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Andrews Nominated for US Female Athlete of the Year
01/04/2012

Voting is underway for the 2011 Best of U.S. Soccer and Athlete of the Year Awards. One of the awards is the 'U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year' award. Only 5 athletes in the entire country were nominated for this prestigious honor. 1 of those 5 is New Hampshire's own Morgan Andrews.

Andrews is a junior at Milford High, and is currently ranked as the #1 girls soccer player in the country for the Class of 2013 by topdrawersoccer.com. She is training to eventually play on Team USA in both the Olympics and the World Cup.

The 10th annual Best of U.S. Soccer series gives fans the opportunity to vote once a day from now until Friday, Jan. 13. For certain categories, voters will be able to refresh their memories with videos and photos as they relive some of the best moments of 2011.

Fore more more information on the awards click here. To vote for Morgan, click here.

Morgan Andrews Bio
2011 NSCAA Youth Player of the Year. A two-time NSCAA Youth All-America selection, Andrews was also named to the NSCAA High School All-America team and is the NSCAA High School State Player of the Year. A junior at Milford High School and three time All-State First Team selection, captain's her high school squad and has scored 83 goals and added 35 assists thus far in her prep career.

Morgan was recently named the Manchester Union Leader State Player of the Year. Andrews has been a member of the US Youth National Teams since she was 12 years old, playing two years at the U14 level, she is the current captain of the U17 USWNT and is preparing for the 2012 U17 World Cup in Azerbaijan. Morgan was the youngest player called into a recent U23 USWNT training camp in 2011 playing with and against the nations top college and professional players trying for a position on our future US Women's National team.

Andrews is the reigning Gatorade State Player of the Year, she is ranked #1 nationally for 2013 by Topdrawersoccer's Top 100 and is also the #1 recruit nationally on the ESPNHS Top 150 ranking. She has played club soccer for the past 7 years with the FC Stars of Massachusetts having reached both the USYS National Championship Series and the ECNL National Championship final four rounds twice each during that time. For her play during the 2011 USYS National Championship Series Andrews was awarded the "Best 11" Player honor at the U18 age group. She was selected to play with the ECNL International Tour Team to England in 2011, a team comprised of the top 17 players in the Elite Club National League.

Andrews is an honor roll student in the classroom, was recently nominated to the National Technical Education Honor society. She is a three sport athlete in high school, adding indoor/outdoor track and Boys Football where she was selected All State First Team, Offensive Player, Kicker in 2011. Andrews is also member of the competitive US Constitution and History Team, "We the People" and a member of the MHS Theatre Program. Morgan is the founder and runs her own Charity, "Kicks for Cans" where she provides free soccer training to area youth in exchange for a donation of a non-perishable food product for the community food bank.

She is verbally committed to Boston College.

$/></div> <br> <hr WIDTH="70%" alIGN="LEFT"> </p> <h3 ALIGN="LEFT"><a href="http://www.newquestcity.com/forums/templates/threads.cfm/category/S30/thread/231622"> BG Girls Run Londonderry Out of Their Own Gym</a><br /> 01/04/2012<br /> </h3> <p align="left" style="font-size: 100%; font-family:arial"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XREOemNAPrM/TvFjRxLNBsI/AAAAAAAAA_o/IpsFfyZeKro/s1600/Meagan%2BGreen.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 147px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XREOemNAPrM/TvFjRxLNBsI/AAAAAAAAA_o/IpsFfyZeKro/s200/Meagan%2BGreen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688436961254901442" border="0" /></a>In the preseason Power Rankings for Division I girls basketball, Bishop Guertin was ranked #2 and Londonderry was #3. So when the 2 teams met on Tuesday evening in an early season showdown I was not expecting the final score to be 59-36. However that$
"I thought we'd have a good chance to win" said Bishop Guertin junior forward Meghan Green. "But the fact that we crushed them was a big statement."

That statement is that the Bishop Guertin girls basketball team is one to be reckoned with. First year head coach Scott Hazelton has these girls playing VERY hard, they're fast as heck, they move the ball well and can hit shots on offense and really brought the pressure on defense which forced Londonderry into turnovers and tough shots.

Green, who recently picked up a Division I scholarship offer from the University of Hartford, had a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Cardinals led 25-7 at halftime and 44-20 after 3 quarters. They played up-tempo, fast break basketball and ran the Lancers out of their own gym and won it 59-36.

These are clearly 2 of the top teams in D-I, however when the game tipped off there was only 1 senior on the floor - Londonderry guard Lindsey Bolduc, who will be playing softball in college at nearby Southern New Hampshire University. Bishop Guertin started 2 juniors, 2 sophomores and 1 freshman while Londonderry started just 1 senior to go with 3 sophomores and 1 freshman.

