Tag Archives: Amesbury

November 6, 2019 · 11:06 pm

Amesbury on to D4 North semi-finals after 4-2 win over Winthrop

Grace Doherty (18) between Emma Holmes (24) and Alex Gibbons (8)

Alyssa Pettet (2 goals) defended by Jenna Dorr passes ahead to a teammate

(Amesbury MA) Amesbury started tourney play with a 4-2 D4 North quarterfinals win over Winthrop tonight.

The Indians will play Essex Tech in the semi-finals next Monday (2PM) on Whittier’s new turf field.

Junior Alyssa Pettet paced the Indians (12-1-6) with two first-half goals while her sophomore teammate MK McElaney added a goal and two assists.

Junior Maura Dorr (with over fifty career goals) added two more to her total for Winthrop.

Alyssa Pettet breaks past Julia Marcoccio (16) for a shot

Amesbury applied most of the pressure during the game, but Coach Adam Thibodeau wasn’t pleased with his team’s style of play in the early going.

“We hadn’t played for a while (eight days) and it showed in the first 10-15 minutes,” he recalled. “We didn’t have the energy, so we relied on long balls. We should have been passing to feet and sending players into space.”

“Passing to feet,” and “sending a player into space” kicked in for the Indians at 25:14 as Lilly O’Neill and Alyssa Pettet worked together on a nifty give-and-go.

“Lilly sent a pass between the sweeper and stopper,” recalled Alyssa, “and I just needed a step to be in on goal.”

Lily O’Neill (16) and Alex Gibbons (8)

Amesbury’s first goal was Alyssa’s 20^th.

Nine minutes later the Holy Cross commit had her 21^st off MK McElaney’s corner kick.

“MK and I have done a good job of connecting on CK’s,” said Alyssa. “She places them perfectly.”

“It was a great kick by MK,” added Coach Thibodeau. “She’s been working on it all year.”

Three minutes later the Vikings (11-9) came very close to cutting into Amesbury’s 2-0 lead.

However, senior Ashlee Porcaro (Cape Ann League All-Star) saved the day for the Indians.

On the near-goal, defender Meg McElaney, goalie Alli Napoli, and prolific scorer Maura Dorr became entwined. The ball got behind them and was heading for the goal. Suddenly, out of nowhere came Ashlee to clear the ball away at the last second.

Afterwards, Ashlee (14 in the picture above) downplayed her part: “I was just at the right spot at the right time. Things happen. We practice for mistakes like that.”

Gabby Smyth (17) and Miya Grein (2)

“That non-goal would certainly have been nice,” said Winthrop coach Tracey Martucci. “It would have changed the tempo.”

But the goal didn’t happen.

“Ashlee made a huge play,” added Coach Thibodeau. “She recognized the hole there and played it perfectly.”

Recently returned sophomore Avery Hallinan increased Amesbury’s lead to 3-0 seven minutes into the second half. MK’s lead pass to space was all that speedy Avery needed to break free and score.

“Avery has been out since Columbus Day when she rolled her ankle,” said Coach Thibodeau. “It was great to have her back.”

Maura Dorr was carefully marked by Amesbury throughout the game, but she found a chance to possess the ball and face the goal with thirteen minutes left and capitalized.

Winthrop, however, could not narrow the two-goal deficit the rest of the way.

MK McElaney returns a rebound for Amesbury’s 4th goal

MK McElaney’s rebound bullet from straight away stretched Amesbury’s advantage to 4-1 early in the last five minutes. MK moved up full-speed on the long rebound and two defenders turned their heads as the ball whizzed by them and into the upper center of the net.

Maura was able to pick up her 2^nd goal of the game in the closing seconds after a dangerous play infraction by the Indians led to an indirect kick from very close to the Amesbury net.

“The referee called it a dangerous play which was why it wasn’t a penalty kick,” said Coach Thibodeau. “One of our players had fallen and landed on the ball. It was the right call.”

Avery Hallinan ahead of Stefania Spinzzola (15)

Coach Martucci: “We played well but Amesbury is a great team. Their speed put a lot of pressure on us.”

Alyssa Pettet: “When I play striker, I move wherever I want. When I feel we need more help on defense I move back. We wanted to finish more opportunities today.”

Alyssa on Holy Cross: “They are at my club games and showcases. They see me play center defense in club. They give me pointers and encouragement.”

