CHS Roundup
Red Devils fall to Medford, 43-34
Chelsea High’s boys basketball team suffered its first loss of the season in a 43-34 defeat at Medford, a former Greater Boston League rival.
For most of the game, the Red Devils maintained control, posting a 8-7 lead after the first quarter and extending their advantage to 25–20 by halftime. Chelsea pushed the lead to as many as nine points in the third period.
The momentum shifted when a turnover resulted in a three-point play for Medford. The Mustangs erased Chelsea’s lead and took over in the fourth quarter.
Though Chelsea attempted a comeback as Medford pulled ahead, the Red Devils’ struggles at the free-throw line proved costly. Missing 14 free-throw attempts proved decisive in their comeback bid.
CHS head coach Jay Seigal reflected on the loss: “fblikebutton_button” “We hd a chance to put the game away in the third period, but we couldn’t hit our free throws,” he said. “This was a very disappointing loss, because it was a game we could have — and should have — won. We did not execute in the fourth period and that led to too many turnovers.”
Steve Lacey led Chelsea with 14 points. Chris Torrez contributed nine, Malik Bissett added four, Balmeiro Daveiga scored three, and Ralphie Otero and Angel Alvarez each had two.
The Red Devils, now 3-1 on the season, were scheduled to face Melrose last night (Wednesday) in a non-league game. They will host Medford for a rematch Monday and then entertain Shawsheen Tech Thursday.
A Successful Season
The BHCC men’s soccer team concluded another outstanding season by reaching new heights. For the first time in program history, the Bulldogs defeated two higher-ranked opponents to reach the third and final game of the NJCAA National Tournament, held November 12-16 at Herkimer Community College in Herkimer, New York.
This marks the fourth consecutive year the Bulldogs have captured the Region XXI NJCAA New England championship. They earned their fifth regional title on November 1, 2015, by defeating Roxbury Community College and Holyoke Community College. The victory placed them among the nation’s top eight teams in their division and earned them a spot in the NJCAA National Tournament in Herkimer.
The Bulldogs entered nationals as the eighth seed despite an unranked regular season record of 14-7. According to Head Coach Scott Benjamin, “fblikebutton_button” “The only people that believed we could win were the people in the BHCC uniforms.”
Combining first-year and veteran players with an aggressive style, the Bulldogs upset the top-seeded #1-ranked Genesee Community College Cougars, who arrived undefeated at 19-0. BHCC sophomore Tevin Reid, a key offensive weapon, scored first for the Bulldogs in the opening round, notching his tenth goal of the season to tie the match at 1-1 in the first half. First-year midfielder Eric Marakami added his fourth goal of the season in the second half to give the Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish.
Next came the #4-seeded Camden Community College Cougars from New Jersey. Though the Bulldogs controlled possession, Camden’s strong defense kept the game tight until the 81st minute, when Bulldog sophomore forward Nuno Pereira scored his third goal of the season—his second in three games—to secure the victory and advance to the national title game.
The Bulldogs nearly completed their unlikely run. They held strong in the first half against #3-ranked Nassau County Community College Lions, allowing just one goal despite creating several scoring chances. The Lions scored three additional goals in the second half, leaving the Bulldogs as NJCAA National Tournament Finalists. The new season—and the Bulldogs’ continued pursuit of dominance—begins August 1, 2016.
Bruins Beat
by Bob Morello
Bruins-Montreal: The NHL Cold War
Tuesday night’s Boston-Ottawa matchup featured 110 minutes in penalties and a 7-3 Bruins victory that ended a three-game losing streak. Despite losing David Krejci to injured reserve on Tuesday, the Bruins mounted a powerful offensive display with two goals in the first period, one in the second, and four in the third. Jimmy Hayes of Dorchester, who started the season slowly, found his rhythm against Ottawa by scoring his first hat trick and raising his goal total to eight. Patrice Bergeron and Matt Beleskey each added two goals as the Bruins reached their season-high scoring output.
Following their strong performance, the Bruins will renew their rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens on New Year’s Day (Friday at 1:00pm) in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Since 1924, these teams have faced off 909 times, with Montreal winning 454 games, Boston 343, and 103 games ending in ties.
The National Hockey League has assembled an entertainment lineup featuring Montreal-based band Simple Plan as the musical guest. The band will perform the Canadian national anthem and return for the second intermission. With over 10 million sales worldwide, Simple Plan’s single “I Don’t Wanna Go To Bed,” featuring Nelly, is currently climbing global charts. Jordan Smith, season nine winner of “The Voice,” will sing the U.S. national anthem, backed by Boston Pops musicians. Following both anthems, pilots from the 143rd Airlift Squadron of the Rhode Island National Guard will fly a C-130J plane over Gillette Stadium to mark the Winter Classic’s start.
A color guard comprising members from each of the five military branches will participate, with Greater Boston Junior Bruins youth hockey players serving as flag bearers. Alternative rock band American Authors and singer/songwriter Nate Ruess, lead vocalist of indie pop band Fun, will perform before the game and during the first intermission, respectively.
Cold temperatures are expected at game time, but both teams should bring intensity to this heated rivalry. The matchup carries significant playoff implications, with the Bruins currently in third place in the Atlantic Division, trailing Montreal by one point (with three games in hand) and first-place Florida by two points (with one game in hand). In the Eastern Conference standings, the B’s hold fifth place, and a Winter Classic victory would move them past Montreal into fourth and potentially into a tie for second with Florida.