Griffins pg 8 10-7-21
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Griffins lose close game
POMFRET — The Pomfret School boys’ soccer team lost to Westminster School, Oct. 2, 3-2.
According to coach Patrick Burke, Pomfret goals came from: Fred Coulibaly 13th minute (assist to Nate Watson) and Eumir Rodriguez, 30th minute (assist to Devin Walcott) Javier Alonso had five saves.
Burke said: “Games like tonight’s game under the lights at Westminster are the epitome of what we missed during our hiatus from competitive play last fall. Two evenly matched teams battled for the entire 90 minutes tonight, and both teams can be proud of their effort. As is often the case with soccer, the difference in the game came down to a couple of crucial moments, and Westminster was able to take advantage of their final one to earn the win.”
The game started off on the wrong foot for Pomfret as Westminster was able to score on a relatively routine action just 1 minute into the game. Pomfret needed to respond and some nice play from Cole Castro, Declan Chapman, Grant Maurer, Nate Watson, Devin Walcott, and Fred Coulibaly got us momentum. Cole put Declan through for a nice run and in the 13th minute a great combination between Devin, Nate, and Fred allowed Fred to drive home a shot to the near post.
Griffins’ defense of Ethan Forbes, Gerald Gao, Eumir Rodriguez, Lawrence Viola, and Henry Cattell remained solid and goalkeeper Javier Alonso cut out a few crosses and attempts from Westy’s talented attacking threats. Pomfret would take a 2-1 lead in the game’s 30th minute. Devin’s dangerous set piece was met by Eumir. His first attempt was saved, but his follow up effort allowed him to put a high quality finish into the top of the net. Up 2-1, Westy continued to attack and in the 40th minute were able to score on a quick counter that evened up the scoreboard.
With the score tied 2-2 both teams knew the second half would be highly competitive, and Westy had the first great opportunity. Javier made an outstanding one-handed save to keep the score tied, and a few minutes later Grant and Devin sprang Declan who forced Westy’s keeper into a fine save of his own.
Then Caleb White, Dylan Tran, and Kaya gave Pomfret valuable minutes and the game was quite even. Unfortunately, in the game’s 79th minute a routine ball from Westminster was able to get through Pomfret’s lines and allow their hardworking forward to go in for a finish. Down 3-2 Pomfret continued to push. Devin went close on a set piece and then set up Grant on another. Grant’s header hit the goal post and went wide.
It was a bit frustrating to lose tonight as we felt we deserved, at minimum, a point (a tie).
Loses to Williston
POMFRET — Earlier in the week, Pomfret lost to Williston, 3-1
The Pomfret goal came from Dylan Tran, 75th ( assist Declan Chapman) and Javier Alonso had 10 saves.
Coach Patrick Burke said the boys’ varsity soccer team knew they were in for a test with Williston, which recently become one of the strongest class B teams in New England.
In the first half, Williston dominated the pace and possession of the game. Fortunately for Pomfret’s defense and goalkeeper Javier Alonso were up to the task. Gerald Gao, Eumir Rodriguez, Ethan Forbes, and Lawrence Viola faced pressure but responded effectively each time. Javier came up with some strong saves, while defenders were winning one-on-one battles. Then midfielders Grant Maurer, Devin Walcott, Declan Chapman, Kaya Horvath, and Caleb White found more of the ball. An unfortunate PK call in the game’s 28th minute gave Williston a 1-0 lead and just two minutes later a long shot also found the back of the Pomfret net and Pomfret was down 2-0.
After a tactical change at half time, Pomfret out more organized and energetic. Nate Watson, Caleb White, Fred Coulibaly, and Cole Castro worked hard on the flanks and the defense remained poised. Midfield pressure allowed Grant to put Declan through for a close chance that went just over the crossbar. A few minutes later the pressure kept mounting, and a strong win from Grant led to a through ball to Declan whose cross found the feet of Dylan. Dylan calmly powered a shot past the on rushing keeper to make the game 2-1. Van Horvath gave Pomfret a spark and they had a few opportunities as Nate, Grant, Eumir, and Declan came close. Pomfret was pushing for an equalizer but a mistake from a Pomfret set piece gave Williston a free run.