In nineteen games the Indians have scored thirty-two goals. Alyssa has twenty-one of them.

Today’s four goals are the most Amesbury has scored in a game this season. The same was true last year against Winthrop in the Indians 4-0 First Round victory.

Maura Dorr

Maura Dorr holds the all-time scoring title at Winthrop and is only a junior. It is interesting that the school scoring record was held by Coach Martucci before assistant coach Julie Dawson broke the record. Now it belongs to one of their current players, Maura Dorr.

Junior Julia Campbell replaced All-CAL goalie Alli Napoli in the latter part of the second half. “We had a lead and the grass was wet,” explained Coach Thibodeau. “I wanted to give Julia minutes. She’s been working hard all season.”

The Vikings reached the quarterfinals when Maura scored in overtime against Mystic Valley.

Don’t ask me about the lights at Landry Stadium.

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Alyssa Pettet (5) heads home her second goal

Alyssa Pettet’s second goal celebrated

Beverly Browne

Ella Marinopolous

Goalie Manuela Mejia makes a stop for Winthrop

Avery Hallinan and MK McElaney celebrate Amesbury’s 4th goal

McKenna Hallinan in the middle of two Vikings defenders

McKenna Hallinan (1) and Emma Forsyth (21)

Nora McCarey

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Tagged as Alyssa Pettet, Amesbury, Ashlee Porcaro, Coach Adam Thibodeau, Coach Tracey Marcucci, Maura Dorr, MK McElaney, Winthrop

December 16, 2010 · 11:17 pm

Terrific Free Throw Shooting by Newburyport Girls Not Enough In 63-57 Loss To Tritonn

Jen Rock (19 points) faces pressure from Alyssa Leahy and Haley Johnson.

Molly Rowe (11 points) was part of the fine free throw performance (24/29) turned in by Newburyport.

(Byfield) Newburyport’s excellent free throw shooting (24/29 – 83%) wasn’t enough to offset poor shooting from the floor (16/57 – 28%) and they fell to Triton, 63-57, in the first round of the River Rival Tip-Off Classic on Thursday night.

Triton (1-0) faces Pentucket (1-0) on Saturday night for the championship while Newburyport (0-1) takes on Amesbury (0-1) in the consolation game.

The Vikings Jen Rock was the key to their win. The talented senior put up nineteen points and did most of the ball handling for Triton in the second half. Even when Newburyport double-teamed her she stayed away from turnovers.

The Clippers got off to an early 9-6 lead after 3 ½ minutes but two minutes later a layup by Alyssa Conley (23 points) gave Triton the lead (12-10) for good.

A ten-point run in the second quarter, fueled by points from Jessica Canning, Jen Rock, Vanessa Eisen, and Laura Mills gave Triton, what turned out to be, its biggest lead (29-15) of the game.

The Clippers undertook the road back in the third quarter. A jumper by Sam Leahy (14 points) at the end of that quarter and a rebound putback by Beth Castantini (18 points) to start the 4th sent this one into the “anyone’s game” category at 43-41.

The teams traded baskets before Newburyport missed two opportunities to tie. Triton followed with seven points (Alyssa Conley 3 plus 2 free throws along with a Jessica Canning jumper) in less than a minute to build up a 9-point margin (52-43) with 5 ½ to go.

Triton followed with a stretch (3 ½ minutes) of 1-for-6 free thrown shooting including two misses on the front end of 1-and-1’s but on this night Newburyport had little to show for outside attempts. The rest of the way they could never get into the position of having the ball and a chance to tie.

Beth Castantini had an adventure of a game. I had her for 2-for-23 from the field. She didn’t make an outside shot until early in the final quarter. However, she had the good sense to take the ball to the basket and draw fouls. At the line she was a remarkable 14-for-16 including nine straight at end as the game tightened.

Junior Molly Rowe (11 points) did most of the ball handling for Newburyport. She hit the only three that the Clippers made all night.

Gregg Dollas made his debut as Clipper coach. His continued ties to Triton were evident afterwards as students presented him with a banner.

Players from the 2009-10 Pentucket state final team.

Watching the Pentucket/Amesbury game were three key parts of the 2009-10 Sachem state final team. A check of the program reveals that opponents this season will have more McNamara’s, Viselli’s, and Lane’s to contend with.

After being in the Georgetown gym last night what a treat to be at Triton – great lighting and plenty of good seats. Nice place to hold a doubleheader.

