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Sun. 2/11/18
Nobles' O'Connor Ties Up BB&N Late
Dedham, Mass. -- BB&N, just 60 seconds away from pulling off a huge upset and a must-needed win in the hunt for a D-I playoff spot, were stunned by Nobles' junior defenseman Rose O'Connor's rocket from the point to tie the game at 1-1 and extend the Bulldogs win streak to eight games (6-0-2) here Friday.
We were impressed with what we saw from BB&N. They were fast, physical and well coached. The Knights' top line -- Northeastern commit Molly Griffin, Brown commit Maya Mangiafico and Jenna Hallice -- were all over the ice. It was Griffin who broke the ice and scored first when she picked the pocket of a Nobles' defenseman trying to make an unnecessary move at the blue line, and went in and ripped one by Nobles' goalie Kelly Pickreign. The BB&N forwards were extremely hard-working all night with Alex Schmalz, Dehlia Fallon and Maddie Burns all having strong games. On the back end, BB&N senior Kayla Duran and freshman Mia Biotti had strong games. In net, BB&N looks like it has finally found its #1 goalie with junior Rei Halloran playing the entire game. And she was terrific. After watching BB&N here tonight, we would not be surprised to see them in the playoffs, contending for a D-I title.
For Nobles, we sound like a broken record, but we continue to be impressed with what they are able to do with such a depleted lineup. Their defense was excellent tonight with O'Connor, junior Nicki Lutschaunig, 9th grader Kaley MacDonald and junior Lily Farden all having strong games and with Pickreign in net they have a chance to win every night. The Nobles offense is limited, but they work hard and have some young players who are gaining valuable experience, including 9th graders Ellie Bayard and Madison Michals and 8th grader Kate Ham. If Nobles is going to contend for a title this year we think they will need to get some of their top players back in the lineup, but, then again, they have surprised us all year.
Wed. 2/28/18-- Updated Mon: Saturday's and Sunday's game times are below.
Wednesday's Quarterfinals Scoreboard
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
#1 Nobles 2, #8 BB&N 1
#7 Williston 2, #2 Kent 1
#3 Tabor 6, #6 Taft 1
#4 Loomis 4, #5 St. Paul's 0
Div. II
#1 Rivers 3, #8 Canterbury 2
#2 Vermont 5, #7 KUA 2
#6 St. George's 2, #3 Brooks 1
#4 Worcester 2, #5 Gunnery 0
Sat. March 3, 2018 -- Semifinals
Div. I
1/8 vs. 4/5 -- Loomis @ Nobles, 2:00 pm
2/7 vs. 3/6 -- Williston @ Tabor, 1:30 pm
Div. II
1/8 vs. 4/5 -- Worcester @ Rivers, 2:00 pm
2/7 vs. 3/6 -- St. George's @ Vermont, 12:30 pm -- at Winchendon
Sun. March 4, 2018
At the Worcester Ice Center
Worcester, Mass.
Div. II Championship Game, 1:00 pm
Div. I Championship Game, 4:00 pm
Tues. 2/27/18
Div. I Playoff Preview
It's been a great season. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have -- and we hope you are looking forward to the playoffs as much as we are. With that in mind, here is a preview of tomorrow's quarterfinal matchups. Six of the eight teams that made it to the quarterfinals last season are back this time around. The two that didn't make it were Lawrence, replaced in the #8 spot by BB&N, and last year's #4, New Hampton, which went on to top Kent 3-1 in the Championship Game. What will this year bring? Stay tuned.
#1 Nobles (23-3-3) vs. #8 BB&N (16-8-3)
Head-to-Head: Dec. 17 Nobles 5-1, Feb. 9 1-1 tie.
This looks like it should be a close game considering that the two teams tied, 1-1, on Feb. 9 in a game played at Nobles. Unfortunately, we don't see this game being that close, as Nobles is just too much for an overachieving BB&N team. It will be interesting to see if Nobles keeps its top defenseman, Lily Farden, at forward. She's looked very good there, playing alongside top scorer Katie Tresca. Nobles has only lost one game since January 6th and, after losing the ISL title for the first time in 17 years, the Bulldogs look ready to make a serious run for a NEPSAC title.
Prediction: Nobles 3, BB&N 0
#2 Kent (18-1-0) vs. #7 Williston (14-6-4)
Head-to-Head: Did not play each other.
On paper, this game probably looks like it won't be close, as Kent has only lost one game all season and Williston does not look as strong as in years past. But we believe this game is going to be a very close one. Kent really hasn't seen much competition lately -- and Williston has been fighting for a playoff spot for weeks. If the Williston defense can find a way to handle the strong Kent offensive attack, this game will come right down to the wire, possibly even OT.
Prediction: Kent 2, Williston 1
#3 Tabor (21-4-0) vs. #6 Taft (17-6-0)
Head-to-Head: Did not play each other.
The Seawolves are the hottest team in girls' hockey right now, having won 11 in a row, and the Taft Rhinos have struggled a bit down the stretch. We picked Tabor as our preseason # 1 for a reason: they are the most talented team in the league. Combine that with an improved defense -- and a little more consistent goaltending -- and it's going to be hard for anyone to beat Tabor. Taft has overachieved all year and making the playoffs is a tremendous accomplishment for head coach Gretchen Silverman and her players, especially considering that Taft only won six games two years ago. However, we really don't see this game as being very close.
Prediction: Tabor 4, Taft 1
#4 Loomis (17-4-2) vs. #5 St. Paul's (17-4-3)
Head-to-Head: Did not play each other.
Loomis was #1 last week, and then hit the skids with a shocking loss at home to Andover Wednesday followed by a tie with Deerfield on the final Saturday. Loomis will have its hands full as St. Paul's is the team no one wanted to play in the first round. They have a ton of offensive firepower up front, and sophomore goaltender Maddie Beck looked very solid down the stretch.
Prediction: St. Paul's 3, Loomis 1
Tues. 2/27/18
Div. II Playoff Preview
The more things change, the more they remain the same: this year's playoff group contains 7 of the 8 schools that were in last year's quarterfinals with the black and orange of Vermont Academy replacing the black and orange of Thayer. While some teams built their playoff resumes on early-season wins, other teams have used a late-season push to get into the playoffs. With the one-and-done format, it only matters who is playing well now and who gets some puck luck, as most of these games should be tight affairs. Here's how we see things shaping up on Wednesday:
#1 Rivers (20-3-0) vs. #8 Canterbury (14-13-1)
Head-to-Head: Did not meet.
Rivers, winners of 15 in a row, comes into the tournament as hot as any team right now. Over the last two months, they have demonstrated the depth and goaltending to take on any teams, D-I or D-II. Rivers' top line of Jenna Letterie (Middlebury), Kate Shaugnessy and Riley Glennon paces their offense and senior goaltender Meghan Gazard (Connecticut College field hockey) anchors the back end.
Canterbury started the New Year undefeated at 9-0, but the wheels have fallen off the bus with the Saints going 6-13-1 in the second half of the season.
Two teams going in opposite directions. And we don't see much changing in this game.
Prediction: Rivers 4, Canterbury 1
#2 Vermont Academy (27-2-1) vs. #7 Kimball Union (15-6-5)
Head-to-Head: Jan. 17 1-1 tie, Feb. 16 VA 2-1, Feb 24 VA 2-1.
Vermont Academy has been the talk of the D-II prep world this season, as they have burst into the limelight by posting a remarkable 27-win season so far with an influx of players from abroad. They are paced on offense by post-grad Chloé Aurard (Northeastern), who has posted a ridiculous 97 points in NEPSAC games; and sophomore Kristyna Kaltounkova (Colgate), who despite missing 5 games while playing with the Czech Republic U-18 National Team, put up 72 points. On defense, Vermont Academy is led by senior Lotti Odnoga (Dartmouth), who put up 59 points and post-grad goaltender Blanka Skodova.
Kimball Union, paced by the upfront leadership of Mia Brown (Northeastern) and senior goaltender Maddie Long, is making another trip to the playoffs.
With this being the fourth matchup of the season between these teams, we are sure that KUA will not be fazed by Vermont's aggressive and physical style of play. If KUA can capitalize on the power play, which we feel they will have a few of, this could be the opportunity for KUA to pull off the upset. If not, then Vermont will probably pull out another squeaker.
Prediction: Vermont Academy 2, Kimball Union 1 (OT)
#3 Brooks (12-6-5) vs. #6 St. George's (11-10-0)
Head-to-Head: Feb. 10 Brooks 2-1.
This is a rematch of last year's quarters, in which St. George's prevailed, 2-1. Brooks has played a tight, disciplined style of hockey which has allowed them to compete in every game. Goaltender Caroline Kukas is one of the best around. If Brooks gets a lead they are very hard to score against as they know how to protect it.
St. George's has come from off the pack with a strong finish down the stretch to make a return trip to the playoffs. The 2016 D-II champions play with a lot of pride and can compete with anyone.
While both teams can at times struggle to score, we feel that Brooks has more overall depth and will pull this one out.
Prediction: Brooks 2, St. George's 0
#4 Worcester Academy (17-6-1) vs. #5 Gunnery (10-9-1)
Head-to-Head: Did not meet.
The defending D-II champions, Worcester is always at or near the top of the standings. Senior Miceala Sindoris (Northeastern) paces the Hilltopper offense. Worcester is not as deep as last year's team but has received solid contributions from Ciara Wall (UNH), Morgan Mordini and Carley Daly up front. Senior Tia Marginetti (Manhattanville) leads the defensive corps.
