3/1/07
Salem's Lot
Time to pack up for New Hampshire, where you can live free or die shopping in Salem, NH, a once-dignified New England town that sold its soul to Circuit City, Best Buy, CompUSA, K-Mart, BJ's Wholesale Club, Bob's Discount Furniture, Pier I, JC Penney, Walmart, Kohl's, Target, Marshall's, Macy's, The Gap, TJ Maxx, Ann Taylor, Sear's, Filenes and probably a hundred others.
Not all is lost though.
Salem is home to Canobie Lake Park, a 104 year old amusement park in which the original 1902 carousel still revolves daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The Yankee Cannonball is as good as a roller coaster gets in these parts, and the Boston Tea Party is a good ride on a hot summer day. In 1937, at the old Canobie Lake Ballroom, on the park's grounds, Duke Ellington appeared. So genius has graced this town.
Speaking of which, Robert Frost went to grade school in Salem and later came back as a young schoolteacher.
But, for the first weekend in March, the Icenter is where it's at -- and let's not forget the fine dining and drinking establishments around town. The redoubtable Buzz Patterson has compliled a special edition of his respected USHR Dining Guide to help you in that regard. Just click on the link in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
NEPSIHA, presided over with an iron fist and a light touch by Choate head coach Patrick Dennehy, does a great job running this tournament, which seems to feature bigger crowds every year. We've seen some gripping games at this tournament over the years, the kind of games that stick in our memory bank. And we expect this year to be no different.
Here is the schedule. Note that Brunswick vs. Hoosac is the first game on Saturday and begins at 11 am. Driving directions are below. And yes, this article was, pretty much word-for-word, in this space last year. Maybe by next year we’ll dig up some more Salem-related trivia.
Div. I Semifinal Matchups:
Icenter, Salem, NH, Sat. March 3, 2007
South Kent vs. Belmont Hill, 3:30 pm
Noble & Greenough vs. Avon Old Farms, 6:00 pm.
Div. I Championship Game:
Icenter, Salem, NH, Sun. March 4, 2007 at 3:00 pm
***
Div. II Semifinal Matchups:
Icenter, Salem, NH Sat. March 3, 2007
Brunswick vs. Hoosac, 11:00 am
Hebron vs. Vermont Academy, 1:15 pm
Div. II Championship Game:
Icenter, Salem, NH, Sun. March 4, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Driving Directions to the Icenter:From Boston, Take Route 93 North. Right after crossing the Mass/New Hampshire border, take Exit 1 (Rockingham Park Boulevard). After exiting, you will see a sign for Mall Road, which will take you up on an overpass. When you come to a traffic light, take a right. This is Mall Road (you will see the race track on your right). Very shortly thereafter, it comes to a T, take a left there (Rt. 38 South), go straight through two sets of lights, and you'll see the Icenter about a half-mile down on the right.
Championship Sunday -- with Updates
3/4/07
Choate 5, Nobles 2 (final) --
Choate went up 1-0 at 8:28 when Hilary Knight jammed home a rebound, assists going to Emily Vitale and Maura Leahy. Choate got on the board again when Nicolle Perry scored, assisted by Vitale again and Knight. At the end of one Choate is up 2-0.
In the second, Nobles struck first, as Maggie Suprey tallied, with assists going to Kelly Cooke and Corey Stearns at 4:07. Choate countered with a 5-on-3 goal by Knight, assisted by Josephine Pucci at 11:07. The last goal of the period was a power play score off the stick of Nobles' Tara Lessard. Stearns and Perdios assisted. Nobles had a ton of scoring chances in the period. After two, Choate is up 3-2.
In the third, Knight scored, from Nicolle Perry at 8:40 to make it 4-2. Kate Goldman added an empty netter, from Knight, with 50 second left. Knight was named MVP. Coach Riepenhoff of Choate said "I think that one thing that helped us a tremendous amount is that our team has amazing on and off-ice chemistry which always helps a team. Also scoring thats penalty kill goal gave us huge boost of confidence and that's how we won the game."
Greenwich Academy 3, Rivers 0 (final) --
Greenwich came out flying, scoring two early goals. Kelly Crane put GA up 1-0 with the assist from Audrey Carter-Tracy at the 2:08 into the period. Julia Ireland made it 2-0 with the assist going to Katherine Pujol at 3:36. The last goal of the period was scored by Ireland, her second of the game, off a pass from Danielle Schaevitz at 9:49. 3-0 GA after one.
The second period was scoreless -- a good defensive effort by both teams.
Greenwich didn't add any more goals after their three-goal first period. Rivers had a strong defensive second and third period. Moe Tarrent, GA's head coach, said "I think that Rivers played a phenomenal game. But I think that it was our defense that really pulled it together and helped us pull out the win. Also Alexa Pujol had kept us in the game all the way." After the game the MVP award was given to Julia Ireland, who had a four-goal tournament.
Championship Sunday -- with Updates
3/4/07
Choate 2, Nobles 0 (after 1) --
Choate went up 1-0 at 8:28 when Hilary Knight jammed home a rebound, assists going to Emily Vitale and Maura Leahy. Choate got on the board again when Nicolle Perry scored, assisted by Vitale again and Knight. At the end of one Choate is up 2-0.
Greenwich Academy 3, Rivers 0 (final) --
Greenwich came out flying, scoring two early goals. Kelly Crane put GA up 1-0 with the assist from Audrey Carter-Tracy at the 2:08 into the period. Julia Ireland made it 2-0 with the assist going to Katherine Pujol at 3:36. The last goal of the period was scored by Ireland, her second of the game, off a pass from Danielle Schaevitz at 9:49. 3-0 GA after one.
