SPORTS

Jarrod Shoemaker's appearance at the Beijing Olympics this summer was assured when he became the first man selected to the 2008 United States Olympic Triathlon Team.

Before he ever gets to China, though, the 25-year-old Sudbury native will appear on the cover of Wheaties -- “The Breakfast of Champions” -- which is coming out with a new, limited-edition package that features the former Lincoln-Sudbury Regional and Dartmouth College track star.

Shoemaker is a fierce competitor and credits his amazing success in triathlon to a combination of raw talent and personal drive.

He turned professional after competing in just four triathlons in 2003. Within two years Jarrod had won the Under 23 Nationals and World Championship. He qualified for the USA Triathlon's National Elite Team in 2006 and has racked up nine top 10 finishes in the past two years.

Last fall, Shoemaker completed an even more amazing feat by becoming the first member of the USA Triathlon Men's Team competing in the games in Beijing this summer. Now his sights are set on the Hy-Vee ITU World Cup in Des Moines, Iowa in June - the largest prize purse in professional triathlon competition.

"It's a great honor for me to be on the cover of the Wheaties box and to join the remarkable list of great athletes who have appeared on the package," Shoemaker said. "Every athlete dreams about one day seeing themselves on the cover of the 'Breakfast of Champions' package."

The new 15.6-ounce Wheaties package will only be available in Iowa and Boston.

-- Craig Larson

MEDFIELD

Medfield High first-year varsity boys' hockey coach George Maris has been placed on paid administrative leave until "concerns and rumors" surrounding the program are addressed, according to School Superintendent Robert Maguire.

High school principal Judith Noble held meetings with players and parents on Friday to announce the decision.

"There's a whole series of things that have been brought to our attention," Maguire said on Monday. "This will give the principal time to look into the issues and determine what's substantiated and what's not."

He declined to be more specific.

"It would be inappropriate to comment on the nature of the rumors before the principal gets to the bottom of it," he said. "In case anybody's mind is running, it's our understanding that there's nothing we're dealing with that's criminal in nature."

In Maris' absence, assistants Toby Carlow and Tony Iafolla will direct the Warriors (2-9-1 overall), who are currently the last-place team in the Tri-Valley League. Carlow played at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, while Iafolla is a Medfield alum who graduated in 1999.

The two were on the bench on Saturday night, when Medfield registered its second win of the year, an 8-4 thrashing of Dover-Sherborn.

"I feel very confident in who we're leaving the kids to," said Medfield High athletic director Jon Kirby. "Toby's done a real good job and Tony's known these guys for a long time."

Maris replaced John Panciocco, who stepped down after guiding the Medfield program for eight seasons, including a pair of league titles.

-- Matt Porter

SPORTS

The New England Revolution are calling, but Milford's Michael Videira has his heart set on kicking off his professional soccer career overseas.

The Revs selected the 6-foot-1, 170-pound midfielder, a two-time All-American at Duke, with the 18th pick in yesterday's MLS SuperDraft held in Baltimore. But the 22-year-old Videira has other plans.

"I didn't project that I'd go that early, because I had told MLS that I was leaning toward Europe," said Videira, who has a Portugese passport.

"It's a tough decision. I've known [Revolution coaches] Steve Nicol and Paul Mariner for a while now. I played for Paul with the Boston Bolts and Steve with the Boston Bulldogs. And when I came back from school, they let me train with them. But I think that the best thing for me right now is Europe.

"But if I were to come back, there'd be no better place to play than New England. And my family is pretty excited about that." The Revolution will retain his rights.

Videira prepped at Noble & Greenough in Dedham before heading off to Duke, where he was a two-time finalist for the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the national player of the year. He is currently on the mend from a quad injury he suffered Oct. 31 against Davidson. He expects to be 100 percent healthy in a month or so.

The next transfer window to play overseas is in June.
Videira earned a degree in sociology from Duke last month.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

As a player, Patricia O'Brien won an NCAA Division 3 basketball championship at Salem State College.

As a head coach, she guided the Colby College women's basketball program to the ECAC tournament four times, winning the title in 2001.

Now, she has been hired to turn the fortunes of a Framingham State women's basketball program that has not posted a winning record since the 2002-03 season.

"We really excited to have Trish come on, she comes with pretty good qualifications," said Framingham State College athetic director Tom Kelley. "She's a state college grad, and she knows what it takes to get this program right."

O'Brien, the head women's basketball coach at MIT the past two seasons, will also serve in a newly-created position at Framingham State, recruiting coordinator for athletics. She is the college's only fulltime women's coach.

"The college did an extensive study, and with so many part-time coaches, a recruiting coordinator was one of our top needs.," said Kelley. "This will allow us to streamline our efforts in recruiting. This is a start. And because 70 percent of our students are women, we need to start adding fulltime women's coaches."

O'Brien started her head coaching career at Rivier College (1992-95) before compiling a 140-115 mark in 10 seasons at Colby (1996-2005), winning the ECAC crown in 2001. Last week, she resigned as head coach at MIT, where she compiled an 11-36 mark in two seasons, to accept her new position.

"MIT is a different place to coach, you're kind of dealt a hand," in the recruitment of players, said Kelley. "But she was pretty successful at Colby. She is very competitive and now she's back in charge of her own destiny."

At Salem State, she was a two-time All-MASCAC selection, an All-New England selection and a Kodak District I All-American. She was elected to the college's Hall of Fame in 1994.

Framingham State finished 7-17 a year ago under second-year coach Bob Kelley, who also is the women's field hockey coach at the college.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

The Worcester Sharks often practice at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough. Technically, the Providence Bruins can also call NESC home. H. Larue Renfro, the five-rink facility's longtime owner, is embarking on his second full season as principal owner of the P-Bruins.

Tonight at 7:05, the American Hockey League rivals will square off on Rink 1 at NESC in their final tuneup for the regular season. Admission is $10.

Providence, which opens the regular season a week from tonight at Manchester, fell to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 2-0, last night in Providence. Worcester suffered a 4-2 loss in Springfield last night. The Sharks will face the Falcons in the season opener a week from tonight.

Dover's Chris Murray, a 6-2, 195-pound defenseman who played at New Hampshire, is on the Sharks' preseason roster.

For more information, call NESC at 508-229-2700.

-- Craig Larson

Tom Lopez has coached the Lincoln-Sudbury Warriors for 30 seasons, including three winning Super Bowl years.
(Globe staff photo by Bill Polo)

REGION

On a warm September afternoon in 1978, Tom Lopez stood on the sidelines of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School football field, one minute away from his first win in his first career game as a head coach.

"And then," Lopez recalled last week, "Holliston kicked a field goal. It wound up a tie, 3-3. I don't remember too much about it, but I do remember that it was kind of a boring game."

He said he still gets nervous from time to time, but never as much as he did on that Saturday afternoon three decades ago. Tomorrow evening at 7, Lopez will be on the Lincoln-Sudbury sideline once again, kicking off his 30th season as head coach, when his Warriors host Medfield in a nonleague matchup.

In Wrentham, Dave Hughes will reach the same 30-year milestone tomorrow night, when his Hopkinton High gridders take on King Philip Regional in another nonleague matchup. L-S and Hopkinton are just two of 36 teams in the suburbs west of Boston that will kick off the high school football season this weekend, including defending Super Bowl champions Medfield, Milford, St. John's of Shrewsbury, and Wayland.

In an area that also features three other head coaches with at least 20 years of service -- Peter Capodilupo at Newton North, Tom Lamb at Natick, and Phil Marchegiani at Marian High in Framingham -- Hughes and Lopez stand alone, Globe West correspondent Jeremy Gottlieb reports today.

Read more about what it takes to be a longtime high school football coach in the online edition of today's Globe West.

SPORTS

Boylston's Frank Vana Jr. is 36 holes away from his third state amateur golf championship. Wellesley's Burgess Houston has his eye on his first crown after his runner-up finish a year ago.

On Friday morning at 8, the two noted amateurs from the western suburbs will square off in the Massachusetts Golf Association's 36-hole final at Concord Country Club.

Vana, the MGA's eight-time player of the year from Marlborough Country Club, advanced with a 5 & 4 win over Joe Keller of Oyster Harbors on Thursday afternoon. Houston, who plays out of Maplegate Country Club in Franklin, was masterful with the putter en route to a 6 & 5 win over Dan Ladd of Weston Golf Club.

Following a grueling match against John McNeill (Stow - B.A.G.S.) in the morning, Vana responded well by making three birdies and only one bogey to jump out to a 3 Up lead through nine holes. Despite a bogey on the 396-yard, par 4 11th hole, Vana sealed the victory by making two straight birdies – on the 12th and 13th holes – and a par on the 14th hole. Vana was 3-under par through the 14 holes, and on the day he registered 11 birdies in two matches.

