Things seem to be coming together for the Brattleboro Colonels girls' hockey team.
A 6-6-1 record may not sound that remarkable but, at the end of last week, they ranked fifth in the Division II standings.
They got back into the playoff mix and ended a three-game losing streak with a pair of wins last week.
On Jan. 31 at Withington Rink, Olivia Romo, Olivia Stent, Axis Balsley-Petraska, Edie Cay, and Jamie Mahoney did all the scoring in a 5-3 win over Burr & Burton.
More importantly, Natalie Gadowski made 15 saves for Brattleboro in her first varsity start in goal to provide some extra depth at goaltender for the Colonels.
While the Colonels got a bunch of goals, hard work by the defense also helped secure the win.
On Feb. 3, a pair of unassisted goals gave Balsley-Petraska a first-period hat trick as visiting Brattleboro shut out U-32, 6-0.
Jamie Mahoney scored two goals for the Colonels, Emma Allen added another tally, and Tobin Lonergan and Jenna Murrow both were credited with assists. Goaltender Eliya Petrie made 11 saves for the shutout.
Boys' hockey
• At 6-7-1, Brattleboro is in the middle of the pack in the boys' Division II standings, but like the Colonel girls, they are rounding into form for a playoff run.
On Jan. 31 at Withington Rink, goaltender Austin Wood made 19 saves to pick up with his first shutout of the season in a 7-0 win over North Country.
Mason Powers scored three goals and Anthony Palomba had three assists to lead the Colonels. Joe Koes chipped in two goals, while Kam Pelkey and Gabe Heiden each added a goal.
Boys' basketball
• It was another rough week for the winless Brattleboro Colonels. On Jan. 31, the Colonels rallied from a 21-point deficit, only to fall short to Windsor, 59-52, in a loss at the BUHS gym.
Two nights later in Rutland, the Colonels lost, 69-43. Brattleboro fell behind in the first quarter, rallied again to cut the deficit to 28-23 at the half, but were overwhelmed by the undefeated Raiders in the second half.
At 0-12, the Colonels are on the brink of being eliminated from playoff consideration in Division I.
• Bellows Falls has been struggling all season. But after losing 55-48 to Long Trail on Jan. 30, the Terriers put together a solid effort in a 57-52 win over Proctor.
The Phantoms led for most of the first half, but BF tightened up its defense and found its scoring touch by the final quarter.
Griff Waryas had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead BF, while Shane Clark chipped in 11 points and 11 rebounds. Ryan Kelly and Joe Terry contributed 10 points and 9 points, respectively for the 3-7 Terriers.
Girls' basketball
• Brattleboro suffered a heart-breaker of a defeat in Bennington on Feb. 1, as Mount Anthony rallied from a big deficit with an 11-3 run late in the fourth quarter to force overtime, and held on to win, 63-61.
Mount Anthony's Grace Mahar dueled Brattleboro's Rachel Rooney for most of the game, but it was Mahar that scored the game-winning basket to finish with a season-high 25 points. Rooney led the Colonels with 27 points, including six three-pointers.
On Feb. 3, the Colonels lost to Mill River, 34-31, in North Clarendon. Rooney scored 12 points and Hailey Derosia added nine as Brattleboro fell to 7-8. The Colonels, tied with Colchester for the No. 11 spot in Division I, will need to put together a winning streak if they want to host a home playoff game.
• Leland & Gray has had an up-and-down season. On Jan. 29 in Townshend, the Rebels clobbered the winless Woodstock Wasps, 48-8, but then lost to Proctor, 50-42, at home on Feb. 2.
Kelsi Bostrom scored 23 points as the Rebels fell to 5-8. They too need to put some wins together to get a home game in the Division III playoffs.
• Bellows Falls doesn't have to worry about securing home court in Division II. At-11-2, they are ranked No. 7 and part of a six-team logjam behind division-leading Fair Haven.
The Terriers picked up two more wins last week with a 53-33 victory in Whitingham over Twin Valley and a 60-51 win at home over Springfield on Feb. 1.
Against Springfield, Taylor Goodell had 22 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Molly Potter added 10 points off the bench.
Marlboro College plans to build new ski course
• Marlboro College is trying to raise its profile in intercollegiate nordic skiing. The college recently announced that funding is in place to build an improved 2.5-kilometer cross-country ski loop on the college's land. Work on the trail is expected to begin by this summer.
The new trail will be used for future training and races for clubs in the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association, of which Marlboro is a member.
College President Kevin Quigley said in a news release that Marlboro is investing in this new facility to allow for proper training for Nordic skiers, beginning skiers, and the community as a whole. It will also support a program that will attract athletes looking to pursue a higher education, where students can also be athletes and well-rounded individuals.
