Sports
UMass women earn win over VCU
By HANNAH BEVIS
AMHERST – With the Mullins Center filled to bursting with screaming schoolchildren on Field Trip Day, the UMass women’s basketball team had a mixed bag of a game against VCU on Thursday afternoon. The basketball itself was good, with the Minutewomen...
Alpine Ski: Four Mohawk Trail boys place in top 10 in fourth PVIAC race of season
Four of the top 10 finishers in the fourth PVIAC Alpine Ski Race of the season on the boys side were Mohawk Trail racers. Weston Den Ouden led the charge, earning a third place finish with a time of 42.71 seconds on the slalom course. Gage Patenaude...
Girls basketball: Southwick pulls away late to defeat Turners (PHOTOS)
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
TURNERS FALLS — A late push by the Southwick girls basketball team was the difference on Tuesday night.The Rams entered the final eight minutes leading Turners Falls by a 29-25 margin, but a basket down low from Lily Spera and a converted and-one...
Alpine ski: Mohawk Trail’s Addie Loomis earns third straight first place finish at Berkshire East
Three races, three victories on the mountain for Mohawk Trail’s Addie Loomis. On Tuesday in the third PVIAC alpine ski race of the season at Berkshire East in Charlemont, Loomis placed first overall in the girls’ race with a time of 44.74 seconds on...
Boys soccer: Turners Falls to reinstate its own program after 7 years co-oping with Franklin Tech
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
Turners Falls athletic director Adam Graves had an unenviable task during his first year as the Thunder’s athletic director back in 2014.With numbers too small to continue supporting a boys varsity soccer program, Graves made the difficult decision to...
UMass hockey falls to No. 13 UConn in ‘building block’ overtime game
By KYLE GRABOWSKI
AMHERST – Everything but the final scoreboard indicates the UMass hockey team is on the right path. The Minutemen out shot UConn comfortably and scored more goals than they had in weeks. Their offensive pressure was consistent and bench lively.But...
Greenfield hockey explodes for seven goals to defeat Belchertown (PHOTOS)
By HANNAH BEVIS
AMHERST — After a tight 2-1 contest the first time Belchertown and Greenfield met this season, most fans expected a similar low-scoring contest when they met again. Instead, Greenfield’s offense found its scoring touch and Green Wave goalie Joshua...
Keeping Score: Wild, wild west days of NIL
Good morning! The NCAA’s decision to replace Mark Emmert with Charlie Baker is a belated attempt to close the Pandora’s box it opened when it allowed players to benefit from their name, image and likeness (NIL). “The major goal for 2023 is to get help...
On The Ridge: Tips for enjoying winter outdoor time
Here we are a little more than 2½ weeks into the new year, and thus far the weather has been more than cooperative for spending time in the outdoors, which can reduce stress, boost your mood, and even bolster the immune system. And there is no time...
Mohawk Trail shines in second PVIAC alpine ski meet of season
For the second consecutive race, the Mohawk Trail alpine ski team littered the top of the leaderboard on Tuesday during the second PVIAC race of the season at Berkshire East. Addie Loomis took home first place on the girls side with a run of 29.47...
Shorthanded UMass basketball pulls away from Rhode Island
By KYLE GRABOWSKI
AMHERST – Rahsool Diggins’ confidence debuted in a UMass uniform. It looks good on him.The sophomore UConn transfer poured in all seven of his career-high point total during a 12-point second half run that separated the UMass men’s basketball team...
Greenfield football coach Mike Kuchieski to be inducted into the Mass. Coaches Association Hall of Fame
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
Greenfield athletic director and football coach Mike Kuchieski was sitting on a Zoom call with the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association when he thought he heard his name mentioned. Confused, he figured he might have just misheard. He...
‘Coming into his own’: How Dyondre Dominguez matured for UMass basketball both on and off the court
By KYLE GRABOWSKI
AMHERST – Dyondre Dominguez closes his eyes at the free throw line and time travels. He leaves the Mullins Center and thinks about his family and everything that brought him to that point.“It sends me down back to where I was, and I think about how...
Alpine ski: First PVIAC race of season takes place at Berkshire East
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
CHARLEMONT — Racers from around Western Mass. made the trip to Berkshire East on Thursday, braving the rain to compete in the first PVIAC alpine ski race of the season. The defending state champion Mohawk Trail girls team looked like it didn't skip a...
Fast start leads Deerfield Academy girls hockey past NMH (PHOTOS)
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
GILL — Deerfield Academy girls hockey coach Brooke Fernandez saw her team’s offense come to life in a 2-2 tie against Lawrenceville on Saturday, and the momentum gained from that carried over into Wednesday’s game against Northfield Mount Hermon. The...
Mohawk Trail alpine ski team looks to repeat success on mountain this winter
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
A year ago, the Mohawk Trail girls alpine ski team dominated the mountains. They’ll be looking to do the same when the season kicks off on Thursday. The girls team took home the PVIAC North division title and placed first at the PVIAC Championship...
Greenfield K of C hosts Hoop Shoot
The Greenfield Knights of Columbus will host its annual Hoop Shoot this Saturday, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Greenfield YMCA. Registration will get underway at 2:30. The Hoop Shoot is open to all boys and girls ages 9-13 in Franklin County. The winner...
Mohawk Trail cancels remainder of boys basketball season due to low numbers
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
The Mohawk Trail varsity boys basketball season won’t continue.Following a pair of injuries, the already shorthanded Warriors — which had been playing this season with just six players — don’t have a roster large enough to field a team, leading the...
H.S. Roundup: Strong defense propels the Turners Falls girls basketball team past Mohawk Trail
Stifling defense got the job done for the Turners Falls girls basketball team on Friday against Mohawk Trail. The Thunder held the Warriors to just five points in the first half and shut Mohawk Trail out in the third quarter to come away with a 55-17...
UMass basketball freshman Keon Thompson stays ready for his moments
By KYLE GRABOWSKI
Saint Louis point guard Yuri Collins stepped backward to avoid a Dyondre Dominguez screen. He followed the scouting report on UMass freshman point guard Keon Thompson, who had missed the first nine triples of his career.Thompson rose without...
