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From the Wicked Local Walpole website:

   Obviously, it was going to take almost two weeks to find out how almost two weeks of waiting for their second tourney game was going to affect both the Walpole High girls’ hockey team and its Winchester opponents.
   They discovered how Sunday night as the teams finally met for their showdown at the Stoneham Arena and the determined Sachems were able to keep their season going by stopping Walpole’s Rebels, 2-0. The victory moved Winchester into a Thursday night Div. 2 semifinal game against Whitman-Hanson, following the Panthers’ 4-3 shootout victory over Concord-Carlisle.
   The 10-day layoff between the opening round on February 25 and Sunday’s game was necessitated by the sudden passing of seven-year Winchester hockey assistant Coach Ed O’Donnell, who suffered a heart attack on Saturday, February 8 just before the Sachemettes, who knocked off Walpole rival Wellesley in the opener, were to meet the Rebels.
   The funeral was Thursday and the biggest challenge the Sachemettes had was pulling themselves together emotionally following the tragedy. O’Donnell, a well-liked and respected coach, has had three daughters go through the system, including current sophomore defenseman Mary, making the experience that much more difficult for the team and its fans.
   The Rebels, on the other hand, are brand new this year to postseason play, and it appeared that the lengthy lull had taken a little edge off their play as a team.
The loss added a new goal to the Winchester agenda as the girls wanted to get back into the tourney and play well in Coach O’Donnell’s remembrance. It showed in their physical play and numerous breakaways, as well as the way they were able to keep the high-powered Rebels from getting rebounds or staying too long in the attack zone.
   The Rebels, on the other hand, had already reached their goal of the postseason and showing they belonged. After surprising the rest of the state anything more they would do was a bonus, and despite a slow start and pair of second-period goals they stayed in the game all the way, thanks to yet another outstanding performance by senior goalie Sue Cunniff, who stopped 20 offerings.
   Winchester was equally enhanced by an outstanding outing from sophomore Meg Creane, who stopped all 15 Walpole shots, including a great effort as time wore down by junior Stephanie Frye.
   “Both goalies played really well,” offered Walpole Coach Joe Verderber. “We just couldn’t get one in the net. We didn’t skate well as a team but it was the week and a half that killed us. It’s tough to ask them to hang on that long.”
   “We had a very emotional win,” declared Winchester Coach Tom Johnson. “The girls couldn’t wait to get back on the ice. They really pulled through, and played very well.”
   Playing exceptionally well for the Sachemettes was their defense, especially starter Jen Stockwood and Lauren Sullivan. Both girls had a size and reach advantage over the shorter Rebel forwards that helped them cut off breakaways as well as get the puck out of the defensive corners most of the time. On top of that, the defense was instrumental to the offense both in clears and setting up shots from the point.
   “Their defense took up a lot of space in front of the net,” agreed Verderber. “And they weren’t afraid to put their bodies in front of anything. They must have blocked 10 shots tonight.”
The teams battled deadlocked through a scoreless first period, with the Sachemettes keeping the Lady Rebels from getting a shot on net the first four minutes. Finally, Julia Tosone was able to get a nice pass in front to Steph Frye, but Creane made a nice stick save on her.
   The Sachemettes got the rebound, however, and they came right back, testing Cunniff with a breakaway shot.
   Both teams killed a first-period penalty, with Tosone making an excellent clear to finish off a Winchester power play shortly after a Cunniff stick save.
   The Rebel defense, especially Heather Foley – who had an outstanding game, was doing an effective job on Winchester star Michaela Chiuccariello, but she was able to give the Sachemettes all the offense they would need with a power play goal at 2:19 of the middle stanza.
   Linemate Alexis Zavez had won a battle for the puck behind the Walpole net and brought it partly out to right wing, and then threw it on net. Waiting at the post, Chiuccariello slammed it past Cunniff.
   The Sachemettes scored their insurance goal with 3:14 left in the second, after doing an excellent job of bottling the Rebels up in their own zone after having just killed a Walpole power play.
   Stockwood ripped a shot toward the net from the point, and Amanda Nowell put it away.
Walpole did all it could in the third to get on the board. The Rebels started by killing a power play with Foley playing great defense on Chiuccariello.
   Shortly thereafter Cunniff was tested by a Chiucariello lift, but gloved it.
   About four minutes in Kellie Duffy broke into the Winchester zone only to be sandwiched by two defenders, and midway through the period Creane made an impressive stick save on a Kristen Morrissey shot set up by linemates Frye and Tosone.
   Frye almost kept the dream alive with two minutes left when she won a face-off at center ice and fought her way to the front of the Winchester net. She was impeded by a defender just before her shot, but got an excellent one off that Creane made yet another stick save on.
   “We blocked a lot of shots, and the forwards did a nice job being right there defensively,” analyzed Johnson. “But it could have gone either way. Our scouting report said they had a very good goalie, and I think the girls were a little frustrated when they were not scoring. Their goalie was right there.”
   The game marked the end of a brilliant career for Cunniff, who graduates along with excellent backup goalie Steph Kelly. The rest of the Rebels will be back next year, however, seeking a postseason return.
                          Walpole      0 0 0 – 0
                          Winchester 0 2 0 – 2
                               At Stoneham Arena
First period: no scoring.
Second period: Win, Michaela Chiuccariello (Alexis Zavez) 2:19; Win, Amanda Nowell (Jen Stockwood) 11:46.
Third period: no scoring.
Saves Wal – Sue Cunniff (20), Win, Meg Creane (15)

