Game Summaries for weeks 1 and 2

Week 1  11/23/13

Junior League

 Mystics: 22   Mercury: 12The Mystics trailed 6–2 after 1 quarter but outscored the Mercury team 20-6 the rest of the game on the way to an impressive 22-12 opening game victory. Natalia Nickerson was a force on the offensive end leading the team in scoring with 8 points and the defensive end with several steals. Abby Demos and Brenna Cassidy also had great all around games and added 4 points each. Kileigh Crail, Fiona Green, Ava Piccolo, Julie Figucia, Julia Kirby, Liana Nelson, and Kendall VonKahle played great defense for the whole game. This was a complete team victory for the Mystic girls. On 12/7 the Mighty Mystics look to make it two wins in a row when they take on team Liberty.

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, showing it can take the heat.  It is also named after the Roman God Mercury who was the fast flying messenger to the Gods.  Our team is also named Mercury and much like the planet, we can stand the heat and move like lightning.  The opening game of our season was exciting.  We started out strong and the girls gave it their all.  Everyone on the team contributed and played with heart!  Asha Speller, Kayla Fisk, Isabella DeMatos and Rachel Picher scored for the team.  Nicole Potito boxed out the defense down low and Caleigh Shanahan, Sarah Boucher and Nina Moulton played fantastic defense.  Kaitlyn Oates and Meagan Marshal played strong offense and controlled the ball at the top of the key.  The girls played fantastic and are ready and rearing for game two!

Storm: 24    Liberty: 10

The Storm is off to a great season!  The won their first game.  It was a great team effort with many players scoring on the Storm.  The Storm offense was incredible including fast breaks, excellent passing and good shooting all around the key.  Defensively the Storm was just as strong.  Great playing by the entire team including Maddy Piece, Lexi Polimeno,Maddy Robillard, Brianna Iandoli, Kati Polimeno,  Taylor Leon, Maddy Kearney, Paige Ouelette and Ashely Demers.  

          
Rockers:  12   Monarchs:  10

The Rockers team got off to a great game start.  Guards Isabelle Carleton and Erica Hinkle moved the ball around on offense and played tough defense.  Forwards Jaclyn Dillon, Jaime Burns and Kristen Curley did a great job creating scoring opportunities and grabbing rebounds.  Dillon scored a basket while Carleton scored 2 baskets to put the Rockers ahead.  New forwards Lily Gigante and Samira Cook came in and added to the Rockers rebound numbers, and Gigante scored a basket in the key.  Guards Maeve Cahill and Michelle Hinkle played excellent defense against a fast set on Monarch guards.  Curley put in a basket in the 4th period, but the Monarchs answered to tie the game.  In overtime, Curley passed the ball to Carleton, who scored the lone overtime basket for the Rockers win.  Great team defense was the Rockers strong point in this win!

 Sparks:  12    Comets:  8

In their season opener, the Comets played a well fought game against a solid Sparks team.  Leading the offensive charge were scorers Alyssa Marcheletta (6) and ChristinaCapachetti (2) with assists from Alex Fowler, Megan Boudreau, and Nicolette Evangelista.  Terrific rebounding efforts came from Brooke Woodman and Lexie Bobotas, with strong defense from Sadie Basile, Krysta McCallion, and Courtney Capachetti.  Great all around team effort!

Intermediate League

 Wildcats 31, Jayhawks 19

The Wildcats began the season with a solid effort to notch a 12-point win. Teamwork was evident throughout with every player getting many touches on the ball and at least one shot. The 1st quarter was close ending in a 6-6 tie. Kendall Donahoe and Ally Wild spurred the team with a combined 5 blocks and 4 points. Emily Puccia also drained two free throws. The 2nd quarter was all Wildcats building a 10-point lead due to the aggressive defense of Marissa Ladderbush and Rachel Lemus and the good rebounding of Bella DeRoche and Sarah Milne. The 3rd quarter the Jayhawks battled back to within one despite continued good defense by the team. Elizabeth Lam was the defensive player of the game with 7 steals and everybody on Wildcats notched a blocked shot in the quarter including Stephanie Lemus. The 4th quarter the Wildcats were able to slowly build the lead up again. Fourteen team rebounds in the quarter were critical in giving the team 2nd and 3rd chances. Molly O’Neill on a 2nd chance opportunity drew the foul and sank a free throw. Scoring for the Wildcats was Ladderbush with 12, DeRoche with 10, Wild with 4, Donahoe and Puccia with 2 and O’Neill with 1. Leading rebounders were DeRoche, Wild, and Donahoe. Besides Lam’s steals DeRoche added 4 and Wild led the team with 4 blocks and Rachel Lemus led with 2 assists.

