Player Profile: Gabe Reich

TYLER STARR '10

The player profile section of the newspaper is a great way to learn more about BCDS athletes. The players featured in this section will be asked the same ten questions about the sport they play at Beaver.

The first player profile is of Gabe Reich. Gabe is a senior and has been a captain of varsity soccer for the past two year. Through his leadership and skills, he plans on leading the Boys Varsity Soccer team to a winning season this fall.

TS: When did you start playing soccer?
GR: I started playing soccer when I was four years old. My dad would pass me the ball and I would kick it back to him in the air. TS: What position do you play for Beaver?
GR: I play sweeper at the moment, but I could also be playing striker, center mid, or outside mid.

TS: When did you start to become the player you are today?
GR: Ever since I started being a leader on my Brookline travel team in seventh grade where I would play with the eighth graders, I would always have an important role on the team.

TS: Are you playing this sport outside of school, if so what team?
GR: At the moment I am not on a team, but I am looking to join one for the spring.

TS: Is this your favorite sport to play?
GR: Yes, this is the only sport I play.

TS: Is this your favorite spectator sport?
GR: Yes, I enjoy watching the English league and the Italian league.

TS: What professional soccer team would you play for if you had the choice?
GR: Manchester United.

TS: Is there a particular professional athlete that plays in a similar fashion as you?
GR: Yes, Gattuso on AC Milan.

TS: Who has been the most influential coach, player, or family member on your soccer career?
GR: My parents who started my career when I was four.

TS: Do you see this sport in your future in any way?
GR: Yes, I plan on playing in college. Right now, I am hoping to play on Wheaton next fall.

We look forward to see how Gabe performs during his last season at Beaver. Hopefully one day we will be wearing Reich Manchester United jerseys. Good luck to you Gabe in the up coming years!
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Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team Secures First Win in Three Seasons

SABRINA BROWN ‘09

With the season coming to an end, the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team pulled off their first victory of the season with a win against Berwick Academy on Wednesday the 7th. With goals from Sabrina Fiori ‘08, Maddy Kiefer ‘08, Laura Bulkeley ‘08, and Sabrina Brown ‘09, the team put Berwick to shame, ending the game with a score of 8-5. One of Beaver’s key players in this game was senior Lindsey Yudkoff, who stepped in as goalie. Originally a starting defender, Lindsey volunteered to play goalie when no one else offered, and she has improved immensely since she began playing just a few weeks ago. Although this past Wednesday was only Lindsey’s second game in goal, she excelled in the position and led the team to victory, letting in only four goals and saving eight. With help from new coaches Kristen Chiusano and Sarah Anderson, the team was able to win their first in-league game in three years. The team hopes this is an indication that the program is developing and that the new coaches will lead the team to even more wins in the coming years.

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Week of 4/23-4/25 Sports Wrap Up

TYLER STARR '10

Varsity Baseball
Last Wednesday, the team lost to LCA 12-2 at home. The game started out poorly for Beaver and they had a hard time coming back. On Friday, the team dug themselves a hole, by giving up early runs, which they could not get out of in their 15-0 loss against Landmark.

Varsity Softball
Softball had only one game last week which they won by the slaughter rule against Chapel Hill 17-2. This was their first win this season, bringing their record to 1-6. Kat Rosenthal (shown batting above) was also featured in this Sunday’s Boston Globe as one of the top 10 high school softball hitters in Massachusetts.

Ultimate Frisbee
The Frisbee team got their first two wins last week. On Wednesday, they beat Chapel Hill 15-3. The team, with terrific defense by Adam Offit and Charles Haverty, did not allow a single touchdown in the second half. The team continued their strong defense in their 21-0 win against Cambridge. Zach Dareshori and Noah Kulick, two of the three freshmen on the team, both had touchdowns.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse
The lacrosse team played one game last week which they lost to Chapel Hill 19-13. They were losing early on and could not turn the game around.

Girls Varsity Lacrosse
The girls lacrosse team last week went 0-2 with losses to Newton Country Day and Dana Hall. Sabrina Brown had a hat-trick in the first game and Maddy Kiefer also had a hat-trick in the second game.

