March 22-28, 1998
Merrimack turned a dismal season into an impressive one in just two games. Finishing the Hockey East regular season at 4-20 including a school-record 12-game losing streak, the Warriors decked Boston University, the nation's second-ranked team, in a best-of-three series to earn a berth in the league semifinals at the FleetCenter. Freshmen Tom Welby, John Pyliotis and Joe Gray, lifted Merrimack to the startling upset of BU. ... Eagle-Tribune MVP Todd Swenson, the New England cross country champion, committed to join former Lancer Ted Gillick and compete for William & Mary College. ... Despite a game-high 20 points with six 3-point buckets, Andover's Sarah Muller couldn't lift the North All-Stars past the South in the Hoop Mountain/School Sports Roundball Classic at Boston College. ... Behind huge hitting from Michelle Lefebvre, Merrimack's softball team ended its annual Florida run with a 7-1 record, losing only to fourth-ranked Augustana of South Dakota. ... Putting high-scoring forwards Al Salvia and Aaron Crear on separate lines with five games left in the regular season made head coach Rick Sheehan look like a sage as Central Catholic, a lowly 13th seed, won three tournament games. Salvia and Crear, who both broke Mike Jankowski's school scoring record earlier in the season, each finished with 41 points on the season. ... Methuen High's Mimi Hyde was voted New England Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Assoc. In 20 years of coaching, Hyde had compiled a 353-73 record as her Rangers qualified for postseason play every season while winning one state crown. Central Catholic wrestling coach Dennis King was named MVC co-Coach of the Year, North Reading's Jared Rhoads and Erin Guthrie won Cape Ann League track MVP honors, and Salem's Shaun Qualter (basketball), and Andover's Kimberly Ballard-Perrin (skiing) and Hannah Cole (indoor track) earned MVP honors at Phillips. ... Led by Jan Vastl, Kyle Wilmarth and Neal Baroni, the Salem Squirt A hockey team defeated Concord, 2-0 to win the state championship in the 10-to-11-year old division. ... Haverhill's Amy Veilleux led all Northeast-10 players in 3-point field goal percentage (.488) for Merrimack. ... Freshman forward Mike Dunn of Salem announced he was transferring from Merrimack. ... Derry's Mark Hodgkins sank a pro-length 3-point shot during a break in a Boston Celtics game, winning $7,777. ... Due to the vigorous reporting of The Eagle-Tribune's Russ Conway, former NHL kingpin R. Alan Eagleson resigned from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
March 22-28, 1983
Haverhill's Palmer Lewis won All-American swimming honors for the second straight season. Competing for Norwich University at the NCAA Division 2 Championships, Lewis, a graduate of Haverhill High, finished second in the 1,650 meter freestyle (16:08.49), seventh in the 500 freestyle (4:36.42) and ninth in the 200 freestyle (1:44.54). ... Massachusetts retail stores were allowed to open on Sunday for the first time since the repeal of prohibitive Blue Laws. ... Andover's Tom MacDonald and Methuen's Jay DiResta, who both played at Brooks, were chosen to the Independent School League All-Star hockey team. ... Central Catholic coach Dick Licare will lead the East squad, which includes Andover's E.J. Perry, North Reading's Mike Donovan and Central's Dave Fazio, in the Top 48 basketball game. ... North Reading pitcher Dennis Livingston had a 7-1 record with 81 strikeouts in just 47 innings for Oklahoma State University.
March 22-28, 1958
Haverhill's Joanne Goodwin, daughter of then-Haverhill Country Club pro Hal Goodwin, posted a 9 and 7 win over Florida's Carol Beinbrink in opening-round play at the North-South Championships held at Pinehurst, N.C. Goodwin made her southern swing after winning the women's New England and Eastern Open titles. ... Dick Marini bowled a 393 triple at Elite Alleys, setting a new season standard in the Haverhill Industrial League. ... Former St. John's Prep standout Mike Cortese of Haverhill stroked two singles and a double in Rollins College's season kickoff. ... Sanborn Seminary finished its basketball season with an 8-9 record despite playing only three home games. Wayne Winslow averaged over 19 points per game to lead Sanborn ... Former major league outfielder Johnny Barrett from Lowell was named assistant baseball coach at Lawrence High. Barrett played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves during his 13-year career, leading the National League in triples and stolen bases in 1944. ... At its preseason meeting, George Lagasse was voted president of the Merrimack Valley Umpires Assoc. ... After a 22-year hiatus, trotters will race at Rockingham Park and the nation's best driver for the past six seasons, Billy Haughton, is brought in to help kick off the schedule.
Ferreira made stunning return from cancer
After battling cancer not once but twice, Salem junior Steve Ferreira defied doctor's orders by returning to competitive wrestling. Nine years ago last week, Ferreira's determination was rewarded as he finished second in the Meet of Champions at 152 pounds, losing only to eventual New England champ Jay Holder of Timberlane.
Ferreira was diagnosed with testicular cancer in June of 1996, but six months after successful surgery was found to have cancer in his blood stream. Three months of chemotherapy quelled the germ cell cancer, which was followed with 10 months of grueling rehabilitation to get back into wrestling shape. Returning to competition on Dec. 12, 1997, Ferreira steadily improved, finishing 17-6 before his impressive state tourney run.
"With God on my side," Ferreira said, "I did it."
Sandusky makes a statement
Collegiate Corner: Philly College Hoops - 2/9
Ovechkin: "I don't think we deserved to lose today."
Brayden Schenn scores a goal against his brother Luke
What is ailing the Flyers?
Briere on facing the Maple Leafs
Flyers on Bobrovsky starting and work ethic
Schenn and Hartnell help the Flyers snap their skid
Iguodala is selected to his first All-Star Game
What is the injury situation with Hawes?
Brayden Schenn on trade rumors surrounding his brother, Luke Schenn
Highlights: PSU - (11) MSU
Spurs eighty-six 76ers
John Wall on how they had trouble stopping Jeremy Lin and the Knicks pick and roll-2/8
Teach me how to "Beat LA"
The Flyers lose three straight for the first time this season
The Flyers had no answers for Nabokov
John Wall got the energy going for the Wizards on Monday night-2/7
SportsTalk Live: Manning to the Skins a mistake - 2/7
Maria Menounos in Giants Bikini After Losing Bet
Globe 10.0 Who was the best free agent in Boston?
Maria Menounos dons a Giants-colored bikini after losing Super Bowl bet-2/7
Thomas' moratorium: 'I'm out, peace'
Gasol: 'Not pleasant' being part of trade rumor
Blakely: Gasol-for-Rondo trade unlikely
Brady-ing is Latest Internet Meme
Globe 10.0: Is Paul Pierce the Celtics greatest scorer?
Ranking Pierce among Celtics greats
Garnett's tale of first meeting Paul Pierce
Pierce's loyalty touted after big night
Hurt Locker: Patriots react to Super Bowl loss
Brown: 'Eli Manning is better than Tom Brady'
Local fans crushed by Patriots loss in Super Bowl XLVI
Marcus Johansson Caps lone goal in loss to Bruins-2/5
Matt Hendricks throws down with the Bruins' Adam McQuaid--2/5
Vinatieri, Law, Brown recount Super Bowl XXXVI
Curran: Probably 4-6 years left on Belichick's reign
Tyree's side of Super Bowl XLII helmet catch
Highlights: Celtics vs Knicks 2/3
'Defensive intensity' changes game in Celtics' favor
