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Shrine game a fond farewell for some, prep work for others

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:04:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Whether gaining closure or preparing for a gridiron future, the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl was a success for Neighborhood athletes.

On Saturday, Aug. 1, high school players from across New Hampshire knocked off their Vermont counterparts for the 41st time in 56 contests, easing past their neighbors in Windsor, Vt., 40-6.

Hooksett residents Jake Tremblay and Rick Fosher earned starts at cornerback and tight end, respectively, while Dunbarton’s Tom Foote started the game at right tackle. Also on the roster for the Granite State was Hooksett’s Justin Colvin.

Tremblay, a Central star, grabbed an interception and added a 45-yard punt return during the contest.

Leading up to the game, players spent 11 days together and endured three practices a day.

“Being selected to the team was really important for me, because I got to showcase my talent,” said Tremblay. “It helped get me in shape, too. I hadn’t been running and now I’ll be ready for the two-a-days that I have coming up in a few weeks.”

By the end of August, Tremblay is back on the field preparing for the upcoming season at Division III Springfield College. The majority of Fosher’s action came as a blocking tight end for a run-heavy New Hampshire offense.

As of now, Fosher plans on attending St. Leo University in Florida and playing baseball, although the former Trinity student said he may look to play a prep year instead.

“When I was in camp, I kept saying that it would probably be my last game,” said Fosher. “It meant a lot to go out with a win.”

Even though bragging rights were the only thing on the line, Tremblay still was enthused about his team’s performance after the clock struck 0:00.

“I thought it would be a close game,” said Tremblay. “The blowout definitely pumped me up. After the game I was still running around. I wanted to play again.”

For Hooksett, fair is foul

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:49:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Donald Pare has video evidence that baseball is indeed a game of inches.

Pare’s 11- and 12-year-old Hooksett Little League team was eliminated from District 1 play after consecutive losses, including a 5-4 setback to Salem National on July 1.

Hooksett was tied 4-4 in the top of the sixth and final frame, but a Salem batter blasted an opposite field double to right field that bounced off the foul pole, scoring two and giving the visitors a onerun lead.

In the home half of the inning, Hooksett put the tying run on third with one out after Justin Reno’s sacrifice bunt moved Jeff Arbur to third, but the first baseman remained there.

When the eventual gamewinning double pounded off the pole, Pare came onto the field to question the home plate umpire, believing the hit had found the fence in foul territory.

Following the game, Pare watched footage from a parent’s camcorder and made up his mind about the call.

“It was tough to see, but it was a great call by the umpire. After watching the tape, it hit right on the pole,” said Pare. “If that ball didn’t hit the pole, it was a whole different story.”

After dropping into the losers’ bracket, Hooksett was eliminated on Friday, July 3, following a 9-0 setback to Concord National.

In its final D-1 contest, Hooksett was hitless until the sixth inning, when Max Curran hit a leadoff single up the middle.

Hooksett performed well defensively during its stint in the tournament, committing just a single error in the game against Concord.

“They had fun and they extended their season a little bit,” said Pare. “They saw what it’s like to play at the tournament level. They enjoyed the whole ambiance, and it was important for them to be able to perform on this stage.”

Eligible to return next season are current 11-year-olds Chris Pare, Jake Clark, Kevin Taylor, Alec Patterson and Tom Bolduc.

This year’s 12-year-olds were Jeness Peterson, Sean Benoit, Josh Cote, Jeff Arbur, Justin Reno, Jason Toledo, Max Lurran and Alex Stoltman.

Cawley girls dominate in all facets while prepping for next year

Hooksett Editor — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:47:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Greg Shaw didn’t have to worry about ensuring all 26 players on his roster saw action on the field.

During an undefeated season and Class M girls soccer championship, his Cawley Middle School team cruised to victories and gave him the chance to secure playing time for the majority of his squad.

On Oct. 20, the team completed its 14-0-1 season with a victory against Hampstead in the title game, winning 4-0. That lopsided outcome followed another laugher for the Hawks – an 8-0 victory over Weare in the semifinal contest. The squad’s lone blemish was a tie with Class L Derry.

Shaw’s roster included 13 eighth-graders, and 11 started during the season. Yet the coach, with an eye on the future, wanted to ensure playing time for all his athletes, including eight seventh- graders and five sixth-graders.

“I purposely took that many (younger athletes) because graduating 13 players, I would only have a few returning players next year,” said Shaw. “When we got big leads I could get them experience and start looking toward next year.”

The sixth-graders, all of whom watched – and helped – their older teammates dismantle Class M foes, were Sara Bartczak, Madison Bennett, Emily Crocetti, Lauren Scarpetti and Sarah Thompson.

“Between sixth grade and eighth grade the pace of the game is a lot faster, and a lot more physical. I pulled up eight seventh-graders so they could get that experience for next year,” said Shaw. “They’ll be the core starters for next year’s team.”

That group includes Chelsea Desmarais, Emily Duchesne, Emily Gregoire, Amber Hochstetler, Ashley Lodge, Alexandra Nelson, Montana Roberts and Lauren Shaw.

The elder Shaw coached the boys last year, and he said there wasn’t simply one reason for the girls’ success in 2008.

“Defense was a key. We allowed very few goals throughout the year,” he said. “If you looked up through the middle of the field, there wasn’t one area that jumped out. We were very well balanced. There were no glaring weaknesses on our team.”

Forward Nicole Rust led the offense with 42 goals on the year. She teamed with Lindsey Read to fuel a formidable attack. Sarah Vaillancourt, Colbie Cookson, Sam Somers and Alexandra Pellerin anchored the defense. In net, goalie Alexis Lievens combined with her defense to hold opposing teams in check. Tri-captains Corrine Auger, Meghan Menard and Catherine Power joined with Margaret Mc- Govern to control midfield play. Classmates Taylor Barker and Bryanna Pearson were first off the bench and completed the eighth-grade contribution.

“The girls (graduating) are one of the most talented groups of players I’ve ever coached, so I expect a lot of them to play at the high school level and play well,” said Shaw. “Previously you’d get four or five players and work around them, but we had an entire team.”

Rules change aims to stifle fouling, raise sportsmanship

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:26:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Consider this: Team A and Team B enter the final game of the regular season. Team A is in first place, and team B is out of contention. At some point in the game a player from Team A goes for the ball and trips a Team B foe in the process.

A yellow card is drawn.

Team A wins the game and locks up the top playoff spot, yet that squad isn’t headed to the postseason.

The yellow card, Team A’s 12th, eliminated the top squad from the postseason based on a new rule. It states, in part:

… Any team, whose players/ coaches receive a collective total of 12 yellow cards during the regular season, will be ineligible for NHIAA tournament play and required to attend a hearing with the Soccer Committee.

(Editor’s note: the rule can be found at nhiaa.org under “Policies & Procedures.”)

