Athletic Association accepts registrations for this fall’s soccer program.

Registration forms can be obtained online at cyaasports.com or at the Smyth Public Library and the Moore School.
The deadline for sign-ups is Aug. 10.

For questions or more information, call 483-4848.

Tae kwon do can-do – Participants take lessons into everyday lives

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:25:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Amy Nagel considers herself a perfectionist. Five years ago, however, it was not a personality trait she embraced, nor was it something she was proud of.

But that was years ago.

Now holding a black belt at the ATA Karate Center of New Hampshire, Nagel transformed the once-hindering trait into one she uses to her advantage. From June 18 to June 24, Nagel competed in the American Taekwondo Association World Championships in Little Rock, Ark.

“I wouldn’t even want to try something new unless I knew I could do it perfect,” said Nagel of trying tae kwon do in 2002. “That’s why I didn’t want to try tae kwon do, but then the whole family did it, so I gave it a shot. Before, wanting to be perfect was something that stopped me from doing things, but now it helps me.”

The Auburn native earned a silver medal in the women’s first degree black belt group, ranking her No. 2 in the world in the 17- to 24-year-old age division. She was joined by her father, Candia’s Dean Page, who won gold in the men’s first degree black belt group, earning him world champion status in the 40- to 49-year-old age division.

Before heading to the world championships, Nagel and Page competed at the New Hampshire state championships. There, they competed with fellow studio members.

Hooksett’s Nicholas Croteau won the boys first degree black belt title in forms and sparring in the 14- to 16-year-old age group; Hooksett’s Alexus Lamoreaux won the weapons title in the 11- to 13-year-old girls first degree black belt division; Mona Lamoreaux of Hooksett took home the forms, sparring and weapons triple crown title in the 40- to 49-year-old women’s color belts category; and David Lamoreaux earned the forms, sparring and weapons triple crown title in the 40- to 49-year-old men’s color belts division.

Others from ATA who won state titles were Shawn Davies, Alaina Amlaw, Rachael Paradis, Emma Conant, Janet Scarafile and Michael Snider.

Though Nagel and Page were the studio’s lone representatives in Little Rock, invited to compete among 25,000 people (PARTICIPANTS or ENTRANTS), they’re not the only locals involved in the sport.

Nagel’s mother, Valerie Page, and brother, Ben Page, are also black belts. Ben, 14, took home the forms and weapons state title in the boys second and third degree black belt division.

After spending the past three years training to be an instructor, Ben said the martial art also brought about a change in his personality, too.

“I used to be so shy and quiet,” said Ben. “But now I’m forced to use communication and people skills daily when I’m working with younger students. There’s a lot of positive reinforcement used in this sport. That atmosphere I learned in has helped me become a better instructor.”

The Candia family was introduced to the sport when Ben attended an open house hosted by John Burton, ATA Karate Center of New Hampshire studio owner and chief instructor, and Michael Snider, head instructor.

Soon after, Valerie and Dean signed the foursome up for classes. But it was off the mats they saw the greatest changes.

“We’re much closer as a family,” said Dean. “Initially, as a dad, people would say, ‘Aren’t you worried about the kids hurting each other?’ But they actually got along better because of the principles taught. It’s not just the physical stuff. It’s a lifestyle that’s focused on respect and courtesy.

“It helped take such different personalities and bring them together,” he continued. “Parents want punching and kicking and having their kids be able to defend themselves, but the life skills you learn … You can’t find those in the classroom.”

Lamprey River shut out of District 1 play

Hooksett Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:59:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Each team at the District 1 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star tournament is good, and Lamprey River, with a roster full of fine athletes, is no exception. But after an opening-round win for the locals, it was a case of their good team running into simply better teams.

Following a 10-0, four-inning loss to Derry American on Saturday, June 30, Lamprey River was knocked from the tourney. The group also fell to Salem American on June 27, 9-0.

“This is a good group of guys,” said manager John Sytulek. “These last two games they haven’t hit at all, but they’re capable of much more than that.”

Early in the game against Salem American, it looked like Lamprey River was certainly capable. After leadoff hitter John Cooper of Candia grounded out on a close play at first, Jacob Gallant singled to center.

It was Lamprey River’s lone tournament hit for the next 10 innings.

Speedy Troy Pelletier reached base twice, once against Salem American in the third inning and another time against Derry American in the fourth inning. In that tourney-ending contest, Chris Souhlaris advanced Pelletier to second, and he scampered to third on a passed ball but was stranded there.

Clean-up hitter and pitching ace Jake Hamel came out of the Derry American game after one uncharacteristically wild inning. He easily retired the first two Derry hitters, but then Hamel walked four, contributing to two unearned runs that scored on an error.

The Candia native left the game with shoulder pain, having tossed 41 pitches.

That performance was in direct contrast to Hamel’s crisp 85-pitch effort – spanning 6 2/3 innings – in Lamprey River’s tourney-opening 3-1 victory against Manchester Central.

Following six scoreless frames, Hamel reached base in the top of the seventh. Then Lamprey River started to slug the ball.

First, Nate Mullen tripled, driving in Hamel. Then Collin Shaughnessy sent a fly ball to the left-field fence. It was caught, but Mullen hurried home on the sacrifice fly. A Pelletier single followed, then Mike Fitzpatrick tripled in Pelletier.

Central touched Hamel for a run in the home half of the seventh, but, with the tying runs on base, Gallant struck out the potential winning run to pick up the save.

Tim Hazam of Candia, John Tomasewski, Ben Sytulek, Zack Reardon, Jordan Richard and David Jenkins completed Lamprey River’s all-star roster.

The team is eligible to compete in the Fraser Tournament for squads with two losses in the District 1 tournament. Visit www.nhlittleleague.com for details.