High school weekend roundup, 12/27-28

 Women's basketball:

Saturday:

Columbia 72, Harrison 40.

Shaker 73, Moore Catholic 35.

Shenendehowa 72, Grand Street 39.

Niskayuna 57, Kennedy Catholic 51.

Ravena 68, Lansingburgh 35.

Amsterdam 87, Jefferson (Brooklyn) 79.

Averill Park 42, Our Lady of Lourdes 40.

Academy of Holy Names 51, South Glens Falls 43.

Greenville 59, Fonda-Fultonville 40.

Stillwater 55, Albany 49.

Burnt Hills 53, Cohoes 27.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 72, OESJ 42.

Utica-Notre Dame 59, Bethlehem 47.

Greenwich 76, Sidney 29.

Sunday:

Albany Academy 68, Brooklyn Law & Tech 32.

Shen 54, Archbishop Molloy 35.

Colonie 55, Holy Redeemer (PA) 33.

Amsterdam 63, CTEA 54.

LaSalle 51, Kennedy Catholic 29.

Harrison 47, Averill Park 43.

Holy Names 59, Niskayuna 41.

Stillwater 76, South Glens Falls 43.

Columbia 74, Our Lady of Lourdes 53.

Greenwich 59, Cold Spring Harbor 47.

Men's basketball:

Saturday:

CBA 59, Kellenberg Memorial 48.

Rensselaer 66, Hoosic Valley 55.

Green Tech 58, Gloversville 32.

Watervliet-Heatly 60, Schenectady 56 (OT).

Oneonta 68, Broadalbin-Perth 50.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 62, Utica Academy of Science 45.

Hoosick Falls 54, North Warren 44.

Sunday:

LaSalle 69, Ichabod Crane 36.

Mechanicville 56, Maple Hill 55.

KIPP Capital 63, Gloversville 40.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 70, New Hartford 45.

Men's hockey:

Saturday:

Northeastern Clinton 4, Guilderville 2.

Plattsburgh 5, Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa 3.

CBA 12, CD Jets 0.

Hawks 5, LaSalle 3. The Hawks, once a doormat, have now won 4 in a row.

News & notes

 The players in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) have gone on strike, and that takes the Adirondack Thunder off the ice for an indefinite period.

The players union voted to strike, citing the usual reasons for labor unrest. If you are familiar with work stoppages in the NFL, NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball, you already have a working knowledge of why they took this step. The teams and their communities will lose trust in each other if the strike is prolonged over an extended period.

A cold winter in the north country just got colder.

Nearly two months after his passing, former Saratoga track coach Art Kranick, and his widow, Linda, have been banned by USA Track & Field amid allegations of emotional & physical abuse toward competitors. Like, couldn't they have handed down that decision before Kranick died in November?

I've heard of kicking a man when he's down, but this is morbidly ridiculous.

In more positive Saratoga news, the women's basketball program underwent a quiet transition during the offseason.

Robin Chudy stepped down in June after 11 seasons, and seeing her children graduate. Kevin Himmelwright was brought in to succeed Chudy, then hired one of her former star players, Catherine "Dolly" Cairns, as an assistant. With the Lady Streaks off to a dismal start, I'd suspect Cairns, a beloved fan favorite, may be a coach-in-waiting in case Himmelwright can't get things in the right direction. Just sayin'.

In Niskayuna, the women's basketball team is on its 3rd different coach in as many years, with George Monxhwedey as the new man in charge. All he has to do is see how Troy's Will Harris has progressed since he took over in 2023, and use that as a template. Unfortunately, Nisky is also off to a rough start in the Suburban Council.

Best wishes to both Monxhwedey and Himmelwright (and Cairns, too), as the calendar turns to 2026.

Friday's high school scores:

Men's basketball:

Poultney (VT) 71, Whitehall 46.

Men's hockey:

Plattsburgh & Guilderville played to a 3-3 tie.

LaSalle 4, CBA 3. Good bounce back for the Cadets after losing to Bishop Timon last week.

Northeastern Clinton vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa was postponed due to weather. No make-up date has been set.

The Hudson Holiday tournament in women's basketball was postponed as well. Lansingburgh vs. Ravena has been rescheduled for this morning at 11:30 am, per Hudl, and host Hudson will play Hoosick Falls around 1 pm or so.

News & notes

 UAlbany has hired Tom Perkovich as their next football coach.

Perkovich just finished his 11th season at Susquehanna, where he had some modest success. The future of Jared Ambrose, who never had the interim label taken off this season, is uncertain.

We're getting conflicting information regarding Monday's bowling match between Troy & Lansingburgh at Uncle Sam Lanes. A Google search suggests that the match was postponed again. We will reach out to USL to find out more.

Tuesday's high school scores:

Men's hockey:

Queensbury 9, Guilderville 1. The Spartans, playing their 2nd game in three nights, rebounded after the loss to Saratoga on Sunday.

Women's basketball:

Saratoga 66, Niskayuna 48.

Mayfield 40, Whitehall 35.

Taconic Hills/Hawthorne Valley 52, Germantown 35.

