BrewsterConnections - Brewster Academy

Softball By Coach T.J. PalmerIn its fourth season following a 24-yearhiatus, Brewster softball sealed theLakes Region Championship after itsfinal game victory over Kimball UnionAcademy 19-1. With an 8-1 record, it wasan amazing season with a great groupof hard-working athletes who had comeclose to winning the championship forthe past two years.The season started off with the diamondbeing covered by several feet of snow,which prevented the first three contestsfrom ever happening.Finally, the openeron April 19 , broughtvictory over rivalHolderness School13-1, and the teamlooked like it wasgoing to start anotherchampionship run. Inthe second game ofthe season, the Bobcatstraveled to VermontAcademy and expectedanother easy win. Itwas not to be, however,as Vermont’s pitcherbaffled the Brewsterline-up, holding themscoreless for seveninnings. Ultimately,Vermont defeatedBrewster 4-0 anddelivered a seriousblow to any thoughtsof a banner.With their mostimportant game ofthe season againstNew Hampton Schoolonly days later, thegirls didn’t look back.In this game, theBobcat squad proved to be the morewell-rounded team, winning 8-5. Thatvictory propelled the girls to whatwould be seven straight victories.Each player rose to the occasion andcontributed to the team’s wins. Whetherit was sophomore Anna Purvis (Acton,Maine) hitting homeruns and triples orsophomore Joanna Lawlor (Lexington,Massachusetts) sliding into second foranother steal, or senior Hannah Byers(Wolfeboro) making an awesome catchin center field, there were always playersstepping up to make the great playwhen needed.Senior Teraysa White (Fairfield,Maine) returned for her third season ofpitching and carried the team on hershoulders with her third consecutiveMost Valuable Player trophy. She threwstrikes and her speed kept the opposingbatters on their heels. Her best effortwas in the New Hampton game with thechampionship on the line, having lost aThe 2008 Lakes Region Champion Softball team celebrates their success.“With an 8-1 record,it was an amazingseason with a greatgroup of hard-workingathletes who had comeclose to winning thechampionship for thepast two years.”heartbreaker in extra innings there lastyear. She dominated off the rubber andwas the clean-up hitter in the battingorder, driving in multiple runs.White’s target behind the plate wasjunior Megan Doyen (Ortonville,Michigan) who was a true backstop,showing strong defensive skills andthrowing out would-be base-stealers.She also was the lead-off hitter, buntingand slapping hits around the diamond.Doyen earned the Coaches’ Award forher constantly positive,gutsy do-what-it-takesto-winattitude.Senior EmilyLesko (Lancaster,Pennsylvania)anchored secondbase for most of theseason, earning MostImproved Playerrecognition, as herconfidence grewgame by game andshe demonstratedstrong defensive andoffensive play.Honorable mentionsgo to juniors KatieBrewster (LowerSackville, Nova Scotia),who played multiplepositions and was theteam’s top outfielder,and to Megan Edson(Wolfeboro), whoplayed shortstop,batted second in theorder, and was one ofour most experiencedplayers.We won’t soon forget the great busrides, pizza on Crescent Lake, thegreat come-from-behind-win overHolderness School, freshman HannahPope (Baltimore, Maryland) in left field,the expertise of Assistant Coach BrittanyAmes, and all the great memories madein a championship season! Way to gogirls! •Athletes Receive National,Regional RecognitionJames Casale ’09 andRoss Randall ’08 withthe Davison CupThe boys’ crew team made Brewster history in the springwhen they won The Davison Cup on the Amoskeag Riverin Manchester, New Hampshire. In the Cup’s five-yearhistory, Derryfield School has won it every year, but thisyear it was Brewster’s turn. Under sunny skies, behind alight, quartering tail-wind, Brewster oarsmen defeated allDerryfield and Hyde boats to win the Cup decisively.The following athletes were selected as members ofleague All-Star Teams:Seniors Damon Edwards and Robert Koger, both ofScarborough, Ontario, were selected as All-Americans andnamed to the US Lacrosse Men’s Division High School All-American team. (See story on page 22)Edwards, Koger, and Carter Bender ’08 (Palgrave, Ontario)were chosen to represent Brewster in the senior East/West All-Star Game in May. The East team comprisedselect players from New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine,Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts, while the Westteam comprised players from Connecticut and westernMassachusetts.Jandro Brown ’09 (Amherst, Massachusetts), Nate Billings’09 (Woodstock, Vermont), Dan Hutchins ’08 (Wolfeboro)and Bender were named to the 1 st Team All-League All-Stars. Honorable Mention League Stars went to KevinWhelan ’08 (Topsfield, Massachusetts), Riley Merritt ’10(Weston, Massachusetts), and Jack Burris ’09 (Alexandria,Virginia).Lacrosse players Alexa Brassard ’08 (Hollis, NewHampshire) and Erin Knapp ’08 (Lancaster, Massachusetts)were selected to the New England Preparatory SchoolWomen’s Lacrosse Association All-Star team.Senior Athletes Honoredfor Dedication, SpringAccomplishmentsAt the spring sports awards ceremony in May,select seniors were honored for accomplishments,including participation in either 12 or nineseasons of interscholastic athletics or forparticipating in six or more seasons at the varsitylevel.Three students earned the 12-season Award,which means they played a sport every seasonduring their four years at Brewster. They areEmilie Arsenault (Rothesay, New Brunswick) forsoccer, ice hockey, and softball; Scott Cameron(Thornton, New Hampshire) for crew and Alpineski; and Emily Lesko (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)for field hockey, ice hockey, and softball. These“frequent flyers” also logged about 6,700 roadmiles traveling to and from games during theirBrewster career! Each of these athletes alsoreceived the Varsity Award, honoring six or moreseasons of playing at the varsity level.Teraysa White (Fairfield, Maine) received theNine-season Award for her participation in fieldhockey, ice hockey, and softball during her threeyears at Brewster as well as the Varsity Award.The following seniors also received the VarsityAward: Hannah Byers (Wolfeboro) for 10seasons of soccer, basketball, and softball; KelseyGlencross (Merrimack, New Hampshire) foreight seasons of field hockey and lacrosse; ErinKnapp (Lancaster, Massachusetts) for eightseasons of soccer and lacrosse; Ross Randall(Sanbornville, New Hampshire) for eight seasonsof crew; Kate Shavel (North Yarmouth, Maine)for eight seasons of soccer, ice hockey, and crew;and Kevin Whelan (Topsfield, Massachusetts) foreight seasons of soccer and lacrosse; SamanthaBrown (Bedford, New Hampshire) for sevenseasons of soccer, basketball, and tennis;Katherine Eastham (Phoenix, Maryland) forseven seasons of field hockey and lacrosse; TripFinneran (Andover, Massachusetts) for sevenseasons of crew, ice hockey, and lacrosse; andChris Melanson (Wolfeboro) for seven seasons ofice hockey and lacrosse; Alexa Brassard (Hollis,New Hampshire) for six seasons of field hockeyand lacrosse; James Ellison (Newburyport,Massachusetts) for six seasons of basketballand baseball; and Mollie Pokrass (Foxpoint,Wisconsin) for six seasons of crew.For a complete list of all spring award winners,please go to the Athletics section at www.brewsteracademy.org. •24 BrewsterConnections • Summer 2008• www.brewsteracademy.org •25