April 10 b section

Page 1

ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT

B Section

THURSDAY, Â APRIL Â 10, Â 2014

MATT DICKERSON

SPORTS

ALSO IN THIS SECTION:

t 4DIPPM /FXT t -FHBM /PUJDFT

t $MBTTJĂŤFET t 3FBM &TUBUF

2Q ÂżOP IDQDWLFV DQG IUHH]LQJ ÂżVK LWÂśV RSHQLQJ GD\ I  have  a  confession.  I  will  make  it  in  print  (though  out  of  shame  I  hope  nobody  actually  reads  my  column  this  week):  Now  that  I  am  older,  ev-­ ery  once  in  a  while  a  thought  cross-­ es  my  mind  that  perhaps  I  won’t  JR ÂżVKLQJ RQ RSHQLQJ GD\ RI WURXW season.  Such  a  hereti-­ cal  idea  never  would  have  crossed  my  mind  as  a  teenager  growing  up  in  Massachusetts.  Opening  day,  and  all  the  routine  around  it,  was  a  near  holy  tradition.  The  same  held  for  my  four  years  spent  in  college  in  New  Hampshire,  and  the  next  four  spent  in  graduate  VFKRRO LQ ÂżQH WURXW FRXQWU\ DURXQG the  Finger  Lakes  region  of  New  <RUN VWDWH ,W KHOG HYHQ IRU P\ ÂżUVW 15  years  of  living  in  Vermont. For  the  past  few  years,  though,  as  my  age  approached  â€”  and  then  passed  â€”  the  half-­century  mark,  the  possibility  of  staying  home  and  warm  on  the  second  Saturday  morn-­ ing  of  April  occasionally  creeps  into  my  thoughts.  I  quickly  dismiss  the  idea,  of  course.  Opening  day  is  opening  day,  after  all.  Still,  there  are  a  few  reasons,  in  my  advancing  age,  that  I  entertain  OTTER  VALLEY  UNION  HIGH  School  senior  Danarose  Weaver  con-­ the  thought.  First,  unlike  my  years  RI ÂżVKLQJ LQ 1HZ <RUN DQG 0DV-­ nects  with  a  return  during  her  match  against  Middlebury’s  Sara  Boe  Monday  afternoon.  Weaver  was  the  lone  Otter  Valley  victory  in  Middle-­ sachusetts  when  opening  day  was  bury’s  6-­1  team  win. nearly  always  successful  despite  the  Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell earlier  date  of  April  1,  in  Vermont  I  never  catch  anything  on  opening  day.  Never.  I  no  longer  even  expect  to  catch  anything.  Second  â€”  and  this  may  help  ex-­ SODLQ WKH ÂżUVW ² RSHQLQJ GD\ LQ Vermont  is  usually  really  cold.  The  water  is  running  high,  and  barely  MIDDLEBURY  UNION  HIGH  School  junior  Jesse  Wulfman  swings  into  a  ball  during  her  doubles  match  against  Otter  Valley’s  Brenna  Coombs  and  Sophie  Woods  Monday  afternoon.  Wulfman  and  her  partner  Lind-­ above  freezing  as  it  carries  all  the  say  Wells  won,  6-­2,  6-­2. melting  snow  and  ice  out  of  the  Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell Green  Mountains  and  down  to  Lake  Champlain.  The  air  can  be  just  as  cold  or  colder.  So  I  am  not  only  not  (See  Dickerson,  Page  3B) with  her  team’s  effort,  which  included  a  win  at  No.  4  singles  by  senior  Danarose  Weaver,  who  played  doubles  in  2013.  Junior  Sarah  Young,  also  moving  up  from  doubles  a  By  ANDY  KIRKALDY \HDU DJR DOVR VKUXJJHG RII D RQH VLGHG ÂżUVW VHW DQG QHDU-­ MIDDLEBURY  â€”  In  a  rare  meeting  between  the  ar-­ ly  took  the  second  set  from  Tiger  No.  2  Marvie  Avery,  a  HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ea’s  two  girls’  tennis  programs,  host  Middlebury  Union  three-­year  starter  at  singles  for  MUHS.  Lacrosse earned  an  6-­1  win  over  Otter  Valley  on  Monday  in  a  ³,ÂśP WKULOOHG 7KH VFRUHV GRQÂśW QHFHVVDULO\ UHĂ€HFW KRZ 29 %R\V DW 0W $EH 3SG WR match  that  was  the  opener  for  both  teams  and  was  played  they’re  playing,â€?  Lyons  said.  â€œThere  were  a  lot  of  deuc-­ 5DQGROSK DW 98+6 %R\V 3SG WR in  breezy,  chilly  conditions. 0$8 DW 08+6 *LUOV 3SG WR es,  and  that’s  something  we  can  work  on,  closing  out  the  The  Tigers  have  a  number  of  key  players  back  and  match,  closing  out  the  set,  closing  out  the  point.â€? Softball have  been  able  to  practice  at  Middlebury  Indoor  Tennis,  0W $QWKRQ\ YV 29 MUHS  coach  Laura  Rumbough  is  moving  seniors  So-­ while  the  Division  II  Otters  return  just  three  starters  and  nia  Howlett  and  Sara  Boe  up  from  doubles  to  singles,  Baseball 29 DW /HODQG *UD\ 3SG ÂżUVW \HDU FRDFK (PLO\ /\RQV VDLG WKH\ KDG EHHQ RQ WKH to  join  co-­captains  Madeline  Ganey  and  Avery,  both  ju-­ Tennis courts  just  once. QLRUV ZKLOH QHZ SOD\HUV ZLOO ÂżOO RXW WKH 1R VORW DQG WKH TIGER  SENIOR  SONIA  Howlett  tees  up  a  backhand  against  Otter  Val-­ 08+6 *LUOV YV 29 Given  those  circumstances  and  the  fact  that  some  second  doubles  team.  She  said  it  will  probably  take  some  ley’s  Gabrielle  Welch  Monday  afternoon  in  Middlebury. Track & Field matches  were  competitive,  Lyons  said  she  was  happy  Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell (See  Girls’  tennis,  Page  4B) 08+6 DW &ROFKHVWHU 3SG