By Patrick Burke
.
Police pg 8 10-7-21
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
Oct. 1
Joshua Rock, 39, Smith Street, Putnam; third-degree assault, disorderly conduct.
.
ECC pg 1 10-21-21
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
ECC
championship
next up for
Centaur
harriers
The most exciting part of the season lies ahead for the Woodstock Academy girls’ cross-country team.
The Centaurs will take part in the ECC championship meet Oct. 21 at the Norwich Golf Course.
“I’m very excited for this meet,” said senior Linsey Arends. “I’m a little nervous because we’ve had a lot of meets that have been close together with little rest time. So, we’re hoping to get a little rest, get some speed work in and perform super well on Thursday.”
Arends finished second in the ECC championship meet when it was last run two years ago. The winner was Bacon Academy’s Jordan Malloy and both were only sophomores.
The rivalry will be renewed Oct. 21. The two ran against one another in the Wickham Park Invitational medium varsity race recently with Malloy just edging out Arends by 13 seconds.
“I do want to catch her,” Arends said. “I was trying to keep up with them at Wickham and it was like, ‘Ooh, not today’ but I did break 20 (minutes) which was my goal and it was amazing to do. I wasn’t that far behind and could see them (Tolland’s Peyton Bornstein, Suffield’s Emily Brydges and Malloy finished in front of Arends) the whole way. Hopefully, I will get (Malloy) at ECCs but I know it will be good competition and we’re both going to have fun. I like having Jordan and Peyton there (Bornstein will not run at the ECC championship) and knowing I will be racing them because it’s a friendship that I feel I have cultivated over the four years.”
Head coach Joe Banas said for Arends to catch Malloy will take some work and strategy. “Linsey has to run the perfect race and what I mean by that is that she has to let (Malloy) take it out and needs to sit on her. With a half-mile or mile left, just try and press it. We hope it doesn’t come down to the final sprint because we’ve seen Jordan and she can outkick Linsey but I think Linsey has a shot,” Banas said.
As far as the team, it finished in third place at Wickham, 49 points behind first-place finisher E. Lyme whom it will also have to compete against at the ECC championship.
While that may seem like it a lot, it’s not the points, but the overall time of the two teams that matters. The Vikings were just a minute ahead of the Centaurs.
“It’s not impossible,” said assistant coach Josh Welch. “It will be a tough race and we’re going to have to have everything go right but I think we can push them a lot. We started to break into their pack at Wickham and showed we could mix it up. Who knows?”
The Centaurs finished the dual-meet portion of the season with an 8-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in Div. I of the ECC after a pair of wins last week.
Woodstock downed host NFA 22-39 and Griswold 15-50.
The ECC championship meet will also determine the regular season champion in all of the ECC boys’ and girls’ cross-country divisions.
Arends finished 33 seconds ahead of the field, crossing the line in 22 minutes, 11 seconds. Her fellow captain, Carah Bruce, was third overall in 22:47, just three seconds back of NFA’s Sophia Jones.
Julia Coyle, Lauren Brule, Leah Castle, Tessa Brown and Sydney Lord finished in the five through nine spots for the Centaurs.
“They’re flipping around quite a bit,” Welch said of the constant change in order of finish behind Arends. “Some of that had to do with wrong turns and other things and things shifted in different ways but they are all up there, pushing each other, which is awesome.”
Arends said: “There is a little behind the scenes rivalry going on within the team because I know a lot of the girls want to protect their varsity spot. It’s a really good thing that it’s happening,” Arends said. “It doesn’t directly affect me but if I see them coming down together to the finish line, I try to get them to race it out because it’s good to have someone running right next to you. It gives you that little bit of fear and motivation and the ‘I can’t let her beat me’ feeling especially when it’s your friend.”
The Centaurs will be able to run only seven in the varsity race of the ECC which created a quandary for Banas: “I have a hard decision to make. I have eight girls who really deserve to go,” Banas said.
Boys’ cross-country
Academy senior Ian Hoffman continues to improve. Hoffman finished fifth overall in the Centaurs final dual meet of the season against host NFA and Griswold. The Centaurs finished with a 5-4 overall record and a 0-3 mark in Div. I of the ECC as they lost to the Wildcats 27-30 and the Wolverines 22-34.