A student-athlete that fits that description is junior Spencer Knickerbocker, a competitive Nordic skier who has promoted the idea of a club Nordic program at the college.
“Marlboro will be one of the only colleges in the Northeast US that has a real training site literally on their campus,” said Knickerbocker. “There are about 1,000 high school students who are on their school Nordic teams. Maybe 20 are at a level where they can ski at a NCAA Division I school, and the rest only have a handful of places to go if they want to keep skiing competitively.”
Knickerbocker, who grew up in the Brattleboro area, attended Northwood School, a winter sports high school at Lake Placid, N.Y., before competing for two years on the U.S. Ski Team in the Nordic Combined events of cross-country skiing and ski jumping.
He transferred to Marlboro from the University of Vermont, and now represents Marlboro in races with other college Nordic clubs, including those from UVM, Cornell, Clarkson, and Wellesley.
“I won a couple of races last year,” said Knickerbocker. “There are races almost every weekend until March. They're fun, and having a group of people to ski with is also, even if you don't want to race - it's a good culture. Marlboro is a place to come and get a really good education, ski, and be outside a lot.”
Not only will the new trail be available for races, it will be better for training and especially for beginning skiers to learn on, according to Knickerbocker.
“Marlboro already has the advantage over many colleges with Nordic clubs of a higher elevation campus, with considerable snowfall,” said Quigley. “This improved trail right on campus will put Marlboro on the map for collegiate cross-country skiers.”
Wendell-Judd Cup at Marlboro
• Speaking of nordic skiing at Marlboro College, they'll be hosting the Wendell-Judd Cup, their annual nordic skiing and snowshoe event, on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m., at Zimmerman Field.
Check-in at the soccer field tent between 1 and 1:45 p.m., before heading out on a fully groomed, 10K course. These beautiful trails are suitable for all skiers, from novice to veterans, and snowshoe enthusiasts are also encouraged to participate. A midpoint start and shuttle is available. Refreshments and awards will be waiting for participants at the finish back on the soccer field.
For more information, contact Adam Katrick at 802-258-9253 or katrick@marlboro.edu. The rain date is Sunday, March 4.
Senior bowling roundup
• Team 4 had another 5-0 week, and added to their first place lead after Week 5 of the winter edition of the Brattleboro Senior Bowling League. Team 10 (19-6) moved ahead of Team 7 (18-7) for second place and Team 5 (16-9) is close behind in fourth. Team 2 and Team 3 (both 15-10) are tied for fifth, followed by Team 8 (11-14), Team 6 (8-17), Team 11 (8-12), Team 9 (5-20), and Team 1 (3-22).
Pat Bentrup had the women's high handicap game (239) and Pamela Greenblott had the high handicap series (682), while Jerry Dunham had the men's high handicap game (257) and Marty Adams had the high handicap series (701). Team 7 had the high team handicap game (901) and Team 3 had the high handicap series (2,516).
Dunham (608) and Adams (629) both rolled 600-plus series. Dunham had a 247 and a 208 game, while Adams had a 214 and a 226.
Donna Corliss (521) picked up her third straight 500-plus series to lead the women. She also had a 201 game. Josie Rigby (557) and Greenblott (544) were also in the 500 club as Rigby had a 211 game.
For the men, Gary Montgomery (568), Warren Corriveau Sr. (556), Fred Ashworth (586), and Charles Marchant (516) all had 500-plus series.
Girls on the Run registration begins for 2018 season
• Girls on the Run Vermont (GOTRVT) welcomes its 19th season and program registration for Southern Vermont is open.
From now until March 1, parents/guardians can register their daughters for the Southern Vermont spring program at participating sites and/or rec centers, and are strongly encouraged to enroll their girls early since space for each site is limited.
Through generous support of individuals and sponsors, including statewide sponsor Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Vermont, the registration fee is reduced for each participant to $100. Limited financial assistance is also available.
Meeting twice a week for 10 weeks, Girls on the Run is an after-school program designed to help girls in grades 3-8 realize the importance of self-confidence, healthy living, respect for their peers, and responsibility to their community. The lessons creatively integrate running with providing the girls an opportunity to set goals and challenge themselves in an encouraging environment that advocates both physical and emotional wellness.
In Windham County, GOTRVT will be offered at Academy School, Bellows Falls Middle School, Dover Elementary, Dummerston School, Flood Brook, Grafton Elementary, The Grammar School, Green Street School, Hilltop Montessori, Jamaica Village School, Leland & Gray, NewBrook Elementary, Oak Grove School, Putney Central, Saxtons River Elementary, St. Michael's School, Townshend Elementary, Twin Valley, Vernon Elementary, and Westminster Center School.
To register for the Girls on the Run Vermont Spring Program, or to learn more. visit www.GirlsOnTheRunVermont.org, call 802-246-1476 or email info@girlsontherunvermont.org.