Sophomores Stand Out In TMHS Field Hockey's Opening Day Win

 suspected she had some talented younger players on her roster this fall, and it didn't take long for a couple of them to prove her right.

Sophomores and each scored their first goal of the season Friday afternoon, as the TMHS field hockey team blanked Bedford, 2-0 in its 2011 season opener.

"Two sophomores," Ryser said. "That's a pretty good sign. We've got a lot of speed and a lot of talent, especially among the younger kids."

Sutherland's goal came in the first half, and Bradley provided an insurance gaol in the second half as the Tewksbury defense kept Bedford in check all day. Riley Ryan, a junior, started in goal and kept a clean sheet in the first half, while Rachel Pendleton, also a junior, played keeper in the second half and kept the shutout intact.

Defensively, , Kayla Lirakis, Sarah Hogan and Abby Donoghue all played well. Senior captain Sheri Liggiero, the team's top midfielder, also had a strong game, as did senior mid Adrianna Brown. Bradley stood out in her first start on the right wing.

"I think our strength is having some speed and just playing hard and playing smart," Ryser said. "Most of these kids are new to playing with each other, so it was good to see them do so well."

Bedford had tied a very talented Waltham team, 1-1 in its opener on Thursday.

"They were pretty strong last year and after seeing that they tied Waltham, I knew we were up against a good team," Ryser said. "So it's a good win, especially with Andover coming up Monday."

Tewksbury opens up its Merrimack Valley Conference schedule Monday night at Andover. The Golden Warriors are the defending MIAA Division 1 state champions.

"We've got a huge one on Monday, so this is a great way to start," Ryser said.

 VOLLEYBALLERS UPSET BY NOTRE DAME

suffered an opening day set-back on Friday as the Redmen watched a two-set lead disappear and dropped a 3-2 decision to Notre Dame Academy of Tyngsboro.

Tewksbury took the first two sets in fairly convincing fashion, 25-16 and 25-20. But in the third set, the Redmen started having trouble receiving serves, and Notre Dame came from behind to pull out a 25-22 win.

That comeback served to be the momentum switcher, as the visiting Lancers took the fourth set in a breeze, 25-11, and went on to win the deciding fifth set, 15-11, to pull off the upset.

"We let it slip away," said Tewksbury coach Jim Ray. "We made some really bad errors in the third set and in the fourth set we didn't have any serve receive at all. We made some bad mistakes in the fifth set and we ended up losing."

It was a disappointing way to start the season for the Redmen, who have set their sights on winning the Merrimack Valley Conference Division 2 championship this season and returning to the MIAA state tournament.

"It's a setback," Ray said. "This puts more pressure on us if we want to win the D-2 crown. We can't split with people and win the division."

There were some bright spots for TMHS however, as senior middle hitter Allie Luppi had an outstanding afternoon with nine kills and seven service points. Junior hitter Kelli Sugrue stood strong at the nets and scored nine service points, while senior hitter Alina Rosmarinofski had seven kills and four service aces.

Senior hitter Jenn Ianacci also made several key blocks.

"Jenn made three key blocks right in a row in the fifth set," Ray said. "She kept us in it for a while."

Notre Dame, however, made more plays when it counted.

"They were just really scrappy," Ray said. "They got to everything. They just kept popping the ball up with one hand and we just couldn't put it down."

Tewksbury plays at Winchester Monday at 5:15 p.m.

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