Johnstown 50, Gloversville 36.

Men's basketball:

Colonie 58, Watervliet-Heatly 47. Greg Davis' club picks up its first win of the season.

Catskill 83, Greenville 46.

Rensselaer-Doane Stuart 54, Chatham 40.

Ravena 89, Hoosic Valley 49. The Ravens took out their frustrations after getting blown out by Troy last weekend on Hoosic Valley in a non-league rout.

Gloversville 49, Schuylerville 42.

Queensbury 70, Broadalbin-Perth 43.

Fort Plain 63, Waterford 22.

Merry Christmas, everyone. We'll be back on Saturday.

News & notes

 The Albany Times-Union unveiled its' women's volleyball all-stars today, and, well, the bias in favor of the Suburban Council couldn't be more obvious. Troy's Addison Harkin is the only player from outside the league to be named, and she made the 2nd team. We sympathize with teams like Queensbury, Mohonasen, South Glens Falls, et al, who got the el snubbino.

Shenendehowa's Hadley Ennist was named Athlete of The Year, and leads the 1st team for her coach, Lori Kessler. Joining Ennist are:

Avery Bush (Bethlehem).

Dyllan Thomas (Saratoga).

Alex Wemyss (Burnt Hills).

Jessica Macken (Shen).

Audri Chamberlain (Burnt Hills).

Harkin is joined on the 2nd team by:

Emma Codden (Guilderland).

Caroline Merolle (Shaker).

Brynn Sollien (Bethlehem).

Leah Vaughan (Burnt Hills).

Jacey Bitter (Shen).

It is a slap in the face of the women in Section 2 that the Suburban Council, which everyone knows has favored nation status in the press, had a monopoly on the all star teams.

Monday's high school scores:

Women's basketball:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 27, Argyle 14.

Saratoga Catholic 62, Hartford 52.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 52, Northville 27.

Greenwich 59, Mechanicville 32.

Stillwater 65, Guilderland 43.

Broadalbin-Perth 43, Queensbury 36.

LaSalle 63, Coxsackie-Athens 58.

Glens Falls 69, Scotia-Glenville 54.

Amsterdam 60, Hudson Falls 43.

Schuylerville 64, Gloversville 21.

Men's basketball:

Fort Plain 78, OESJ 42.

Northville 78, Hadley-Luzerne 41.

Cooperstown 82, Saratoga Catholic 58.

CBA 62, Holy Trinity (LI) 56.

Indiana shut down Justice Shoats (0 points in 19 minutes), and while outscored, 40-35 in the 2nd half, held on to beat Siena, 81-60, Monday in a game aired on the Big 10 network. Francis Folefac led Siena with 19 points, as the Saints dropped their 2nd straight. Gerry McNamara's club is now idle until January 2 when they visit Iona.

News & notes

 While Section 2 is settling their issues with hockey refs, Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello is raising a stink with the folks heading up the board of directors for Knickerbacker ice arena in North Troy. According to Adam Toftegaard, per the Albany Times-Union, city corporation council Richard Morrissey claimed the proposed terms of an amended agreement were "unworkable".

Seems to me that the mayor is taking her cues from the national Republican party, headed by a bloviating, immature senior citizen in Washington.

Stay tuned.

Time to catch up on weekend action.

High schools:

Men's hockey:

Friday:

CBA 10, Taconic (Massachusetts) 1.

Beekmantown 5, Guilderville 3.

Baldwinsville 5, Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa 1.

Shenendehowa 5, Saratoga 2.

Bethlehem & Adirondack skated to a 1-1 draw.

Hawks 4, Bishop Timon 3.

Saturday:

Guilderville 8, Northeast Clinton 3.

Bishop Timon 4, LaSalle 2. The Cadets see their 4 game win streak snapped.

Hawks 5, Mohawk Valley 1. The Hawks finally win their own tournament.

Sunday:

Saratoga 4, Queensbury 1.

Women's basketball:

Friday:

Kennedy Catholic 75, Niskayuna 27.

Whitehall 49, North Warren 14.

Lake George 71, Hartford 44.

Watervliet-Heatly 64, Greenville 41.

Burnt Hills 55, Averill Park 48.

Schalmont 54, Mohonasen 48.

Albany Academy 78, Cohoes 39.

Rensselaer/Loudonville Christian 60, Germantown 39.

Coxsackie-Athens 45, Catskill 31.

Maple Hill 84, Chatham 11.

Ichabod Crane 55, Catholic Central 46.

Fonda-Fultonville 42, Middleburgh 21.

Mayfield 46, Galway 38.

Johnstown 61, Schoharie 34,

Columbia 74, Saratoga 32.

Bethlehem 75, Schenectady 17.

Shenendehowa 60, Ballston Spa 45.

Argyle 34, Warrensburg 32.

Corinth 75, Salem 11.

Granville 69, Fort Edward 25.

Saturday:

Niskayuna 54, Kennedy Catholic 50.

Corinth 51, Beekmantown 27.

Ballston Spa 66, Peru 57.