Consider the alternative
As recently as five years ago, athletes ran around the pitch with little fear of repercussions. Of course, there were injuries, but there was an underlying lack of sportsmanship as well, said Steve Beals, chairman of the soccer rules committee. He began recording data on the amount of warning cards handed out in 2002, when there were 714 yellow cards among Granite State sub-varsity and varsity boys squads. The girls accumulated 161 such warnings.

Those numbers increased slightly in 2003, and in 2004 the NHIAA instituted rules that, in addition to personal penalties levied against the offending player, disqualified a coach for a game following 10 team yellow cards in a season.

That year, the numbers dropped to 576 yellow cards among males and 124 among females.

In 2006, Beals said teams became noticeably complacent about the rules, and the amount of yellow cards jumped to 676 and 142, respectively.

Last year, such stats were recorded electronically for the first time and only included varsity numbers, which produced a large margin for error in the data, said Beals.

This season, with the new rules in place, Beals said there’s no doubt the policies are working.

“The amount of yellow cards is way down, and there are currently no teams ineligible for the tournament,” he said. “We’re certainly confident we’re moving in the right direction.”

As of Thursday, Oct. 16, the varsity boys teams in New Hampshire had accumulated roughly 232 yellow cards, and the girls garnered 50 cards in that time.

While the results aren’t open to debate, the reasons for success are.

Stuart Pepper has coached boys and girls for many years with Seacoast United, and he’s mentored seven years at the high school level – five at Hollis- Brookline, where his team won a state championship without receiving a yellow card all season, and two years at Bedford, where he’s guided the secondyear Bulldogs to the postseason, again, without a penalty.

Pepper, who said he coaches his players the same way no matter the playing field, conceded he’s torn on the issue of stiffer penalties.

“On the one hand, I support anything that cleans up the game and stops dangerous fouls. But my feelings are, this season, referees are more lenient on giving out yellow cards, and I think many fouls are going unpunished,” he said. “So in a way, I think it’s not helped a team like Bedford that’s a clean team and plays the game the right way.”

Competing without seniors and regularly facing larger opponents would force many teams to adopt a chippier brand of soccer. That hasn’t happened at Bedford High.

“We have players that play aggressive and do compete, but they understand how to play within the laws of the game. Giving away stupid fouls hurts you more anyway. You conceded possession, and you take players off the field,” Pepper continued. “You do see teams that are overly aggressive and use that style of play to win games, but with me it’s a moral and a spiritual thing you take with you as an educator and a coach. You’ve got a job to do, and it’s not just winning games. It’s developing young adults.”

Players are seeing that mentality applied throughout the state.

Following an early-season contest in which the Goffstown boys received two yellow cards in one game, senior Ian Downing said coach Randy Lovering pulled the players aside at the next practice. He told them to maintain their intensity while being wary of unnecessary fouls that could cost the team later in the season. The Grizzlies want to win, said Downing, but they want to be smart about it.

For his part, Downing said he’s still aggressive against players of similar height and build, but takes a more cautious approach when going head to head with a smaller player because he feels he’s more likely to be carded for incidental contact.

There’s little doubt the nature of play is more physical in the boys game, yet Kendrick Whittle, coach of the Salem High School girls soccer team, also has questions about the new rules.

“I think in girls soccer, officials are reluctant to give players cards anyway, but what’s happening is it’s taking the officials’ ability to control the game away from them because nobody wants to keep a team from the playoffs,” said Whittle, who acknowledged he supports keeping the game clean, but noted the difficulty in being fair when cards are such a subjective part of the game.

“People forget a yellow card is nothing more than a warning for hard play,” he continued. “What’s next? Are we going to start penalizing a hockey team for too many penalty minutes or a basketball player for fouling out two games in a row?”

Talking points
R. Patrick Corbin, executive director of the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association, said he and the 11- member soccer board consulted with state representatives throughout the region, which includes schools from New England, New York and New Jersey. He said Connecticut and Massachusetts have the best results in minimizing the amount of cards handed out, so the NHIAA has attempted to model its policies after those states.

“I’d say it’s just another step in what has been a multi-year process to get a handle on the enormous amount of yellow cards and red cards that occur in soccer,” said Corbin, who noted that players and coaches learned to take advantage of the previous set of rules, so it was deemed a priority to make the policies more stringent in those areas.

Since 2004, a team’s 10th yellow card resulted in a onegame suspension for the coach. The count would then recycle. Because a coach didn’t want to miss a playoff game, some sent in players to purposely draw a card with a few regular-season games remaining, all in an effort to reset the count.

That type of loophole, said Corbin, required elimination. At the same time, he added, the committee decided to become less restrictive in other areas. Card counts used to start in the preseason, during scrimmages and jamborees. That’s no longer the case.

“Speaking with officials and coaches, we determined there were a heavier amount of cards given out early, while teams and players were still transitioning younger players and those who played in more lenient summer leagues. We felt that really put teams behind the eight ball before they even got started, so now we don’t start counting until the first game (of the regular season).”

Corbin also said a team is notified when it reaches six yellow cards, giving the athletics director and coach an opportunity to correct the issue before it becomes a real problem.

In addition, Corbin said the NHIAA is making a better attempt to monitor officials because of complaints of a lack of consistency among referees across the state.

“We want to be able to count on good coaching and are increasingly trying to work with officials. If we want better sportsmanship and behavior, a good official can contribute a lot just in the way that they handle routine situations that occur in the course of the game, and a lot of that involves constant communication with players and coaches,” said Corbin. “Whatever system we put in, there are going to be cynics out there. But our primary concern is injuries and trying to protect the students.”

Downing said he’s certainly noticed a change for the better.

“I’m sure (the referee) doesn’t want to be that person that kicks a team out (of the playoffs), but they’ll still give a card when they need to,” said Downing. “I just think they’re more hesitant to throw the card for the more ticky-tack things. They’re more likely to pull you aside and talk to you about it now.”

Paul Ostberg said he can see both sides.

As an official and 10- year coach at Memorial High School, Ostberg said a good referee rarely pulls a card from his pocket.

On the other hand, he’s seen one of his players take a deliberate elbow to the head and another break their clavicle on a hard takedown. Neither play resulted in a card being issued.

As difficult as it is to see some rough play go unpunished, Ostberg sympathizes with many officials, not only because of the enormity of their task – two referees keeping track of 22 players on a 120- by 80-yard field – but also because he knows they don’t want to punish the whole for the conduct of a few.

“My biggest thing is I don’t think the actions of an individual player should result in a team getting suspended. If you want to punish the player, punish the player, but don’t punish the team for one or two players’ actions,” said Ostberg. “It’s really a terrible thing to have a good season and then not be rewarded by going to the playoffs.”

The Memorial mentor admitted, however, play is cleaner this season, and he said coaches are doing a better job of policing their own players.

Ostberg’s team is one of the cleaner units in the state. The Crusaders maintain a 10-4-0 record and sit in fourth place in Class L. They have two yellow cards all season, and both warnings were given to the same player.