"It's good for NH basketball" said Hazelton, a former McDonald's All-American and player for UConn and URI. "There was a lot of people here tonight, some college coaches, it was a great atmosphere. Londonderry has some good young players, they're going to get better as the season goes."

BG has a very young back court in particular, with sophomores Jamie Sherburne and Gigi Piercy and freshman Megan Kerutis. These girls might be young but they can play with anybody, no question about it.

"They're young but very talented" said Hazelton. "I stay on them pretty good in practice, but when they're that young you can't be too tough or they won't have the confidence to go out there and play, so it's just finding that balance."

Kerutis might be the best freshman in the state. She had some strong drives to the rim and finishes in traffic and also hit the outside shot. Sherburne ran the point very effectively by getting the ball up the floor in a hurry and finding the open man and also taking it to the rim strong when that was there. Piercy was all over the place, playing hard on both ends of the floor. She got in the passing lanes, crashed the boards and ran the floor on the break, setting herself up for open jumpers.

The real key to BG's success in this game though was defense. Londonderry scored 75 points in their last game and they were averaging 59 points a game coming into this one. Yet the Cardinals were able to hold them to just 7 points in the entire 1st half and 20 points through 3 quarters. The Lancers went scoreless for the first 6 minutes of both the 1st and 2nd quarters - that's 12 minutes of scoreless basketball in 1 half!

BG did it with a tenacious full court press led by Kerutis, Shuerburne and Piercy. They were also very aggressive on defense in the half court. Green was tough on the boards and junior guard/forward Nikki Hayner (10 points) also played well on both ends of the floor.

"The officials let them get away with a lot of hand-checking" said Londonderry head coach John Fagula. "The game might have turned out differently with a different officiating crew."

Sophomore point guard Aliza Simpson played well in the loss for Londonderry. She did well handling the ball against BG's intense pressure defense and also scored a team-high 13 points.

"They really keyed on Aliza and threw double teams at her to get her to pass the ball up" said Coach Fagula. "When that happens we need to make better passes and better adjustments."

Freshman Casey Evans-Driscoll also played well for Londonderry. The 5'10" forward followed up a 17 point 14 rebound game vs. Salem up with 7 another strong game tonight. She had 7 points and 8 rebounds, which is not bad at all for a freshman going up against a player like Green inside, especially since Evans-Driscoll had a few good looks inside that just rimmed out on her so she could have had more like 13 points.

Still, this game was dominated by BG from start to finish. And with their youth they will be a scary team not just this year but over the next few years as well. The question is do they have what it takes to beat the 5-time defending champs Winnacunnet? On January 10 we'll find out.

South just beat Nashua North the other night in the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament title game and now they beat the Gate City's other team BG. The Purple Panthers are now 3-0 on the season (6-0 including the holiday tourney). They are a team to be reckoned with, no question about it.

$/></div> <br> <hr WIDTH="70%" alIGN="LEFT"> </p> <h3 ALIGN="LEFT"><a href="http://www.newquestcity.com/forums/templates/threads.cfm/category/S30/thread/231603"> Trinity Over Merrimack in Possible Title Game Preview</a><br /> 01/04/2012<br /> </h3> <p align="left" style="font-size: 100%; font-family:arial"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SfSGyu98hdk/TwPUgwPkpuI/AAAAAAAABCQ/pbZh1U3zGZY/s1600/keefe.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SfSGyu98hdk/TwPUgwPkpuI/AAAAAAAABCQ/pbZh1U3zGZY/s200/keefe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693628013097559778" border="0" /></a>It was a BIG night for high school basketball across the state of New Hampshire, but the Trinity vs. Merrimack boys game was the biggest. It was a match up of the 2 best teams in the state, and it lived up to the hype.<br /><br />There was plenty of star players on both sides who came up big, but it was also nice to see role players who often get overlooked get their chance to shine. Trinity$
"It was a great game, with huge intensity and a playoff atmosphere" said Merrimack head coach Tim Goodridge.

In the end though it was Trinity who made more plays down the stretch. They got the stops when they needed to, they had too much size and too many different weapons on offense, and they improve to 3-0 on the season with a 64-60 win over Merrimack in Division I play at the McHugh Gymnasium in Manchester.

