Oil Can To Return?

Interesting article here about a potential comeback from Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd. Remember Oil Can? He was a solid pitcher for the Sox in the mid-eighties but would do some frustrating things that always kept us from fully embracing him - I remember him refusing to play or at least freaking out and getting suspended because he was mad at not being selected to the All-Star Game during that period. He was also interesting because he always had a connection to the old Negro Leagues and indeed formed a barnstorming team in the old school tradition after he retired. It seems he may emulate his hero, the great Satchel Paige, in making a spirited, beyond the usual age return to the game. Best of luck, Oil Can - what a great story it would be.

Bilqis?

I posted recently on my blog about something that I classified as a language post but it is really more of a sports post appropriate to this blog. We all wish Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir the best as she matriculates at Memphis in the fall, and she does have a local connection - Springfield. Here is the rest of my write-up:





Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir recently broke Rebecca Lobo's (Mass.) state scoring record and has been in the news as much for her attire as for her play. She is headed to Memphis in the fall and no doubt will be successful in any endeavor to which she applies herself. She seems a wonderful young lady. What really got my attention, though, was her first name. The Americanized version of her name is Bil-KEES, much as the Semitic MAL-ik becomes Ma-LEEK, but the Semitic pronunciation of Bilqis is BIL-qis, with Q pronounced as a uvular plosive stop. And what is the origin of the name Bilqis? Why, she was the Queen Of Sheba. Neither the Biblical nor Qur'anic accounts mention the queen by her first name but together the two texts provide the foundation of her story.

Comparing Eras/Welcome Luke

Welcome Luke to the Worcester Sports Roundup! Luke's post about steroids and records in baseball is challenging on many levels. I think that baseball more than any other sport suffers from a lack of clear-cut eras. There is a general understanding that the pre-1920 Dead Ball Era and the following modern era are separate, but that is about it. Some dispensation is given for war-time pitching and expansion years, but even the most dedicated of SABR/Moneyball devotees tend to compare players across eras (albeit with adjusted statistics). Regardless of the distaste we fans have for illegal steroid (or PEDs, as they are now called, so that HGH is included, I guess) use, we must admit that every decade has seen development and change that affected that game. The sixties saw revisions in the height of the mound, divisional play, and the advent of the use of "greenies" (speed) by some (many?) ballplayers. The seventies saw a different style of play, with lawlessness on the basepaths and the introduction of the DH as well as some more nefarious psychotropic drugs. The eighties furthered this trend but also saw an expansion of the pool from which players were taken, with an influx of Latin American players. And so on. Players today lift weights, do eye exercises, practice martial arts, have personal chefs (whereas players for decades had to hold offseason jobs just to get by) etc. Can we truly compare the Babe, Hank Aaron, Bonds, A-Rod, Griffey Jr., and others? I too am disgusted by the use of illegal PEDs, but I think the question may go beyond just that.

New Blogger

Hello All.

Looking forward to adding my two cents to our Worcester Sports Blog. I can be very opinionated so bear with me sometimes.

Here's a question I would like to hear your thoughts on:

Hank Aaron (the true all-time home run king in my opinion) recently stated in an interview that the record belongs to Barry Bonds now and that the time frame for steroid use was too vague for them to strip him of the record.

My question is, if you were Hank Aaron, would you be as modest, and what do you think baseball should do about these record breaking roid-heads like Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, A-roid, etc.? Is it fair to leave their records out of the hall even though they used steroids at a time when baseball had no real policy to enforce it?

Nichols Women's Hoops Wins 19th-Straight, 68-52 Over Wentworth

DUDLEY, Mass.—The Nichols College women’s basketball team extended its program-record win streak to 19 games, defeating Wentworth Institute of Technology, 68-52, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup Tuesday night. The Bison were led by 15 points from senior point guard MaryLynn Skarzenski (Woodbridge, Conn.), who in her 107th career start, set a program record for games started as well as matched the program mark for games played. Skarzenski, who has never missed a game nor a start, added nine assists and three steals.

The Bison (20-2, 10-0 TCCC) opened up the game early, going on a 23-4 run that lasted the first 10 minutes, capped off by a jumper from junior guard Alena Jasinski (Canton, Conn.).

Wentworth (5-17, 3-7 TCCC) fought its way back, though, and outscored Nichols 24-17 the rest of the half, ending the first period down by 12, 40-28.