Gunnery plays a very demanding schedule, filled with Connecticut-based D-I schools. Of the playoff teams, the Higlanders have played the fewest games against D-II opponents. A lineup laden with 10 seniors is paced by Noemi Neubauerova (Colgate).
This game will be a war, and we see Worcester pulling this out late.
Prediction: Worcester 4, Gunnery 3
Sat. 2/24/18-- updated Mon. 2/26 with starting times
Official Playoff Schedule
Wed. February 28, 2018 -- Quarterfinals
Div. I
#1 Nobles vs. #8 BB&N, 3:30 pm (@ Nobles)
#2 Kent vs. #7 Williston, 3:30 pm (@ Kent)
#3 Tabor vs. #6 Taft, 4:45 pm (@ Tabor)
#4 Loomis vs. #5 St. Paul's, 3:00 pm (@ Loomis)
Div. II
#1 Rivers vs. #8 Canterbury, 2:30 pm (@ Rivers)
#2 Vermont vs. #7 Kimball Union, 3:30 pm (@ Vermont)
#3 Brooks vs. #6 St. George's, 6:00 pm (@ Brooks)
#4 Worcester vs. #5 Gunnery, 3:30 pm (@ Worcester)
Sat. March 3, 2018 -- Semifinals
Div. I
1/8 vs. 4/5
2/7 vs. 3/6
Div. II
1/8 vs. 4/5
2/7 vs. 3/6
Sun. March 4, 2018
At the Worcester Ice Center
Worcester, Mass.
Div. II Championship Game, 1:00 pm
Div. I Championship Game, 4:00 pm
Thurs. 2/22/18
Div. II Projections
The D-II field has now been narrowed to nine teams. As has been the case for a while, the top four appeared to be locked in and, barring any long travel trips requiring a ride of more that 2:45, appear to be set for an opening home game.
Thurs. 2/22/18
Addressing an Oversight
We hesitate to complain, because any positive coverage for women's hockey is welcomed, and today there has obviously been a ton of it, but the Boston Globe article this morning -- "More than half of the US women's Olympic hockey team has Mass. connections" -- only deals with college and womens' pro league connections. Nothing further back. No mention, for example, of the fact that Cayla Barnes, at this time a year ago, was playing prep school hockey at New Hampton. Indeed, there was no mention of prep schools at all, despite the fact that five of the players went to NEPSAC schools, and five went to non-NEPSAC schools.
We just want to address that oversight and give the women and the schools they played for some love.
Cayla Barnes, New Hampton
Kacey Bellamy, Berkshire
Meghan Duggan, Cushing
Hilary Knight, Choate
Kendall Coyne, Berkshire
And the non-NEPSAC private school players, too:
Kali Flanagan, National Sports Academy
Emily Pfalzer, Nichols School
Amanda Pelkey, NAHA
Monique Lamoureux, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Jocelyne Lamoureux, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Congratulations to all players and staff involved with the U.S. winning gold for the first time since Nagano in 1998.
Thurs. 2/22/18
Div. I Standings, Thurs. Feb. 22
1. Nobles (22-3-3)
2. Kent (17-1-0)
3. Loomis (17-4-1)
4. Tabor (20-4-0)
5. St. Paul's (16-4-3)
6. Taft (16-6-0)
7. Williston 13-6-3
8. Andover (13-7-1)
New Hampton (20-8-1)
Milton (12-6-1)
Tues. 2/20/18
Rivers' Gazard Stymies Worcester
In a battle of two Div. II heavyweights, #1-ranked Rivers defeated #4-ranked Worcester Academy, 4-2, yesterday behind some terrific goaltending from senior goalie Meagan Gazard and two goals from Middlebury commit Jenna Letterie. To be honest, we thought Worcester was the better team most of the night and seemed to control the majority of the play, but Rivers stuck to its game plan and was more opportunistic in taking advantage of their grade A scoring opportunities.
For Rivers, they rely heavily on their first line of Letterie, junior Rylee Glennon and junior Kate Shaughnessy. That trio accounts for the majority of the scoring. The Rivers defense struggled most of the night trying to handle the Worcester offensive attack, but junior Leslie Schwartz had a very solid game. The difference in the game was Gazard, who was locked in. If Rivers is going to have any chance this year they are going to need her to continue to play like that.
For Worcester, it looked like it was going to be an easy win after Ciara Wall scored 30 seconds into the game but they were never really able to get in sync after that. Senior Micaela Sindoris, a Northeastern commit, is a force every time she sets foot on the ice, but every time she seemed to get loose, Gazard was there to shut the door. The Worcester defense is limited but did a decent job defending Rivers' top line as the game went on. Junior goalie Meagan Miranda has had a good season so far but will need to play better down the stretch if the Hilltoppers are going to have any chance at defending their title.
Mon. 2/19/18
Div. I Poll, Feb. 19th
It's going to be a crazy week as we are not only watching five teams battle for the last two spots, but there is still a lot to be settled for the top four spots in the all-important battle for home ice.
1. Loomis -- The Pelicans have won five in a row, but have three tough games this week -- vs. Canterbury, Andover, and Deerfield -- so they will have to earn the #1 seed the hard way.
2. Kent -- Have only played five games this year against D-I teams with a better than .500 winning percentage, which really hurts the Lions in the overall rankings.
3. Nobles -- The Bulldogs lost their first ISL title in a long time Saturday. They will need to turn it around quickly as they battle to secure home ice. Their game on Saturday vs. Milton is big.
4. Tabor -- The Seawolves might be the hottest team in the league right now. Can secure its first ISL title this week. Still fighting for home ice.
5. St. Paul's -- The Pelicans are the team that no one wants to play in the first round. Still in the battle for home ice as well -- and they can help their chances with two very winnable D-I games this week
6. Taft -- The Rhinos were stunned at home on Saturday by Choate after being shocked by Westminster on Wednesday. Still in very good shape for a playoff berth, but will need to finish strong.
7. Williston -- Suffered a heartbreaking loss to Loomis on Saturday. The Wildcats have a tough week ahead with games vs. Deerfield, Winchendon and, on Saturday, BB&N. The latter could almost be considered a playoff game.
8. New Hampton -- The Huskies are barely holding onto the last playoff spot and, with such a weak schedule down the stretch, it's unclear how much they can help themselves. New Hampton has two wins vs. Deerfield this year so they need the Big Green to win this week to get over .500 .vs D-I teams. If not, we think New Hampton could very easily miss the playoffs. And that would be a shocker.
Bubbling Under:
9. BB&N -- The Knights are just one point out of a playoff spot and, with two D-II games this week, won't be able to help themselves too much. The game vs. Williston on Saturday is shaping up to be a playoff game for both teams.
10. Andover -- The Big Blue is in a free fall, having gone 1-4-1 over their last six including a head scratching 4-0 beatdown by Worcester on Saturday. Andover will have to win at Loomis on Wednesday to have any chance at all. It will be interesting to see who coach Fenton starts in net as it appears they are still rotating three goalies.
11. Milton -- Not sure we have ever seen a team emerge so quietly as a playoff contender. What a great job coach Ryan Stone has done with the Mustangs this year. If Milton can beat winless Pomfret on Wednesday, they will then take on Nobles on Saturday with a legitimate shot at a playoff berth.
Sun. 2/18/18 -- Coaches: Please check this to make sure none of your games are missing, and if they are, let us know at email@example.com. We're especially concerned due to the possibility of makeup games from the snowout of Feb. 7th. Thank you.
Girls' Prep Composite Schedule, Week of Feb. 19, 2018
Mon. Feb. 19, 2018
Worcester Academy @ Rivers, 3:15 pm -- makeup of 2/7 snowout
Berwick @ New Hampton, 4:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Holderness, 4:30 pm
Tabor @ Middlesex, 4:30 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Berkshire, 4:45 pm
Millbrook @ Gunnery, 5:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Canterbury, 5:30 pm
Wed. Feb 21, 2018
Deerfield @ Williston-Northampton, 2:45 pm
Middlesex @ BB&N, 3:00 pm
New Hampton @ Kimball Union, 3:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Cushing, 3:15 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Newton CD, 3:15 pm
Vermont Academy @ Brewster Academy, 3:30 pm
Tilton @ Hebron, 3:30 pm
Gunnery @ Kent, 4:00 pm
Kents Hill @ Holderness, 4:00 pm
Thayer @ Groton, 4:00 pm
Brooks @ St. Mark's, 4:00 pm
Milton @ Pomfret, 4:00 pm
Winchendon @ Exeter, 4:00 pm
Andover @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:15 pm
Choate @ Hotchkiss, 4:30 pm
Hoosac School @ Millbrook, 4:30 pm
Berkshire @ Taft, 4:45 pm
Rivers @ Lawrence Academy, 5:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ Westminster, 5:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 5:15 pm
Southfield @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 5:15 pm -- cancelled; no makeup
St. George's @ Tabor, 5:30 pm
U.S. vs. Canada, 11:10 pm (NBCSN)
EIL Tournament
Thurs. Feb. 22, 2018
Hebron @ Berwick, 4:30 pm
Fri. Feb. 23, 2018
Kents Hill @ Hebron, 3:00 pm
BB&N @ Thayer, 4:15 pm
Southfield @ Rivers, 4:15 pm
Gunnery @ Canterbury, 5:00 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Winchendon, 5:30 pm
Greenwich @ Worcester Academy, 6:00 pm
Governor's @ North Yarmouth Academy, 7:00 pm
Lakes Region Tournament (Day 1 of 2)
#4 Proctor @ #1 KUA, 6:00 pm
#3 Vermont Academy @ #2 New Hampton, 4:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 24, 2018
Tabor @ Berkshire, 2:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 2:00 pm
Brooks @ Governor's, 2:00 pm
Middlesex @ St. George's, 2:00 pm
Exeter @ Andover, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Williston-Northampton, 2:30 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Westminster @ Kent, 2:30 pm
Pomfret @ Winchendon, 2:30 pm
St. Paul's @ Lawrence Academy, 3:00 pm
Gunnery @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 3:00 pm
Choate @ Cushing, 4:00 pm
Groton @ St. Mark's, 4:00 pm
Albany Academy @ Greenwich, 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Worcester Academy, 4:30 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Deerfield, 6:00 pm
Lakes Region Tournament (Day 2 of 2)
Sun. 2/18/18
With 8 Seconds Left, Tabor Edges Nobles, 2-1
Dedham, Mass. -- In one of the most exciting games we have seen this season, UNH commit Annie Berry scored a power play goal with 8 seconds left off a beautiful pass from Kelly Browne to give red-hot Tabor a 2-1 win that puts them in a strong position to secure home ice in the upcoming NEPCAC playoffs.