Fun Basketball to Watch
It was like watching 2 heavy-weights go at it for 12 rounds - it was a good, hard fought basketball game. The high point of the game came around the middle of the 2nd quarter. For about 2 straight minutes there it was some great basketball to watch. Both teams were pushing the tempo, moving the basketball well, hitting big shot after big shot and just flat out competing. During this offensive flurry, Hunter Viscarello drilled a quick three off the catch, then Dimitri Floras answered right back with a three-pointer of his own just a few seconds later. Then Mabor Gabriel scored inside for Trinity, followed quickly by a basket in the paint by Merrimack forward Connor Whelan before Pioneers freshman sensation Ian Sistare (team-high 14 points) slashed to the rim for 2. Those 5 baskets came in the span of about 45 seconds, and during that time the game had a very nice flow to it and was being played at a high level.

"When we run the break we're actually better" said Sistare, a 6'1" freshman from Dublin, NH. "Because then I can get the ball to our wings and our bigs can run and crash the boards."

Then things really got intense, as Tomahawks sophomore Eric Gendron was guarding Sistare and as soon as Sistare brought the ball across half court Gendron got right up in his face defensively, pressuring the basketball. Sistare picked up his dribble, Gendron then got even closer to try and force the turnover - Sistare had nowhere to go with the basketball. He turned to pivot, and when he did so his elbow slammed into Gendron's jaw, sending him to the floor. Gendron was then called for a foul, sending the Merrimack players, coaches and fans into a frenzy. Both coaches were out onto the floor, the refs were getting yelled at from both sides and Sistare and Gendron starred each other down while the crowd started to really get into the game.

The 1st half then ended, with Trinity on top 31-29. The Pioneers were down 15-9 after the 1st quarter, but they went on a 7-0 run to begin the 2nd stanza.

Keefe and Peabody = Not Your Average Role Players
Keefe was the player who hit the three-pointer which capped the 7-0 run Trinity made to begin the 2nd quarter. Keefe then hit another big three with 2:01 left in the 3rd quarter, which pushed the Trinity lead to 42-35 after a nice extra pass by Jake Hamel set him up for the shot. Keefe also scored on a couple of nice drives to the basket, showing the ability to create his own offense by getting by his man off the dribble and finishing in traffic. He had a very nice game and gave the team goon energy off the bench.

Peabody was also very good for Merrimack. Everybody always talks about their "Big 3" of Floras and the Gendron brothers, but there's no question that Peabody is the team's unsung hero.

"Jared Peabody does it all for us" said Coach Goodridge. "He guards the wings, he guards the bigs, he's putting back shots after rebounds. He's just a blue collar player, a good kid and the kind of player I want on my team."

Late Comeback Bid By Merrimack Falls Short
Trinity led by 9 in the 4th quarter at 49-40 and in the end that was too big of a deficit for the talented Tomahawks to overcome. Merrimack made a valiant effort though, as Eric Gendron (11 points) drained a three-pointer and got fouled at the same time in one of the game's most exciting plays. He made the free throw for a 4-point play.

Soon after that Sistare hit a three for Trinity and they went up 54-46 with only 4:00 left to play. Merrimack had their backs against the wall. If they were going to go on a run and make a comeback they would have to do it now.

Just mere seconds after Sistare hit his three, Floras (game-high 21 points) answered right back for the Tomahawks with a three of his own from the top of the key. Then Merrimack was able to close within 54-51 with about 2 minutes left.

That was as close as Merrimack would get however. After that Floras really started forcing shots, Trinity dominated the boards (with the big men Gabriel, Silvere Aluko and Andrew Lauderdale) and the Pioneers were able to hold on.

Floras did make one last 3 which cut the Trinity lead to 63-60 with 6.5 seconds remaining, which gave Merrimack fans a glimmer of hope. They would need to get a quick steal if not foul right away and hope Trinity missed both foul shots. They didn't get the steal, they fouled Gabriel (9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks), who missed his first free throw but made the second. That made it 64-60 Pioneers with just 3.5 seconds left. Normally you would say it's a 2 possession game so it's over. But after Gendron converted that 4-point play just a few minutes earlier you knew anything was possible. Floras attempted a three, and tried to lean in to the defender to try and draw a foul in case the shot went in. But the shot missed, there was no foul and the buzzer sounded. Game over, Trinity wins 64-60 in a great game.

"I'm very pleased with my team that we were able to pull that one out" said Trinity head coach Dave Keefe, father of Pat Keefe. "We had too many turnovers, but our bigs played well and that's a very good team we just beat."

It was an entertaining basketball game, and was well worth the price of admission for all who attended. I know the season is still young, but I don't think any of those people would be surprised if we saw this same match up in the championship game come March.

You have a potential final four preview, with Trinity playing at Merrimack and Nashua South traveling down the street to Bishop Guertin. As if that wasn't enough, 2 other teams who are definite contenders to make it to UNH meet up in the Queen City, where Manchester West plays host to Alvirne.