(I keep my own stats. Take my own pictures. Make comments without consulting anyone. Any mistakes are unintentional.)

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Tagged as Alyssa Conley, Amesbury, Beth Castantini, Gregg Dollas, Jen Rock, Molly Rowe, Pentucket, River Rival Tip-Off Classic, Triton

January 22, 2010 · 11:20 pm

Late North Reading run snuffs out Amesbury 68-51

Stephan Deas – Has 27 points in Amesbury loss

(Amesbury) North Reading (9-4) finished its sweep of Amesbury with a 68-51 victory on Friday night at Amesbury. They had won earlier in January at North Reading, 69-48.

The Indians (1-13) were coming off their first win Monday (vs Danvers) but after a competitive first period fell into a double-digit deficit in the second period (22-11). Hornet’s senior Jeffrey Tyner (6’5”) did most of the damage in an 11-2 run with seven points on two baskets from in close and three free throws.

Amesbury’s lack of size (tallest player 6’3” Tyler Lay) and depth had them playing zone most of the night. The Hornets attacked the zone with passing and patience and turned up plenty of high percentage shots ( 26-for-56 ) many after penetration.

Another unanswered run, this time of eight straight, ballooned the NR advantage, to 36-16, one minute into the second half. It seemed like a good time to suspect that the rout was on but the home team had other ideas.

Fast forward ahead to just 2:46 left in the game and the Hornet lead had been trimmed to 56-48. What happened? NR certainly helped by misfiring on free throws (11-for-26 for the game) and three point shots (4-for-15 for the game). On the other side, the electric Stephan Deas and co-captain Tyler Lay generated some offense.

Stephan, who poured in a game-high 27 points, contributed fourteen of them during the Indian rally. The 5’5” sophomore used his quickness to get open and seldom missed when he got there. NR used an assortment of defenses during the game to try to neutralize him. The best matchup to watch was the Hornet’s Bobby Rosano defending him one-on-one.

Tyler nailed a couple of jumpers in a row (he had eight points during the rally) and that had NR head coach Joe Casey burning a timeout to try and ice the Indian attack.

Unfortunately, for Thom Connor’s squad, North Reading turned up twelve points on their next six possessions and Amesbury only three on a very late long one by Stephan. A converted miss started the downfall, followed by a turnover that turned into a layup. Four quick points and the Indians were toast.

Captain PJ Dionne (20 points) and junior Nick Rosano (16 points) paced NR’s scoring. Both of them were quick enough to find openings in the Amesbury zone especially during the second half when they each had eleven points.

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Tagged as Amesbury, Amesbury High School, Bobby Rosano, Jeffrey Tyner, Joe Casey, Nick Rosano, North Reading, PJ Dionne, Stephan Deas, Thom Connors, Tyler Lay

June 3, 2009 · 8:08 pm

Amesbury Student/Athletes

Jackie Webber and Jeff Larnard

Two of Amesbury High School’s senior athletes are Jackie Webber and Jeff Larnard. They each envision careers in medicine some day.

Jeff will be attending UMass (Amherst) in the fall. “I am going for a pre-med/biology major,” he told me in an interview at AHS. “The financial advantage of choosing a college in-state is pretty significant because I want to go on to medical school after college.”

An AP class at AHS opened Jeff’s eyes to the medical field. “Last year I took Advanced Placement Biology,” he recalled. “It was one of the hardest classes I’ve ever taken but I found myself being really, really interested in the subject material.”

Jackie is set to go to UConn this fall. “I definitely want to get into the field of health science in a hospital setting,” she explained, “and eventually be a nurse practitioner.” Jackie’s mother and grandmother were involved in nursing.

One of the biggest adjustments that both will face in college will concern athletics. After four years of competing at the varsity level at AHS, they will have to make the switch to less competitive activities.

Neither seemed too concerned about the apparent downgrade. “I need to concentrate on academics so that I will have the grades to get into the nursing program,” said Jackie. “There will be plenty of major sporting events to attend and once I’m settled in academically I’ll do some intramurals. I love using the gym so I expect to work out regularly.”

Jeff’s primary athletic activity at AHS was long distance running. “I expect to continue training at UMass,” he said. “I want to do road races and eventually work up to a marathon.”

Jackie has been a year round athlete (soccer/basketball/softball) since third grade. “My parents were both athletes,” she said, “but I was never forced into anything. There wasn’t much time off but I loved athletics and didn’t mind.”

