Marshfield's Warsofsky picked in NHL draft
Marshfield High hockey coach Dan Connolly received the news via text message. His former defenseman, David Warsofsky, was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of this past weekend's NHL entry draft, the 95th pick overall.
Connolly coached Warsofsky his freshman year at Marshfield before the promising blueliner went off to play two seasons at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, followed by a year with the United States Under-18 team. Connolly also coached his older brother, Ryan, who was a member of Marshfield's Division 1 state championship team in 2006.
David "is a very talented kid and is very focused on what he sets out to achieve and is a born leader," Connolly said.
In 2006-2007, Warsofsky collected 15 goals and 34 assists in 29 games at Cushing, and was named the program's defenseman of the year. This past year, he was the top-scoring defenseman for Team USA (40 points) and was tied for first in assists with 31.
This month, the incoming Boston University freshman received an invitation to attend the 2008 US National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., which will help determine the US Junior National team. The group will compete next winter in the World Junior Championships. Cam Fowler of Canton also received an invitation to the camp.
The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Warsofsky may be on the small side for a defenseman, but noting his passing and scoring skills, Connolly believes size will not be an issue.
"He has some of the best vision on the ice that you'll ever see," Connolly said.
Other area athletes selected in the draft included Dorchester's Jimmy Hayes, a right-winger taken by Toronto in the second round, and Stoneham's Ryan Hegarty, who was selected in the fourth round by Anaheim, 113th overall.
Brockton's Chris Curran with Nationals affiliate
Brockton native Chris Curran signed with the Washington Nationals last week and is playing with their rookie affiliate, the Gulf Coast League Nationals, in Melbourne, Fla.
Curran was selected in the 22d round (661st overall) of the Major League Baseball amateur draft this month.
A career outfielder, Curran is learning to play second base at the request of the Nationals but is also able to play outfield.
In his first two games, Curran was 3 for 9 with a double.
Curran played two years at Miami Dade Community College and hit .433 this spring with four home runs. He was 25 for 25 in stolen bases.
If Curran could not come to terms with the Nationals, he was prepared to play at Barry University this fall for coach Marc Pavao, a Bridgewater State graduate. Curran said the time was right for him to enter the professional ranks.
"I think I'm ready," Curran said. "It was the right opportunity for me, and I owe it to me and my family to give it a chance."
Hingham mourning coach Garrett Reagan
The Hingham community is mourning the passing of retired boys hockey coach Garrett Reagan, who died on Friday of an apparent heart attack.
The 66-year-old Reagan coached 26 seasons at Hingham, guiding the Harbormen to more than 400 wins before retiring in March. Hingham appeared in six Super 8 tournaments, including this past season's, and captured three state titles. He also was inducted into the Hingham Hall of Fame.
Hingham athletic director Bill Barges, who also retired this school year, said he and Reagan often talked about retiring at the same time. Recently, Reagan presented Barges with a shirt at his retirement party.
Barges said it was a "pleasure and honor" to work with Reagan, who was most proud of his team's sportsmanship awards. The team was honored with the Mulloy Sportsmanship Award this season for the fourth time, more than any other school, according to Barges.
"Garrett always stressed sportsmanship," Barges said. "They were probably the least penalized team in the state this year. If you looked at [Reagan's] demeanor on the bench, he never screamed or yelled at his players. He was a tremendously dedicated coach."
