In boys basketball: Chargers get key win over Cabot

Posted on February 20, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

This is the 2012-13 Craftsbury Academy Chargers boys basketball team. In the back row, left to tight, are: Coach Rick Thomas, Kyle Adams, Noah Sweet, Frank Spiese, Colby Masse, Alex Vetere, Logan Masse, and Assistant Coach Anthony Boyce. In the
front row, left to right, are: Joshua Paquette, Mael Le Scouezec, Jeremiah Lasher, Austin Masi, and Brandon Locke. Missing from the picture is Raymond LaMare. Photo by Val Adams

by Harris Kinsey

copyright the Chronicle 2-20-2013

CRAFTSBURY COMMON — Coming off a blowout loss, the Craftsbury boys varsity team hoped to get a win over Cabot. They fought hard for four quarters and came out on top 46-38. Kyle Adams led all scorers with 25 points, and got help from his teammates as they shared the basketball quite well. Seth Herrick-Trombley led Cabot with 11 points, but didn’t have much help, as Cabot had a tough time getting the ball in the basket.

The first quarter started in Cabot’s favor as they scored first on a layup by Zachary Ducharme. Craftsbury would fall behind by six before Adams got an offensive rebound and scored on a put back at the 4:22 mark. The quarter was a hard fought quarter. When the quarter came to a close, Craftsbury had the lead at 13-10.

The second quarter got under way with Cabot having possession of the basketball. That would be short lived when Austin Masi stole the ball and scored on a layup only 28 seconds into the quarter. Craftsbury 15, Cabot 10. Cabot answered right back when Camden Celley connected on a jumper. Just like in the first quarter, Craftsbury showed a lot of defensive intensity, and held Cabot to six points in the quarter. Craftsbury would only score ten points in the quarter but had the lead, 23-16 heading to halftime.

At the start of the third quarter Cabot hoped to play better than they did in the first half. They would score first one minute into the quarter, with Lars Hammer connecting on a jumper to cut the lead to six 23-18. Craftsbury would finally answer back on a layup by Adams. In the quarter Craftsbury matched the defensive intensity that they displayed in the first half, but continued to struggle a little bit on offense, and especially at the free throw line. Adams scored eight points in the third for Craftsbury, who scored ten points as a team. Cabot matched them with ten points of their own, but the quarter ended with Craftsbury holding an eight-point lead, 33-26.

When the fourth quarter got under way it was clear that this was going to be a close game. Craftsbury started the scoring just a minute and a half into the quarter on a free throw by Mael Le Scouezec. Cabot would score their first points of the fourth at the 5:14 mark on a layup by Tiger Bastress. Craftsbury’s intensity on defense seemed to pick up in the fourth and they played great defense in the quarter. Cabot would score 12 points in the quarter, while Craftsbury scored 13. The game ended with Craftsbury winning 46-38.

After the game, Coach Rick Thomas said, “We had 26 turnovers, and went five of 18 at the foul line, and we still got the win. What won the game for us was our defensive intensity. We played good defense, and rebounded the ball well. Our defense and rebounding won it for us.”

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

UCA gets sportsmanship award

Posted on February 20, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

by Richard Creaser

copyright the Chronicle 2-20-2013

NEWPORT — United Christian Academy was the recipient of the 2012 Mona Garone Outstanding Sportsmanship award on Saturday afternoon. The award, issued by the Vermont Basketball Referees, recognizes good sportsmanship, which the teams have constantly exhibited under the leadership of UCA Athletic Director Linda Curtis.

“Sports can be an emotional event for players, fans and coaches,” referee Bruce James said after the award presentation. “In the many years I’ve been officiating UCA games, I can count only a few times when a UCA player has acted out, and Linda was quick to take that player aside, talk to them and help them refocus. They never caused another problem, and I think much of that credit goes to Linda’s leadership.”

Ms. Curtis downplayed her own role in developing the culture of respect that UCA teams have displayed over the years. Their commitment to respectful play on and off the court or the soccer pitch is as much a reflection of the core values of UCA as it is the result of her own intervention, she said.

“We’ve always emphasized to our kids that they are representing our school and what it stands for,” Ms. Curtis said. “The players and the coaches have done a wonderful job of remembering that.”