The penalty that led to the goal was controversial and there was a lot of anger from the Nobles' side after the game. Anyone who watches hockey these days knows that as soon as the puck is either shot or passed the defender can no longer get in the way like they did in the old days. They have to let them by or it's an easy interference call. Was it a penalty? Absolutely. Should that penalty have been called at that moment after the refs had pretty much allowed everything like that to go all game? Absolutely not. The Nobles fans had a right to be angry.
But we certainly don't want to take anything away from Tabor.
Most of the way, the game was pretty even, but Tabor seemed to be in control until Nobles junior Maddie Bayard scored late in the third off a beautiful feed from impressive Nobles junior Maeve Connolly to tie it at 1-1. The game appeared headed to overtime until the contoversial call, when Nobles freshman defenseman Kaley McDonald was whistled for what we think was an interference call with about a minute left in the game, thus setting up the Berry heroics.
Tabor has now reeled off eight wins in a row and clearly look like the team that we had ranked as the pre-season #1. We knew the Seawolves had a strong first line but have recently been impressed with the play of some other Tabor forwards including freshmen Ashley Clark and Skylar Irving, a Northeastern commit. In the first period, it was Irving who scored the first Tabor goal when she came down the left wingand, as a right shot, went outside-in on the Nobles' defender and roofed a shot under the crossbar. The Tabor defense -- led by Jill Fey, Sam Quackenbush and Julia Shaughnessy -- played probably the best game we have seen from them all year. If junior goaltender Christine Steege continues to play like she has been recently, there is no doubt in our minds that Tabor is a team capable of winning it all.
For Nobles, it was a tough loss as they are now in a position to lose its first ISL crown in years. Nobles played hard but couldn't generate much offense all game. The normally reliable Nobles defense had a couple of hiccups on both Tabor goals, especially on the Berry power play game-winner as they didn't pressure Browne on the half wall and then had poor coverage in the slot as well, allowing Berry to get wide open and tap in her own rebound for the game winner. We would never bet against Nobles come tournament time, but this is not your typical Nobles team.
Thurs. 2/15/18
Bayard's 2 Third-Period Goals Lift Nobles
Dedham, Mass. -- Nobles star freshman Ellie Bayard scored two third-period goals to break open a 1-1 tie and allow the #1-ranked Bulldogs to cruise to a relatively easy 4-1 win over #7-ranked Andover in a game with big playoff implications. After the first two periods, which were very close, it was all Nobles in the third period as Andover struggled without success to break through the strong Nobles defense and get quality shots on net.
Nobles got a huge boost when top scorer Katie Tresca returned to the lineup after being out for a few weeks. Although they are still missing Katie Pyne, the Nobles forwards looked much better today as Maeve Connolly, Cassidy Piersiak, Abby Volo, Kate Ham and Court Hyland all had solid games. The Nobles defense continues to stand out, as Harvard commits Lily Farden and Nicki Lutschaunig, and senior Steph Nomicos were dominant. Senior goaltender Kelly Pickreign only had to make a few saves, but is always there when needed.
As for the Big Blue, they have their backs against the wall again this year as they try to secure a playoff berth. Up front, we were surprised at how little offense they were able to generate, especially their top line of Charlotte Welch, Lily Feeney and Anna Bargman, who have been standouts all season. Andover came out with some good energy early but appeared to lose interest as the game went on. Andover's only goal was scored by sophomore Maddy Silveira, who made a great effort on a loose puck in front when the Nobles defense made a rare mistake and missed their checks. The Big Blue defense is limited, but did a really solid job for two periods. Senior Liz Holubiak and Sarah Rigazio, junior Brooke Keough and sophomore Olivia Nolan had solid games. In net, senior Ashley Tucker has had a strong season, but probably wishes she could have a few of the Nobles goals back.
Tues. 2/13/18
Div. II Projected Playoff Seedings, Feb. 13th
With less than two weeks to go in the season, the DII playoff field is starting to take shape. As it stands right now, barring any major upsets, it seems that the four home ice slots for the first round will likely be Rivers, Vermont Academy, Brooks and Worcester Academy. The ranking and the opponents are still very much up in the air. At this point, there looks to be six teams in contention for the final four slots. Based on our calculations, as of this morning USHR projects the following (overall records are in parentheses):
1. Rivers (15-3-0) – Unfortunately, the showdown with Worcester Academy was a victim of the weather last Wednesday. Rivers has upped its winning streak to 10 games in a row, which impressively includes five wins over DI opponents. Remaining games: @ Governor's, @ Proctor, @ Lawrence, (h) Southfield.
2. Vermont Academy (22-2-2) -- The Wildcats pulled out a big overtime win over Worcester Academy and remain undefeated against DII opponents (16-0-2). The 1-2 punch of Chloe Aurard and Kristyna Kaltounkova upfront is unmatched at the DII level. Remaining games: @ Gunnery, @ Kimball Union, (h) Tilton, @ Brewster, Lakes Region Championship.
3. Brooks (9-5-5) -- The Bishops remain undefeated at DII (7-0-3) and have played the highest percentage of DI opponents among DII teams. With a relatively easy schedule down the stretch, they should be in solid position to maintain home ice. Remaining games: (h) Groton, @ Middlesex, @ St. Mark's, @ Governor's.
4. Worcester Academy (13-4-1) -- The defending champs will be busy down the stretch with five games over the last nine days of the season. Their top line of Micaela Sindoris, Ciara Wall and Carley Daly can match up with anyone else, but their depth and goaltending will be deciding factors. Final weekend matchups with Greenwich and Canterbury will have a huge impact on the playoff field. Remaining games: (h) Winchendon, @ Holderness, (h) Andover, (h) Greenwich, (h) Canterbury.
5. Gunnery (8-7-2) – Gunnery will also be busy down the stretch with a rematch versus #2 Vermont Academy whom they tied 3-3 early on. Remaining schedule: (h) Vermont Academy, (h) Millbrook, @ Kent, @ Canterbury, @ Northfield Mount Hermon.
6. Canterbury (14-9-1) – After starting the season 8-0, the Saints have been up and down since the New Year and come into a difficult final stretch. Remaining games: @ Millbrook, (h) Loomis, (h) Gunnery, @ Worcester.
7. Kimball Union (12-4-4) -- The Wildcats have one of the top DII records (12-1-4). However, they are lower in the rankings due to their relatively low number of DI opponents -- only three games so far. Remaining games: @ Tilton, (h) Vermont Academy, (h) Hebron, (h) New Hampton, Lakes Region Championships.
8. Greenwich (11-6-1) – Greenwich had a hard-fought 1-1 tie with Gunnery last Saturday. They have a light schedule in front of them. This week, they face Darien HS in a non-NEPSAC match, then are off until a week from Friday when they finish up at Worcester Academy and host Albany Academy.
9. Groton (9-9-2) -- The Zebras currently sit just outside the Top 8, but have the ability to impact their playoff position down the stretch with road games at Brooks and St. George's this week. Remaining games next week: (h) Thayer, @ St. Mark's.
10. St. George's (9-8-0) – The Dragons continue to gather steam as they make a late-season push to return to the playoffs. A big 4-1 win on Monday over DI Lawrence Academy bolsters their standing. With two more DI games, the Dragons will get a bump in ranking in the DI percentage regardless of the outcome. Remaining games: @ Milton Academy, (h) Groton, @ Tabor, (h) Middlesex.
As we wrote last week, one of the four criteria used in the DII formula is their record vs. DII teams that are at a .500 or better winning percentage. Here are the DII teams lurking around .500 that will have a significant impact on the rankings coming down the stretch. (D-II records only)
Middlesex (8-7-1)
Thayer (9-9-0)
Albany Academy (5-6-1)
Portsmouth Academy (6-7-0)
Tilton (7-8-0)
Southfield (6-8-1)
Holderness (8-10-1)
Mon. 2/12/18
Kent #1 in USHR Div. I Poll
In this week's poll, we have posted D-I, not overall, records.
1. Kent (10-1-0) -- The Lions don't have a particularly challenging schedule down the stretch, so at this point it's all about securing the #1 seed and getting ready for the playoffs.
2. Nobles (13-2-3) -- Another big week ahead for the Bulldogs. Both Andover and Tabor are on the schedule and Nobles is trying to hang on, and host a home ice playoff game.
3. Loomis (11-3-1) -- A huge game vs Williston this week. Loomis still has some work to do to secure home ice.
4. Tabor (11-4-0). -- The Seawolves have won six in a row and look like they are back on track. Big week ahead with both BB&N and Nobles.
