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Team effort leads Advance Mfg. to Welch City Cup title

WESTFIELD — Advance Manufacturing enjoyed contributions from all of its players in defeating McDonald’s 15-8 in the finals of the Dan Welch City Cup at Bullens Field Sunday afternoon. The Welch Cup is awarded to the 15-16 year old Babe Ruth Champions and is named for its present league President, Dan Welch.
John Toomey, Tommy Pepek, Jared Piubeni and Chris Williams each had two hits for Advance, Mike Santinello scored three times and Billy Winters chipped in with two runs. Timely hits from Sam Blake and Jake Toomey also kept Advance rallies alive.
McDonald’s hit the ball very well and refused to go quietly.
Ian Wolski, Jeff Tobias, Matt Tsatsos and Matt Plasse each had two hits for McDonald’s. Tim Donahue also had two runs scored.
Advance broke open a close game with a 7-run 6th inning, with Piubeni and Williams contributing the big hits.
Rob Sullivan picked up his second win of the playoffs, pitching 6 1-3 innings and striking out five. Mike Santinello came in to close the door for Advance.
Amanti Cup
Camfour 8, Kiwanis 4
In Game 7 of the Amanti Cup tourney Sunday, No. 4 Camfour eliminated second-seeded Kiwanis 8-4. The two teams went back and forth through the first four innings, but Camfour moved ahead for good in the fifth with a key hit from Alex Perez followed by a sacrifice fly from Casey McKenzie, which scored John Keifer, who had also singled earlier in the inning.
Kiwanis received a substantial contribution from Brendan Gawron, who had three singles, scored two runs and stole four bases. Kiwanis was also helped by two key hits from Dan Plasse, who would eventually come around to score Kiwanis’s final run in the fourth.
Camfour received good pitching performances again from Vin Fortini, Luke Petrone and Casey McKenzie. Camfour’s defense was strong when it mattered, making multiple key plays – the most notable being a double-play to end the game.
Camfour will need two victories against undefeated ITI on Monday to win the tournament. ITI can be crowned champs with a victory in either of the next two games.
The Amanti Cup championship will be played this evening at Bullens Field at 6 p.m. – Courtesy of Westfield Babe Ruth

Lady Tigers: Team of the century

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD — Happy anniversary Westfield Vocational-Technical High School!
The Westfield Voc-Tech softball team wrapped up an unbeaten season in the Tri-County League at 16-0, defeating the School of Renaissance 15-3 Wednesday at Whitney Playground.
It is the first time in school history that a girls’ sports team has gone undefeated in league play, and it came during the school’s 100th anniversary celebration.
“It shows that a group of kids can accomplish something if they put their minds to it, and apply it,” Voc-Tech coach Kyle Dulude said shortly after the Lady Tigers stormed the field in celebration.
Dulude received a Gatorade shower from the purple-jerseyed girls for the second straight day. Voc-Tech (16-1) clinched the Tri-County League title on Tuesday.
“We had the right group of kids who wanted the same thing,” Dulude explained. “They proved today, the sky’s the limit.”
Westfield Voc-Tech senior pitcher Amanda Cyr scattered five hits, had two strikeouts, and walked two. At the plate, Cyr had a 2-run single and drew three walks from Renaissance pitcher Kelsey Morales.
“We worked and worked and worked for this all season,” said Cyr, whose team adopted the motto “Strictly Business,” for the 2011 season.
The Lady Tigers have actually been working on this for the last four years.
Cyr, a three-sport athlete, has been surrounded by the same core athletes in softball, basketball, and soccer for four years. She did not play freshmen softball.
“We have gotten to know each other,” Cyr said. “Our bond grew stronger as we were around each other for different sports all four years. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to deal with them.”
The unbreakable bond has transl-
ated over into the field as Cyr and her teammates have combined to form of the strongest defensive units the team has ever seen.
Yes, there have been faster pitchers, but none more effective and resilient than Cyr, especially with a speedy, strong-armed outfield and superior infielders all around her.
“Sixty percent of our team is defense,” Dulude said. “The other 40 percent is offense.”
That 40 percent was working at close to full strength yesterday as the Lady Tigers jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first inning and never looked back.
Voc-Tech tacked on five more runs in the second inning to take a commanding 8-1 lead when Cyr drilled a liner under the glove of the Renaissance shortstop.
The Tigers added three more in the fifth and four more in the sixth as Ashleigh Pieczarka plopped a 2-run bloop single out in shallow right field.
Notes: Westfield Voc-Tech’s only loss this season came in an independent contest against St. Joe’s. …The Lady Tigers have spent 142 hours practicing for games this season.