  Eagles 21  Cougars 14

The Cougars started out the season with high energy and great focus.  They were able to establish an early lead of 6-2 at the end of the first quarter due to great play both defensively and offensively.  Things were looking good but the talented Eagles came soaring back into this game in the second quarter when the ball just wouldn't sink for the Cougars many shot attempts.   They Cougars went scoreless in the second and third quarters until a fourth quarter rally made the game a bit closer but it was too little too late.  They Cougars lack of scoring is what they will have to improve on before the next game against the Terriors. 

 The Eagles began the season with a solid win led by the scoring of Julia Cafferty, Alexa Harrington, Gianna Ragucci and Briana Walker.  The game was close early on but slowly opened up in the second half.  Kendra Waugh had a solid outing driving the lane several times.  Alicia Barbati played a convincing defensive game and was close on scoring several baskets.  Emily Carlin and Sarah Molander were a force underneath securing the loose balls and grabbing a few rebounds.  Amber Matsas forced a couple of turnovers before carrying the ball up the court.  Lauren McIntyre and Becky Giles helped secure the lead in the fourth quarter with their heads up playing and aggressive defense.  The entire team played smart and strong from the tip off to the sounding buzzer.

   Wolverines:  19  Waves:  18

Scorers: Morgan Woodman 2 points, Samira El Hakim 2 points , Bianca Bongiorno 2 points, Daisha Thompson 4 points, Haley Mignon 8 points
Defensive players: Christa Davis and Sofia El Hakim 
    The Waves kept trying their best until the very end up the game. Haley Mignon, high scorer, played a strong game and put 8 points on the board for the Waves. Daisha Thompson had many rebounds and got two baskets, adding another 4 points. Morgan Woodman, Samira El Hakim and Bianca Bongiorno all popped in 2 points each.  Struggling to score, the Waves played a good D to keep it a closer game. They did not give up throughout it all.The game would have been different if it was not for the defensive players of the game which were Sofia El Hakim and Christa Davis. Christa Davis created many turnovers and was keeping her hands up staying big down low. Also, Sofia El Hakim did a great job pressing with Haley Mignon, to cause the Wolverines some confusion. Both had a great defensive game.  In addition, Alexis Foley stayed agressive out on the court, keeping her hands up and playing some good D, along with Emilee May and Kristina Johnson

Senior League

Sonics: 29   Pacers: 17

The Sonics season opener was a tough match against a strong Pacer squad.  Defense was our key today with strong boards from Sammi Lalonde (5), Ashely Turri (2), CarlinaCrowley and Michaela Svendsen (2) pulling down multiple rebounds and dishing them off for the fast break which lead to many baskets for the team.  Madison Bugley and MikaylaDolan contributed to our defense as they sealed off the top and bottom of the key denying any pass attempts made by the Pacers.  Guards Alicia Moore, Natalie Veloz (8) and Isabelle Picher (10) were key for our offense as they moved the ball swiftly through a strong press by the Pacers and getting the ball down to their team.  All of the girls gave 100% effort today and worked great as a team! 

 Jazz:  22  Suns:  13  

The defending senior league champion Suns came out flat in their first game of the season and the Jazz capitalized right away with an early lead.  The Suns were under manned with only 6 players and their offense stalled all game long.  Amanda Lobsein was the high scorer with 6 well timed points, Rebecca Lewis drained a three pointer, and Sam Surowiecfinished out the scoring with 4 points.  Surowiec would go the distance in this one distributing the ball well but first game jitters seemed to plague the Suns all game long and they couldn’t whittle down their deficit.  Jacqui Marchant and Olivia Powers crashed the boards while Miranda Hulme continued where she left off last season as a rebounding machine but the Suns couldn’t get their offense going and dropped their first game 22-13.

TGBL Week Game Summaries 12/7/13

 Junior League

 Sparks vs. Rockers

A great team win by the Sparks this week over an excellent Rockers team.  Alyssa Boudreau, Katherine Marquis and Abby McAllister each scored 4 points.  Madison Stoves and had multiple steals and rebounds on defense.  Vanessa Waugh came away with multiple offensive rebounds.  Every player contributed on offense with either a good shot, rebound or assist.  The entire team played great defense limiting the Rockers to only 8 points. 