5. Taft (10-3-0). -- The OT win vs Hotchkiss on Saturday puts Taft in the hunt for a top 4 seed.
6. St. Paul's (9-4-3) -- Basically, tied with Taft for 5th. SPS lost a heartbreaker to Tabor on Saturday. Still very much in the hunt for a top 4 seed, though.
7. Andover (9-4-1) -- Monster week ahead for the Big Blue as they play Nobles, Milton, and Worcester. With its difficult schedule, Andover will be attempting to go out and earn a playoff bid the hard way.
8. Williston (10-5-3) -- Williston is hanging on for dear life to that last playoff spot. NMH on Wednesday will be a test and Loomis on Saturday is huge
9. BB&N (8-6-1) -- The Knights are still very much in the hunt. It looks to us like they can possibly control their own destiny this week as they have Tabor, Lawrence and St. Mark's. After watching them play vs. Nobles, we're not counting them out yet.
10. New Hampton (8-6-0) -- It's hard to imagine the defending champion Huskies missing the playoffs but losing to Exeter on Saturday -- its third loss in four games -- hurts. With a weak schedule down the stretch they are going to need some outside help.
As we wrote last week, one of the three criteria used in this formula is the D-I record vs. D-I teams that are at a .500 or better winning percentage. Here are four teams lurking around .500 that will have a significant impact on the rankings coming down the stretch. (D-I records only)
Milton (4-4-1)
Lawrence (9-10)
Deerfield (6-8-2)
St. Mark's (7-8-1)
Sun. 2/11/18-- If there are any rescheduled games missing from the below schedule, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com Thank you.
Girls' Prep Composite Schedule, Week of Feb. 12, 2018
Mon. Feb. 12
Tabor @ Middlesex, 4:30 pm
St. George's @ Lawrence Academy, 5:15 pm
Berwick @ Southfield, 5:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Proctor, 6:00 pm
Tues. Feb. 13
Kents Hill @ Pingree, 5:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Milton, 5:30 pm -- makeup of Wed. Feb. 7
Wed. Feb. 14
Holderness @ Proctor, 2:00 pm
Kent @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Williston-Northampton, 2:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Tilton, 2:30 pm
Canterbury @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
Tabor @ BB&N, 3:00 pm
Exeter @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Winchendon @ Worcester Academy, 3:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Pomfret, 3:00 pm
Andover @ Noble & Greenough, 3:15 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Newton CD, 3:30 pm
St. George's @ Milton, 3:30 pm
Choate @ Berkshire, 4:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Westminster, 4:00 pm
Middlesex @ Lawrence Academy, 4:15 pm
Berwick @ Winsor, 4:15 pm
Vermont Academy @ Gunnery, 4:30 pm
New Hampton @ Southfield, 4:45 pm
Groton @ Brooks, 4:45 pm
North Yarmouth Academy @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Thayer @ St. Mark's, 5:00 pm
Cushing @ Deerfield, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Governor's, 5:30 pm
Albany Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 5:30 pm
Greenwich @ Darien HS, 6:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 16
Berwick vs. New Hampton, 3:30 pm -- at UNH
North Yarmouth Academy @ Hebron, 4:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Thayer, 4:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Portsmouth Abbey @ Newton CD, 5:00 pm
Brooks @ Middlesex, 5:30 pm
BB&N @ Lawrence Academy, 6:00 pm
Milton @ Andover, 6:15 pm
Exeter @ Southfield, 6:15 pm
Vermont Academy @ Kimball Union, 6:30 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ New Hampton, 6:45 pm
Worcester Academy @ Holderness, 6:45 pm
Sat. Feb. 17
Lawrence Academy @ Governor's, 12:15 pm
St. Mark's @ BB&N, 1:00 pm
Thayer @ North Yarmouth Academy, 1:00 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Milton JV, 1:00 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Exeter, 1:30 pm
Winsor @ Portsmouth Abbey, 1:30 pm
Kents Hill @ New Hampton, 2:00 pm
Choate @ Taft, 2:00 pm
Cushing @ Pomfret, 2:30 pm
Winchendon @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Holderness @ Middlesex, 3:00 pm
Groton @ St. George's, 3:00 pm
Tilton @ Vermont Academy, 3:00 pm
Andover @ Worcester Academy, 3:00 pm
Tabor @ Noble & Greenough, 3:30 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:00 pm
Hebron @ Kimball Union, 4:30 pm
Rivers @ Proctor, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Lawrenceville, 4:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Deerfield, 6:00 pm
Berkshire @ Westminster, 6:30 pm
Mon. Feb. 19
Brewster Academy @ Holderness, 4:30 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Berkshire, 4:45 pm
Millbrook @ Gunnery, 5:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Canterbury, 5:30 pm
Sun. 2/11/18
VA's Kaltounkova Comes Through in OT
Worcester, Mass. -- Vermont Academy sophomore Kristyna Kaltounkova scored a spectacular overtime goal -- a toe-drag, bar-down snipe -- off a pass from PG Chloe Aurard, who had a hat trick, to stun host Worcester Academy, 4-3, here Saturday. The win keeps Vermont Academy on track for the #1 seed in its quest to win a D-II championship.
For VA, we have watched them quite a bit lately and, frankly, we are surprised that they are able to keep beating strong opponents with continued undisciplined play. This is the third time in a row that we have seen them take at least 10 penalties in the game. Not only that, but most of them continue to be called on their best players, Northeastern commit Aurard and Colgate commit Kaltounkova. Talent-wise there is no question that the Wildcats are as talented as any team in girls' hockey. Senior defenseman Lotti Ognoga, a Dartmouth recruit, had a standout game and PG goalie Blanka Skodova must have made close to 40 saves. If Vermont can stay out of the penalty box, we aren't sure anyone will be able to stop them.
For Worcester, they looked good but are not nearly as deep as the team we watched win the D-II championship last year. After finding themselves down, 3-0, Worcester showed a lot of heart climbing all the way back to tie the game up late in the third period. Up front, Worcester gets all of its offense from the dynamic first line of NU commit Micaela Sindoris, Ciara Wall and Carly Daly. That trio scored all three goals and peppered Vermont's Skodova throughout the third period. The Worcester powerplay had plenty of chances with VA taking so many unnecessary penalties -- and they had some good looks, too -- but were not able to convert on some grade A opportunities. For Worcester is to have any chance at repeating they will need to get their PP in sync and will need to find a second line that can generate offense. Other than that, the Hilltoppers look very much like a team ready to defend its title.
Sat. 2/10/18
Tabor Stuns SPS in OT
Marion, Mass. -- Tabor's duo of junior Anne Berry and senior captain Kelly Browne converted on a 2-on-1 with two minutes remaining in overtime to stun red-hot St. Paul's, 3-2, here last night.
St. Paul's struggled for the first bit of the game, searching for their legs after the long bus ride from Concord, NH. Tabor took the lead halfway through the first period when senior Marissa Fitzgerald took a shot from the circle which took a brutal deflection off of a St. Paul's defender and continued into the back of the net. St. Paul's woke up quickly after that. The Pelicans had many opportunities in the first frame, particularly from their first line of Tiffany Hill, Gaby Roy, and Gillis Frechette, but could not find the back of the net.
In the second period, St. Paul's came out strongly, but it was the Seawolves who struck again on an Anne Berry--Kelly Browne combination to pull ahead, 2-0, halfway through the contest. However, just minutes later, it would be St. Paul's that came soaring back when sophomore Tiffany Hill found herself on a breakaway. Hill's shot rang off the crossbar, then deflected off the Seawolves' goalie's back and into the net. Three minutes later, it would be the Pelicans again when junior Claire O'Leary threw a shot at the net that was tipped in by senior Bella Kang to tie the game at two.
In the final frame of regulation, both teams found themselves playing their special team units multiple times. There were seven penalties in the third period and no shortage of back-and-forth hockey, but no team could pull ahead.
It seemed like it was St. Paul's game to lose in the extra frame. The Big Red started its second line, which set up what appeared to be a mismatch, with the Pelicans' first line against the Seawolves' third; a power play of sorts for St. Paul's given the talent on their first line. The 'mismatch' led to an icing from the Seawolves and a subsequent timeout call with 1:30 left in the game. It was just 20 seconds after this timeout that Tabor's standout duo of the game, Anne Berry and Kelly Browne, came down the ice and got the win for Tabor.
There were conflicting reports on who actually scored the goal. Fans behind the net said it was Anne Berry, but Tabor's managers and the referee gave credit to Kelly Browne. Nonetheless, the Seawolves scored a good goal to win the game.
This was a really entertaining game, except for the first half of the first period. Given the parity this year, no team can afford a slow start. Both of these teams deserve a spot in the playoffs this March, and if they continue playing as well as what we saw last night we might just see them in a rematch in Worcester.
Fri. 2/9/18
Deerfield's Mikesell Blanks Westminster
Simsbury, Conn. -- Deerfield junior Mary Edmonds scored a highlight reel goal early in the first period and sophomore goalie Liv Mikesell stopped every shot she faced as the Big Green posted an impressive 3-0 win over a much-improved Westminster team here Thursday night.
For the Big Green, now 8-9-2, it has been a disappointing season so far, with some key injuries and some head-scratching losses, so it was good to see them looking more like the team we had ranked #8 in the preseason. The Edmonds line seems to do the majority of Deerfield scoring but we were also impressed with speedy freshman Elia Chiang, sophomore Christina Halloran, senior Brenna Hoar and Alexandra Dougal, who scored a goal. The Deerfield strength is clearly their defense as BC commit Deirdre Mullowney, Ali Fujiyoshi and Erin DeMarco -- all juniors -- logged major minutes and had standout games. In net, Mikesell, who struggled when we watched her early in the season, was great tonight, playing the best we have seen her play all year.