Indeed, after a team huddle UCA players often prepare for a return to action by chanting “represent.” That subtle reminder of who they are and the values they bring to their lives in and out of sports is very important to them, Ms. Curtis said.

The award may be directly tied to UCA’s basketball tams, but it transcends a single sport, boys varsity coach Tony DeLaBruere said.

“It’s really an award for the whole school and not just a few teams,” he said. “It’s something that stems from the coaches, the teachers, the players, and especially Linda.”

The practice of gracious sportsmanship extends to the families and friends of UCA’s players, as well, Mr. DeLaBruere said.

“It’s sometimes meant that we have played games by closer margins than we might otherwise have had,” Mr. DeLaBruere said. “It’s fun to coach those games knowing that we have played a good game, a game we can be proud of.”

Those tight games are the ones where emotions are likeliest to run high, Mr. James said. In spite of that, UCA’s players, coaches and fans have always proven themselves respectful to their counterparts on and off the court.

“They have never abused the officials and tried to leverage that for some political advantage,” Mr. James said. “They go out and play hard, but they do it respectfully. A lot of that goes back to the fact that Linda not only expects good sportsmanship but she demands it.”

With all of the external pressures on sports teams to succeed, earning this award has even more meaning, Ms. Curtis said. The win-at-all-costs attitude that pervades sporting contests both at the professional and amateur levels often leaves little room for cultivating good sportsmanship.

“It’s certainly harder to accomplish today, but I think it just shows that we’re doing our job,” Ms. Curtis said. “We really push that we are representing our school. Good sportsmanship is definitely what UCA stands for.”

In accepting the award on behalf of the school, Ms. Curtis indicated that she would be stepping down as athletic director at the end of the school year.

“Getting this award in my final year is a really nice way to go out,” Ms. Curtis said. “But it was never about me and what I did. It was about what we accomplished as a school.”

contact Richard Creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

In Nordic skiing: Night relays show lighter side of competitive skiing

Featured

Posted on February 17, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

It’s not every day that a tiger tags off the relay to his short-necked giraffe Nordic ski partner. And yet that is precisely what happened when Lyndon Institute’s Daniel Chen (right) tagged Jayan Xie at the North Country-hosted night relays in Craftsbury. Photo by Richard Creaser

by Richard Creaser

copyright the Chronicle 2-17-2013

CRAFTSBURY — The lighting was dim, the footing uneven, and the quest seemingly impossible — locating Supergirl and a pink winged fairy. North Country Union High School’s annual night relay on Thursday, February 14, at times seemed less a competitive cross-country skiing event and more like a vignette from a Hunter S. Thompson story, at least to the uninitiated.

The night relay is an annual event, normally held at the track at North Country proper. But due to limited snow cover, the event was moved to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Staggering down the hill through deeper snow, on account of having overlooked the perfectly groomed paths leading down to the relay area, I was greeted by a polar bear, a bumblebee, and two girls in grass skirts. I thought I had crashed the wrong event.

Coming across a journalist acquaintance, I discovered that costumes and revelry are actually part and parcel of the North Country night relay experience. A group of nearby Falcon varsity racers were quick to confirm this.

North Country’s skiing executive Dan Decelles cruises downhill during Thursday night’s North Country-hosted night relays held at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center.

“I’m not sure when it started, but it’s been going on long before we were in high school,” senior Brian DeLaBruere said. “There are a lot of hills and features that you normally wouldn’t encounter in Nordic skiing. It’s fun and it’s a nice change.”

“It’s also kind of neat that it’s under the lights,” Laura Smith added.

Asked why costumes became a part of the event, Jade Dandurand looked quizzical before responding, “Why not?”

The night relays are quite unlike most other Nordic events the North Country squad encounters in the run of a racing season. Relays are a part of the experience and, weather permitting, night relays occur as well. But nothing is ever quite like the North Country-hosted event.

“It’s a little more carefree than most of the other races,” Dan Decelles said. “Everyone has a chance to relax before heading off to the state championships. It’s fun but everyone is still here to compete.”