My head is spinning trying to figure out which one of these showdowns to attend. You also have 2 other games going on Tuesday night that are potential final four previews, with Berlin playing at Campbell in D-III boys and in D-II girls it's Bedford vs. Hollis-Brookline. Here's a closer look at these games and others.

Boys Basketball

Merrimack @ Trinity
Many people around the state would call this match up not only a final four preview but a championship game preview. I wouldn't disagree with those people entirely, but I think BG is right there in that same mix.

You can bet the place is going to be rocking for this tilt. Merrimack is playing on the road but they're riding high right now, coming off their first QCIBT championship since the Corey Hassan days. The 'Big 3' of Dimitri Floras and the Gendron brothers Tyler and Eric have emerged as the state's best trio - each has the ability to take a game over at any time.

Trinity has the 'Tri-Towers' of 6'10" Silvere Aluko, 6'7" Mabor Gabriel and 6'7" Andrew Lauderdale. Head coach Dave Keefe usually has 2 of these 3 bigs in at all times. They're a force inside scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. Merrimack might not have anyone 6'7" but they still have some good size. With Floras at 6'1" and Eric Gendron at 6'2" the Tomahawks have possibly the biggest back court in the state, and up front they have a number of guys who are between 6'3" - 6'5", including Tyler Gendron, Jared Peabody, Brad Jarry, Connor Whelan and Jeff Giannelli. These guys can all run the floor, crash the boards and won't be afraid to mix it up inside with Trinity's bigs.

As is the case with pretty much every Trinity game, pace is a big factor. The Pioneers are a half court team and that's no secret. They work the ball around the perimeter, then get it inside, kick it back out, etc. and patiently work for a good shot and play tough defense in the half court. They know they can't run with teams like Merrimack and BG, so pace is a big factor here. Merrimack is a team that if you don't take care of the basketball on offense and get back on defense they can go on a 16-2 run in a hurry and run you right out of the gym.

Look for Merrimack to force an up tempo game by pressing full court after made baskets. Trinity has a bunch of good guards but no true point guard. Their starting point guard Ian Sistare is very talented but he's only a freshman and is more suited for the wing. However it's tough to play an up-tempo game in in that tiny gym they have at Trinity.

Nashua South @ Bishop Guertin
Both teams had impressive showings over the holiday break, with South winning the Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament by beating Nashua North in the final, and BG went to Chelsea, MA where they more than held their own against some of the Bay State's top competition. The winner of this game gets the title of best team in the Gate City (for now).

BG will be playing shorthanded, as sophomore super-sub CJ Boykin is out 4 weeks with a thumb injury. Boykin is a lightning quick guard who can defend and give the team some scoring punch off the bench. Guertin will miss him in the lineup over these next few weeks, but they still have plenty of talent.

Logan Kesty scored 25 points over break in a win over Cambridge Rindge & Latin, while Joe McCarthy dropped 33 points on Saint John's Prep (possibly the best team in the MIAA). Brad Holler continues to show a smooth stroke and excellent range from the outside - he hit one three in the game vs. Cambridge Rindge & Latin from about 7 feet behind the line. Cooper Paul is a tough player who does a little bit of everything and Jeff Lunn has been giving these guys a nice inside presence off the bench as well.

South meanwhile has everybody healthy, and they are coming into this game fresh off their holiday tournament championship. Anthony Muccioli is playing at a VERY high level right now as he scored 21 points in the title game win over North on a variety of jumpers and drives to the rim.

I like watching South play because you can tell that these guys genuinely like playing together and have great team chemistry. Is part of that because they have 2 different sets of brothers on the team?(the Preston brothers Jack and Tim, and the Dunham brothers Mike and David) Possibly. It might also be because other than backup guard Armond McRae none of South's key players play football and Muccioli is the only one who played for an 'elite' level AAU team. So not only do these guys have virtually everyone back from last year's team but they also played together all throughout the summer in the Hoops for Hope League but they had everyone playing together in the Rivier Fall League as well.

Both BG and South have good guard play and like to get out and run. Look for this to be an up-tempo game We all know that BG loves to press, but with guards Muccioli, Tim Preston and Yordy Tavarez South showed in the title game on Thursday night vs. North that they are pretty good at handling that kind of defensive pressure. This should be a fun one for sure.

Alvirne @ Manchester West
This is an interesting match up, because you have a red-hot West team going up against an Alvirne team that typically plays their best basketball at the end of the season rather than the beginning. West beat Trinity and Manchester Central before falling to Merrimack in one of the best QCIBT title games in recent memory. Alvirne meanwhile lost 62-54 to Nashua North in the semi-finals of the Chick-fil-A tourney.

The other factor here that favors West is home court. They're a team that especially over the last couple years is known for being a much better team when playing at home.