For Westminster, the game was definitely a disappointment for the Martlets. Coming off some recent wins (including a 2-1 shocker over Williston), they clearly struggled to generate offense vs. the strong Deerfield defense. Up front, they have some talent, as Vermont commit Lily Holmes, and juniors Taylor Adams and Jill Parsons all had strong games. Westminster struggled a bit on the back end, but Holy Cross commit Emma Lange was all over the ice and was very impressive. We don't see Westminster, now 6-11-2, down in the standings very often, but with some key players returning next year we expect head coach David Pope to get the Martlets right back into contention again.
Thurs. 2/8/18
Worcester Ice Center to Host the Prep Finals
The finals of the NEPSAC Girls' Hockey Championships will have a new home this year, at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center. There, on Sunday March 4th, the D-II championship will face off at 1:00 pm, and the D-I title game will follow at 4:00 pm.
Prior to all that, the quarterfinals will be held at the campuses of the higher seeds on Wed. Feb. 28th, and the semifinals will be held on Sat. March 3rd.
The exception is if the driving time between schools facing each other exceeds 2 hours, 45 minutes. Those games will be played at a neutral site.
The link to the Worcester Ice Center, the home rink of Worcester Academy, can be found here:
Worcester Ice Center
Wed. 2/7/18--
Please send any weather-related cancellations or postponements to email@example.com Thank you!
Game On? Off? Let Us Know
For the safety of all who are heading out on the highways this afternoon, please let us know if any of the following games have been cancelled or postponed. Info can be sent to the email address above. Please let us know whether it's a girls' game or boys' game being reported on. Thank you in advance.
Wed. Feb. 7, 2018
Kent @ Canterbury, 2:00 pm -- ppd. to tomorrow at 4:15 pm
Kimball Union @ Exeter, 2:30 pm -- cancelled
Loomis-Chaffee @ Hotchkiss, 3:00 pm -- cancelled
Vermont Academy @ Tilton, 3:00 pm -- cancelled
Thayer @ Governor's, 3:15 pm -- ppd. to tomorrow; 3:45 pm @ Thayer
Tabor @ Middlesex, 3:15 pm -- ppd. to Mon. 2/12 at 4:30 pm
Dana Hall @ Nobles JV, 3:15 pm -- cancelled
NMH @ New Hampton, 3:30 pm -- postponed; makeup date TBA
Williston-Northampton @ Choate, 3:30 pm -- ppd. to tomorrow @ 5:30 pm
Winchendon @ Southfield, 3:30 pm -- postponed to Fri. 2/9 at 6:15 pm
Taft @ Greenwich, 3:30 pm -- cancelled
Brewster Academy @ Proctor, 3:45 pm -- cancelled
Holderness @ Brooks, 3:45 pm -- postponed; makeup date TBA
St. George's @ BB&N, 4:00 pm
Lawrence @ Cushing, 4:00 pm -- postponed to tomorrow at 5:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Groton, 4:15 pm -- moved up to Tues. 2/6 at 5:15 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Pingree, 4:30 pm -- cancelled
Worcester Academy @ Rivers, 4:30 pm -- cancelled
Hebron @ Berwick, 4:30 pm -- cancelled
La Salle Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm -- game on
Berkshire @ Pomfret, 5:00 pm -- cancelled
Millbrook @ Gunnery, 5:00 pm -- postponed to Mon. 2/19 @ 5:00 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 5:00 pm -- ppd. to tomorrow at 6:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Milton, 5:15 pm -- cancelled
Lawrenceville @ Hill School, 6:15 pm -- game on
Tues. 2/6/18
As we approach the final weeks of the season, we routinely receive questions as to whether a certain team will qualify for the D-I (Class A) or D-II (Class B) girls NEPSAC playoffs. To many, the basis for qualification remains a mystery. Throughout the season, USHR has posted its weekly rankings based upon our observations as to which are the top teams at each level after seeing them play.
The NEPSAC playoff qualification system is a multi-factored analytical approach that ranks teams on the basis of three (D-I) or four (D-II) rankings. The NEPSAC playoff rankings are based upon results -- win, loss or tie -- and strength of schedule. Margin of victory has no influence on the rankings system, so an 8-1 win counts the same as a 1-0 OT win when factored into the NEPSAC rankings.
The D-I and D-II rating systems follow:
Mon. 2/5/18
USHR Div. I Poll, Feb. 5th
1. Kent (13-1-0) -- Kent has an easy schedule for its final five regular season games. It's now all about getting ready for the playoffs.
2. Nobles (16-2-2) -- The Bulldogs just continue to find a way to get it done. Friday's game vs. BB&N will be big.
3. Loomis (13-3-1) -- Loomis still has some work to do with a challenging schedule ahead. The Pelicans will be facing Hotchkiss and Choate this week.
4. St. Paul's (12-3-3) -- SPS is rolling right now, beating St. Mark's, 10-0, and then blowing away New Hampton, 8-1. Friday's game at Tabor is a big one, and will tell us a lot.
5. Taft (14-4) -- The Rhinos have a very favorable schedule the rest of the way. A home playoff game would be huge.
6. Tabor (14-4) -- The Seawolves are finding a way to win, but we are still surprised at how hard it's been for them to score goals. Friday night vs SPS is a must-win.
7. Andover (12-4-0) -- PA is playing some great hockey right now. They travel to Williston on Saturday in another game with huge playoff implications.
8. Williston (10-5-2) -- The Wildcats move up to #8 after an off weekend. They will host Andover on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if they were able to recharge their batteries after a few days off.
9. BB&N (11-7-1) -- Hard to believe that BB&N is still hanging around, and in the hunt for a playoff spot. Friday's game at Nobles is crucial to their hopes.
10. New Hampton (16-6) – The past weekend was a tough one for the Huskies, getting trounced at home by St. Paul's and then losing on Saturday to Andover. New Hampton has an easy schedule the rest of the way -- five D-II opponents -- so we expect them to be very much in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Sun. 2/4/18 -- Please send any weather-related cancellations or postponements to email@example.com Thank you!
Girls' Prep Composite Schedule, Week of Feb. 5, 2018
Mon. Feb. 5, 2018
Newton CD @ Thayer, 4:30 pm
Greenwich @ Rye Country Day, 4:45 pm
Tues. Feb. 6, 2018
Nobles @ Groton, 5:15 pm
Wed. Feb. 7, 2018
Kent @ Canterbury, 2:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Exeter, 2:30 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Hotchkiss, 3:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Tilton, 3:00 pm
Thayer @ Governor's, 3:15 pm
Tabor @ Middlesex, 3:15 pm
Dana Hall @ Nobles JV, 3:15 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ New Hampton, 3:30 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Choate, 3:30 pm
Winchendon @ Southfield, 3:30 pm
Taft @ Greenwich, 3:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Proctor, 3:45 pm
Holderness @ Brooks, 3:45 pm
St. George's @ BB&N, 4:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Cushing, 4:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Groton, 4:15 pm -- moved up to Tues. 2/6 at 5:15 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Pingree, 4:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Hebron @ Berwick, 4:30 pm
La Salle Academy @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm
Berkshire @ Pomfret, 5:00 pm
Millbrook @ Gunnery, 5:00 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 5:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Milton, 5:15 pm
Lawrenceville @ Hill School, 6:15 pm
Thurs. Feb. 8, 2018
Stanstead College @ Rice, 1:15 pm
Fri. Feb. 9, 2018
Dana Hall @ Winsor, 4:15 pm
Brewster Academy @ New Hampton, 4:30 pm
Rivers @ Milton, 5:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Kimball Union @ Berwick, 5:30 pm
Hill School @ Rye Country Day, 5:30 pm
Pingree @ Hebron, 5:30 pm
BB&N @ Noble & Greenough, 6:00 pm
Pomfret @ St. Mark's, 6:00 pm
Kents Hill @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 6:00 pm
Hoosac vs. Albany Academy, 6:00 pm -- Sheehan Tournament @ Albany Academy
St. Paul's @ Tabor, 6:30 pm
Portledge vs. NYA, 8:00 pm -- Sheehan Tournament @ Albany Academy
Sat. Feb. 10, 2018
NYA vs, Albany Academy, 11:00 am -- Sheehan Tournament @ Albany Academy
Cushing @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 1:00 pm
Kents Hill @ Winchendon, 1:00 pm
Winsor @ St. Paul's JV, 1:30 pm
Southfield @ Proctor, 2:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:30 pm
NYA vs. Hoosac, 2:30 pm -- Sheehan Tournament @ Albany Academy
Portsmouth Abbey @ Rye Country Day, 2:45 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Westminster, 3:00 pm
Pomfret @ St. Paul's, 3:00 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Thayer, 3:00 pm
Milton @ Middlesex, 3:30 pm
Governor's @ Tabor, 4:00 pm
Gunnery @ Greenwich, 4:00 pm
Brooks @ St. George's, 4:00 pm
New Hampton @ Exeter, 4:15 pm
St. Mark's @ Rivers, 4:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ Worcester Academy, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Kent, 4:30 pm
Hebron vs. Canterbury, 4:30 pm -- at Phillips Exeter
Portledge vs. Albany Academy, 4:30 pm -- Sheehan Tournament @ Albany Academy
Deerfield @ Berkshire, 4:45 pm
Andover @ Williston-Northampton, 6:00 pm
Hill School @ Northwood School, 6:00 pm
Choate @ Loomis-Chaffee, 7:00 pm
Sun. Feb. 11, 2018
Hill School @ Northwood School, 11:00 am
Hebron @ Winchendon, 12:00 pm
Lawrenceville @ Hotchkiss, 1:00 pm
Mon. Feb. 12, 2018
St. George's @ Lawrence Academy, 5:15 pm
Berwick @ Southfield 5:15 pm
Sun. 2/4/18
A New #1 in USHR Div. II Rankings
As we get closer to the finish line, there is a little adjustment at the top as we have a new #1: Rivers. After starting the New Year off with losses to Brooks and Nobles, the Red Wings have been on fire, winning 8 in a row while outscoring opponents 31-7 over that span. Vermont Academy slips to #2. Based upon our calculations, USHR projects the current Top 8 playoff seeds as follows:
1. Rivers (13-3-0) -- A Wednesday showdown with Worcester Academy will impact the rankings.
2. Vermont Academy (20-2-2) -- The Wildcats, with two solid wins, bounced back from dropping two straight last week. They will face Tilton and Exeter before upcoming showdowns with Worcester and Gunnery.