Houston registered 10 birdies including five against Ladd. He broke the match open on the 8th and 9th holes by making two long birdie putts.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Monday's state tournament action:

Rob Nicholas, Algonquin baseball: The senior right-hander struggled a bit on the mound, but he was a force at the plate, going 5-for-5 with a triple, three doubles, a walk, a stolen base, four runs scored while knocking in four runs as the Tomahawks smashed East Longmeadow 14-7 in a Division 1 state semifinal. The Tomahawks (19-5) will shoot for their second straight crown on Saturday nighk, playing Lincoln-Sudbury (24-1) in the state final at LeLacheur Park in Lowell.

WHAT'S ON TAP?
A look at today's area tournament games:

* The Westborough High boys' tennis team puts its 22-0 mark on the line this afternoon, playing fellow unbeatean Falmouth in the Division 1 state final at Shrewsbury High at 3:30.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Tuesday's state tournament action:

Kevin Scanlan, Lincoln-Sudbury baseball: On three days' rest, the senior southpaw allowed just one hit over seven superb innings as the Warriors earned a trip to the Division 1 state final with a 7-1 win over BC High in Braintree. The University of Maine -bound Scanlan struck out seven with four walks. L-S will play the winner of tonight's Algonquin-East Longmeadow semifinal in Saturday's state final.

Kaitlin Andrews, Hudson softball: Junior right-hander limited Western Mass. champ Drury to just five hits and struck out eight as Hudson rolled to a 9-1 win in a Division 2 state semifinal, earning its second straight trip to the state final. The Hawks (23-1) will play North Andover in Saturday's state final at Worcester State College.

Kristin Igoe, Framingham girls' lacrosse: With nine seconds left, the senior midfielder netted the go-ahead goal to lift the defending state champion Flyers to a thrilling 10-9 victory over host Westwood in a state semifinal. Igoe and sophomore Samantha Zetlin scored three goals apiece as Framingham registered its 49th straight win.

C.J. Estes, Medfield boys' lacrosse: Senior attack scored four goals and assisted on another as the Warriors rolled to an 18-6 win over Concord-Carlisle in the EMass. Division 2 final. Medfield will play the winner of today's Algonquin-Longmeadow matchup in today's state final.

WHAT'S ON TAP
A look at today's area tournament games:

* The defending Division 1 state champion Algonquin Regional baseball team takes on East Longmeadow in a state semifinal at Tivnan Field tonight at 7, with the victory earning a trip to Saturday's final opposite Lincoln-Sudbury in Lowell.

* The Algonquin Regional boys' lacrosse team faces Longmeadow in a Division 2 state semifinal at Westborough High at 4.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Monday's state tournament action:

Josh Lurier, Westborough boys' tennis: Freshman registered a 6-4, 6-4 victory at second singles to clinch the Rangers' 3-2 win over Longmeadow in a Division 1 state semifinal. Westborough (22-0) will play Falmouth in the Divisioin 1 state final Thursday afternoon at Shrewsbury.

Alexa Ebert, Westborough girls' tennis: Netted the only point for the Rangers at second singles (6-2, 7-5) in a 4-1 setback to Longmeadow in a Division 1 state semifinal.

Emily Limpan, Needham girls' tennis: Recorded a 7-5, 7-5 win at second singles in the Rockets' 3-2 loss to Andover in a Division 1 state semifinal.

Ellen McCurdy, Weston girls' lacrosse: Netted four goals in the Wildcats' 15-14 loss to Winchester in the Division 2 North sectional final. The Wildcats finish 15-8.

WHAT'S ON TAP?
A look at today's area tournament games:

* On the baseball diamond, there's one Division 1 state semifinal on tap: Lincoln-Sudbury (22-1) takes on BC High at Braintree (7:30 p.m.). Tomorrow, Algonquin (18-5) faces East Longmeadow at Tivnan Field in Worcester (7 p.m.).

* The Hudson softball team (23-1) travels to UMass to meet Drury in a Division 2 state semifinal at 5:30 p.m.

* The Framingham and Shrewsbury girls' lacrosse teams take aim at advancing to Saturday's Division 1 state final. With 48 straight wins, Framingham travels to Westwood tonight at 7, facing the Wolverines in a state semifinal. The North champion Flyers beat Westwood 14-10 during the regular season. Central champ Shrewsbury meets host Longmeadow in the other state semifinal at 5.

* The Medfield boys' lacrossse team hosts Concord-Carlisle in the Division 2 Eeast final at 2.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Saturday and Sunday's state tournament action:

Neil Hesek, Algonquin baseball: Senior right-hander struck out a staggering 17 Milford batters in eight shutout innings as the Tomahawks defended their Division 1 Central crown with a 10-0 win over the Scarlet Hawks. Algonquin (18-5) will play East Longmeadow in a state semifinal Wednesday.

Kaitlin Andrews, Hudson softball: Junior right-hander tossed a five-hit shutout as the Hawks defended their Division 2 Central title with a 2-0 win over Oxford. Hudson (22-1) will play Drury in a state semifinal Tuesday.

Derek Lowe and Matt Miller, Lincoln-Sudbury baseball: Lowe (8.1 innings), a sophomore right-hander and Miller, a senior left-hander, teamed up on a seven hitter in Lincoln-Sudbury's 3-1 win over Peabody in the Division 1 North final. Miller also plated a pair of runs with a single in the final seventh inning. L-S (22-1) will play BC High in a state semifinal Tuesday.

Andrea Cediel, Needham tennis: Freshman netted clinching 6-4, 6-4 victory at third singles in the Rockets' 3-2 win over Bay State Conference rival in the Division 1 South final. Needham will play Andover in today's EMass final at Newton North.

Kristy Benoit, Shrewsbury girls' lacrosse: Senior attack collected three goals and six assists as the Colonials exploded for 10 second-half goals in a 15-14 win over arch-rival for the Division 1 Central title. Shrewsbury (16-1-1) play at Longmeadow in a state semifinal Tuesday.

Steve Lesnikowski, Algonquin boys' lacrosse: Sophomore middle scored the winning goal, breaking a 3-3 third-quarter deadlock, to lift the Tomahawks past Shrewsbury 5-3 in the Division 2 Central final. Algonquin (13-8) will host a state semifinal on Wednesday.

Natick boys' volleyball team: Led by junior hitter Shaun Sibley (20 kills) and senior setter Tim Lee, the Redmen (24-1) captured the state title with a 25-20, 25-21, 25-19 win over Bay State Conference rival Newton North on Saturday night.

Brian Racca, Algonquin track & field: Senior leaped to New England title in the triple jump, soaring 45 feet to edge Mike Hartfield of Manchester, Conn.

WHAT'S ON TAP
A look at today's tournament games:

* Weston girls' lacrosse at Winchester: Wildcats shoot for Division 2 North title against the host Sachems at 5:30.

* Needham girls' tennis vs. Andover: Fresh off Sunday's South title win, the Rockets try to halt Andover's 42-match winning streak in a Division 1 state semifinal at Newton North (3:30).

* Westborough girls' tennis vs. Longmeadow: Rangers play perennial Western Mass. power Longmeadow in Division 1 state semifinal at Shrewsbury (3:30).

* Westborough boys' tennis vs. Longmeadow: After ending St. John's reign in Central Mass., the Rangers face Longmeadow in a Division 1 state semifinal at Ludlow (3:30).

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Friday's state tournament action:

Samantha Zetlin and Jenny Jones, Framingham girls' lacrosse: Sophomore attack Zetlin and senior attack Jones netted three goals apiece to power defending state champion Flyers to their fourth straight Division 1 North title, a 13-4 win over previously unbeaten Lincoln-Sudbury.

Kevin Scalan, Lincoln-Sudbury baseball: In a gutsy 149-pitch effort, the senior southpaw tossed his ninth shutout in 10 starts, blanking St. John's Prep on five hits in the Warriors' 6-0 Division 1 North semifinal win. The Warriors face Peabody in tonight's North final at Lelacheur Park in Lowell at 7.

Westborough boys' tennis: The Rangers ended the 11-year reign of St. John's Shrewsbury as districtchamps, beating the Pioneers 4-1 in the Division 1 Central final, Westborough's third win over St. John's this season.

C.J. Estes and Matt Schairer, Medfield boys' lacrosse: Estes, a senior attack collected four goals and four assists while Schairer netted six goals to power the Warrors to a 16-8 win over Wellesley in the Division 2 South final.

