Riparian - The Rivers School

athletics
Dempsey Presented with bruins
award by cam Neely
Jillian Dempsey ’09 never imagined that
she would one day be standing next to a
living legend. And yet there she was, at a
Bruins game at TD Banknorth Garden on
March 31, on center ice in front of 17,000
fans, receiving a sports award from none
other than former Boston Bruins forward
Cam Neely.
“They rolled out a red carpet and everything,”
said Dempsey. “It was such a great
experience and one that I’ll never forget.”
Neely presented Dempsey with the
John Carlton Award, an award given annually
by the Bruins to outstanding male and
female student-athletes in eastern Massachusetts
who combine exceptional hockey
skills with academic excellence.
A four-time all-ISL selection, Dempsey
had 43 goals and 20 assists this season, capping
off a prolific career in which she totaled
98 goals and 80 assists. This year the
ISL MVP helped lead Rivers to a 17-5-3 re-
Jillian Dempsey ’09 receiving the
Carlton Award
The Lacrosse team at Harvard Stadium after winning the ISL Championship.
cord as well as a #1 seed at the New england
Preparatory School Athletic Council
(NePSAC) tournament.
boys Lax earns Share of iSL Title,
Key individual awards
The old saying that there is no “I” in “team”
could not ring truer than with the Rivers
boys’ lacrosse team. The combined strength
of the players helped them clinch a firstplace
finish in the fiercely competitive Independent
School League with a 14-1 record.
While the team plays as “one,” it is
composed of a talented group of men who
have won their fair share of accolades on
an individual basis.
In May, Steven Manning ’09 was named
an All-American, and one of 96 players nationwide
selected to play in the 2009 National
Senior Showcase which took place in
June at Bryant university in Rhode Island.
Jordan Greenfield ’10 and John Fitzgerald
’10, meanwhile, were both All-ISL selections,
with Greenfield leading the league in
scoring with 106 points and Fitzgerald
leading the league in goals scored with 74.
“There really aren’t words to express
how unbelievable these guys were all season,”
said coach Justin Walker. “They played
with heart, dedication, and devotion; it shows
in the results.”
community
Service
For Kopelman
’09, community
Service is a Way
of Life
For Alexa Kopelman
’09, doing
community service
isn’t something
that she has
ever viewed as a
requirement or a
Alexa Kopelman ’09
chore. “I have been
involved my whole life,” she says. “It’s part
of my value system to give back to the community.”
In April Kopelman was honored with
the 2009 Wellesley Service League Centennial
Youth Service Award. Kopelman volunteers
at the Wellness Community, a nonprofit
organization geared toward cancer
patients and their families. In particular,
Fall 2009 • Riparian • 9