3. Brooks (8-5-5) -- The Bishops have played the second-most D-I opponents, trailing only Gunnery. Their defense and goaltending keeps them in every game, but they can also struggle to finish, thus allowing their opponents to stay within striking distance in any given game.
4. Worcester Academy (13-3-1) -- The defending champs will have a chance to make a statement with back-to-back games against #1 Rivers and #2 Vermont Academy this week.
5. Canterbury (13-8-1) -- The Saints come in at #5 but face a challenge maintaining their position as they face Kent, Loomis, Gunnery and Worcester down the stretch.
6. Gunnery (7-7-1) -- Gunnery traditionally plays the highest percentage of D-I games and that always helps their rankings. Their tough schedule continues with Greenwich, Vermont, Kent and Canterbury coming up.
7. Greenwich (10-6-1) -- Greenwich comes in at #7. After a Monday matchup with Rye, they have Taft and Gunnery this week. It will be a challenge to maintain their playoff position.
8. Kimball Union (11-4-4) -- The Wildcats have two road games this week, against Exeter and a surging Berwick. Not a lot of room for error down the stretch if they wish to make a return trip to the playoffs.
On the outside looking in:
St. George's (8-6-0), Groton (9-8-2) and Berwick (10-5-1). All three teams are within striking distance of the top 8, but have ground to gain before they can make the jump.
Wed. 1/31/18
Andover Win Streak Halted
Andover, Mass. -- Junior Olivia O'Brien and senior Olivia Finocchiaro each scored a goal within the first 20 seconds of the second period to lead the Tabor Seawolves to a 2-1 road win, though they had to hold on for dear life in the third period as the Big Blue of Philips Andover gave it all they had in an effort to extend their six-game win streak. They fell short, so this might not offer the Andover girls much consolation, but they got to play in one of the most exciting, fast-paced, well-coached girls prep school hockey games we have seen all season.
For Tabor, it was almost a must-win situation for the team we had ranked pre-season #1. They came out flying and looked like they were going to run away with it early, but they had difficulty converting some great scoring opportunities. Kelly Browne was all over the ice but Andover did a good job making it hard for her, especially around the net. Tabor ran three lines most of the game and had strong performances from junior Annie Berry, freshman Ashley Clarke and freshman Skylar Irving. The Tabor D was tested quite a bit in the third period, but did a good job allowing sophomore goaltender Christine Steege to see everything. If Tabor can continue to get strong play on the backend and a little more consistent goaltending they will be in a great position to make a serious run at the D-I title.
As for Andover, it was by far the best we have seen them play this season. They have a dynamic first line with senior Charlotte Welch, freshman Anna Bargman, and sophomore Lily Feeney that can play with anyone. In the third period that line had its way with all of Tabor's lines, including the Browne line. Andover's second and third lines are solid, but don't generate nearly as much offense as the top line. Juniors Megan Ward and Emily Batchelor, and sophomore Maddy Silveira had strong games. On D, Andover got nice contributions from seniors Liz Holubiak and Sarah Rigazio as well as junior Brooke Keough -- all logged big minutes. In goal, senior Alexa Matses was solid, but it still looks like coach Martha Fenton is rotating three goalies while waiting for one of the three to step up and win the #1 job as the Big Blue head into the teeth of their schedule.
Wed. 1/31/18
Rhinos Rolling
Easthampton, Mass. -- First period goals by sophomore Kristina Cornelio and junior defenseeman Claudia Vira were all that was needed as # 5 Taft kept rolling with an impressive 4-1 win over the suddenly struggling #8 Williston Wildcats in a battle of two playoff contenders Wednesday.
Taft has won 11 of 12, with its only loss to #1 Kent. Williston, on the other hand, hasn't won it its last five games (0-3-2).
For Taft, it was a nice bounceback win against a quality opponent after the Kent loss at home last weekend. We have noticed that Taft is very deep up front with some great two-way players including Cornelio, Vira, Mya Berretta, Lexi Cafiero, McKinley Karpa and Caeley Smith -- all had strong games. The Taft defense was solid all game doing a great job of keeping the speedy Williston forwards on the perimeter. Senior goalie Sidney Molnar has been tremendous all year. This Taft team has quickly become one of the top teams in girls prep hockey and is very much in the mix for a NEPSAC Championship
For Williston, it is time to get back to the drawing board and get back on track. Williston came out flying in the first period with their top line of Kate Holmes, Maura Holden and Gaby Jones controlling most of the play, but producing few quality scoring chances. Williston seems to spend too much time flying around the perimeter in the offensive zone, but doesn't generate the "Grade A" scoring chances needed to win at this level. The Williston defense really struggled with Taft's speed as they continue to use a converted forward on D as well as two younger players who are clearly struggling with the pace of play and were out there for most of the Taft goals. However, senior Victoria Palumbo and junior Claudia Capone had solid games. Williston will need to get stronger play in net if they are going to make a run for a playoff spot. Williston definitely has the firepower to make a playoff run and we would be surprised if head coach Christa Talbot is unable to get the Wildcats back on track quickly.


text:
Governance and Faith
January 12, 2009
A first Berkley Center effort focuses on the ongoing work to fight corruption and ways in which faith communities might play more active and effective roles in the large and complex civil society integrity alliances that are taking shape. A meeting at the Berkley Center on October 14, 2004 explored the topic. Katherine Marshall chaired a workshop at the Athens International Anti-Corruption Conference on October 30-November 2, 2008 which explored avenues for raising interest and enhancing action of faith communities on corruption issues. A report on faith and governance reviews ongoing work and issues and proposes ten areas where future action to enhance faith engagement in fighting corruption.
In this work the Berkley Center has close links with several partners including Transparency International, the International Anti-Corruption Conference, the World Bank, IDEA (International Development Ethics Association), Global Ethics, and the University of Cambodia. Berkley Center work on faith, governance, and anti-corruption is an ongoing effort, with the expectation of continuing consultations on understandings of the issues, a mapping survey of what is being done, where, and with what effect, assessment of experience, and dialogue on thorny issues. This work will be reflected in periodic updates on the website.
For information please contact Katherine Marshall, firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
March 2012 Book Review
Preparing Heirs: Five Steps to a Successful Transition of Family Wealth and Values
Written by Roy Williams and Vic Preisser ©2003
This book is based on research of 3,250 wealthy families regarding their legacies. It is extraordinarily insightful. This book reveals what these successful families had in common—how they achieved and maintained family harmony, and ensured the smooth transition of their wealth to well-adjusted heirs. They also warn of the wide range of factors that cause families to be unsuccessful in their wealth transition. It contains clear, concise, well organized, and easy-to-follow instructions that will enable family businesses to evaluate or create their plan for transitioning family wealth.
This book can help family businesses develop a plan based upon family values underlying the accumulation of wealth and prepare heirs to be good stewards and thoughtful administrators of that wealth. It is also an important resource for other family advisors (i.e. estate lawyers, financial planners) to use with their clients.
This is a great resource for any family business owner contemplating a wealth transition. It is an easy read and informative.
Renée Montoya Lado M.S., N.C.C
President, Strategic Designs for Learning
Family Owned Business Network Book Review Chair & Editor
Natalie McVeigh, MBE
Research Analyst, Strategic Designs for Learning
Family Owned Business Network Senior Book Reviewer


text: DreamSmart is the foundational class for all the SpendSmart teaches. SpendSmart understands that dreaming is part of the human experience; regardless of culture, age, or ethnicity. We all dream of places we would like to go, material possessions we would like to have, how we might make a difference in this world, or something we would like to be. The DreamSmart session is designed to capture an individual's "why", their compelling reason to change in order to realize their dream. It introduces and uses the DreamSmart Compass©, a tool that helps the member identify his/her "True North" and remaining pointed to it. The class encourages members to "Stay the Course" in tough times because it is easy to lose focus on one's life ambitions, goals and dreams.


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Review by Albert Testani. Photos by Lauren Khalfayan, find more of her work here.
"Sløtface are solid." Pretty much everyone in the venue murmured this at some point prior to them taking that stage. It was either to a friend, another concert goer, or to a documentary filmmaker who had been following the band around the US for the past two weeks and was interviewing members of the crowd.
Hailing from Norway, the punk band already gained buzz and a fan base with EP and single releases over the past few years, but the end of 2017 saw the release of their debut full length, Try Not to Freak Out.
Once they took the stage, the band instantly got into your head and had the audience humming choruses to songs they just heard during set breaks. With a sound that's an amalgam of every pop punk band from ten years ago, there's an honesty and sincerity in their energy despite a lyrical awareness that borders on sugar coated kitsch.
