Sat June 22 - Junior C Hurling: NH Wolves v Worcester

It was a road trip I’ve been meaning to make the last few seasons, and eventually today I made it.  Up to New Hampshire to see the New Hampshire Wolves take on the Worcester Fenians in an acute hurling rivalry that is growing here in the Northeast Division.   Google maps told me 1 hour and 35 minutes, so I gave myself 2.  Traffic in and out of Boston being what it is, a stop for gas and Dunkin Donuts, along with roadworks and rubberneckers for an fender bender on the other side of 93, meant that I arrived at Amoskeag Field in Bow New Hampshire with about 10 minutes left in the first half.  The field is tucked away right off Interstate 93, a direct run North of Boston.

There was a nice crowd of supporters for each side.  The game was fairly evenly contested, each team had their fair share of wides but at the end of the first 30 minutes the visitors from Massachusetts fired 3 points over the bar.  Tom Lind, who was a force at center forward for Worcester, Liam Kelly at corner forward and wing back Tim Jackson.  P.J. Heffernan, who was locked in a tussle with Wolves corner back, Alec Foley, had netted earlier.  At the half time break it was a 1-5 to 0-3 lead for Worcester.

The second half saw the visitors strike with another goal, this one from Zach Jacobs.  It was a blow for the Wolves who would have hoped for the early scores after the restart, especially after Sean Naughton had pointed well from distance to get things going again.  Lind, who was causing a lot of problems for the Wolves, followed with a point and Worcester held a decided advantage with scores proving hard to come by.

There was a glimmer of hope for the Granite State side after 3 unanswered scores pulled them within a goal and plenty of time left.  Naughton netted expertly after Will Mullen had pointed, and the Wolves midfielder added another point.  The Wolves created some great chances, with some missing the mark and others saved well by Dan Smith between the posts.  With the game now finely balanced it was Worcester who finished with the decisive scores.  Wolves keeper, Steve Dejalais had been called upon to save a couple of dangerous chances, but eventually one went in from Lind.  It was from Heffernan with the final point and a final score of the game with Worcester drawing first blood in 2019 with a  3-7 to 1-7 win.

The game was well refereed by Paul Cannon, a former United States Marine from Craughwell Co. Galway, who now resides in Boston.

After the game the teams retired to the Wolves Sponsor, Lithermans Limited, a nearby nano-brewery, who even created a specialized brew with the Wolves crest on the can.

Teams

Worcester: Dan Smith, Dan Williams, Luke LaGosce, Jamison Croteau, Sean O’Shaughnessy, Tim Jackson, Jon Dorr, Dave Crowley, Zach Jacobs, Tom Lind, Seamus O’Shaughnessy, Liam Kelly, PJ Heffernan.  Jack Weissman.

Wolves: Steve Desjarlais, Alec Foley, Juston Stasz, Torrie Lemmon, Ryan Nickerson, Mike Spacone, Jay Abramowicz, Sam Durfee, Mark Misiourski, Sean Naughton, Tanner Starmer, Scott Lentz, Dan Hanna.  Dean Williams, Will Mullen, Cory Anderson, Jamie Timlin, Dave Cook, Phil Falco, Chris Fiori.

By Rory O'Donnell

GAA Season Opens at the Irish Cultural Center

The senior football championship begins this Sunday, June 3, at the Irish Cultural Center, Canton Ma.  With the Irish Festival also taking place, Men’s and Ladies footballers will get the ball rolling for the season on the main field, while the junior hurlers of Portland and Hartford will do battle at 2:00 on Field B as part of the Junior C Hurling championship, which has already begun. 

With the Pat O’Brien Cup decided 2 weeks ago, action resumes with Aidan McAnespies and Galway.  The early season spoils went to Aidan McAnespies who triumphed over Donegal in the Pat O’Brien Cup two weeks ago with a man of the match performance from Kildare native, Eoin Delmer.  Galway will face last year’s championship finalists in the opening game at 1:15.  Wolfe Tones and Donegal meet again having drawn their cup encounter 3 weeks ago at 3:45, while the Shannon Blues and the Connemara Gaels meet at 5:00.  The Boston Shamrocks will defend the Orla Benson Cup at 2:30 versus Connacht Ladies.

