Streaks, titles on the line
Toolbox
Anna Grearson - Published: February 8, 2010
The playoffs are just around the corner, and there are a few local teams with some lengthy win streaks that will be put to the test this week.
Some, like area indoor track athletes, have already competed in their state championships. Congratulations to Mollie Gribbin, who was just named the Indoor Track Female Athlete of the Year after winning three events, and to Peoples Academy's Allison Scarf, who won the high jump. Other athletes, like area gymnasts, get their chance at a state title this weekend.
The gymnastics state championships will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Essex High School. Harwood's Shannon Aronson and Kara Lynch and U-32's Sarah Corp and Haley Joslyn have all had solid winters and could represent the area well in the state meet.
As for basketball, hockey and wrestling, the season goes on as usual this week. But time is running out for those teams needing wins to climb up the rankings.
The U-32 boys basketball team will host Lyndon tonight at 7 p.m. The Raiders have seen some outstanding free-throw shooting by Ryan Shea as of late. As a point guard, Shea often has the ball in his hands anyway, but when it comes to crunch time late in the game, Shea has been lights-out and helped his team to big wins recently.
Lyndon features another lights-out shooter in Jimmy Lau, who dropped 35 points on Montpelier last week (though the Solons won that game with big contributions from Sam Brigham and Sean Dowling). So it should make for an interesting matchup on Gallison Hill tonight.
Over in Barre, the boys hockey team will host CVU in a makeup game between two highly skilled Metro Division teams at 3:45 p.m.
A couple of big boys basketball matchups are slated for Tuesday night with the Spaulding boys welcoming power Burlington to the Barre Auditorium. The Spaulding girls blew out BFA-St. Albans when they played at the Aud earlier this winter. The 15-1 Seahorses come into this week at the top of Division I and beat the Crimson Tide 61-41 last month.
Tuesday night also features the much-anticipated rematch between the Twinfield and Williamstown boys basketball team. Williamstown has won 10 in a row and stands at 17-1 – the Blue Devils' only loss was to an out-of-state team at a tournament in Woodsville, N.H. Williamstown beat the Trojans 61-54 at the beginning of January. Tuesday's game will take place in Williamstown at 7 p.m., and I expect a playoff atmosphere.
It will be interesting to see how the two teams match up at this point in the season, with playoffs just around the corner. The Trojans will have their hands full defending forwards Troy Laughlin and Steven Manwaring as well as guard Ray Burgos, but the Blue Devils will have a tough time with matching Twinfield's depth – from veteran David Spidle to young players like Chad Copeland, all of whom have served coach Ira Wheeler well this season.
The Northfield girls basketball team welcomes BFA-Fairfax Tuesday night as the Marauders look to win their eighth game in 10 outings. The Montpelier girls travel to U-32 that same night. The Solons escaped with a one-point win in their last meeting with the Raiders.
The Hazen boys basketball team, quietly having another dominating winter, will put its 12-game win streak on the line Wednesday night when the Wildcats welcome Peoples Academy. Hazen beat Peoples Academy 55-53 on Jan. 7 and has not lost since trip to Williamstown on Dec. 23.
On the ice Wednesday night, the U-32 boys welcome 14-4 Missisquoi. The Raiders are 11-6 and have won seven of their last eight games.
Also Wednesday, the 15-1 Spaulding girls hockey team will play at Essex at 8:45 p.m. The Tide have won seven in a row since Essex beat them 3-1 on Jan. 6. Spaulding will undoubtedly be looking to avenge that loss to remain on top of the Metro Division.
Wednesday is also a big night for the Spaulding wrestling team as the Tide travel to Vergennes for a meet with the host Commodores and Mount Abraham. Spaulding could clinch the NVAC title Wednesday night. The Tide are 9-0 in NVAC competition, while the Commodores are 8-1. Spaulding gave some of its best wrestlers this past weekend off in preparation for Wednesday night as well as Saturday, when the Tide will host a four-team meet with Essex, Mill River and White Mountain (N.H.) at 10:30 a.m. The meet will also serve as Senior Day for wrestlers Steven Rich (160 pounds), Taylor Dorsett (171 pounds) and Evan Bilodeau (152 pounds). There will also be open house from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. as Spaulding celebrates 40 years of wrestling. The team will not only be showing off its new wrestling room to veterans of the storied program, but they will also be registering the next generation of wrestlers for the BYSA youth program.
On Thursday, the Williamstown and Twinfield girls basketball teams will meet at Twinfield at 7 p.m. The Trojans will be looking to avenge a 37-34 loss at Williamstown on Jan. 6. Twinfield will be without forward Dannika Dobrowski (ACL injury), freeing up a lot of the low post for Blue Devil forward Emma Lamson.
The Spaulding girls basketball team, another group with revenge on its mind, will travel to Burlington, where the Tide will look to right the ship after the Seahorses rallied for a win in Barre last month. Burlington has won 10 in a row.
Friday brings the Randolph boys basketball team to Oxbow. That same night Spaulding welcomes South Burlington, Thetford plays at Harwood, and Rivendell goes to Chelsea.
On Saturday, the U-32 boys hockey team will host Northfield at 6 p.m. the Marauders are unbeaten in their last six games and have benefited from solid contributions by the members of former Montpelier boys hockey team – obviously a strong rival of U-32. Northfield beat U-32 3-2 just before Christmas in Northfield. In Barre, the Spaulding girls welcome CVU at 3:45 p.m.
The Vermont Frost Heaves, now on a two-game win streak after beating Rochester on the road this past Saturday, will be on the road again this Saturday as they travel to take on Buffalo. Vermont returns to the Barre Auditorium on Feb. 19 to face the league's top team, Puerto Rico.
41