Jackie said that AHS coach Chris Perry had been an inspiration. “He was offering encouragement in softball as far back as third grade,” she recalled. Jackie was recently named to the 2009 Cape Ann League All-League team at shortstop.

Both student/athletes are very organized. Jeff, second in his class academically, credits his mother. “She has her own calendar and planner that she uses,” he said. “She bought them for me as well and helped me set up a system.”

Jackie and Jeff noted the benefits of high school athletics.

“Sports have given me a place to learn dedication, teamwork, and leadership,” said Jackie. “They helped me develop a strong work ethic which has carried over into academics. The whole athletic experience has been amazing and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Jeff reflected on the social value of sports. “It is a great way to meet people,” he said. “I have made many friends in sports. Other benefits are the connections to coaches and the feeling of fitness and well-being. Not to mention the fun.”

Jeff has coached youth soccer and would like to coach in the future. “I coached as part of community service but I would do it anyway,” he added. “I enjoy statistics and strategy. It’s an approach to sport that is more mental than physical.”

Jeff said that Dr. Shawn Talbott (1985 AHS graduate) is his role model. “He actually went to school for something similar to what I’m doing,” he said. “He studied nutrition. He’s written books on sports medicine and he’s run marathons and triathlons. I went to a workshop he put on and was impressed with his passion for what he’s doing and how happy he was. I’d like to be where he is in 15-20 years.”

Jackie and Jeff have learned valuable life lessons at Amesbury High School competing in sports and succeeding in the classroom. Those ingredients should enable them to do very well in college.

( This story appeared in The Town Common on June 3, 2009. )

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Tagged as Amesbury, Amesbury High School, Chris Perry, Jackie Webber, Jeff Larnard, Shawn Talbott, UConn, UMass

April 16, 2009 · 10:02 am

Matt Irwin: Under Siege in Amesbury

Matt Irwin under point-blank attack from Brandon Middleton of Triton at the Graf Rink.

Amesbury has not been a very good hockey team in recent memory. However, when their best player is the goalie, you figure it could be a whole lot worse. The team won just twice this season.

I went after the junior goalie (Matt Irwin) of the Amesbury hockey team to get his perspective in an interview at AHS on April 8th.

I found Matt to be quiet and relaxed. It seemed to me to be the perfect temperament for someone facing almost a shot a minute in every game. He used the word, “cool,” any number of times.

I asked him about how he became a goalie and he amused me by saying that as a young kid he was “attracted to the equipment.”

His skills seemed to take off after he started working out with a goalie coach named Rob Day in Exeter after his freshman year. I am learning that the better the athlete the more likely it is that he/she is getting instruction away from the area schools.

I also learned from Matt that he does not like sports that interfere with his daytime activities. That was why he moved away from baseball and lacrosse. Hockey is an early morning and/or evening sport.

He is in the National Honor Society although after our interview he was heading off to serve a detention. I was led to believe that it was a “two-minute minor.”

His mom, Laurie, told me in an email that being the mother of the goalie makes game watching a little difficult.

Matt’s coach (Pete Cignetti) praised him as a leader on and off the ice. Matt has been the team’s MVP these past two seasons.

(The actual article that I wrote for The Town Common will appear in their outlets on April 22nd. After that happens, I will transfer the article to this blog.)

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Tagged as Amesbury, Brandon Middleton, Matt Irwin, Pete Cignetti, Rob Day, Triton

March 4, 2009 · 8:43 pm

Plum Island Coffee Roasters Adds Store in Amesbury

Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) greet customers on opening day in Amesbury.

They had the training to open a spa and the eye for a good location. Toss in a talented family member and somehow it all turns into owning and operating two area coffee shops, one of which recently opened in the old Amesbury train station.

Back in 2004, Sam Stephen and her mother Joyce (Coady) had finished the training required to open a spa. But where to locate?

“Sam was taking a shortcut (in Newburyport) along the waterfront between Michael’s and the Black Cow and spotted a Space Available sign next to Hilton’s,” recalled Joyce. “She took a look at the space, called me, and told me that she had found a space but it wasn’t for a spa.”

What Joyce found needed all the help the two of them could give it but, “It did have a little window on the water side and the light was just hitting it.” For Joyce that clinched the idea that this was a space worth having.

The big question was, if not a spa, what should they do there? One call that Joyce made was to her son Rob. “He suggested that we do coffee since he was already in that business and could help.”