WHAT'S ON TAP
A look at today's top tournament games:

* Bay State Conference boys' volleyball rivals Natick (20-1) and Newton North (14-6) clash for the third time this season, but this afternoon (Hudson High, 4 p.m.), the winner will take home the state title. Natick is back in the final for the second straight year after falling in last year's final to St. John's Prep, 3-2.

* The Weston girls' lacrosse team faces host Winchester in the Division 2 North final at 3, while Algonquin makes the short trek to Shrewsbury to face the host Colonials in the Division 2 Central title game at 4.

* The Shrewsbury and Algonquin boys' lacrosse teams square off in the Division 2 Central final in Northborough (1 p.m.)

* The Dover-Sherborn boys' lacrosse team meets host Scituate in a Division 3 South semifinal at 3.

* The Weston boys' tennis team faces Winchester in the Division 2 North final at Newton South at 2.

* The Newton South girls' tennis team faces Andover in the Division 2 North final at 2 in Burlington.

* The Milford baseball team has won eight of its last 10 games to earn a spot opposite defending Division 1 state champ Algonquin in tonight's Division 1 Central final at Tivnan Field at 7.

* The top-seeded and once-beaten Hudson girls' softball team takes on Oxford in the Division 2 Central final at Worcester State at 4.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Thursday's state tournament action:

Alexa Ebert, Westborough girls' tennis: Netted a match-clinching 6-1, 6-0 victory at second singles to power the Rangers past Westborough in the Division 1 Central final.

Zach Pepper-Cunningham and Idan Levy, Newton North boys' volleyball: Pepper-Cunningam, the team's lone senior, and Levy, a junior, registered nine kills apiece as the Tigers rallied for the 14-25, 25-15, 12-25, 25-22, 15-12 state semifinal win over Agawam at Hudson High. North (14-6) will play Bay State Conference rival Natick (20-1) in Saturday's state final at Hudson (4 p.m.).

WHAT'S ON TAP?
A look at today's top tournament games:

* Seven area lacrosse squads will be vying for sectional crowns, including a sensational matchup between defending state champ Framingham (22-0) and fellow unbeaten Lincoln-Sudbury in the Division 1 North girls' final at Framingham's Bowditch Field (5 p.m.).

* The other girls' matchups -- Division 1 South: King Philip at Westwood; Division 2 North: Weston at Winchester; Division 2 South: Hopkinton at Duxbury.

* Boys' matchups -- Division 2 North: Wayland vs. Concord-Carlisle (at Waltham); Division 2 South:
Wellesley at Medfield.

* On the baseball diamond, top-seeded and once-beaten Lincoln-Sudbury takes on St. John's Prep in a Division 1 North semifinal at Lowell's Alumni Field (6:30 p.m.). The Warriors used eight pitchers in Wednesday's wild 12-10 comeback win against Andover.

* On the tennis courts, the Hopkinton girls shoot for their first sectional crown, playing Ursuline Academy in the Division 2 South final at Medway High.

* The Newton South girls host Concord-Carlisle in a Division 1 North semifinal.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Wednesday's state tournament action:

Shaun Sibley and Tim Lee, Natick boys' volleyball: The 6-foot-8 Sibley delivered a game-high 18 kills and senior setter Lee recorded 48 assists as the Redmen swept through the defending state champs in a state semifinal, avenging last year's state final loss.

Bryant Johnson, Milford baseball: In a gutsy 151-pitch effort, the senior southpaw struck out 11, walked one and allowed four hits as the red-hot Scarlet Hawks stopped top-seeded St. John's in a Division 1 Central semifinal.

Rob Nicholas, Algonquin baseball: Senior right-hander hurled nine strong innings as the defending state champs rallied for a 7-4 Division 1 Central semifinal victory over Leominster. He struck out nine and allowed eight hits.

Kevin Scanlan, Lincoln-Sudbury baseball: At the plate, the senior first baseman double twice and knocked in three runs in the Warriors' wild 12-10 Division 1 North semifinal win over visiting Andover. On the mound, as his team's 8th pitcher of the day, the southpaw hurled two innings of relief to close out the win.

Kaitlin Andrews, Hudson softball: Junior righty tossed a two-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Hawks edged Notre Dame Academy in a Division 2 Central semifinal.

Lucie Wall, Hopkinton giris' tennis: Senior tri-captain secured the deciding point in the Hillers' 3-2 Division 2 South semifinal win at Cohasset, winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Hopkinton advances to the sectional final for the first time.

Katie Toomy, Algonquin girls' lacrosse: Netted four goals and one assist in the T-Hawks' 13-10 overtime win over Westborough in a Central semifinal.

WHAT'S ON TAP?
A look at today's top tournament matchups:

* Newton North boys' volleyball vs. Agawam: The Tigers can earn a trip to the state final, and a match against Bay State Conference rival Natick, with a win over West champion Agawam in the state semis tonight at Hudon (7 p.m.)

* Weston baseball vs. Tyngsboro: John Beverly's Wildcats are one win away from the Division 3 North final. Tyngsboro stands in the way this afternoon at Bentley (4 p.m.)

* Marian baseball vs. Harwich: The Mustangs have made a spirited run through the Division 3 South bracket, winning three games heading into today's semifinal game against Harwich in Taunton (4 p.m.).

* Westborough girls' tennis vs. Wachusett: Coach Nancy Quimby's Rangers can claim Division 1 Central crown this afternoon at Clark.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5
Highlighting the top performances from Tuesday's state tournament action:

Nicole D'Argento, Ashland softball: Sophomore right-hander hurls a no-hitter in the Clockers' Division 2 South 1-0 quarterfinal win over visiting Cardinal Spellman.
Kaitlin Andrews, Hudson softball: Junior right-hander tosses a three-hitter in Hawks' 8-0 Division 2 Central quarterfinal win over Bartlett.
Kristin Igoe, Framingham girls lacrosse: Senior attack nets 3 goals and 3 assists as defending Division 1 state champs registered their 47th straight win, defeating Reading 15-4 in a North semifinal.
Natalie Kerns, Lincoln-Sudbury lacrosse: Goalie made five saves in final four minutes as L-S pulled out 14-12 Division 1 semfinal win over Andover.
Mikhael Jette, Shrewsbury boys' lacrosse: Junior middie scores game-winner with 2:35 left as Colonials stun top-seeded St. John's in a Central Mass. semifinal.
Garrett Smith, St. John's baseball: Boston College-bound senior shortstop collects five hits and knocks in seven runs to power Pioneers to a 14-2 Division 1 Central quarterfinal win over visiting Tantasqua.
John Batter, Weston baseball: Senior right-hander allows two hits over six innings in Wildcats' 5-2 Division 3 North semifinal win over Winthrop.
Lauren Faro and Evann McGrory, Medfield girls' tennis: Newly-formed second doubles duo recorded straight set victory to lift Warriors to a 3-2 Division 2 South quarterfinal win over Norwell.
Kelly West and Kim Foley, Hopkinton girls' tennis: Second doubles tandem won deciding match 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to clinch Division 2 South quarterfinal against Cape Cod Academy.
Kate Donovan, Wellesley girls' tennis: Senior captured final point in Raiders' 3-2 Division 1 South quarterfinal win over visiting Bridgewater-Raynham with a 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

WHAT'S ON TAP
A look at today's top tournament matchups:

* St. John's Prep vs. Natick boys' volleyball: Redmen will have plenty of motivation in tonight's state semifinal at Hudson High, trying to avenge last year's 3-2 state final loss, in which Natick let a 13-8 Game 3 lead slip away.

* Andover at Lincoln-Sudbury baseball: Top-seeded Warriors (20-1) rolled over Cambridge 22-0 in playoff opener, but Andover will be a tougher test in Division 1 North quarterfinal.

* Hopkinton baseball at Oliver Ames: After 1-0 opening-round win over Dighton-Rehoboth, Hillers hit the road for Easton in a Division 2 South quarterfinal.

* Wellesley vs. King Philip girls' lacrosse: Perennial powers clash in a Division 1 South semifinal in Franklin at 6:30.

* Westborough vs. St. John's boys' tennis: Rangers attempt to register their third win this spring against St. John's in a Division 1 Central semifinal.

* Algonquin baseball vs. Leominster: Defending Division 1 state champs take on Leominster in a Division 1 Central semifinal at Tivnan tonight at 7. That follows the Milford-St. John's matchup at 4.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

WHAT'S ON TAP:
A look at today's high school state tournament action:
With the wet weather likely washing out a heavy slate on the local diamonds and tennis courts this afternoon, our attention turns to the volleyball court, where the unbeaten Lincoln-Sudbury boys volleyball team (21-0) takes on Natick (19-1) in the Central final at Xaverian Brothers in Westwood at 7.

