The Wolverines Lacrosse team lost a hard fought game to host UMass on Friday despite playing very good Lacrosse for the majority of the game. Trailing 5-3 coming out of halftime the Wolverines were able to keep things even for the majority of the 2nd half with the two teams exchanging goals throughout. Down 8-5 with just over 4 minutes remaining, Bridgton had a pair of man up opportunities which they were able to convert cutting the lead to one at 8-7 with only two minutes remaining. The Minutemen however were able to hang on adding a pair of insurance goals as the game drew to a close handing the Wolverines a tough 10-7 loss.
Ben Cullen (Huston, TN) and Ben Santos (Boxford, MA) led the Wolverines with two goals apiece, while Nate Rivet (Lewiston, ME), Kane Henderson (West Linn, OR) and Kyle Carman (Wakefield, MA) each added one goal on the afternoon.
Bridgton will return to action Tuesday, April 14th, when they travel down to Wesleyan College for a 3 PM game.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Bridgton Alum's Mix Things Up in Showdown of NCAA Division II Elites
Five Bridgton Academy Alums faced off on the field over the weekend in a showdown between two of Division II's elite teams. Le Moyne College came into the game the consensus #1 team in the land with an undefeated 9-0 record and featuring three Bridgton Academy Alums, while Merrimack College currently ranked #4 brought an undefeated 8-0 record into the contest along with two BA alums. (To see a list of all former Bridgton Academy Lax players currently playing in college click Here!)
The former Wolverines made their mark on the game as former teammates Jikado Hanna '07 now playing for Le Moyne, and Michael Balbuena '07 now playing for Merrimack, each had a hand in the game's scoring. Hanna recorded the first goal of the game to make things 1-0 in favor of Le Moyne, while Balbuena got things started for his Merrimack squad when he got them on the board to make the game 2-1 early in the second quarter. Balbuena again got his name in the books when he recorded an assist in the 3rd quarter, on a goal that tied the game up at 4-4 heading into the fourth.
Le Moyne was able to hold on for a 5-4 win in solidifying themselves as the best in the country as they improved to 9-0 on the season, while Merrimack's upset plans fell short as they dropped to 8-1. The two teams will return to action this week when Le Moyne play host to AIC on Tuesday with game time slated for 4 pm, and Merrimack will travel to St. Anselm the same day with their game scheduled for 4:30 pm.
For an official write up of the Le Moyne vs. Merrimack game click Here.
The former Wolverines made their mark on the game as former teammates Jikado Hanna '07 now playing for Le Moyne, and Michael Balbuena '07 now playing for Merrimack, each had a hand in the game's scoring. Hanna recorded the first goal of the game to make things 1-0 in favor of Le Moyne, while Balbuena got things started for his Merrimack squad when he got them on the board to make the game 2-1 early in the second quarter. Balbuena again got his name in the books when he recorded an assist in the 3rd quarter, on a goal that tied the game up at 4-4 heading into the fourth.
Le Moyne was able to hold on for a 5-4 win in solidifying themselves as the best in the country as they improved to 9-0 on the season, while Merrimack's upset plans fell short as they dropped to 8-1. The two teams will return to action this week when Le Moyne play host to AIC on Tuesday with game time slated for 4 pm, and Merrimack will travel to St. Anselm the same day with their game scheduled for 4:30 pm.
For an official write up of the Le Moyne vs. Merrimack game click Here.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wolverines Fall to Phillips Exeter
Bridgton Academy traveled over to Phillip Exeter Academy on Wednesday for an afternoon Lacrosse game. The Wolverines found themselves in a hold early as PEA was able to get on the board just two minutes into the game. Bridgton's offense continued to struggle as Exeter's continued to thrive adding three more goals over the next 6 minutes to make it 4-0 before BA's Junior Burke (Wakefield, RI) got the Wolverines on the board to cut it to three goals entering the second quarter.
Less then 40 seconds into the start of the second quarter PEA struck again, and soon followed with their 6th goal of the game 30 seconds later. The Wolverines were struggling to build any momentum as they were faced with numerous penalties forcing them to play a man down. PEA continued to extend their lead to 6 goals at 7-1 with 5:37 to go in the first half. Two and a half minutes later the Wolverines began to show a bit of life when Ben Santos (Boxford, MA) found the back of the net for his first of the game.
The two teams played even over the following 7 minutes before PEA scored their 8th, and then 9th goals of the game in closing out the 3rd quarter putting the Wolverines down 9-2 with only the final 12 minutes of the fourth quarter ahead of them. Wolverines Head Coach Mike Jones did his best to motivate his team in attempt to mount what would need to be an all hands on deck comeback.
Bridgton came out with a sense of urgency, something that had been lacking throughout the first three quarters, and with the offense pressing Kane Henderson (West Linn, OR) scored his first goal of the game cutting the lead to 6 at 9-3 with only 9 minutes remaining. Despite the continued pressure from the Wolverines the next 5 minutes saw neither team score as PEA worked to protect their lead. Santos, however, was able to find the back of the net for his second goal of the game with just 4 minutes remaining...78 seconds later teammate Kane Henderson scored again. It was now a four goal game with 2:53 left to go. The Wolverines continued to apply pressure and were able to find the net one more time with just 8 seconds remaning when Santos connected on his 3rd goal of the game, but it was too little too late for the Wolverines as they lost a tough one 9-6.
