Sports

Women’s hockey: Explosive third period pushes Amherst College past Colby, into D3 Frozen Four

By HANNAH BEVIS 

AMHERST – Forty minutes into the NCAA Division 3 women’s hockey quarterfinal between Amherst College and Colby, both sides were a little on edge. The first two periods had been a goaltender’s duel, with Amherst’s Natalie Stott and Colby’s Paige...

Boys basketball: Maynard defeats Pioneer, 45-32, to advance to Div. 5 semis (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

NORTHFIELD — To say it was a rock fight at Messer Gymnasium on Friday would be an understatement.With a spot in the MIAA Div. 5 semifinals on the line, neither the Pioneer or Maynard boys basketball teams were giving an inch on the defensive end of...

Greenfield School Committee home school policy revised to allow extracurricular participation

By MARY BYRNE

GREENFIELD – Parents, coaches, teammates and members of the community went to bat Wednesday night for homeschool students who – since a policy change last year – haven’t technically been eligible to participate in extracurricular activities at...

Boys basketball: Season reaches a fever pitch as Pioneer preps to host Maynard in Round of 8

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

And then there was one. As the MIAA state tournaments enter the Round of 8, one Recorder area school remains standing. The Pioneer boys basketball team got one of its toughest tests of the season on Tuesday in a MIAA Div. 5 Round of 16 contest against...

Women’s basketball: Greenfield’s Sam Smith has Babson College in Div. 3 Sweet 16

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Sam Smith is looking to close out her senior season with a bang. The Greenfield High School alum has the Babson women’s basketball team on the brink of making program history. The Beavers locked up a spot in the NCAA Div. 3 tournament following a 23-5...

Frontier eighth grader Evan Hedlund set to compete in Nike Indoor Track Nationals

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Frontier’s Evan Hedlund has only been competing in the mile for a short period of time, but you’d never know it by how fast he can run it. Hedlund — just an eighth grader — specializes in running the 2-mile, but decided to give the mile a try during...

Boys basketball: Pioneer holds off KIPP Academy, surges into MIAA Division 5 quarterfinals (PHOTOS)

By GEORGE MILLER

NORTHFIELD — Tuesday night's last four minutes barely sufficed to contain the high tournament drama squeezed into that narrow space.Pioneer built a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter, lost it to KIPP Academy, grabbed it back and needed two...

Boys basketball: Greenfield’s season comes to an end against Maynard in MIAA Division 5 Round of 16, 84-39

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

MAYNARD — At times it felt like every shot the Maynard boys basketball team took against Greenfield found its way into the bottom of the net. The fifth-seeded Tigers came out roaring during the MIAA Division 5 Round of 16 contest against the No. 12...

Girls basketball: No. 1 Millis knocks off No. 17 Franklin Tech, 67-38, in Round of 16 

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

MILLIS — The Millis defense didn’t give the Franklin Tech girls basketball team an inch to work with on the offensive end the court Monday.The 17th-seeded Eagles scored the opening two baskets of the game, as Kendra Campbell hit a runner while the...

Boys basketball: Defense carries Pioneer in 60-31 thumping of Keefe Tech to punch Div. 5 Round of 16 ticket

By GEORGE MILLER

NORTHFIELD – The new-look state basketball tournament reached back a full quarter-century Friday evening and served up a silver-anniversary rematch, straight out of the Golden Era of Pioneer basketball.The 2023 Panthers encountered little difficulty...

Keeping Score: Sensory overload with the Springfield Thunderbirds

Good morning! Last Sunday at the MassMutual Center the Springfield Thunderbirds beat the Charlotte Checkers, 5-2, in front of 6,241 fans at the third annual “Sensory Friendly” game.“No goal horn, decreased volume on music, consistent lighting and two...

Boys basketball: Jon Breor goes for 31 points, 20 rebounds as Greenfield hammers Duggan 76-42 in Div. 5 tourney (PHOTOS)

By GEORGE MILLER

GREENFIELD — It's never easy, despite what the scoreboard may say, but Greenfield has certainly made it look easy while mopping up its first two opponents in the boys MIAA Division 5 basketball tournament.The Green Wave used a dominant second quarter,...

Bruins lock up Pastrnak with 8-year, $90M deal through 2031

By JIMMY GOLEN

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins were already on pace for the best record in NHL history when they added toughness and depth for what they hope will be a long playoff run. Now general manager Don Sweeney has helped secure the team’s future, too.The Bruins...

Smith College basketball team relishing role as No. 1 seed in NCAA Div. 3 tourney

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Receiving the NCAA tournament’s No. 1 overall seed shocked the Smith College basketball team, but it won’t overwhelm the Pioneers.Smith has reached two straight NCAA Division 3 Sweet 16s and won three consecutive NEWMAC titles.“I don’t think it adds...

Alpine Ski: Mohawk Trail girls win second straight MIAA state title (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

CHARLEMONT — For the second straight year, an alpine ski state championship is headed to Mohawk Trail. After winning the state title last year at Wachusett Mountain, the Warrior girls set out to repeat this winter and accomplished that goal on their...

On The Ridge: Don’t feed the animals

As February leaves us, and March comes in with plenty of snow still on the ground (and more being predicted), it’s important to resist the urge to feed wildlife, especially species such as whitetail deer and wild turkeys. Granted, winter is hard for...

MIAA Alpine: Defending champion Mohawk Trail girls seek title repeat on home snow

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

While the best racers in the state will make the trip to Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont on Wednesday for the MIAA Alpine Ski Championships, the local/host school is looking to hang a banner for the second year in a row. The Mohawk Trail...

Girls basketball: Big second quarter lifts Pioneer past Salem Academy Charter in Div. 5 prelims

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

NORTHFIELD — Pioneer smelled blood in the water midway through the second quarter of its MIAA Division 5 Girls Basketball Tournament preliminary round contest against Salem Academy on Monday. The No. 32 Panthers found themselves tied at 11 with the...

Boys basketball: Drury closes game on 15-0 run to knock of Greenfield in Class C title game (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

HOLYOKE — The Greenfield and Drury boys basketball teams met twice during the regular season. The Blue Devils won the first game, 70-66, and the second, 67-64. With two close games already in the books, it came as no surprise that when the two...

Boys basketball: Pioneer holds off Hopkins Academy 63-57 for 1st Western Mass. title since 2018 (PHOTOS)

By JEFF LAJOIE

WESTFIELD – The train is, perhaps, ahead of schedule.Buoyed by a sophomore core of players who have been together since elementary school, the Pioneer boys basketball team added another chapter to its storied program history on Saturday. The...