This game should have some interesting individual match ups, as both teams have a talented 'Big 4.' Alvirne has Tony Beaulieu, Sean Dunn, Jim Tomaswick and Tyler Livingston, while West counters with Aaron Martin, Jocarl Bureau, Travis Descoteaux and Carl Jacques. West has strong players like Caleb Dolman and Nolan Flynn, while Alvirne also has very good role players in Britton Doyle and Alec Yoksh. Both teams can really defend in the half court and have plenty of kids who can score the basketball.

This is another game where pace will be key. Alvirne's best chance for a win is to slow the game down and make it a half court game. The reason why West beat Trinity last week is because West would get steals or defensive rebounds and immediately look to run. Bureau and company got a number of easy baskets in transition. Alvirne's task will be to limit those fast break opportunities by taking care of the basketball, rebounding and taking good shots.

Berlin @ Campbell
As big as those 3 games in D-I are, you have got to talk about this big time match up in D-III. It's an early season battle of un-beatens, with 5-0 Berlin making the long bus ride south to take on 4-0 Campbell. Berlin is the hands down favorite to win the title, but Campbell is a team that is deep, talented and has something that Berlin doesn't - size.

The bottom line is that one of Campbell's best players is 6'7" junior center Caleb McKearin, and Berlin doesn't have anyone over 6'1". Is that going to decide this game? Absolutely not. Will it be a factor? Absolutely.

McKearin (transfer from Mt. Zion Christian Academy) is still a work in progress with some raw skills, but he is a talented player who has is a a threat to record a double-double every time out. While Berlin doesn't have anyone close to his size they have a number of tough, physical players who will try to throw him off his game. Look for Berlin to deny McKearin the basketball and to double-team him in the post. You can also expect them to try and push the pace and make it an up-tempo game so that McKearin is less of a factor.

Campbell might have the size advantage and the home court advantage, but Berlin has the best player in the division in 6'1" senior guard/forward Curtis Arsenault. Arsenault is a strong, powerful player who can score inside or out and is capable of posting 20+ points and 10+ rebounds on any given night. Berlin has much more experience than Campbell in playing in big games, as they went to the semi-finals last year and the title game the year before that and they have a lot of guys still there from those teams.

Girls Basketball

Bedford @ Hollis-Brookline
The game of the night on the girls side is a potential final four match up in D-II between Bedford and Hollis. Let's call this match up 'The Seniors vs. the Sophomores'. Bedford is led by their outstanding sophomore class including McKenzie Brown (currently out with an ankle injury), Haley Driscoll, Rachel Collins, Ali Glennon, Bailey Marshall and Caroline Conrad. Together they form the most talented sophomore class in the state. They are talented and have a very bright future playing together, and while Hollis is led by their seniors many of the Bedford girls play year round and on national level AAU teams so it's tough to say that Hollis has the more experienced team.

Hollis-Brookline counters with star senior players Katie Stopera, Kelsey Berry and the Gillis twins Olivia and Jillian. These 4 have been playing together for a long time and have terrific chemistry on the court. They can all shoot, handle the basketball against pressure, defend and play the game at a fast pace. They love to get out and run the break and when they do so they are excellent at sharing the basketball and making the extra pass to get the best shot possible. They don't care who scores, as long as the team scores.

The advantage Bedford has on them is inside - Hollis would have a very tough time matching up with the Bulldogs in the paint if both Brown and Driscoll were in the lineup. So with Brown being out with the injury that definitely helps the Cavalier's chances. But it still could go either way and should be a great game.

Also, don't forget about these rivalry games also taking place Tuesday night!
Some of the state's biggest local rivalries will be taking place. You have Coe-Brown vs. Portsmouth, Dover vs. St. Thomas, Con-Val vs. Keene and Moultonborough vs. Pittsfield in both boys and girls basketball.

The Coe-Brown vs. Portsmouth girls game will be particularly interesting to watch, as both teams are legit contenders to get home playoff games and appear to be very evenly matched. Watch out for sharpshooters Meredith Grady for Coe-Brown and Markey Flewelling for Portsmouth. Both teams also have first-year head coaches, with David Hartnett for Coe-Brown and Dan Parr for Portsmouth.