“One of those times (the player) was warned twice not to say anything, and he persisted. I give that official a lot of credit in that situation,” said Ostberg. “It’s amazing what happens when an official calls a player by their first name. That’s the key. Education and communication is probably the best way to get it solved.”

Central, Memorial and West eye future, prepare for present season

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:44:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

She played under one coach and with another.

Now their peer, Kris Komisarek rolled out the welcome mat for the second straight year for her former mentors.

You see, Komisarek played under local legend Peter Lally, who has spent the last 36 years maintaining a perennial girls soccer powerhouse at Manchester Central.

Last year, she took the head coaching reins at West High School from Michelle Winning, a former Lady Blue Knight standout who left West to accept the same position at Bedford High School. Winning was a senior captain during Komisarek’s freshman year at Notre Dame.

Now, instead of the once familiar green, Komisarek is clad in blue. She’s crossed over to her formal high school rival. But that doesn’t mean she’s taking the responsibilities of the job any less seriously.

In fact, she’s not only maintained the annual West High School girls soccer preseason jamboree, but this year she expanded it to include teams from classes M and S, in addition to the traditional squads from Classes L and I. Lally and Winning’s squads, of course, were at the top of her invite list.

“I was recently talking to (Lally) about the golden years when I was a great player (at Central), and he said he now foresees me being a great coach,” said Komisarek. “But I told him, ‘You know, it started with you.’”

It wasn’t just acquaintances of Komisarek who were invited to the jamboree, however.

Dan Wyborney, coach of the Memorial girls soccer team for the last eight years, said the West jamboree offers many opportunities to evaluate your squad.

“It’s obviously very important so that we can find out – especially with the new kids coming in – what they can bring to the table this season,” said Wyborney. “You can see it in practice a little bit, and scrimmages are nice, but it’s also nice to play two games in one day at a jamboree so you can see the way the new-bees and the returners play together and where your fitness level is at, as well.”

Moreover, he added, the jamboree offers players the opportunity to test their mettle against top competition from other classes, a chance they rarely receive during the regular season.

Central
In 2007, Central carried a 15-0-1 record and No. 1 seed into the playoffs, but the Little Green were upset by Pinkerton, 2-1, in double overtime of the Class L quarterfinals. This year, the Green return 10 players, and 36-year head coach Peter Lally said his squad is prepared to make another run at the title.

“If they play up to their (talent level), I think they can be as good as last year,” said Lally. “If we stay away from injuries, we’ll be fine.”

Included on this year’s squad are Hooksett’s Liz Belanger, Sarah Barnes, Lindsay Johnson, Abby Wurtel, Jillian St. Pierre, Amanda Davis, Jane Kelly, Deven McKiernan and Sarah Velasquez, and Auburn’s Jillian Graff, Tory Lund, Jordan Muse and Cassandra Muse. The Muse twins, Belanger and Keily Funk captain this year’s team.

Memorial
Returning nine starters from a team that reached the state semifinals in 2007, Wyborney said he’s optimistic about the upcoming season.

A handful of Auburn standouts, including sophomore goalie Ashley Gendron and senior midfielders Desirae Van Rossum and Chantel Van Rossum lead the team.

“We love having the Auburn girls in the program,” said Wyborney. “It’s nice because they’re really the only ones coming in from a feeder program in middle school, so they usually have a good amount of experience by the time they get here.”

The Lady Crusaders also bring back senior Katie Roberge, Class L’s leading scorer for three years running, as well as Lauren Bernard, Emily Menafra, Chelsea Kirker and Shaun Simpson.

West
After finishing fifth in Class L in 2007, the Lady Blue Knights graduated 10 players but return 10 seniors.

Among those returning are Bedford’s Heather Harrington, Cassie Barnard, Meagan Bellemore and Kelsey Connors.

This year’s soccer season marks the last for Bedford players at West High School.

“If anything, this year is it. We’ve got to build this program up from scratch next year without the Bedford kids,” said Komisarek. “But I think it’s a positive thing in the long run because it gives those Hooksett and Manchester kids a chance to step up.”

Hooksett juniors Dani Ithier and Alyssa Nelson lead that charge. They combine with the aforementioned Bedford quartet and six other seniors to headline this year’s squad.

“I think any team in Class L has a chance, but these kids on this team ... It’s in their minds and it’s in their hearts,” said Komisarek. “This is a strong team that’s worked hard on team bonding.”

Post 21 helps student-athletes defray college costs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:22:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Despite a disappointing season for the Concord American Legion baseball team, Post 21 manager Averill Cate wanted to conclude the summer on a positive note.

In fact, he said he wants to end every Legion season like he’s done this year.

On Thursday, Aug. 14, Concord Post 21 and the Forty-and- Eight Club congratulated four athletes and one coach on fine performances and awarded them a total of $4,750 in college scholarships.

The players, Daniel Solomon of Concord, Matt French of Hooksett, Mitch Philibert and Nick Comtois each received $1,000 in education funds, and Brian Drew, who coached Concord’s junior American legion team this season, took $750. Drew a standout at Concord High School, currently attends Keene State College.

French, an outfielder, played his high school ball at Trinity in Manchester. Cate said the third-year Legion player has been a huge asset for the team.

Nick Comtois, another three-year player, pitched and played the outfield. He attended Coe-Brown High School in Northwood and now heads to the State University of New York Cobbleskill this fall. Longevity is not necessarily a prerequisite for the award, however.

Solomon, an outfielder who recently graduated St. Paul’s School in Concord, plans to attend the University of New Hampshire, and Hillsboro- Deering’s Philibert, a pitcher and third baseman, completed their first season with the Concord squad, yet both are reaping the benefit of a generous college scholarship. And that’s the point, said Cate.

“If you play for our program, and you stick with it through the summer, and you’re going to college, we’re going to try and help you with $1,000,” he said. “If you go to college and you still have another year of eligibility and come back, we’ll try and get you another $1,000.”

Hooksett’s never-say-die group falls just short in Salem

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:28:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Through five innings on July 9, Salem American proved a most inhospitable District- 1 Little League host, keeping Hooksett’s 11- and 12-yearold all-stars from threatening its house. Strong pitching, flawless fielding and timely hitting gave the home team a 4-0 edge.

Prior to the top of the sixth and final inning, Hooksett coach Jim White queried the subdued group of 12-year-olds.

“Is the season going to end now?” asked White.

“No!” replied the 12 suddenly energized green-and-gold-clad ballplayers.

The season did end, but not before Hooksett nearly knocked down Salem’s front door, scoring three times, putting the tying and go-ahead runners on second and third, scaring the heck out of the hosts, then succumbing, 4-3.

It was the second 4-3 loss by Hooksett in its District-1 run. The locals also fell to Salem National on July 2, but the late-game effort, said White, came as no surprise to him.

“That’s been their signature,” he said. “They make it really tough on the opposition.”

This year’s group outscored its foes, 32-11, crushing Manchester Central, 10-0, and Plaistow, 12-1, in losers bracket action.

