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EXETER, N.H. — The stunned silence that washed over the Timberlane bench and fan section with 13 seconds left in the contest simply told the story.

“It was tough,” said Owls head coach Andrew Merrick. “A bounce of the puck here and there decided it.”

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Salem suffered from a role reversal last night in the opening round of the Class L tournament.

Having lived a healthy existence for years on their outside shooting, the No. 9-seed Blue Devils not only turned cold, but they fell victim to the 3-point shooting of No. 8 Manchester Memorial.

MERRIMACK — The number 13 couldn't be any luckier for Londonderry.

As the 13th seed last year, the Lancers traveled to Manchester and took Central out of the Class L tournament. This year, No. 13 Londonderry shook off a regular season loss to Merrimack less than a week ago and bounced the No. 4 seed, 53-47, last night in first round action.

DERRY, N.H. - Losing track of Alex Patrikis might have been the fatal error that sealed Spaulding's fate.

The 6-foot-4 Pinkerton Academy junior shook loose for a career-high 18 points with a dozen rebounds in the Astros 59-45 Class L tourney-opening win over the Red Raiders.

BOSTON — Andover’s Devon Caveney knew her job yesterday was to shot the basketball after seeing that Mansfield was heavily guarding the two top shooters on her team in a Division 1 state semifinal contest.

MANCHESTER, N.H. — The state Final Four is a good time to show off a tough defense. But for Pinkerton, it was just more of the same stellar work it has displayed the final month.

The second-seeded Astros advanced to their third title game in the 41-year history of the tourney, dominating third-seeded Londonderry 60-39 last night at the Southern New Hampshire University Fieldhouse.

BOSTON — “You can’t stop her! You can’t stop her!”

The Pentucket student section chanted this after senior Erin McNamara snuck past a pair of Archbishop Williams defenders and scored a lay-up with 26 seconds left in the first half of the Division 3 state semifinal contest yesterday at the TD Garden.

BOSTON — As teammate Jimmy Zenevitch fired up a pair of free throws in the game’s final seconds, Central Catholic star Carson Desrosiers took a moment to bask in the singing of the Raiders’ alma mater near the Boston Celtics’ logo at center court.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. —  Making history is never easy, but that just makes it all the more rewarding as the Timberlane wrestling team showed last night.
Trailing after Friday’s first round, and down by as many as 16 points earlier in the day, the Owls stormed back to edge Burlington, Mass., and capture its third straight New England title.
Overall, Timberlane has now has won eight New England titles, including five in the last six years.
Led by 103-pound champion Zach Bridson, the Owls finished with 89 points to Burlington’s 75.5. First-day leader Cumberland, R.I, was third, while local teams Pinkerton Academy and Haverhill finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
“What a great way to cap the season!”, exclaimed Timberlane coach Barry Chooljian. “This is one of the best comebacks of any team I have ever had. We were really tested here, but the kids showed tremendous character. I am awfully proud of them.”
Bridson led the way, completing a sensational 46-1 season by dominating his weight class and defeating Andrew Chase of Bristol, Conn., with an 18-5 major decision in the finals, all but clinching the team title.
Like the rest of the Owls, the pressure has been on Bridson, a sophomore and returning New England finalist. But he responded like a seasoned veteran.
“There was pressure — I felt like I was a target, but I jut wanted to go out and  wrestle my best,” said Bridson, who is ranked fifth in the nation.
“I felt like I was embarrassed last year, and I wasn’t going to let that happen again this year. This just puts the icing on the cake, especially because it helped us win as a team.”
The Owls also had three other placers.
Junior heavyweight Ben Tammany was one of several heros. After dropping his first match Friday, he won five straight to finish third, the highlight being a pin in the consolation semifinals of New Bedford’s Dennis Costa. That avenged his opening loss.
Nick Lawrence also took third, at 160, winning his last four matches and, just as important, getting major decisions in his final two periods.
Adding a sixth for Timberlane was 130-pounder Matt Morris, who battled through sickness for the entire tournament.
Also, sophomore 112-pounder Will Smith captured three matches, including a 9-4 decision over Methuen freshman Paul Sughrue.
“We had a lot of kids contribute, which shows what kind of team we have,” said Chooljian.
“But it is also nice to have an individual champion. Zach deserved it.”
Bridson was one of three local champions, the others being Haverhill’s dynamic unbeaten tandem of Isaiah Williams and Terrance Jean-Jacques.
Williams, who had a rare close match (12-9 decision) in the quarterfinals, defeated Algonquin’s Mike Wrin for the third week in a row, 7-2 in the 171-pound final to finish the season at 49-0 with his second straight New England title.
Jean-Jacques, meanwhile, was dominant for most of the tournament while improving to 52-0, but he needed a 2-1 overtime victory over Weymouth’s Dan Murphy in the finals.
Finishing second was 140-pound Pinkerton senior Collin Crowell, who dominated in his first three matches and then wrestled a terrific match in the finals, leading 4-3, before getting pinned last in the third period by Needham’s Jordan Michelson.
Malden Catholic’s Devon Visconti of North Reading finished second at 135, dropping a controversial 2-1 decision in the finals to Burlington’s Matt Sherman, whose points came on penalties. It was the fourth loss of the year for Visconti (51-5) to Sherman.
Brother Kyle Visconti finished fourth at 119, falling in the consolation finals to Greater Lawrence’s Matt Buco. He had beaten Buco three times this year, but Buco wrestled a smart match and got his revenge with a 5-3 decision.
Also grabbing an impressive third place was Pinkerton’s 130-lb. junior David Owens, who lost his first match and then won six straight, including a pin in the consolation finals.
Central Catholic, after a strong opening round, came away with three medals. Sophomore 112-pounder Ryan O’Boyle ended his day with a pin to place fifth, while senior Tom Lacroix followed with a fifth at 160. Zack Lattrell settled for sixth at 215, defaulting his final match.
Finally, St. John’s Prep’s T.J. Crabtree of North Andover finished sixth at 135.

