The Boston Blitz Is Almost Here!

To start off the New Year, coaches and admissions counselors will be traveling around Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine to meet with high school students interested in a year at Bridgton Academy. If you are would like to set up a meeting, call or email a coach today!

Here is the list of head coaches with phone numbers and email addresses:

Lacrosse- Garrett Bamann, 207-647-3322 ext. 211, gbamann@bridgtonacademy.org

Hockey- Jon Lounsbury, 207-647-3322 ext. 232, jlounsbury@bridgtonacademy.org

Football- Rick Marcella, 207-647-3322 ext. 235, marcella@bridgtonacademy.org

Basketball- Whit Lesure, 207-647-3322 ext. 233, wlesure@bridgtonacademy.org

Soccer- Alan Ashenfelter, 207-647-3322 ext. 231, aashenfelter@bridgtonacademy.org

Baseball- Aaron Izaryk, 207-647-3322 ext. 236, aizaryk@bridgtonacademy.org

Player Profile: Jacob Bricklin

HOMETOWN: Bainbridge Island, WA

HIGH SCHOOL: West Sound Academy

IN HIGH SCHOOL: I was an absolute goofball

HEARD ABOUT BA: My mom suggested it- she found it on the internet

GOALS AT BA: I want to get good grades

BA IS DIFFERENT THAN HIGH SCHOOL: There are more rules than high school- which is all good but a lot different

BEST THING ABOUT BA: The amount of athletics

WORST THING ABOUT BA: The short periods of time you can leave campus

ACTIVITIES AT BA: Soccer, rugby, videographer for the basketball team, ski team

OUTSIDE OF BA: I love skiing, attempting to snowboard, hanging out with friends, boating

ROLE MODEL: My dad

FAVORITE BOOK: Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

FAVORITE MOVIES: V for Vendetta

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Seattle Seahawks

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Michael Jordan

FAVORITE MUSIC: Notorious B.I.G.

FAVORITE MEAL: Tacos

FAVORITE QUOTE: Do or do not there is no try- Yoda

MY FRIENDS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: I play a lot of chess- I was a state champ in high school

BA PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW: The teachers really care about you here.

Admissions Counselors in MA and CT!

On January 4-6 the admissions office will have various counselors and coaches around Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine. They will be visiting various schools over the few days to talk with any students who are interested in a year at BA.

Coach Ashenfelter will be in CT visiting Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Ridgefield, Immaculate, Housatonic Valley, Litchfield, Wamogo, New Milford, Torrington, Lyman Hall, Sheehan, Berlin, Xavier, Middletown, Plainfield, Parish Hill, Kilingly, Putnam, Woodstock Academy, and Windam. Meanwhile Coach Vollinger will be in Mass visiting Barnstable, Falmouth, Dennis-Yarmouth, Nauset, East Sandwich, Mashpage, and Bourne.. If you or someone you might know is interested in meeting with a coach, you can contact Coach Ashenfelter via email at aashenfelter@bridgtonacademy.org or by phone at 207-647-3322 x231.

Admissions Counselors in MA and CT!

On January 4-6 the admissions office will have various counselors and coaches around Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine. They will be visiting various schools over the few days to talk with any students who are interested in a year at BA.

Coach Ashenfelter will be in CT visiting Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Ridgefield, Immaculate, Housatonic Valley, Litchfield, Wamogo, New Milford, Torrington, Lyman Hall, Sheehan, Berlin, Xavier, Middletown, Plainfield, Parish Hill, Kilingly, Putnam, Woodstock Academy, and Windam. Meanwhile Coach Vollinger will be in Mass visiting Barnstable, Falmouth, Dennis-Yarmouth, Nauset, East Sandwich, Mashpage, and Bourne.. If you or someone you might know is interested in meeting with a coach, you can contact Coach Ashenfelter via email at aashenfelter@bridgtonacademy.org or by phone at 207-647-3322 x231.

BA Almuni Are Finding Success

Rob and Steve Palumbo '10 are both playing for the University of New Hampshire this season and finding great success. Yesterday UNH defeated BU in OT (2nd time in two weeks) in the America East Semifinals which advances UNH to the America East finals against UMBC. The game will be played at UMBC on Saturday at 1pm. Check out this link for the game write-up.

Ryne Tillman '10 is also finding great success as a freshman at Regis College. As a freshman at the end of the season Tillman is topping both the TCCC and NCAA statistics for saves. Here is another link to check out the story on Tillman.