$/></div> <br> <hr WIDTH="70%" alIGN="LEFT"> </p> <h3 ALIGN="LEFT"><a href="http://www.newquestcity.com/forums/templates/threads.cfm/category/S30/thread/231609"> South Wins Gate City Bragging Rights</a><br /> 01/04/2012<br /> </h3> <p align="left" style="font-size: 100%; font-family:arial"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jw1RRNNTHqo/Tv1NqYbpk5I/AAAAAAAABBs/1_dlMPkI_4M/s1600/northvssouth.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jw1RRNNTHqo/Tv1NqYbpk5I/AAAAAAAABBs/1_dlMPkI_4M/s200/northvssouth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691790894574441362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2011 Chick-fil-A Holiday Basketball Tournament Title Game: Nashua South 46 Nashua North 40</span><br /><br />Ever since Nashua split into 2 different high schools the North vs. South rivalry has been one of the biggest rivalries in NH high school sports. This season the boys basketball teams for the 2 schools just happen to both be very good and they$
On Thursday night at Nashua South the 2 squads met in the championship game of the Nashua-area holiday basketball tournament, which is sponsored by Chick-fil-A. South got off to a slow start, scoring just 2 points in the game's first 6 minutes. But then Anthony Muccioli (game-high 21 points) and the rest of his teammates heated up and they won it 46-40 in front of a packed gymnasium.

Muccioli caught fire late in the 1st quarter, score 10 of his 21 points in the game's opening stanza. He was hitting threes, mid-range jumpers and also scoring on drives to the rim.

"They were going in for me and then the team started to play better together and they started making shots" said Muccioli, who also had 5 rebounds and 3 steals in addition to his 21 points.

As good as Muccioli is, South is a very deep team that is much more than a one man show. In the 2nd quarter after Muccioli got hot shooting the ball junior forward Jack Preston (10 points) caught a pass in transition and slammed down a dunk which sent the crowd into a frenzy. The Purple Panthers also got strong play inside from senior forward Kevin Morrissey who was blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, finishing inside and making hustle plays. As a team South was out-hustling and out-working the Titans, as they were getting all of the loose balls and winning the rebounding battle as well. South went up 16-9 and then went into halftime up 26-14, despite the fact that they went down 8-2 early in the 1st quarter. The Dunham brothers, Michael and David were 2 players in particular who were also out-hustling everybody out there. They're both smart, fundamentally sound players who work hard on both ends of the floor.

Muccioli and Tim Preston both picked up 2 fouls in the 1st half, but stepping up in the back court was Cody Wyatt, Armond McRae and Yordy Tavarez.

Late in the 2nd quarter North point guard Ryan Gauthier picked up a technical foul and was forced to sit out for the entire 2nd half. They definitely missed his play making ability out there on the court, but head coach Steve Lane made a good move to try and teach his players some discipline, especially in a game that doesn't count in the standings.

After North senior wing player Anthony Farmer made a great block (his second of the game) on defense and than converted a layup on the other end, Muccioli again caught fire from the outside. South went into the 4th quarter with a comfortable 37-24 lead.

The 4th quarter got very intense and exciting though, as North made a comeback with their best player on the bench. They were down by 13 to start the 4th quarter, but with 1:54 left to play the Titans were able to cut the South lead to 41-38. They made their comeback by picking up the defensive intensity (Farmer, Jake Mellin and Javon Williams in particular played great defense down the stretch) and also with the scoring punch that Williams and Mike O'Connor were able to bring. Dezron Wilson also played well for the Titans, hustling for loose balls and handling the ball well vs. pressure.

"We took too many jump shots with the big lead" said Nashua South coach Nate Mazzerole. "It wasn't the prettiest game, but it was a great atmosphere and playing in games like this will help us in the future."

Mellin had a big blocked shot on a Muccioli layup attempt halfway through the game's final quarter. Muccioli was down on the floor in pain following the play, and it was definitely a scary moment for South fans. Muccioli is hands down one of the NHIAA's top players this season, and with him in the lineup South is a team that is a legit contender to make it to UNH come March so an injury to him would have been devastating. But fortunately he was able to return to the game just a couple minutes later.

"It was just a cramp in my calf" said Muccioli, a 5'10" senior point guard. "I was dehydrated so it just cramped up on me, I'm fine."

North continued to bring the pressure on defense as they're comeback bid continued in the game's last 2 minutes. But with Muccioli back in the game, along with his back court mates Tim Preston and Tavarez who are all very good ball handlers and moved the basketball well around the perimeter. Plus you had the smart, fundamentally sound Dunham brothers who also played tough defense and rebounded well and the Purple Panthers were able to hold on for the win.

Muccioli made a big drive and finish late to push the lead back up, splitting 2 defenders to get to the rim where he made an athletic finish. That big play followed by some free throws, and South won it 46-40.

Would the game have gone differently if Gauthier never picked up the technical? Probably. But on the other side of the coin it also probably would have been different if Tim Preston wasn't in foul trouble for much of the game, or if Muccioli didn't leave for a few minutes in the 4th quarter (which is when North made their run).