Craftsbury Academy’s boys duo of Anders Hanson and Jacob Morse took third place, only one minute and eight seconds off the pace of Mt. Mansfield’s first-place team of Wylie Picotte and Ben Hegman. North Country took eighth and ninth place in the two-man relays with Alex Cotnoir and Sam Brunette, finishing 22 seconds ahead of Dan Decelles and Brian DeLaBruere with times of 21:35 and 21:57, respectively. Craftsbury’s Kestrel Owens and his partner Matthew Lawlor finished tenth with a time of 22:48.

Falcon Haley Jo Tetreault tackles the miniature snow mountain. Tetreault’s salt designation paired with her partner Adele Woodmansee’s pepper. Scuttlebutt around the North Country camp indicated that plans for aluminum foil headgear fell through.

In the girls’ varsity race, Falcons Haley Jo Tetreault and Adele Woodmansee finished sixth overall with a time of 24:30, two minutes and 53 seconds behind event winners Molly Larson and Amy Bruce of Mt. Mansfield. Fellow Falcons Laura Smith and Jade Dandurand finished with a time of 27 minutes. Craftsbury Academy’s Olivia Jones and Sabrina Thomas finished with a time of 31:14.

In the mixed relay, Mt. Mansfield again came out on top with the team of Wylie Picotte, Ben Hegman, Tiana Bibb, and Annavitte Rand finishing first with a time of 9:54. The Falcons would finish fifth and sixth, with the team of Haley Jo Tetreault, Adele Woodmansee, Alex Cotnoir, and Sam Brunette edging out the team of Laura Smith, Jade Dandurand, Dan Decelles, and Brian DeLaBruere with times of 11:16 and 11:30, respectively. A combined team of St. Johnsbury Academy and North Country racers Callum Hening, Sophie Martin, Patrick Lawlor, and Brianna Grimm finished ninth with a time of 12:29, while the Craftsbury team of Olivia Jones, Jacob Morse, Sabrina Thomas, and Anders Hanson finished eleventh overall with a time of 12:31.

In the junior varsity races, North Country’s Alex Cope and Fred Petzoldt finished second only two seconds behind event winners Mt. Mansfield’s Liam Ossler and Keegan Cummings with times of 11:41 and 11:39, respectively. Top Falcons girls JV racers were Rebeka Young and Brianna Grimm with a time of 15:44. Mt. Mansfield again claimed top honors behind the performance of Acadia Dinardo and Claire Julianelle who completed the race with a time of 12:29.

It was, at times, difficult to keep a straight face throughout the race. Where else would two ninjas, a pirate and a ladybug clamber up a hill dominated by a cougar and a man in a neon green vest? Where else could you show Supergirl a photo and discover that this is not the Supergirl you’ve been looking for?

On a night of costumed mayhem Lamoille Union’s Kelly Kryzak was one of two caped champions to tackle the quirky Nordic track at North Country’s night relays in Craftsbury. Kryzak’s race partner, Clare Salerno, was the second Supergirl.

And, for those who have ever wondered, a collision between a skier and a polar bear doesn’t always have to end badly. Sometimes the two participants simply get up, shake the snow off, utter quick apologies and continue on their way. It’s true, I saw it happen myself.

Spying a young man wearing a Cat in the Hat hat, I figured he would probably be the kind of person to put this whole experience into perspective. As Cat in the Hat hats go, it was among the finest examples of its kind, a fact attributable, no doubt, to its origins as a mother-made piece of millinery.

“I honestly don’t know how it stayed on my head,” Fred Petzoldt admitted. “There were a few hills, a lot of little bumps, and you could get some good speed coming into the homestretch. But it stayed on the whole time.”

Mr. Petzoldt became momentarily distracted when a five-foot-and-change tall bumblebee passed by. The distraction was not his alone, however. After a pause, we resumed our conversation.

“This is actually my first year in Nordic skiing so I’ve never seen this before,” Mr. Petzoldt said. “But I like it. It’s a lot of fun.”

North Country’s night relays aren’t the sort of thing that most people expect to see at a high school Nordic meet and that’s perfectly okay. Amidst the pressure to succeed and the mental and physical toll racing takes on a body, sometimes it’s nice to relax and let it all hang out, even if it is in a samurai costume.

contact Richard Creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com.