Though full of energy, and, like everyone already noted, incredibly tight in their performance, the start of the show had a rigidity that slowly transformed through the set from simple swaying and head nodding to lead singer, Haley Shea, thrashing on stage and embracing the house party feel of their records.
Yes, the references to High Fidelity's fictitious band, Sonic Death Monkey, in the song "Empire Records," and the earnest evocation of Patti Smith in "Magazine" rally you to their cause and make you smile in recognition, but what's most exciting about this band appears when you strip away the pop-culture references and hear their musical ambition.
Over the course of the set they stretched the idea of a punk band from a four chord verse and chorus into a dozen sub genres and that's what makes them the band you want to see every weekend, but, more importantly, in 5 years and after a few more records.
Playing tracks like "Slumber" and "Sun Bleached" are when Sløtface are at their best; analysis and embracing the minutia of their lives and making their music into something more worth connecting to than a film from 1995.


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Career Opportunity: Toddler Lead Teacher at Cincinnati Early Learning Centers - Cincinnati Are you an Early Childhood professional looking to develop young children? We have your next opportunity! The Toddler lead teacher is responsible for the care and education of a group of children ages 18 months -- 3 years. The lead teacher plans and implements the curriculum and with the active participation of other members of the teaching team, works with parents and assesses the needs of individual children. Who We Are: Cincinnati Early Learning Center, Inc. (CELC, Inc.) is a non-profit corporation that has been in existence for 35 years and operates six childcare programs in the greater Cincinnati area. The centers provide quality child care for children ages 6 weeks through eleven years. CELC, Inc. began contracting with the United Way & Community Chest in 1983 and became a United Way agency in 1991. The corporation became the first non-profit agency in Cincinnati to have all of its sites accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In addition, all sites maintain a 4-5 Star Rating from Step up to Quality! We offer paid health insurance, paid vacation and a flexible and team environment as well as:- A safe and healthy learning environment for children ages 18 months -- 3 years to create innovative learning experiences- Low teacher-student ratios- An environment to be the leading place for early childhood professionals To be successful in this role, you need to be a collaborative leader and team player and bring your enthusiasm, compassion, and desire to positively impact young children and families, as well as have: - Minimum of an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education- Must have experience working with 18 month olds -- 3 year olds- Excellent communications skills, including ability to meet with parents, teachers, students and administrators.- Strong organization and writing skills, with attention to detail. - Must have the ability to work with children from diverse backgrounds If you're passionate about teaching and have the skills mentioned above, please email your resume to email@example.com or fax your resume to (513)961-1160 Employer is EOE/M/F/D/V.
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Allow me to say upfront, in case it was not clear:
I am not Russian, nor do I play one on TV. I have not the smallest drop of Russian blood in me.
I am, however, married to a man who grew up in the former Soviet Union, and thus spend a lot of time with him. I also spend a lot of time with his family, all of whom lived through some pretty dire parts of the 20th century in Russia. I speak very terrible Russian on the level of a toddler. Rather notoriously, I've traveled to Russia, and most recently written an entire novel set in Leningrad, and thus done more research than you can shake a red stick at. Russian culture features extremely prominently in my life these days. I say this so that you will understand how frustrated I have become over the last two days, but not make the mistake of thinking I'm talking about my own culture.
I just finished reading Yellow Blue Tibia.
Oh my fucking god, you guys.
You know how sometimes (all the time) American movies and books will flip the R in the title to indicate one out to HOLD UP, THIS SHIT IS RUSSIAN, YO? Like so: я. This is, of course, maddening, no less than using a Greek lambda for an A when it is patently not an A. я is not an R, it goes: "ya." Incidentally, the cover of Yellow Blue Tibia is the single worst offender I have ever seen in this category, as it goes to bizarre lengths to make every English letter into some freakish version of a Russian one, including putting a line through a д to make an A, because I guess the Russian A--you know, A--wasn't Russian enough. I know the author isn't in charge of this, but I should have known, because the novel is the literary equivalent of this exact phenomenon.
Is it a bad book? On its own merits I'd say no worse than mediocre. The plot: Stalin hires a bunch of SF writers to create a believable alien threat to unite the Communists against something other than America, which he assumes will fall within 5 years. The things they wrote then start coming true. Roberts is going for a Bulgakov meets Foucault's Pendulum sort of thing, with conspiracies that turn out to be true and a lot of madcap running around Moscow with clever asides and "incisive" satire on the Soviet system, but it doesn't really come off as clever or madcap or even very conspiratorial. When you have to have characters comment on how funny a protagonist is, he's not really that funny. If in a workshop I'd say that we get all of ten pages to care about the conspiracy these guys write, and pretty much no information on what it is besides "radiation aliens" + blow up Ukraine, so we have no investment in whether or not it's real. An on the sentence level almost every line is tortured and too full of clauses and robbed of any spirit by endless commas. But I had to do some breathing exercises to even analyze the book on that level because literally every cultural note in this entire novel is wrong.
I cannot even being to explain how much this book did it wrong. I'll give you the most glaring examples, not even getting into the little things that niggled once I gave up being immersed in the book and started actually thinking about why anyone would assume no one in 1940s Russia would speak French or how living in gaga-grad as a euphemism for crazy is not really a Russian-ism but an English-Russian-ism and not that funny anyway and ooh, I want to listen to Lady Gaga anything to get away from this thing. The fact is that the book would have been a lot more believable with all the names changed and set in England or America.
Firstly, Roberts has just ported the entire contempt for science fiction writers from the West right into Russia, with nothing changed, not even considering that there is a different culture of literature there and writers, even of SF, had a pretty high position that the protagonist would have no reason to hide with shame purely because of the genre he wrote. Yes, there is Soviet pulp, but the constant asides about how despised SF is and passive-aggressive defenses of how awesome it is, really, were meant for a Western audience, not authentic to Russia where fantastika has a long and rich tradition of not being spat on. Of course, one of the more egregious problems was that it seems not to have occurred to anyone in the editorial process that "science fiction" does not begin with SF in Russian, much less сф, as the protagonist makes much of while analyzing Josef Stalin's name to somehow contain the initials for science fiction. (In the Latin alphabet, Jehovah begins with an I...)
Then there's the names. Oh, the linguistic hugemanatee at work here! The main character's name is Konstantin, but his friends call him Konsty. Not, you know, Kostya, which is the actual diminutive and not even remotely hard to find out if you've ever read a Russian novel. Stalin makes fun of one Jan Frenkel for having a Slavic first name which he actually changed to Ivan, but seems to be cool not only with his German-Jewish surname, but the protagonist's surname, which is actually Czech. The one actual Russian word that's used is actually not correct at all, but an inexplicable mangling of the word for "dead." One character actually refers to the "x"s in the Russian alphabet, in a passage with so many things wrong with it it beggars the mind. (There aren't any. And yes, he meant x as in the English x. Oh, I know it looks like an X. But it goes: "ch" and is not an X, much like our friend я.)
The title itself makes me want to punch something. I actually said in the beginning of this book: "justbeast , the title better not be some stupid pun on тебя or I'm just going to kill myself." justbeast assured me this could not possibly be the case. And he was right. It's much worse. You might think it has to do with alien physiology, but you'd be wrong.
The title allegedly is a phonetic English version of "I love you" in Russian. I love you in Russian is ya lyublyu tebya. So, um, I guess if you have THE WORST PRONUNCIATION IN THE ENTIRE WORLD and are an idiot, it kind of almost works. Except no, no, it doesn't. Instead it's the worst pun in the universe. Then, to make it better, the American love interest says it to Russian people and they understand her despite the emphasis and ACTUAL VOWELS being completely wrong. I used to think this was an awesome intriguing title. Now I hate myself and all living things. This is why we can't have nice things, kids.
Oh, what else? Konstantin, in 1986 Moscow, decides he's an alcoholic and stops drinking, is concerned about the effects of tobacco on his lungs. Awesomely, at one point, without any irony whatsoever, while being detained by the KGB, Konstantin loudly claims that he must be charged with a crime or released, since that's the law! Really? Would you like your Miranda rights read to you, too? How about your one phone call? The KGB and local police have to do precisely shit for you in Soviet Russia, and this isn't even a tough research bit--it's like rule one in the totalitarian handbook, and given how cynical and experienced our hard-boiled protag is supposed to be, I just can't even finish this sentence for how stupid this is.
And then we get into factual problems. Because honestly, the cultural notes aren't just wrong for Russia, they're wrong for the 80s. And sometimes offensive. One of the characters, Saltykov, has Asperger's Syndrome. In 1986. Asperger's was not diagnosed by that name in anyone until 1992. And of course Saltykov is just literally the most annoying person ever born, and exists purely to block the protagonist and cause problems with his hilarious syndrome and be comic relief, sort of, even though his symptoms are pretty much classic OCD and not Asperger's. And the American woman is, of course, fat. Not just fat, but constantly described in the most grotesque terms possible, that she has to collect her flesh and haul it into a car--she practically has no character other than to be fat and American. And a Scientologist. I'll get back to that in a minute. Eventually, of course, it dawns on Konstantin that skinny bodies aren't so awesome in post-war Russia and he falls in love with her for no reason and she with him, even though she's in her thirties and he's in his late sixties and horrifyingly scarred. Their main topic of conversation seem to remain, however, how fat she is. I've never used the word fatphobic before, but there it is. Literally, she can be stabbed with no damage because she's so incredibly fat--did you hear how fat she is? SO VERY FAT.
