As seen In the Chronicle · 2018-01-09 · 10 the Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn., Wednesday, October...
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10 the Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn., Wednesday, October 11, 2017 383 Trumbull Hwy / Rte 87, Lebanon, CT • Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week • Take-Out & Delivery Call: 860.456.7663 • www.logcabinct.com PROUDLY HONORS ATHLETES of the WEEK Drew Archer Soccer, Lyman Memorial High School Colleen McAvoy Volleyball, Coventry High School By MIKE SYPHER Chronicle Sports Editor Drew Archer wasn’t exactly overwhelmed when he stepped onto the field for his Lyman Memorial boys soccer team this season, but there was an adjustment to be made as the fresh- man eased into his role while playing his first-ever varsity minutes. And Colleen McAvoy was forced to make adjustments as she settled into her role with the Coventry High girls volley- ball program this season while dealing with the effects of an elbow injury first suffered in February. Midway through their respective seasons, Archer and McAvoy have both sparkled while making those adjustments and that’s why the Chronicle has selected them as this week’s male and female athletes of the week, respectively. Archer is a major cog in Lyman Memorial’s offense this fall while pumping home 11 goals and dishing off six assists for his Bulldogs, 9-1-1 overall and currently ranked 10th in this week’s latest CIAC Class M/S state coaches poll. And McAvoy is a force up front with her Patriots, slamming home an average of 15 kills and collecting nine digs per match for Coventry (12-1 overall, 10-0 North Central Connecticut Conference), currently ranked No. 11 in the state after routing Bolton by a 25-12, 25-9, 25-7 margin on Tuesday night. For Archer, who has been playing soccer since he was a 4-year-old kindergartener, his adjustment to the varsity stage as a high schooler was made easier due to the fact that coach Ryan Fabry welcomed an influx of young talent this fall to a team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIAC Class S state tournament last season. “Stepping on the field for the first time as a freshman wasn’t completely difficult … it was different,” said Archer. “I was obviously nervous and playing against seniors and juniors was overwhelming for the first few minutes of our season. “For my NEU and ODP teams I’ve always been used to playing against kids my size and my age.” “My biggest strengths on the field are being able to distrib- ute the ball, get a quick shot off when needed and my ability to dribble and control the ball,” added Archer. “Another strength is that over half of the current Lyman Memorial team has played together for most of our lives.” Fabry knew that he would soon be welcoming an offensive spark plug to the program some time ago. “I have watched him play at the middle school level and he has been attending the Lyman Summer Soccer Camp since he was a little kid,” Fabry said of Archer. “He was actu- ally named Camper of the Week — best overall kid in camp — skill, attitude, work ethic … the complete package … a few years back.” “I wasn’t sure if he would be ready for varsity play but he came into camp focused, worked hard and earned himself a starting spot. I really like his skill under pressure and the con- fidence he has been exhibiting at the varsity level but, above all else, I respect his coachability — his willingness to be cor- rected and then immediately act upon that correction.” McAvoy’s adjustment involved changing her physical approach to her game, an adjustment made necessary after the 6-1 righty hitter with an 8-2 standing reach was prohibited — doctor’s orders — from hitting overhand with her right hand or from blocking with arms out-stretched at the net. “I originally injured the ulnar collateral ligament in my right elbow last February at a tournament in Las Vegas,” said McAvoy, who lived in Coventry before her family moved to Washington state when she was 8-years-old after her father was assigned to work on a huge bridge project. “It’s the same ligament that requires baseball players to get Tommy John surgery. I did a lot of physical therapy and was cleared to play again in May, but re-injured it in a tournament in Seattle.” Doctor Veltri out of Manchester diagnosed McAvoy’s injury as a result of weakness in her shoulder. He gave his patient exercises to strengthen the shoulder and cleared her to play … with some dramatic restrictions....... Coventry coach Ryan Giberson eased her transition back onto the court by assigning her a position along the back row. “After a few practices, I started doing