In the final game of the regular season on May 21, Drew Corwin delivered 19 kills as L-S handed Natick its first loss of the season, 3-1 (16-25, 25-21, 25-21 and 25-19). The Redmen had a difficult time handling Corwin's thunderous jump serves.

With just four seniors, Lincoln-Sudbury has made a remarkable turnaround from last year's 4-14 campaign. Under Peter Suxho, Natick is attempting to return to the state final for the second consecutive season.

HIGH 5:
Highlighting the top performances from Sunday's state tournament action:
* Bryant Guilmette, Hopkinton baseball: Junior southpaw tossed a four-hitter as the Hillers blanked host Dighton-Rehoboth in a Division 2 South first-round game. Batterymate Matt Collins plated the game's only run with a fourth-inning double
* Josh Lurier and Josh Hurwitz, Westborough boys' tennis: Frosh and junior roll at second and third singles, respectively in a 4-1 Division 1 Central quarterfinal win over Shrewsbury. The unbeaten Rangers (19-0) host Algonquin in a semifinal match this afternoon.

Other highlights from the weekend:
* Led by sensational junior Dana Jamieson, the Lincoln-Sudbury girls' track team captured its second straight All-State title, edging Bromfield 48-32, in Holyoke. Jamieson won the 400, leaped to a second in the long jump and anchored the victorious 4x400 relay team. Teammate Molly Binder added the 800-meter title.

* Framingham senior Jordan Maddocks cleared 6 feet, 7 inches to win the high jump title and Newton South sophomore Bridget Dahlberg went the distance to capture the mile.

* Three other area relay teams beat the field: the Newton North girls' 4x800 in a record-setting clocking of 9:15.13; Newton North's 4x100 quartet, keyed by a blazing run from Cailean Robinson in the third leg.

* The Newton North boys' volleyball team won its second straight South title, defeating New Bedford 3-0, to advance to the state semifinals. The Tigers (13-6) will play the winner of tonight's Agawam/Belchertown match on Thursday.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Scott Ellison, the 1984-85 captain of the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team, has been named the new varsity boys' hockey coach at Algonquin Regional, replacing longtime skipper Mike Roy.

A Hopkinton resident, Ellison is a special education teacher at Algonquin. He first caught the eye of athletic director Fran Whitten during a faculty vs. varsity girls hockey game in the early spring.

"This guy was flying around the ice and I didn't know he was even a member of the faculty," said Whitten. "Two weeks later, Mike resigned as coach," adding that it is wonderful that Ellison is working in the building.

Ellison played and coached in Lindberg, Germany and is also a former assistant at Medway High.

Two other recent coaching moves:
* Dan Welty has been promoted from junior varsity field hockey coach to varsity mentor at Algonquin, replacing Jodi Howard, who moved to Ohio with her husband.

* Paul Mumby, who guided the West Boylston girls' soccer team to the Division 3 state title last fall, is the new varsity girls' coach at Westborough High, a Division 1 program.

He replaces John Chatalian, who stepped down after guiding the Rangers for seven seasons. Mumby has been hired as a physical education teacher at the Mill Pond School and he and his family recently moved to Westborough.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

On a day in which junior Dana Jamieson's sparkling all-around performance propelled the Lincoln-Sudbury girls' track & field team to second straight EMass Division 1 title, there was no shortage of outstanding individual area performances across the board on the oval Saturday.

Newton North senior David Smith was a double winner in the discus and the shot put at the Division 1 boys' meet in Lowell while Hudson's Kristalina Lamore doubled up in the 200 meters and the triple jump at the Central Massachusetts girls' meet in Fitchburg.

Here's a rundown of the local individual winners from Saturday's track meets:

EMass Div. 1 girls: Lincoln-Sudbury's Molly Binder (800); Sarah Romeri (pole vault) and Danielle Jamieson (400); Newton North's Jessica Barton (2-mile); Newton South's Candace Bailey (100) and Bridget Dahlberg (mile).

EMass Div. 1 boys: Newton North's David Smith (discus, shot put); Waltham's Jonathon Keyes (300 hurdles); Framingham's Jordan Maddocks (high jump); and Newton South's Ross McDonald (pole vault).

EMass. Div. 2 girls: Natick's Rebecca White (2-mile).

EMass Div. 3 girls: Wellesley's Lucy Lafitte (100 hurdles), Michelle Dubois (pole vault) and Najauna Muschetta (triple jump); Hopkinton's Cecily Boyce (300 hurdles); and Holliston's Emmaline Berg (shot put).

EMass Div. 4 girls: Dover-Sherborn's Shannon Bailey (200); Maria's Christi Gallagher (800); and Weston's Dayorsha Collins (high jump) and Jessica Gottlieb (long jump).

EMass Div. 4 boys: Marian's Pat McAllister (2-mile); Weston's Rodney Harris (triple jump).

CMass boys: Algonquin's Brian Racca (triple jump); Nashoba's Brendon Ayalaian (mile); Shrewsbury Steve Pawlik (110 hurdles); and Westborough's Forrest Xiao (pole vault).

CMass girls: Algonquin's Danielle DePalo (pole vault); Hudson's Kristalina Lamore (200 and triple jump); Keefe Tech's Amy Sanjurjo (long jump); and Nipmuc's Lindsay Stakus (100 hurdles).

The All-State meet will be held Saturday morning at the Roberts Sports Complex in Holyoke, where Maddocks (high jump), Smith (shot put), Jamieson (400), Dahlberg (mile), DePalo (pole vault), Lamore (triple jump) are the top seeds in their respective events.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Six area graduating high school seniors are among 36 students from the region that will honored by the New England Patriots Wednesday evening as recipients of college scholarships from the Patriots Charitable Foundation and Fidelity Investments.

The student participated in the Inspire the Future "Write On" Scholarshp contest "Totally Patriots", the team's weekly show aimed at young fans.

The local honorees are: Amanda Batstone (Berlin); Michelle Andler (Needham); Michael Jorgensen (Milford); Eric Krasnow (Newton); Rachel Merkin (Wellesley) and Gabe Weintraub (Needham).

Scholarships range from $1,000 to $15,000.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Scott Leip stepped away as the varsity boys' basketball coach at his alma mater, Ashland High, in mid-March, perfectly content to guide his 9-year-old son Justin's travel team for the next few years.

But when the varsity position at nearby Wayland High recently became available, Leip was intrigued and he applied.

On Monday, the 36-year-old Leip accepted the job, replacing Dean Putnam, whose contract was not renewed after this past season.

"It's pretty common knowledge that my name was not out there for any other position," said Leip Monday evening. "I left Ashland not knowing what my next coaching position would be. To get back in, it had to be the right situation, the right time, and that happened in this case."

Leip, who compiled a sterling 126-66 mark in nine seasons on the Clocker bench, said he was "blown away" by the entire situation at Wayland, clearly impressed by the administration, faculty, coaches and the student body.

"Anyone who knows Wayland, knows how committed they are to the entire student experience," said Leip, "and the more people I talked to, I didn't hear anything negative. The athletic program, from swimming, to wrestling, to girls' basketball, and football. It's not just about qualifying for the state tournament."

His first concern, though, was at home, and receiving full support from his young family. "My wife [Ann-Marie] said, 'coaching's in your blood, and if it's a place that you can by happy, and the kids can have a great experience, then go do it," said Leip. "And over the last decade, my kids have really come to enjoy being around a baskeball program.

Throughout the interview process, he also felt that he and Wayland AD Martha Jamieson shared similar ideas on the direction of the program. "I got kind of spoiled with my mentor, 'Smokey' Moresi, at Ashland," said Leip. "I'm really looking forward toward working with Martha. She really gets it."

Though Leip will be transitioning from one Division 3 program to another, coaching in the Dual County League, which features a number of Division 1 and Division 2 programs, will be a major challenge.

"I spent nine years in the Tri-Valley League and I have a lot of pride in that league," said Leip, who led Ashland to three TVL titles. His only two losing seasons were his first and last. "But people tell me that the DCL is a better league, with better competition. I look forward to taking Wayland to the next level."

An outside salesman in the medical industry, Leip said the move to Wayland only added 10-12 minutes to the commute from his Ashland home.
Wayland was 9-12 last season, falling to Lynn Tech in the first round of the Division 3 North sectional.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Shrewsbury High's Amanda Aditays is another fearsome presence in softball in Globe West.

Globe photographer Bill Polo caught her powerful windup in a recent game against Hudson.

SPORTS

Some high school girls have gotten so good at pitching softballs that the rules of the game may be changed today. The governing body for Massachusetts high school sports is considering moving the pitching rubber back three feet.

The Globe offers a front page story today on these pitching aces and how they've forced changes in the game.

Globe photographer David Kamerman took the shot above of Franklin's Kristin Graci, who looks like someone a batter would rather not face.