Hooksett scored runs in bunches during the tournament, and the team tended to unleash its attack later in games. Among the many tournament highlights were Scott Robidoux’s first career home run and Andrew Kehas’ blast against Plaistow.

“That’s where that confidence comes from,” said White. “We know we’re going to hit, we’re going to score. It’s just a matter of when.”

Jake Bjornberg, who led off in three of the games, posted an on-base percentage around .500, while Aidan White led the stingy pitching staff with two wins. He allowed three earned runs in 11 innings, fanning 11 in the process.

Kehas started against Salem American, and he nearly escaped a first-inning jam with the help of right fielder Connor Boucher, whose catch and throw home held a Salem runner at third. Two singles later, though, and Hooksett trailed, 2-0.

The deficit doubled in the fourth. A pair of errors allowed the two runs to cross, but relief pitcher Austin Sprague fanned two straight – one looking at strike three, the other swinging and missing – to avoid further trouble. He fanned two more in the fifth, setting up Hooksett’s sixth-inning rally.

Bjornberg worked a bases on balls. After an out, Kehas walked. Sprague’s infield single loaded the bases, moving the Hooksett faithful to the edge of their seats. After catcher Mike Martinez collected an RBI with another walk, Brian Jutras delivered a two-RBI single to left.

Jake Parker advanced the runners to second and third with a groundout, but Boucher was nipped at first by the pitcher, who was forced to throw from his knees to end Hooksett’s uprising and its spirited season.

“That,” concluded White, “was typical of the team.”

Cam St. George hit cleanup for Hooksett, while Tanner Walls and Justin Smith, who walked against Salem American, completed the all-star roster.

Hooksett shows heart in losers bracket victory

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:40:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Hooksett 11- and 12-year-old Little League all-star bats were slowed for the first three innings of a District-1 losers bracket game at Plaistow. But a mid-game acceleration in bat speed mirrored the rapidly increasing numbers on the visitors’ side of the scoreboard.

Hooksett scored 11 runs in the final three frames en route to a 12-1 victory over Plaistow on Monday, July 7. They were scheduled to face Salem American on Wednesday, July 9.

Aidan White threw an efficient complete-game effort for Hooksett, throwing just 76 pitches, while Andrew Kehas scored three runs and drove in four to pace the offense.

Kehas stepped to the plate with two on in the top of the fourth inning and smoked a line drive to left-center field. The ball quickly sailed over the mediumsized fence and landed in the dirt and rocks, giving Hooksett a 4-1 lead.

“That was big,” said Hooksett’s head coach, Jim White. “You shouldn’t have to wait until a home run to get excited, but that really did pick them up.”

Hooksett scored four of its runs on wild pitches from Plaistow pitchers and was aggressive on the base paths all night.

White said the team’s defensive efforts are key to continuing in the tournament, and his fielders showed why against Plaistow, turning multiple double plays in the contest to thwart rallies.

“The defense was good in both games,” he said. “Then I thought we started hitting, and it became consistent. We couldn’t get a big hit against Salem (National), but we were able to do that (facing Plaistow).”

Hooksett defeated Derry American on June 30, 5-2, in its first game of the tournament before falling to Salem National on July 2, 4-3, to drop into the losers bracket, where it defeated Manchester Central on Saturday, July 5, 10-0, to advance to the contest versus Plaistow.

In a five-run inning against Plaistow, Michael Martinez and Brian Jutras chipped in RBI singles following Kehas’ three-run blast.

The next inning Jake Bjornberg added an RBI single and Kehas struck with a run-scoring double before crossing the plate himself on a wild pitch.

White said the offensive outburst provides a lesson his team can take deeper into the tournament.

“It should just show them that it’s a team sport,” he said. “We had some heads hanging down, thinking about what they didn’t do instead of what the team did do. Not just one person can carry the team.”

At games, some adults cross the line of unacceptable behavior

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:45:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Sitting at a youth hockey conference, watching what was likely to be another boring prerecorded training video, Kermit Brunelle sighed.

On the screen, Don Lucia, coach of the national champion University of Minnesota ice hockey team, was giving a speech.

“A lot of people think I have the best job in hockey, and I tell them, ‘You know, I have the second- best job in hockey,’” said Lucia. “‘The best job is being the head coach at an orphanage – no parents to deal with.’” Brunelle chuckled.

The Bedford native has been coaching youth hockey in the greater-Manchester area the past decade.

For nine years, he woke before sunrise, brought his son or daughter to a frigid ice rink and taught half-awake children to skate, handle the puck and, most importantly, play hard and clean. Only this year did he shed the added pressure of coaching one of his own children.

He’s been able to handle the lack of sleep and multiple layers of clothing well enough.

In fact, the experience has generally been positive, even rewarding, but it’s parents who think their child deserves more playing time than another, or those who vocally second-guess a coach or official, that grate on his nerves.

That behavior, said Brunelle, does not reflect the true nature of youth sports.

In some cases, emotions run high; in extreme cases, people are hurt, even killed. Usually, it’s the child who suffers.

Pressure points
As a Little League coach in Goffstown, Bob Gurskis knows all too well the weight parents can put on coaches’ and players’ shoulders.

In a town where baseball roots grow deep, he feels like just another weed to be plucked from the infield dirt, even after leading the Goffstown 9- and 10- year-old tournament team to a District 1 title in 2007.

“Some parents are so demanding, I literally have to talk to them and say, ‘Hey, lighten up, you’re taking the (kid’s minds) out of the game,’” said Gurskis. He said he’s talked to several players so disenchanted they’re ready to quit the sport rather than continue into Babe Ruth. It’s no wonder, he said, that at least one study indicates only 9 percent of children play organized baseball after the age of 12.

Gurskis grew up playing in Nashua and competed in semipro ball. He relocated to Florida and coached Little League there before moving to Goffstown. The attitude toward junior baseball in Goffstown – as compared to everywhere else he’s lived – is astounding, he said. “This year, even more than ever, I think it’s kind of 50-50.

Half the families and half the people involved understand baseball is entertainment. It’s a game. Coaches teach you to work hard. Sports is a healthy thing,” he said. “The other half take the game so far to the opposite direction. Every play is life or death. Every pitch is the last out of the World Series.”

And Gurskis said that mentality has reached the softball diamond, the soccer field and the football gridiron, among other playing surfaces.

“Everyone gets emotional,” he said. “But it becomes personal. ‘Why is your son getting the starting assignment and not mine?’ or ‘Why is he playing four innings and mine is only playing three and two-thirds?’”

Gurskis has clashed with fellow board members and coaches who have exhibited such an attitude, both at games and behind closed doors.

He can deal with the shots fired at him. It’s the collateral damage that concerns him.

“The pressure comes down on the kids, and that’s not what you want,” he said. “They’re going to find pressure in life without us. We don’t need to put more on them.

“Let’s help them try to be successful and analyze and improve what they’ve done wrong rather than scream at them for swinging at a bad pitch.”

It’s not just the coaches and players who are targets.

