Graduates
NEWTON, Mass. — Matthew Walker, a resident of Thompson, graduated from Lasell University. He received a bachelor’s in sport management.



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The Woodstock Academy was recently named a recipient of the Michaels Achievement Cup Award for the 2019-20 academic year.
The award is given by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference annually to 16 schools in the state who are part of the Class Act program.
It recognizes exemplary athletics programs for their willingness to subscribe to the Class Act Sportsmanship standards, empowering students to take an active role in their school climate and their continued support for community service.
Woodstock Academy head of school Chris Sandford said the award is a credit to the hard work of those involved with the school’s athletic department.
“Whether it’s the athletic administration, the student-athlete, the coaches, the parents on the sideline or the various members of our community who support the athletic program, this award is really a testament to their support. I could not be more proud of the athletic department as it works through this pandemic and still gives student-athletes opportunities,” Sandford said.
Athletic director Sean Saucier added that while state championships are memorable, honors like the Michaels Cup should not be forgotten.
“It’s really great,” Saucier said. “Sometimes, sportsmanship awards aren’t looked upon as highly as a competitive championship but as an administrator and athletic director, there is really nothing more important to me than how we act when we play, coach or are involved in interscholastic activities.”
Saucier feels that sportsmanship is something that is conveyed not only by words but also by actions, something he feels the Academy’s coaching staff and athletes were very effective in delivering last season.
 “It’s a combination of a lot of individual and small efforts. A quick talk by a coach, a quick action by a player or team captain and then having the courage to address issues when they do come up. We’re not perfect. Things will never be perfect in terms of sportsmanship but you have to have the courage to address issues when they arise,” Saucier said.
He said it’s an award that should be shared by those beyond the athletic community in the school as well.
“Last year during basketball season, we tried to rally the troops and increase our student section. They rallied and did a pretty darn good job of meeting the expectations of cheering for our teams and not heckling the opponents,” Saucier said. “We just tried to create some really good, clean fun in regard to school spirit.”
Saucier added the Woodstock Academy athletic honor society also reinforces the importance of sportsmanship by attending both the Eastern Connecticut Conference and CIAC sportsmanship conferences.
“We offer a lot of sports here, some inside the CIAC, some outside, so it’s a testament to all of our athletes whether they play a CIAC-sanctioned sport or not,” Sandford said.
Woodstock Academy will be formally recognized during the CIAC’s virtual sportsmanship conference on Feb. 10.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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When Kyle Lofton played high school ball in northern New Jersey, he saw a number of teammates and opponents celebrated for scoring 1,000 career points. He never reached that milestone himself, and always wondered what it would feel like.
Last week Lofton – the former Putnam Science Academy star now running the point at St. Bonaventure – found out for himself when he scored on a backdoor layup to start the second half of a win over Fordham.
“I actually thought I needed one more basket,” said Lofton, the 45th player in program history to hit the mark. “I thought the floater I hit later on was it, but then I found out I already had it.
“It’s definitely a blessing. Having only seen people do it in high school, but now to do it myself at a much higher level, I’m just blessed.”
Lofton, a junior who has the Bonnies off to a 6-1 start and a spot atop the Atlantic 10 standings, followed up with a 28-point showing against Duquesne. Thus far he is averaging 15.4 points and 5.3 assists per game, while essentially never coming out. He’s averaging just under 38 minutes per game after leading the nation in minutes played last year.
“I always knew I could do this, I always had faith in my game, but this is honestly not the way I thought it was going to go,” said Lofton, who didn’t even have a Division II pout of high school. “I didn’t think I was going to have much of a role here as a freshman, but I had good workouts, good practices. Scraba (PSA associate head coach Josh Scraba) actually texted me one day and told me they were thinking about starting me so I needed to stay hungry and stay humble.
“And from there, things have just kind of taken off.”
Lofton was selected to the conference’s All-Rookie team as a freshman, then to the All-Conference First Team as a sophomore (and a preseason slight as a Second Team All-Conference pick). Despite being an unheralded player upon his arrival at PSA, Mustangs coach Tom Espinosa always had a good feeling about Lofton, and that was before he led PSA to its first national title in 2018.
“I knew he’d be good with the Bonnies. I really did,” said Espinosa, who added that Lofton is one of his personal favorites. “He was really good with us. He could really shoot it. The kid’s a worker. He’s a flat-out winner. He leads and people follow him. He carried what he did here onto the college level, and now he’s on the NBA’s radar.”
Lofton is aware of that last part but doesn’t let it change anything.
“Look, I was lucky to get found and end up at PSA,” he said. “Being at PSA, that got me from being nobody to people knowing my name because I was around a lot of really good players and we won.
“I just think about the things that are going to help my team. If we’re winning, I have to play well, and my teammates have to play well. We all have that mindset, that’s what we focus on. Everything else is just a blessing.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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