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College Sports

NGE ready for business in Fitchburg

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FITCHBURG — It’s finally official: Next Generation Elite Sports Performance has a new home in the city.

Fitchburg mayor Steve DiNatale was on hand the morning of Sept. 7 to welcome the business to the city with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

NGE is a dynamic strength and conditioning and sports fundamental program for area athletes of all ages who want to see improvement in their games. NGE works on multiple sports, including football, baseball, softball and wrestling.

NGE is owned by longtime friends Jim Bennett and Bill Nash, who started NGE in 2015. At that time, the business was located in Acton as part of the Total Athletic Training Performance Center and focused mainly on football. Since then, it has expanded to include multiple sports and the NGE staff has grown with it as the business now includes a handful of local coaches working with area athletes.

“It’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the last seven years and even more since we decided to take this next step in the evolution of NGE,” said Bennett. “We absolutely love working with athletes here in Central Massachusetts. This is a sports community that we are proud to be a part of that brings together athletes and parents from so many different cultures and backgrounds.”

Bennett is a 1998 graduate of UMass Lowell, where he was a standout linebacker on the school’s now-defunct football team. He has also served as a strength and conditioning coach at St. Bernard’s.

Located at 44 Old Princeton Road in Fitchburg, the facility includes over 6,000 square feet of space and includes an indoor field turf field and a full-service strength training area. Group and private training sessions are available daily.

“Jim and I are extremely excited and grateful for this opportunity,” said Nash. “We’ve put a lot of work into NGE and making it what it is today. This is a proud moment for us and hopefully we can continue to build and grow NGE as we work with and help these athletes realize their full potential.”

Nash, a 1990 graduate of Lunenburg High, has well over 30 years of football coaching experience at various levels, including at the high school as a member of the Blue Knights’ coaching staff. He has also spent time coaching at the American Youth Football level as a head coach in the Lunenburg Bengals organization. Most recently, Nash served as an assistant coach at Fitchburg High prior to stepping down to focus on NGE with Bennett.

For more information about NGE and the programs they offer, please call 978 627-3182 or visit www.ngesportsperformance.com. .

Local roundup: Pack of Wolves pace Nashoba

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Claiming the top five spots of Tuesday’s meet against Marlboro, the Nashoba Regional girls cross country team rolled to a 15-50 victory.

The Wolves (2-0) took the top five spots, led by Caroline Collins (20:17). Ella Rogers (21:01), Lailee Joyce (21:48), Caroline Pinto (23:52) and Jillian Valentino (23:52) took second through fifth, respectively.

On the boys side, Nashoba claimed a Nashoba 21-40 win over the Panthers. Adam Balewicz set a new course record in 16:12.4 to lead the Wolves (2-0), while Conor Acierno was second in 17:47.7.

Girls soccer

Littleton 6, Oakmont 0  The loss drops the Spartans to 2-3 on the season.

Lunenburg 8, Narragansett 0 Chloe Koziol scored five goals and Savannah Parker added a pair as the Lunenburg (4-1) blanked Narragansett (2-3).

The Lunenburg girls soccer team stormed past Narragansett Regional, 8-0, on Tuesday. (Courtesy Lunenburg Athletics)
The Lunenburg girls soccer team stormed past Narragansett Regional, 8-0, on Tuesday. (Courtesy Lunenburg Athletics)

Lunenburg’s Teghan Sullivan also found the back of the net for the winners and goalie Katelyn Whitney made four saves to preserve the shut out.

North Middlesex 1, Marlboro 0 Senior captain Mallory Morrill scored the game’s lone goal, converting a Lauren Torpey pass in the first half.

Leominster 4, Groton-Dunstable 1 Kyra Forsberg netted a hat trick and Shannon Smith also scored in the victory.

Boys soccer

Lunenburg 1, Narragansett 1 Eltaher Kholeif scored an unassisted marker in the first half for the Blue Knights.

Volleyball

North Middlesex 3, Marlboro 0 The Patriots won by scores of 25-8, 25-15 and 25-20.

Brooke Nelson had seven kills and four digs in the win, while Bella Perritano chipped in with four kills and three aces.

Boys cross country

Wachusett 15, Leominster 50 James Connor (21:08) was the top finisher for Leominster (0-2), taking 13th. Cameron Beaulac was 16th in 21:49 and Landon Pellitier claimed 17th in 22:04.