Oh, and she's a Scientologist. I know the Church was around then (though since Hubbard died in 1986, literally a month before the action of the book, and the Scientologists never mention it, but the Soviet authorities are all over that, I can't even say this rings right) but really, Scientology and Asperger's and alcoholism and the evils of tobacco are concerns of today, not of 1986. It just feels wrong. And there's no reason for them to be Scientologists, it doesn't matter to the plot, except in that they necessarily believe in aliens. No one has cell phones or email, but other than that it might as well be 2010. In America (or England, I know the author is British), since every single cultural reference the protagonist makes is a Western one. I swear I am more Russian than this guy.
And then there's Chernobyl, which you'll be happy to know is a cute joke having to do with the alien conspiracy and just a nice set piece, which really I'm not at all cool with, given the rest of the painfully inept cultural appropriation going on here. The much-vaunted satire in the novel's blurbs is just one-note lol Russia sux nonsense, and I think it's telling that the acknowlegments thank a plainly not-Russian friend for her childhood memories of having once visited Kiev and Moscow. Because that's what this reads like. The dim memories of someone who might have once seen a movie about Russia.
I agonized over cultural details while writing Deathless. I didn't even feel right making it a first person novel for that very reason--which YBT is. It shocks me as much as a nude author picture would, to see any cultural accuracy just flung to the wind, and this ugly pastiche, a Westerner in redface prancing around an amazing idea for a book that got totally lost in endless chase scenes, guns, and tell me the truth/you can't handle the truth! exchanges. The entire central 200 pages of the book are filled with that, such that aliens and conspiracies barely register.
I heard so many good things about this book. I went out of my way to get it from the UK. And really, I might as well have just added -ski to every word in this book and treated it like Communist Mad Libs for all that it had any point whatsoever, or any authenticity at all. Apparently cultural sensitivity just doesn't apply to those evil, evil Russians.
Yeah, I know, that's harsh. I mean, I could gripe about the cover design, too (not all books involving Russia have to be red, actually). But I have to call them like I see them, or else what's a blog for?
Rules for Anchorites
Letters from Proxima Thule
Ditto on the title. Also, 1986 was pretty much at the peak of anti-alcohol campaign by Gorbachev, so alcoholism was a commonly acknowledged concern at the time.
Well, then it still doesn't make sense, since everyone else in the book laughs at him for it, and it's presented as a deeply personal decision in the sense of an American choosing that--and he chose it in the 60s. It's one of those things that piled on and on. I admit my loathing of puns might color my hatred of the title, but I can't get over how much it just doesn't sound that way at all.
I actually got curious about that one (please let me know if you'd rather I shut up). So this guy stopped drinking, smoking - and coupled with his Russian ethnicity and/or nationality it contributes to the awful impression. Was it written in such a way that you found his decision hard to believe, or is it just that no guy in that age and locality would not make that decision? Because from what you say it seems a plausible event, unless the writing was not convincing.
I mean, yes, many would laugh at that decision, whether in the 60s or 80s or today, for that matter, and yes, it would have to be a deeply personal one, because of the conventions in many subcultures (but not in all of them) - you know, not everyone living or born in Russia drinks vodka as a hobby. And, while it would require an astonishing amount of naivete to say that line about "tell me what charges are or let me go", but it can happen, if the character is like that and the author makes it work. Just saying.
I mean, yes, many would laugh at that decision, whether in the 60s or 80s or today, for that matter, and yes, it would have to be a deeply personal one, because of the conventions in many subcultures (but not in all of them) - you know, not everyone living or born in Russia drinks vodka as a hobby. And, while it would require an astonishing amount of naivete to say that line about "tell me what charges are or let me go", but it can happen, if the character is like that and the author makes it work. Just saying.
First the character is shown as INCREDIBLY cynical and hard boiled, so no naïveté males sense. He's also. WWII vet. Second, the alcoholism thing felt not genuine because the way it was written felt so very western, with the emphasis on introspection and critique of alcohol that didn't feel true to the culture. Hard to explain. But I know not all Russians drink vodka.
Thank you. I see. Then it just was not convincing enough, and that _is_ bad writing.
Also, to clarify--it is /not/ the law, in the USSR. It is completely nonsensical to claim a Western law applies to your detainment by the KGB when you are not a Western person nor have ever been outside Communist Russia, much less lived under and worked for /Stalin./
(Who is a space alien.)
(Who is a space alien.)
I see :) a space alien? well, that explains a lot.
Thank you for that clarification. I do not doubt you when you say that _the_ situation with _the_ character is a non-possibility. On an off the topic note, the depth of legal knowledge is (or at least was when I lived there, which was up to 90s) so low (unless one had a brush with justice) and for the most part not from actual documents and such, but from movies and stories, that I kind of can imagine _a_ person who would believe that he should be charged or released, because that's how he saw it done in the movies. I'm sure I was naive enough to pull something like that. Though obviously Konstantin should know better.
Thank you for that clarification. I do not doubt you when you say that _the_ situation with _the_ character is a non-possibility. On an off the topic note, the depth of legal knowledge is (or at least was when I lived there, which was up to 90s) so low (unless one had a brush with justice) and for the most part not from actual documents and such, but from movies and stories, that I kind of can imagine _a_ person who would believe that he should be charged or released, because that's how he saw it done in the movies. I'm sure I was naive enough to pull something like that. Though obviously Konstantin should know better.
Also, given how little love figures in this book, naming it I Love You is just weird and reflects nothing about the book at all. It's a pun only valuable for one side of its punning, not for the meaning of the phrase at all, which is meaningless. The book isn't about love or the relationship between the protag and the American woman. Those are very incidental.
The book isn't about love
Yes it is. In the Dr Strangelove sense.
Yes it is. In the Dr Strangelove sense.
Well, again, we just have to disagree. The love relationship was incredibly tacked on to my view, not helped by the misogynistic portrayal of Dora as this breathy, adoring nobody with no traits other than being fat. In fact, I was struck at what a loveless book it was. And since the title pun is used in relationship to Dora, I guess I'm not following your argument about Dr. Strangelove.
Well, first, irrespective of the merits of Dora as a character (and I think she's significantly less problematic than you do, because I think both she and the characters relating to her are shown to grow and change over the course of the novel; though in common with the other characters, she is indeed more of a type than an individual), the relationship between her and Svorecky read as genuine to me. At the very least,it's the closest thing to a healthy relationship I've read in an Adam Roberts novel. But I think that love -- and the absence of love, which is a way of writing about love -- can be applied much more broadly to the novel, stemming from the idea that both science fiction writing and politics are both passionate forms of engagement with the world. As Clute puts it at the end of his review of YBT, "love makes the world go round".
I'm just not seeing it. Also, having never read another AR novel, I have no basis for comparison.
No, and that's fair enough. As I just alluded to in another comment, though, I do think there's a strand of self-reflexiveness about the book (that is, it's not just about science fiction, it's about Adam Roberts writing science fiction). I seesaw between being surprised it's gained so much traction for that reason, and between cynically feeling it's an Adam Roberts novel for people who don't like Adam Roberts novels, containing some of his common themes in a more palatable (read: watered-down) form. This discussion suggests I should be erring on the former rather than the latter. :-)


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The Archive Room in Old Towne Arvada. Because we weren't taken in the rapture by 6 pm eastern we decided to roam around Old Town a little more. We stopped at the cutest little grocery store, Etta's Place, that carries organic and local foods. We tasted some "root beer milk" and it really tasted just like a root beer float! We ended up purchasing some spicy pickled veggies (if you can pickle it, I will probably like it) and some pizza dough made by the local Udi's pizza shop pretty much right across the street from the grocery store.
In other big news we now have Blue Bell ice cream in Colorado. I didn't realize this was big news but there are billboards up and people are talking about it so I guess it's a big deal. I'm pretty sure I'd had Blue Bell ice cream in Kansas but couldn't really remember what was so great about it so we got some to try. Ryan chose Banana Pudding and I chose Pecan Pralines and Cream. Let's just say we were both pretty happy about our ice cream.
And here are some gratuitous cute pictures for you. I'll write more about Sunday activities later.


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Sports January 6, 2016
A technical primer for the rest of us
By Polly Lynn
Jason Mikula enjoys a day on the slope at Killington Resort earlier this season. "It was man-made but glorious," he said.
By Karen D. Lorentz
If you're an expert, you may not need to read this. On the…


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The Yorkshireman is away this week on a course, so 'tis just Little'un and I. And her nursery, thank god, as my bowels are once more irritated and I've had ANOTHER day off work today. FFFmmmmppppphhhhh. Not impressed. AT ALL. There could have been no way I could have coped with a toddler with seemingly 6 ten foot arms and a sudden urge to rearrange furniture so that she can climb up onto the windowsill whilst sat on the bog all day.
The Yorkshireman rang tonight while Little'un was still up, so she got to have a chat with him on the phone. Normally, she'll natter away when there's no-one at the other end of the line (apart from the BT Lady, "The number you have called is not recognised…") but she would clam up completely if anyone actually talked to her. Tonight though she seemed to have a sudden realisation that REAL PEOPLE talk on phones as she sussed out straight away that her Daddy was talking to her and started chatting back to him.
All of a sudden her bottom lip started quivering and she handed the phone back to me looking genuinely confused and said, "Daddy! Stuck!". Daddy's incarceration in the handset didn't bother her for too long though. Within 10 seconds she was back to posting biscuits into the DVD player or bashing the cat with her dolly or whatever it was she was doing when she was so rudely interrupted by the phone ringing.
You will all be pleased to hear that The Yorkshireman has recovered nicely from being minced up finely enough to fit in a 5″x2″x1″ telephone handet and will be attending his course tomorrow morning as planned.