So began nearly nine months of renovations and the Plum Island Coffee Roasters opened on the Newburyport waterfront on March 1, 2005. “Sam lived on Plum Island for a long time and loved it there so that’s where that part of the name came from,” Joyce told me.

Now nearly four years later they have opened up a second Plum Island Coffee Roasters.

Why a second one? “Our spot on the Newburyport waterfront is tenuous, at best,” explained Joyce. Billionaire Stephen Karp now owns the waterfront property and his plans are a mystery. “We do know that our building will be the first one to come down.”

Concern for their future led Joyce/Sam to Amesbury and the former J Bucks Expresso and Wine Bar (address is Elm Street but the front door faces Water Street). “We started renting in December 2008 and were pleased by how little needed to be done before we opened,” said Joyce.

Again, son Rob was involved. He is the president and founder of a company called, Coffee Solutions. A check of their website will quickly reveal the expertise he brings. Let me put his expertise another way, try to imagine having Bill Belichick available to help you draft and manage your 2009 fantasy football team! “We’re the only people he actually roasts for,” said his mom. “It gives us a real niche as far as what we get in quality.”

The shop opened in late February and its hours are currently 6:30AM – 6PM. Joyce/Sam hope to have a liquor license in two or three months and then the hours will expand.

“During the daytime we’ll be a coffee house like the one in Newburyport,” said Sam.

For the coffee connoisseur 23 different coffees are available. “Even if we’re not brewing what they want they can get their coffee here in a French press,” said Joyce. “We’ll make it for them.”

“We’re sure that the average coffee drinker will like our light roast,” added Joyce.

“At night we’ll become more of a wine bar,” Sam explained. “This will be an on-your-way-home place and provide the alternative to a big meal.”

“We have put together an impressive staff,” said Sam. “We had fifty people come to an open interview. The core of five that we hired all has restaurant experience.”

A cozy setting, skilled staff, and a variety of coffee flavors await visitors to Amesbury’s Plum Island Coffee Roasters.

( Prepared to appear in The Town Common on March 11th. )

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Tagged as Amesbury, coffee, Coffee Solutions, Newburyport, Plum Island Coffee Roasters, Rob Stephen

January 24, 2009 · 12:09 pm

Two Sets of Sisters Add Confusion to Amesbury Basketball Team

Dana and Deryn Zahoruiko with teammates Meaghan and Morgan Sydlowski

Are you called by the wrong first name regularly?

It might happen if you have same-sex siblings close to you in age or if you look like other siblings in your family.

Some parents increase the odds considerably by giving, close-in-age, same-sex siblings, names that start with the same first letter.

Consider the Zahoruiko’s and the Sydlowski’s on the Amesbury girls’ basketball team. There’s junior Dana Zahoruiko and sophomore Deryn Zahoruiko. A further look turns up junior Meaghan Sydlowski and freshman Morgan Sydlowski.

The included picture of the four of them suggests to me that the confusion over their names doesn’t have to do with visual similarities. It’s the names themselves.

I chatted with AHS coach Chris Perry now in his 19th season about the possible confusion over the names in a recent interview.

“With these two families you have to take things one step further,” he said. “The Zahoruiko’s have an 8th grade sister (Delane) while the Sydlowski’s have a sister (Mollie) who just graduated. Mollie was on the varsity last year.”

That makes three “D’s” for the Zahoruiko’s and three “M’s” for the Sydlowski’s.

Coach Perry told me that he was raised in a family with first-name, first-letter similarity. “My father’s name was Charles. I had three brothers and a sister and everyone’s name started with a “C” except for one brother who was named, “Mark.” Both of my parents are gone now and I never got an explanation for why my brother Mark didn’t get a name starting with “C.”

Chris added that he used to mix up the names of his own three daughters when they were very young. “It happened all the time,” he laughed. “I started calling them “1,” “2,” and “3.” My wife didn’t like that and shut that down right away.”

Being called by the wrong name was something that the Zahoruiko and Sydlowski sisters are quite familiar with. “It happens all the time at home,” said Dana. Meaghan added that for them it happens, “at home and at school.”

Deryn told me that being on the same team with her sister was good. “On the court we work pretty well together.” Off the court? Those of you with siblings can imagine what your answer would have been when served up a setup question like that.