hitting drills with my left hand,” said McAvoy. “A few days after that, I really started to get the timing down and was hitting pretty hard. My footwork wasn’t so good but I was making good contact. Within a few weeks, I started getting the footwork down pretty well, too. “Once the season started, Coach had me play outside hitter and hitting lefty. But I have to say, it has done wonders for me as a player. I’ve found my touch on the ball defensively is much improved.” “Colleen has had a positive impact on our program,” Giberson said of his import from Camas High School in Washington. “She brings a passion for volleyball and is our most vocal player on the court. She has a wealth of high-level volleyball experience and is a very talented player.” “Her job is to push others in practice and, as a result, our team has rapidly improved,” Giberson continued. “We need Colleen to be a leader in our program. Being a first-year transfer she was a little hesitant in this role but she has begun to embrace it. The other girls look to her on the floor and her positive energy has been extremely important in close matches.” For the Best LOCAL Game Coverage the Chronicle Michael Zaritheny | For the Chronicle Senior Colleen McAvoy has been a force all season long for her Coventry High girls volleyball squad while averaging 15 kills and nine digs per match for the Patriots, who are cur- rently ranked 11th in the CT volleyball state coaches poll. COVENTRY HIGH SCHOOL’S COLLEEN MCAVOY Congratulations to: Drew Archer of Lyman Memorial Colleen McAvoy of Coventry High Go Bulldogs! Go Patriots! Peter Leeds 860-377-4433 “Not Just The Sports Guy” “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” Juma Ikangaa, winner of the 1989 New York City Marathon LYMAN MEMORIAL’S DREW ARCHER Contributed photo Freshman forward/outside midfielder Drew Archer has made an immediate impact with his Lyman Memorial boys soccer team by scoring 11 goals and dishing off six assists for the Bulldogs, ranked 10th in this week’s CIAC Class M/S state coaches poll. the Chronicle AS SEEN IN
Transcript of As seen In the Chronicle · 2018-01-09 · 10 the Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn., Wednesday, October...
10 the Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn., Wednesday, October 11, 2017
383 Trumbull Hwy / Rte 87, Lebanon, CT • Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week • Take-Out & Delivery Call: 860.456.7663 • www.logcabinct.com
PRouDLy HonoRs ATHLeTes of the WeekDrew Archer
soccer, Lyman Memorial High school Colleen McAvoy
Volleyball, Coventry High school
By MIKE SYPHERChronicle Sports Editor
Drew Archer wasn’t exactly overwhelmed when he stepped onto the field for his Lyman Memorial boys soccer team this season, but there was an adjustment to be made as the fresh-man eased into his role while playing his first-ever varsity minutes.
And Colleen McAvoy was forced to make adjustments as she settled into her role with the Coventry High girls volley-ball program this season while dealing with the effects of an elbow injury first suffered in February.
Midway through their respective seasons, Archer and McAvoy have both sparkled while making those adjustments and that’s why the Chronicle has selected them as this week’s male and female athletes of the week, respectively.
Archer is a major cog in Lyman Memorial’s offense this fall while pumping home 11 goals and dishing off six assists for his Bulldogs, 9-1-1 overall and currently ranked 10th in this week’s latest CIAC Class M/S state coaches poll.
And McAvoy is a force up front with her Patriots, slamming home an average of 15 kills and collecting nine digs per match for Coventry (12-1 overall, 10-0 North Central Connecticut Conference), currently ranked No. 11 in the state after routing Bolton by a 25-12, 25-9, 25-7 margin on Tuesday night.
For Archer, who has been playing soccer since he was a 4-year-old kindergartener, his adjustment to the varsity stage as a high schooler was made easier due to the fact that coach Ryan Fabry welcomed an influx of young talent this fall to a team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIAC Class S state tournament last season.
“Stepping on the field for the first time as a freshman wasn’t completely difficult … it was different,” said Archer. “I was obviously nervous and playing against seniors and juniors was overwhelming for the first few minutes of our season.
“For my NEU and ODP teams I’ve always been used to playing against kids my size and my age.”
“My biggest strengths on the field are being able to distrib-ute the ball, get a quick shot off when needed and my ability to dribble and control the ball,” added Archer.