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

In girls basketball: CA improves to 12-4 with win over Rochester

Posted on February 11, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

by Harris Kinsey

CRAFTSBURY COMMON — Coming off a loss, the Craftsbury Academy girls varsity basketball team hoped to get a win at home against Rochester. They played hard all four quarters, and came out on top in a 55-28 win. Janet Bohannon led all scorers with 23 points, and Thaila Thomas added 16 points for the Chargers. Phoebe Parrish led Rochester with 11 points but had no help, as the Charger defense was very good all game long.

The first quarter started well for Craftsbury with Sarah Dunbar connecting on a layup to go up 2-0. It was very obvious after that first basket it was going to be a struggle for Rochester. Craftsbury dominated the quarter on the defensive end. They forced turnover after turnover on bad passes, travels, and out of bounds. Craftsbury didn’t allow Rochester to score until the 1:30 mark on a free throw by Sierra Ostrow–Remy. Rochester would only score five points in the quarter while Craftsbury scored 13 points. The first quarter ended with the score 13-5 in favor of Craftsbury.

The second quarter started and no one scored until Savannah Shepard of Rochester connected on a jumper at the 6:50 mark in the quarter. Craftsbury would finally score at the 5:40 mark on a layup by Bohannon. Both defenses played well in the quarter. Rochester forced some turnovers, as did Craftsbury. Craftsbury would score 10 points in the second quarter while Rochester almost matched them with eight points. At halftime the score stood at 23-13 Craftsbury.

The second half started fast as Craftsbury would score only 37 seconds in on a layup by Thomas. Craftsbury 25, Rochester 13. Their defense would be very good again and they held Rochester scoreless until the 5:10 mark when Parrish connected on a jumper. Craftsbury’s defense forced many turnovers in this quarter. Mainly they closed the passing lanes and forced Rochester to throw passes into crowds, and force their passes. Rochester couldn’t do anything right in the third quarter and scored only six points, while Craftsbury scored 14 points as a team. After three quarters the score stood at 37-19 Craftsbury.

The Craftsbury girls seemed confident going into the fourth quarter, and they did not disappoint. Rochester would get the first score of the quarter on a layup by Ostrow-Remy. However, Craftsbury would answer right back when Bohannon scored on a layup to put them back up by 18. Craftsbury 39, Rochester 21. Craftsbury’s defense would continue to dominate as the girls showed no sign of tiredness. They held Rochester to nine points in the quarter and Craftsbury scored 18. The game ended with the score 55-28 in favor of Craftsbury.

After the game, Coach Rick Thomas said, “I am very happy with the way we played. We played some of the best lock down defense I’ve seen us play all year. We forced 21 turnovers, so we were great in all aspects of our defense. It was a team effort.”

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

In boys basketball: Chargers struggle, fall to Rochester

Posted on February 11, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

by Harris Kinsey

copyright the Chronicle 2-11-2013

CRAFTSBURY COMMON — Coming off a loss to Richford, the Craftsbury Academy boys varsity hoped to get a win at home against Rochester. They tried but came up well short in a 74-27 loss. Pavin Parrish of Rochester led all scorers with 31 points and he had well balanced scoring behind him as Rochester did a great job sharing the basketball. Kyle Adams led Craftsbury with 14 points but the other players just couldn’t get anything done. Craftsbury looked lost all game playing without their point guard Alex Vetere, due to injury, and this game was an indication that they badly need him.

The first quarter started out fast for Rochester as Parrish would score only 32 seconds into the quarter when he connected on a three-pointer to put Rochester up 3-0. Craftsbury did not score until the 2:08 mark on a jumper by Brandon Locke. Rochester would score 19 points in the quarter. Craftsbury, not having Vetere, could not get organized, and scored only five points. The first quarter ended with the score 19-5 in favor of Rochester.

The second quarter would start off fast again for Rochester with Parrish connecting on a layup only 40 seconds into the quarter. Craftsbury would not score until the 4:50 mark when Frank Spiese made a layup for Craftsbury’s first score. Play was stopped for a little while in the second quarter when Parrish scored a basket for his high school career point number 1,500. The game picked up where it left off, and Rochester scored 23 points in the second to 6 points for Craftsbury. The first half ended with Rochester leading 42-11.