Boys Varsity Tennis
The tennis team went 2-0 last week with wins against Portsmouth Abbey and Bancroft. Pierre Planche had an exciting win in the first match against Portsmouth Abbey where he came back after losing the first set 6-4 to win the next two sets 6-4 and 6-3. In its match against Bancroft, the team got its first sweep of the season with a 5-0 win.

Girls Varsity Tennis
The girls tennis team beat Portsmouth Abbey 3-2 last week to get their first win of the season. Melissa Lefkowitz, Sydney Hass, and Sara Marsh all won their matches.

Girls JV Tennis
JV tennis team had their third game last week in which they were swept, losing 0-5.


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BCDS Spring 2008 Sports Preview

TYLER STARR '10

Boys Varsity Tennis

Last Season: The '07 BCDS Varsity Boys Tennis team was very successful. It had four EIL All-stars, three of which are returning this season. They were co-champions of the EIL, and only lost one match.

Biggest Loss: Graham Loyd. He was not a huge loss, he is the only non-returning.

Biggest Gain: Time to improve. Over the past year, several of the tennis players have been getting better by going to tournaments, clinics, and taking lessons. Pierre Planche ’10 and Lukas Mead ’10, both EIL All-stars, told me that everyone has improved their games since last year.
Strength: The tennis team is still young. Three of the seven starting players are sophomores; one is the number one on the ladder.

Projected Record: 12-1. Almost undefeated last year, this year they are determined to learn minor mistakes and play another almost perfect season.

Girls Junior Varsity Tennis

Last Season: The 2007 season was a building year for Girls Junior Varsity Tennis team. There were many of new tennis players, who had never played tennis before. Though the team only had one win, Hayley Peck ’10 and Brook Marram ’10 both had strong seasons.

Biggest Loss: Peck and Marram. Some experts considered them the best on the team last year and this season they will most likely be moved up to the varsity team.

Biggest Gain: Freshmen. There is a plethora of new freshman on the team, including Nicole Penn and Kasjah Scarlett who are very talented players.

Strength: Depth. The team does not have one stand out player, but will have a strong line up every match.

Projected Record: 6-3. The team looks very strong this year, and will shock everyone with a over 500 average.

Boys Varsity Baseball

Last season: The varsity baseball team had a rough ‘07 season. They had talent but they did not win many games. The team had a lot of talented young players, but unfortunately did not have a successful season.

Biggest Loss: Lamarre Rey. He was the on of the team’s captains for this year and the main pitcher on the team. Rey is currently attending the Pingree school.

Biggest Gain: Freshmen. There are some skilled freshmen who joined the team this year. The best part about these freshmen is that they will only improve over the next three years.

Strength: Fielding. There are plenty of gifted fielders on the team including infielders Shane Bourque ‘10 and Sam Packard ’08.

Projected Record: 9-6. The team has ten games scheduled for this year on upper-field. Due to fan support they should win almost every one. The team will be looking to prove themselves after last year’s upsetting season.

Girls Varsity Softball

Last season: The team had a challenging season last year with only one win. The team grew and learned from their hardships and should improve this year.

Biggest Loss: Dayo Oyedele ‘07. She was an overall strong athlete and a team player.

Biggest Gain: Coach Kaplan. Kaplan, as she told the upper school learned in a Wednesday Forum, played catcher in college. She has a lot of experience playing softball. She plans to share her valuable knowledge with the team this season.

Strength: Young, number of team members, lower field. The team is very young which will help them in the upcoming years. There are a lot of young women on the team this year which will keep the team rested. After last year’s construction fiasco, the team kicked Ultimate Frisbee off their turf this spring and will have Lower Field to play on this year.

Projected Record: 6-9. The team will have a rough slow start to the beginning of the season; out of their first six games, only one of them is home.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse

Last season: The team had an average record last year. They were only a par last year and they plan on being an elite team this year. Peter Jackson ‘07, and David Miller ’07 were last year’s captains.

Biggest Loss: Peter Jackson. He was one of the most skilled players on the team. Jackson was also the leader of their offense. Peter Jackson was the team’s leading goal scorer.

Biggest Gain: There is no single biggest gain known to the team other than experience. Players have been improving better throughout the last year by going to camps, and playing indoor lacrosse during the winter.