“Another strength is that over half of the current Lyman Memorial team has played together for most of our lives.”
Fabry knew that he would soon be welcoming an offensive spark plug to the program some time ago.
“I have watched him play at the middle school level and he has been attending the Lyman Summer Soccer Camp since he was a little kid,” Fabry said of Archer. “He was actu-ally named Camper of the Week — best overall kid in camp — skill, attitude, work ethic … the complete package … a few years back.”
“I wasn’t sure if he would be ready for varsity play but he came into camp focused, worked hard and earned himself a starting spot. I really like his skill under pressure and the con-fidence he has been exhibiting at the varsity level but, above all else, I respect his coachability — his willingness to be cor-rected and then immediately act upon that correction.”
McAvoy’s adjustment involved changing her physical approach to her game, an adjustment made necessary after the 6-1 righty hitter with an 8-2 standing reach was prohibited — doctor’s orders — from hitting overhand with her right hand or from blocking with arms out-stretched at the net.
“I originally injured the ulnar collateral ligament in my right elbow last February at a tournament in Las Vegas,” said McAvoy, who lived in Coventry before her family moved to Washington state when she was 8-years-old after her father was assigned to work on a huge bridge project.
“It’s the same ligament that requires baseball players to get Tommy John surgery. I did a lot of physical therapy and was cleared to play again in May, but re-injured it in a tournament in Seattle.”
Doctor Veltri out of Manchester diagnosed McAvoy’s injury as a result of weakness in her shoulder. He gave his patient exercises to strengthen the shoulder and cleared her to play … with some dramatic restrictions.......
Coventry coach Ryan Giberson eased her transition back onto the court by assigning her a position along the back row.
“After a few practices, I started doing hitting drills with my left hand,” said McAvoy. “A few days after that, I really started to get the timing down and was hitting pretty hard. My footwork wasn’t so good but I was making good contact. Within a few weeks, I started getting the footwork down pretty well, too.
“Once the season started, Coach had me play outside hitter and hitting lefty. But I have to say, it has done wonders for me as a player. I’ve found my touch on the ball defensively is much improved.”
“Colleen has had a positive impact on our program,” Giberson said of his import from Camas High School in Washington.
“She brings a passion for volleyball and is our most vocal player on the court. She has a wealth of high-level volleyball experience and is a very talented player.”
“Her job is to push others in practice and, as a result, our team has rapidly improved,” Giberson continued.
“We need Colleen to be a leader in our program. Being a first-year transfer she was a little hesitant in this role but she has begun to embrace it. The other girls look to her on the floor and her positive energy has been extremely important in close matches.”
For the Best localGame coverage
the Chronicle
Michael Zaritheny | For the ChronicleSenior Colleen McAvoy has been a force all season long for her Coventry High girls volleyball squad while averaging 15 kills and nine digs per match for the Patriots, who are cur-rently ranked 11th in the CT volleyball state coaches poll.
coventry HigH ScHool’S
colleen mcavoy
Congratulations to:Drew Archer of Lyman Memorial
Colleen McAvoy of Coventry HighGo Bulldogs! Go Patriots!
Peter Leeds 860-377-4433“Not Just The Sports Guy”
“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.”
Juma Ikangaa, winner of the 1989 New York City Marathon
lyman memorial’S
drew archer
Contributed photoFreshman forward/outside midfielder Drew Archer has made an immediate impact with his Lyman Memorial boys soccer team by scoring 11 goals and dishing off six assists for the Bulldogs, ranked 10th in this week’s CIAC Class M/S state coaches poll.
ECSU netters sweep their way to fifth straight winWILLIMANTIC — Freshman
Alaetra Long had five kills with-out an error in the first game to spark Eastern Connecticut State University’s first-game attack per-centage of .500 and the Warriors went on to post a Little East Conference women’s volley-ball sweep of the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Tuesday evening at Geissler Gymnasium. Games scores were 25-10, 25-13, 25-21.
A winner of five straight matches and 7-of-9 overall, Eastern (13-6 overall, 3-1 LEC) scored nine of the final 10 points of the first game to win going away with Long putting down three of the final seven points in that run.
