ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT
B Section
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
ANDY KIRKALDY
SPORTS
ALSO IN THIS SECTION:
• School News • Legal Notices
Appreciate this, Boston backers I tell my daughters all the time they are spoiled. We didn’t raise them to root for Boston professional sports teams, even though both Kristine and I grew up rooting for them, in her case especially the Bruins on Channel 38, the local UHF station back in the day when Orr and Esposito helped the Bs win a couple of Stanley Cups. But our kids caught the bug, maybe in part because the four major teams — Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins — have collectively won 10 championships in the past 16 years. In context, that’s an average of one every 2.4 years for my older daughter and one every two years for her sister. But truthfully, I was spoiled early on, too. My family moved to Massachusetts when I was six, in 1960. I started following sports in 1963. Now, for sure that was in the middle of one of the greatest dynasties in sports history: The Celtics won six titles between 1963 and 1969, two more before I turned by older daughter’s age (1974 and 1976), and three more before I turned 32 (1981, 1984 and 1986). Add in the two Bruins championships and my teams won 11 titles before I was 22. But by then troubling signs had begun to crop up. The Sox had a 3-0 lead in a Game Seven in the 1975 World Series, and lost. Even before the Series their best hitter, Jim Rice, broke his hand when hit by a pitch. Their manager pinchhit for an effective reliever late in the seventh game, leaving a rookie (See Kirkaldy, Page 3B)
• Classifieds • Police Logs
Women’s hockey eyes first place By ANDY KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s hockey swept two NESCAC games from last-place Colby this past weekend, moving into a first-place tie with Hamilton in the process. The Panthers, 14-6-2 overall, and the Continentals are both 9-4-1 in NESCAC play. However, Hamilton defeated the Panthers in two headto-head meetings and holds the tiebreaker heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Panthers finishes with two games vs. Williams, at home on Friday at 7 p.m. and on the road on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Ephs, 10-102 overall, are tied for fourth place in NESCAC at 7-5-2. (See Hockey, Page 2B)
MIDDLEBURY UNION HIGH School senior Ally Larocque shoots a pass off to teammate Keagan Dunbar during Tuesday night’s game against Colchester. Middlebury lost the game, 52-46. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Girls’ basketball: Eagles move in standings Tigers edged at home; OV, VUHS fall By ANDY KIRKALDY ADDISON COUNTY — In local high school girls’ basketball action, all on Tuesday, only Mount Abraham prevailed, picking up a road victory, while Middlebury and Otter Valley
dropped home contests and Vergennes came up short on the road. EAGLES The Eagles defeated host Milton, 50-38, as Emma Carter led the charge with 22 points against the
4-11 Yellowjackets. Mount Abe improved to 9-6 with its fourth win in the past five outings and unofficially moved into sixth place in the Division II standings. The Eagles’ next two games are against winless Missisquoi, on the road on Thursday and at home
on Monday. TIGERS Visiting Colchester edged the Tigers, 52-46, in the process denying MUHS the chance to move up to No. 8 in the D-I standings. Instead, the Lakers improved to 10-6 with their (See Wrap, Page 2B)
Women’s hoop to host quarterfinal
By ANDY KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s basketball team this past weekend split its two final regular season NESCAC games, an effort good enough to nail down the No. 4 seed for the league’s postseason and earn the right to host a quarterfinal game this Saturday. The Panthers also won a non-league game at Plattsburgh on Tuesday. (See Women, Page 2B)
Sports BRIEFS Boys’ hockey nets split of two games MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ hockey team split two games last week. The Tigers’ record stood at 8-6-2, good for sixth place in Division I, heading into a game scheduled for Wednesday at BFA-St. Albans after the deadline for this edition of the Independent. The Tigers are set to visit Stowe on Saturday. On Feb. 8, the Tigers defeated host Colchester, 3-1, as Brett Viens, Henry Hodde and Tyler Giorgio each found the back of the net. Tiger goalie Doug DeLorenzo stopped 22 shots, while Max Brault scored and Jake Rocheleau made 25 saves for Colchester, which fell to 3-11-1. On this past Saturday, visiting Champlain Valley leapfrogged the Tigers in the standings with a 2-1 victory. Both teams are 8-6-2, but CVU has more quality points. Max Akey and Joe Parento scored for CVU to make it 2-0, and Ziven McCarty pulled MUHS to within a goal with a third-period strike. Goalie Ty Parker made 13 saves for the Redhawks, and DeLorenzo stopped 21 shots.