Read “After long wait it’s wait ’til next year for Lady Rebels” on the Wicked Local Walpole website

From the Wicked Local Walpole website:

The Walpole Recreation Department is beginning a search for teen bands – bands that play in garages, studios or basements; bands that just play music.

    There are a few programs where the Rec wants to showcase local high school musicians and one of those is Walpole Day on Saturday, May 16. On that day, the Youth Connection is sponsoring the “Walpole Teen Band Showcase” from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

    Another program that is in the works is a knock-off version of the Dog Rock Coffee House, the newest addition to the Recreation Department. This program would have teen bands play set gigs at Blackburn Hall for audiences of the same age. The Recreation Department has just purchased new sound and lighting equipment for shows such as this. Although the name or dates aren’t finalized, the Recreation Department would like the bands to touch base so when the time does arrive to do a show, they will have all of their information on hand.

    Bands that are interested in one or all events can contact Aicha Kelley at 508-660-7353 or e-mail at aicha_kelley@yahoo.com.

Read “Rec Department looking for garage band kings” on the Wicked Local Walpole website

From the Wicked Local Walpole website:

   Whitman-Hanson certainly didn’t go away without a protest Thursday night at Massasoit Community College, but the Walpole High girls’ basketball team nevertheless turned the Panthers away 53-46, earning a second straight showdown for the Div. 2 South title at UMass-Boston this Saturday afternoon (2:30PM).

   Led by 6-foot-2-inch forward Emily Trapp , the Panthers whittled away at a 27-22 halftime advantage held by the Rebels, until they eventually tied at 38 with 6:27 left in the game and claimed a 42-38 lead with 5:22 left to play.

   When Whitman-Hanson’s Tori Gray put back a Trapp miss at the buzzer ending the third, it pulled the Panthers within four (38-34) but also kicked off a 10-point run that included three straight power moves by Trapp from the right baseline.

   The skein was eventually snapped by Walpole guard Lauren Baryski, who led the Rebels with 13 points, as she buried a three-point bomb from the top of the key.

Now trailing by just one, the Rebels reclaimed the lead for good when Molly Grimes went inside, and got a little breathing space when a Sarah Roof (8 points) pull-up jumper made it 45-42 with 4:11 left.

   Whitman-Hanson tried once more to rally but Michaela Cosby (12 points) finished off a putback of a tough rebound and then a Sydni Salvatore (9 points) drive and dish to a wide open Roof was sandwiched by key defensive rebounds from Brooke Waite (9 points) and Salvatore.

   “Our guards had to get in there and rebound, they’ve been doing that all year,” offered Coach Stacy Bilodeau of how the efforts of Waite and Salvatore helped cool off Trapp. With no dominant big player inside, the Rebels all year have relied on teamwork on the boards to compensate for a height shortage.

   The Rebels were in a dogfight all game partly because of uncharacteristic struggles from the line (9-for-23), and partly because of untimely turnovers. But they stepped up when it came down to the nitty-gritty.

   “In tournament play, if you can’t step up and hit those big shots, it’s game over,” added Bilodeau. “But these seniors are not looking to go home.”

   The Rebels moved to 18-5 with the victory, dropping the Panthers to 22-3. The Rebels, who lost to Bay State Herget rival Wellesley in the sectional championship game last year, are back this year to face the winner of the Notre Dame Academy-Medfield bout. NDA would enter the title game with the same record as Walpole if they beat Medfield, while the Warriors have just one loss this season – to Walpole.