Judging from the May action on Field B, it looks like there are some strong home based panels out there.  Paul Clifford, Eoin Delmer, and Robbie Croft are back for McAnespies, and the team also features Caolan Harvey who not so long ago (it seems) was cheering his father, Martin, on from the sidelines in Canton.  Wolfe Tones also feature a second generation player in Jack Lynch.  Jack’s father, Mick, was a stalwart for Cork.  Still loyal to the rebel cause, Jack represents Cork at junior level.  Dean Curran, Ronan Jones, and Conladh Deeney also look like featuring significantly for the Tones this year.  Donegal will have brothers, Brian and Sean Donnelly ready to face the Tones, Darren Grant and Sean Tim Doherty ready to face the Tones on Sunday.  Despite bowing out early in the cup, the Blues have a promising side with Darren Wallace and Dermot McElligott in the side and will face the Gaels whose long standing players include David Black, Coleman Mulkerrins and Noel Graham.  With registration still open for the summer, clubs are adding to their home based panels.

The Boston Shamrocks and Connacht Ladies will contest the Orla Benson Cup.  It will be an all home based affair with s Shamrocks team featuring Cathy McEleaney, Ciara McCormack and Ann Marie McDonnell facing Jane Ward, Aisling Kerr, and Maria Kelly for Connacht.  The annual competition carries on the memory of Orla Benson, a young student from Killarney who was brutally murdered in 1995 in Allston while in Boston for the summer. 

By Rory O'Donnell

Late Goal Dashes Barley House Wolves Championship Hopes

Final: Barley House Wolves 3-4 St. Louis 1-11


The Barley House Wolves of Concord NH made the final of the Junior C Competition with victories over Oregon and Indianapolis on Friday and Saturday respectively. On Friday the Wolves demolished Oregon, a new club to the hurling scene. Saturday’s semi-final against Indy proved a far sterner test. The Wolves went down early. After 10 minutes the side from the Granite State were down by 2-2 to no score, and looked like they were at risk of going down to a hiding. The Wolves bucked down and thanks to some hard work in defence, especially from Eddie Clements, Dennis Traynor, and Lore Forde gradually turned the tables. Points started to flow from Rory O’Mahoney, Dan Hanna, and Matt Pulomina at half time the sides were level. The Wolves kept up the pressure and in the second half the job was made easier as goals came from O’Mahoney, Derek Reiss, and Alec Foley. The Wolves headed into Sunday’s final with hopes high to add a North American Championship to their Northeast title.

St. Louis Defend a 21-Yard BHW Free.

The sternest test of the weekend for the Granite Staters proved to be the final. Despite leading for most of the game and having had plenty of chances to add to the lead, the Wolves lost out at the very end by the narrowest of margins having conceded a late goal. St. Louis, one of the biggest and well-established junior hurling clubs in North America displayed some fine shooting skills. Several scores from the mid-western outfit were worthy of the senior stage. The Wolves took control of the contest with about 10 minutes left in the first half and added to their lead in the early stages of the second. St. Louis however kept chipping away with the points and when the chance came to take a late lead they took it. The Wolves had a chance to steal a late winner but the opposition keeper pulled off the save of the game.

The Wolves relied on a first half goal from Derek Reiss to keep in the game in the early going. St. Louis took a five points to one goal lead. Rory O’Mahoney added one in the points column for the northeastern side, and with 20 minutes gone netted a goal after the Corkman latched on to a poor clearance. At the half the Wolves led 2-2 to 0-6.

Rory O'Mahoney in Action in the Semi-Final.

Things looked very promising for the Wolves for most of the second half. The Concord men worked hard for the ball and in defence closed down the space. A goal came from Dan Hanna early on. St. Louis answered with three points, two lovely efforts from distance. Darragh Madden stemmed the tide with a point and at that stage the Wolves lead was three points. With the Wolves living dangerously St. Louis pointed again from distance and the lead was now a dangerous two points. With minutes left on the clock St. Louis won a free from 21 yards and planted the ball in the net to take the lead. Now it was the Wolves who had to press and they did. Chances were generated, but a score did not come. Disappointment with the final result, but having come within a hair of winning the championship on their first try, the Concord boys have much to be encouraged by for the future.

BHW: D. Trainor, R. Brown, S. McCarty, M. Gregoire, E. Clements, L. Forde, M. Pulomena, D. Hanna, D. Madden, R. O’Mahoney, R. Valas, A. Foley, D. Reiss, S. Baron, R. Burnham.


By Rory O'Donnell