The second period was scoreless -- a good defensive effort by both teams.
Greenwich didn't add any more goals after their three-goal first period. Rivers had a strong defensive second and third period. Moe Tarrent, GA's head coach, said "I think that Rivers played a phenomenal game. But I think that it was our defense that really pulled it together and helped us pull out the win. Also Alexa Pujol had kept us in the game all the way." After the game the MVP award was given to Julia Ireland, who had a four-goal tournament.
3/3/07
Girls' Semifinals – from Brookline, Mass.
Nobles 3, Loomis 0 (final) --
Both teams came out flying, and both teams had numerous scoring chances but came up short. The first period ended 0-0.
In the second, Nobles came out strong. At the 8:33 mark of the period Maggie Suprey took a nice pass from Tara Lessard, came down on a breakaway and roofed it on the Loomis goalie. After two periods, Nobles is on top 1-0.
In the third, Nobles went up 2-0 at the 1:29 mark when Corey Stearns scored on a rebound, with an assist going to Laura Nelson. At 13:42 Broghan Cully took a great from Kelly Cooke and slipped in on a one timer to make it 3-0. After the game, Nobles head coach Tom Resor said the whole team played very well, but it was goalie Kylie Stephens that got the praise for keeping Nobles in the game. Tomorrow Nobles will play Choate for the Div I championship.
Choate 3, Hotchkiss 0 (final) --
In the first, senior Hillary Knight pulled Choate ahead with a top shelf goal that was assisted from Maura Leahy at 3:47. After one period of play Choate leads Hotchkiss, 1-0.
In the second, Nicolle Perry scored on a wraparound to put Choate up 2-0, Knight assisting.
In the third, Knight scored an empty net goal with 17 seconds left, an assist going to linemate Katie MacKinnon. Choate coach Courtney Riepenhoff gave kudos after the game to her netminder, Jocelyn Yokow, who made 27 saves on that night. Choate will play the winner of Loomis-Chaffee/Nobles in tomorrow's Div. I championship game.
Greenwich Academy 5, Middlesex 3 (final) --
Middlesex and GA are tied up 1-1 after one, as Heather Landry scored for Middlesex at 2:38, with an assist going to Kristin Ohanian. Julia Ireland scored for GA from Bray Ketchum at 14:07
After the second Greenwich leads Middlesex 3-2. Danielle Schaevitz scored for GA at 6:57, followed by Ireland from Katherine Pujol at 11:21. Middlesex's only second period goal came from Landry from Caroline Corbett at 1:50.
In the third period Greenwich came out flying and scored two goals right off the bat. The first by Ketchum from Eleanor Castine at 4:58, then at 9:10 Danielle Schaevitz caught Middlesex sleeping on a line change and came down and scored on a break away. Middlesex's only goal of the period came from Landry, her second of the game, with the assist going to Hannah Systrom. Coach Moe Tarrant of Greenwich attributed his team's strong performance to the experience of his nine seniors that won them the game. Greenwich will face Rivers in the championship game on Sunday.
Rivers 3, Brooks 1 (final) --
With both teams coming out flying the period ends with a 0-0 score. Rivers was able to wring out six shots -- all great scoring chances -- and Brooks five. One penalty for Brooks -- Liz Bruno for a trip
After the second Rivers leads Brooks 1-0 with the Rivers goal coming off the stick of Lauren Glynn at 1:55, a rocket through the Brooks netminder' five hole.
The final scores was 3-1 Rivers. The second goal -- the game winner -- was scored by Jacqueline Bouchie to make it 2-0. Brooks cut the lead to 2-1 late in the third period when Marina Moschitto scored to make it 2-1. Jillian Dempsey made it 3-1 Rivers at 14:53. Brooks had a total of four penalties and Rivers had four also. Rivers goalie Andrea Schweitzer absolutely kept Rivers in the game making a total of 28 saves. Rivers coach Kristin Harder said after the game that she thought that both teams were running on adrenaline and in the third period Rivers managed to calm down and really pull out the win. It was a great game from both sides. Rivers will play the winner of Middlesex and Greenwich Academy in the championship game Sunday at 10:30 am.
3/2/07
Prep Semis, Finals on Tap
Here's the official schedule for this weekend's prep girls semifinals and finals at the Southfield School in Brookline, Mass. First game is at 10:00 am Saturday. Driving directions are below. Please check USHR for coverage as the day goes along.
Div. I Semifinal Matchups:
At the Southfield School; Brookline, Mass., Sat. March 3, 2007
Hotchkiss vs. Choate, 2:00 pm
Loomis vs. Nobles, 4:00 pm
The Div. I championship game:
At the Southfield School; Brookline, Mass., Sun. March 4, 2007 at 12:30 pm
***
Div. II Semifinal Matchups:
At the Southfield School; Brookline, Mass., Sat. March 3, 2007
Rivers vs. Brooks, 10:00 am
Middlesex vs. Greenwich Academy, 12:00 pm
The Div. II championship game:
At the Southfield School; Brookline, Mass., Sun. March 4, 2007 at 10:30 am
Driving Directions: There’s a good link on the Southfield School web site that contains directions from whichever point of the compass you’re arriving. We’ve included the link below. Note: When you reach Newton St. keep your eyes peeled for St. Paul’s Ave., which is a small side street, not really an avenue at all, that leads up to the school’s entrance. The rink is all the way at the end of St. Paul’s Ave. There is good parking on the roof -- and a nice view of Boston, too.
Driving Directions to the Southfield School