Coming out from the locker room, Craftsbury hoped to shake off the struggles of the first half. However Rochester would score only a minute into the quarter on a layup by Parrish. Rochester’s defense was dominant. They forced turnover after turnover. Bad passes and forced plays by Craftsbury continued to be the story of the game as they continued to struggle, not having an established point guard on the floor. Craftsbury would score only four points in the quarter, while Rochester again scored in double digits in a quarter with 15 points. The third quarter ended with the score 57-15 in favor of Rochester.

The fourth quarter started fast again for Rochester as they scored only 12 seconds into the quarter on a layup by Tanner Pratt. Their defense again took over and took advantage of Craftsbury, who, without Vetere to calm them down and direct play, seemed scattered and rushed. Rochester again dominated and scored 17 points in the quarter, and held Craftsbury to 12 points. The game ended with Rochester winning 74-27.

After the game, Coach Rick Thomas said, “We are struggling right now and playing scattered because we don’t have Vetere. He is our calming presence and not having him for the rest of the season is going to be a struggle. We just have to figure out how to play without him.”

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

In boys hockey: Essex defeats Falcons in comeback win

Posted on February 11, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

North Country Falcon Chris Bronson turns in a sterling glove save during the Falcons’ match against the visiting Essex Hornets on Saturday night. Flanking Bronson on the play are Hornet Joey Robertson (far left), Falcon Ben Pecue and Hornet Steve Jurkiewicz. Photo by Richard Creaser

by Richard Creaser

JAY — The North Country Falcons (10-4-1) came out on the wrong end in a match-up of top five Metro Division teams in boys hockey action on Saturday night as they lost 3-2 against the visiting Essex Hornets (11-2-2). The game featured solid goaltending on both sides as Chris Bronson patrolled the net for North Country and Brock Paquette manned the pipes for Essex.

Saturday’s contest at the Ice Haus in Jay displayed some of the finest hockey action fans for either side could have expected. The game’s officials appeared content to let the teams play a physical — though far from goonish — game. Hard hits, slick skating and dynamic playmaking kept the two sides close throughout the contest.

The Falcons have scored five or more goals in nine of their ten wins and have yet to be shut out by any opponent. By contrast, and with only a few exceptions, Essex has proven itself a capable defensive team whose wins generally turn on low-scoring affairs including a 1-0 shutout win over top seeded South Burlington. Saturday’s match would be a contest that would pit North Country’s high flying offense against the Hornets’ smothering defense.

Scoring opportunities would be at a premium on Saturday night. As if realizing the enormity of the challenge, the Falcons took advantage of an early power play opportunity. Ross DeLaBruere would record the power play goal at 7:06 of the first period to give the Falcons the early lead. Nathan Marsh provided the assist.

The teams would remain dead even through the second period, as the two teams battled to a scoreless draw. North Country had a few solid scoring chances on breakaways but were unable to beat Hornet net minder Paquette to increase their lead.

“We didn’t really give them a lot of quality scoring chances,” Falcons Coach Andrew Roy said after the game. “We were able to keep them on the wings, out of the front of the net. We played 30 minutes of good hockey and then got a little sloppy in the final period.”

North Country’s Adam Viens (center right) completes a mid-ice check against Essex Hornet Tom Vanzo as Hornets Brody Almeida (left) and Luc LeBlanc look on during Saturday night’s match. Photo by Richard Creaser

The Falcons received a boost in the third period when Adam Viens wrangled the puck past Paquette to give North Country a 2-0 lead a mere 47 seconds into the period. It appeared that the Falcons had the game well in hand until the Hornets struck at 5:03. Tom Fogg snuck one past Bronson to cut the Falcons’ lead in half.

Four minutes later the wheels came off the bus for North Country. Penalties to DeLaBruere and Viens 37 seconds apart gave Essex a 5 on 3 advantage. Those penalties had a greater effect on the outcome of the game than fatigue brought on by a short bench, Coach Roy said.

“I don’t think it was tired legs or anything else,” Coach Roy said. “We made some key mistakes out there tonight and it cost us. It’s a tough loss to swallow.”