Published Thursday, May 26, 2011

That’s how the Garden goes

Marblehead ends Westfield’s run

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
BOSTON – The Westfield Bombers will have to wait at least one more year to get a shot at another state hockey title.
The Marblehead Magicians outshot Westfield 42-16 en route to capturing the Division III state title with a 6-3 win Sunday afternoon at the TD Garden, home to the Celtics and Bruins. The Magicians pulled a rabbit out of their hats with a second period outburst.
Marblehead (17-4-3) scored three goals in a 2-minute, 22-second span and added a fourth a short time later – all in the second period – to end Westfield’s run at a third title won in the last decade.
“We played with our hearts and gave it all we had,” said Westfield senior defenseman Colin Arnold, who won a state championship as a member of the 2007-08 team. “(Marblehead) was a big team, physical. We tried to stay with them … They flat out outskated us.”
Marblehead rallied from a one-goal deficit twice, tying the game for the second time at 2-2 with a power play goal 2:18 into the second period. Senior forward Ryan Dempsey delivered a backhand pass from behind the Westfield net to senior forward Chris McLeod, who fired it past Bombers sophomore goalie Nick Liberto (36 saves).
The Magicians went ahead 3-2 when a face off in the Westfield zone squirted to senior defenseman Ben Koopman out near the right circle. Koopman drilled it past Liberto with 11:10 remaining in the period.
Fifty seconds later, senior defenseman Jake Kulevich scored the fourth Marblehead goal on a rebound, and tacked on another with 6:51 left in the same period.
Westfield senior forward Matt Gagnon wristed a shot into the opposite side of the net from up against the boards near the left circle with 1:09 remaining on the second period clock. It was the final Bombers’ goal.
Marblehead tallied its last goal 58 seconds into the third period on a shot from senior forward Hunter Graves.
“All three of their lines were very talented,” longtime Westfield coach C.B. “Moose” Matthews said of Marblehead. “They moved the puck well.”
“I didn’t feel we were aggressive enough with the puck.”
Westfield (16-4-3) came out scoring two of the game’s first three goals – junior forward Nick Sibilia picked off a pass in the Marblehead zone and scored 5:12 into the first period to give the Bombers a 1-0 lead and junior forward Conner Laraway slammed a rebound past the goaltender who was on his back attempting to make the save with one minute remaining in the period. The second goal put Westfield back on top again, 2-1.
Marblehead’s first goal came on a rebound with 7:23 left in the first period.
“They scored first and I thought it was ours,” Sibilia said. “They came back, then we came back, and I still thought it was ours.”
But Marblehead’s overwhelming strength eventually wore down the Bombers, who also suffered two key defensive injuries early in the game.
Still, coach Matthews, one of the region’s top professionals, appeared upbeat after the loss.
“With a little luck and some key goaltending, good things happened to us (this season),” Matthews said from inside the halls where former Bruins legends Cam Neely and Ray Bourque once stood. “We made it to the Garden.”
Sometimes, that’s just how the Garden goes.

Division III Final: WHS wins OT thriller

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Westfield has reclaimed its spot atop Western Massachusetts in Division III hockey. Now the Bombers will have a chance to prove that they are the best in the state again.

WESTFIELD 2
LONGMEADOW 1

No. 2 Westfield and No. 1 Longmeadow, both winners of two of the last three state crowns, battled to a 1-1 tie in the western sectional final before the Bombers scored 1:36 into the 12-minute overtime period to defeat the Lancers 2-1 Thursday night at the Olympia before more than 1,000 fans.
Sophomore forward Anthony Cagliostro notched the game-winner from Matt Gagnon off a rebound of a shot from Sean Spohr with 10:24 remaining in overtime.
“I was just in the right spot at the right time,” said Cagliostro, who was hanging out in front of the net.
Westfield will now attempt to win its third state title in 10 years. The Bombers will take on the Central Massachusetts champion Monday evening in a state semifinal at the DCU Center in Worcester at 5:30 p.m.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be no blowout,” Westfield coach C.B. “Moose” Matthews said. “What a game. What a game. What a game.”
“What a show for fans. If they didn’t get their money’s worth, I did.”
Westfield’s defense, led by senior defenseman Colin Arnold, shut out Longmeadow for the first 38 minutes of the game, until Lancers’ senior forward Teddy O’Reilly netted the equalizer with 6:48 left in the game.
Sophomore goalie Nick Liberto was a rock in net for Westfield, collecting 14 saves. The Bombers’ defense bottled up Longmeadow, holding the Lancers to just two shots over a 20-minute span between the first and second periods.
Westfield remained out of the penalty box for most of the game, but even when the Bombers committed the occasional minor penalty the defense clamped down.
“Longmeadow has been the best team all year,” Arnold said of the Lancers, who went 16-5-1 and took 2-of-3 in the regular season series. “But we came out and played hard. Defense and goaltending was the key.”
Westfield and Longmeadow have owned Western Massachusetts Division III hockey for the last decade, combining to win nearly every title. During that time span, the Bombers (15-4-2) have now won six WMass titles and are aiming for their third state championship. They have appeared in four state title games.
When Westfield last won Western Massachusetts in 2008, it was another sophomore, Ryan Leonard, who scored the game-winning goal.
“You never know who’s going to come up big for you,” coach Matthews said.
The next big moment awaits.
HOOPS FINAL: The top two high school boys’ basketball teams in Western Massachusetts Division I will collide when No. 1 Northampton (20-2) and No. 2 Westfield (20-2) meet at the Curry Hicks Cage on the campus of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The two teams split their regular season series, with the home team winning each time.