The bottom line is these are 2 good teams who should both get home playoff games and possibly make it to UNH for the Final Four. But South is more consistent, more disciplined and they play better team basketball. It's still early in the season, but they are the team that has a better shot at going to Durham.

Still, if forced right now to pick the 4 D-I teams that will make it their I would say: Merrimack, Trinity, Bishop Guertin and Manchester West.

$/></div> <br> <hr WIDTH="70%" alIGN="LEFT"> </p> <h3 ALIGN="LEFT"><a href="http://www.newquestcity.com/forums/templates/threads.cfm/category/S30/thread/231611"> Capital Area Holiday Tournament - Boys Semi-Final Recaps</a><br /> 01/04/2012<br /> </h3> <p align="left" style="font-size: 100%; font-family:arial"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCElX6XRn1M/TvxdpWw6bbI/AAAAAAAABA8/NI6MWkRe7BI/s1600/welch.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCElX6XRn1M/TvxdpWw6bbI/AAAAAAAABA8/NI6MWkRe7BI/s200/welch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691526994156219826" border="0" /></a>Our$
On Wednesday night it was the semi-finals on the boys side, with four Division II schools in action. In the first semi-final is was Bishop Brady who was able to defeat Merrimack Valley for the second time in the last week, winning it 46-43. The second game was also fun to watch but much more lopsided, as Pembroke topped John Stark 69-44.

Keep reading for recaps of both games.

Game 1: Bishop Brady 46 Merrimack Valley 43
This was a close, exciting game between Concord-area rivals. After the top 4 or 5 teams Division II is pretty wide open, so these teams both have a shot at possibly getting a home playoff game. They just played each other last Thursday night, with Bishop Brady winning by 15. This time it was closer, primarily due to 1st half foul trouble for Bishop Brady.

"Jourdain Bell and Dylan Thomas both had 2 fouls in the 1st half" said Bishop Brady head coach Mark Yeaton. "Their guards are fast, scrappy and are good at forcing turnovers. So without Jourdain and Dylan in there so much I was actually happy to only be down by 2 at halftime."

Merrimack Valley led 22-20 at the half, but it was that duo of Bell and Thomas which took over in the 2nd half. Bell showed why he is possibly the best freshman in NH, as he not only has freakish athleticism but he has a motor that never stops running and is a very unselfish player as well. In addition to his 12 points, Bell also had 8 assists, as he made a number of great dishes in the open court, including a few no-look passes that got the crowd into it. Bell also had 7 rebounds and 4 steals.

Thomas was also a big factor in the 2nd half for the Giants. The 6'5" senior showed the ability to play inside or out, attacking the rim off the dribble and battling inside for boards. He had a team-high 16 points, including 10 in the 3rd quarter alone.

Merrimack Valley was led by a group of small but fast and tough guards, led by senior Justin Abbott. Not only did Abbott have a game-high 17 points but there is no question that he is one of the top 5 defenders in the entire state as well. He constantly pressures the basketball, he has quick hands and is able to force his opponent to take tough shots and also get a number of steals and deflections.

In the 2nd quarter particularly Bishop Brady was struggling to get the ball across half court let alone get into their offense, and that was due to the defensive pressure of Abbott, along with his back court mates Ryan Otis, Eric Mirante, Dylan Baer and Ryan Head. Otis is only a sophomore and has could be one of the division's top point guards over the next couple years, while Mirante can really shoot the basketball.

MV was able to take not 1 but 2 three-point attempts in the game's last 10 seconds to try and force overtime but they both misfired and Brady was able to hold on for the win. Also playing well in the win for the Giants was junior forward Steven Desmarais, who had 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Pembroke 69 John Stark 44
No surprise here as the heavily favored Spartans win it going away, with their typical fast-breaking, up-tempo style of play which forced lots of turnovers on defense and turned them into layups and three-point attempts on offense.

Sophomore sharpshooter Patrick Welch had a slow start shooting-wise in the 1st quarter, but he got better as the game went on. Welch scored a game-high 21 points, but it really was a team-effort for Pembroke as Rene Maher, Jordan Williams, Matt Persons, Kent Noyes, Tyler Morrison, Brad Rhoades and freshman Andrew House all played well.

Pembroke went up 30-9 at halftime, as they did a nice job cleaning up the rebounds and forcing turnovers on defense. John Stark really struggled offensively in the 1st half, but ended up scoring 35 points in the 2nd half so it was a totally different story for the Generals in the 2nd half compared to the 1st. Part of it was the Stark trio of Nicolas Lloyd (team-high 10 points), Joe Nelson (9 points on 3 threes) and Ben Knapton (9 points) started to shoot the ball better. Part of it also was that Pembroke stopped pressing when they got up by a lot of points.