Nichols pulled away in second half, increasing its lead to 21 off a jumper from Skarzenski midway through the period. The Bison kept the game out of reach throughout; the closest Wentworth would get after that was 16 on a layup from Meaghan Gardner (Shrewsbury, Mass.) at the final buzzer.

Junior forward Margaret Lilly (Ashfield, Mass.) added 12 points, three blocks, and four steals for the Bison, who also received a 13 point, nine rebound performance from sophomore forward Jessica Nelson (North Providence, R.I.).

The Leopards were led by 14 points and seven rebounds from sophomore Kirsten Vallone (Avon, N.Y.), and a double-double from junior guard Michelle Moffo (Southington, Conn.), who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 boards.

The Bison, who are one game away from tying the program record for wins in a season, will travel to Eastern Nazarene for a 1 p.m. game Saturday while Wentworth travels to Curry College on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.

Nichols Gervais Named Joe Concannon Award Semifinalist

BOSTON, Mass. -- Nichols College senior forward Ryan Gervais (Chicago, Ill.) has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the ninth Joe Concannon Award, presented annually by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston to the best American-born college hockey player in New England playing at the D-II/III level. The list, announced Thursday by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston president Tim Whelan, is comprised of 11 forwards, three defensemen and two goalies, including two nominees from the D-II ranks.

Gervais is one of the Bison’s top scoring threats, posting 25 points on 10 goals and 15 assists in 21 games this season. The forward has registered a team-high 20 points in ECAC Northeast games with nine goals and 11 assists, posting three power-play goals and two game-winners, including his 100th career point – a power-play, game-winning tally against Salve Regina on November 24th. Gervais stands with 117 career points in 102 games with 58 goals and 59 assists.

A key member of the Bison’s successful power play unit, Gervais has scored four power-play goals this season, helping Nichols to a 36% power play (27-75) in conference games, where the Bison have built an impressive 13-0-0 mark.

“This season more than any other has showcased great competition and individual talents throughout the leagues across New England. It seems that each and every season gets a bit tighter and the level of play continues to improve. That makes it ever more challenging to single out worthy nominees for the Concannon Award,” said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim Costello. “Our committee believes this is a strong group of nominees, it’s going to take both remainder of the regular season and conference tournaments before we’ll be able to single out the most worthy nominee.”

The Gridiron Club plans to announce the finalists and winner of the 9th Joe Concannon Award in March, prior to the start of NCAA Frozen Four Tournament play and present the award during the New England Hockey Writers dinner in mid-April.

No. 13 Nichols (19-2-0, 13-0-0 ECACNE), which is one game away from tying the program record for wins in a season, travels to Suffolk for a 3:15 p.m. game Saturday before hosting Assumption in an 8:30 p.m. game Sunday at June Rockwell Levy Rink in Harrisville, R.I.

The Joe Concannon Award

The Gridiron Club established the Joe Concannon Award in 2001 to honor Joe, a lifelong devotee of college hockey, former member of the Walter Brown Award Selection Committee and, as a journalist, a staunch advocate for the amateur athletes he knew and covered. A native of Litchfield, Connecticut, Joe graduated from Boston University in 1961. He served as sports information director (SID) at Holy Cross before joining the Boston Globe in the late 1960’s to cover college sports. Joe declined frequent invitations by his editors to write about Boston’s major professional sports teams, preferring to concentrate on the colleges, distance running and golf. He wrote the book Marathoning with Bill Rodgers and established the highly successful Litchfield Road Race in his hometown. Joe was a world traveler and was especially proud of his Irish heritage, frequently sojourning to the Emerald Isle. He passed away in 2000.

Nichols Women's Hockey Falls to Southern Maine, 4-1

PORTLAND, Maine -- Led by two goals from Katie Paradis, the University of Southern Maine women's hockey team defeated Nichols College, 4-1, in ECAC East action Friday evening.

The Huskies improve to 12-6-4 overall and 11-3-2 in conference play, while the Bison slip to 2-19-1 overall and 1-15-1 in ECAC East games.The Huskies took a quick 2-0 lead after scoring a pair of tallies just over a minute apart in the first period, with Nani Jacobs lighting the lamp at 6:19 before Paradis potted her first of the night 1:08 later.