New England Championships
Top team scores (out of 128 teams): 1. Timberlane 89, 2. Burlington 75.5, 3. Cumberland (RI) 69,4. Pinkerton 58.5, 5. Haverhill 57, 6. Danbury (Conn.) 5.0. 7. Tyngsboro 57, 8. Central Catholic 54, 9. Framingham 42, 10. Lowell 39.5
Winners and local placers:
103: 1. Zach Bridson (Tim); 112: 1. Sam Shames (Newton North), 5. Ryan O’Boyle (Central); 119: 1. Chris Contanzo (Danbury, Conn.),  3. Matt Buco (Gr. Lawrence), 4. Kyle Visconti (MC/North Reading); 125: 1. Mike Meyers (Warwick, R.I.); 130: 1. Nick Flannery (F), 3. David Owens (Pink), 6. Matt Morris (Timb); 135: 1. Matt Sherman (Burlington), 2. Devon Visconti (MC/North Reading), 6. TJ .Crabtree (St. John’s/North Andover); 140: 1. Jordan Michelson (Needham), 2. Collin Crowell (Pinkerton); 145: 1. Dan Telhada (Franklin); 152: 1. Matt Dehney (Dracut); 160: 1. Derek Golner (Tyngsboro) 3. Nick Lawrence (Timb), 5. Tom Lacroix (CC); 171: 1. Isaiah Williams (Hav); 189: 1. Alex Najjar (Shawsheen); 215: 1. Patrick Gillen (Shelton, Conn.); 6. Zack Lattrell (Central); HVY: 1. Terrance Jean-Jacques (Haverhill), 3. Ben Tammany (Timb)

SALEM, N.H. — With Timberlane out to defend its first state hockey title in program history, Zach Fox once again proved why he is possibly the area’s most feared with the puck on his stick.

SALEM, N.H. — With Timberlane out to defend its first state hockey title in program history, Zach Fox once again proved why he is possibly the area’s most feared player with the puck on his stick.

BOSTON — Round No. 4 goes to Andover. And this was the most important round, on the biggest stage.

BOSTON — For a few moments, it appeared disaster had struck for Central Catholic.

St. John’s Prep, trailing by as many as 14 in the third quarter, had climbed all the way back, tying the game with a bucket just seconds into the fourth quarter. That while Wake Forest-bound Raiders star Carson Desrosiers was forced to the bench with three fouls.