Strength: Defense. The defensemen on the team are excellent at playing their position. Jon Paul ’08 is a very devoted player to the team and has greatly improved his strength by wrestling in the winter. The goalies are also very good. Parker Barrell ’10 and Tory Fruciano ’09 are the goalies for the team and have been getting better since last season.

Projected Record: 9-5. The five seniors on the team are extremely devoted and want to prove themselves in their last year with Coach Brooks.

Girls Varsity Lacrosse

Last season: The ’07 season was a building year for the lacrosse team. They had no wins but improved consistently throughout the season.
Biggest Loss: Molly Swain. Swain was a exceptionally skillful player who was very devoted to the team.

Biggest Gain: Freshman. There is a new group of freshman to join that have joined the team this year. All of them are eager to play and will aid the team tremendously.

Strength: Communication. The team works very hard on communicating to each other during practices, which pays off in their games.

Projected Record: 5-7. With the help of a new coach, is expected to perform better than in the past.

Ultimate Frisbee

Last season: The ’07 season was a character building year for the Frisbee team. They only had two wins last year, but progressively got better throughout the season.

Biggest Loss: Will Knight ’07 and Josh Raab ‘07. Will Night was the tallest player on the team and scored the most out of all the players. Josh Raab was captain last year and used his leadership skills to teach the younger players how to play Frisbee.

Biggest Gain: Coach John Schatz and Chris Rush ‘08. Coach Schatz is a great athlete, and is teaching the team how to keep in shape. He coached cross country in the fall and brings some of his endurance building skills to the Frisbee team. With the loss of Will Knight, the team was without a “big man”. Rush has proven himself during preseason as the team’s newest “big man”. He has a large reach and can jump high as well. Rush is projected to have the most touch downs this year on the Frisbee team.

Strength: Heart. The Frisbee team plays with a lot of spirit. Adam Offit ’09 is one of the many devoted players who gives his all every practice and game.

Projected Record: 5-5. The team has a tough schedule playing Gann Academy twice. Based on last year’s final scores against the Gann team (losing by 10 touch downs) these two games will most likely be losses. The team is better than last years team, but will have a slow start because it will take the team a few games to learn how to function together due to limited practice space.

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Jacoby Ellsbury Traded to Yankees for Johnny Damon

JESSICA PENZIAS ‘08

At 8:00 this morning, reporters gathered at Fenway Park at the request of Red Sox general manager, Theo Epstein. Soon thereafter, Epstein took the podium and announced that, after considering input from both Terry Francona and the Red Sox owners, the team has resigned former Red Sox player Johnny Damon. Damon, who was traded to the Yankees immediately following the 2004 World Series victory of the Red Sox, has, of late, become an enemy to all members of Red Sox nation. In fact, when Damon returned to Fenway as a member of the Yankees in 2005, Red Sox fans threw money on the field to demonstrate their frustration with Damons’ greedy nature and lack of devotion to the Sox.

The news of the latest trade received a similar public reaction. Reporters flooded Epstein with questions and soon after the story was released to the public (at around 9 AM) crowds gathered outside Fenway Park. Outraged Bostonians, banded together with signs protesting the return of the despised center-fielder. At this time, Epstein returned to Fenway Park to address the concerns of the growing crowd. When he was asked about his decision, Epstein was recorded as stating, “Due to Coco Crisp’s injury, we have resigned Damon in an effort to rebuild our outfield.” He then went on to say, “Trading Jacoby Ellsbury was a necessary move for the Red Sox administration and we are excited to welcome back our former teammate.” A public outcry followed this statement and some fans even speculated that this trade may be reminiscent of the famous trade of Babe Ruth.


APRIL FOOLS!!!...Thank goodness!
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Advancements in Baseball: Not Always Beneficial

ZACK LEVANDOV '08

Beginning in the slums and alleys of New York City in the 19th century, baseball has risen to become America's favorite sport and one of the most successful athletic businesses. In the old days, many had to take long treks to the nearest professional ballpark. Today in Boston, all it takes is a short T ride or a quick car ride down Storrow Drive to Fenway Park.