Behind the serving of sophomore setter Mckenzie Maneggia, Eastern ripped off the first nine points of the second game with senior Carly Balskus and Long combing on all seven of the team’s kills in that opening spurt, with two additional points coming on attack errors by Umass-Dartmouth (8-10, 0-4).
In the middle portion of the third game, Eastern broke from a 4-point lead with a 7-1 rush that pushed its
advantage to 10, 22-12. Senior setter Amanda Tourjee
came off the bench to serve six straight points in that stretch with four Umass-Dartmouth attack errors fueling Eastern’s run.
As a team, Eastern attacked at .287 and committed only one recep-tion error in downing the Corsairs for the 43rd time in this 46-match series, needing only one hour and 11 minutes to complete its third straight sweep, ninth of the year.
Eastern has now won 11 straight games dating back to four matches ago.
UMass-Dartmouth managed to attack at only .045.
Defensively, junior Jackie Orlowski and freshman Lauren Notholt each contributed three block assists to Eastern’s total of 12.
In the match, Long led Eastern with 12 kills and a .423 attack per-centage, Balskus adding 10 kills and a .318 attack percentage.
Maneggia topped the team with 18 assists, junior setter Leah Sopneski adding 10.
Senior libero Michelle Valliere, last week’s LEC defensive player-of-the-week, totaled a team-high 16
digs, Maneggia adding 13.Sophomore Nicole Silverman
was UMD’s only player in double-figures in kills with 14, attacked at .243, and was perfect on 23 recep-tion attempts.
Sophomore setter Jordan Rittberger had 18 assists, sopho-more libero Jillian Sykora a match-high 18 digs and junior Amanda LaCroix adding 13.
In non-conference play Saturday at North Adams, Massachusetts, Eastern faces Bridgewater State University at 6 p.m. and host Mass College at 8 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEYStreaking Warriors win again
MANSFIELD — First-year senior Katie Calnen scored goals on both of her shots in a span of seven min-utes in the first half as the ECSU field hockey team won for the fifth time in the last six outings in a 3-1 Little East Conference victory over Fitchburg State University Tuesday evening at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
With two conference matches remaining in regular season, Eastern (6-6 overall, 5-4 LEC) has equaled its conference win total of a year
and moved to within one of its over-all win total of 2016.
The Warriors are in fifth place in the conference, three games behind the leader and a half-game out of securing fourth place and a first-round playoff home game on October 28.
Fitchburg State (6-5, 3-5), which lost three all-conference players from a team that shared third place in the 12-team conference, had won its previous three Little East con-tests.
Tuesday, the Warriors applied early pressure, earning three penal-ty corners without a positive result before Calnen, who joined the team at midseason, connected on her second goal of the year in the 17th minute on a tipped shot off a drive by junior Erin Sheehan.
Fitchburg State goalie Kasey Mammone had initially denied Sheehan and senior Tia LaFrance Boyce with saves minutes earlier with a Fitchburg State player off on a green card.
Eastern continued to threaten after the opening goal with senior Alex Kallgren hitting the post and Mammone making her third save on
Sheehan’s bid before Calnen made it 2-0 early in the 24th minute.
Fitchburg State cut the deficit in half by the half on senior Casey Noonan’s second goal of the year by depositing a loose ball in front of the cage and had subsequent chanc-es to gain the equalizer before the break but could not capitalize on three successive penalty corners.
Kallgren, the program’s all-time leading scorer, notched the 34th goal of her 67-game career six minutes into the second half to provide the Warriors with a 2-goal advantage.
Senior goalie Maddie LaRusso made the lead stand up, finishing with six saves and getting defensive saves from juniors Allie Caruso and Stephanie Hogan two minutes apart on scoring attempts by Aislinn DeHorsey.
Sheehan was credited with the third and fourth assists of her career on the Warriors’ first and last goals, with LaFrance Boyce picking up the second assist of the season and of her career.
Eastern visits conference leader Keene State College Saturday at noon.
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