Leon Kenison of Bow began officiating baseball in high school when he was forced to substitute for a group of absent umpires. Roughly 50 years later he’s still listening to parents, coaches and players question his rulings. Most of it is background noise.

“Because of my gray hair, I guess I don’t get as much grief as some of my younger colleagues, whether it be from parents, coaches or players … But it’s tough to say because I’ve really trained myself not to hear that stuff,” said Kenison. “I know the younger (umps) let it get to them a little. When I’m in the stands I prefer to be a silent spectator and only positively encourage those on the field, but if I’m umping and someone gets really bad, I’ll just turn to them and say, “Gosh, I could use some help.”

There is constant recruiting for umpires, added Kenison, who said he’d rather be officiating than coaching.

“The coaches get a lot more pressure from parents in terms of, ‘Why doesn’t my kid play more?’” he said. “Not only do they have logistic stuff, in terms of scheduling practices and finding fields, which is a nightmare, but they have to deal with the parents of a 12-year-old kid who is going to break into the Major Leagues next week.”

Kenison has umpired and/ or coached at every local level, from Little League to high school to American Legion and beyond, and he’s seen the sport and the attitudes evolve.

In the past, a disruptive parent would be reprimanded and usually calmed by peers. These days, it’s not necessarily a parent’s actions that create problems, said Kenison, it’s inaction. “A kid (is) throwing a hissy fit when they think they’ve been tagged out or something like that,” he said. “… I’m not saying parents should reprimand their kids right on the field, but I certainly don’t see folks getting involved (in discipline) like they did 20 or 30 years ago. I think it makes it harder on the coaches more than anyone.”

Brunelle can relate.

On the ice, he teaches children to play with respect for themselves, their foes and the game, minus the violence generally associated with hockey. He knows other coaches preach a similar approach.

Yet many pupils still exhibit selfish tendencies.

“It’s the trips home from the rink after games,” said Brunelle. “(Parents are) talking about the performance of their individual child, where on the bench we’re stressing team play.”

Every now and then he witnesses the effects of a parent coaching from a distance.

“A lot of parents, I think, try to live vicariously through their children,” he said. “But parents yelling from the stands in such a manner that a child can hear it, that child usually takes it as criticism and internalizes it as a negative experience for them.”

Indeed, such actions generally serve as a deterrent to participate, said Kate Hays, who practiced sports psychology in Concord for 25 years before moving her practice to Toronto in 1997.

“Ironically, a kid may lose interest in being involved in sports because of the huge amount of negative energy involved,” she said. “(The parent) is thinking they’re protecting their kid or standing up for their kid, but most kids actually find that type of intervention embarrassing and feel more pressure to perform.

“Essentially, what may ordinarily be a fun activity with friends begins to have a lot of emotional pieces that in turn create long-term implications.”

Jim Bail not only coaches and serves as a Little League board member in Windham, but he scouts players for the professional ranks.

At one particular American Legion game in 2007, Bail was asked by Concord coach Avril Cate to take a look at a couple players.

Bail obliged and, after the game, pulled one particular athlete aside and told him he’ll never have a chance at the next level if he continues to throw fits over an umpire’s calls.

“I see parents softening their kids up a little more than is good for them,” he said.

More than ever, he added, parents are turning their children into victims.

“(The players) aren’t taking enough ownership for their own issues,” he said. “They try to pout their way onto teams or try to pout their way into starting positions – with mom and dad in the background saying how unfair it is – instead of bucking up and doing it themselves.”

Even in youth football, said Dave Tremblay, a coach receives their share of parent-generated headaches.

Tremblay has coached football at the youth and high school level for roughly 10 years.

“Generally, I think you have two different types of parents,” said the current Pembroke Academy head coach. “You have the parents who expect their kids to be all-stars, and then you have the parents who kind of have the fear of the unknown, the ones who get nervous when their kids are practicing five days a week, and they’re getting used to the physicality of the sport.” The latter is easier to deal with, said Tremblay.

He remembered one incident when he coached the Hooksett Hurricanes.

A neighbor, whose child played under Tremblay, decided to confront him because of a perceived lack of playing time.

A mildly heated exchange ensued, recalls the coach, but he said he learned from the experience.

“First of all, the Pop Warner rules set forth and regulate playing time, but I’ve just learned to be really open with everyone and let them know up front how it’s going to be. I also spread the responsibility among my coaches, so it’s not just my decision, and parents can’t single out one person.”

Even if disagreements occur, Hays said these kinds of moments offer opportunities to positively resolve problems.

More importantly, she said it’s necessary to communicate with the child and identify and separate the aspirations of the young athlete from the parent.

Proof positive
One of Brunelle’s most memorable moments as coach involved a youngster from Minnesota who had transferred to New Hampshire and was moving back to the Midwest with his parents.

“I received an e-mail thanking me for my efforts as a coach, and more importantly it said the one thing the boy remembered is, at the end of the game when you shake hands, you’re supposed to take your glove off.”

That, said Brunelle, was indicative of parents who care, and there are many of them, he said.

In fact, all parties interviewed for this story acknowledged they’ve generally had positive experiences with youth sports, and they said there are some encouraging trends.

Leagues around the country are taking proactive approaches to eliminating inappropriate behavior.

Kenison noted that approximately 10 years ago the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association created a policy that mandates any coach or player ejected from a game must sit at least one additional contest. A second violation brings an immediate end to that individual’s season.

Several other organizations, said Kenison, including Babe Ruth, have adopted similar policies. “It’s sort of a motivational tool to make people behave, and from what I’ve seen, it’s made a heck of a difference,” he said. “People previously felt they could have their say anytime they wanted, and now we just say, ‘See ya.’ I think that’s had a very sobering effect on malcontents and makes the umpiring job much easier.”

Brunelle said USA Hockey and Granite State Youth Hockey have created a parents code of conduct and are enforcing zero-tolerance policies concerning a parent’s verbal or physical abuse of a player, coach, fellow parent or official.

If an individual breaks the code, he said, a 30-day suspension follows, and those punished must go before a board and request reinstatement.

“I think it’s needed just to make sure parents understand this is a game,” said Brunelle, “and winning and losing is not that important, as long as kids continue to develop as players and people.”

Hooksett softball and baseball highlights

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:10:00 GMT

Hooksett 18 – Dunbarton 7
Shannon Argo and Shannon Martin went 4-for-4, and Kim Wallace, Bry Pearson, Elaina Lavigne, Amber Young, Ashley Pilotte, Sam Desaulniers and Lindsay Read were a combined 17-for-25 with seven walks, as Hooksett rolled in junior-league action. Winning pitcher Argo turned in five strong innings, striking out five.

Hooksett 6 – Laconia 5
Amber Young’s two-out, eighth-inning hit eluded the center fielder as Hooksett lost an early lead but still won the game. Shannon Argo pitched eight strong innings with 14 strikeouts.