Photos on Facebook!

Check out this link to see some pictures from the game against Hebron on the Bridgton Academy Facebook Page!

Also note that tonight's (11/8) game against South Kent has been changed to start at 6:30 PM!

Hebron Can't Hold onto the Wolverines

In their last home game of the season, the Wolverine soccer team came out as strong as ever. With a few additional Wolverines in the mix, the team worked hard to secure their 5-2 win. Noel Rix (Rye, NH) started off with a goal assisted by Jordan Stoddart (Brampton, ON). Not long after Stoddart finished a pass from Marlon Ramalho (Framingham, MA). Hebron got lucky when they snuck one past Wolverine goalie Marco Spisso (Highland Falls, NY). With the score close at 2-1 Stoddart helped BA pull ahead with a beautiful unassisted goal making it 3-1. Hebron put up a small fight and tallied their second, and last, goal of the night. Stoddart and Ramalho met up again when Stoddart earned his hat trick for the game. Ramalho scored BA’s insurance goal late in the second half off a pass from Jason Hudson (Raleigh, NH).

The Soccer team will travel to Phillips Exeter Academy this Saturday to play at 7:00 P.M.

Soccer Shutout Tilton

The soccer team had a great week, even after a last minute cancellation earlier in the week the team had to change their game plan and get ready to face the Tilton School. The teams hard work resulted in a 5-0 shutout win over Tilton.

Bridgton didn’t waste any time scoring early in the first half when Jordan Stoddart (Brampton, ON) capitalized on a rebound from a header by Marlon Ramalho (Framingham, MA). BA had a number of quality chances but could not extend the lead going into the half. After what must have been an inspiring pep talk at the half, Bridgton came out and scored four times in the second half. Stoddart added two more goals assisted by Michael Jacques (Tolland, CT) and Noel Rix (Rye, NH), and drew a penalty kick that Ramalho turned into the fourth goal. After hitting the crossbar three times in a row, a determined Jacques placed a ball in the back of the net for BA’s fifth and final goal of the contest. The Wolverine defenders had what the coaching staff called their best performance of the season.

Coach Ashenfelter was very pleased with the guy’s performance saying, “we have been talking about putting together a complete performance, and this was our best showing thus far. They were focused during pre-game, played hard and smart for a full 90 minutes, and maintained composure in the final minutes to close out the game and finish the day in a professional manner. We will look to carry this momentum into a critical week and our next matchup with Hebron.”

On Wednesday the team will host Hebron Academy at 3:00 P.M.

BA Holds Winchendon to a Close Game

The soccer team lost a tough match to Winchendon Saturday afternoon. BA went down a goal in the first half on a long shot from twenty five yards out. The ball just barely went over goaltender Ryan Rogers (Falmouth, ME) who made a great diving effort. BA had plenty of scoring opportunities but was not able to finish them. The Wolverine defense shut down the Wapidi offense in the second half giving up very little in the back. Bridgton kept up a continuous attack creating great scoring chances including two shots that hit the post. The boys played very hard but unfortunately the lack of capitalization on shots lead to a 1-0 loss for BA.

"On a day when nothing seemed to go the way of the Wolverines, the team battled to the very end. With Winchendon reeling for the entire second stanza and barely extending out of their own half, we just could not break through. We had a number of close calls, three posts, shots that went just wide and high, balls cleared off the line or deflected by a defender, but at the end of the day we did not do enough to get the job done. We must regroup quickly, and show our resilience to rebound on Tuesday," said Coach Ashenfelter.

The team will travel to Assumption College to face the South Kent School this Tuesday to play at 6:00 P.M.

Crispin Munyanya awarded Athlete of The Month

Crispin Munyanya (Manchester, NH) has been awarded C0-Athlete of The Month for September 2010. The award is given by the Wolverine Strength program and is considered one fo the highest honors given by the Athletic Department. Not only is athletic performance taken into account but also character and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

You can read about it here:

http://www.bridgtonacademy.org/athmonth.cfm

Pictures Up On Facebook

Check out this link for pictures on facebook of the soccer game vs. Kents Hill!

Parents Weekend Is A Success for Soccer

The soccer team had a chance to turn things around as they took the field in front of family and friends for Parents Weekend. They played a great game against Kents Hill and walked away with a 5-2 victory.