ROXBURY — The Andover High track team won all those titles. So why did it feel so much like Adam Vetere lost it. It was last week at All-States, Vetere, trying a brutal double with the 4x800 followed two events later by the 4x400 relay. Vetere was the anchor, Mansfield made up a 10-meter lead, and upset the Golden Warriors for the title by less than a point. Vetere learned last night at the 23rd New England Championships just how much of a team Andover has. He and 4x400 teammates Mark Vetere, Connor O’Neill and Kerrick Stevens stared down Mansfield and beat the Hornets in convincing fashion, 3:22.71 to 3:24.21 to bring home a coveted New England title in their specialty. “It was really, really, really tough,’’ said an emotional Adam Vetere. “I felt a lot was on me. These guys convinced me it just wasn’t me. It brings the team together. They knew it was a rough day for me.’’ “Stuff happens,’’ Mark Vetere, Adam’s twin brother, said simply. That brotherhood the 4x400 quartet feels surged through as in unison Adam’s twin brother Mark and O’Neill explained, “It was right before the toughest double.’’ Adam did the 4x800 and 4x400 in a half-hour span. Two grueling races in 30 minutes with an All-State title on the line is a supreme physical and emotional challenge. There were some subpar  efforts earlier at All-States that were costly and coach Peter Comeau said maybe there was some juggling of the lineup which should have been done differently. The last week the pain lingered. “It was really difficult,’’ said Adam. “I felt it for a long time. The coaches convinced me everybody could have done more. This makes it awesome.’’ “It’s great,’’ said O’Neill. “Beating Mansfield and we were second in New England (indoor 2009, outdoor 2009) the last two times.” Cronin turns the tables The 4x400 relay team was one of numerous highlights for Andover, which enjoyed a spectacular meet. Andover junior Moira Cronin won the high jump with a 5-9 leap, beating Mansfield junior Kristen McDonagh on misses. That was the opposite of All-States when the Golden Warrior lost on misses to McDonagh. The soft-spoken Cronin is as much a sportsman as a champion When she cleared 5-9 on her final try, Cronin pumped her fist coming off the mat with the bar still shaking slightly behind her. About five seconds later, she gave a subtle double thumbs up to her Andover jumping teammate Jessica Salley. Yet, a minute later when the 5-foot-5 McDonagh soared 5-9 on her last try, putting a potential title in danger, Cronin sprinted to her rival and gave her a bear hug like you’d greet a long lost friend. “We’re really close. I was ecstatic,’’ said the 6-foot Cronin. They are close as friends and athletes. But this day, Cronin got the upper hand. “I’m sad for her but so excited for myself,’’ said Cronin. Down to potentially your last jump with the New England title on the line, that’s akin to being at the free throw line in the final seconds of a tie basketball game. “(I said to myself) It’s your last jump ever. I have to make this. I have to make a statement,’’ said Cronin. She almost made a statement heard around the country with a strong effort on a New England best attempt at 5-11. The meet record is 5-10 but the New England mark is 5-11, set by Heather Francis of Dartmouth, Mass., in 1995. “My first try I just nicked it ... I think with my leg,’’ explained Cronin, who is having some problems with her foot and will get an MRI today. “I’m really excited. You have to get your hips over it (the bar). That gives me hope for the next meet.’’ That would be the Nike Nationals at Reggie Lewis next weekend. Repeat after Golden Warriors Andover 4x200 relay runner Mark Vetere said matter of factly, “When you have four sub-23 (second) runners, it just comes out to a great team.’’ It’s tough to argue with that logic. Kerrick Stevens added, “It’s always ours to lose. We respect them, but we show them what we can do.’’ Leave everybody in their wake. Christopher McConnell, Vetere and Stevens are back from last year’s New England championship quartet. Connor O’Neill replaced graduated Brendan Crawford, who was in the stands rooting on the champs. Obviously, the four seniors were marked men. “We’re always under pressure,’’ said Vetere. “We practice so much it takes the pressure off.’’ A little levity never hurts either. They all got buzz cuts. That was a little strange for “Samson” Stevens, who had shoulder-length hair previously. But the Marine do didn’t hurt his speed. O’Neill admits to being as superstitious as they come. Don’t tell his parents, but he doesn’t wear his retainer for two days before a big meet. “It started out I couldn’t sleep,’’ he explained, adding he ran so well it became a tradition. Thankfully, when he flashed a smile it was the mega-watt smile of a champion. McConnell: The gold standard Every big race Christopher McConnell enters he has two formidable opponents ... an upset-minded field of speedy competitors and history. Every big race he seems to hold off an overmatched field and write another chapter to one of most storied sprint careers in Massachusetts indoor track history. Not content with his three All-State 55 meter titles, two All-State 4x200 titles and two New England 4x200 titles, McConnell blazed to his second straight New England 55 meter championship with a 6.39 clocking. “I didn’t expect to have to wait for three two-mile heats,’’ he sighed. When you are a lightning-fast athlete in a microwave world, waiting is the worst. Luckily for McConnell, he never has to wait long to hit the finish line. Given his extraordinary track career, sometimes people forget the sprint great was almost an undersized, brick-laying guard on the basketball team. “I bought basketball shoes before the season,’’ the UConn recruit recalled. “A lot of my friends said do it (track).’’ Apparently, the world didn’t need another marginally talented 5-8 guard. Well, actually, 5-71⁄2 he begrudgingly admitted. “I was good at defense,’’ he said. “I was probably too fast for basketball. I’d get a lay-up and overrun it.’’ So the hoop program’s minor loss was the track program’s historic gain. If he runs as expected in the spring, it will be difficult to argue that Christopher McConnell isn’t the greatest track athlete to ever wear the Blue and Gold. McConnell, who helped Andover to the 4x200 championship earlier in the evening, is still enjoying himself. “It never gets old,’’ he said, clutching the championship roses and plaque. “People say you should win, but it is always exciting.’’ This is how Hillies do it The Haverhill quartet of Rebecca Stabile, Elyssa Penney, Beth Fullerton and Mary Fullerton placed sixth, lopping six-plus seconds off a 29-year-old school record. “That’s the way we do it!’’ said Stabile with a big smile. New England Championships (Boys) Winners/area results: 55 meters: 1. Christopher McConnell (Andover) 6.39, 5. Byung Cha (North Andover) 6.53, 7. Jerickson Fedrick (Salem) 6.58, 14. Max Jacques (Salem) 6.68; 300: 1. Jarell James (Hope, R.I.) 35.17, 4. Francis Nova (Lawrence) 35.89; 600: 1. Steve Harshman (Merrimack, N.H.) 1:21.77, 6. Chris Wilbar (Central) 1:22.91; 1,000: 1. Nick Ross (E. Greenwich, R.I.) 2:29.46; Mile: 1. Will Geoghegan (Brunswick, Me.) 4:14.94, 5. Jake Hawkins (Pinkerton) 4:21.57, 11. Darryl Varney (North Andover) 4:26.91; 2-mile: 1. Chris Bendtsen (Wolcott, Conn.) 9:15.36 55 HH: 1. Greg Boursiquot (Stoughton, Ma.) 7.48; HJ: 1. Keron Stoute (Manchester, Conn.) 6-9, 16. Armando Bucciarelli (Central) 6-3, no-height Andrew Osborne (Andover); LJ: 1. Jonathan Williams (New Bedford, Ma.) 22-111⁄4; SP: 1. Dominic Filiano (Lebanon, N.H.) 60-21⁄4, 14. Brendan Burke (Austin Prep/Andover) 48-31⁄2 4x200: 1. Andover (Christopher McConnell, Mark Vetere, Connor O’Neill, Kerrick Stevens) 1:30.20, 2. Lawrence (Kelvin Severino, Francis Nova,Elvis Guilamo, Derek Molina) 1:32.54; 4x400: 1. Andover (Mark Vetere, Connor O’Neil, Adam Vetere, Kerrick Stevens) 3:22.71, 5. St. John’s (includes Brandon West of North Andover) 3:27.78; 4x800: 1. Hamden (Conn.) 8:01.27; 3. Methuen (Jared Reddy, Andrew Stamatopulos, Ben Pare, Cam Kelley) 8:03.20; 4. Andover (Chris Goodwin, Scott Waller, Adam Vetere, Simon Voorhees) 8:03.47 New England Championships (Girls) Winners/area results: 55 meters: 1. Teyanna Green (Danbury, Conn.) 7.14; 300: 1. Teyanna Green (Danbury, Conn) 40.24, 13. Melissa Higgins (Salem) 41.83; 600: 1. Cecilia Barowski (Bishop Guertin, N.H.) 1:33.71; 1,000: 1 Emily Grotz (Oliver Ames, Ma.) 2:56.40, 15. Hannah Kimball (Timberlane) 3:11.45; Mile: 1. Arianna Vailas (Manchester Central, N.H.); 4. Alanna Poretta (Pentucket) 5:01.66; 2-mile: 1. Lindsay Crevoiserat (Danbury, Conn.) 10:30.55, meet record 55 HH: 1. Deanna Latham (Triton, Ma.) 8.18, 13. Ginny Lavalle (Sanborn) 8.72; HJ: 1. Moira Cronin (Andover) 5-9; LJ: 1. Deanna Latham (Triton, Ma.) 18-43⁄4; SP: 1. Rachel Aliotta (Cheshire, Conn.) 41-6 4x200: 1. Danbury (Conn.) 1:41.47, 4. Andover (Eve Bishop, Kayla Baldwin, Vanessa Singleton, Emily Shields) 1:45.08; 4x400: 1. Tewksbury, Ma., 3:58.75; 5. Andover (Vanessa Singleton, Jessica Salley, Sydney Ebert, Eve Bishop) 4:05.67; 4x800: 1. Lincoln-Sudbury (Ma.) 9:16.51; 6. Haverhill (Rebecca Stabile, Elyssa Penney, Beth Fullerton, Mary Fullerton) 9:31.68