Though North Country would hang in and kill off the penalties, Essex took advantage of the post-power play confusion to strike. A mere 16 seconds after Viens came out of the box Luc LeBlanc would deflect in a shot from Nate Foice to tie up the game at 2-2.

The collapse would be complete when, with 1:22 remaining to play, Steve Jurkewiecz buried a pass from Joey Robertson and Brody Almeida to cap off the Hornets’ comeback win.

Despite the heartbreaking loss Coach Roy was not discouraged with his team’s chances heading toward the post-season.

“If we can avoid making those mistakes we can play with anyone,” Coach Roy said. “There’s no reason we can’t be the top team in the state.”

The Falcons play two more home games against BFA-St. Albans on Wednesday, February 13, at 6 p.m. and Rutland on February 16 at 7 p.m. before finishing out the regular season with three road games against Rice Memorial, Middlebury and Champlain Valley Union on February 20, 23 and 26 respectively.

contact Richard Creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

In girls hockey: Falcons rally to beat U-32 Raiders

Featured

Posted on February 10, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

North Country’s Taylor Morley (left) bolts down ice past U-32 defender Rachel Ebersole during Saturday night’s varsity match-up at the Ice Haus in Jay. Photo by Richard Creaser

by Richard Creaser

copyright the Chronicle 2-13-2013

JAY — Though the visiting U-32 Raiders may have struggled throughout the season, they certainly brought their A-game to the Ice Haus at Jay on Saturday as they took on the home town North Country Falcons girls hockey team. In the midst of an ugly eight-game losing streak it seemed the Raiders (2-12) would prove little difficulty for the second-ranked Falcons (13-3-1). Earlier in the season the Falcons had shut out the Raiders 2-0.

“I don’t think this was a bad game for us,” North Country Coach Claude Paul said after the game. “They played a very good game as opposed to us playing down. Their goaltending was excellent tonight.”

Throughout the contest the Falcons continued to apply tremendous pressure on U-32 goalie Cheyenne Smith (kneeling center). Here Falcons Corrina Cota (left) and Savannah Alberghini-Giroux (far right) battle with Raider Rachel Ebersole for control of the puck. Photo by Richard Creaser

Not three minutes into the game the Raiders would go ahead on a worm-burner scored by Rachel Ebersole and assisted by Stacy Woolaver. Backing up the early lead, Cheyenne Smith provided solid goaltending for the visiting team.

“We did have a lot of chances but we just couldn’t put them in,” Falcon Whitney Bernier said after the game. “We put a lot of pressure on their defense and their goalie. We just didn’t score.”

North Country did create plentiful opportunities, particularly on a pair of early power play chances in the first period. Though the Falcons moved the puck precisely and efficiently, the resulting shots were unable to get past Smith and her defenders.

The situation would take a turn for the worst in the second period as Raider Emily George banged home another goal past North Country’s Mikaella Doran to give U-32 a 2-0 lead. A game that had started as a North Country win all but for the playing was suddenly in serious jeopardy.

Twenty-two seconds later, Falcon Taylor Morley responded with a sweet wrap-around goal to cut the Raiders’ lead in half and steal momentum away from U-32.

“Her goal was huge,” Bernier said. “Taylor came back and got us a goal. It really pumped us up.”

The euphoria was somewhat short-lived. North Country had regained momentum and gone on the offensive when first Savannah Alberghini-Giroux and then Emily Doty took trips to the box.

“We got into a little penalty trouble in the second,” Coach Paul said. “That was really the only bad thing I had to say about how we played out there tonight. I talked to the girls about it in the locker room.”

“We had a big conversation about it,” Bernier said. “We knew if we wanted to win we had to stay out of the box. If we did that we’d get our chances.”

Those chances came soon after. At 1:10 into the third period Bernier converted passes from Jenna Moss and Adrianna Fournier into the equalizing goal. Time and again the Falcons would swarm the Raiders’ zone only to be turned aside. In a conclusion worthy of the caliber of hockey both teams presented, Bernier took a pass from Corrina Cota and buried it in the net with 12 seconds left on the clock to put North Country ahead for the first time in the game.

“Getting that goal felt great,” Bernier said. “They really made us work for the win.”