Hooksett 20 – Merrimack Valley 6
Hooksett scored 11 runs in the top of the fifth inning to break open a tight game. In the decisive frame, Lindsay Read and Ashley Pilotte doubled, and Alexis Lievens belted a three-run home run. Read reached base all four at bats, and Amber Young reached three times. Sam Desaulniers fanned four and retired the last six hitters to end the contest.

Hooksett 18 – Merrimack Valley 3
After a slow start, Hooksett erupted for 12 runs on 13 hits to down Merrimack Valley. Bryanna Pearson, Amber Young and Ashley Pilotte led the offense with three hits each, while Elaina Lavigne and Emily Miville each went 2-for-2.

Hooksett Applebees 15 – Hooksett Tokyo Joe’s 11
Hannah Locke, Abby Desharnais, Katie Dugan and Chelsea Desmarais keyed a fourth-inning Applebee rally in major-league action. Paige St. George, Lauren Shaw, Alexis Johnson and Erica Woods added to Applebees’ attack. Shaw and Johnson shared pitching chores and played solid defense. Rebecca Shedd had a strong game behind the plate. Sam Somers, Meghan Menard and Mary Darby led Tokyo Joe’s seven-run second inning. Ashley Aylward and Alex Nelson handled pitching duties for Joe’s.

Hooksett Tokyo Joe’s 11 – Hooksett Appelbees 10
Ashley Aylward singled and later stole home, giving Tokyo Joe’s its second win and knocking Applebees from the ranks of the unbeaten. Alex Nelson pitched well for Joe’s in the third and fourth innings.

Hooksett 13 – Bow 9
Emily Duchesne earned the mound win with relief help from Alexis Johnson, who allowed one run in the final three innings.

Locals embrace mixed martial arts

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:31:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Roger Woo doesn’t mind when his wife takes a swing at him. He actually encourages it. Woo teaches mixed martial arts along with his wife, Barbara, at Tokyo Joe’s in Hooksett, and organizes a cage fighting team out of the studio called Team Woo.

The team took part in a May 17, cage fighting event in Bedford, winning two of the three matches it fought.

Mixed martial arts is a fast-growing sport that combines elements of various fighting techniques, and Woo said it takes a certain type of athlete to step inside the cage.

“You’ve got to be mentally tough to even step foot in that cage. If you’re not mentally prepared, that’s half the battle right there,” said Roger Woo. “You have to have done countless hours of kickboxing, and every aspect of fighting. People don’t realize how much is involved.”

Ed Carr, a Hooksett resident and owner of Tokyo Joe’s, fights for Team Woo and won his May 17 bout only 24 seconds into the match.

“The adrenaline is crazy. You have to learn how to control that. Everything for the past six to eight weeks, all you do is eat right and train for that one moment,” said Carr. “It’s all mental. You have to be in the right frame of mind and have the right attitude.”

The sport has gained mainstream popularity thanks to the televising of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has been put on during prime time television hours.

“When UFC first came out, it was visualized as human *** fighting and people didn’t like it. They thought it was too brutal,” said Woo. “John McCain even had it banned in the United States when he was senator. Once it came back in, it was brought to mainstream.”

Woo also is in charge of Black and Blue Entertainment, which organizes fight events like the one held in Bedford. “I just love the sport, love the fighting. I love the crowd and the atmosphere, it’s all so exciting to me,” said Woo. “To be able to give the fans in New Hampshire something fun to watch, it’s great. It’s a good event for all ages.“

Barbara Woo, who took part in New Hampshire’s first ever female mixed martial arts fight, enjoys the sport as much as her husband.

“We both share the same passion for it. It’s my day job. She’s working as a GM for a company by day and by night she’s a fighter,” said Roger Woo. “Together, whenever one of the fights are on, we watch, and it’s a big chunk of our relationship.”

The two do drills together during Woo’s weekly class. Standing by sidelines during a recent class was Carr, who took the class off the Monday following his Bedford fight. “I don’t know what to do,” he joked. “I feel like I should be out there.”

Carr said he does not believe the sport is excessively violent, citing that there are multiple deaths in boxing, but there have been none during mixed martial arts fights.

“There’s a science to it. There are some fights with no punches or kicks,” said Carr, knows he picked the right occupation. “There aren’t many people who can say they have a job they love. That makes it there. You know you’ll help students, help them grow and reach their goals.”

Central still a scary foe – even for league’s top tennis teams

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:40:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Entering the season with three starters who never played tennis before, even Mark Telge had to question his team’s chances to be competitive in Class L.

Yet 13 contests into the season, the Little Green have compiled an 9-4 record and almost assuredly locked up a postseason berth.

This, after the they dropped a tight 6-3 duel with undefeated Salem on Monday, May 12. Central lost two 9-7 matches which proved the difference in the contest.

But captain Buddy Mc- Quade beat Salem’s No. 1, Michael Cohen; Central No. 5 Andrew Berry won, 8-2; and the pair of McQuade and Ben Sink notched an 8-4 doubles victory.

Salem also had added motivation after losing to Central late in 2007, said Telge.

“They were very, very keyed up to return the favor this year,” he said.

Still, Salem coach Michael Jolicoeur said he likes Central’s chances.

“All of their guys are very athletic, and they just don’t quit,” he said. “I’d love to coach this team. It’s just a bunch of guys that put forth all their effort all the time.”

And despite the team’s relative inexperience, Telge said the expectation remains nothing less than a championship.

“We’re right on the cusp,” he said. “ We’ve lost four matches, but we lost all four in close fashion to very good teams.”

Indeed, Central fell to Salem, West, Concord and Exeter, the top four teams in Class L. Though Telge said he thinks his squad can beat any of those top teams in the playoffs, he admits it’s all conjecture until the Little Green prove they can win against a quality team in a tight contest.

“It’s all mental at this point. We’ve covered every phase of the game,” said Telge. “Now we just need to get over the hump.”

McQuade and Sink lead the current squad.

“Buddy and Ben have been with me for four years, and they’re the backbone of my team,” said the Central coach. “The other four guys, it’s their first year, so that probably answers why they’re not used to winning the tight matches."

Hooksett’s Rob Lucas, Central’s No. 4, is an important part of that group.

“He’s been phenomenal,” said Telge. “He’s been a very special player for us in both singles and doubles.

“But it’s just like being a rookie in the NBA,” he continued. “By the end of the season, you’re not a rookie anymore, and that’s what we’re hoping for here.”

Dealing with rules, harassment and stereotypes, girls are finding success competing with the boys

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:19:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

It’s uncomfortable, but it’s a conversation both parties know must take place. As practice begins, Bill Walton, the John Stark wrestling coach, pulls Morgan Belanger aside.

“You know if anything inappropriate happens, you have to tell me,” he says. Belanger nods. She’s had this talk before. “I mean anything,” he continues. “If a guy touches you the wrong way, or a grab turns into a grope, I need to know about it.”

“No problem, coach,” she replies. Thus far, she’s been right.