Coach Perry called the Zahoruiko sisters, “basketball junkies.” In the spring, they’re on an AAU team that practices three times a week and plays four-six tournament games on weekends.

For the Sydlowski sisters, this is the first time for both of them on the varsity. “We help each other out because we’re just getting used to the varsity level of play,” said Meaghan. “We also play the same position.”

Freshman Morgan said that she and Meaghan discuss basketball at home. “She helps me figure out the plays.”

How do they respond when called by the last name? Meaghan seemed to best summarize it best – “If they’re looking at you when they say the name, then you guess that they’re talking to you and you just respond as if they had the right name.”

Coach Perry teaches physical education at the Amesbury Middle School. “My confusion with names usually happens there. By the time I have players on teams at the high school I already know them.”

Did that keep him from getting confused with the first names of the Zahoruiko’s or the Sydlowski’s? “I mix them up sometimes,” he admitted, a point that the sisters confirmed with a smile when I interviewed them earlier.

(Should appear in The Town Common on February 4th.)

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Tagged as Amesbury, Amesbury High School football, Coach Chris Perry, Sydlowski, Zahoruiko

November 19, 2008 · 2:26 pm

Seniors Lead Strong Amesbury Football Team

Kyle Mroz,Kevin Johnston,Coach Thom Connors,Jared Flannigan,Steven Serwon

Amesbury head football coach Thom Connors watched his current senior-laden team play on an undefeated freshmen team.

“After the freshman pulled out a couple of close games late I started to think that they might be something special,” recalled Coach Connors.

One play in particular really got Thom’s attention. “I saw Jared Flannigan punt the ball, beat everyone else down the field, pick up a fumble, and go in for a score. I couldn’t help but say, “Wow, we’ve got something here,” after that.”

The leaders of that freshman team moved up to the varsity the next year and some have been two-way starters since. The wins have followed at the varsity level and the Indians sport a 9-1 record going into the Thanksgiving game with Newburyport. If they can overcome the Clippers and survive the resulting tiebreaker, they will return to the playoffs. This time it would be Whittier Tech on Tuesday December 2nd.

Coach Connors commended his senior leaders collectively. “Right after the season ended last year they were in the weight room. (No easy feat since the Amesbury High facilities were unavailable because of construction.) They got many other players involved. The key to it all was the numbers that were doing it and the togetherness.”

“I heard all off-season long that the kids were working out at Latitude’s and Nock’s,” said the 1982 Bridgewater State graduate.

Coach Connors told me a little bit about the four seniors pictured above.

“Kyle Mroz (6’1”- 235) plays left tackle and defensive end. On offense, we’re a left-handed team because of him. On defense, he not only can jam the inside but also contain on the perimeter. He is a good student and does have plans to play in college.”

“Kevin Johnston (5’7” – 165) is the Cape Ann League sprint champion and if he gets outside he can really take off. He has scored many touchdowns. For an undersized kid he runs well inside. On defense, he’s in the secondary and probably is the best man-to-man coverage player I’ve ever coached.”

“Jared Flannigan (5’7” – 165) is our quarterback. One of our favorite plays is the waggle in which he has the option to pass or run. He’s good at both. He makes things happen, so we like having the ball in his hands. He is also a member of our strong defensive secondary.”

“Steve Serwon (6’2” – 220) is a two-way starter at end and linebacker. When we split him out teams have to acknowledge him. When we run our power game, he’ll line up at fullback to do some blocking. He’s our defensive captain at middle linebacker. He has intercepted a number of passes during his three seasons as a starter.”

Coach Connors has spent a great deal of time with these senior leaders over the past three years of practices. However, once a game starts he’s seldom close enough to interact with them. “They’re hardly ever off the field but that’s okay as far as I’m concerned.”

(Submitted to The Town Common on November 19th)

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Tagged as Amesbury, Amesbury football, Amesbury High School, Amesbury Indians, Coach Thom Connors, Jared Flannigan, Kevin Johnston, Kyle Mroz, Steven Serwon

April 23, 2008 · 11:56 pm

Amesbury AD Elizabeth McAndrews Knows Change

Amesbury Athletic Director Elizabeth McAndrews is no stranger to change.

In fact, she changed her name. Yes, she used to be Shawn Corkum the outstanding athlete at Triton – CAL Player-of-the-Year in field hockey and basketball during the 1983-84 school year.