The Falcons return to action on Saturday, February 16, at 5 p.m. with a match against Brattleboro in their final home game of the regular season. The Falcons conclude their regular season with away matches against Rice Memorial on February 20 and Harwood Union on February 23.

contact Richard creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com.

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

In girls basketball: NC Falcons hang tough in loss versus Essex

Featured

Posted on February 6, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

North Country’s Hollie Smith (left) breaks down the sideline past Essex defender Danielle Couture during Tuesday night’s girls varsity basketball game at North Country. Photo by Richard Creaser

by Richard Creaser

NEWPORT — The North Country Falcons (4-8) fought hard but came away with a loss against the visiting Essex Hornets (11-2) on Tuesday night.

Essex would go on to win the game 53-34. The Hornets came into Tuesday’s contest fresh off a victory against Spaulding while the hometown Falcons hoped to snap a seven-game skid.

The Hornets set the tone early after spending half of the opening frame trading point for point with North Country. A late run put Essex ahead 18-9 by the end of the first quarter. Despite a nine-point deficit the Falcons rallied back in the second quarter.

Co-captains Desiree Coffin and Anna Bingham combined for 11 of North Country’s 15 points in the quarter, slashing Essex’s lead to a mere two points. By the time the teams hit the locker rooms at the half, North Country had battled back and trailed 24-26.

In the third quarter, the confidence and tenacity that enabled the Falcons to fight back tailed off precipitously. North Country managed only two points in the quarter and fell behind 36-26 entering the final frame.

“I think we kind of lost our defensive presence,” Bingham said after the game. “We weren’t communicating very well. We didn’t have players where we should have and it cost us.”

The Hornets feasted on turnovers in the second half, breaking up any momentum North Country could manage. Their best defense proved to be a seemingly unstoppable offense as they outscored the Falcons 27-10 over the final two quarters.

Knowing that they were facing the number three team in Division I posed no additional pressure for the Falcons, Bingham said. Every game is a big game as far as mental preparation goes, she said.

“They’ve had some tough games lately and we hoped to take advantage of that,” Bingham said. “We just need to know where the ball is and make sure we get to it. That wasn’t happening for us tonight.”

Coffin led all Falcons scorers with 12 points on the night while Bingham contributed 11 points for North Country. Kara Sheftic led all scorers tossing in 20 points for Essex while fellow Hornet Lauren Miles contributed 14 points in the win.

The Falcons return to action hosting Spaulding High on Friday, February 8, with a 6:30 p.m. start.

contact Richard Creaser at nek_scribbler@hotmail.com

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.

Sports briefs: skiing results

Posted on February 5, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

January 29

Three-by-three team rely hosted by BFA-St. Albans

Event notes: The Falcons Nordic teams placed well in the three-person relays. The Falcons boys placed three teams in the top 20 with the team of Dan Decelles, Fred Petzoldt and Brad Dopp earning eighth place overall with a time of 28:07, only four minutes and ten seconds behind event winners Mac Groves, Micah Lynch and Max Livingstone-Peters from Middlebury Union. Alex Charboneau, Alex Cope, and Alex Cotnoir earned a twelfth-place finish with a time of 30:41, while the trio of Sam Brunette, Parker LaCourse, and Brian DeLaBruere finished seventeenth overall with a time of 33:17.

Both Lady Falcon relay teams placed in the top 20, with the trio of Laura Smith, Brianna Grimm, and Haley Jo Tetreault taking seventeenth overall with a time of 36:55, 9:05 off the pace of event winners Sophie Hodges, Kate Dapolito, and Dorothy Punderson of Middlebury Union. Adele Woodmansee, Rebeka Young, and Jade Dandurand finished twentieth overall with a time of 39:24. — submitted by Alex Gratton.

February 2

Craftsbury marathon high school 12-kilometer race

Event notes: Falcon Brian DeLaBruere turned in a strong showing in the Craftsbury Marathon 12K event taking third place overall with a time of 46:20.6, only one minute and 41 seconds behind event winner Lukas Adamowicz of Burlington High. Alex Cotnoir finished with a time of 53:48,while Alex Cope and Alex Charboneau completed the race only 18 seconds apart with times of 55:41.2 and 55:59.8, respectively.

