By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC sporty shoutout is sent along to former Tourtellotte Tiger athlete Ed Luther.  One of the area’s most generous individuals Luther is always ready to help a friend in need.  He spends much of his off time on the links at Quinnatisset Country Club.  Luther blew out another candle on the cake on April 4, but he’s not disclosing what number it was.
It’s not unusual for many local hockey players who cut their teeth in local leagues to go on beyond the youth leagues and continue playing competitive hockey.  It is more unusual when it’s a female hockey player.
This winter Woodstock resident Sydney Cournoyer enjoyed a very successful season on the ice for the Minuteman Lady Flames who play in the Tier 2 New England Girls Hockey League.  The Flames, who play out of the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass., lived up to their name as they were on fire posting a 22-4-4 record good for first place in the league.
Recently the team participated in the State Championships where they opened with a 3-1 victory over the New England Falcons.  Following a tough 1-0 loss at the hands of the Charles River Blazers, the Flames bounced back with a huge 5-1 win over the Massachusetts Spitfires.  The win projected Cournoyer and her teammates into the semifinal round against Assabet Valley where they emerged victorious.
The win moved the team into the Championship contest against the ever dangerous Charles River Blazers who had edged the Flames earlier in the competition.  In a super competitive contest the teams battled to a 2-2 standoff through regulation.  In an amazing display of hockey skills and endurance the Blazers and Flames struggled through four overtime periods before the Flames would eventually put away the game winner for a 3-2 victory.
When all was said and done and the smoke had cleared, the Minuteman Lady Flames were crowned the State Champions of the New England Girls Hockey League.  For Cournoyer, the daughter of Lisa Cournoyer, travelling from Connecticut all season, capturing the title made the effort all worthwhile.  The Minuteman Lady Flames roster was composed primarily of players from Central Massachusetts with the exception of Cournoyer and one other player who hailed from Maine. 
Car Ring Broken By Ex-Putnam Clipper
A former Putnam High School athlete, who is currently a member of the New Jersey State Police, was recently involved in some breaking news that was related to an automobile car theft ring.  The news that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was making regarding toll booth closures on the George Washington Bridge stifled the story of the $8 million carjacking ring.      
Detective Sgt. Aaron Auclair of the NJ State Police worked in concert with the FBI and the New York and New Jersey Port Authority Police in corralling 29 individuals involved in the theft.  The sting operation, “Operation Jacked” was an investigation that took more than 10 months of undercover police work to crack the case, which brought the evil 29 individuals to justice.
The international theft car ring carjacked more than 160 luxury cars, including Mercedes Benz, BMW and Jaguars, that were being shipped to locations in West Africa.  The cars were stolen, hidden in secret warehouse locations and shipped to West Africa sometime after the thefts had cooled down.  The recovered automobiles are now safely stored in a warehouse in Bayonne, N.J, thanks to Auclair and other members of the sting team.
Detective Sgt. Auclair, the son of Tom and Jan Auclair of Putnam and Florida, was a three-sport standout during his high school days in Putnam.  He later went on to Western Connecticut State University, where he received a degree in criminal justice.  While at WCSU Auclair was a member of the school’s baseball program for four years.
Husky Fans at Madison Square Garden
Call it the luck of the draw or being in the right place at the right time but Paul Pikora of Putnam and his wife Mary were presented with tickets to the NCAA March Madness East Regional on Sunday, March 30 at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.
The Pikoras, who are dyed in the wool UConn Husky fans, not only enjoyed the trip to the Big Apple but of course were able to see coach Kevin Ollie’s boys dispose of the favored Michigan State Wolverines 60-54 in the Championship game, projecting Connecticut into the Final Four in Arlington, Texas.
Looking on from their lower deck seats in Section 104 the Pikoras were close to the action and the ensuing celebration thanks to the fine play of Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, Niels Giffey and DeAndre Daniels.  On Saturday, April 5 the Huskies squared off against Florida, the #1 team in the tournament.  The Pikoras might have been sitting next to the telephone waiting for a call for tickets, but it’s a certainty that if they weren’t lucky enough to go to Texas, they were glued to the television set rooting for another upset victory.
There was a local resident, however, who was fortunate enough to be on hand for the Final Four.  Steve Balick of Danielson had purchased his tickets well in advance of the tourney and considered it a bonus that the Huskies made it to the Lone Star State.  Balick, who is a regular at the Courthouse Restaurant in Putnam, was spotted being interviewed on Channel 3 sports news on Friday, April 4.
Running For St. Joseph
The St. Joseph’s School 3-Mile Road Race, which was run for the 21st year in Baltic on Sunday, March 30 attracted an early season group of more than 150 hardy runners.  There was some local flavor in the top 15 finishers as Danielson’s Wayne Jolley was the 13th runner to cross the finish line.  He posted a time of 19:29, good enough to place him first in his age group.
Linda Spooner, who hails from Sturbridge but has family ties to northeastern Connecticut, was the second woman to break the tape.  She finished 11th overall in a time of 18:46, which also made her the winner in her age category.
Sandwiched between Spooner and Jolley was 12th place finisher Joshua Pothier of Moosup who crossed the line in a time of 19:21.
Keeping Up With The Locals
Former Woodstock Centaur Chris Mayhew is continuing his torrid hitting for UConn - Avery Point, as the Pointers of coach Roger Bidwell boast an 18-3 record.  In an easy 16-0 victory over Massachusetts Bay Community College, Mayhew had two hits and three runs batted in.
Meanwhile in Port St. Lucie, Fla., former Norwich Free Academy and Boston College grad Eric Campbell was sent to the New York Mets minor league camp on the final day of spring training.  The news was disappointing for Campbell who last year played well at the Triple A level.  The third baseman is hoping that this year he’ll produce once again and finally get that shot playing for the Mets at Citi Field.
Last week RPC reported that former Norwich Free Academy pitcher Domenic Leone was sent to the minor league by the Seattle Mariners.  This week Leone was recalled by the Mariners and according to reports, the hurler is expected to see mound action during impact situations for the west coast franchise.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Don’t live life with the brakes on.
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