SPORTS

Rich Paulhus calls today a proud moment for his Framingham State College softball team.

His Rams (21-19) will play top-seeded Rhode Island College (37-5) in the first round of the double-elimination NCAA Division 3 Northeast Regional in Providence this morning at 10. It is the first-ever NCAA tournament apperance for Framingham State, which clinched its automatic berth with a thrilling 1-0 win over Bridgewater State in last week's MASCAC final.

In just its third year as a varsity program, Wellesley (22-12) will also be making its inaugural appearance in the tournament. Wellesley, which won the NEWMAC Championship with a 1-0 win over Babson, is the third seed and will play Misericordia (PA) at 2.

Playing in its third conference final in four years, Framingham State bounced back from a 7-1 loss last Sunday to capture the MASCAC title on senior DeAnna Curtis's two-hit shutout.

Curtis was dominant in the tournament, compiling a 3-0 record with a .84 ERA, fanning 17 batters in 25 innings.

"The defense was awesome, DeAnna mixed up her pitchers and we held on," said Paulhus, the fifth-year head coach. "Hopefully, this group has helped put the Framingham State program on the map."

The unquestioned leader is senior shortstop Christina Sullivan, who owns all of the program's hitting records and has not missed a game in four years.

Freshman Megan Wood is hitting a robust .391 for Wellesley while junior co-captain Kara Wong of Milford has put together an outstanding final season. The team's starting catcher leads the squad in RBI (23), is tied for first in home runs (4) while batting .370.

In its first-ever appearance in the ECAC tournament, the Brandeis women's softball team staged a seventh-inning rally yesterday to top Rivier College, 2-1 in Nashua, N.H. The Judges trailed 1-0 entering the seventh inning, but plated the tying and go-ahead runs on infield errors to forge ahead, 2-1.

Freshman Emily Vaillette went the distance her sixth win of the season, a school record, striking out five and walking two and allowing three hits. Brandeis will play Western Connecticut (22-19) the semifinals of the double-elimination tournament Saturday at host Roger Williams College in Bristol, R.I. Western Connecticut eliminated Lasell of Newton yesterday, 16-0.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Wayland High athletic director Martha Jamieson will be the first to admit that the school's varsity boys' hockey program needs a fresh start.

"We've had a tough run," said Jamieson of a program that finished 0-18-2 this past winter competing in the DCL/MVC Division 3.

New coach Phil Bateman will bring a fresh approach.

A former assistant coach with both the UMass-Amherst and UMass-Boston women's teams, and currently a head coach and director of goaltending at Puckmasters in Marlborough, Bateman is ready to get started with the program, which is privately-funded.

"I thought it might be a nice little challenge," said the 34-year-old Batemen, who as a goalie, played Major Junior A hockey in Canada and was twice invited to try out for his country's world junior team in the early '90s. In the 2005-06 season, he directed the Neumann College (Aston, PA) women's program's to a 14-9-2 mark in the ECAC West Division 3 conference.

"I like the idea of getting a grass roots system going, and I found it a real comfortable fit in talking to Martha."

Jamieson said she was impressed by Bateman's "demeanor and his diversified background.

"I am really excited," said the AD, noting that there were six candidates for the position. "He has a blank slate coming in. The players are really excited about [his hiring]. He's a hockey fanatic, but he has a levelness to him, he's even-keeled."

His foundation will teaching and "treating the game cerebrally," he said. "And from talking to a few of the players already, they are ready to work."

Using the rejuvenated football program under Scott Parseghian's direction as a parallel, both Jamieson and Bateman feel that a turnaround in the team's fortunes is possible. "Hopefully, lightning strikes twice," said Bateman.

Bateman, with a degree in exercise physiology from Ohio State University, replaces Sean Carabatsos, who resigned at season's end to pursue a principal's certification.

Jamieson said she will interview five to six candidates for the open varsity boys' basketball position on Thursday.

-- Craig Larson

Outman flying through the air with the greatest of ease

SPORTS

Her focus is on track. Her commitment level is 100 percent, nothing less. And the results have been astonishing for Maddy Outman, a former Newton South High standout who has taken a giant leap in her junior year at Williams College.

Last month, Outman earned All-America recognition in four events -- a first in the history of the Williams women's track program -- to power the Williamstown school to its first NCAA Division 3 indoor track title in Terre Haute, Ind. She landed a second-place finish in the long jump, placed fifth in the 55-meter hurdles and the 400-meter dash, and ran a leg on the Ephs' 4 x 400 relay team that placed eighth.

Williams coach Ralph White said Outman "has made a lot of progress. She is an extremely hard worker and she has the ability to adjust. She listens like a sponge."

This spring, Outman is competing in the 400-meter hurdles for the first time and is ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Read more of this story in today's Globe West.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Algonquin Regional senior Dave Teggart has earned a full football scholarship to the University of Connecticut with his booming right leg.

Teggart also swings a powerful bat on the baseball diamond.

In a performance for the ages, Teggart belted four home runs and knocked in seven runs to power defending Division 1 state champion Algonquin to a 9-2 win over Mid-Wach rival and host Leominster Monday afternoon.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound right-handed hitting Teggart blasted solo homers over the 325-foot fence in left-center in the second and fourth innings, cracked a two-run bomb to the same spot in the sixth and then capped his 4-for-4 with a three-run shot in the seventh.

"I think the most I've ever hit in a game was maybe two in Little League," said Teggart, who smashed seven home runs last spring, when he finished with a .468 average. "They just kept throwing fastballs down the middle of the plate."

In the seventh inning, with runners on first and third, Teggart felt he'd receive a free pass.

"I thought they'd walk me, but the pitcher threw four straight curveballs," said Teggart, who starts at third base.

And the fifth? A 3-1 fastball, which Teggart deposited over the fence for his fourth round-tripper of the day.

Teggart plans to use the same bat, and helmet, when Algonquin (2-2) hosts Nashoba Regional in Northborough this afternoon.

Why not. So far this spring, he's hitting a sizzling .600 (9-for-15).

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Hudson's Ryan Carrara recorded the best area finish in Monday's 111th running of the Boston Marathon, with the 30-year-old's time of 2 hours, 32 minutes and five seconds placing him 58th overall. Watertown's Kimberly Nolan was the top female runner, completing the course in 3 hours, 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

The top 20 local males and females are listed below. Congrats to all the local runners who finished the 26.2-mile trek to Boston. Results provided by the Boston Athletic Association.

Top 20 area men's finishers:
1. Ryan Carrara, 30, Hudson (2:32:05)
2. John Mortimer III, 31, Waltham (2:26:36)
3. Jonathan Fortescue, 39, Wellesley (2:44:19)
4. Ephraim Ezekiel, 49, Newton (2:45:49)
5. David Oliver, 50, Wesborough (2:47:37)
6. Mark A. Bell, 41, Sudbury (2:49:13)
7. Chris Benestad, 29, Northborough (2:49:14)
8. Steve Cliff Branch, 42, Hopkinton (2:49:37)
9. John S. Barrett, 37, Needham (2:50:28)
10. Nelson Dupere, 42, Watertown (2:50:33)
11. Merrick Jones, 41, Needham (2:51:03)
12. Pepi Peterson, 39, Marlborough (2:51:24)
13. Errol Yudelman, 47, Newton (2:53:12)
14. Hunter Bennett-Daggett, 23, Framingham (2:54:02)
15. Sadik Tokgoz, 39, Chestnut Hill (2:54:10)
16. Bob Collins, 39, Wellesley (2:54:51)
17. Sean T. Roskey, 45, Framingham (2:57:56)
18. Michael Tapia, 39, Needham (2:58:40)
19. Christopher Richard, 23, Sudbury (2:58:51)
20. Thomas Szumita, 32, Newton (2:58:56)

Top 20 area women's finishers:
1. Kimberly Nolan, 24, Watertown (3:04:28)
2. Lara Johnson, 26, Newton (3:12:03)
3. Katherine Dodd, 24, Westborough (3:12:13)
4. Beth Coughlin, 28, Newton (3:12:55)
5. Sally Roberts, 27, Watertown (3:16:35)
6. Maria Urso, 31, Natick (3:17:18)
7. Laurie Nahigan, 36, Waltham (3:20:13)
8. Katya Gould, 18, Wayland (3:22:11)
9. Jane Chitkara, 38, Wayland (3:23:39)
10. Cara Reardon, 23, Northborough (3:23:44)
11. Antoinette Decker, 38, Southborough, (3:25:00)
12. Kathryn Barrows, 30, Newton (3:26:04)
13. Lisa Danielson, Shrewsbury (3:26:54)
14. Courtney Zaharis, Hopkinton (3:27:24)
15. Erica Williams, 21, Chestnut Hill (3:28:28)
16. Colleen Sampson, 21, Chestnut Hill (3:28:32)
17. Catherine Lifschultz, 44, Sudbury (3:28:54)
18. Amy Ryan, 28, Ashland (3:29:54)
19. Julia Fahey, 31, Watertown (3:29:48)
20. Carol Chaoui, 43, Wellesley (3:30:10)

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Ryan Quigley thoroughly enjoyed his first season on the bench of the Keefe Tech boys' basketball program in Framingham, guiding the Unicorns to an 11-11 mark and berth in the Division 3 Central tournament.