Bombers ‘D’eliver

Westfield advances to finals for second consecutive year

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — In a game which featured poor shooting, it was only fitting that the key play was a defensive gem.
Westfield senior forward Spencer Phillips blocked West Springfield senior center Victor Aytche’s last-second shot beneath the basket to preserve a thrilling 41-40 victory in a Western Massachusetts Division I boys’ basketball semifinal game Tuesday night at American International College.
West Springfield had a chance to pull out the victory after Westfield sophomore Justin Crosby missed a pair of free throws with 12.7 seconds remaining. The Terriers rebounded the second miss, and rather than call a timeout, drove the length of the court and attempted to pull off the late heroics. But Phillips (9 points), who nearly pulled off a double-double, leapt at the chance to block the potential buzzer-beater.
“Coach (Bill) Daley has been stressing defense in practice,” Phillips said. “We knew this game was going to boil down to defense. I
saw (Aytche) going up to dunk it. I kept my eye on the ball and just blocked it.”
No. 2 Westfield (20-2), who never trailed in Tuesday’s game, advances to play in their second straight championship game against top-seeded Northampton (20-2) at Curry Hicks Cage on the campus of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Last year, the Bombers fell to the East Longmeadow Spartans.
Westfield senior Peter Fiorentino said experience will be the key to winning the title.
“Senior leadership is super important,” said Fiorentino, who has helped direct the younger, more inexperienced players this season. “Just look at Spencer’s block, (senior guard) Alex Garstka’s shots and free throws down the stretch.”
“We bring it to practice every day. We know what kind of atmosphere will be there. Last year, we relied on Aaron (Rodgers) and (Garstka) too much. This year we’re playing more as a team, trusting people more.”
Phillips and junior F Bobby Paul (8 points) dominated the paint from the outset, scoring from the low post to give Westfield an early 13-3 lead.
West Springfield’s only first quarter points included a reverse layup and made free throw from senior guard Chris Hill.(11 points).
The Bombers remained in the driver’s seat, even when the road got bumpy at the end.
In the fourth quarter, third-seeded West Side (18-4) drew to a 31-all tie, its first since 3-3, with 5:36 remaining, but never pulled ahead.
Westfield pushed the lead to six twice in the final minutes on a pair of made free throws from Garstka (9 points) and senior guard Jordan Santiago (7). But West Springfield made two free throws and Chris Lipscomb made a 3-pointer with 26 ticks left to set the stage for the dramatic finish.
“At this point it doesn’t matter how well we play,” Daley said. “We’re finding ways to win. I’m not sure West Side deserved to lose. But as ugly as it was, it was exciting.”
West Springfield senior forward Musa Elsir led all scorers with 15 points. Aytche finished with 10.

HS WEEKEND ROUNDUP

A pair of seconds, and a 1st

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — The Westfield High School swim program may not have been able to claim the team championship, but the swimmers elevated its status once again as the boys’ and girls’ teams both finished runners-up in the Western Massachusetts championships Saturday at Springfield College.
Westfield junior Meaghan Kwarcinski led the Bombers, whose 200 points were second only to Minnechaug (244).
Kwarcinski won the 50 freestyle (24.61) and 100 free (52.90).
Northampton (174), East Longmeadow (160), and Holyoke Catholic (119) rounded out the top five.
“Both teams swam very well on Saturday with every every swimmer doing career times,” said Westfield coach Tom Lewis.
Minnechaug won the boys’ team championship with 278 points. The Falcons were followed by Westfield (178), Amherst (140), Longmeadow (139), and Northampton (134).
Westfield’s 200-yard freestyle relay team, comprised of Erik Stinehart, John Dolan, Jimmy Stinehart, and Brendan Day won silver with a time of 1:33.72.
Nick Burrage was third in diving with 370.50 points.
FIRST-TIMER: Southwick-Tolland Regional High School seventh-grader Stephen Thibault became only the second seventh-grader and first from the region to win a Western Massachusetts Division III title.
Thibault defeated Taconic’s Stephan Petell 7-0 Saturday in the 103-pound individual championship in Williamstown.
Mount Greylock won the D3 team championship with 168.5 points.
SAINTS JUST GETTING WARMED UP: The St. Mary’s High School hockey team geared up for its big showdown with Holyoke on Wednesday at Amelia Park Ice Arena by routing Central 8-1 Saturday.
Nate Tremblay led the Saints with three goals and one assist, Nick Masciadrelli had two goals and one assist, and Trey Tremblay had three assists.
St. Mary’s Lyndon Ondrick had 12 saves in his second varsity start in goal.
Published Monday, February 14, 2011