First-year defender Brittany Nardone (Billerica, Mass.) brought the Bison within one with her third goal of the season, picking up a power-play score on Nichols' first attempt, with assists coming from Ashley Parker (West Jordan, Utah) and Courney Carey (Belmont, Mass.) at 16:41.

Danielle Ward struck quickly for the Huskies in the second frame, putting the home team up, 3-1, just 1:39 into the middle stanza, but Nichols netminder Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.) stood tall the rest of the period, making 11 saves.

In the penalty-filled third, Mansfield kept the Huskies at bay, but Paradis struck on one of Southern Maine's 14 shots in the period, picking up her second score of the night for the 4-1 lead at 6:13.

Mansfield finished with 37 saves, while Kristen Gresko earned the win turning aside nine Bison shots. Nichols held Southern Maine scoreless in four power-play opportunities while scoring once in four power-play chances.

The Bison are back in action in a 2 p.m. game at Plymouth State Saturday.

Bike Weather/Bike Race

Yesterday the thermometer hit 61 degrees (this is mid-February in Worcester, mind you) and I went for a bike ride. Of course right now, again, this being New England, the mercury (well, digital number) is approaching freezing. It was great to be on the bike cruising around, especially knowing that the next opportunity to do so may well be in two months, but I got to thinking about something I blogged about on my other site: the George Street Challenge For Major Taylor. This is a crushing 500 foot sprint up George Street, which has an average grade of 18 pct. During my ride I was thinking about training techniques. I discussed this with my friend Phil, who is mentioned in the blog post, and we both came to the same conclusion - the best training for the race is...to sprint up George Street! Of course, nutrition, weights, conditioning and other things play a part, but I guess that is what I will have to do. Phil also is considering entering the race (it will be in July) and is probably going to ride a fixie. My own mountain bike is not really geared (chuckle, chuckle) for this sort of thing but I am mostly interested in honorably competing rather than breaking records or winning my age group. More on this when (if?) the weather warms up...

Washington Post Shame!

What kind of dopes do we have working at the Washington Post? I always thought they had the best reporters and editors in the business. In the midst of a Presidential Press Conference last night Washington Post reporter Michael Fletcher asked the President what he thought about the A Rod scandal. If I was the President I would have had The Secret Service remove him from the room for being stupid.

We are in the midst of the worst economic crisis in many generations and this dope asks the President what he think of an over paid child. Shame on this reporter, Shame on the Washington post if the don't throw this bum out on his, well bum, and shame on the President of the United States for dignifying this question with an answer.

A Rod time for you and the rest of your drug addict pals to leave the field in shame!

Terriers are best in show

It has been referred to as the "Jack Pot" and the "Jack Parker Invitational" because of the number of times the veteran bench boss has led Boston University to the Beanpot championship. Heading into last night's 57th quest for Boston bragging rights against Northeastern, the No. 1-ranked Terriers had 28 Beanpot crowns to their credit.

Well, say hello to No. 29. The third-ranked Huskies, who have been atop the Hockey East standings for the bulk of the season, gave it their best shot - thinking this was the year they would take it away from their league rivals for their first crown since 1988 - but they fell well short as BU scored three shorthanded goals on the way to a 5-2 win at TD Banknorth Garden.

In the third period, which started with BU holding a one-goal lead, the Terriers (22-5-1) scored back-to-back shorthanded tallies to put the game out of reach and secure their 12th title in the last 15 years.

Parker, who is in his 36th season, said he was flummoxed by the number of goals scored with his team a man down.

"The game is won on three shorthanded goals, who would've thunk?" he said. "I've never seen that in my life in a Beanpot.

The Rest of the Story

A-Rod admits steroid use

Baseball's hall of shame gained a new superstar yesterday as Alex Rodriguez outed himself as a drug cheat, admitting he muscled up with illegal steroids from 2001 to 2003, when he unleashed the greatest three-year power surge of his career.

Backed into a corner by a blockbuster report Saturday that he tested positive in 2003 for anabolic steroids, the three-time American League MVP acknowledged plying himself with illicit performance-enhancing substances after signing a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers in 2001, then the richest deal in baseball history.

While juiced on steroids, Rodriguez hit .305 while averaging 52 home runs and nearly 132 RBIs over the three years, all with the Rangers. He led the league in home runs all three years and was the MVP in '03.