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE SENIOR Bryan Jones shovels off a pass after running into some defensive pressure against Trinity Saturday afternoon. Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Panther men enter playoffs on a roll PANTHER JUNIOR JACK Daly puts up a three-pointer during Saturday’s game against Trinity. Daly scored 19 points in the Middlebury win.
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Independent photo/Trent Campbell
By ANDY KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY — After two key NESCAC home wins this past weekend, the Middlebury College men’s basketball team will begin its quest for its fourth league playoff championship since 2009 at home this Saturday as the tournament’s No. 2 seed. The Panthers also won a non-league
Middlebury will host No. 7 Bates (15-9, 4-6 NESCAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in a rematch of a game played at Bates this winter and won by the Panthers, 79-71. Tickets for that game are being sold in a package with the 4 p.m. Panther women’s basketball quarterfinal at (See Men, Page 3B)
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game on Tuesday. The Panthers, now ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division III according to D3hoops.com, improved to 21-3, 8-2 in NESCAC play, by defeating then No. 8 Amherst this past Friday and following that up by knocking off Trinity on Saturday to nail down the league’s second seed.
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SCOREBOARD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Boys’ Hockey 2/15 MUHS at St. Albans........................Late Girls’ Hockey 2/15 MUHS at Colchester.......................Late Boys’ Basketball 2/13 VUHS at Montpelier........... Ppd. to 2/16 2/13 Milton at Mt. Abe................ Ppd. to 2/16 2/15 Missisquoi at VUHS........................Late 2/15 Mt. Abe at MUHS............................Late 2/15 MSJ at OV......................................Late Girls’ Basketball 2/14 Colchester vs. MUHS...................52-46 2/14 Mt. Abe vs. Milton.........................50-38 2/14 Mt. Mansfield vs. VUHS................48-34 2/14 Windsor vs. OV.............................64-36 COLLEGE SPORTS Women’s Hockey 2/12 Midd. vs. Colby.................................8-1 Women’s Basketball 2/14 Midd. vs. Plattsburgh....................59-54 Men’s Basketball 2/14 Midd. vs. Plattsburgh....................91-70
SCHEDULE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Boys’ Hockey 2/18 MUHS at Stowe......................6:30 p.m. 2/22 Rice at MUHS..............................7 p.m. 2/25 MUHS at U-32.............................7 p.m. Girls’ Hockey 2/18 MUHS at Northfield....................... Noon 2/22 Essex at MUHS...........................5 p.m. 2/25 MUHS at St. Albans................5:30 p.m. Boys’ Basketball 2/16 Milton at Mt. Abe..........................7 p.m. 2/16 VUHS at Montpelier................7:30 p.m. 2/17 MUHS at Colchester....................7 p.m. 2/18 VUHS at Milton.....................11:30 a.m. 2/18 Mt. Abe at St. Albans............12:30 p.m. 2/18 MUHS at Missisquoi...............1:30 p.m. 2/18 OV at Proctor..........................2:30 p.m. 2/20 Fair Haven at OV........................ 7 p.m. 2/21 Milton at MUHS...........................7 p.m. 2/21 VUHS at St. Albans.....................7 p.m. 2/21 Mt. Abe at Missisquoi..............7:30 p.m. 2/21 Fair Haven at Mt. Abe..................7 p.m.
(See Schedule, Page 3B)