get well soon

I just wanted to offer my best wishes for Wethersfield point guard Heather Lyhne, who left tonight's game with an apparent knee injury. It looked pretty serious at the time, but hopefully Lyhne will be able to return at some point this year, and if not, by next fall for soccer season.
I hate to see any player leave with an injury, particularly in such obvious pain as Heather was in, and not under her own power. But credit the rest of the Eagles for regrouping after the injury, which came in a close game early in the third quarter, and defeating Berlin. It showed a lot of this team's character to be able to do so, and that is a big part of why they are undefeated so far.
Get better, Heather. We look forward to seeing your energy on the court again.

big game today

I just want to remind anybody who takes the time to read my blog on a weekend that they should definitely check out the Hartford-UConn women's basketball game this afternoon. I don't think the Hawks can beat the Huskies, but I think this will be far closer than most people imagine, and who knows. Upsets are always possible, particularly when a head coach (Jen Rizzotti) is so familiar with the opponent's system. Don't miss this.
As for Hartford, I can't understand why they aren't getting more votes in the polls. Hopefully their victory over Michigan St. will cause some change in that, but the voters, particularly the AP, seem to be reluctant to recognize them.
Also on the schedule, there's a really good matchup in Wethersfield tonight between the Eagles and the Berlin girls team. Wethersfield is unbeaten so far, and Berlin has one loss. Both appear to be quite strong. It will be Wethersfield's balance and athletic guards against Berlin's interior play. Should be interesting.

100th post

Coincidentally this is my 100th post. I just wanted to let you guys know I'll be back posting pretty often starting next week. I had been taking a few weeks to catch my bearings after a busy fall sports season, and start wrapping my mind around some things for winter season. I'm still very much getting to know our local high school teams.
I'm on vacation this week for the holidays, but still working a little on the side. So I'll share some more of my random thoughts with you guys. Sorry to not have a better structure to them.
I am working on a story about two Berlin High students who have signed letters of intent with Division I programs in non-glamor sports. These kids may not be quite as well known around the area, but I can say they are two of our most gifted athletes within their sports in the area.
If you know of any students who are deciding on where to play at the next level, let me know. It is an unwritten policy of the sports staff to try and limit feature stories to those signing with Division I programs, but we love to get mentions of those playing at Division II and III programs as well as other outlets. We love to know what players are doing after taking the next step in life and athletics (noted in Matt's blog about Central this weekend). So let me know. I'll be glad to mention it on here.
That also gives me a good chance to say something I've been meaning to for a while. I ran into the father of a former high school star (Rocky Hill's Chris Tyler) at a football game earlier this season, and he told me about how well his son was doing on the college gridiron. I love hearing stuff like this, and so does Ken. Please, let us know how the kids we used to watch on the field are doing at the next level. It would be my pleasure to share it with everyone.

OK, some more thoughts on games I saw this week. I know they weren't the most marquee of victories, but the Newington girls basketball team, during what is supposed to be a rebuilding season, is 3-2 right now, with a sweep of the Meriden public schools. I'm impressed. It's tough to replace so much of your scoring from a year before and get wins early the next season.
Second point. I saw the Farmington-Rocky Hill hockey game the other night. The Terriers co-op with RHAM seems to be going very well. Despite still not having huge numbers on the roster, they have more talented players than before and nearly upset the Indians. This is case in point for school's hoping to start a new program. Look for a co-op to start if you're worried about numbers. It's a good way to build.
Speaking of Farmington, as expected the front line is dynamic, with Josh Edelson, Jordan Haviland and Jack Kucia all scoring and assisting. The Indians are 3-1 with a blowout of Enfield (8 goals!!!) before Christmas. If you like hockey, or wish there were more scoring on the ice, check this team out.
Third point, back to Newington: I am calling the Newington boys basketball team my under-the-radar team to watch right now. They have five or six players who could be special this season. Guards Marc Tancredi and Shane Leupold are old-style players, passing into narrow lanes and finding shots for themselves and each other. Will Tyillian could be dominant. But the player that makes your eyes open wide is John Riddick.
Riddick can leap. And I mean leap. There should be nobody in the state who can outdo him athletically on the court. His shot is a work in progress. But man, is he exciting. And talking to him afterwards he seemed disappointed in his 14 rebound performance, perhaps because coach Scot Wenzel was a bit frustrated with some of his team's mistakes.
Hey, it's not necessarily a bad thing for a player to demand more from himself. I just hope Riddick knows that 14 rebounds is a good night regardless. If he uses that disappointment to make him focus on eliminating those mistakes, and perhaps working on his touch around the rim (a rarity for young players), look out.

Keep checking out the top 10 countdown in the paper. I love this time of year, and while I'm enjoying some time away from the office, I can't wait to get back to the gyms.