Hoffman finished in 17 minutes, 57 seconds and was just 22 seconds behind first-place finisher Michael Strain of Griswold.
“It was very good to see and he looked like he belonged there,” said coach Peter Lusa. “Now, he has a vision in his head as to where he needs to be (in the ECC championship race). Who the players are, who he should go out with and who he should not go out with.”
Lusa fully expects to see Hoffman, a senior, finish in the top 10 in the ECC championship.
“It’s going to be tough. He will finish the race exhausted. He will have to put it all out there and I think that will put him into good stead in (the state championship meet) the following week,” Lusa said.
Hoffman’s teammate Vincente Bastura placed seventh at Mohegan Park with Christian Menounos in ninth. But they were off the pace of the leaders a bit. Bastura finished 1:07 behind Hoffman.
“There was a significant gap between our first and second runners. The first pack kind of brought themselves along and the second pack stayed together for a bit and then Vince emerged from it and ran by himself with no one to chase after,” Lusa said. Seamus Lippy was 10th for the Centaurs.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
caption, page 4
Hopeful
Woodstock Academy senior Linsey Arends hopes to bring home an ECC individual title from the Norwich Golf Course this week. Photo by Josh Welch.
.
Great pg 1 10-21-21
- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption, page 1:
Faces Painted
Charlotte, left, and Scarlett, 3-year-old twins of Webster, delighted in their fabulous faces. Charlotte is a unicorn and her sister is a tiger. More photos on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.
captions, page 6:
Pumpkin
Fest
Clockwise from top left: Ava Fey, 5, of Putnam; Ninja pumpkin by Jon Conway; sand castle by Sandtasia Sand Sculptors; Everett Taranto, 2, of Putnam; Alixander Holden, 4, of Putnam.
caption, page 6 - Scarecrow:
Winners
Clockwise from top left: Breakfast with the Beatles; Spook-Easy; Lady Aspinock; Moving on UP; and The Gatekeeper.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Mobbed. Yes, the right word would be mobbed.
The Great Pumpkin Festival was mobbed with visitors, musicians, artists, kids, vendors, sand, pumpkins in all forms and scarecrows.
More than 4,000 people attended said Karen Osbrey, who is co-chair of the Great Pumpkin Festival Committee along with Parks and Recreation Director Willie Bousquet.
She estimated there were more than 80 vendors who were pleased. “Many of our vendors are repeats and many commented that they will be back next year, too,” she said.
The train excursion didn’t happen this year; however, thanks to WIN Waste Innovations, there was a Trackless Train giving rides. “Our train was a big hit,” said Osbrey.
Another new attraction, the Kids’ Zone in Rotary Park was also a hit. A bounce house and a “batting cage” for the little ones kept kids busy. And who doesn’t like a giant sandcastle. Kids, and adults alike, marveled at the sand castle created by Sandtasia Sand Sculptors at the park. It was sponsored by Jewett City Savings Bank, Rawson Materials, the Putnam Business Association and Donny D Landscaping.
Osbrey said, “Our Kids’ Zone in Rotary Park was very well received and families were very happy to have somewhere for kids to run around and play.”
She added: “The Great Pumpkin Festival is one of my favorite events in Putnam and it was so wonderful to have it return this year. The weather was beautiful and it was especially nice to see so many families and children attending the festival.”
The Great Pumpkin Festival is sponsored by: WIN Waste Innovations; Putnam Bank, a division of Centreville Bank; Archambault Insurance Associates; First American Home Loans; Gerardi Insurance Services; NorthStar Homes Loans; The Byrnes Agency; Jewett City Savings Bank and WINY Radio.
Scarecrow Contest
The Scarecrow Contest inspired 33 entries. The winners are: Bill's Bread and Breakfast, "Breakfast with the Beatles," first; Loomis Team at Remax, "Spook-Easy," second; Putnam Municipal Employees, "Lady Aspinock," third; Scariest winner: The Courthouse Bar & Grille, "The Gatekeeper." Best in the Park: Woodstock Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices New England Properties, "Moving on UP."
.