"I was young, I was stupid, I was naive," he told ESPN's Peter Gammons. "I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. I did take a banned substance, and for that I'm very sorry."

Rodriguez waited less than 48 hours after Sports Illustrated's damaging report before he confessed his wrongdoing and began rehabilitating his image. In doing so, he borrowed a page from Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte, who regained much of their popularity after admitting they used banned substances.

The Rest of the Story

Sports At The Worcester Art Museum

My family made our annual visit to the Flora In Winter exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum today. As we roamed through the place looking at the floral exhibits I tried to make note of any works of art having to do with sports. Now, I know it is an art museum rather than a Hall of Fame or memorabilia place - I wasn't expecting to find Rich Gedman's jersey - but I figured there must be some paintings and scultptures having to do with sports themes. And there were - here are a few:
Model Of A Ball Game: This is a Mayan display of a sport that involved, among other things, human sacrifice. Remember this next time you read about soccer hooligans or rowdy football crowds - things have been worse.
Bahram Gur Hunting The Wild Ass: There were more than a few works in the museum dealing with hunting and fishing.
The Jockey: An equestrian work by Toulouse-Lautrec
Boy Playing Marbles: I realize calling marbles a sport is pushing it but nevertheless...
There are others, including skating scenes to name one more that I recall seeing. Surf the museum's site or better yet, if you live in the area, head on over and check things out in person.

A-Rod tests Positive

Taken from foxnews.com

Report: Baseball Star Alex Rodriguez Tested Positive for Steroids in 2003
Saturday, February 07, 2009
AP
NEW YORK — Sports Illustrated has reported that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003.
The magazine says in a story posted on its Web site Saturday that the New York Yankees star tested positive for two anabolic steroids. SI cited four unidentified sources.
SI reports that Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancers in a 2003 baseball survey.
Rodriguez declined to discuss the tests when approached by SI on Thursday at a Miami gym. He told a reporter to speak to the players' union. Calls from SI to union head Donald Fehr were not returned.
Rodriguez played for the Texas Rangers in 2003, when he won the AL home run title and MVP award. He was traded to the Yankees in 2004.
Click here for more on this story from SI.com.

This just confirms my thoughts about "A-Fraud." This should be a real shock to baseball since many had him beating Bonds home run record and doing it cleanly. Just goes to show how the old adage as long as you don't get caught its not cheating. Money will make anybody do anything. Let the debate begin.

Pats franchise Cassel

Taken from Patriots.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced Thursday that they have utilized their 2009 franchise designation on quarterback Matt Cassel. He becomes the first offensive player and just the fourth Patriot to be franchised by the team, joining Adam Vinatieri (2002 and 2005), Tebucky Jones (2003) and Asante Samuel (2007).

"Matt has been a pleasure to coach his entire career and last season in particular, when his years of hard work and commitment resulted in a most impressive performance," said Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. "We look forward to working with Matt again in 2009."

Now let the debate begin. Do they trade him,(what do you get in return?) keep him as Brady's backup,or trade Brady. Let us know your opinion.

Truck Day

Taken from Redsox.com By Ian Browne / MLB.com
BOSTON -- Johnny Pesky, who was a star hitter for the Red Sox generations ago and is now the team's most enthusiastic ambassador, played an entirely different role on Friday afternoon.
For a man who has done everything with the club -- from player to manager to broadcaster to coach to front-office executive to instructor -- he had never hit the proverbial ignition button on a season.
That is what Pesky did on a frigid day outside of Fenway Park. The 89-year-old Pesky climbed into a moving truck filled with equipment that is headed to Spring Training and turned on the engine in ceremonious fashion at roughly 2:15 p.m. ET. That truck will arrive in Fort Myers, Fla., by Sunday afternoon, plenty of time to unpack before pitchers and catchers report to camp on Thursday.
Who better than Pesky to serve as grand marshal for what the Red Sox described as a Spring Training equipment truck departure parade?
"It's always exciting to go to Spring Training -- to see the new kids and all that stuff," said Pesky. "I'm kind of anxious to see the new draftees and stuff like that. Our organization has been so good about bringing so many good kids here."
His days of hitting endless fungoes likely over, Pesky will still be in uniform for the Red Sox for yet another Spring Training.
"I'm getting a little too old for some of those fungoes," Pesky said. "I might retire after this year."
Of course, Pesky -- whose No. 6 was retired to Fenway Park's right-field facade last September -- has said similar things before, only to come back again and again. That is how much he loves the game. And the dawn of a new season harkened back memories for Pesky of when it all began for him with the Red Sox.
"I was in Sarasota, [Fla.,] for my first Spring Training," said Pesky. "That was in 1942. I'm an old guy. I was there with Ted [Williams] and Bobby [Doerr] and Dom [DiMaggio] and Jimmie [Foxx]. When I got here, I was very well received."
And Pesky still is.