But the opportunity to coach the varsity boys' team at Ashland High, his home away from home, was enough to lure him back to the Clocker program. Yesterday, Ashland named the 28-year-old former assistant as its new head coach, replacing Scott Leip, who resigned in mid-March after a nine-year run.

"This is a great opportunithy, having taught and coached at Ashland the past four years," said Quigley, who assisted Leip for three seasons on the bench. "I'm definitely excited to be back."

Quigley, who teaches physical education at the high school, also serves as a Clocker assistant football coach and assistant boys' track coach.

"He did a great job over at Keefe, and it's an easy transition for him and all the student-athletes, and that's the whole key," said Ashland athletic director Phil Moresi. "He has coached all these kids."

Quigley is thrilled to join a Clocker program that will return eight letterwinners, including a strong junior class, but leaving Keefe after just one season was not easy.

"When Scott resigned, a lot of people in the building were saying, 'this is the perfect situation, you teach in the school, it's a no-brainer,' " said Quigley, an Exeter, N.H. native who prepped at Oyster River HS before playing collegiately at Skidmore. "But this wasn't an easy decision, we made the tournament [at Keefe], and I never had to question how hard the kids were going to play, we had a lot of close games, and it was a fun group to coach."

Varsity baseball coach Scott Soderberg and varsity boys' lacrosse coach Bill Graham will assist Quigley on the Clocker bench.

-- Craig Larson

Yale women's hockey senior captain Kristin Savard of Framingham is the 2007 winner of the Hockey Humanitarian Award.

SPORTS

Her stellar hockey playing career at Yale University is now over, but Framingham's Kristin Savard is now being recognized for her extraordinary efforts off the ice.

The Eli senior captain has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 Hockey Humanitarian Award, which honors college's hockey finest citizen, male or female. The award will be presented tonight at a ceremony in St. Louis during the Skills Challenge of the men's NCAA Division 1 Frozen Four. ESPNU will present a feature on Savard at 8:30 p.m.

The 22-year-old Savard founded “Teaming Up”, Yale’s effort to raise awareness for improving maternal health in the developing world – a project she hopes to expand to other schools and teams.

“Kristin Savard is an extraordinary student-athlete,” said Yale head coach Hilary Witt. “I am confident that, long after she graduates this spring, she will continue to do her part to make the world a better place.”

Savar was named as one of five Hockey Humanitarian finalists in January, joining Ohio State’s Jody Heywood, Wisconsin’s Andrew Joudrey, RPI’s Kirk MacDonald and Clarkson’s Lindsay Williams.

A political science major, Savard is a three-time ECAC All-Academic selection. She has been a part of a renaissance on the ice for the Bulldogs, who won more games in her four seasons (54) than any other four-year period in school history.

Savard finished her career fourth all-time at Yale in assists (54), tied for fifth in points (93) and eighth in goals (39).

“For everything that hockey has given me, I can not give back enough,” Savard said. “For the opportunity to be at Yale, for the friends I have made and the lessons I have learned, I can not give back enough. But I will do what I can."

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

The Marlborough-based Boston Junior Bruins have put together a spectacular season on the ice, their 48-3-1 run highlighted by Empire League regular-season and post-season titles.

Their reward is a second straight trip to the invitation-only USA Hockey Junior B national championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Junior B's open play this afternoon (1:15 p.m.)with a first-round match against the Suffolk (New York) Silver Shields.

Next up in the round-robin format is a Friday night matchup against the El Paso Rhinos, followed by a Saturday afternoon game against the St. Louis Blues. The semifinals are scheduled for Sunday, with the two finalists playing for the Silver Cup on Monday night.

Northborough's Evan Gogonis (50-plus assists) and Shrewsbury's Joey Dillon have been stellar point men on the blue line this season, while Derek Arnold (Foxboro), Steve Morra (Bristol, R.I.) and John Henrion (Holden) pace the Junior B's attack up front.

"I am excited for the games to start and I know the team is as well," said Junior B's coach Chris Masters, whose team calls the New England Sports Center its home ice. "I like how we match up this year at the tournament and while there is not an easy game in the tournament I think if we play our game by skating and moving pucks, continue to get solid play from our goalies and special teams we could make some noise."

Milford's Steve Ginand, Shrewsbury's Colin Shea, and Westborough's Nick Foy and Ryan Brothers are also members of the squad, with an average age of 16 years old.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Scott Leip built the Ashland High boys' basketball program into a winner in a highly-successful nine-year run. Now, he's stepping away from his alma mater as head coach to spend more time with his young family.

"I love coaching, but not at the expense of my family," said the 36-year-old Leip, who also recently started working for a new company as an outside salesman in the medical industry. "This past season, I made it work, but it was becoming tougher and tougher."

This past season, Leip coached both the Ashland High varsity and his 9-year-old son Justin's MetroWest travel team. "My wife (Ann-Marie), son and daughter (4-year-old Courtney) deserve my time," he said.

A 1988 Ashland grad, Leip led the Clockers to seven tournament berths, three Tri-Valley League titles, three trips to the Division 3 South semifinals and a memorable march to the South final in 2004-05.

A star player for Smokey Moresi's Clocker teams of the late '80s, Leip went on to play collegiately at UMass-Dartmouth and then Babson.

He was hired as head coach at Ashland for the 1996-97 season, working under his mentor -- Moresi, the school's athletic director -- and immediately pumped life into a program that had won a combined four games the previous two years. Only his first team (7-13) and his last (8-12) failed to make the postseason and he compiled a 126-66 overall record. He took two seasons off (2000-01 and 2001-02) because of his fulltime job.

"The high school level is the last pure coaching job, because you can have a positive influence on the kids on and off the floor," said Leip, who would still like to help out the program as a volunteer assistant.
"I had so many quality kids. This year, we didn't make the tournament, but the kids still had fun, and they got along. That's what I'm most proud about."

Moresi said that the position has been posted and that would like to have it filled as soon as possible.

"We're very disappointed to lose Scotty, he did an outstanding job developing the program, bringing it to an elevated level not seen since the late '60s and early '70s," said Moresi, who is retiring at the end of the school year. "The [players] loved him and we loved him. But his kids are coming of age, and it's hard to do everything as an adult. He's making the right decision."

-- Craig Larson

Bentley's Jeff Holmes shoots a basket against Winona State's Josh Korth yesterday
(AP Photo by Nancy Palmieri)

SPORTS

In the end, Bentley's effort, determined and relentless, was not good enough in the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division 2 Men's Elite Eight.

Not against an impressive Winona State squad focused on repeating as national champions. So the Falcons' magical ride, one stretching 32 games over the past five months, ended with a 64-51 loss in Springfield Tuesday night before an entertaining crowd of 4,267 -- the majority made up of 20 busloads of Bentley students that made the two-hour trip from Waltham.

With its 56th straight win, Winona State (34-0) advances to tonight's semifinals against Central Missouri (31-3). Bentley finishes the best season in the history of New England men's basketball at 32-1.

"That's a heck of a team that we played tonight, I'm not sure that we could have played better defense," said Bentley coach Jay Lawson, whose squad was seeking to become the first Division 2 men's champ from New England since UMass-Lowell in 1988.
"There's just not any margin for error."

There was too much Zach Malvik (game-high 19 points, 8 of 17 from the floor) out on the perimeter. Too much of the silky smooth Jonte Flowers (13 points) in the paint. And too much of the powerful 6-foot-8 John Smith (14 points, 12 rebounds) in the post.

Winona averages nearly 90 points per game, but on this night, the Warriors locked up the victory with their swarming defense. In the second half, Bentley shot just 38 percent from the floor and the Falcons finished the night just 4 for 16 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Forward Jeff Holmes, one of five Bentley seniors playing his final game, led the Falcons with 12 points and seven rebounds, Springfield native Yusuf Abdul-Ali contributed 11 and six rebounds and junior forward Nate Fritsch had 10 points.

