CHS Roundup
CHS boys, girls track teams off to a fast start
The Chelsea High girls and boys indoor track & field teams won their season opening meets last week.
The Lady Red Devils emerged triumphant in a tri-meet against two opponents, Lynn Tech, 59-20, and Notre Dame Academy, 45-27.
CHS star Stephanie Simon turned in a superb performance in the meet, taking first place in three events, the 55M hurdles, the 50 yard dash, and the high jump (with a leap of 5′-2″) to place 15 points on the Chelsea side of the scoresheet against both opponents.
Other first-place winners in both meets for the Lady Red Devils were: Jocelyn Poste in the 600M dash; Yarelis Torres in the 1000M; Jessica Martinez in the shot put; and Yarid Deras in the two-mile run.
On the boys’ side, the Red Devils defeated Lynn Tech, 48-37. Among the highlights for Chelsea were the 1-2 finish by teammates Julio Valladares and Jazmany Reyes in the mile in a time of 5:15 and a similar 1-2 effort by Wuilfido Hernandez and Frankie Suarez in the 600 dash.
Rigi Flores (41′) and Anthony Del Rosario also went 1-2 in the shot put.
Justin Turner took first place in the two-mile run.
The next dual meet for first-year head coach Cesar Hernandez and his crew will take place after the holidays when they will face Northeast Regional on January 9.
Bruins Beat
by Bob Morello
Bruins savor Montreal win
If the adrenalin rush that the Bruins experienced with their crushing 4-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens on Monday is still in their veins, it will be a big help over the next week, as they take on four teams that are as desperate for points as the Bs are. Boston’s two-game homestand begins tonight (Thursday 7:00 p.m.) when they take on the red-hot Anaheim Ducks who have compiled an 8-2 record for their last ten contests. The Ducks are moving up the Pacific Division rapidly, currently holding the third spot in their division, a mere three points from first, and in fifth place in the Western Conference, also three points from first place.
On Saturday (1:00 p.m.), the Nashville Predators will take the TD Garden ice, with a ten-game record of 5-4-1, while occupying the top spot in the Central Division, tied with the Winnipeg Jets. In the Western Conference, Nashville is also tied with Winnipeg and the Calgary Flames for first place. The Carolina Hurricanes who’ve been struggling of late, with a 3-5-2 record for last ten, currently out of the playoff picture, will host Boston. The Hurricanes are still a team to contend with, and they will provide the opposition in a Sunday matinee beginning at 5:00pm. Next up for the Bruins next Thursday (12/27 at 7:00 p.m.), with the New Jersey Devils making their first Garden appearance this season. The Devils at press time continue to struggle with a 2-4-4 record for their last ten, occupying last place in the Metropolitan Division, and last place in the Eastern Conference.
Reflecting back for a moment to Monday night’s impressive 60-minute display of hockey played ‘the right way,’ the Bruins turned in a 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Following two frustrating losses to the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres, the win over Montreal was huge for Boston. Jaroslav Halak in net for the Bruins had been in a bit of a slump, having lost three of his last four starts. He showed his mettle, stopping all 22 Canadiens shots to earn his third shutout of the season, and the 45th of his career. The former Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender from 2006-10, improved his record to 10-5-2, and the Bruins rolled on to their fifth straight win at the Bell Centre, a streak that started back in 2016. The Bruins win also prevented Montreal goaltender Carey Price from notching his 300th win on Monday.
With Christmas rapidly approaching, Bruins fans hope to shortly be receiving ‘gifts’ in the form of Patrice Bergeron, who, if cleared for contact, could be back in the Boston lineup this weekend. Captain Zdeno Chara, who has also been skating on his own with Bergeron, may not be a gift the Bruins get as quickly, as he is a bit behind, but still making progress. Joining Chara on the list of presents not quite ready for delivery are Kevan Miller, whose throat injury will keep him out past the Christmas break, but he is continuing to practice, and forward Jake DeBrusk. While he is expected back on skates soon, DeBrusk’s concussion symptoms persist, although coach Cassidy reported, “he’s feeling better,” and has made some progress since his December 6, injury. Rookie defenseman Urho Vaakanainen still sidelined with the flu, having survived his concussion symptoms, is also expected to start skating with the team this week.