Baseball has not only experienced beneficial changes, there have been numerous negative alterations as well. Fifty years ago, going to the ballpark was a unique and special experience. Baseball used to be an important social event: fans dressed up and went to games to gamble, to enjoy themselves with friends, and to bond with their families. Today, fans goes to games more casually, are less emotional, and their behavior is controlled with strict rules.

Furthermore, when baseball began, all stadiums had natural grass and seats piled up high, so close to the players that the fans could hear them talk and shout on the field. Today, stadiums are becoming fake and tacky. Fans are placed in domed, bowl-shaped parks where players meander about on artificial turf and view the game from such a far distance that the action on the field might as well be on small TV screen. Fans simply should not have to endure the flaws of such aesthetics and architecture.

To start off, the artificial surface must go. There should be nothing fake or artificial about baseball, least of all the grass. Baseball is America’s sport, so why should there be an artificial quality to it? Baseball, in its ideal, form is one of the most pure sports played today across the globe. It is a simple and laid-back game, requiring only a few friends, a ball and a stick. The odd shade of the artificial grass is a poor and unappealing counterfeit of green grass. Sitting around an artificial field is almost like sitting on a picnic blanket. Why gather around a carpet to enjoy peanuts, sodas, hotdogs, and the game when you could do the same thing without leaving the comfort of your own home?

Artificial turf also affects the game of baseball negatively for the players both physically and strategically. When the game is on the line and an outfielder has an opportunity to make a quick run towards the infield to catch a fly ball, what do they have to consider? Since artificial turf is harder and more abrasive than grass, the impact on the ground is going to feel like a collision with a cement wall, and a player risks a rug burn or a tear in his pants. Additionally, the away team has to consider the possible directions the ball can take when bouncing from the ground and how high it will soar over the outfielder’s head, since balls bounce less predictably off artificial turf than off natural grass.

Moving on, domes create a bland ambience for baseball. As human beings, we love sunlight and the warm feeling of the rays on our skin. Why play baseball inside when it was invented as an outdoor sport? Yes, it is true that domes protect the weather from ruining the field and the sun from shining in players’ eyes, but baseball should be a pastoral sport; players lope across the field, and a strong batter can send a ball seemingly far into the sky. Underneath a dome, it is all a different story. The game is sealed, players’ skin even appears unhealthy, and the ball is in danger of hitting a rafter. The sense of outdoor sport is completely taken away from the fan. Instead, fans are in a room.

Don’t you, as a fan, want to be outside and closer to the game while have the feeling of genuine baseball in front of you? One should have a desire to feel closer to the game instead of being forced to the back wall of a bowled stadium, like the remnants of unwanted cereal. Don't you, as a fan, want to be outside and close to the players? Don't you want the sun on your face and the wind to blow, while the players scamper across natural grass? I like hearing the ball slap the catcher’s mitt, and the shortstop shouting “I got it!” when the ball is popped up in the infield, which you can't hear when you're far from the game in a domed stadium, listening to air conditioning vents. In baseball, atmosphere is just as important as athletics and false environments should be eliminated.

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NHL Trade Deadline Passes

LUCAS JUDSON ‘13 (middle school)

Hi to all of you very few hockey fans at Beaver, or just someone reading something they saw. My name is Lucas Judson and I will make a weekly report about the NHL. As you may know, the trade deadline passed on February 26 and a few teams cashed in with some great players.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got Marian Hossa (f), another all-star to play alongside Evgeni Malkin (f), the current point leader. The defenseman Brian Campbell now plays for the San Jose Sharks. Brad Richards (f), who played with NHL great Martin St. Louis (f) and “St. Vincent” Lecavelier (f) on the Tampa Bay Lightning, is now playing for the Dallas Stars for Jussi Jokinen (f) and Mike Smith (g). Tampa Bay also picked up the goalie Karri Ramo. “Ollie” Kolzig (g) is back on the Washington Capitals and Garey Price (g) is now on the Minnesota Wild. Big surprise but Sergei Federov (f) is now playing with the Washington Capitols and Peter Forsberg (f) is back on the Colorado Avalanche. If you read this far I hope you enjoyed it and wait for more. Good bye.

Image from NHL.com
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