Pesky was just one of many who gathered outside of Fenway to watch boxes get loaded on to a truck. Dozens of fans came out to witness the symbolic coming of spring, some holding signs, others posing next to the truck.
"It's the start of everything," said Kelly O'Connor, a die-hard Red Sox fan from Arlington, Mass. "You've gone through the offseason. You've just had your insides flayed out dealing with whether we were going to sign [Jason] Varitek or not. Finally, this is the beginning. This is the point from, beyond which, it can't be stopped. It's ongoing. The truck will get down there, everything will happen from here. There will be equipment, there will be players, there will be training, there will be warmups, there will be exhibition games, and then the next thing you know, it will be Opening Day."
As the banner hanging from the truck proclaimed, Opening Day is in 59 days.
But before that, there will be the laid-back period of Spring Training.
"It's always exciting," Pesky said. "You show up down there and the fans are so good. It's a nice atmosphere. They get there early enough to try to get autographs. I'm always available, because I'm not a player."
However, Pesky remains the ultimate representative of the organization he's been associated with for the better part of his life.
"I'm very fortunate to have been with the Red Sox for all these years," said Pesky. "I'm glad my mother picked the Red Sox. When I was a kid, I was in demand. The Cardinals wanted to sign me, the Yankees wanted to sign me, the Tigers wanted to sign me. I thought I was hot stuff."

A Major Breakthrough

One of the many Worcester connections to sports history is the famous photo of Ted Williams in his first at bat as a Sox player in an exhibition game at Fitton Field. Williams has many connections to baseball history, of course, but none more so than his status as being the last player to end the season batting over .400. A favorite discussion topic among baseball fans is "Which baseball record will never be broken?". There are many contenders. Some say the .400 mark. I talked to my dad about this tonight and he immediately came up with Joe D's 56-game hitting streak. Cy Young had 511 wins and 316 losses - hard to imagine any threat to both of those records. The game has changed over the years, and I can't believe any complete game record will ever be threatened. But you never know.
I think, though, that I have found the unbreakable record. Joe Nuxhall was all of 15 years old when he was called up to pitch for the wartime-depleted Cincinnati Reds. His appearance was disastrous but he later carved out a good career as a pitcher and a legendary one as a broadcaster. I cannot imagine a circumstance where anyone so young would ever play in a major league game. Is Nuxhall's record baseball's truly unbreakable one?

USA Swimming suspends Phelps for 3 months

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Michael Phelps has been suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming, the latest fallout from a photo that showed the Olympic great inhaling from a marijuana pipe. The sport's national governing body also cut off its financial support to Phelps for the same three-month period, effective Thursday.

"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the federation said in a statement.

"Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."

Phelps won eight gold medals in Beijing.

The Forgotten Race

New England sports radio talk programs used to have a pretty predictable bent when discussing the Red Sox, at least until the recent World Series wins. Most every talk about the latest Sox game would somehow end up being steered to the 1986, 1975, 1978 or 1967 Sox teams. Three of those teams made it to the Series only to lose, while the '78 squad is arguably as famous for the epic huge lead/blowing of said lead/huge comeback/one-game playoff loss. But you never hear anything about the fierce battle for the 1972 AL East title. The Sox ended up finishing a half game back to what was basically the last gasp of the 1968 World Series-winning Tigers. I was reminded of this by a passing remark in the Baseball Crank's excellent post about catchers and the HOF.
Major league baseball had for decades played a long season where one team in each league finished in first and the pennant winners played each other for the World Series title. In 1969, a scant three years before the '72 season, the leagues switched to a two division format where a playoff was held to determine who would go on to the Series. So all this was still fairly new to players and fans alike. A glance at the roster for the '72 Sox teams shows it was a mix of remaining players from the '67 team, new guys who would populate the '75 club, and a few people - Danny Cater, John Curtis, etc. - who would know no other Sox glory than this forgotten pennant race.