Bombers get even

Westfield beats Northampton in front of a crowd of 1,000

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD — The Westfield High School boys’ basketball team’s road to earning a return trip to the Western Massachusetts finals got a bit easier.
Westfield leveled the playing field by defeating visiting Northampton 66-62, evening the series 1-1 and re-establishing the Bombers as one of the region’s premier basketball teams.
“It was (an) important (win) for us,” said Westfield coach Bill Daley, whose team improved to 15-1 in front of a crowd of close to 1,000 fans. Northampton fell to 15-2.
“I thought they pushed us around in the first half, but we hung in there … and Spencer Phillips clinched the game.”
Northampton opened the game with a 13-2 run, sparked by Grant Cooper’’s consecutive baskets, including an and-one. The Bombers trailed after the first quarter, 14-6.
But senior guards Alex Garstka and Jordan Santiago helped Westfield turn it around in the second quarter, scoring and getting teammates involved. Phillips and Matt O’Connor made huge 3-point shots, and the Bombers rallied to within two at the half, 26-24.
Westfield managed to get back into the game with an incredible first-half performance from the foul line. The Bombers made all eight free throw attempts.
Both teams came out firing in the third quarter, with the lead changing hands nine times. Phillips made back-to-back 3s, converting an and-one and banking in a long-range shot off the glass from behind the arc.
Late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, sophomore Justin Crosby provided some key minutes off the bench, scoring, rebounding, and providing a brief spark.
Then with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Santiago gave Westfield its largest lead with a 3-pointer. After Northampton made 1-of-2 free throws, Garstka made a 2 to give Westfield a 57-48 lead.
The Blue Devils quickly closed the gap to within one point with another Cooper spurt, but Phillips drained another 3 — the game’s biggest — with 50 seconds left to take a four-point lead.
Westfield tacked on two more points when Santiago found Garstka streaking down the court for a lay-up.
Garstka made a free throw in the closing sec-
onds, and Santiago added two. Northampton added a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it was all for naught.
Garstka finished with a game-high 20 points. Santiago and Phillips each had 14.
Cooper had a team-high 16.
TIGERS CLINCH: Angel Felix (33 points), Richard Vega (23), and Henry Deaza (19) all netted double-doubles by grabbing a plethora of rebounds to help Westfield Voc-Tech clinch a D3 tournament berth with an 88-50 win over Franklin.

Published Saturday, February 12, 2011

From worst to first:

Southwick completes turnaround, wins WMass championship

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD — Southwick’s Andrew Conklin had failed to capture a championship at any level in his soccer career.
But on Saturday afternoon, the senior midfielder and his group of buddies, who he grew up playing youth soccer with for the last 10 years, came together to lift Southwick-Tolland Regional High School to its first Western Massachusetts Division II championship in boys’ soccer since 1989.
Conklin went left with the ball. Belchertown goalie Zachary Parsons dove to his right, but the timing was all wrong for the Orioles.
The penalty kick grazed the goalie’s glove, giving Southwick a 2-1 win in the 2-and-a-half hour Western Mass title game before some 500 fans in attendance Saturday, and touched off a monstrous celebration at Westfield State College. The Rams won the penalty kick shootout 6-5.
“For 10 years I’ve been with these seniors and we haven’t won anything,” said Conklin.
Conklin’s Pioneer Valley Junior Soccer League team went undefeated five years ago, only to lose in the league championship. With the Southwick-Tolland Regional High School team, he and his teammates struggled wtih a three-win season a year ago. But a turnaround was in order.
Conklin saved his best for last — making the biggest kick of his career to propel the third-seeded Rams to a 14-3-4 record and Western Mass champions.
If not for Southwick senior midfielder Andrae Campbell though, Belchertown would have tallied its fourth title in eight years. The Orioles won three straight championships in 2003-05.
Campbell, provided Southwick with toughness, fighting off defenders all game. He muscled in the team’s lone goal in regulation in the fourth minute of action.
The super-aggressive midfielder took a pass from senior JT Martell around the 20-yard line, dribbled in about 10 yards, slicing through three defenders, and fired a shot past Parsons into the back of the net.
Later in the first half, Belchertown tied the game on a penalty kick. from Orioles’ senior defender Nick DeSantis, who drilled a ball past Southwick senior goalie Tim Schmidt on a rebound.
Schmidt made one big play after another. The junior keeper, who finished with 10 saves, fought off Belchertown’s furious attack early — the Orioles outshot the Rams 8-1 in the first half — and came up big in overtime. He made a spectacular sliding kick save on the opposition’s final penalty kick from Dustin Gregoire.
“I just wanted to get anything I could in front of the goal to keep it out,” Schmidt said of the PK. “Penalty kicks are a guessing game. You have no time to react. Once you decide to go in a direction, you’ve got to go.”
“Tim was strong….Andrae was strong,” Southwick-Tolland Regional coach Frank Montagna said. “And we had a bunch of kids determined to make up for what we had last year.”
The two teams split the regular season matchup with the home team winning each time.
“The kids played their hearts out on both sides of the ball,” Belchertown coach Tony Almeida said. “It was a tough battle all day….but when it comes to penalty kicks, it’s anybody’s game.”
“High pressure games like this are tough to play.”
Southwick advanced to play in Tuesday’s state semifinal game against Nipmuc at Westfield State College at 5 p.m.
Elsewhere, the Gateway Regional girls’ soccer team secured its second straight Western Massachusetts championship with a 1-0 win over Granby. Regan Teixeria, Chelsea Merritt, and Erika Mason, all converted penalty kicks to advance to Wednesday’s state semifinal game against Sutton at Westfield State College.
Mason’s shot provided the final dagger.
Brooke Fairman pitched the shutout in net.
On the boys’ side, Gateway lost to Lenox on penalty kicks, 1-0.