In the first half Jordan Stoddart (Brampton, ON) put BA on the score board with a great header off of a nice cross by Noel Rix (Rye, NH). The game was pretty even in the first half with both sides having opportunities to score. However, Bridgton controlled most of the possession taking the game into halftime with a one goal lead.

In the second half both teams took the field ready to play. Bridgton took at 2-0 lead when Stoddart gave a pass to James Dever (Mansfield, MA) who put the ball in the net. A few minutes later Stoddard had a great shot on goal which rebounded directly to Rix who was able to give BA a 3-0 lead. Stoddart worked his magic again as he gave BA in insurance goal with a rocket into the upper left corner. Being down 4-0 Kents Hill had a little success as they were able to sneak two goals by the BA goaltender. It was but enough, especially when Bridgton scored one last goal when Even Thomas (Reading, PA) got a shot off from inside the box to secure the 5-2 win.

Coach Ashenfelter was pleased with his team saying, “we had a solid performance all around. On a great day the team rose to the occasion of Parents Weekend and capitalized on their opportunities netting both highlight reel goals as well as scrappy goals. We will look to build on this collective effort going forward. “

The wolverine soccer team wants to extend a special thanks to the Janos family for organizing a post game meal. It was greatly appreciated.

Bowdoin Slips Past BA

Bridgton traveled to Bowdoin College to play their JV team this Wednesday. Bridgton battled through the rain and cold but was unable to win against a more physical Bowdoin team. The Polar Bears took the lead late in the first half, scoring on a header from a corner kick. The game conditions worsened as the rain continued to fall. Crispin Munyanya (Manchester, NH) nearly tied the score when he fought for a loose ball in the box and was able to get his shot off. Unfortunately, the Bowdoin keeper made a good save to preserve his teams lead.

Bowdoin scored again early in the second half on a loose ball in Bridgton's box. Bridgton's defense worked hard and held off Bowdoin's attack for the rest of the match. The wolverines had a few good chances to score in the second half but were unable to capitalize and fell to Bowdoin 2-0.

After the game, Coach Ashenfelter took saw it as a learning opportunity. "Bowdoin was a very strong team, and it was a great opportunity for us to learn how to play in tough conditions against a strong opponent. Chances went back and forth, and unfortunately on the day Bowdoin was able to capitalize on their chances and we were not," said Ashenfelter.

Ashenfelter also wanted to mention, "A special thanks is due to the Rogers Family who's generous post game meal helped us to recover from the loss, and look forward to getting back on the field this Saturday."

The team will take the field again when Kents Hill comes to BA for Parents Weekend. The team will play at 3:30 on Saturday the 9th.

Parents Weekend is Here!

The team is working hard to prepare for their game against Kents Hill this coming Saturday October 9th at 3:30 P.M. They can't wait for their families and friends to come out and support them!

Soccer Continues Undefeated Streak

After a week off from competition, the wolverine soccer team was ready to get started as they faced The Winchendon School at home this weekend. Bridgton came out and controlled most of the possession in the first half. The Wolverines had a few good chances to put the ball in the back of the net but were unable to capitalize on the opportunities. With ten minutes left in the second half, Bridgton took a penalty inside the box giving Winchendon a Penalty kick. Winchendon scored taking a 1-0 lead into the second half.

Bridgton came out in the second half fired up. Fifteen minutes into the half, midfielder Ty Williams (South Burlington, VT) evened the score when he hit a one time ball from outside the eighteen yard box, into the corner of the net. Bridgton kept the pressure on and had many good chances in the second half. The defense shut down the Winchendon attack giving up only one shot on goal the entire half. Bridgton dominated the play but was unfortunately unable to score leaving the game a 1-1 tie for a final score.

Coach Ashenfelter is happy with the team's performance and is looking forward to helping the Wolverines learn from it. "I am proud of the way the team battled back from another poor start, going down 1-0 on a penalty kick. We have showed great resilience coming back time and time again after conceding the first goal. Had the game been extended another five minutes I believe we may have finally found the game winner. We must continue to improve our shape at the back, and take control of the game early instead of waiting until we get knocked down to start playing," says Ashenfelter.

The team will travel to Bowdoin College on October 6th to play at 4:15 P.M. Then they will play at home for Parents Weekend on the 9th at 3:30 P.M. against Kents Hill.

