Archive - 2012 - Sports Article
December 2nd
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
It is no secret that the many of the athletes that adorn the pages of local and statewide newspapers come from team-based sports.
Everyone loves football, soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball etc..., and those sports do help sell papers, mainly due to the sheer volume of players that can be featured from game-to-game.
On any given day, someone new can be the hero.
In individual sports, such as skiing and snowboarding, you can either be the hero or the goat, depending on what kind of day you have.
A few great runs, someone else misses a slalom, and you win.
November 29th
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
The Northeast Sports Network, an online home for local sports in the lower region of the NEK since 2005, is making their way up Interstate 91, and will begin covering games at North Country, Lake Region and United Christian Academy high schools starting in 2013.
"We have covered North Country and Lake Region games before, and both schools were very receptive to the idea of having us cover them," said founding member Eric Berry.
Beginning with the winter sports season, NSN will feature twenty games, covering the three schools listed above in the next calendar year.
November 26th
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
CAPE COD, MA–The Vermont Shamrocks U-16 girl’s team won the Cape Cod Classic this past weekend, beating a host of teams from the Northeast Region of the United States, including the U-19 Shamrock team from Vermont.
They opened the tournament with a win over the Connecticut Northern Lights, who according to sources, featured a coaching staff a parental group that were beyond awful in their demeanor.
Former Shamrock Salley Hoer said hello to her old teammates in game two as Vermont faced off against the Cranston Reds.
The green and white won the contest decisively 4-1.
November 19th
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
I have just about had it with Gary Bettman and the NHL, specifically Gary Bettman.
As hockey fans are now sitting through the third work stoppage under his regime, it is time to take a long, hard look at what Bettman has done for the NHL and the fans that are finding it increasingly hard to stay interested.
First; Let us look at a few of the good things that Gary has done for the league and more specifically for me, the fan.
1. The Winter Classic.
Old School hockey played on an outdoor rink.
Or as old school as the rules would allow, anyway.
November 7th
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
NEWPORT–Scoring goals in soccer is all about accuracy. In most games that I have watched, there are more balls sent over and wide of the net as opposed to actual shots on goal.
That is why the statisticians keep a "shots at goal" stat.
For Derby Elementary soccer stand-out Emily Willis, things are very different.
Accuracy for her is the normal, not the exception.
Willis is two-time Vermont State Elk’s Girl's Soccer Shoot champion, winning the 9-10 division last year and the 11-12 group this year.
November 6th
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
NEWPORT–Sophomore Sam Brunnette will be the sole representative from North Country at this year’s New England Regional Cross Country Meet at the Twin Brook Recreation Center in Cumberland, ME this weekend.
Brunnette is coming off of a season that his seen steady growth for the runner, beginning with his first race on the course at Primeau Farm.
"It was a pretty good season. I was going into the year hoping to do well and I started off with a PR (personal record), which was nice," said Brunnette.
The rest of the season, while not flashy, was effective.
November 4th
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
ESSEX–As the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the Division II Northern Vermont Youth Football League title game, the cheers erupted from the stands, the bench, and the field, as the North Country Junior Falcons defeated the Winooski Spartans, becoming champions once again.
The team that began the year with an 0-2 record rebounded beautifully, taking ownership of their season and rolling their way through the competition to get the championship game and become the kings of Division II.
November 1st
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
BURLINGTON–In all the years I have been watching field hockey, I have never seen Missisquoi Valley Union's team look scared.
On Wednesday afternoon, on the artificial turf at the UVM athletic complex, the North Country Falcons struck fear into the hearts of the mighty Thunderbirds.
MVU (12-3-1) went on to win the contest, 2-1, but it was a lot closer then they would have liked it to have been.
"I am very proud of these girls," said coach Chantelle Bouchard as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.
Missisquoi came out of the chute on fire.
October 30th
By
Mike Olmstead, Sports Editor
NEWPORT–The North Country Falcons will find themselves against a familiar opponent when they travel to UVM for the Division III field hockey semi-finals today at 3:30.
Coming off their dramatic 1-0 win over Bellows Falls, the team's spirits are high.
"They are excited," said Bouchard. "They really want to get out on the field and just play."
Missisquoi Valley Union (11-3-1), ranked third in D III, were the Falcons first round advisories last year, and they defeated NCU in well-fought battle on the hard-packed sand in Swanton.
October 29th
By
Chris Shaffer, NCU XC Coach
THETFORD–This year's State Meet had the best running conditions in 4 years with dry trails, temps in the 50s and a bank of fog that didn't lift until the girls challenge race.
The Division I girls varsity race started off the day, and NCU was running with a depleted squad.
We were missing our #2 and #3 runners due to season ending injuries earlier in the month.
Haley Jo Tetreault was not at 100% for the day's race, but she worked though the race finishing 23rd in Div I (34th in the State).
Junior Jade Dandurand was our second scorer with her best time at Thetford in 25:04.