Published Monday, November 15, 2010

Lady Tigers make history

Westfield Voc-Tech girls’ soccer wins first playoff game
By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD — The Westfield Vocational-Technical High School girls’ soccer team made history last season when the Lady Tigers earned their first Western Massachusetts Division III tournament berth ever.
Westfield Voc-Tech took it one step further when it added a new chapter this past weekend.
Voc-Tech defeated McCann Tech 2-1 at Bullens Field on Saturday in the first round of the D3 tournament to collect their first postseason victory in school history. The Lady Tigers (10-3-2) advance to play top-seeded Gateway Regional (15-1) in Huntington Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.
“I’m very proud of the girls,” said Voc-Tech coach Kyle Dulude, whose team managed to overcome a 1-1 halftime tie.
Kaitlynne Pieczarka scored the game-winner in the second half.
Becky Cyr delivered Voc-Tech’s first-half goal, a hard cross-pass which deflected off a McCann player into the net.
Amanda Cyr played solid defense, and senior goalie Kelsey Benoit made 11 saves in net for the Lady Tigers, including two key stops on breakaways.
In other tournament action, No. 2 Chicopee Comprehensive shut out seventh-seeded Westfield 3-0 on Sunday.
In the boys’ soccer tournament, No. 3 Southwick is scheduled to host No. 6 Easthampton tomorrow at 2 p.m. Third-seeded Gateway hosts No. 6 Mount Everett at 5.
PVIAC RESULTS: Monson’s KC Fussell (15:49.78) and Longmeadow’s Camille Blackman (18:31.74) finished first for the boys’ and girls’ 5K events, respectively, at the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference cross country championships at Stanley Park on Saturday.
Blake Croteau, of Westfield managed to crack the top 20 with a 16th place finish among the boys. Croteau completed the race in 16:39.12. Bombers’ Allyson Morin was 34th among girls in 21:00.68.

Published Monday, November 8, 2010.

Gateway to the semis Lady Tigers’ historic run ends in Huntington

By CHRIS PUTZ
Staff Writer
HUNTINGTON — The Westfield Voc-Tech High School girls’ soccer team has been cruising along during this historic season like a brand new sports car.
Well-oiled for its first postseason game in team history, Voc-Tech ran into a road block yesterday.