Malden Catholic (Massachusetts) 61, Academy of Holy Names 60.

Albany Academy 53, Averill Park 30.

Colonie 64, Our Lady of Lourdes 37.

Sunday:

Ballston Spa 55, Beekmantown 37.

Peru 49, Corinth 35.

Men's basketball:

Friday:

Dolgeville 66, Schoharie 62.

Bethlehem 61, Schenectady 42.

Schalmont 58, Mohonasen 50.

Watervliet-Heatly 69, Greenville 43.

Taconic Hills 66, Cairo-Durham 53.

Catskill 87, Coxsackie-Athens 61.

Maple Hill 65, Chatham 48.

Rensselaer 62, Germantown 54.

Cambridge 67, Waterford 33.

Schuylerville 61, South Glens Falls 55.

Corinth 76, Salem 41.

Lake George 52, Hartford 45.

Warrensburg 44, Argyle 43.

Shaker 68, Albany 51.

CBA 67, Colonie 38.

Columbia 62, Saratoga 41.

Fort Ann 78, Hadley-Luzerne 22.

Amsterdam 67, Queensbury 35.

Shenendehowa 94, Ballston Spa 73.

Glens Falls 64, Gloversville 40.

Greenwich 58, Saratoga Catholic 44.

Canajoharie 49, Mayfield 44.

Saturday:

Schoharie 64, Mayfield 41.

Ichabod Crane 75, Taconic Hills 63.

Glens Falls 64, South Glens Falls 46.

Hudson 60, Averill Park 43.

Burnt Hills 52, Schalmont 49.

Canajoharie 59, Dolgeville 50.

Sunday:

Tamarac 69, Voorheesville 50.

Fonda-Fultonville 60, Mechanicville 51.

Greenville 58, Cohoes 45. 

Cicero-North Syracuse 62, Ballston Spa 30.

Shaker 68, Liverpool 54.

Saratoga 63, Guilderland 50.

Colleges:

Women's basketball:

UAlbany 52, Hofstra 43.

Siena 73, Canisius 56. The Saints, after starting 0-7, have now won 4 in a row.

Men's basketball:

Cornell 83, UAlbany 75.

Troy High sports review, through December 19

 Troy High is on holiday break until January 5, although sports resumes December 29. Time to take a look at this week's action.

Men's basketball:

Current record: 4-0 (2-0 Colonial Council).

After beating Marcellus last Saturday at HVCC, Jamil Hood's squad had a few days to practice, and otherwise rest, before blowing away Ravena on Friday at Zotto Gym. If the Ravens came in with revenge on their minds, they were sadly disappointed.

Next: The Horses are off until January 2, when Watervliet-Heatly makes its first visit.

Women's basketball:

Current record: 5-1 (4-0 Colonial Council).

After upsetting defending champion Catholic Central on Tuesday (Hudl has it backwards), Will Harris' group crushed Ravena. The 30 point margin of victory matched their demolition of Guilderland 2 weeks earlier.

Next: The Glens Falls holiday tournament, December 29-30. Can Troy repeat last year's shockers?

Men's swimming & diving (merged with CBA & Columbia):

Current record: 4-1.

The 1 blemish came in a 4 team meet Friday, as the Flying Devil Brothers fell to Schenectady-Colonie in a meet that also included LaSalle & Hoosic Valley. LaSalle, for what it's worth, finished last. The loss was the 1st for the men's team since 2023.

Next: The pool is closed until January 6, when Bethlehem visits.

Bowling:

Current record: 4-2.

Don Poutre's club has hit the skids going into the holiday break, first losing at home to Mohonasen, then on the road at Cohoes, as the Tigers gained a split of the season series.

Next: The lone event on the schedule is a make-up date with Lansingburgh on Monday. Then, the keglers will be on vacation.

The sports review returns in two weeks.

High School Fridays: A stampede in the winds of winter (Albany at Shaker, 12/19/25)

 The women are in the spotlight tonight, as Shaker hosts Albany in a Suburban Council meeting of teams who've been past division champions.

Decky Lawson's Falcons are younger, less experienced than in past years, as Lawson is looking to find a successor to Azera Gates (now at Siena). Not only that, but Albany has spent the last few years chasing Averill Park for the Grey division title. Shaker is always in the thick of it in the Blue division, and opens the season undefeated.

The difference in this game was Shaker outscoring Albany, 18-4, in the 3rd quarter. Albany never recovered. The WNYA game of the week returns in 3 weeks with a Wasaren League match, with Tamarac visiting Saratoga Catholic.

Also:

11 months after demolishing Ravena, Troy continued their hot start in both men's & women's action. The guys remain undefeated under Jamil Hood, blowing out the Ravens, 79-49. The women, now 5-1, similarly crushed the Lady Ravens, 64-34. The women are idle until the Glens Falls Holiday tournament on December 29. The boys are off for 2 weeks before Watervliet-Heatly comes in.

In hockey, LaSalle has now won 4 in a row after beating Mohawk Valley, 3-1. Mohawk Valley comes from Section 3.