BFA wins, MVU falls

Took in a little of the MVU and BFA girls basketball games Friday night.

If you want some details, here's a link to the Free Press capsules on the games.

A couple of thoughts on the games ...

First, at MVU it was nice to see former Enosburg star Christiane Brown, who coaches North Country, which defeated the T-Birds.

Brown said her best returning player is lost for the season with an ACL tear, suffered when she was inadvertently undercut in a preseason game. Another expected contributor is also sidelined, recovering from an ACL tear that occurred in soccer season.

These losses may hamstring the Falcons in the long run this season, but against the T-Birds the ladies from Newport performed well.

It was also nice to meet Jim Fuller, the hard-working sports editor for the Newport Daily Express. Travelling to MVU on a Friday nights shows some real dedication to his craft.

At BFA there was a surprising large crowd given there was hockey at "The Doc" (my new name for the Collins-Perley rink in honor of Henry 'Doc' Tulip).

It's clear from what little I saw - I bailed after the first quarter - I didn't bring a flash and it's near impossible to shoot in the BFA gym without one - that these teams are both struggling to find new identities after lots of recent success.

I spoke to BFA coach Glenn Johnson away from the gym a few days back and he told me it's a different job completely without the likes of Tiffany Johnson, Nicole Lawton and the Garica twins on the court. Still, he said he's enjoying the challenge this season brings and he thinks there's potential for incredible growth as the season progresses.

Speaking of Tiffany, she's getting some playing time - sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much - as a freshman for the national-ranked Franklin Pierce women's basketball team.

At some point, I'll try track down some links to websites to the college teams where I know some Franklin County kids are playing in college. If you know of someone playing in college you'd like me to add to the list, please add a comment to this post - it's gets emailed to me automatically.

That's all I got for now - have another poll to post before I head out to shoot at the start of the Enosburg-MVU boys basketball game and the BFA-Hanover girls hockey game.

Poll: What's your favorite Christmas TV special?

In honor of me FINALLY putting up my Christmas tree I thought I'd take a break from sports and ask your opinion on a subject of great importance: What's your favorite Christmas TV special?

Please vote for your choice - the poll will stay open until Santa comes in two weeks - and if you want to say why, there's a place to put your comments at the bottom of this blog.

My vote is The Grinch - I love the good doctor and rhymes get me every time. A close second is CB - except for when Linus gets all preachy.

You have to love Sally Brown: "All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share."

Ahh ... the spirit of Christmas is upon us.

Busy weekend on tap

I'm planning to do a double-dip this evening starting in Swanton where the MVU girls basketball team hosts North Country. Then I'm sliding down I-89 (hopefully not literally) to catch the Essex girls at BFA-St. Albans.

These photos will appear on my other site coldhollowphoto.com later this weekend.

Tomorrow, I'm back in Swanton to shoot the first quarter of the Enosburg-MVU boys basketball game and then over to the Collins-Perley rink to cover the final game of the BFA-St. Albans girls hockey tournament.

These photos, some of which will be in Monday's Messenger, might not be uploaded until early next week. Check the winter sports list on my website to find out when they are uploaded.

Speaking of the Collins-Perley rink, the recent renovations there are impressive to be sure.

Still, I can't help but wonder why they couldn't have included a little more money for a better sound system. Granted, I'm listening to the PA system from the wrong side of the rink - near the benches. Maybe the sound is better on the spectator's side.

But from where I sit, the player introductions and goal and penalty announcements sound like they are being done by Charlie Brown's teacher. 'Mwwwhrrhaa, mwwwhrrhaa, rraahhra, rraahhra."

And the national anthem sounds like it's being played by F-16s ... poorly.

But those are minor annoyances, to be sure.

Overall, the place has never looked better.

Now we just need to give the gussied-up old girl a new name.

Might I suggest Henry 'Doc' Tulip rink at the Collins-Perley Sports and Fitness Center.

What better nickname could a rink have than 'The Doc'?

Just my two cents.

MVU-BFA girls hockey update

An amazing game that was much closer than the score would indicate at the Collins-Perley rink tonight.

BFA came out with a 6-2 win, but the game was 2-1 BFA heading into the third period.

MVU tied the score early in the final period before BFA scored four quick goals, three of them on a 5-minute powerplay that changed the entire complexion of the game.

These two teams are clearly among the tops in the state and don't be surprised if they meet again deep in the playoffs ... possibly for the Division I title.

I just posted a 252-photo gallery on my website.

Game on, game off

A change in plans for tonight's sports menu.

The wrestling meet in Enosburg for tonight is postponed.

That's the bad news.

The good news I am able to get to both MVU-BFA hockey games. I'm not writing for anyone tonight so I should be able to post the girls hockey photos as early as tonight with the boys hockey photos to follow.