HS ROUNDUP

No. 8 Westfield Voc-Tech held the defending Western Massachusetts Division III champion Gateway Gators, the tournament’s top seed, to one first-half goal before its season came to a screeching halt in Huntington.
Gateway junior Chelsea Merritt scored a hat trick and the Gators went on to defeat the visiting Lady Tigers, 5-0, in a D3 quarterfinal Tuesday evening.
Merritt scored the lone first half goal, tapping in a cross pass from Jenna Powers in the 21st minute. The duo hooked up again on a similar play in the 40th minute to take a 2-0 lead.
The floodgates opened a short time later as Erika Mason, Merritt (again), and Jamie Pease tacked on three more goals.
“I don’t think we were ready in the first half,” Merritt said. “We actually talked and worked together more (in the second half). We communicated, made better passes, and had more give-and-go’s.”
Westfield Voc-Tech (10-4-2) made a fundamental change in its defensive strategy for its first playoff game. The Lady Tigers dropped a forward back, often putting eight to nine players in the box.
It worked for nearly 40 minutes, until Gateway (16-1) expanded the field by moving play out of the middle to the sidelines. The Gators also began to take advantage of some incredible corner kicks — primarily from Jamie and Hannah Pease — which led to multiple scoring opportunities.
“We didn’t know how to defend those kind of corner kicks,” said Voc-Tech senior defensive back Amanda Cyr. “In our league, usually nobody can do that.”
“But our team stayed together,” Cyr added. “We just wanted to win.”
Gateway goalie Brook Fairman needed to make just two saves in net as the Gators rarely allowed the ball to cross midfield until late in the second half. Westfield Voc-Tech keeper Kelsey Benoit finished with nine saves.
“I give our girls a lot of credit,” Voc-Tech coach Kyle Dulude said. “They gave it their best shot, and they weren’t intimidated.”
Said Gateway coach Steve Estelle: “It was a great first win. Now we’re going to have to play our best game of the year.”
BOYS’ SOCCER
No. 3 GR 3, No. 6 Mt. Everett 0
Sam Cummings scored two goals to lead the third-seeded Gators past Mount Everett. Nick Speiss also scored for Gateway, which moves on to face 10th-seeded St. Joe’s, a 3-1 winner over No. 2 Hopkins.
Elsewhere, No. 3 Southwick defeated No. 6 Easthampton, 2-0.
GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL
Westfield def. Amherst 3-2
Heather White (24 digs, 8 kills, 8 aces), Jordyn Desmond (17 digs, 10 kills, 4 assists), and Kim LeBlanc (19 digs, 5 kills, 1 assist) led Westfield in its tournament opener.
GYMNASTICS
Westfield 131.775, Minn. 126.6, Hampshire 124.75
Angela Bonavita (32.55) and Ashley Bates (32.0) finished 3rd and 4th, respectively for WHS(15-0), which completed another unbeaten regular season. Jenn Balukonis was first on vault (8.55) and bars (8.45), and Brendan Whitman won floor with an 8.85.

Published Wednesday, November 2, 2010.

No games scheduled for today.

 

 

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Local Roundup

High School Sports Roundup, Nov. 4, 2008

At Roberts Field in Holyoke, the Westfield High School soccer team dropped its final regular season game yesterday to the Purple Knights, 4-2. With the loss, the Bombers end the season at 2-11-5. Holyoke, meanwhile, earned its first win of the season, closing out 2008 with a 1-13-4 record. Westfield got a pair of goals from Chris McCormack, with assists from Tom Barron and Mike Crow. Also playing well for the Bombers were seniors Tyler Modlish, Kris LeClair, Tyler Cumberlander and Ben DiSanto in their final game for the red and black. Westfield Voke 3, Franklin Tech 2 At Turners Falls, the Tigers (13-3-2) got goals from Jack Davis, Will Teter and Serg Ryhal as they finished in second place in the Briggs Division. The tournament-bound Tigers will now wait for Division III seedings to come out on Wednesday. St. Mary 1, Pioneer Christian 1 At South Middle in Westfield, Treavor Laraway scored from Zach Brown as the Saints earned a stalemate with the visiting Eagles, denying them a tournament berth. St. Mary (11-4-3) had already clinched, and now awaits the Division III soccer seedings to come out on Wednesday. GIRLS SOCCER Smith Academy 2, Westfield Voke 0 At Bullens [...]

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:05:51 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 31, 2008

BOYS SOCCER Westfield Voke 3, Commerce 2 At Springfield, the Tigers (12-2-2) improved to 5-0-1 in their last six games behind three goals from three different players. Jack Davis, Devin Haskell and Serge Ryhal each put home tallies to lead Voke, which also received a stellar effort on defense from Steve Ramos, Will Teter and Jake Wrenn. In net, Luke Cimmino totaled eight saves. Westfield Voke’s next game is today at St. Joe’s. GIRLS SOCCER Westfield Voke 3, Commerce 2 At Springfield, senior Cassie Hawley picked a great time to score her first varsity goal. Tied at two in the second half, Hawley put home a penalty kick for the go-ahead goal, leading the Tigers (6-8-3) to what head coach Kyle Dulude said is a program record for wins in a season. Voke trailed 1-0 early on but Kelsey Benoit scored to make it 1-1 at the half. Commerce went up 2-1 in the second frame but Rebekah Cyr scored the equalizer before Hawley finally put home game-winning goal for Voke. “This is just a huge accomplishment,” Dulude said. “It’s rewarding for these girls to make it for their sixth win. To win or tie most of our games is [...]

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:31:05 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 30, 2008

BOYS SOCCER Westfield 1, Central 1 At Westfield, Jordan Santiago’s goal from Brett Pierce in the first half was good enough for the Bombers (2-9-5) to earn a tie with the Golden Eagles, who got a goal from Nick Burrage. Playing well for Westfield were seniors Mike Crow, Tyler Cumberlander, Ben DiSanto, Tyler Modlish and Kris LeClair. In net, the duo of Greg Frost and Adam Mayhew combined for nine saves. Westfield’s next game is Friday at Chicopee. Westfield Voke 3, Ware 2 At Westfield, Cam Fecteau exploded for three goals to lead the host Tigers (11-2-2) as Devin Haskell assisted two of those goals en route to the victory. Josh Tuttle and Adam Stiles scored for Ware, while Westfield Voke goal keeper Luke Cimmino had eight saves. Voke’s next game is against Commerce tomorrow at 4 p.m. Belchertown 2, Gateway 0 At Huntington, Ryan Boudreau tallied a goal and an assist to lift the visiting Orioles past the Gators (1-10-2). GIRLS SOCCER Southwick 3, Holyoke 1 At Southwick, the Rams (7-7-2) got a pair of goals from Kristen Simeone while teammate Emily Hickey chipped in with one of her own. Southwick’s next game is Friday at Chicopee Comp.