Oakmont 25, North Middlesex 30 Jayden Downing (18:08) and Kamden Law (18:25) took second and third, respectively, to lift the Spartans.

Xander Murray (18:03) took first overall for North Middlesex, setting a course record for the Patriots in 18:03.

Girls cross country

Oakmont 26, North Middlesex 41 Chabot McKinley took third in 21:17 to help propel the Spartans to a road victory.

North Middlesex’s Caitlin Kimball won in 20:33, setting a new course record in the process. Nicole LeBlanc took second in 21:15.

Wachusett 18, Leominster 45 Anna Serafini was third overall, leading Leominster (0-2) with a time of 21:26. Cassandra Dersa (28:04) was 16th and Makayla Kelly (28:34) took 18th.

Manyok earns weekly honor

Fitchburg State junior Taban Manyok was named Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week on Tuesday.

The third-year Falcon placed 47th overall with a time of 26:12.12 over the 8K layout to lead the way for Fitchburg State at the 2022 UMass Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational on Saturday.

Fitchburg State returns to action this Saturday as it competes at the 2022 Bowdoin Invitational at 11 a.m.

Local roundup: Falcons soar past Salem State

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The Fitchburg State field hockey team stormed to a 7-1 triumph over Salem State Friday evening in Little East Conference (LEC) action at Elliot Field.

Fitchburg State (2-3, 1-1 LEC) opened the scoring just three minutes into the first quarter as freshman Lena Kassel collected a feed from senior Grace Kerr  and deposited a shot into the back of the cage for her ninth goal on the season for the 1-0 edge.

The Falcons doubled their margin 10 minutes later when freshman Sophia Yates redirected a shot from sophomore Alexis Raymond and tucked the ball inside the right post for her second tally of the year.

The Green and Gold quickly upped their lead in the 13th minute of action with Kerr finding the back of the net for her second tally of the campaign off an assist from newcomer Olivia Narkevicius to make the score 3-0.

Salem State trimmed the lead to 3-1 at the 18:32 mark as senior Melanie Mason netted a goal.

Following the intermission, Fitchburg State extended the lead to 6-1 at the 49:06 when senior Sarah Craig  struck for her second marker on the year before Narkevicius notched her first collegiate goal as senior Lena Spadafore assisted on the play

Junior Jenna Morse made three saves for the Falcons in the victory.

Men’s soccer

Fitchburg State 1, Mass. Maritime 1 Down 1-0 at halftime, Fitchburg State (0-4-1, 0-0-1 MASCAC) knotted the score in the 71st minute of action with newcomer Juan Sambrano fired a shot inside the near post for his first collegiate maker off a feed from sophomore Gabriel Teixeira.

Golf

Leominster 28, Nashoba 26 Sophomore Luke Grebinar shot a 2-under 33 at Gardner Municipal Golf Course for the Blue Devils (3-1), followed by teammates Colby Julsonett with a 37 and Daniel Simons with a 38.

The Wolves (4-2) were led by Troy Gregg with a 38 and Colin Ruschioni with a 39.

Volleyball

Hudson 3, Fitchburg 0 The Hawks won by scores of 25-23, 25-14 and 25-19.

Keishla Troche had four kills, three aces, two tips and two digs for Fitchburg (0-5), while Gia Santiago had six kills and an ace. Caroline Feliciano added two kills, two tips , two aces and an assist in the loss.

North Middlesex 3, Leominster 0 The Patriots won 27-25, 25-22 and 25-12. Madi Fairweather had 19 service points and three aces in the win, while Brooke Nelson had seven kills and five digs and Bella Perritano had 11 kills and two aces.

Sardella makes impact, nets MASCAC award

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Stephanie Sardella is quickly earning her stripes on the court at Fitchburg State.

The Billerica native and freshman outside hitter was selected the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) women’s volleyball Rookie of the Week.

The first-year Falcon earned the honor after finishing the week with 25 kills, 37 digs, four aces, three assists and a solo block during a 1-2 run for the Falcons.

“I was both surprised and flattered,” said Sardella, 18, whose father texted her the good news as she got out of class Monday. “The past few weeks I’ve been here, the team has bonded and has been playing great. We have a strong defense and diverse offense throughout the program.”