In the 10 years since Walton started the wrestling team at John Stark, he said an issue has yet to be brought to his attention concerning any of the eight female grapplers he’s supervised. But he knows it takes only one brazen adolescent male to put the program in a very tough spot.

So the awkward conversations continue.

Look past the potential issues associated with high school co-eds wrestling on a mat, however, and Walton said there are some very talented female athletes holding their own against testosterone-laden counterparts – and that holds true in other traditionally male-dominated sports as well.

From the gridiron to the baseball diamond, the wrestling mat to the hockey rink, and on every surface in between, these girls are proving they can play with and beat the boys.

The challenge
Marc Noel knows a thing or two about female athletes. The Pembroke Academy boys hockey coach has also mentored the Lady Monarchs the past 10 seasons.

He’s sent eight females to play college hockey. His 20-yearold daughter, Stephanie, played for the Concord girls club program while attending Bishop Brady, and she’s now enrolled at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she played hockey her freshman season.

Noel’s Spartans currently feature two female players, forwards Jennifer Poulin and Alyssa Caruso.

Poulin, said Noel, is an impact player who will compete at the college level. She tallied seven goals and 12 assists during the 2007-08 season, her junior campaign.

“Jen’s a big girl that puts the puck in the net,” said Noel. “She’s been playing boys sports ever since she was little, so it’s the only thing she knows.”

Kaira Ellis understands that concept well.

Ellis began playing ice hockey when she was 4 and grew up competing with boys in the Concord Youth Hockey League and for the New Hampshire Selects.

As a goaltender for the Pembroke Academy girls hockey team, Ellis said she had to earn the respect of her teammates.

Now an assistant coach for the Spartans – after playing three years for the Saint Anselm College women’s team – she said she once again had to earn the players’ esteem. Yet she doesn’t believe it’s a male/ female thing.

When she stepped onto the ice as a high school freshman, she, like any other newcomer, had to prove herself. As a coach, her players needed to understand she knew what she was talking about before they would listen to her.

Ellis knows full well, however, that’s not the case at all schools. She’s thankful for the consideration the Pembroke players have shown her through the years.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they’ve walked on egg shells either. As a four-year starter in net at Pembroke, Ellis shared the same locker room with her male counterparts. All parties went into separate stalls to change and respected each other’s privacy, but she shared in the same off-color jokes typical of sports locker rooms throughout the country.

Ellis was just one of the guys, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I went from playing boys high school hockey to girls hockey in college, and the boys game is a lot faster,” she said. “You have to be mentally prepared.” It’s more than just being prepared that allows females to compete with males, said Noel. It’s a state of mind, a desire to excel when others tell them they shouldn’t be there.

Belanger said she struggled as a 77-pound freshman grappler and only found success when Walton taught her to enter a match believing she had just as much chance to win as her male foe. This year, as a senior in the 112-pound weight class, Belanger finished in the top four at the Class I wrestling championship and earned a berth at the Meet of Champions.

To Walton’s knowledge, one other female reached the Meet of Champions, and only Belanger walked away with a victory at the event.

The past four years, Belanger said she’s always been outmuscled, but has learned to use her speed and flexibility to gain a winning edge.

She’s also discussed her teammates’ mentality when they enter matches with females. Walton said he’s seen a male wrestler’s psyche totally destroyed by losing to a female.

Belanger learned to take advantage of any opponent’s apprehension. “I tried to get into their head and make them feel like they didn’t want to touch me, let alone wrestle me alone on the mat,” she said, adding she wishes other females would have the courage to wrestle. “It’s really not that scary. It’s actually a pretty fun sport once you get out there and learn to enjoy it.”

Getting physical
“Wrestling is a contact sport, and it’s not just football contact, it’s close-knit contact with no pads and no real barrier,” said Walton. “I always talk to the girls about the fact there is grabbing, and you’re going to have opponents grab legs and grab arms.

But it’s the other areas they might try to grab, or grope, that concern me.”

In turn, Walton said he advises his male competitors that expediency is key when facing a female. “I tell the guys to try to pin them as quickly as possible – nothing good can come of spending too much time on the mat,” he said. “You don’t want to go out there and embarrass the girl or belittle her either. You want to respect her like any other opponent.”

It’s not the sanctioned match, where refs, coaches, parents and fellow wrestlers are all watching closely, that gives Walton anxiety. It’s the practice room.

“I can’t see any guy ever trying to do something in an environment that they are being so closely scrutinized, but at practice, I can’t be watching everyone all the time … I always like having two girls because they can (practice) and work out together. It’s less looking out of the corner of my eyes for me.

“Thankfully, no issue has come up,” added Walton. “It’s tough enough trying to explain and get people to understand all the hard work and time that goes into wrestling, let alone having to go to the school board or administration and trying to explain something like that happening.”

That doesn’t mean it’s never happened.

Belanger said the one time she thought an opposing male wrestler took advantage of the situation, she went to her teammates.

They spoke to the offending opponent, explained it was inappropriate and warned him to avoid repeating his mistake. It wasn’t a problem again.

Ice hockey’s environment is different.

“(Girls) play a physical game against each other. There’s no checking, but they bump each other, and it gets a little nasty sometimes,” said Noel. “But when the girls play with the guys, they’ve got to be able to take (hard checks), there’s no doubt about it. Jen (Poulin) has been checked over and over again. She takes her lumps and bumps, but she keeps coming right back at them.”

It’s the hard checks, however, that keep some girls away from the sport, said Tom Ackerson, coach of the Concord High School girls hockey team, state runner-up in the inaugural year of the New Hampshire girls varsity hockey division.

“(Hockey) is physical for both girls or boys … There’s no checking in girls hockey, but players still get knocked around, it’s just not as ‘goony’ as it is on the boys’ side,” said Ackerson. “They’re not going out there trying to hurt each other.”

“Jen (Poulin) started getting a lot of grief (for being a girl), so when the boys were picking on her, she beat them up, and they left her alone,” said Noel.

Harassment
Lighthearted banter and roughhousing aside, many female athletes deal with both verbal and physical harassment that is sexual in nature.

Former University of Colorado placekicker Katie Hnida absorbed abuse in every form during her two years with the NCAA Division-I squad. According to a Feb. 23, 2004 article by Rick Reilly in Sports Illustrated, Hnida said teammates groped her, called her vulgar names, threw footballs at her head and worse. She also said she was raped by a teammate she considered a friend.

She dropped out following her sophomore year and, according to the story, was depressed for two years, suffered insomnia and gave up kicking.

But Hnida rebounded. In 2002, three years after the alleged rape, she walked on at New Mexico. In August 2003, she became the first female to score in a Division I game when she notched two extra-point kicks in a 72-8 win over Texas State-San Marcos.

A league of their own?
Not for everyone
Hannah Paitchel could be playing softball with other girls her age. Instead, the 11-year-old is striking out boys on the Pelham Little League diamond.

Paitchel, who has two older brothers, has played baseball since she learned to walk, said her father, Steve.