Tiger  tennis  topples  Otters MUHS  girls  prevail  as  teams  take  courts  for  initial  match

ScoreBOARD

COLLEGE SPORTS Softball 8QLRQ DW 0LGG 3SG Baseball 0LGG DW 6W 0LNHÂśV 3SG

Schedule

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Lacrosse 29 %R\V DW 0W $QWKRQ\ S P 6WRZH DW 08+6 %R\V 3SG WR 08+6 *LUOV DW 5XWODQG S P 98+6 %R\V DW 0LOWRQ 3SG WR 08+6 %R\V DW 5XWODQG D P 8 DW 0W $EH %R\V S P 08+6 %R\V DW %)$ S P %UDWWOHERUR DW 29 %R\V S P %)$ DW 08+6 *LUOV S P 0W $EH DW 98+6 %R\V S P 08+6 %R\V DW 008 S P 0LOWRQ DW 98+6 %R\V S P 0W $EH DW 29 %R\V S P Softball 29 DW %UDWWOHERUR S P 08+6 DW )DLU +DYHQ S P 08+6 DW 6W -RKQVEXU\ S P 0W $EH DW &ROFKHVWHU D P 98+6 DW :LQRRVNL D P Baseball 29 DW %HOORZV )DOOV S P 29 DW :LQGVRU S P 08+6 DW )DLU +DYHQ S P 29 DW 0LOO 5LYHU S P 08+6 DW 6W -RKQVEXU\ S P 0W $EH DW &ROFKHVWHU D P Tennis 08+6 *LUOV DW %)$ S P %)$ DW 08+6 %R\V S P / 5HJLRQ DW 08+6 *LUOV S P 08+6 *LUOV DW 6SDXOGLQJ S P 6SDXOGLQJ DW 08+6 %R\V S P 08+6 *LUOV DW / 5HJLRQ D P Track & Field 0W $EH DW 0W 0DQVÂżHOG S P 98+6 DW (VVH[ S P 98+6 DW 6W - S P 08+6 DW (VVH[ S P 0W $EH DW 6W $OEDQV S P

(See  Schedule,  Page  3B)

Sports

MUHS  boys’  lax  whips  Woodstock Super Bowl kicker will BRIEFS visit college Ehps  knock  off  women’s  tennis and MUHS MIDDLEBURY  â€”  Visiting  Wil-­ liams,  the  No.  2  ranked  women’s  ten-­ nis  team  in  NCAA  Division  III,  de-­ feated  No.  8  Middlebury  on  Sunday,  7-­2.  The  Ephs  (12-­0,  2-­0  NESCAC)  were  the  sixth  ranked  opponent  the  6-­3  Panthers  have  faced  in  their  nine  matches.  The  setback  dropped  them  to  1-­1  in  NESCAC  play.  The  Panthers  won  one  singles  and  one  doubles  match.  In  doubles,  the  Middlebury  tandem  of  Lauren  Amos  and  Margot  Marchese  edged  Wil-­ liams’  Alex  Stone  and  Linda  Shin  in  a  tiebreaker,  9-­8  (7-­3). Middlebury’s  lone  singles  point  came  from  No.  2  Alexandra  Fields.  Williams’  Kathleen  Elkins  grabbed  the  opening  set,  7-­6  (7-­4),  but  Fields  rebounded  and  won  sets  two  and  three,  6-­3,  6-­1. Â

OV  softball  drops  opener  to  MAU BENNINGTON  â€”  The  Otter  Val-­ ley  Union  High  School  softball  season  started  on  Tuesday  with  a  loss  when  host  Division  I  foe  Mount  Anthony  erased  an  early  OV  lead  and  claimed  a  9-­3  victory.  The  game  had  been  scheduled  for  Brandon,  but  moved  to  Bennington  EHFDXVH WKH 2WWHUVÂś KRPH ÂżHOG ZDV QRW (See  Softball,  Page  2B)

By  ANDY  KIRKALDY MIDDLEBURY  â€”  The  Middle-­ bury  Union  High  School  boys’  la-­ crosse  team  opened  its  season  on  Saturday  by  thumping  rival  Wood-­ stock,  17-­5,  in  a  game  played  on  the  turf  surface  of  Middlebury  College’s  Kohn  Field. The  Tigers,  who  return  almost  all  of  the  key  players  from  last  spring’s  11-­win  squad,  got  a  combined  14  goals  from  the  starting  attack  of  Sam  Usilton,  Connor  Quinn  and  Keenan  Bartlett;Íž  strong  defense  from  Aus-­ tin  Robinson,  Justin  Stone  and  Sam  6PLWK DQG D FRPELQHG ÂżYH VDYHV from  goalies  Nathan  Lalonde  and  Lucas  Plouffe.  Coach  Dennis  Smith  said  he  and  assistant  Grover  Usilton  were  pleased  with  the  Tigers’  quality  of  play  for  an  opening  contest.  ³:H IHOW YHU\ JRRG IRU WKH ÂżUVW game,â€?  Smith  said.  â€œWe  moved  the  ball  well.  We  obviously  have  a  few  things  to  work  on,  but  we’ll  get  bet-­ ter  for  the  next  games.â€? Smith  said  what  has  to  improve  is  communication  and  â€œworking  to-­ gether  offensively  and  defensively,â€?  issues  that  he  expects  will  improve  as  the  Tigers  spend  more  time  com-­ peting  in  games. Âł)RU D ÂżUVW JDPH ZH ZHUH YHU\ happy,â€?  he  said.  On  the  day  Usilton  scored  six  times,  Quinn  scored  four  times  and  set  up  four  goals,  and  Bartlett  found  the  net  four  times.  Robinson  stepped  into  the  attack  and  scored  once,  and  middies  Ryan  Biette  and  TIGERS  SAM  USILTON,  LEFT,  and  Connor  Quinn  go  after  a  ground  Jack  Hounchell  added  a  goal  apiece.  ball  during  Saturday’s  game  against  Woodstock. (See  Tiger  lacrosse,  Page  2B) Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell

MIDDLEBURY  â€”  Seattle  Se-­ ahawks’  kicker  and  Super  Bowl  champion  Steven  Hauschka  will  visit  his  alma  mater  on  April  17-­18,  when  the  2007  Middlebury  College  gradu-­ ate  will  be  doing  events  both  on  and  off  campus.  Hauschka  will  speak  and  be  inter-­ viewed  by  Sports  Illustrated  senior  writer  Alex  Wolff  of  Cornwall  during  a  presentation  on  Thursday,  April  17,  at  7  p.m.  in  the  McCullough  Social  Space  on  campus.  The  event  is  open  to  Middlebury  College  ID  holders  only,  with  free  tickets  available  at  the  ER[ RIÂżFH RQ $SULO $ SXEOLF HYHQW will  take  place  on  Friday,  April  18,  at  7  p.m.  in  the  auditorium  at  Middle-­ bury  Union  High  School  with  dona-­ WLRQV EHQHÂżWLQJ 3URMHFW *UDGXDWLRQ A  meet-­and-­greet  will  follow. Hauschka  recently  agreed  to  terms  on  a  three-­year  contract  with  the  Seattle  Seahawks  worth  $9.15  mil-­ lion,  with  $3.35  million  guaranteed.  +DXVFKND ÂżUVW VLJQHG ZLWK 6HDWWOH LQ September  of  2011  after  he  was  re-­ leased  by  the  Denver  Broncos.  He  is  now  one  of  the  top-­10  highest-­paid  kickers  in  the  NFL. The  28-­year-­old  contributed  a  game-­high  11  points  to  help  lead  his  team  to  a  43-­8  victory  over  the  Den-­ ver  Broncos  in  Super  Bowl  XLVIII  (See  Super  Bowl,  Page  3B)

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
April 10 b section by AddisonPress - Issuu