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Memories from another Garden trip

Many studies show that it is important for younger athletes to play more than one sport. That diversity allows athletes to build different muscles throughout the course of the year. Additionally athletes who play more than one sport are generally less likely to get burned out than athletes who only play one.

Pentucket falls to Archbishop Williams at Garden

The winter sports season for the River Rival Region is now officially over.

Yesterday afternoon, inside a bustling TD Banknorth Garden, the season's best team, the Pentucket Sachems, lost a hard-fought contest against perhaps the best girls basketball team in the state, Archbishop Williams, 59-53.

Pentucket girls end season at Garden -- again

For the second year in a row, Pentucket's season came to an end at the TD Banknorth Garden last evening in the Division 3 state semifinal.

Both years, Archbishop Williams, the Division 3 South champion, ousted the Sachems. Last night's 59-53 loss brings Pentucket's record to 0-2 at the Garden over the last two seasons. In all other arenas, the Sachems are 44-3.

It's time to support Pentucket, River Rival Region

Pentucket athletic director Dan Thornton is doing his part in preparation for the big game today.

His athletic department's girls basketball team gave him a nice problem when it qualified for today's Division 3 state semifinal Saturday morning with a victory over Winthrop.

Pentucket brimming with optimism for tonight's showdown vs. small school juggernaut

In John McNamara's words, Archbishop Williams is the best team in the state.

That's the best team regardless of division. Which would make them almost unbeatable in Division 3.

But the Sachems will look to play giant-killers today (4:15 p.m.) vs. defending Division 3 state champion Archbishop Williams on the parquet floor at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Pentucket captures the Division 3 North title

Pentucket relied on strength in numbers in the Division 3 North championship game at the Tsongas Arena yesterday morning.

As a result, the Sachems (21-2), after a 51-42 victory over Winthrop, are returning to the Division 3 state semifinals Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. at the TD BankNorth Garden against defending state champion Archbishop Williams, which knocked out Pentucket at the same site last year and captured the South championship yesterday.

Pentucket looks to clinch its second consecutive sectional title tomorrow

Winthrop coach Peter Grimes calls them his "Four Horsemen." While Courtney Finn, her older sister Kristen Finn, Nicole Giaquinto and Katerina Mallios may not be as speedy as the old Notre Dame football backfield or as famous as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they are certainly making a name for themselves.

Four-guard offense lifts Pentucket past Swampscott

No one said repeating as the Division 3 North sectional champs was going to be easy.

Pentucket watched its 10-point lead over Swampscott shrink to one inside the final two minutes of play during last night's Division 3 North semifinal. But, thanks to some clutch free-throw shooting, the Sachems were able to hold on for a 60-53 victory.

Pentucket faces Swampscott in semis for second year in a row

A year ago, Pentucket was in the same position it faces tonight | a No. 2 seed preparing for No. 3 seed Swampscott in the Division 3 North semifinals at St. John's Prep.

However, last year Pentucket was the prohibitive underdog | a Cinderella role that was very familiar all season for the Sachems | to the two-time defending Division 3 North champs from Swampscott.

Big three for Pentucket, Daamen, Viselli, and McNamara, too much

Beating an opponent three times in one season is never easy, and Newburyport gave Pentucket all it could handle in the second round of the Div. 3 North state tournament.

But, once again the Sachem defense proved to be too tough to crack for the Clippers, as Pentucket moved on to face Swampscott in the North sectional semifinals with the win, 46-32.

Andover 'D' overwhelms Pentucket

ANDOVER | Andover High coach Jim Tildsley was quick to note the key to victory last night.

"We played great defense," said Tildsley. "To hold a team to 16 points through three quarters is pretty impressive. And they scored eight points right away."

Pentucket's Daamen becoming a force for the Sachems

Pentucket Regional's Kirsten Daamen remembers the moment when her basketball career truly began. It was moments after a seventh grade travel-team game, and John McNamara, who was filling in while her coach was on vacation, wanted a word. He asked her to come out for the spring squad, the one he'd be coaching.

Pentucket stumbles late, falls in showdown with Masco

If it had been up to him, Pentucket coach John McNamara would have drawn up another game plan and immediately sent his troops back on the court after the final horn had sounded last night.

After trailing for three quarters, the Sachems fought back to build a six-point fourth quarter advantage, only to let it slip away down the stretch in a 55-53 loss to Masconomet. The win boosted the Chieftains into first in the CAL Large (8-1, 5-0 CAL) ahead of previously unbeaten Pentucket (10-1, 4-1 CAL).

Sachems doing it with 'D'

As a conductor, coach John McNamara won the best new artist of the year award last winter for producing the storybook run to the state semifinals with the Pentucket girls basketball team. A year season, the second-year coach and his band of blossoming superstars are once again producing the hits.

Saamen, Sachems focus in for title

HAVERHILL | The Pentucket girls basketball team may need to adopt a new motto.

"The bigger the game, the better we play."

Similar to its run in the Division 3 state tournament last season, that again seemed to be the case last night in the championship game of the Haverhill Coca-Cola Christmas Hoop Classic as the Sachems smothered previously unbeaten Swampscott, 51-35.

Sachems charge into championship gane

HAVERHILL | One shot in the third quarter of yesterday's Pentucket-Cambridge semifinal matchup in the Haverhill Christmas Tournament by sophomore standout Ashley Viselli just might have a domino effect.

Pentucket relies on defense

HAVERHILL | Pentucket's girls accomplished their immediate mission in the opening day of the Haverhill Coca-Cola Tournament, but that was one of the only positives cited by head coach John McNamara.

After the unbeaten Sachems (5-0) scrapped past Timberlane, 41-34, McNamara was hardly satisfied.

Sachems tough down the Lane

WEST NEWBURY | Sophomore guard Emily Lane is making the most of her opportunity for the talented Pentucket girls basketball team.

Primarily a JV player last year, Lane is among those battling to provide the Sachems with added depth this season and, in last night's 59-20 romp over Georgetown, she once again stated her case, scoring seven points on 3-of-4 shooting with one 3-pointer and generally moving the ball effectively in the backcourt.

Pentucket stays perfect against Triton

Erin McNamara led the Sachems (3-0) with 14 points. Ashley Viselli scored 10 for Pentucket. Emily Lane and Kirsten Daamen added eight each. Andrea Attenasio had six.

"We need to clean up a few details, but Triton is always a tough place to play," Pentucket coach John McNamara said. Brittany Caprio and Maxine Crossman led Triton (0-3) with seven points each. Lauren Mihalchick added six. Sarah Peterson scored four. Lauren Savage added three.

Pentucket blasts Newburypor

Back to its winning ways, Pentucket tuned up Newburyport to the extent of a 49-31 victory, but Sachems coach John McNamara said the Clippers never gave up.

"You can see why those soccer girls from Newburyport won the state championship because they never gave up no matter what the score was," said McNamara, whose team led 24-8 at the half. "They really outplayed us in the second half and forced us to make more turnovers than we normally do."

Pentucket begins bid for state title

WEST NEWBURY | There will be no repeat of a Cinderella season for the Pentucket girls basketball team.

The Sachems won't slip under anybody's radar this season.

That's because the team that won the school's first Cape Ann League title and made a state tournament run to the TD Banknorth Garden last season returned the bulk of its core group — including All-CAL standouts Ashley Viselli and Kirsten Daamen, who are now sophomores.

McNamara set to lead Pentucket to repeat North title

As if a 21-2 record and a trip to the EMass. Division 3 semifinal at the TD Banknorth Garden weren't enough for Pentucket coach John McNamara last winter, he received the last of the honorary accolades last week for year one as Sachems coach.