The Rockers played hard defense against good Sparks shooters.  Forwards Kristen Curley, Jaclyn Dillon, Samira Cook, Jaime Burns, Lily Gigante and Emma Nowell played great defense to make sure that the Sparks did not score in the paint.  Rocker guards Isabelle Carleton, Michelle Hinkle, Maeve Cahill and Erica Hinkle all worked to move the ball around on offense.  Carleton scored 4 points on fast breaks and 4 more points on outside shots to be the team high scorer.

Mystics vs. Liberty

Brenna Cassidy led Mystics with 14 points while Natalia Nickerson and Julia Kirby chipped in with 4 points each. Rounding out the scoring in the 28-2 Mystics win was Ava Piccolo, Kendall VonKahle, and Julie Figucia with 2 points each. Every girl played great defense, especially Kileigh Crail, Fiona Green, Liana Nelson, and Abby Demos.
Mystics record is currently 2-0 and they are back in action next Saturday when they play the Comets.

Comets:20    Mercury:10

The Comets played a strong game on Saturday with a tremendous defensive effort to challenge the very good good Mercury team.  The defense was led by Krysta McCallion, SadieBasile, Brooke Woodman, Alex Fowler, and Megan Boudreau.  The offense was a combined effort with scoring from Alyssa Marchelletta (16) and Christina Capachietti (4) with assists from Nicolette Evangelista, Lexi Bobotas, and Courtney Capachietti.  Awsome game for all the girls!

Team Mercury had a slow start this week but a strong finish.  They played a smart defense at the end and although the score didn't turn out in our favor, the girls gave it their all.  They played a tough team and held the score in the second half.  Asha Speller, Sara Boucher, Rachel Picher and Kayla Fisk all scored.  Isabella DeMatos shut down the leading scorer on the opposing team with her strong defense and quick hands that stole the ball.  Meagan Marshall and Kaitylin Oats pushed the ball forward and worked hard keeping the offense from breaking our zone.  Nicole Potito came out strong in the fourth, stealing the ball and boxing out.  Caleigh Shanahan and Nina Moutlton defended below the net with intensity.

Intermediate League

 Wildcats 34, Eagles 19

The Wildcats put together a solid team effort to notch the 15 point win. Energy and decision-making was solid in the 1st resulting in 17 shots in the quarter. However only Elizabeth Lam (6 points) could get one to drop in and the Wildcats found themselves trailing 4-2. Strong play continued however in the 2nd this time resulting in 20 shots and 12 points to take a 14-6 lead into the half. Marissa Ladderbush scored 8 (18 total) and Isabella DeRoche (2 points) had a fantastic line in the quarter with 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 1 block. Rachel Lemus also put up two quality shots and had one assist. Molly O’Neill sank a long jumper to round out the scoring.  In the 3rd the Eagles came out soaring to close the lead to 2 points but continued effort and shot creation allowed the Wildcats to regain their halftime lead. Kerry Shea and Lam’s shots started to drop and Allison Wild (5 points) came off the bench to continue the strong effort. Every player in the quarter had at least one shot including 4 from Sarah Milne Emily Puccia was open on the block often and showed good movement without the ball. In the 4th the Wildcats stretched the lead behind fast break opportunities. Ladderbush trusting her defense was able to cheat to half court and the Wildcat defense did not disappoint with the whole team getting at least one rebound and steal in the quarter to start the fast break. Stephanie Lemus also had 4 good shots. DeRoche added 3 ferocious blocks. Kendall Donahoe led the team with 11 rebounds with DeRoche with 9 and Lam with 6. Steals were pretty evenly distributed with 20 total by the team.

The Eagles played a hard fought battle against the mighty Wildcats.  The scoring was led by Briana Walker and Alicia Barbati each scoring 6 points.  Julia Cafferty scored 4 quick points in the 4th quarter.  An additional 3 points were added from the foul line from Alexa Harrington (1) and Gianna Ragucci (2).  Lauren McIntyre came close on a couple of attempts but was instrumental in forcing a few turnovers.  With two teammates out this week, Amber Matsus played 3 straight quarter excelling in the forward position.  Emily Carlin had crucial rebounds and Kendra Waugh showed great poise in the guard position as the Eagles worked their way back into the game during the 3rd quarter.  The Eagles are beginning to show great promise on the court.

