Sports
Nashoba Girls Lax Grows Up
By Ellen Oliver
Nashoba Girls (youth) Lacrosse is in a boom mode with 90 girls signing up for the 2013 season. “We’re growing steadily,” said NGL President Gigi Lengieza. Now in its sixth year, the team offerings have expanded from one for each level to two at the U15 level.
Open to girls from Stow, Bolton, and Lancaster, the youth program mimics the high school team by drawing teams from the same geographic pool as well as playing many of the same Central Mass opponents. “The teams we play in youth lacrosse are a lot of the same ones we play at the high school level,” said Lengieza.
Girls Tennis Expands Program
By Ellen Oliver
The Nashoba girls’ tennis team is expanding – growing from eight players to twelve, from three courts to five. Another area where they want to expand: in the record books by forging deeper into the playoffs.
The season started with the Chieftains channeling energy from their new courts into wins. The girls started off the year with a 5-0 win home over Algonquin, followed by a 4-1 victory at Wachusett. Then the team ran into some trouble, losing to Shrewsbury 4-1 and Westborough 4-1.
Softball Strong and Focused
By Ellen Oliver
Early on Nashoba’s softball schedule every season is the Cheryl Jones Memorial Tournament in Hudson. Nashoba entered the tournament unbeaten after three games, including a 15-1 rout of North Middlesex on Patriots Day.
The first match of the April 18th tournament saw the Chieftains defeat Dracut 2-1, who couldn’t withstand the Chieftain’s knock-out pitching. “To come here and beat Dracut, a highly ranked team, was great for us,” said Nashoba Coach Steve Kendall. “We’re a happy to have played well against a good team.”
Tennis Adjusts to New Playing Fields
By Ellen Oliver
Last spring, the Nashoba boys’ tennis team rode a winning streak to the state finals against Martha’s Vineyard. This year, the boy’s team is hoping the playoff magic holds for them again while adjusting to new playing fields, literally and figuratively.
The new five-court spread at Nashoba opened this year near the soccer fields, giving the team room to stretch out. The team is no longer huddled on the three courts that were nestled in the trees off the Auditorium entrance of the school. “The courts look like they belong there,” said Coach Brenda Mason.
Nashoba Sweeps in LAX Doubleheader
By Ellen Oliver
In the first ever night games for Nashoba Lacrosse, the Chieftains swept the North Middlesex Patriots with solid showings under the lights in Bolton. The girls defeated North Middlesex 13-8, while the boys who took the field in the second half of the doubleheader, won 16-6.
The girls kicked off the night with the first game, taking control from the start. “We played a strong game overall. Our defense looked great. We took our time on offense and were patient,” reported Coach Laura Banas.
Intramurals Provide Communal Activities
By Ellen Oliver
Beyond the sports and clubs at Nashoba, there’s a thriving intramural program, typically offered between sports seasons. “The intramural program is an option for some kids who aren’t involved in other sports,” said Nashoba Athletic Director Tania Rich.
Matball, volleyball, badminton and other sports are offered between varsity seasons in a brief tournament style to bring together the Nashoba community in a fun environment.
“Intramurals are really for anybody. It’s about the community and bringing everyone together,” said Matt Ettinger, a teacher and coach who ran matball this year. “It’s like a family picnic where everyone plays a fun communal activity.”
Stow Woman Skates into Dream Job
By Ellen Oliver Stow resident Jennifer Danowitz thought her career path as a teacher was set. That is until her students turned the tables on her motivational speeches and encouraged her to pursue her dream as a skater for Disney on Ice. After Danowitz graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2010 where she…
Nashoba Graceful, Poised in State Final Loss
By Ellen Oliver
We all root for the team that works hard and commits to long hours at practice to improve, but they don’t always win in the end. When the Central Mass D2 champion Nashoba Chieftains girls’ basketball team met Southern Mass D2 winner Medfield in the State championship on Saturday at the DCU Center, the outcome wasn’t what the Chieftains wanted.
Shortly after Erin Cressman put the first points on the scoreboard for Nashoba, the Medfield Warriors began their attack, taking the lead with a nifty three-pointer and never looking back. Despite relentless pressure by Nashoba, Medfield pulled away 11 points at the half, going on a five point run in the final minute.
Special Olympians are Gold Medalists
By Ellen Oliver
Thomas Jefferson said, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” The Nashoba Chieftain Special Olympics basketball team has been working hard since last June to prepare for a berth in the Massachusetts Special Olympics state championships. And guess what? Those lucky ducks came home with gold medals.
The Special Olympics of Massachusetts (SOMA) Winter Games ran over March 9 and 10 with the basketball tournaments held at eight locations around Worcester. There were 166 teams competing from across the Commonwealth, organized into divisions based on age and whether or not there are helpers on the team (unified). The Nashoba Chieftains played their four games in the under 22, traditional (no volunteers on the court) division at the Worcester Technical High School.
Girls Hoops Head to State Finals
By Ellen Oliver
The Nashoba girls basketball team will be playing for the school’s first State Championship after capturing the division title and plowing through the first round of the state bracket.
On Saturday afternoon at Fitchburg State University, Nashoba only needed four minutes to dethrone the current CMass D2 girls’ basketball champs, undefeated Tyngsborough, and claim the crown for themselves. After a game that went into overtime tied 50-50, the Chieftains proved the dominant team, going on a five point scoring run while holding the Tigers to two points.