The O-Zone

Scarlet Knights' Report Cards: Field Hockey and Volleyball

The O-Zone hands out report cards for the NAHS fall athletic teams.

Welcome to the second part of a three part series that looks back on the 2011 North Andover High School fall athletic season. Today we look at the field hockey and volleyball teams. Yesterday we featured the soccer teams, and tomorrow we’ll assess the football team. Field Hockey Comments: The field hockey team had an immensely successful 2011 campaign. With key contributions coming from both the offense and defense, the Knights were able to advance all the way to the MIAA Division 1 quarterfinals. The Knights had one of their best regular seasons of all time. North Andover went 12-1-5, good for a winning percentage of .806. The only team during the regular season to beat North Andover was Andover, the eventual state champions of division 1…

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Athlete of the Week: Yuka Fuchino

The senior had one of her best games this season on Tuesday in a big win against Saugus.

Fuchino is this week's Athlete of the Week for her fabulous game against Saugus on Tuesday.  The North Andover High volleyball team welcomed Yuka who is playing on the varsity team for the first time this year. Fuchino was born in Japan and speaks fluent Japanese. She is also a player for the Andover Pumas volleyball team, a private team that has been known to improve many volleyball players from around the Merrimack Valley. In Tuesday's game, North Andover crushed Saugus, three sets to none.  Fuchino had three kills and six digs to lead the Knights in both categories. Tuesday's win improved the team's record to 15-4 this season. To conclude this stellar regular season, the Knights will host Haverhill on Saturday at 4pm. The MIAA will then…

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Volleyball Knights Fall Short

North Andover fell to Lynnfield yesterday.

The North Andover High School girls volleyball team allowed its division rivals from Lynnfield to clinch the Cape Ann League title yesterday. The Knights fell to the Pioneers three sets to one.  North Andover is still looking in strong position to receive a high seed in the MIAA North playoffs. The Knights have a 13-5 record with two games left on the schedule.  Last night Julia Titone had nine kills to lead the Knights. Erin Cox added 32 assists while Kaylee Lambrinos recorded 39 digs. It was the first meeting between the two teams all season. To close out the season, North Andover will travel to Masco on Friday afternoon and host Saugus on Tuesday. That will do it for the regular season as the Knights will prepare for what could be a …

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Fall Athletes Honored

Fourteen North Andover Athletes named All-Stars for 2010 Fall Season by Boston Globe.

Fourteen North Andover athletes were named to Cape Ann League All-Star Teams as selected by The Boston Globe. Brandon Walsh, North Andover's talented junior quarterback, was the lone Scarlet Knight to be named to the All-Scholastic team this fall thanks to his 13 rushing touchdowns and division leading 23 passing touchdowns. Walsh was also selected to the Cape Ann League All Star team along with six of his teammates. Senior Captain Jack Murphy made the team because of his 12 rushing touchdowns as did the team's other captain, tight end Mike Weisman. Senior wide receiver David Foote made the All-Star team thanks to his 10 receiving touchdowns, good for second place in the division. Jon Swanton, another senior wide-out, made the team as well…

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Awesome Autumn: Top Five Reasons for the Fabulous Fall of Sports

Top notch football and hockey programs leading the way in Patch’s fall sports recap.

North Andover is a bigger sports town than people give it credit for. Here are five reasons why North Andover sports had a fantastic fall: Reason #1 – Merrimack College Ice Hockey Warriors A seat at Lawler Arena for a Merrimack College Warriors hockey game is simply the best ticket in town. For $10-$20 you can see future N.H.L. players and the nation's top teams such as B.C., B.U., and other Hockey East Association rivals. Led by head coach Mark Dennehy, who just inked a 6 year contract extension, and future N.H.L. top draft pick Stephane Da Costa, the Merrimack College Warriors proudly sit at #18 in the national rankings. It is the first time in history the school has been in the Division I rankings. "We want a chance to compete for the …

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Wilmington Fails to Show for Homecoming Volleyball Game

North Andover varsity and junior varsity players scrimmage against each other on Saturday afternoon; Wilmington game rescheduled for Monday at 4 p.m.

Why did Wilmington fail to show up for North Andover's Homecoming volleyball game on Saturday afternoon? Is it because they're on a four-game losing streak? Maybe. Is it because North Andover beat them 3-1 in mid-September? Who knows? Does Scarlet Knights Coach Veronica Schaefer? "I do, but I probably shouldn't say," she said. You can ask her at when they make up the game against the Wildcats on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. The grandeur of homecoming weekend led to a disappointment at the lack of a real match. "It's a big day especially for seniors for homecoming weekend," commented Schaefer. "They were prepared for it, they were ready for it. For a team not to show up, it's pretty disappointing," she said. The volleyball team was not the …

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Knights Volleyball Edged 3-2 by Reading

North Andover goes up 2-1 but can't hold on to upset Reading who wins sixth in a row

The Scarlet Knights volleyball squad suffered a tough 3-2 loss against the Reading Memorial High School Rockets on Monday afternoon in North Andover. Reading is ranked #18 in the state by the Boston Globe staff and North Andover could not pull off the upset after leading 2-1 going into the fourth game. "They were very quick, the fastest offensive team that we've played," said North Andover coach Veronica Schaefer after the game. The Knights took the Rockets to five games but fell in the final game fell by a score of 15-11. Reading easily took the first game 25-13, winning 16 of the last 20 rallies to send the Scarlet Knights a message. North Andover responded well by coming back and taking the second game 25-18. Winning 14 of the last 17 …

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