Tornadoes Sign Nick Conway

The Worcester Tornadoes announced today that they signed Massachusetts native Nick Conway on January, 26th. Conway formerly of UMass-Boston holds the Beacons record for innings pitched (245), strikeouts (234), and earned run average (3.49). During his four years at UMass-Boston he compiled a record of 14 wins and 20 losses. In 2006, he played with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball league and saw action with Lowell All-Americans of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Position: P Date of Birth: 8/6/86 Height: 6' 2" Weight: 205 lbs College Experience: University of Massachusetts (Boston) Bats: R Throws: R Resides: Methuen, MA

Englebright, Rinn Earn ECAC Northeast Weekly Awards

DUDLEY, Mass. – Nichols College men’s hockey players Jacob Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) and Brett Englebright (Pekin, Ill.) have been named the ECAC Northeast Goalie and Rookie of the Week, for play ending Sunday, February 1, 2009. The tandem helped the Bison remain perfect in conference play with a 3-2 win over then-number 15 Curry, and to Nichols’ first-ever national ranking in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, where the Bison are currently 14th.

Rinn, a first-year goaltender, made 25 saves against the Colonels, improving to 4-0-0 in four collegiate starts with a 2.00 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. He made nine third-period saves to keep Curry off the board in the final frame, a feat not achieved by any other league netminder against the Colonels since the opening game of the season.

Englebright scored the game-winning goal against Curry, netting his fourth power-play tally of the season with 21.4 seconds left in regulation to snap the Colonels’ seven-game unbeaten streak. The forward stands with seven points on four goals – all power-play – and three assists in 20 games.

Nichols (18-2-0, 12-0-0) continues ECAC Northeast play with an 8:30 p.m. home game against Framingham State Saturday at June Rockwell Levy Rink. The Bison then play two of their final four regular season games at home, ending with a 3:30 p.m. game against Western New England College on Saturday, February 22.

Reports: Manny gets 2d Dodger offer

I do not know why I keep posting about Manny but he is good ink so here goes:

Manny Ramírez has received a one-year contract offer worth $25 million from the Dodgers, ESPN.com and the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday. A two-year, $45 million offer to Ramírez from the Dodgers in November expired without a response from Ramírez's camp. General Manager Ned Colletti said he presented Ramírez's agent, Scott Boras, with the club's second offer Sunday night, the Times reported. Colletti didn't confirm details of the offer . . . Oliver Perez and the New York Mets reached a preliminary agreement on a $36 million, three-year contract. The deal is subject to the pitcher passing a physical, people familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement wasn't final . . . First baseman Casey Kotchman avoided salary arbitration with Atlanta, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,885,000 . . . The Cubs traded one-time playoff starter Rich Hill to the Orioles for a player to be named and sent reliever Michael Wuertz to the Athletics for a pair of minor leaguers.

NEC Edges Nichols Women's Hockey, 5-3

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – The New England College women’s hockey team defeated Nichols, 5-3, in ECAC East action Saturday evening at June Rockwell Levy Rink. Freshman forward Chelsea Torrico led the Pilgrims with two goals and an assist.

Nichols falls to 1-16-1 overall and 0-13-1 in league action, while NEC improves to 9-8-2 overall and 7-5-2 in conference play.

The Bison, who finished 2-for-3 on the power play, were paced by a goal and an assist each from first-year forward Mandy Manopla (Wellington, Fla.) and classmate Hannah Tardif (Laconia, N.H.).

Also recording multiple points for the Pilgrims were senior defenseman Emily Tanguay, who recorded three assists, and freshman forward Allison Roy and senior forward Sarah Tracey, who each picked up a goal and an assist.

New England College jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, lighting the lamp on the second shot of the game as Torrico tapped in a rebound from Tracey just 30 seconds into the game. A minute and a half later, Roy carried in a pass from Tanguay to the right circle before pulling up and firing past Nichols netminder Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.).

Haylie Carter (Forney, Texas) got one back for the Bison, netting a power-play score at 14:32, deflecting in a shot from the blueline by Manopla past NEC goaltender Teraysa White’s glove.
The Pilgrims attacked early again in the second period, striking twice in the first three minutes for a 4-1 lead. Tracey opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the frame off assists from Alicia Michonski (Southwick, Mass.) and Roy before Courtney Kerslake fed Torrico for a breakaway goal at 3:00.