Only four tenths of a second separated the top Lady Falcons on the day. Haley Jo Tetreault continued a strong season with a fifth-place finish and a time of 59:51, followed close after by Adele Woodmansee with a time of 59:51.4. The top finish in the girls’ division was Burlington High’s Sabrina Farmer with her time of 54:42.4. — submitted by Alex Gratton

February 2

Craftsbury marathon at Craftsbury Outdoor Center

Event notes: Eric Darling of Shelburne posted the fastest time in the men’s 25K event with a time of 1:19:33. The top female finisher was Eileen Carey of Burlington, who finished with a time of 1:30:17.6. The top local racers were Anders Hanson of Craftsbury in the men’s division with a time of 1:30:17.6 and 13-year-old Anica Koontz Miller of Craftsbury Common in the women’s division with a time of 2:04:12.

In the 50K event, six of the top seven finishes belonged to skiers calling Craftsbury home. Event winner Kris Freeman, of no listed hometown, completed the race in a time of 2:13:56.6. Nils Koons and Brian Cook, both of Craftsbury, finished three tenths of a second apart for second and third place with times of 2:20:31 and 2:20:31.3, respectively. The top racer in the women’s division was Caitlyn Curran of no listed address with a time of 3:01:37.5. Gina Campoli of Craftsbury Common was the top local female racer with a time of 3:41:00.2. — submitted by Sheldon Miller.

In boys basketball: Lake Region dominates Stowe in 93-38 rout

Posted on February 5, 2013 by BethanyMDunbar

by Harris Kinsey

Hoping to get stay undefeated, The Lake Region boys varsity took on Stowe on Friday, February 1, at Don Harter Memorial gymnasium. They dominated all areas of the game, and routed Stowe 93-38. Caleb Prue was the high scorer of the night with 22 points. Dakota Mcallister added 16 points, while Drew Gallup and Anthony Wright contributed 14 points and 10 points, respectively. Petey Walsh led Stowe with eight points, but Stowe had a tough assignment playing an undefeated team on the road, and it was apparent from the get go that this game wasn’t going to be close.

The first quarter started fast for Lake Region with Dennis Newland scoring on a layup 20 seconds into the game to put Lake Region up 2-0. Lake Region’s defense was dominant, and held Stowe scoreless until the 4:45 mark when Robert Buonanno scored on a layup. Stowe would score only eight points the whole quarter, while Lake Region completely picked apart their defense and scored 22 points, 12 by Prue. The first quarter ended with the score at 22-8 in Lake Region’s favor.

The second quarter started with Stowe getting the first score on a jumper by Buonanno. Lake Region, however, would answer right back five seconds later with a score to make the score 24-10. Lake Region’s defense was just as dominant as it was in the first quarter. They full-court trapped, played half-court defense, and forced turnover after turnover — mainly steals and bad passes. Stowe couldn’t do anything at all and scored only nine points in the second quarter, while Lake Region would score 28 points. At halftime the score was 50-17 in favor of Lake Region.

The third quarter started with Lake Region scoring first on a layup by Gallup. Stowe would answer back with Max King scoring on a layup. Lake Region’s defense was just as dominant in the third quarter as it had been all game. Stowe finally scored in double digits in a quarter with 15 points in the third. Stowe’s defense played better and held Lake Region to “only” 20 points. After three quarters Lake Region led 70-32.

When the fourth quarter got under way it was quite obvious that Lake Region was going to win in a rout. But Lake Region kept playing as if the game was close. Gallup would hit a jumper 15 seconds into the quarter for the first score of the fourth. Stowe would answer back on a layup by Buonanno. Lake Region’s defense took over the game again and Stowe couldn’t score, or do anything, against the Ranger defense. Stowe would manage only six points in the fourth quarter, while Lake Region picked apart Stowe’s defense again, and scored 23 points in the fourth. The game ended with the score 93-38 Lake Region.

After the game LR Coach James Ingalls said, “For the first time we played Ranger basketball for all 32 minutes. We had not done that in all the other wins we’ve had, and we finally did that tonight. All the players played well. We had big contributions off the bench. We played well defensively. Also on the offensive end as a team we had 27 assists. It was a team effort.”

For more free sports stories, look in our sports category on this site or subscribe to our print or online editions. Click on this link for a full winter sports schedule.