UMass football: Minutemen offense puts up season-high in points but UConn holds on for 47-42 win in finale

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Oh, so close.That has certainly been the theme for this year’s UMass football team. And it was again, one final time on Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium as the Minutemen fell 47-42 to UConn – which played spoiler to UMass’ senior...

UMass hockey: Minutemen take care of business in 3-1 win over Army

By RYAN AMES

AMHERST – The UMass hockey team used a pair of second-period power play goals to propel past Army in its 3-1 win on Friday at the Mullins Center.Cole O'Hara and Daniel Jencko each notched man-advantage strikes less than five minutes apart during the...

UMass football: Minutemen have one last shot to get first win over FBS program in finale against UConn

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Although the UMass football team didn’t win either of its last two contests, it put together arguably its best eight consecutive quarters all season long. The Minutemen dropped a crushing 35-34 overtime game to Liberty two weeks ago before...

UMass soccer: Minutemen looking to keep magical run alive in Sweet 16 against Virginia

By RYAN AMES

The UMass men's soccer team will look to keep its impressive postseason run going when it matches up against No. 11 Virginia during the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division 1 tournament Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.The Minutemen (12-3-5) took down...

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: UMass football blame pie

Good morning!My friend John Kennedy thinks I’m too hard on UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford. True, Bamford deserves credit for overseeing successful men’s and women’s soccer teams and the field hockey team that reached the NCAA Final Four and,...

Pioneer to host Celebration of Life Saturday to honor former AD Bill Messer, who died at age 101 last week

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

There aren’t many who had a bigger impact on the Northfield-Bernardston community than Bill Messer. Messer, born in Bernardston in 1923, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before attending Springfield College, later getting a job at...

Thanksgiving football: Hot start more than enough to propel Athol past rival Mahar, 26-0 (PHOTOS)

By GEORGE MILLER

ORANGE — The lessons learned the first time around served Athol very well indeed during Thursday's Thanksgiving rematch.Three first-quarter touchdown passes set the tone early for the Bears and the ground game helped do the rest, along without a stout...

UMass hockey: Minutemen welcome Army for Black Friday matinee

By RYAN AMES

The UMass hockey team only has one game on the docket this week as it’ll welcome Army to the Mullins Center for a Black Friday matinee.The Minutemen (6-6-2) are coming off an up-and-down weekend – first with a win against Harvard before a loss to...

Thanksgiving football: Smith Vocational knocks off Franklin Tech for the first time since 2018 following 16-8 OT win

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

EASTHAMPTON — It was true late November football in New England at Mountain View School on Thursday. Smith Vocational hosted Franklin Tech for the sixth Turkey Day showdown between the two rivals, and with driving rain coming down throughout the...

UMass basketball: Second half spurt helps Minutemen take down Harvard, halt 5-game losing streak

By GARRETT COTE

It may not have been the prettiest of games by the UMass men’s basketball team, which headed into halftime tied with Harvard 24-24 as neither team playing exactly inspired. But the Minutemen woke up in the second half and dominated the glass en route...

Thanksgiving Football: One of state’s oldest rivalries, Athol-Mahar to meet for 88th Turkey Day contest

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

It wouldn’t feel like Thanksgiving without an Athol-Mahar showdown on the gridiron. A tradition dating back to 1894, the Bears and Senators will square off for the 88th time on Turkey Day in what is one of the oldest Thanksgiving rivalries in the...

Thanksgiving Football: Rising programs Franklin Tech, Smith Vocational gear up for 6th Turkey Day showdown

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

While Thanksgiving football games are largely diminishing around the state, there’s one new Turkey Day rivalry that’s growing each year. Franklin Tech and Smith Vocational began playing on Thanksgiving in 2018 and since that time, both programs are on...

High school basketball: Pioneer’s Scott Thayer, Mahar’s Chad Softic receive 2024 MBCA Coach of the Year awards

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

A pair of impressive runs to the MIAA Division 5 Final Four a season ago earned a pair of longtime local boys basketball coaches some hardware. Pioneer boys basketball coach Scott Thayer and Mahar boys basketball coach Chad Softic were both awarded...

Bulletin Board: Gill CC Woodworking wins Greenfield Touch Football League title following 12-0 win over the Titans

Pat Viencek threw touchdown passes to Adam Bastarache and Cody Underwood on Sunday in the Greenfield Touch Football League championship game, leading Gill CC Woodworking to the title with a 12-0 victory over the Titans. Jaylen Sanders, Alex Bourassa...

UMass AD Ryan Bamford speaks on football coach Don Brown’s firing: “We just didn’t feel like we were able to turn the corner competitively”

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Perhaps the passionate followers of the UMass football team weren’t necessarily surprised when news hit last week that Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford had fired former Minutemen head coach Don Brown after a 6-28 record with the team; it...

UMass hockey: Vermont continues to be a thorn as Catamounts edge Minutemen 3-2

By RYAN AMES

AMHERST – The No. 20 UMass hockey team dropped its third and final game against Vermont this season, falling  3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Mullins Center.Nick VanTassell put the Minutemen ahead halfway through the first period, 1-0, but the Catamounts...

UMass basketball: Minutemen dominated by Florida State at Mohegan Sun for 5th straight loss

By GARRETT COTE

It certainly was a weekend to forget at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. for the UMass men’s basketball team.The Minutemen suffered two losses at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament – the latter a 92-59 blowout at the hands of Florida State...

UMass football: Minutemen impressive early against SEC power Georgia, ultimately falling 59-21

By GARRETT COTE

ATHENS, Ga. — Nobody would have blamed the UMass football team if it rolled into Sanford Stadium and played an uninspired brand of football against No. 8 Georgia given its tumultuous week – headlined by the firing of head coach Don Brown.But the...

Bulletin board: Greenfield hockey program holding Fill-A-Skate fundraising drive Nov. 29

The Greenfield High School cooperative hockey team will be holding its annual Fill-A-Skate fundraising drive on Friday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.The fundraiser will take place at the intersection of Main and Federal Streets in Greenfield. The...

Greenfield Touch Football League continues on after 50-plus years of competition

By JEFF LAJOIE

Touch football in Greenfield has a long, storied history.Greenfield YMCA program director Pete Duffy founded and served as league director for the original Greenfield Recreational Men’s Touch Football League in 1971. The league served as a competitive...