During the 2007 Little

League all-star season, Paitchel was not only the lone female to compete, but she was one of three 10-year-olds to play on Pelham’s 11-year-old all-star squad. In fact, Steve Paitchel said two other girls Hannah’s age joined the Little League this year.

“I think she’s led by example by giving them the comfort to play the sport they love without having to feel uncomfortable about it,” he said.

Hannah also excels playing flag football with the boys, said her father. She accounted for 30 of her team’s 35 touchdowns last year.

“In all fairness, the best boy athletes are actually playing real football, so the competition level is a little watered down,” said the elder Paitchel. “But that just makes her accomplishments in baseball that much more impressive because the competition isn’t watered down, and she’s dominating.”

While the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association restricts female athletes from playing male sports when an equivalent female-only option is available, R. Patrick Corbin, executive director of the NHIAA, said that rule does not apply to baseball because the sports have sufficient differences. Still, Corbin defended the restrictive policy because he said it promotes female athletics.

“We haven’t determined what to do yet because we don’t know where (Hannah) will be when she is 13, so we always said we would re-evaluate at that point,” said Steve Paitchel. “If she continues to be as dominating on the pitching mound as she is now, I think it would just be wrong to make her stop.”

Corbin added the NHIAA discourages females from playing baseball because, when freshmen and sophomores become upperclassmen, the playing field, in general, heavily favors male athletes.

“I’m going to try to play baseball as long as I can,” said Hannah. “And if I can’t, then I’m going to switch to softball, which I think will be a lot easier.”

Ellis said the formation of the NHIAA’s all-girl hockey division restrains female hockey players.

“For any girl that has the talent to play on a boys hockey team, it’s a great opportunity for them, and they should take it because when they get into college they have to play with the girls,” said Ellis. “If you take Jen (Poulin), for example, you put her on a girls team without the numbers and the depth, and it’s not as beneficial to her. It’s tough for me to endorse taking that away from the girls who have a lot of potential and are playing first or second line on a boys team.”

Ellis said that’s proof enough girls shouldn’t be restricted from playing where they’re most comfortable.

Still, Ackerson said female hockey has its place.

“I think if you have a girls team it allows more girls to play,” he said. “There are very few that can compete at the boys level. I’ve watched some girls play for some of the local (boys) teams in this area, and I’m not sure if they get to excel at the rate they would like to.”

Walton said he’s excited to see the creation of the girls hockey division because it signifies forward thinking by the NHIAA.

“Right now, we’re drawing more females into those perceived male sports and, who knows, maybe eventually we’ll have female wrestling in New Hampshire,” said the John Stark wrestling coach. “I know California has female wrestling, and the Olympics have female wrestling.

Unfortunately for New Hampshire, I think we’re still a long way away from that.”

US National Amputee Hockey includes Hooksett man

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:02:00 GMT

The United States National Amputee Hockey Team again has three New Hampshire residents on its roster, including returning team captain Dave Levesque of Hooksett.

Shane Warren and David Goodwin also wear the red, white and blue as they compete for the 2008 World Amputee Hockey Championships at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass.. Teams from Canada, Finland and Latvia also compete.

The trio joins the 2008 team after gaining international experience in Riga, Latvia, in 2006.

Team USA finished with a silver medal there, losing to Canada, 5- 2, in the gold-medal game.

Team USA opens tournament action on Wednesday, April 2, at 1 p.m. against Latvia. Team Finland is next up on Thursday, April 3, at 6:50 p.m. Team USA closes out the preliminary round against Team Canada on Friday, April 4, at 8:10 p.m.

The bronze-medal and goldmedal contests take place Sunday, April 6.

West serves comeback in Turkey Bowl win

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:52:00 GMT

By Ryan O’connor

Post-game emotion on the two sidelines was quite different, but the feeling was the same: this was no ordinary exhibition.

The annual Queen City Turkey Bowl, featuring Manchester’s top two teams, saw West and Central pass the stuffing back and forth for three-plus quarters before Blue Knights running back

Nick Clement gobbled up the Little Green defense in the final seven minutes.

West scored the contest’s last 13 points on two Clement touchdowns for the come-from-behind, 19-13 victory.

And while West players congregated at midfield, hoisting the Queen City trophy high, the Little Green retreated, heads bowed, into their locker room.

“We made the playoffs, and we obviously hoped for a state championship, but if we don’t get that, the city championship is the next best thing,” said West coach Travis Cote.

His quarterback, Lyle Smith, said while the postseason pounding at the hands of eventual state champion Pinkerton left a bruise, the scars from a 27-14 setback on Oct. 26 to their crosstown rival had his squad motivated.

“It was a lot more than just an exhibition game,” said the senior signal caller. “There’s 20 seniors on this squad, and it’s great that we all get to end the season and our careers (at West) like this.”

Central coach Ryan Ray had a drastically different take on the event.

“We play … to win football games. And you know what? I hope they had fun. I hope they learned from their experiences. But nobody should be happy that they were out there just playing football,” said the Central mentor. “This was a football game. This was a city championship, and for the next year, West is city champ.”

Few could blame Ray for being upset. The Little Green held a 13-6 lead with seven minutes remaining, and the Blue Knights, who had little success moving the ball in the second half, faced 3rd-and-17 at their own 19-yard line.

That’s when Smith took the snap and found a streaking Clement cutting across from the right sideline.

Eighty-four yards and a Kameron Knowlton extra point later, the game was tied.

“Me and Lyle have been playing together for five years. He knew what I was thinking. I knew what he was thinking. I went to the middle and he just threw a perfect ball,” said Clement, a Bedford tailback. “We knew we could score if the (offensive) line provided, and the line provided.”

The ensuing drive, Central pushed 54 yards downfield, but hit a wall at their foes’ 19-yard line.

After senior quarterback Scott McCurdy was knocked out of bounds for a seven-yard loss, the Little Green failed to convert on 3rd-and-long, and McCurdy’s fourth-down pooch punt bounced into the end zone, giving the Blue Knights the ball at their 20.

With little more than three minutes left on the clock, Smith and power back Steve Gibson led West down the field, and with 26 seconds remaining in regulation, Clement broke free, darting 30 yards to pay dirt.

“We knew we had to get the ball in our best player’s hands, so that’s why we got the ball to Nick,” said Cote. “He’s come up big for us all year. You’ve just got to allow that kid to help you out, and he came up big for us today.”

Though West loses its core, Cote said he hopes the game acts as a springboard into next season.

“Graduating so many upperclassmen, it’s really important to these underclassmen to have something positive happen,” said West’s coach. “To get a win at the end of the season like that gives us a lot of momentum going into the offseason as these kids look to step up and fill a lot of roles for us next year.”

Game notes

Miles Davis put Central on the board in the second quarter when he caught a 23-yard strike from McCurdy in the back of the end zone. Davis toed the endline in making the reception.

Mike LeClerc capped Central’s scoring with a 5-yard burst off-tackle in the third quarter. Coupled with Zach Lemire’s successful extra-point attempt, the Little Green led 13-6.