Read “Walpole girls’ basketball back to sectional title game” on the Wicked Local Walpole website

From the Wicked Local Walpole website:

   With the MIAA winter state tourneys coming down to the wire, the Walpole High Rebels are still in full swing. While the boys’ hockey team was the victim of an overtime elimination last week the girls’ hockey team, as well as both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, are all in action this week.

   The boys’ basketball team, following its 52-44 shutdown of Falmouth in Falmouth Saturday night, kicks off this week’s action when it travels to Milton tonight (Tuesday, March 3) to face Catholic Memorial at 7:00PM. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Rebel Coach Dave St. Martin, who was an assistant coach for years at CM, his alma mater. It will also be a homecoming of sorts for the Rebels, who will be playing on a Bay State Herget court they know very well. Seeing all of Milton’s pennants in the gym will be a healthy reminder that if the Wildcats knock off a strong Franklin team at Newton South Wednesday night, the Rebels have a third chance to try to beat their nemeses this winter. If all goes well, the Wildcats and Rebels could make it an all-Herget showdown for the Div. 2 South crown at UMass-Boston Saturday night

   If all goes well for the female hoopsters as well, they will be joining the boys in Beacon land Saturday night. Stacy Bilodeau’s squad earned a date with Whitman-Hanson at Massasoit Community College Wednesday night (6:00PM) after stunning previously unbeaten Wellesley, 64-60, in Wellesley on Saturday. Both teams will be sharp for Wednesday night’s game as both the Rebels and Whitman-Hanson won in overtime. If both Walpole High teams win, it will be only the second time in history they have played together for the Div. 2 South title, joining the 2004-2005 squads that both went on to win the state crowns.

   Meanwhile, a death affecting the Winchester HIgh girls’ hockey team has pushed Thursday night’s quarterfinal game in Canton with the Sachems back. If either of the basketball teams make it to the next round, don’t expect a Saturday hockey game. It is listed as TBA, but more than likely, the game with the Sachems will be played Sunday or Monday at a rink and time yet to be determined. To stay updated fans may either call the athletic department at either school, or visit the MIAA website at www.miaa.net.

  The game with Winchester promises to be a doozy when it unfolds. The Sachems are in a similar situation to the Rebels. First of all, they are a lower seed (9-8-3 record coming in) that is extremely dangerous after a season in a tough league (Middlesex) that features Div. 1 powerhouses Reading, Woburn and Wakefield. Like the Herget wars involving Milton, Wellesley and Walpole, there were a lot of close games there. Among their losses were 2-1 nail-biters at the hands of Reading and Bay State champion Wellesley.

  Second, they are not one of the tourney heavyweights either, so getting this far is not old hat to the Sachems, who are hopefuly battling the same jitters the first-year Rebels have been.

.  Finally, like the Rebels, Winchester features an uncannily balanced attack. The Sachems are led by sophomore Michaela Chiuccariello, who came into the postseason with 18 goals and 30 points, but there are seven different Sachems who have points in double figures. Walpole has nine.

As a reminder, the ticket prices for all MIAA games at colege venues (Massasoit, UM-B) are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

Read “WHS girls’ hockey game postponed, hoopsters still in the hunt” on the Wicked Local Walpole website

From the Wicked Local Walpole website:

It only took one postseason game for the Walpole High girls’ hockey team to get its first postseason victory, as the Rebels opened the MIA Div. 2 tourney Wednesday night with a 4-2 victory over visiting Canton at the Iorio Arena.
Junior forward Stephanie Frye led the charge on offense as she scored twice and added an assist, while senior netminder Sue Cunniff, with 26 saves, picked up the win.
Frye, who had a quieter offensive season than usual despite leading the team in scoring for the third straight year, immediately put the Rebels ahead when she scored just 15 seconds into the game. Then, at 7:25 of the first she got an assist on the second goal when linemate Kristen Morrissey hammered home the rebound of her initial shot.
Kelsey Cosby scored the eventual game-winner at 5:04 of the second after center Emily Cronin won a face-off, shortly before the Bulldogs scored their first goal. A hard-fought third period ensued in which Canton’s Haley Gaughan added a second Canton score, but not until after Frye put the Rebels ahead 3-1 at 12:05 of the second with a shorthanded goal.
The second and third period they outplayed us; we laid back a little,” admitted Walpole Coach Joe Verderber. “But we capitalized on our chances and they didn’t.”
The victory propelled the Rebels into a second-round game this Thursday against Winchester, ironically at the Metropolis Rink in Canton. Game time is at 7:45pm.
 

Read “WHS girls’ hockey wins first tourney game and moves on” on the Wicked Local Walpole website