January 6: @ Flames 3 vs. 495 Stars White 2
After two games on Saturday the Flames came into Sunday afternoon’s game with the 495 Stars White team with a full 24 hours off. The Flames and Stars were meeting for the 4th and final…
January 5: @ Flames 5 vs. Cardigan Mt. 7
Saturday afternoon, following an early morning win on the road, the Flames played host to the Cardigan Mountain School Cougars. The Cougars sent their Thirds team down to play a scrimmage game against the Pee…
January 5: Flames 4 @ Raiders 2
Saturday morning at 8:00am the Flames Pee Wee Major team brought its first performance of 2013 to the Allied Veterans Memorial Rink in Everett, MA. With a game time scheduled early, reminding me of Mite…
December 30: @ Flames 2 vs. NH East 1
Sunday afternoon the Flames returned to home ice, hosting the 1st place (GSL) NH East Eagles. This NH East club has proven over the years to be well coached and very stingy on the defensive…
December 29: @ Flames 2 vs. Shamrocks 1
Saturday the Flames started their final weekend of the year 2012 with the first of back-to-back home games. They hosted the Shamrocks at West Side Arena. These are the same Shamrocks that beat the Flames…
December 23: Flames 3 @ Hanover 2
Sunday the Flames traveled to Hanover, NH for a Granite State League game. The match up proved to be even and exciting. In the end, the Flames played their best when it counted most, earning…
December 22: @ Flames 9 vs. NE Stars 0
Today was one of those days. A day when one team shows up ready to play, and the other one shows up flat. The Pee Wee Major Flames came ready to play, played well, and didn’t let…
December 15: Flames 3 @ 495 Stars White 2
In the second of two games on Saturday the 15th, the Flames battled through and around heavy traffic in the vicinity of the Pheasant Lane Mall which was packed and overflowing with Christmas shoppers. Then,…
December 15: Flames 2 @ NH Avalanche III 3
Saturday, December 15, 2012 saw the Manchester Flames Pee Wee Major team hit the road for a pair of road games. The first game was just a few minutes up the road, at the Ice…
December 9: @ Flames 3 vs. Keene 1
The Pee Wee Major Flames had a chance to rebound from a loss yesterday with a home game this afternoon. The Flames hosted a Granite State League game vs. Keene (0-4-1), looking to even their…
December 8: @ Flames 1 vs. Bulldogs 5
Saturday afternoon the Flames returned to home ice for a game against the Bulldogs. These two teams have played each other several times already this season. Each of the games thus far has been intensely…
December 2: Flames 5 @ Berlin 1
The Flames were in Berlin, NH Sunday morning for a Granite State game with the Berlin Sabers. They definitely showed the effects of playing an intense game just 16 hours prior, some 165 miles away.…
December 1: Flames 1 @ Shamrocks 2
Saturday night the Flames made a visit to Ristuccia Memorial Arena in Wilmington, MA for a game vs. the Shamrocks. In my mind this game reminded me a little bit of a young driver trying…
Manchester Flames Stats through November 2012
Through November the Flames are 14-11-1 overall. 26 games played thus far. Here are the team and individual statistics so far. Enjoy. Manchester flames pee wee major hockey statistics 2012-13 Name # games goals assists…
November 25: Flames 2 @ Concord 2
Flames comeback to earn a point in GSL Standings Sunday afternoon the Flames traveled to Concord, NH to play a Granite State Hockey League game vs. the Concord Capitals. Just two weeks ago, the Flames…
November 3: @ Flames 2 Raiders 3
Close call assists Raiders to 3-2 win Saturday afternoon the Flames hosted the North Shore Raiders at West Side Arena for a 2:30 pm tilt. The Flames played well for extended periods of time, but lost 3-2, giving…
November 4: Flames 3 @ Bulldogs 2
Manchester falls behind early only to come back with 3-2 win Whew! What a spirited hockey game down at Hallenborg Arena in Billerica, MA tonight. The Flames, playing their second road game of the day,…
November 11: Flames 7 @ Stars 3
Slow start, down 2-0; Strong finish, 7-3 win The Flames quickly found themselves behind 2-0 just 7 minutes into the game. This may have been the result of back-to-back early morning (8am scrimmage yesterday) games, or…
Thanks #25 (Sports)
I am thankful for sports. I have spent thousands of hours playing, practicing, teaching, watching, and dreaming in sports. Through sports I learned disciplines. I learned teamwork. I learned respect. I learned how to get…
Figure it out!