"It's been a magical ride, it's been unbelievable," said Lawson, trying to sum up his team's spectacular.
"You're talking about a private school where everybody studies business. ... where the average SAT score for incoming freshmen is 1,280. You get to this level of basketball, we knew could play with these teams, but we're a little bit different from these other teams."
"For us, what are you going to say, we set 10 to 15 school records, we've set the record for the most wins in the history of New England colleges. We had to beat a team [Bryant] four times to make the Elite Eight. It makes the end of our season a lot easier to accept."

-- Craig Larson

Watertown High senior Ryan Quinn zooms down the track
(Globe Staff Photo by Bill Polo)

SPORTS

Why would a star hockey player quit the sport and take up track? Watertown's Ryan Quinn saw more of a future on the track than on a rink. Now he's setting records and winning championships in events including the dash and the long jump. And he's headed to a good college.

Read more about his decision in Thursday's Globe West.

SPORTS

Their pre-game huddle ends with one unified thought: Play Your Game.
The Division 2 state final was no different for the Lincoln-Sudbury girls' basketball team.

And the confident Warriors left no doubt: They Played Their Game.

The Warriors hit their first six shots on the DCU Center floor, sprinting to an early 12-2 cushion and were never truly threatened in a 53-32 victory over Hampshire Regional to capture the program's first state title Saturday night in Worcester.

"I guess this is what they mean when they say that you have to peak at the right time," said L-S third-year coach Liza Feldman, whose squad finishes 24-2.
"If we had played this way all year, we would have been tough to beat all year. But in some ways, the losses at the beginning of the season (to Westford and Rush Henrietta) were the best things for us. It made us work harder."

L-S defended aggressively, shared the ball, and made it a point of emphasis to get the ball inside to 6-foot-5 senior center Carolyn Swords.

The Boston College-bound Swords and junior guard Sarah Wetmore led Lincoln-Sudbury with 14 points apiece and senior forward Brittany Phillips netted all 12 of her points in the first 16 minutes, when the Warriors built a 30-15 lead.

Playing in its fifth straight state final, Hampshire hit its first two shots of the second half, but L-S answered with a 15-0 blitz for a commanding 49-20 spread with six minutes left.

When Hampshire's 6-foot-4 senior Cara McCormack, her team's only counter to Swords in the post, was whistled for her fifth foul with 6:52 left, Feldman subbed in for her senior center. A minute later, three other L-S starters were out of the game, allowed to view the final minutes from the bench.

But with 52 seconds left, Feldman offered a final salute to her four seniors: Swords, Phillips, Elana Carlson and Cortney Davis, inserting the quartet back into the game to be on the floor at the final buzzer.

"I wanted to send them off in the right direction," said Feldman. "They have done a tremendous amount for this program, they have been really great leaders.":

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Watertown senior Anthony Coppola wanted the ball in his hands. Broken finger and all.

So too did his coach, Steve Harrington.

Coppola sank four free throws in the final 6.2 seconds as Watertown held off Sabis of Springfield 62-61 for the Division 3 state boys' basketball championship on Saturday afternoon at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Coppola scored 10 of his 24 points in the final seven minutes to propel the Red Raiders (22-3) to the program's first state crown.

"I had so much focus, I knew I had to come through for my team, and my town," said the 6-foot-1 Coppola, who will play at Division 3 Wheaton next year.

Coppola, who broke a small bone in his right hand the day before last week's EMass. Division 3 final against Medfield, was also determined to atone for a late costly turnover at midcourt. Isiah Wallace (team-high 24 points) converted the steal into a layup at the other end for the tying basket, 58-all, with 9.3 seconds left.

"Intensity and toughness, that was the difference," said Coppola still clutching the state championship plaque nearly 20 minutes after the end of the game. After struggling with his shooting in the first 16 minutes, he shed the tape on his right hand at halftime.

"Once they tied it, I wanted to get the ball in [Anthony's) hands," said Watertown coach Steve Harrington.

Defending state champ Sabis, which roared back from an 18-point first-half deficit, led 47-43 with eight minutes left. But Watertown sophomore Benyam Kerman buried a left wing trey, triggering a 10-0 run for a 53-47 cushion with six minutes remaining. Coppola sank two free throws, drove baseline for two more and senior Steve Keuchkarian drained another three.

"Steve, Cory Stockmal (14 points) and Ben all hit big threes for us down the stretch," said Harrington. "I can't explain what this group of kids have accomplished. They are so tough, just so tough."

Coppola added, "To win the first state championship, and be captain of the team, and win it for the town, is just unbelievable."

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

The last time Bobby Butler skated at the TD BankNorth Garden, he powered Marlborough High to the 2004-05 Division 3 state hockey title.

With his goal 90 seconds into the second overtime last night, the University of New Hampshire freshman winger lifted the Wildcats to a thrilling 3-2 win over Massachusetts in the Hockey East semifinals.

Third-ranked New Hampshire (26-9-2) will play Boston College, a 6-2 victor over Boston University, in tonight's Hockey East championship game at 7.

With the game tied at two just 90 seconds into double overtime UMass was unable to clear the puck from its own zone. Butler collected the rubber in the slot, wheeled and flicked a fluttering puck in on Jon Quick that went over his left shoulder and in the net for the game-winner.

“When it popped out there, I really couldn’t get everything on the shot,” said the 6-foot, 180-pound Butler, who netted his 8th goal of the season and also assisted on the first UNH goal. “It kind of popped up my stick and I just chipped it in.”

Fourth-seeded UMass drops to 20-12-5 (15-9-3 Hockey East) with the loss and will await a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when the field of 16 is announced on Sunday at 2:30pm on ESPNU. The defeat ended a six-game winning streak for the Minutemen.

Midway through the first overtime, UNH goalie Kevin Regan turned away a breakaway chance by freshman Will Ortiz of Framingham.

Read Nancy Marrapese-Burrill's game account in Saturday's Globe.

-- Craig Larson

Watertown's Anthony Coppola gets a leaping chest bump from teammate Benyam Kerman (left) after Coppola hit a big second half basket, which left Medfield's Chris Bonadies in no mood to celebrate.
(Globe Staff Photo by Jim Davis)

SPORTS

The Watertown High boys' basketball team is headed to the DCU Center in Worcester Saturday afternoon (12:45 p.m.) for a shot at the program's first-ever state title.

The runnin' Red Raiders put it in overdrive in the second half of Tuesday night's Division 3 state semifinal against Medfield, pulling away for a 65-51 win at the TD BankNorth Garden.

On a night in which high-scoring senior guard Anthony Coppola was limited to 14 points, Steve Keuchkarian netted a team-high 16 mand sophomore twins Craig and Kyle Stockmal, the sons of former Watertown coach Craig Stockmal, had 15 apiece.

"I just think our guys are just as tough as nails," Watertown coach Steve Harrington told Globe correspondent Steve Crowe. "We used our speed to really make this a 94-foot game, jam all of their screens and just pressure [Medfield] as much as possible."

Watertown (21-3) will play the winner of tonight's Bartlett-Sabis semifinal on Saturday.

Medfield, which advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in 24 years, finishes a superb season at 21-4, including the Big Blue's third straight Tri-Valley League title. Senior Matt Connelly led the way with 16 points and junior Joey Richman had 14. Jeff Altimar, the boys' all-time leading scorer, had 11.

"Their defensive intensity was definitely the difference," Medfield coach Herb Grace told the Globe.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

Thirty-two straight wins. The first regional title in the program's 44-year history. The best single season in New England men's college basketball history.

Fitting then, that the undefeated Bentley men's basketball team is headed next week to Springfield, the birthplace of basketball, to compete for a Division 2 national championship.

"We will not talk about winning a national championship," said 16-year Bentley coach Jay Lawson after Tuesday night's 63-54 win over Bryant for the Northeast Regional title before a full house of over 2,000 in Waltham.

No, the focus, as it has been all season long, is on the next game.
And next up for the Falcons is defending national champion Winona State (33-0) in a national quarterfinal next Wednesday night at the MassMutual Center (8:30 tap). Winona won its 54th straight game last night, blitzing Minnesota State 89-76 in the North Central final.

The Falcons defended, they crashed the boards, they shared the ball and the end result was the same as the previous 31 games, a victory.

The Falcons earned their ticket by beating Northeast-10 Conference rival Bryant for the fourth time this season.

Sophomore Lew Finnegan (13 points) of Lexington and freshman Jason Westrol (13 points) lead a balanced attack, senior Jeff Holmes contributed 11 points and five rebounds while senior Andy Smith collected a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench.

"We put the focus on defense and rebounding and it didn't matter who scored," said the 6-foot-5 Holmes.

The Falcons defend with intelligence. In their three-game conquest of the regional, Bentley limited their foes to 27 total free throws, including eight last night. "Discipline," said Lawson proudly. "If you out free-throw your opponent, you'll win 95 percent of the time."