 Jayhawks 30 Waves 27

The Jayhawks were excited to get their first win of the season against the feisty Waves team.  Offensively, the team did a great job of passing the ball and grabbing offensive rebounds.  Scoring for the Waves were Emma Demos, Rebecca DeFrancesco, Emily Chmela, Jess Carideo and Meghan Ostertag.   Amber Buttaro and Janine Richardson took some quality shots that just wouldn't fall.  Defensively, Amber Cullinan and Angelina Carew broke up a number of Waves breakaways and hustled on both ends of the court.  SophiaGouveia and Brandey Geldart contributed with some key assists and rebounds. 

 The Waves took another tough one losing 30 to 27 to the Jayhawks.  The Jayhawks jumped out to a big lead and the Waves kept battling back but in the end it was all Jayhawks. Haley Mignon, high scorer, put in a great effort scoring 17.  Samira El Hakim helped out by finding some clear spots in the paint for 6 points.  Kristina Johnson and Bianca Bongiorno both were good for 2 points each.   The Waves played a tough D to keep things close.  Grace Morris  and  Daisha Thompson worked a hard defense outside and inside the paint. They played a nice zone that really made the Jayhawks work to get inside shots. Christa Davis performed wonders under the boards. Also, Sofia El Hakim did a great job chasing down and defending fast break attempts. Alexis Foley was punishing in the paint while Emilee May and Morgan Woodman made great efforts at keeping the Jayhawks from driving to the hoop. 

Cougars 23,  Terriers 18
The Cougars played a complete game this past Saturday and were able to notch their first win of the young season.  We are very pleased to see progress from all the players on both ends of the court.  The defense was able to adjust to what the Terriors were doing and stepped up to the challenge going into the 4th quarter.  With the score tied 16-16, the Cougars only gave up one outside jumper the rest of the way but were able to score 7 points to seal the win.  The player of the game goes to Mercy Olu.  She just dominated inside the paint all game.  She is a player that has become an incredible force for us and she continues to improve yet every single week.  Now we turn our attention to our next opponent, the Wolverines.  They are always a very tough challenge and it will take our best, but we will be ready for them.

Senior League

Spurs:  30 Sonics:  18   

 The Spurs team has an athletic group of players who enjoy a fast paced game and it appeared from the tip-off that the Sonics also enjoy playing this style of basketball, as a result the parents and coaches were treated to a very high-energetic exciting game to watch. In this game this style of play seemed to benefit the Spurs girls as they were able to leverage a solid defensive performance led by Gina Puccia, Melissa Keeley, Emily Langone and Michelle Tenaglia to produce many fast-break scoring opportunities. Capitalizing on these opportunities were Victoria Mirabito (10pts), Ally Coulliard (6pts), Emily Langone (6pts), Krista Stracqualursi (6pts), and Michelle Tenaglia (2pts).  The player of the game for the Spurs is Krista Stracqualursi for her efforts on both the offensive and defensive side of the court.

The Sonics offense got a late spark in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the powerful shooting of the Spurs.  Our defense under the hoop also kicked in late but not with notice of great rebounding from Sammi Lalonde, Karina Crowley, Michaela Svendsen and Ashleyl Turri.  At the top of the key, Mikayla Dolan and Alicia Moore both played quick and fast defense keeping the ball on the outside limiting any inside opportunities by the Spurs.  Izzy Picher and Natalie Veloz anchored as point guard today and kept trying to ignite our offense with great passing and ball movement.  Scoring for the Sonics was Picher (9), Svendsen (5), Veloz (2) and Crowley (2).

Suns: 34   Pacers:  24

The Suns played a very good Pacers team on Saturday and they had to work hard for their first win of the season.  Katie Garcia led the way with 18 points, Rebecca Lewis added 6, Sam Surowiec (4), Jacqui Marchant (2), Miranda Hulme (2), and Olivia Powers with a huge put back basket rounded out the scoring.  Powers hit the  offense boards hard in this game and gave the Suns a lot of second chances.  Garcia and Surowiec share defensive players of the game as they made a great tandem at the top of the zone making it impossible for the Pacers to start their offense.  Garcia had most of her points from the great defensive play of all the Suns. The number of tipped or stolen balls awarded them a lot of fast breaks and easy baskets.  The Suns showed much better energy in this game and are back on track to a winning season.