Sardella came out firing last week, notching five kills, seven digs and an ace in a 3-0 setback to Fisher College. The 5-foot-6 outside hitter was just getting warmed up for her team’s tri-match tilt. She scored six kills, 13 digs, two assists, an ace and a solo block, in a 3-0 loss to Nichols on Saturday, but saved her best for later that day. The nursing major concluded her weekend with a team-leading 14 kills, 17 digs and two aces in a 3-2 triumph over the Curry College Colonels.

“The win felt great,” said Sardella. “The tri-match was the first played on our home court, so it felt like everything was coming together.”

Billerica High grad resident and Fitchburg State freshman Stephanie Sardella was selected the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Volleyball Rookie of the Week. The first-year Falcon earned the honor after finishing the week with 25 kills, 37 digs, four aces, three assists and a solo block. Courtesy photo Fitchburg State Athletics
Billerica High grad Stephanie Sardella is making an immediate impact with the Fitchburg State women’s volleyball program. (Courtesy photo Fitchburg State)

The turning point occurred after the team dropped the fourth set, putting them on the brink of yet another loss,.

“Although we lost that set, we had gained a swing of momentum,” she said. “That energy carried over into the fifth set.”

The win got Fitchburg State back to the .500 mark at 2-2, with its first MASCAC matchup looming on the horizon. The team was slated to travel to Bridgewater State on Tuesday night.

A lifelong Billerica resident, Sardella first spiked the ball at age 7, quickly adapting to the game.

“Originally, I started playing because all my close friends were,” said Sardella. “As I continued with it, I learned to love and appreciate the sport with those same teammates by my side.”

A 2022 graduate of Billerica Memorial High School, Sardella was a three-sport athlete for the Indians, lettering in volleyball, lacrosse and track. She earned team MVP honors, while also serving as a member of the All-Conference First Team.

“My all-time favorite moment playing at Billerica was my senior year when we clinched the conference title,” said Sardella, an all-star in the classroom as a High Honor Roll member and Presidential Award winner. “We played against a very competitive Haverhill team and came out on top with the win. At Billerica, we had a fun, successful season, and an amazing team bond.”

When it came to postgraduate plans, her parents, Maura and Norman, suggested their alma mater at Fitchburg State.

“Naturally they encouraged me to look into it,” said Sardella, whose connections managing the Billerica boys volleyball team also came into play. “I coincidentally met the Fitchburg State assistant coach, Jim Ray, who happened to be assisting the boys team at my high school. After speaking with him and the head coach, Brett Pettis, I began to love the program.”

Both coaches scouted Sardella when she played for her club team at Mill City. They liked what they saw. The rest is volleyball history.

One of a handful of freshmen, on a roster of 13, with just one senior, FSU could face some growing pains this season. But with young guns like Greater Lowell Tech grad Iyanna Lopez and North Billerica native Sydney Nortelus also stepping up, Fitchburg has an exciting future.

“This team shows promise,” said Sardella. “Everyone comes to practice looking to improve and the coaches ensure just that. (Much like at) Billerica, we have a lot of fun on and off the court and play together very well.”

 

Local Notebook: A new dynamic duo at St. Bernard’s

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With a small roster and only a handful of extra bodies on the bench, finding players who are both intelligent and tough has been a key to the success of the St. Bernard’s football team over the past decade or so.

With somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 to 50 kids on the roster in any given season, the depth chart hasn’t always been, well, deep.

Being able to take a hit is part of the game. But being able to rebound quickly from the biggest of collisions — or to flat out avoid such contact — is a characteristic that defines the most glorious of Bernardian running backs, a crucial element to the team’s offense.

Durability is every bit as important as skill.

After one game, it looks as though St. B’s has a pair of those runners this season. Small sample size this fall, sure, but the senior duo of Antonio Mancini and Damien Jones were impressive to open the 2022 campaign.

Jones picked up nearly 175 yards on the ground and scored three times as St. Bernard’s routed Blackstone Valley Tech, 30-0, Friday night at the Bernardian Bowl. Mancini also found the end zone and racked up 150 yards on the ground.

The Bernardians fed their featured running backs and, behind the strength of a solid offensive line, Jones and Mancini feasted. That’s not to say the offensive weapons weren’t touched; rather, they had a chance to get moving downhill before a BVT defender had a chance to initiate solid contact.

Most tackles came as either of the backs dragged a first defender forward and plays rarely came to a stop with a one-on-one takedown.

Not easy to hit. Not easy to bring down. And they’ve got friends in front of them clearing the way.