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:21:46 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 23, 2008

HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Regional High School girls soccer team lost last night, as visiting Palmer (9-1-5) was awarded a goal late in the game after a red-card hand ball by the Gators (3-7-5). Despite the loss, the game was evenly matched as each team had eight shots on goal. Gator goal keeper Jess Pittsinger recorded five saves in the loss, missing the shutout after an own goal was awarded to Palmer with just minutes left in regulation. Gateway’s next game is Friday at Easthampton. Westfield Voke 3, Putnam 1 At Springfield, the Tigers (5-7-3) won their second game in a row for the first time this season as Ashleigh Pieczarka, Casey Ledger and Kelsey Benoit each recorded second-half goals. The victory keeps Voke’s playoff hopes alive, as the Tigers will need to go at least 2-0-1 in their final three games to qualify. Westfield Voke’s next game is Friday at McCann Tech. Southwick 3, Northamtpon 3 At Northamtpon, the Rams (5-8-2) got two goals from Kristen Simeone and one from Chelsea Blair to notch the tie. Jenny Bell scored twice for Northampton while teammate Leah Jacobsen-Hardy had the other tally for the Blue Devils (6-7-3). BOYS CROSS COUNTRY St. [...]

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:17:31 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 24, 2008

BOYS SOCCER Southwick 2, Easthampton 0 At Easthampton, the Rams (8-7-1) got goals from Dustin Teich and Stuart Kinsman, while Matt O’Neill chipped in with an assist. Jesse Feldman had seven saves in the shutout. GIRLS SOCCER Agawam 4, Westfield 0 At Westfield, Taylor Hartman had a hat trick for the Brownies (2-10-2) and assisted Jamie Corriveau for Agawam’s fourth goal. In net, Michelle Curtis recorded 14 saves to notch the shutout. With the loss, Westfield drops to 7-7-2. St. Mary 4, Four Rivers 3 At Westfield, the Saints earned their first win of the season by getting four goals from four different contributors. Sara Barnes, Hannah Glynn, Christy Watson and Maggy Parker all had tallies for the Saints, while in net Cruzana Bedoya had a 6-save shutout. VOLLEYBALL East Longmeadow 3, Westfield 1 At Westfield, East Longmeadow won 25-3, 25-19, 16-25 and 25-12 to beat the Bombers 3-1. Westfield’s Ashley Vanbeek had 17 assists while teammate Chelsey Crawford had 11 kills.

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:10:27 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 22, 2008

BOYS SOCCER Westfield Voke 2, Smith 0 At Westfield, the Tigers (9-2-1) qualified for the Western Mass. Tournament with the victory, as Jack Davis and Jan Feldmann each scored goals. Davis scored with two minutes left in the first half from Steve Ramos while Feldmann’s goal was unassisted. Westfield Voke’s next game is Friday at Pioneer Valley Christian School. St. Mary 4, Four Rivers 0 At Greenfield, Treavor Laraway and Bobby Geanopolous each had a pair of goals for the Saints (11-3), who received 12 saves in net from Sam Farnsworth to preserve the shutout. St. Mary’s next game is Friday at home against Pathfinder. Hampshire 3, Gateway 0 At Westhampton, Louis Prickett, Tyler Sypek and Kyle Benoit each scored goals for Hampshire Regional, who shut out Gateway (1-8-2) behind a 3-save effort from Bobby Dragon. Gateway’s next game is Monday at home against Chicopee Comprehensive. Belchertown 4, Southwick 1 At Southwick, the Rams (7-7-1) got a goal from JT Martell but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Orioles, who had tallies from Jon Martins, Jeremy Durepo and Ryan Boudreau. Belchertown goal keeper Dylan Bachand also recorded 10 saves. Southwick, which needs just three points in its next three games [...]