John Stark 6'8" big man Zach Grattan had a tough game, as he was being played very physical inside by both Morrison and Williams. Maher suffered an injury late in the game and had to leave, but he really did a nice job running the point up until then. He controlled the tempo and knew just when to dish the ball and when to take it himself. Houde is a freshman with a high upside. He doesn't get many shot opportunities when he's out there with the starters, but fans got a glimpse of the 6'3" wing player's potential after the starters were taken out late in the game. Houde made a pair of very athletic slashes to the rim, finishing in traffic.

Stark might have been out-matched talent-wise, but you have to give them credit because they never gave up and just kept playing hard out there. Lloyd is only about 5'8" but he's quick, can handle the ball, shoot it off the dribble and plays with heart. Despite being down 30-9 at halftime the Generals won the 3rd quarter 23-16.

Senior guard Logan Kesty dropped 25 points in the first game, while Joe McCarthy had 30 points in the second game. Sophomore guard CJ Boykin fractured his thumb in the first game and is out for 4 weeks. Check out the highlights for both games in the below video.

This game was a classic up and down game played at a brisk pace. Any time either team had numbers they would take advantage of it. Both teams have bigs who can dribble and participate in fast breaks. Tyler Gendron and Aaron Martin are 2 of the best bigs in the state for leading a break and it's one of the things that will make both of these teams tough to beat this season. Tyler Gendron came up big in the 2nd half with 10 points. He's one of the most complete players in Division 1. He makes angular finishes to the rack, can step out and hit an outside shot when needed and rebounds and plays excellent defense. Sounds complete to me.

With 4 minutes left in the game Carl Jacques hit a 3 to give West a 49 - 46 lead. Jocarl Bureau cans 2 free throws to give West some breathing room at 51 - 46. Merrimack stayed mentally tough and didn't fold. Baskets by Floras and Giannelli cut the West lead to 1 and set the table for the thrilling finish. With 1:20 left Giannelli muscled his way to a banker to give Merrimack a 52 - 51 lead. Jocarl Bureau (It's coming fans) hit a jumper with 1 minute left to give West a 53 - 52 lead. Floras missed a 3 point attempt with 35 seconds to go and a supreme battle ensued for possession. Jump ball and arrow points to Blue Knight Blue. Sophomore Nolan Flynn is fouled by Merrimack. Flynn makes the first, but misses the second to make it 54 - 52. The next few seconds comes down to a re-diagramed play on the clipboard and a "Driveway Dream 3 pointer" by POY candidate Dimitri Floras.

West certainly came out of nowhere with their very strong showing in the QCIBT by beating pre season favorites Trinity and Central. Aaron Martin was a known player going into the season, but Jocarl Bureau? The 6'3 junior didn't even have a number in the QCIBT program. During the West victory over Trinity the most often asked question was, "Who is number 5 for West?" Jocarl Bureau is a multi talented 6'3 slasher who can score on the run or can step out and hit a 3. He has a knee breaking crossover, can change on a dime or go behind his back when faced with a defensive stance. He has great court vision and is willing to set up team mates if they are ready for his no look passes. He gives West and added element of athleticism they already had with Martin, Jacques and Pena. Now you know who Jocarl Bureau is.

Merrimack had lost 5 of the last 8 QCIBT championship games. It took a last second shot by Dimitri Floras, but the Tomahawks finally captured the crown after last garnering it in 2002. Merrimack has played well in the QCIBT the last few years, but it hasn't always translated to an end of the season positive conclusion. Will this year be different? Perhaps. They have 2 legit consistent scorers in Floras and Tyler Gendron. Sophomore Eric Gendron will get better as the season goes along and he is very good right now. 6'3 senior Jared Peabody gives Merrimack some scoring depth. 6'7 Jeff Giannelli who puts the MACK in Merrimack could be another key for their title hopes. If he can give them a performance on a nightly basis like he gave them in the championship game, then Merrimack will be very dangerous.

What lies ahead for West? They are another team that has had disappointing endings the last few years. If they can keep this athletic group together January to March they will be a Division 1 headache for opposing teams. You can't take a break against West. They are one of the quickest teams right now in D1. They made a statement the last 3 days in the Memorial gym. They are good. They are hungry. They are well coached.

As Tim Goodridge was leaving the Memorial court he exchanged coaching pleasantries for a battle well done with Coach Danny Bryson of West. Tim said, "Heh Danny, let's meet in the state title game at UNH." Bryson laughed and shook his head in respectful acknowledgement. Job well done by both teams and both coaches.

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Andrews Nominated for US Female Athlete of the Year 01/04/2012

Andrews Nominated for US Female Athlete of the Year
01/04/2012