Now for the first time in the 44 years of the program, Bentley is headed to the Elite Eight. "That's neat," said Lawson. "I got an email from Al Shields, the first athletic director and coach of the program this morning from Florida, and said he was representing 40 years of alums in wishing us well."

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

WHAT'S ON TAP:
Four outstanding local state tournament matchups slated for Monday night. The Needham and Lincoln-Sudbury girls' basketball teams hit the parquet floor at the Garden for EMass. finals while the Framingham (South) and Weston (North) boys' hockey teams shoot for sectional crowns:

Girls' Basketball:
EMass Division 2 final:
Lincoln-Sudbury vs. Bishop Feehan (Garden, 6 p.m.):
* The Warriors (22-2) conquered top-seeded Melrose in Saturday's North final and now take on a Feehan squad that features quickness. Junior guard Sarah Wetmore was immense Saturday with a career-high 32 points. Can Feehan contend with 6-5 senior center Carolyn Swords?

EMass Division 1 final:
Needham vs. Central Catholic (Garden, 7:45 p.m.)
* Seniors Colleen Hart and Cerie Mosgrove and the rest of the undefeated Rockets (22-0) have been unstoppable thus far. Beating Framingam for the third time in Saturday's South final was no easy task.

Boys' Hockey:
EMass Division 3 North final:
Weston vs. Savio Prep (Chelmsford Forum, 7:10 p.m.)
* The Wildcats (19-1-2) have put together a sensational run in their second year as a varsity program, but sentiment may be riding with a Savio Prep is playing every game like its its last -- which very well could the truth. Andrew Elman and Alex Marlow have starred for Weston in the tourney. Joe Dell'Erario has been solid in net.

EMass Divsion 1 South final:
Framingam vs. Duxbury (Gallo Rink, Bourne, 7 p.m.)
* Framingham pulled out a thrilling 3-2 win over Barnstable around midnight on Saturday night. Now the 10th-seeded Flyers (16-9) head south again, trying to claim the sectional crown with a victory over a rock-solid Duxbury squad. Junior defenseman Chris Gorotwitz leads the Framingham attack, but the Flyers will need a big night from goalie Mike Pearless. The two squads scrimmaged in the preseason.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

The shots weren't falling, but the Bentley men's basketball team didn't stop working. The Falcons attacked the boards, defended with passion and took care of the ball.

Bentley scored 25 points on second-chance baskets and committed just seven turnovers.

The result? The Falcons pulled away for their 31st straight victory, a workmanlike 60-45 victory over the University of Bridgeport in the NCAA Division 2 Northeast Regional semifinals Sunday night in front of a crowd of 1,102 at the Dana Center.

Now, unbeaten Bentley (31-0) is just one win away from the program's first-ever trip to the Division 2 Elite Eight, a short drive down the Pike in Springfield.

Standing in the Falcons' path in Tuesday night's regional final, though, is Northeast-10 Conference rival Bryant. Bentley already owns three wins over Bryant this season, including an 85-74 win in last week's conference semifinals.

On a night in which the five Bentley seniors notched their 100th career victory, sophomore sixth man Lew Finnegan (8-of-13 shooting) led the Falcons with a game-high 22 points in 23 minutes, including 13 in an explosive second half, and junior point guard Yusuf Abdul-Ali contributed 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Senior post Jeff Holmes added 10 points and six rebounds.

"We continue to talk about emotional toughness, and just keeping playing," said Bentley coach Jay Lawson of his team's early shooting struggles. "Some of our top shooters we're getting good looks, all of them were getting good looks from the perimeter.
"If we start making those shots and defend like we did tonight, we're going to be in pretty good shape no matter who we play."

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

The Bentley men's basketball team took the first step toward its first-ever NCAA Division 2 Northeast Regional title on Saturday night. Tonight, the unbeaten Falcons (30-0) will try to move one step closer.

Seeking its 31st straight victory -- the second-longest winning streak in the nation behind defending Division 2 champ Winona State -- Bentley will host Bridgeport (22-8) in a regional semifinal at the Dana Center, with a 7:30 tap. Bryant and the College of Saint Rose square off in the first semifinal at 5. The winners will meet in Tuesday's regional final in Waltham at 7.

Behind a season-high 25 points from junior forward Nate Fritsch, Bentley hung on for a 59-56 quarterfinal win over Caldwell on Saturday night. With the win, Bentley broke the all-time New England men's record for consecutive wins, set by the Bob Cousy-led Holy Cross Crusaders during the 1949-50 season.

Bridgeport edged Philadelphia 67-65, when junior Mantas Armonas hit a 13-foot jumper with 45 seconds left. Bentley and Bridgeport did not meet during the regular season.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5:
Highlighting the top area performances from Saturday's state tournament action:

* Sarah Wetmore, Lincoln-Sudbury basketball: With senior center Carolyn Swords in foul trouble, junior guard stepped up, scoring a career-high 32 points to power the Warriors past top-seeded Melrose, 68-53, in Division 2 North final.

* Colleen Hart and Cerie Mosgrove, Needham basketball: Senior co-captains Hart (20 points) and Mosgrove (18 points, 14 rebounds) teamed up for 38 points in Rockets' 47-40 win over rival Framingham in the Division 1 South final, Needham's third win over the Flyers this season.

* Denise Beliveau, Framingham basketball: Senior forward capped her stellar career with a game-hgih 25 points in loss to Needham (see above).

* Marybeth Ash, Westborough basketball: The program's all-time leading scorer capped her career with 20 pointsin a 67-49 loss to Holy Name in the Division 1 Central final.

* Jeff Altimar, Medfield basketball: Pacing a balanced attack, senior guard netted 21 points to propel the Big Blue to a 69-56 win over Scituate in the Division 3 South final, Medfield's first sectional title since 1983.

* Anthony Coppola, Watertown basketball: Senior sharpshooter led the way with 20 points in the Red Raiders' 63-58 victory over Bedford in the Division 3 North final.

* Chris Gorovitz, Framingham hockey: Junior defenseman tallied a pair of goals, including the winner with six minutes left in the Flyers' 3-2 win ovewr Barnstable in the Division 1 South semifinals in Bourne.

* Steve Hopkins, Waltham hockey: Junior goalie made 28 stops in a 4-2 loss to Woburn in Division 1 North final.

WHAT'S ON TAP:
* The Franklin hockey team (21-1-1) takes another trip to Gallo Rink in Bourne, shooting to bring home its first sectional crown since 2003. The Panthers will face second-seeded Hanover tonight at 6:15 in the Division 2 South championship game.

-- Craig Larson

SPORTS

HIGH 5:
Highlighting the top performances from yesterday's area state tournament action:
* Mike Panella and Tim Alberts, Franklin hockey: Seniors netted the tying and game-winning goals, respectively, in the Panthers' 4-3 comeback win over Hock rival Canton in the Division 2 South semifinals in Bourne.
* Matt LaBove, St. John's basketball: Sophomore center scored a team-high 17 points in a 61-58 loss to Holy Name in the Division 1 Central final.

WHAT'S ON TAP:
What a day. If you're a high school sports fan, the opportunities are endless:

Girls' basketball:
* Bay State Conference rivals Framingham and Needham square in the Division 1 South final at UMass-Boston (2 p.m.). A showcase of two of the area's best players with Framingham's Denise Beliveau and Needham's Cerie Mosgrove, both averaging 20 points per game. Unbeaten Needham won both regular-season meetings convincingly.
* Lincoln-Sudbury faces Melrose in the Division 2 North final at Tsongas Arena in Lowell (2:15 p.m.)
* Undefeated Westborough takes on Holy Names in the Division 1 Central final at WPI (7 p.m.)

Boys' basketball:
* Watertown meets Bedford in the Division 3 North final at Tsongas Arena (12:30 p.m.)
* Medfield faces Scituate in the Division 2 South final at UMass-Boston (noon).

Boys' hockey:
* Waltham takes on Woburn in the Division 1 North final at Chelmsford Forum (7 p.m.)
* Framingham faces Barnstable in a Division 1 South semifinal at Gallo Rink in Bourne (8:40 p.m.).

Wrestling:
* Franklin meets Greater Lawrence in the Division 2 state dual meet final at Bridgewater State College (5 p.m.)

-- Craig Larson

In case you missed it, here's a Letter to the Editor from Leah Leeder of Newton that was published yesterday. It's about a chance encounter with the late great Dennis Johnson in an airpot.

Several years ago I was in Logan Airport, waiting to pass through the security gate. The man in front of me -- a well-dressed, very tall African-American -- passed through the gate, which did not react with beeping. Immediately, three security personnel surrounded him and would not let him walk away.