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:11:02 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 21, 2008

BOYS SOCCER Westfield Voke 2, Ware 0 At Ware, the Tigers (8-2-1) got goals from Devin Haskell and Jan Feldmann as Luke Cimmino tallied seven saves in the shutout. Also playing well for Voke on defense were Steve Ramos, Will Teter, Jake Wrenn and Brett Worden. GIRLS SOCCER Westfield 2, Longmeadow 1 At Westfield, the Bombers (7-6-2) scored two second-half goals to beat the Lancers (4-5-6), as Marissa McConkey scored from Michelle Butcher with eight minutes left in regulation. Westfield’s Amanda Mundorf also scored in the second half to lift the Bombers, who play Thursday night at Bullens Field against Agawam. Westfield Voke 1, Sci-Tech 0 At Westfield, Rebekah Cyr scored the lone goal of the game in the 37th minute of the first half to help the Tigers (4-7-3) defeat Sci-Tech. Kate Jensen assisted on the play, while in net Amanda Hawley made four saves for the shutout. Monson 5, Gateway 1 At Monson, Morgan Cummings scored for the Gators (3-6-5) but Hanna Strong had a hat trick for the Mustangs (9-4-1), who also got goals from Kelli Arbour and Brooke Murphy. Chicopee 2, Southwick 1 At Southwick, the Rams (5-7-1) got a goal from Devon Phelon just 1:30 [...]

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:33:31 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 17, 2008

GIRLS SOCCER Westfield 1, Cathedral 0 At Springfield, Haley Dorval scored on a corner kick from Ashley Jaskula with seven minutes left in regulation to lift the Panthers (7-4-2) over the Bombers (6-6-2). Westfield keeper Ashley Lamagdeleine had 10 saves in the loss. Panther keeper Emily Troczynski had four stops in the shutout victory. Southwick 1, Central 0 At Southwick, the Rams (5-7-1) scored with five minutes left in regulation on a Kelsie Bowe free kick, as Megan Leavitt tallied six saves for the shutout. FIELD HOCKEY Longmeadow 1, Southwick 0 At Longmeadow, the Rams (5-9-2) were shut out for a fourth straight game, as Jackie Dunn scored two minutes into the second half to lift the Lancers. GOLF Agawam 248, Westfield 275 At Tekoa CC in Westfield, Dan Fanion shot a 1-under 35 for the day’s low score, but it wasn’t enough for the Bombers (8-12) to overcome the Brownies. Also shooting well for Westfield was Derek Ellis with a 38. Fanion, who has led Westfield all season, will compete in the Western Mass. Individual golf tournament this Monday at Westover CC.

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:28:00 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 16, 2008

BOYS SOCCER Westfield 0, Northampton 0 At Westfield, the Bombers (1-9-3) tied for the second straight game as goalies Adam Mayhew and Greg Frost combined for the 10-save shutout. “We had four or five great chances in the span of five minutes that their keepers just made great saves on,” Westfield coach Greg Strycharz said. “We played well, we just couldn’t finish. The kids worked hard though, which was nice to see. It’s starting to come together for us.” Playing well for the Bombers were Mike Sullivan and Tyler Modlish on defense, while Tomas Ferriter and Tommy Barron also had good games. BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Westfield 23, East Longmeadow 32; Westfield 15, Renaissance 50 At Stanley Park in Westfield, Brandon Mulligan led the Bombers (5-4) with a first-place time of 16 minutes, 25 seconds on the 3.1-mile course. Westfield’s Tyler Ulm took third place with a 17:12 while Jeremy Sorel was fourth with a time of 17:24. Ryan Putnam (17:50) and Matt Kidrick (17:54) rounded out the top-10 finishers for the Bombers, who race against Cathedral next Tuesday at Stanley Park in their final regular-season meet. GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Westfield 28, East Longmeadow 28; Westfield 15, Renaissance 50 In the [...]

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:25:15 +0000

High School Sports Roundup, Oct. 15, 2008

GIRLS SOCCER Westfield Voke 3, Commerce 1 At Westfield, Kelsey Benoit and Julyia Kovylyak each had goals while teammate Ashleigh Pieczarka tallied two assists for the host Tigers (3-6-2). In net, Amanda Hawley had 12 saves. Gateway 0, Central 0 At Springfield, Jessica Pitsinger made 10 stops for Gateway (3-5-5) as neither team could break through for the game-winner. Southwick 4, Easthampton 0 At Southwick, Devon Phelon, Bri Aylward, Kristen Simeone and Hannah Griffin each had goals to power the Rams (4-7-1), who received a 3-save effort from keeper Megan Leavitt in the shutout. FIELD HOCKEY Westfield 2, Palmer 0 At Westfield, Kelly Gallo had both of the Bombers’ goals as Westfield (11-2-1) won its eighth straight game to improve to 9-0-1 in its last 10 games. Playing well for the Bombers on defense was Courtney Williams while Brittany Liptak had a good game at midfield. Westfield’s next game is Friday at home against Cathedral. Southwick 0, Amherst 0 At Southwick, the Rams (5-8-2) received three saves from Allison Falcetti while her counterpart tallied 14 for Amherst in the stalemate. GOLF Westfield 245, West Side 261 At Tekoa CC in Westfield, Dan Fanion continued his stellar season with a 4-under [...]

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:11:49 +0000

 

 

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