Jones and Mancini could be a force to be reckoned with this fall.

Record falls at FSU

A tip of the cap is in order for Fitchburg State senior Allison Gough, a captain and goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team. Gough, who moonlights as a defender for the Falcons when not between the pipes, set the program’s single-game record for saves with 24 in a 3-1 loss to Western New England on Friday night at Elliot Field.

Fitchburg State senior goalkeeper Allison Gough stopped 24 shots Friday night against Western New England, setting a program record for saves in a game. (Courtesy Fitchburg State Athletics)
Fitchburg State senior goalkeeper Allison Gough stopped 24 shots Friday night against Western New England, setting a program record for saves in a game. (Courtesy Fitchburg State Athletics)

Coming up with big save totals is nothing new for Gough. The Wolcott, Connecticut, native had previously held the record with 22 stops in an Oct. 23, 2021, game against Westfield State.

Instant success

One’s a first-time head coach. The other is roaming the sidelines in a new locale this season.

Both picked up their first wins with their respective programs Friday night.

Leominster High girls volleyball coach Sam Comeau, herself a former standout for the Blue Devils, saw her team open the season with a 3-1 victory over visiting Marlboro.

And Jordan Murphy, who got his first head coaching gig at Dracut High in 2019, picked up win No. 1 at North Middlesex Regional as his Patriots were 28-7 victors at Littleton.

Local Roundup: Falcons fall to Pilgrims in OT

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The Fitchburg State University field hockey team suffered a 3-2 overtime setback to New England College Wednesday afternoon at Elliot Field.

After tying the game in the third quarter, New England College (3-0) won the contest just 1:16 into the extra period when senior Mikayla Vincent tipped a pass from senior Drea Chin into the upper left corner for her second goal of the game.

The guests opened the scoring late in the first quarter when senior Mikayla Vincent found the back of the cage before Fitchburg State (1-1) pulled even in the 20th minute on the first collegiate marker from Sopia Yates. The freshman from Woodstock, Vermont, redirected a shot by junior Joyce Arbia to tie the game at 1.

The Falcons grabbed the lead six minutes later as senior Grace Kerr collected a rebound off a shot by sophomore Alexis Raymond and fired home a shot.

The Pilgrims tied the contest in the third when senior Neve Demarest converted a breakaway for her first goal on the year.

Junior goalkeeper and Leominster native Jenna Morse made eight saves for the Falcons.

The Falcons open Little East Conference play on Saturday, traveling to Plymouth State for a game at 1 p.m.

High school field hockey

Monty Tech 6, Bay Path 0 Sophomore Hayley Mahoney led the way for the Bulldogs with five goals, with senior Anneliese Kusske also finding the back of the cage.

Senior Lindsey Blauser dished out a pair of assists and Abbigale Mckenzie, Micaela Quinn and Alexis Moriarty each had single helpers. Goalkeeper Abbie Law made a pair of saves to earn the shutout.

Oakmont 4, Groton-Dunstable 1 The Spartans opened the season with a victory on the road.

Leominster 5, North Middlesex 0 The Blue Devils rolled in the opener for both teams.

High school golf

North Middlesex 38.5, Tyngsboro 15.5 Despite Tyngsboro’s Trevor Drew earning medalist honors with a 1-under 35, the Patriots improved to 2-0 on the season with the win at Sky Meadow in Nashua.

Boys cross country

Ayer Shirley 23, Lunenburg 37 Parrick Bergin of Ayer Shirley (1-0) won the race in 19:30.  He was followed by teammates Jack Leone (4th), Cole Now (5th), Matt Gill (6th) and Jack Holden (7th).

Lunenburg (0-1) was led by Vinny Dellasanta (2nd), Connor Martin (3rd), Karl Farynaz (9th), Michael Daly (11th), Simon Garcia (13th), Matt Pilon (14th) and Cashel Daly (18th).

Girls cross country

Lunenburg 15, Ayer Shirley 43 Lunenburg (1-0) took the top 5 places and were led by Abby Rodriquenz with a time of 22:06. She was followed by Lauren Long (2nd), Evee Mabon (3rd), Breanna Bajko (4th) and Iliana Thomas (5th). Karynna Long (8th) and Maddie Sweet (15th) rounded out the scoring for Lunenburg.

Ayer Shirley (0-1) was led by Niamh Fallon and Carolyn Mason, placing 5th and 6th, respectively.