Less then 40 seconds into the start of the second quarter PEA struck again, and soon followed with their 6th goal of the game 30 seconds later. The Wolverines were struggling to build any momentum as they were faced with numerous penalties forcing them to play a man down. PEA continued to extend their lead to 6 goals at 7-1 with 5:37 to go in the first half. Two and a half minutes later the Wolverines began to show a bit of life when Ben Santos (Boxford, MA) found the back of the net for his first of the game.
The two teams played even over the following 7 minutes before PEA scored their 8th, and then 9th goals of the game in closing out the 3rd quarter putting the Wolverines down 9-2 with only the final 12 minutes of the fourth quarter ahead of them. Wolverines Head Coach Mike Jones did his best to motivate his team in attempt to mount what would need to be an all hands on deck comeback.
Bridgton came out with a sense of urgency, something that had been lacking throughout the first three quarters, and with the offense pressing Kane Henderson (West Linn, OR) scored his first goal of the game cutting the lead to 6 at 9-3 with only 9 minutes remaining. Despite the continued pressure from the Wolverines the next 5 minutes saw neither team score as PEA worked to protect their lead. Santos, however, was able to find the back of the net for his second goal of the game with just 4 minutes remaining...78 seconds later teammate Kane Henderson scored again. It was now a four goal game with 2:53 left to go. The Wolverines continued to apply pressure and were able to find the net one more time with just 8 seconds remaning when Santos connected on his 3rd goal of the game, but it was too little too late for the Wolverines as they lost a tough one 9-6.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wolverines Play A Pair of Short Tune-Ups
The Bridgton Academy Lacrosse team played a pair of short games versus Holderness and Kimball Union on Wednesday. It was a chance for the Wolverines to get outside on a full size field with game like conditions. Bridgton played 2 20 minute halves of running time with both Holderness and Kimball Union.
The Wolverines will return to regular season action this weekend when they travel down to Army for a pair of games with Army JV and Army Prep.
Here are some photos from Wednesdays action...
The Wolverines will return to regular season action this weekend when they travel down to Army for a pair of games with Army JV and Army Prep.
Here are some photos from Wednesdays action...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wolverines Fall In Season Opener, 7-6
The Bridgton Academy Lacrosse team lost a close game to Hartwick College yesterday 7-6 in their season opener. The contest started rather slow for Bridgton and Hartwick was able to capitalize on some opportunities en route to opening up a 5-0 lead at halftime. The second half, however, saw Bridgton come out with more life, ready to take care of business. Bridgton's Ben Cullen (Huston, TN) put 3 shots in the back of the net, while Ben Santos (Boxford, MA) saw 2 shots find a home and David Rothenberg (Scranton, PA) also scored, and had his last second shot narrowly miss the net for what would have been the tieing score. Joe Robichaud (Madison, CT) had a great game manning the net for the Wolverines as he recorded an impressive 70 saves. Of Hartwick's 7 goals, four of them came on man down plays.
Wolverines Head Coach Mike Jones was pleased with his teams second half effort as Bridgton was able to outscore Hartwick 5-2, he's hoping that strong play will carry over into the Wolverines next game this Wednesday, April 1st, at the Holderness School.
Wolverines Head Coach Mike Jones was pleased with his teams second half effort as Bridgton was able to outscore Hartwick 5-2, he's hoping that strong play will carry over into the Wolverines next game this Wednesday, April 1st, at the Holderness School.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wolverines Prepare To Get Season Underway
The Bridgton Academy Lacrosse team spent last Thursday and Friday at Gould Academy taking part of some scrimmage play in hopes of getting prepared for Wednesday, March 25th's season opener against Bowdoin College.
On Thursday, the Wolverines mixed things up with Gould Academy, taking part in a controlled scrimmage and taking advantage of being outside on a much larger surface than the Wolverines had been exposed to so far this spring. On Friday, BA and Gould were joined by Tilton school and together the 3 teams mixed things up sharing some precious field time before taking part in about an hour long full field scrimmage in which Bridgton took on a combined squad made up of Gould and Tilton players.
Here are some photos from Friday!
On Thursday, the Wolverines mixed things up with Gould Academy, taking part in a controlled scrimmage and taking advantage of being outside on a much larger surface than the Wolverines had been exposed to so far this spring. On Friday, BA and Gould were joined by Tilton school and together the 3 teams mixed things up sharing some precious field time before taking part in about an hour long full field scrimmage in which Bridgton took on a combined squad made up of Gould and Tilton players.
Here are some photos from Friday!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Fall 2009
Bridgton Academy is pleased to announce a dramatically revamped fall sports schedule for the coming fall 2009 season. In particular, the spring sports of lacrosse and baseball will begin a full and aggressive fall schedule of practices and games, joining with the Academy’s traditional fall sports of football, soccer, and golf.