“When I got married in 2000 to Patrick McAndrews I decided that since everyone was going to have to learn my new last name I might as well change to my real first name too,” she explained. “Shawn is my middle name and the name that my family has always called me. I wanted to switch to something more feminine when I got married.”

The change that Elizabeth is coping with now happens daily at Amesbury High School and involves fluctuating working conditions on one hand and operating a high school athletic program on the other in the midst of four-year construction project.

Inclement weather forces ten high school teams into one space. “The only indoor facility available is the middle school gym,” said Elizabeth, “but thankfully Middle School principal Mike Curry has been very helpful.”

The good news is that the athletic facilities should be up and running when the students return in September of this year.

Elizabeth has gone through two years of the construction. “I knew what I was getting into when I decided to come here from Triton. We had been through a building project there.”

The Dartmouth graduate was at Triton for nine years including the last four as athletic director. The athletic director job came with a price. “The administration said that I couldn’t be athletic director and continue coaching,” said Elizabeth. “I thought that I could do both but they knew more than I did and they were right.”

She explained that it has been seven years since she coached field hockey or basketball but that there’s plenty of coaching talk at home. “My husband Patrick is the girl’s basketball coach at Tewksbury so I still get a taste of it.”

Elizabeth wanted it known that having Les Murray in place as principal (his 7th year) at Amesbury High School had a lot to do with her choice to come there. “Les and I go back a long way. He was my high school basketball coach for several seasons and was an important positive influence in my life.”

“Two years ago Les alerted me to the athletic director opening at Amesbury and encouraged me to apply. Obviously, he didn’t promise me anything other than an interview. Because I had played basketball for him, I was well aware of his leadership style. I knew that he would be hands off but available if I needed his advice. I also knew that he would challenge me to be as good a leader and person as I could be.”

The next major change for Elizabeth McAndrews will be when all of the athletic facilities at Amesbury High School are operational. That will be certainly be a change for the better.

( Submitted to The Town Common on April 23rd )

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Tagged as Amesbury, Dartmouth, Elizabeth McAndrews, Les Murray, Shawn Corkum, Triton

April 16, 2008 · 9:14 pm

Amesbury’s Business Manager Plays Hockey

Dave Jack is not only the business manager of the Amesbury school district but he also has quite a hockey background.

“I was born in New Brunswick (He has dual citizenship) and have been playing hockey regularly for 50 years,” said the 53-year-old.

Dave grew up aspiring to get to the NHL. He reached the Junior B level in Ontario as a teenager playing first for the Trenton Golden Hawks and then the St. Marys Lincolns. “The Trenton team folded for financial reasons,” recalled Dave. “A friend (Bob Dailey – later played 9 years in the NHL) helped me get a tryout. Just 16, I survived a 100-player tryout for one roster spot and joined St. Marys where I played for three years.”

He reached a crossroad during his 3rd season with St. Marys. “I was drafted by the Kitchener Rangers,” said Dave. “They were an A team and the next level up. However, if I went with them I would lose my amateur status and not be able to play college hockey in the US so I didn’t sign with them.”

Instead, he accepted a full scholarship to Rensselaer (NY). “The chance to continue playing at a high level for four more years was attractive but more important to me was that my education was guaranteed for four years once I agreed to go there.”

He started out majoring in engineering and later switched to financial management. He played hockey all four years for the Red Hawks never missing a game and captained the team his senior year.

“I wanted to continue playing after college but there were limited options in the US,” said Dave. “I hired the same agent Wayne Gretzky had and he got me onto a professional team in Asiago, Italy where I played for a year.”

Dave is a defenseman and grew up in awe of a player six years old than him – Bobby Orr. “He revolutionized the game with his skating ability,” said Dave.

Dave wouldn’t go into detail but after checking his RPI stats, I discovered that he was no stranger to the penalty box – 223 penalty minutes in 116 games at RPI. “In those days you could clear people out from in front of the net,” said Dave with a smile. “It was a way of doing business – you moved people around. I suspect that many of the forwards I played against probably didn’t enjoy standing in front of the net if I was nearby.”

He told me that the best player he ever played against was the 1980 Winter Olympics hero Mike Eruzione of BU. “I played four seasons against him.”

Now in the non-contact phase of his hockey life Dave expects to continue with hockey as long as he’s able. “Most of the guys in the 40+ league I’m part of in Mancester (NH) have backgrounds similar to mine. The camaraderie is great and we tell plenty of stories. Our motto is: the older we get, the better we were.”

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