ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT
B Section
THURSDAY, Â DECEMBER Â 11, Â 2014
MATT DICKERSON
SPORTS
ALSO IN THIS SECTION:
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t $MBTTJĂŤFET t 3FBM &TUBUF
5HĂ€HFWLRQV WKH VFDWWHUVKRW ZD\ ‡ ,ÂśP QRW D ELJ IDQ RI EXOOHW SRLQW presentations.  But  it’s  approaching  the  end  of  another  year,  which  is  the  time  when  writers  are  expected  to  wrap  up  an  entire  12  months  in  a  single  column.  Which  is  to  say,  the  time  of  year  when  we  have  an  excuse  to  throw  together  a  bunch  of  random  thoughts  that  have  at  most  a  vague  connection  and  call  them  a  column.  (It  will  get  worse  in  four  weeks.  Trust  me.)  That’s  what  bullet  points  are  for. ‡ 2Q 7XHV- day  evening  of  this  week,  as  the  big  storm  was  set- tling  in  across  most  of  New  England,  I  made  my  way  through  the  “win- try  mixâ€?  to  the  Swift  House  Inn  in  Middlebury  for  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  New  Haven  River  Anglers  As- sociation.  To  my  surprise,  two  dozen  other  folks  also  ventured  out  into  the  swirling  whiteness  and  joined  the  gathering.  The  guest  speaker  who  was  supposed  to  be  coming  over  from  the  Adirondacks  wasn’t  one  of  them;Íž  I  guess  the  storm  was  even  worse  across  the  lake,  and  he  canceled  out.  But  the  lack  of  a  speaker  didn’t  pre- vent  a  bunch  of  anglers  from  having  an  enthusiastic  discussion.  The  group  has  a  wide  range  of  ages  from  teenag- ers  to  members  who  are  affectionately  and  vaguely  known  as  “retirement  age.â€?  Together  we  planned  for  some  ZLQWHU Ă€\ W\LQJ HYHQLQJ FOLQLFV LQ- cluding  instructions  for  introductory- level  tiers  open  to  the  community.  We  then  discussed  the  annual  winter  ban- quet.  But  the  topic  that  got  the  most  enthusiastic  and  passionate  partici- pation  was  conservation.  What  local  conservation  projects  might  we  sup- port  with  our  labors  and  funds?  Many  worthy  options  received  enthusias- tic  support.  It  might  be  that  the  only  thing  the  members  of  the  NHRAA  are  more  passionate  about  than  angling  is  conservation.  And  telling  stories.  Is  that  two  things?  I  should  have  used  another  bullet  point. ‡ GLG QRW EULQJ PH DQ\ FORVHU to  my  quest  to  catch  a  trout  in  every  (See  Dickerson,  Page  3B)
Sports BRIEFS Teen  skater  earns  bronze  in  Mass. WALPOLE,  Mass.  —  Thirteen- year-Âold  Lacey  Greenamyre  of  Mid- dlebury  recently  opened  her  speed- skating  season  with  a  bronze-Âmedal  performance  in  Massachusetts.  Skating  as  a  member  of  the  Sarato- ga  (N.Y.)  Winter  Club,  Greenamyre  placed  third  at  the  Bay  State  Short  Track  Speedskating  Championships  at  the  Rodman  Arena  in  Walpole,  Mass.,  on  Nov.  22.
ScoreBOARD Boys’ Basketball 29 YV 3RXOWQH\ 59-Â39 %XUU %XUWRQ DW 08+6 3SG 5DQGROSK DW 0W $EH 3SG 98+6 DW )DLUID[ 3SG WR Girls’ Basketball 0W $EH YV 29 0LOO 5LYHU YV 08+6 57-Â33 98+6 DW 0RQWSHOLHU 3SG WR
Schedule
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Girls’ Hockey 08+6 DW 8 S P 08+6 DW 6DUDQDF /DNH S P 08+6 DW 0LVVLVTXRL S P 6 %XUOLQJWRQ DW 08+6 S P Boys’ Hockey 08+6 DW 5XWODQG S P Boys’ Basketball 6 %XUOLQJWRQ DW 08+6 S P 3HRSOHV DW 98+6 D P 08+6 DW +DUZRRG S P 29 DW 06- S P 6 %XUOLQJWRQ DW 98+6 S P 3RXOWQH\ DW 29 S P 0RQWSHOLHU DW 98+6 S P 0LOO 5LYHU DW 0W $EH S P 08+6 DW &ROFKHVWHU S P 0RQWSHOLHU DW 08+6 S P
(See  Schedule,  Page  2B)
OTTER  VALLEY  UNION  High  School  junior  Amy  Jones  blocks  a  shot  by  Eagle  senior  Keegan  Jackman  Monday.  Mount  Abraham  won  the  game,  34-Â20.