“This move ensures that all of our athletes, including those playing lacrosse and baseball, get a great opportunity for broad exposure to college coaches during the critical first half of their year at Bridgton,” said Brad Smith, the Academy’s Director of Athletics. “Given our athletes’ status as post-graduate students, recruiting focus on them must be in the fall before early decision and regular application deadlines, financial aid form due dates, and national letter of intent dates stack up throughout December, January, and February.”
This move builds upon the existing fall baseball and lacrosse programs and will ensure an exciting and very busy campus come September, October, and November. “We typically have some level of athletic training taking place for all of our student athletes during the fall, but this new emphasis will ensure that all of our athletes are fully engaged both academically and athletically right from the time they arrive on campus,” Smith said.
This change also alters the way the start of school with take place. Starting this fall, all students will report to campus at the end of August with the first week being filled with an intensive pre-season for the athletes mixed in with school orientation and other activities. Those not competing in varsity athletics will also report early to participate in experiential programs showcasing the great outdoors of Maine.
Bridgton has traditionally fielded strong football and soccer programs each fall, followed by nationally ranked prep basketball and junior hockey squads during the winter. However, spring sports have often dealt with difficult Maine winters, limiting access to fields until late March or early April. This annual challenge often meant Bridgton’s nationally recognized lacrosse program and perennially strong baseball program struggled to get in home games and get quality outdoor practice time.
In addition to the weather, there is another critical factor that makes the move opportunistic. College athletic recruitment tends to be very focused on the months of September through January. In order to maximize BA’s spring athletic programs’ exposure to interested college coaches, it only made sense to build a legitimate fall schedule, thus directly addressing college coaches’ scouting schedules and recruiting needs.
The Academy’s action adds to a fall athletics schedule that currently features a football team that plays a predominantly college JV schedule against schools such as Yale, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Holy Cross, among others. The soccer schedule is evolving towards a mix of college JV and NEPSAC (New England Prep School Athletic Conference) schools. The golf team will continue to play in the NEPSAC and MAISAD leagues. Baseball will play up to 16 games against college club teams and other year-round baseball programs. Lacrosse will participate in several college showcases as well as play 12-15 games versus college club teams and other U-19 select teams.
“We are excited about our decision. We feel it will give your young men a chance to better engage and get into the rhythm that is Bridgton Academy. Being a PG only school means we have to ensure that every day counts, knowing that there isn’t a “next year” for our students. We attack that challenge right alongside our students. It is one that we both embrace,” said Grady Vigneau, Bridgton’s Head of School.
Look for a finalized fall athletics schedule to published by mid-May or earlier.
“This move ensures that all of our athletes, including those playing lacrosse and baseball, get a great opportunity for broad exposure to college coaches during the critical first half of their year at Bridgton,” said Brad Smith, the Academy’s Director of Athletics. “Given our athletes’ status as post-graduate students, recruiting focus on them must be in the fall before early decision and regular application deadlines, financial aid form due dates, and national letter of intent dates stack up throughout December, January, and February.”
This move builds upon the existing fall baseball and lacrosse programs and will ensure an exciting and very busy campus come September, October, and November. “We typically have some level of athletic training taking place for all of our student athletes during the fall, but this new emphasis will ensure that all of our athletes are fully engaged both academically and athletically right from the time they arrive on campus,” Smith said.
This change also alters the way the start of school with take place. Starting this fall, all students will report to campus at the end of August with the first week being filled with an intensive pre-season for the athletes mixed in with school orientation and other activities. Those not competing in varsity athletics will also report early to participate in experiential programs showcasing the great outdoors of Maine.
Bridgton has traditionally fielded strong football and soccer programs each fall, followed by nationally ranked prep basketball and junior hockey squads during the winter. However, spring sports have often dealt with difficult Maine winters, limiting access to fields until late March or early April. This annual challenge often meant Bridgton’s nationally recognized lacrosse program and perennially strong baseball program struggled to get in home games and get quality outdoor practice time.
In addition to the weather, there is another critical factor that makes the move opportunistic. College athletic recruitment tends to be very focused on the months of September through January. In order to maximize BA’s spring athletic programs’ exposure to interested college coaches, it only made sense to build a legitimate fall schedule, thus directly addressing college coaches’ scouting schedules and recruiting needs.
The Academy’s action adds to a fall athletics schedule that currently features a football team that plays a predominantly college JV schedule against schools such as Yale, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Holy Cross, among others. The soccer schedule is evolving towards a mix of college JV and NEPSAC (New England Prep School Athletic Conference) schools. The golf team will continue to play in the NEPSAC and MAISAD leagues. Baseball will play up to 16 games against college club teams and other year-round baseball programs. Lacrosse will participate in several college showcases as well as play 12-15 games versus college club teams and other U-19 select teams.
“We are excited about our decision. We feel it will give your young men a chance to better engage and get into the rhythm that is Bridgton Academy. Being a PG only school means we have to ensure that every day counts, knowing that there isn’t a “next year” for our students. We attack that challenge right alongside our students. It is one that we both embrace,” said Grady Vigneau, Bridgton’s Head of School.
Look for a finalized fall athletics schedule to published by mid-May or earlier.
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