Manopla cut the Pilgrims’ lead to two with a power-play goal at 6:19, picking the right corner from the high slot, with assists from Tardif and first-year defenseman Kayla Robidoux (Cumberland, R.I.) before Tardif brought the Bison within one at 15:08 with her first goal of the season.

Kerslake added a power-play goal in the third period, deflecting a shot by Tanguay into Mansfield. The Nichols goalie made the save, but the puck came loose and dribbled over the goal line at 6:46.

Mansfield finished with 42 saves, while White made 26 in the win.

Nichols continues its homestand with a 5:30 p.m. game against Norwich on Friday, February 6. New England College travels to Plymouth State for a 6 p.m. game Friday.

Men's Hockey Ranked 14th in Nation, Makes Program's First Appearance in USCHO.com Poll

DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College men’s hockey team made its first-ever appearance in the USCHO.com Division III Men’s College Hockey Poll, as announced Monday, February 2, 2009. The Bison, ranked 14th in the national poll with 47 votes, stand with an 18-2-0 record and atop the ECAC Northeast standings at 7-0 after a 3-2 victory over Curry on Saturday.

The Bison had received votes for four-straight weeks before jumping into the national rankings, first receiving four votes in the January 5th poll.

Nichols has won 11 of its last 12 games, including its last four-straight and is closing in on the program record for wins, set last season when the team finished the season with a 20-7-1 record after making its first-ever appearance in the ECAC Northeast Championship game.

Sophomore forward Will Munson (Corona, Calif.) and senior defenseman Cole Ruwe (Pekin, Ill.) lead the Bison with 24 points each. Munson, last week’s ECAC Northeast Player of the Week, has recorded 11 goals and 13 assists on the season. With 20 assists to go with four goals, Ruwe ranks sixth nationally and leads the league among defensemen averaging 1.20 points per game.

First-year netminder and last week’s ECAC Northeast Goaltender of the Week Jacob Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) has earned the last four wins for the Bison, posting a 2.00 goals against average to go with a .925 save percentage.

Nichols returns to action at June Rockwell Levy Rink in Harrisville, R.I., on Saturday, February 7, in an 8:30 p.m. game against Framingham State.

The USCHO.com Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 20 voters, including 15 coaches of Division III programs and five men's hockey writers. USCHO.com provides in-depth coverage of college sports, including hockey, lacrosse, soccer and others.

Nichols Out Shoots Curry

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – With 21.4 seconds remaining in game Freshman Forward Brett Englenright scored a power play goal to put Nichols on top of Curry 3-2 in and clinched the ECAC Northeast Title. Taking on 15th ranked Curry at the Levy Arena on Saturday night. The Bison remain undefeated in the ECAC Northeast with a record of 12-0-0.

The Curry Colonels moved out to a two goal lead in the second period with a shot by Ross Enmark assisted by Michael Guzzo and Jonthan Miller. Curry’s Second Goal came at 14:17 when Freshman Forward John Williams took a breakaway shot. Nichols scored 18 seconds latter with Matthew Sayer’s unassisted goal.

Bison Freshman Forward JoJo Bojanowski put a shot at the right post past the Curry net minder for Nichols second goal. Bojanowski was assisted by Senior Defenseman Cole Ruwe.

Jeff Bieber picked the upper right corner of an assist from Freshman Forward Zach Hendrickson and Senior Andrew Ella with only 1:20 left in the third period to score the winning goal for Nichols and clinching the first place birth.

Nichols net minder Jacob Rinn ECAC Player of the Week made 25 saves for 4-0-0 record on the season while Curry net minder Steven Jakiel who made 23 saves drops 8-2-2 on the year.

Its in the Cards

Back from Church and now to get ready for the Super Bowl this evening. Many will be picking the Steelers to win tonight, since by all accounts they should win big, my wife being one of them. I for one am rooting for the underdog Cardinals. After all being from New England we have seen hell freeze over twice in the last few years, most recently 2007, not counting this winter.

So at 6:18 PM Laura and I will sit down with our Chinese food, beer and assorted snacks to root on our team to Super Bowl XLIII glory. Go Cardinals.