Eagle  girls  outlast  Otters  in  opener Teams’  coaches  both  see  positives By  ANDY  KIRKALDY BRISTOL  —  In  the  season  opener  for  both  high  school  girls’  basketball  teams,  host  Mount  Abraham  on  Mon- day  pulled  away  from  scrappy  Otter  Valley  in  the  fourth  quarter  to  earn  a  34-Â20  victory. Senior  center  Isabel  Brennan  scored  six  of  her  game-Âhigh  12  points  in  a Â
12-Â0  fourth-Âquarter  Mount  Abe  run  that  began  with  the  Eagles  up  by  22- 18  after  OV  sophomore  guard  Sophia  Bloomer  hit  two  free  throws  with  6:47  to  go. The  Eagles  had  led  by  a  point  at  the  half,  14-Â13,  but  OV  went  scoreless  in  the  third  quarter  until  senior  guard  Laura  Beth  Roberts  beat  the  buzzer Â
OTTER  JUNIOR  LEXI  Hedding  races  up  the  sideline  while  being  shadowed  by  Eagle  senior  Ashley  Boise  Monday  in  Bristol. Independent  photos/Trent  Campbell
with  a  three-Âpointer  to  bring  the  Otters  ZLWKLQ VWULNLQJ GLVWDQFH HQWHULQJ WKH Âż- nal  period,  21-Â16. But  ultimately  the  quick,  but  not  tall,  Otters  did  not  have  an  answer  for  Brennan  and  the  Eagles’  other  six- foot  senior  forward,  Jen  Gordon,  who  scored  eight  of  her  10  points  in  the  sec- ond  half  as  the  Eagles  worked  the  ball  inside  more  often. Â
OV  boys  win  to  highlight  limited  action ADDISON  COUNTY  —  In  boys. local  high  school  basketball  Tuesday’s  VUHS  action  earlier  this  week,  the  girls’  game  at  Mont- Otter  Valley  boys  won  on  BASKETBALL pelier  was  postponed  the  road  and  the  Middlebury  Wrap-Up until  Dec.  29,  while  boys  lost  at  home,  but  Tues- the  VUHS  boys’  game  day’s  bad  weather  wiped  out  the  at  BFA-ÂFairfax  was  moved  rest  of  the  slate,  including  games  to  Wednesday  at  VUHS,  weather  for  the  Vergennes  boys  and  girls,  permitting. MUHS  boys,  and  Mount  Abraham  The  Tiger  boys’  home  game  vs. Â
Burr  &  Burton  and  the  Eagle  boys’  home  game  vs.  Randolph  were  postponed,  with  no  make-Âup  dates  immediately  set. The  Mount  Abe  girls  hosted  OV  on  Monday;Íž  see  story  on  Page  1B.  OTTER  BOYS On  Monday,  the  Otters  spotted  KRVW 3RXOWQH\ D ÂżUVW TXDUWHU (See  Basketball  wrap,  Page  3B)
And,  said  OV  coach  Steve  Keith,  his  team’s  shots  just  refused  to  drop.  “It  would  have  helped  if  a  couple  PRUH VKRWV IHOO LQ WKH ÂżUVW KDOI IRU XV but  they  didn’t.  In  the  second,  we  got  some  decent  looks  and  they  didn’t  fall  in,â€?  Keith  said.  “We  played  very  well  defensively.  We  made  them  do  some  WKLQJV WKH\ GLGQÂśW ZDQW WR GR DW ÂżUVW and  then  they  made  a  nice  adjustment Â
in  the  second  half,  kind  of  isolated  down  low  against  us.â€? Mount  Abe  coach  Connie  LaRose,  whose  team  is  coming  off  back-Âto- back  Division  II  titles  but  graduated  all  its  starters  except  Brennan,  was  pleased  with  the  Eagles’  defensive  ef- fort. “We  actually  did  a  little  bit  better  (See  Girls,  Page  3B)
Women’s  hoop  wins  twice,  once  in  dramatic  fashion MIDDLEBURY  —  The  Middle- bury  College  women’s  basketball  team  won  a  pair  of  home  games  this  SDVW ZHHNHQG WR FORVH ÂżUVW VHPHVWHU play  with  a  6-Â2  record.  The  Panthers  will  return  to  action  after  the  holiday  break  with  a  Jan.  3  game  at  Anna  Ma- ria.  Their  NESCAC  schedule  begins  with  home  games  on  Jan.  9  and  11  vs. Â
Bates  and  Tufts,  respectively.  On  Saturday,  Middlebury  rallied  in  regulation  and  in  overtime  to  beat  visiting  Skidmore,  66-Â63.  Trailing  by  15  points  at  the  break,  Middlebury  clamped  down  on  the  1-Â4  Thorough- breds  in  the  second  half  and  forced  overtime  when  Sarah  Kaufman  drove  (See  Women,  Page  2B)
Panther  men  split  weekend  contests MIDDLEBURY  —  The  Middle- bury  College  men’s  hockey  team  split  two  home  games  this  past  ZHHNHQG WR HQG ÂżUVW VHPHVWHU SOD\ with  a  2-Â4-Â2  record,  2-Â2-Â2  in  NES- CAC.  Middlebury  returns  to  action  on  Jan.  2  and  3  in  Lake  Placid,  N.Y.,  when  it  hosts  the  New  Year’s  Col- lege  Hockey  Classic. On  Saturday,  Middlebury  took  a  3-Â0  lead  and  went  on  to  a  6-Â2  vic- tory  over  Hamilton  (3-Â3-Â1,  2-Â2-Â1).   Middlebury  broke  on  top  5:10  into  the  game  with  a  shorthanded  goal.  Paul  Falvey  netted  the  re- bound  of  a  George  Ordway  shot  for  KLV ÂżUVW FDUHHU JRDO The  lead  doubled  at  9:34  when  Vincent  Gisonti  snapped  a  shot  home  from  the  left  circle  after  a  feed  from  Evan  Neugold. Middlebury  took  a  3-Â0  advantage  with  a  power-Âplay  goal  at  12:36,  when  Jack  Charles  redirected  Max  Greenwald’s  centering  pass  from  the  left  side. Hamilton  got  on  the  board  with  eight  seconds  remaining  in  the  pe- MIDDLEBURY  COLLEGE  GOALTENDER  Stephen  Klein  faces  a  shot  during  Saturday’s  game  against  Hamilton.  Klein  made  23  saves  in  Middle- riod  when  Scott  Vazquez  wristed  a  bury’s  6-Â2  win. (See  Panthers,  Page  2B) Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell