Sports
High schools: Agawam slugs past Frontier softball in season opener (PHOTOS)
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
SOUTH DEERFIELD — Runs came early and often in the Frontier softball team’s season opener against Agawam on Friday. The visiting Brownies opened the game with four runs in the top of the first but the Redhawks responded by putting three runs on the...
Clark and Reese bring star power to Albany 2 Regional that features Iowa, LSU, Colorado and UCLA
By DOUG FEINBERG
ALBANY, N.Y. — Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese bring a lot of star power to the Albany 2 Regional as two of the biggest names in college basketball.Clark’s Iowa squad and Reese’s LSU team would both have to win their Sweet 16 games for the two to meet...
High schools: Digging deeper into how the MIAA ranking formula fared this winter
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
It’s always an interesting exercise to review the MIAA winter tournament brackets and see how the rating system fared in regard to ranking teams. The MIAA says the rating system is simple and transparent, noting on its website “the benchmark is...
Keeping Score: Play ball, indeed
Good morning!The New York Mets broke training camp this week but left their newest free agent J.D. Martinez behind at Clover Park in St. Lucie West to get ready for the Braves series a week from Monday.Clover Park is the stadium’s fifth name change....
UMass hockey limits high-powered Denver attack in NCAA Tournament opening round
By GARRETT COTE
SPRINGFIELD — Entering Thursday afternoon’s NCAA tournament regional game, the UMass hockey team was well aware of the task at hand battling the No. 3 team in the country, Denver, and its No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the nation.The Minutemen held...
Denver’s Tristan Broz scores in double-overtime to knock off UMass, 2-1, in NCAA Tournament opening round (PHOTOS)
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
SPRINGFIELD — When the Massachusetts and Denver hockey teams meet in the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, 60 minutes doesn’t seem to be enough to decide a winner. After playing to overtime in the 2019 NCAA tournament semifinals, the fourth-seeded...
H.S. Roundup: Frontier boys volleyball falls in season opener
The Frontier boys volleyball team opened its season on Thursday against Chicopee Comp, with the Colts getting out to a fast start to earn a 3-0 sweep over the Redhawks at Goodnow Gymnasium. Chicopee Comp won the opening set by a score of 25-22, walked...
UMass hockey: 9-time national champion Denver awaits Minutemen in NCAA Springfield Regional opener
By GARRETT COTE
SPRINGFIELD — Greg Carvel had his house to himself last Saturday, the date of the University of Denver’s NCHC title game with Omaha. If Denver won, the UMass ice hockey head coach and his team would be back in the NCAA tournament. A loss would mark...
High schools: Spring sports season gets underway Thursday
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
While the brisk, chilly weather this week doesn’t make it seem like the spring sports season is here, local high school baseball, softball, tennis and volleyball teams will get their campaigns underway Thursday and Friday.With it being a light winter...
Greenfield’s Lucas Allenby, Landon Allenby qualify for USASA Nationals
A pair of local athletes are heading to Colorado next month to compete against the best skiers in the country. Landon Allenby and Lucas Allenby, 12-year-old twins from Greenfield, began skiing at Berkshire East but have mostly taught themselves how to...
Greenfield hockey’s Jake Jurek, Shawn Baumann take home Bessone Awards
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
The 2024 Amo Bessone Western Mass. High School Hockey Awards were announced earlier this week, and a pair of Greenfield players were honored for their outstanding seasons on the ice.Green Wave junior forward Jake Jurek was one of two players to...
On The Ridge with Joe Judd: A call to the creator
As opening day of the 2024 turkey hunting season slowly approaches, I found myself wandering into my den looking over my collection of turkey calls while reaching for certain ones that have meant something to me over the years. Now, this yearly...
Bulletin board: Frontier baseball ‘Ham Slam Raffle’ this Friday
The Frontier Regional baseball team will hold its sixth annual ‘Ham Slam Raffle’ this Friday, March 29 at the South Deerfield Polish Club.The Redhawks’ raffle will begin at 6 p.m., and raffle rounds include prizes from local businesses like...
UMass football: Minutemen back to work, ‘good feeling to be back’ for Don Brown as spring practice opens
By GARRETT COTE
AMHERST — Prior to the UMass football team’s first spring practice of the season on Tuesday morning, head coach Don Brown addressed his team regarding the Minutemen’s current standing with the Mid-American Conference.Brown looked at his players and...
UMass basketball: Minutemen’s Jaylen Curry, Daniel Hankins-Sanford agree to NIL deals with The Massachusetts Collective
By GARRETT COTE
AMHERST — Within the last two days, the UMass men’s basketball team received big news regarding two of its student-athletes.Freshman guard Jaylen Curry and sophomore forward Daniel Hankins-Sanford each signed NIL deals with The Massachusetts...
UMass hockey: Breaking down the four teams (Denver, Maine, Cornell, UMass) in the Springfield Regional
By JEFF LAJOIE
SPRINGFIELD — For the first time ever, Springfield will serve as a regional host for the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament this week.The MassMutual Center will play host to Denver, Maine, Cornell and UMass in a four-team regional with a spot...
UMass hockey: Minutemen earn at-large selection to NCAA tourney, will play Denver at MassMutual Center in Springfield
By JEFF LAJOIE
The UMass hockey team is dancing.The Minutemen got in just under the wire when they were selected for the NCAA Division 1 Tournament. UMass earned a spot in the 16-team field as the final at-large pick when the brackets were released during the...
Boston College scores four goals in second, three in third to roll past UMass, 8-1, in Hockey East semifinals
By THOMAS JOHNSTON
BOSTON — After scoring a pair of goals in the opening five minutes of its Hockey East Playoff quarterfinal game against Providence, the Massachusetts hockey team knew it needed another fast start against top-seeded Boston College in the semifinals at...
Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Baseball season is upon us
Good morning!On March 9 the Washington Nationals played the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Named for a hard seltzer, the 7,700-seat spring training facility has housed the Nationals and Astros since it opened seven years ago.It is...
Seniors shine at Hall of Fame All-Star Game in Springfield (PHOTOS)
By CONNOR PIGNATELLO
SPRINGFIELD — Seniors from across Western Mass. gathered at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night to play one last game at the court inside the Hall itself. With a constant DJ, lights and photos of basketball legends...
