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Tag: local roundup

  • Local roundup: UMass Lowell women’s basketball team can’t hold off Maine

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    Under first-year head coach Jon Plefka, the UMass Lowell women’s basketball team continues to impress.

    Even in defeat.

    The River Hawks led after each of the first three quarters only to see Maine rally down the stretch for a 73-65 victory during the America East Conference opener on Thursday night at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.

    The River Hawks drop to 6-8, 4-2 at home after a nightmarish 3-25 campaign a season ago.

    UMass Lowell received 20 points and six rebounds from Maddie Rice. Jaini Edmonds contributed 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Paris Gilmore chipped in 11 points to also reach double figures.

    A jumper by Edmonds pulled the River Hawks to a 63-63 tie with 2:40 left, but the hosts would only score two points the rest of the way. Maine’s Lala Woods (17 points) canned back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Black Bears (6-8) pull away.

    Making the loss extra painful for the River Hawks was the fact that they led the game for more than 31 minutes.

    Maine received a 37-point outburst from Adrianna Smith, who sank 16-of-23 shots from the floor. In one of the keys to the game, Maine was 13-for-17 from the free throw line, while UML only had three free throws, making two.

    Both teams shot over 52 percent from the floor.

    UMass Lowell led 22-16 after one quarter, 39-32 at halftime and 53-49 after three quarters. The River Hawks were coming off a 109-45 win over St. Joseph’s Brooklyn.

    Boys hockey

    Alvirne/Milford 3, Nashua No. 2: Alvirne/Milford skated to a narrow victory over Nashua North at Conway Arena to capture a holiday tournament.

    The Admirals finished the tournament with 7.0 points, just ahead of Nashua’s 6.5 points. Brandon Hiltz scored from Brandon Gianas, Brandon Callahan’s goal came after a pass by Landon Briand, and Dylan MacLeod netted the game-winner after a dish from Luke Green.

    Girls gymnastics

    Dracut falls: The Middies compiled a score of 117.3 and finished behind Andover (136.6) and North Andover (132.85) in a MVC tri-meet.

    Girls hockey

    St. Mary’s 3, Central 1: Central Catholic was nipped during a non-league game against the Lynn School.

    The Raiders received a tremendous 50-save performance from goaltender Sloan Costa. Chloe Luzzo pocketed the goal for Central (1-3), while the assist was earned by Angela Cardillo.

    Editor’s note

    High school varsity coaches are asked to submit their game results to sports@lowellsun.com

    North Middlesex’s Sophie Hopkins drives to the basket past Nashoba Regional’s Natalie Sanborn. North Middlesex was defeated earlier this week, 56-22. (Gary Fournier photo)
    North Middlesex's Ava Callahan, right, defends as Nashoba Regional's Sarah Quinn puts up a shot during Nashoba's 56-22 girls basketball win in Townsend. (Gary Fournier photo)
    North Middlesex’s Ava Callahan, right, defends as Nashoba Regional’s Sarah Quinn puts up a shot during Nashoba’s 56-22 girls basketball win in Townsend. (Gary Fournier photo)

     

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  • Local roundup: Tzar Powell-Aparicio nets Rookie of the Week honors

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    It hasn’t taken a former Lowell High standout long to make his impact on the court in college.

    Freshman Tzar Powell-Aparicio of Bridgewater State has earned MASCAC Rookie of the Week honors.

    A talented guard, Powell-Aparicio averaged 11 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and two steals in three games for the Bears last week.

    He compiled seven points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 90-81 setback to Wheaton. Powell-Aparicio helped the Bears go 1-1 at the BSU Cave Classic as he tallied 17 points, four rebounds (two offensive), four assists and three steals in a 65-58 semifinal round setback to Regis, and nine points to go along with three rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in a 93-75 consolation round win over Wentworth.

    HS basketball

    Area coaches were among those honored by the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association.

    Four locals boys coaches were selected as Coaches of the Year.

    In Division 1, honored was Mark Dunham of Central Catholic. In Division 2, Steve Boudreau of Tewksbury was recognized. In Division 3, Anthony Faradie of Wilmington was highlighted. In Division 4, Rick Kilpatrick of Ayer Shirley was honored.

    HS cross country

    A total of 28 local runners were named Commonwealth Athletic Conference cross country All-Stars for finishing in the top of their divisions at the league meet.

    In the girls Lower Division, making the team were Sarah Benchekroun of Innovation Academy (1st, 22:02.6), Kara Taylor of IA (2nd, 22:39.1), Annabel Cargill of IA (3rd, 22:42.0), Ruthann Ambrose of IA (6th, 25:10.7) and Jayden Jean of Nashoba Tech (8th, 25:10.7).

    In the girls Upper Division, making the squad were Hannah Levesque of Greater Lowell Tech (1st, 19:33.0), Lillian Zurkus of GLT (2nd, 19:40.3), Grace Morasse of Lowell Catholic (3rd, 20:01.8), Teagan Galvagni of GLT (4th, 20:17.9), Audrey Yann of GLT (5th, 20:18.6), Makenzie Plouffe of GLT (8th, 21:14.2), Olivia Stack of GLT (9th, 22:01.0) and Skylar Beauchesne of LC (10th, 22:15.5).

    In the boys Lower Division, making the team were Oliver Scaffidi of IA (1st, 17:12.9), Jackson Leach of IA (2nd, 18:12.8), Jakob O’Day of IA (3rd, 18:16.1), Nathan Buckley of IA (5th, 18:53.3), Andrew Milt of IA (6th, 19:00.5) and Keegan Strykowski of Nashoba Tech (10th, 19:16.2).

    In the boys Upper Divisions, the All-Stars were Maurice King Jr. of GLT (1st, 16:49.6), Tyler Ouellette of LC (2nd, 16:54.0), Jesus Andrades of GLT (3rd, 17:07.3), Sean Ouellette of LC (5th, 17:32.1), Matthew Guerin of GLT (6th, 17:45.9), Anthony Beaudoin of GLT (7th, 17:52.7), Timothy Sullivan of GLT (8th, 17:54.4), Ethan Levesque of GLT (9th, 18:03.0) and Isaiah Gagne of GLT (10th, 18:05.7).

    College lacrosse

    UMass Lowell men’s head coach Drew Kelleher has revealed his team’s 14-game schedule for the 2026 season.

    “Our program is really excited to kick off the 2026 season,” said Kelleher. “Our players have done a tremendous job this fall on and off the field. We think we have a great balance of experience and youth to help continue pushing our program forward.”

    For the third straight season, the River Hawks will open up the season at home, hosting the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Saturday, Feb. 11. The squad will then hit the road for the first time, visiting Mercyhurst on Feb. 14, before returning for a two-game homestand against Wagner (Feb. 21) and Holy Cross (Feb. 25).

    March will open with the River Hawks away from home for almost three weeks, starting with a quick trip to play in-state rival Massachusetts on March 3. They will then head to Purchase, N.Y., for a neutral site match against Queens of Charlotte (March 10) for the second straight season, before opening America East action at Binghamton (March 14.)

    The trip comes to an end at Brown (March 17), followed by home games against St. Bonaventure (March 21) and UAlbany (March 28) to close out the month.

    The final month of the regular season will be solely focused on conference play for UMass Lowell, starting with a home match against UMBC on April 4. The team then heads to New Jersey for a battle against NJIT the following weekend (April 11). The team plays its final home game on April 18 when the River Hawks welcome the Vermont Catamounts to Cushing Field before wrapping up the regular season at Bryant (April 25).

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  • Local roundup: Wilmington swimmer Sara Reppucci signs with University of Minnesota

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    A future Golden Gopher enjoyed a golden moment Wednesday.

    Wilmington High senior Sara Reppucci signed a National Letter of Intent to swim at the University of Minnesota.

    Surrounded by family and friends, Reppucci made her commitment official during an afternoon ceremony at Wilmington High.

    She received interest from dozens of colleges before narrowing her choices to Minnesota and the University of Wyoming.

    Reppucci developed her talents through Crimson Aquatics. She has swum in meets across the country, competing against the nation’s best in Florida, Wisconsin, New York and Virginia.

    She swam last month in Westmont, Ill., in the World Aquatics World Cup. Reppucci is also an excellent student and is receiving an athletic and academic scholarship from the University of Minnesota.

    Soccer stars

    The Revolution Academy’s Under-18s, Under-16s, Under-15s, Under-14s, and Under-13s all resumed MLS NEXT action last weekend.

    The U-15s defeated the Philadelphia Union, 2-1, on Saturday. Philadelphia came out on the front foot with a goal in the fifth minute, but New England quickly responded with the equalizer in the 22nd minute. Moments later, Shirley resident Arthur Bernardino netted the game winner.

    The U-13s were defeated by Beachside in a 4-3 loss on Saturday, but Westford’s Michael Miller continues to find the back of the net. He scored another goal and leads the team in scoring.

    College basketball

    UMass Lowell stormed out to a 36-31 halftime lead, but the second half was another story during a non-conference men’s game at Columbia in New York, N.Y.

    Columbia rebounded to top the River Hawks, 86-72, despite four double-digit performances from Austin Green (19 points), Shawn Simmons II (14 points), Xavier Spencer (12 points) and Dracut’s Darrel Yepdo (10 points).

    The River Hawks were coming off a 73-67 home to loss to New Haven. They will continue their road trip Sunday at ACC member Wake Forest. Tip off is at 2 p.m.

    College cross country

    Just two weeks ago, UMass Lowell competed in the 2025 America East Championship at Hopkinton State Fairgrounds in Hopkinton, N.H.

    The River Hawks found much success on the men’s side, claiming their sixth conference title in a row, before sophomore Georgia Brooks (Groton) led the women to a fifth-place finish with her fifth-place individual performance.

    Both teams will now return to Hopkinton State Fairgrounds for the NCAA Northeast Regional on Friday, looking to see how they stack up against some of the top competition in the region.

    The women will kick it off with their 6k race at 11 a.m., while the men will follow with the 10k at 12 p.m. The men rank eighth in the region.

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  • Local roundup: Westford’s Bo MacCormack III scores for BC in college debut

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    Bo MacCormack III didn’t put up eye-popping numbers in his college debut Saturday.

    But the Westford resident did what he always seems to do when he’s on a football field – he reached the end zone. A 5-11, 198-pound true freshman, the running back scored for Boston College on a two-yard rush with 9:11 left.

    The score gave BC a 58-3 lead and the Eagles went on to crush Fordham, 66-10, in season-opening action under sunny skies at Alumni Stadium.

    MacCormack committed to play at Syracuse University before changing his mind and opting to play for head coach Bill O’Brien at BC. At Buckingham, Browne & Nichols, MacCormack became the all-time leading rusher in Massachusetts high school history.

    He galloped for 6,699 yards and finished with 100 rushing TD’s.

    In his college debut, he gained nine yards on three carries and returned two kickoffs for 37 yards.

    College soccer

    Giansiracusa shines: Freshman Maggie MacDonald netted two goals in her collegiate debut and sophomore Christa Giansiracusa (Tewksbury) recorded her first career shutout as Plymouth State University topped Thomas College, 3-0, in non-conference women’s action at Smith Field in Waterville, Maine.

    Giansiracusa finished with two saves.

    UML ties: Freshman Alvaro Medrano (Guatemala City, Guatemala) made his second career shutout in as many matches, as the UMass Lowell men battled the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals to a 0-0 draw in San Antonio, Texas.

    Medrano, who made two saves in 90 minutes, has now kept a clean sheet in each of his two collegiate starts. Offensively, 10 River Hawks (2-1-1) logged a shot, with eight of those shots coming on target. On defense, sophomore Aamir Ketbache (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) played the entire game, while sophomore Henry Wohlt (Milwaukee, Wis.) logged 72 minutes in his second appearance of the season.

    College field hockey

    UML falls: UMass Lowell freshman goalkeeper Veerle Mous (Breda, Netherlands) registered 11 saves in a hard-fought, 3-0 loss to No. 14 UMass.

    “I’m really happy with our performance in the first three quarters,” said UML head coach Shannon LeBlanc. “It’s just unfortunate that after three great quarters we didn’t play our best when it mattered.”

    Sophomore Karlijn Kerkhof (Rotterdam, Netherlands) led the way on the offensive end with four shots, while senior Madison Leeper (Amherst, N.Y.) and sophomore Alice Van Hemelen (Tervuren, Netherlands) each added two.

    Pelham’s Aleena Cunha executes a flip throw during Friday’s girls soccer game against Milford. The Pythons dropped their home opener, 3–1. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)

    High school golf

    GLT starts well: Greater Lowell Tech has defeated its first two opponents, Northeast Metro, 149-122, and Nashoba Tech, 155-117.

    Against Northeast Metro, Tommy McKiernan led the Gryphons by scoring 40 points. He was followed by Brody Simmons (26), Nolan Torpey (24), Jackson Ferreira (23), Ben Hickok (18) and Joe McMenamy (18).

    In the victory over Nashoba Tech, McKiernan and Simmons paced the winners with 34 and 32 points, respectively.

    Hickok collected 30 followed by Ferreira (21), Jack Hickok (19) and Andrew Baia (19).

    Auto racing

    Moulton takes third: A 50-lap special Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini-Late Models was held Saturday at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, N.H.

    Chris Moulton of Pepperell drove a terrific race and finished third in a competitive field.

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  • Wednesday’s local roundup/scores: Westford Academy, Billerica net volleyball victories

    Wednesday’s local roundup/scores: Westford Academy, Billerica net volleyball victories

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    Powered by Sophie Krauss and Isla Hummer, Westford Academy notched an impressive Dual County League girls volleyball victory over Waltham.

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    Originally Published:

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  • Local notebook: Billerica’s Jeff Trainor still playing lacrosse at elite level for Boston Cannons

    Local notebook: Billerica’s Jeff Trainor still playing lacrosse at elite level for Boston Cannons

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    One of the best players in the 50-year history of the proud Billerica High boys lacrosse program is still playing.

    And, not surprisingly, Jeff Trainor remains at an elite level.

    The 26-year-old recently resigned with the Boston Cannons of the Premier Lacrosse League for two seasons, extending his deal through the 2026 campaign.

    The 6-foot, 190-pound defensive midfielder, a 2021 UMass graduate, is coming off a 10-game 2023 regular season which saw him tally two goals and two assists, while causing five turnovers and collecting nine groundballs.

    Billerica High is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season and the program is rightfully proud of its storied history. When the top players in program history are mentioned, it’s not long before Trainor’s name is invoked.

    Vezina talk

    Former UMass Lowell goaltender Connor Hellebuyck may need to make room in his ever-expanding trophy case.

    Though he and his Winnipeg Jets teammates were bounced in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Hellebuyck has been named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top goaltender. It was the fourth time Hellebuyck has been a finalist.

    He won the award after the 2019-20 season, was the runner-up in 2017-18 and finished third last season.

    Hellebuyck guided the Jets to a terrific regular season. In 60 games, he compiled a 37-19-4 record, a 2.39 goals against average and .921 save percentage. He finished second in wins and save percentage, and fourth in goals against average. He made 1,656 saves, second most in the NHL.

    Many NHL experts are predicting Hellebuyck will win his second Vezina. The other finalists are Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky and Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko.

    Hellebuyck played two seasons at UMass Lowell. In 54 games, he compiled an eye-popping .946 save percentage and won the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goalie. He also led the River Hawks to their lone Frozen Four appearance.

    Filling the nets

    While Hellebuyck is keeping pucks out of the net, Shirley’s Arthur Bernardino continues to fill soccer nets with goals.

    Bernardino stars for the Revolution Academy’s U-13 team. Recently, the team recently posted back-to-back shutout victories.

    In a 2-0 win over Beachside SC, Bernardino netted his 25th goal of the season. The next day, in a 7-0 rout of the Bolton Bolts, Bernardino recorded a hat trick and found time to dish out an assist.

    Last week, Bernardino stayed red hot. In a 6-0 win over New England FC, the young ace tallied a goal and assist. He then scored his team-leading 30th goal in a 2-1 win over BW Gottschee to extend his team’s unbeaten streak to 28 games.

    Here and there

    Scott Boyle, in his second stint as Lowell High’s football coach, continues to fill out his staff. … The closure of Green Meadow Golf Club in Hudson, N.H., continues to be felt deeply by area golfers this spring. That, coupled with the previous closure of Tyngsboro Country Club, means there are 27 fewer holes for public duffers to play. … UMass Lowell posted its director of athletics position Wednesday and the school hopes to announce a hiring by the second week of June.

    An 18-person search committee has been formed to replace Peter Casey, whose contract expires soon. Casey was named director of athletics by former Chancellor Jacquie Moloney on July 16, 2018 and Casey officially began running the department following the retirement of Dana Skinner two months later. … Speaking of UML, no Division 1 baseball player has more doubles than sophomore Carlos Martinez.

    Martinez went into Friday with 24 doubles in 42 games to lead the nation. A transfer from the University of Pittsburgh, Martinez has been a huge addition for the River Hawks. The outfielder leads the team with a .331 average and 35 RBI.

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  • Local roundup: Chelmsford’s Thomas Brown named MVC Wrestler of the Year

    Local roundup: Chelmsford’s Thomas Brown named MVC Wrestler of the Year

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    Chelmsford High junior Thomas Brown has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Wrestler of the Year.

    The 285-pound Brown shared the honor with Haverhill senior Brent Nicolosi (165) and Central Catholic senior Nate Blanchette (175).

    A total of 11 athletes were named to the league’s all-conference first team.

    Making the squad were Tewksbury sophomore Jack Lightfoot at 106, Tewksbury sophomore Nicholas Desisto at 113, Billerica sophomore Peter Rincan at 120, Lowell sophomore Emmett Logan, Lowell senior Chris Dubey at 132, Lowell senior Hussein Alobaidi at 150, Chelmsford senior Jose Bethel at 190 and Tewksbury junior Manny Mengata at 215.

    On the girls side, picked for the first team were Tewksbury sophomore Brooke Lightfoot at 114, Lowell junior Amanda Moundele at 165 and Lowell junior Amelyiah Martinez at 235.

    Nine locals were selected to the second team.

    They were Tewksbury sophomore Ben Barrasso at 120, Tewksbury sophomore Sean Callahan at 132, Billerica freshman Jackson Gearin at 138, Lowell senior Jordan Seng at 144, Tewksbury senior Cameron Heichman at 144, Chelmsford sophomore Michael Canada at 150, Tewksbury senior Hunter Johnson at 157, Billerica senior Jizaiah Candelario at 165 and Chelmsford senior Ian Mwangi at 215.

    Boys track

    Billerica’s Shaun Corum has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Division 2 Coach of the Year.

    A total of 15 local athletes were named to the first team.

    From Billerica, Dhaethmy Dorival (4×200), Gryffin Bordeau (4×200), Jacob Peck (4×200), Patrick Hall (two mile, 4×800), Ryan Leslie (two mile, one mile, 4×800) and Tyler Fortune (4×200).

    From Chelmsford, Will Larsen (600, 4×800) and Nathan Hart (600, 4×800). From Dracut, Sam Botsis (long jump, 300). From Lowell, Alex Rodgers (4×800), Jack Courtney (4×800, mile, two mile), Jovani Ubri (4×800), Khai Yin (55 high hurdles, 4×200) and Timothy Schribman (4×800).

    From Tewksbury, Colby Mengata (shot put).

    Fourteen locals were selected to the second team.

    From Billerica, Mason Niles (4×800) and Shane Leslie (1000, 4×800). From Chelmsford, Marco Lombardo (4×800), Xavier May (4×800, two mile) and Luke Tremblay (600, 4×800).

    From Lowell, Abdul Jalloh (4×400, 4×800), Denzel Kisekka (4×400), James Kelly (two mile), Andrew Kieng (4×200), Nana Opuku (long jump, high jump), Raymond Dafe (600, 4×400, 4×800), Ryan Conley (4×400, 4×200), Samuel Ansah (300, 4×200) and Victor Duong (two mile).

    Girls track

    Cullen Hagan of Billerica has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Division 2 Coach of the Year and Billerica received the Sportsmanship Award.

    A total of 10 local athletes were selected to the all-conference first team.

    From Billerica, Brianna Phelan (4×800, 1000, 4×400), Caitlyn Donahue (4×800), Gianna McGowan (two mile, 4×800, mile), Kylie Donahue (4×800, two mile) and Nyrah Joseph (55 high hurdles, high jump, 4×400).

    From Lowell, Anneliese Nogueira (4×200), Britney Ogiegor (4×200, 55 high hurdles), Drea Defreitas (4×200, long jump), Ella Machado (mile, 4×800) and Quinn Petzold (4×200, 300, long jump).

    Making the second team were 17 local standouts.

    From Billerica, Anabelle Mendez (4×400), Grace Carter (4×800), Hartlie Siegal (mile, two mile), Keelin Foye (shot put), Lilian Mackwell (4×800), Lily Bower (long jump, 4×400) and Sabrina Gorski (4×800).

    From Chelmsford, Naomi D’Souza (300, 4×400), Kate Leonard (1000), Sophie Lamar (4×400), Sophia Kukla (4×400) and Amelia Stroud (4×400). From Dracut, Lindsay Grier (55 high hurdles). From Lowell, Jacqueline Peirce (4×800), Sabrina Cady (4×800) and Serena Nguyen (4×800).

    From Tewksbury, Cassidy Paige (55).

    College track

    Camara honored: Fitchburg State indoor track senior Makany Camara (Lowell) was named to the 2024 USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field All-Region East Team.

    Camara collects her third USTFCCCA accolade in the high jump after finishing third overall in the event at the 2024 DIII New England Championships with a season-best mark of 1.66 meters on Feb. 25, while adding a second place mark of 1.66 meters at the 2024 MASCAC Championships. In addition, Makany placed fifth at the 2024 Tufts National Qualifying Meet earlier this year (1.64 meters).

    College softball

    White honored: A strong relief showing against George Mason has earned UMass Lowell senior Ryley White (Wareham), a former Dracut High star, America East Pitcher of the Week honors.

    White made a relief appearance in the second game of a doubleheader against George Mason, pitching 3.2 innings to secure a comeback victory. She registered a 2.18 ERA, allowing three hits and striking out five in the effort.

    White is now 3-4. She leads the River Hawk staff with 47 strikeouts, while holding opposing batters to just a .285 batting average.

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