As the baseball season winds down and new names are written into the great history of post-season baseball, I can’t help but grow increasingly upset with the NHL. After all the momentum hockey has seen…
Closer to the truth?
Let me start by saying that I am a life-long Red Sox fan. Watching post season baseball this year makes me wonder how the Red Sox even won as many games as they did this…
A day of fall baseball at CCSU
Yesterday was the last day of fall baseball scrimmages at Central Connecticut State University. I went down to see Ryan (my 19-year old son) play. He caught all 12 innings of the intra-squad contest, as…
Here we go, MLB style
This afternoon the baseball season continues, the post season. This season marks the first time in Major League Baseball history that 10 teams, yes one-third of the teams, made the playoffs. Now, for two of…
Summer of 2007
Fortunately, and unfortunately, at the same time, I came across this little email I wrote five years ago. It still brings tears to my eyes when I read this and reflect on that summer…
Thank You to Youk’s Kids
On Saturday, August 4th, 2012, lightning struck Allard Park. It certainly wasn’t the first time lightning struck Goffstown’s hidden gem. For the most part the lightning strikes have been of a baseball nature when kids…
These Sox don’t deserve the likes of Pesky
As if we needed any further proof of the character (lack there of) among this current Red Sox club, this week’s embarrassment takes the cake. This clubs collapse last season was tough to handle but…
The Barn
The road is the same, carved through the forest Around the bend, land opens, I like the best Dew sparkles on the green like gems, or so it seems My heart pauses as I approach…
The End: They Left It On The Field
It didn’t really hit me until I was suddenly caught off guard after most everyone but the parents had left the ballpark. I had made my way over behind the dugout to say hi to Ryan and to congratulate him on his efforts. Then it hit me, finality, this final moment hit me, I realized that I did not have my camera, so I asked a friend if they had a camera to get a picture of Ryan and I. That’s about the time that things slowed down just a little bit and when the emotion really started to tug at me.
A Night at Alumni Field
Saturday night 19 of us (friends and family) made our way to Keene, NH for a night of fellowship, food, and collegiate summer league baseball. Oh, and yes there were fireworks at the end of…
Walk-Off Win
Ryan Beal scores the winning run in a come from behind, walk-off win. This is from the play-by-play account on the NECBL Website. Bottom of 9th Keene Swamp Bats Pitching Substitution 8 Dave Spinosa subs…
Goffstown In Baseball
Goffstown, NH was incorporated in 1761. Goffstown ranks as just the 14th largest municipality in the state of New Hampshire. The 2010 Census put Goffstown’s population at 17,651. Roughly 15% of the population is between age 18 and age 24, or approximately 2,648 people. I am going to point out some more details from this age group a little later on in this piece. There are roughly 4,000 folks in Goffstown that are under the age of 18, in this group, nearly 10% of this group play baseball in the Goffstown Jr. Baseball organization. I point these numbers out because I find these things interesting enough to share.
Goffstown is a small town. There are 202 municipalities in New England that are larger than Goffstown. For this piece I refer to Goffstown baseball based on the towns the school district pulls from. Goffstown, New Boston (2010 census pop. 5,321), and Dunbarton (2010 census pop. 2,758) make up the school district. I will also point out which town the individuals mentioned in this piece hail from.
Early reviews: Sox are a bust and have lost their way
Welcome to the circus that is Fenway Amusement Park and the 2012 performance of the Boston Red Sox Players as conducted by seemingly, mildly interested ownership. Lead Jester in this years performance is Bobby Valentine.…
Another season ends
Another season ends. Over the weekend my eleven year old sons’ hockey season ended. Hockey started with off ice training back on August 1st, 2011. That’s 222 days of hockey season according to my calculations.…