Soccer Extends Undefeated Streak Over The Weekend

This past weekend the soccer team traveled to Massachussetts for a two day road trip. They started with a match against Deerfield Academy and followed up the next day at Worcester Academy. In the game against Deerfield the Wolverines played a hard game and took an early lead. Jordan Stoddart (Brampton, ON) struck first against Deerfield when he took a long punt from Ryan Rogers (Falmouth, ME) behind the defense for a goal early in the first half. After multiple scoring opportunities from each team, Mike Jacques (Tolland, CT) took a penalty in the box. Deerfield capitalized on the opportunity and tied the game 1-1. Bridgton worked hard for the rest of the match and held Deerfield to a tie.

On Sunday the team made the drive to Worcester Academy where the game started off very differently. Worcester went ahead with an early goal only five minutes into the game. It didn’t take long however for Stoddart and Noel Rix (Rye, NH) to find each other as Rix scored BA’s first goal of the game. After ten minutes of even play, Worcester found a scoring opportunity again to go up 2-1. BA fought hard, and was rewarded as a Worcester defender put the ball in his own net. The game was tied 2-2 at the half and BA came out looking for a win. In the second half both teams were fired up. Much to BA’s disadvantage Marlon Ramalho (Framingham, MA) was carded with 18 minutes to go and BA was to play a man down. However, the Wolverines never gave up. With five minutes left in the game Crispin Munyanya (Manchester, NH) found a pass from Jacob Bricklin (Bainbridge Island, WA) and put it away to give BA a 3-2 win.

The team will be on the road for their next match up as they travel to the Holderness School to play on Saturday October 2nd at 2:30 P.M.

Soccer Earns First Shutout of the Season

The Wolverine soccer team brought home a big win from Thayer Academy yesterday. The team traveled all the way to Braintree where they faced the Tigers and walked away with a shutout beating Thayer 3-0.

The game started out very evenly matched with the ball traveling up and down the field. For the first 20 minutes of play there was no score until Noel Rix (Rye, NH) scored the first goal of the game with an assist from Jordan Stoddart (Brampton, ON). With a 1-0 lead the Wolverines continued to work hard, dominating the play from there out. Stoddart had a few close shots but missed the goal by inches. With under two minutes to go in the first half, Stoddart crossed the ball in front of Thayer’s net where Paul Janos (Weston, MA) was waiting to put it away. The Wolverines ended the half up 2-0.

After the half, both teams hit the field ready to work hard. With the intensity up, the play continued with no score. There were again various opportunities to score for both teams, but Ryan Rogers (Falmouth, ME) kept Bridgton in the game saving every shot that came his way and earning his first shutout. After 44 minutes of a scoreless half, with seconds to go in the game, Stoddart found a pass from Janos, beat the goalie for an open net, and put the Wolverines ahead 3-0 for the final score of the game.

With another win in the books the team is looking forward to their next game when they travel to Deerfield Academy to play on Friday September 24th at 4:00 P.M.

Soccer Beats CMCC

The wolverine soccer team had a great win last night over Central Maine Community College 6-3.

Jordan Stoddard (Bampton, ON) started off the Wolverine's offensive attack with a goal approximately 15 minutes into the first half. Within the next minute, Stoddard was at it again, this time with a clear pass to Noel Rix (Rye, NH) who put the Wolverines on the scoreboard for a second time. Play continued back and forth until the pair found each other again with Rix finishing a pass from Stoddard with 2:36 left in the first half. The Wolverines ended the half ahead 3-0.

As play started in the second half, a CMCC player scored 5 minutes in. It didn't take long however for Stoddard to answer back with two goals assisted by Rix in the next six minutes earning himself a hattrick for the day. CMCC got lucky again with a goal, but BA continued to dominate the play. Crispin Munyanya (Manchester, NH) added an insurance goal with 14:15 left in the game putting the Wolverines well in the lead 6-2. One more CMCC goal slipped past with a few minutes left on the clock, but Bridgton continued to fight hard to make sure they stayed in the lead to earn their 6-3 victory.

Coach Ashenfelter liked what he saw from his team. "Our commitment and work rate defensively was markedly improved, and our ball movement was consistently dangerous going forward. I am proud of the way we competed throughout the game, maintained composure, and played as a team. We will look to continue building on this improvement in our next training session, and carry the momentum into our next contest," said Ashenfelter.


Stoddard makes his way to the goal for one of his three in the game


Munyanya makes the pass to an open teammate


Paul Janos (Weston, MA) slips by a CMCC player


CMCC can't stop Rix from scoring two goals against them


With a win behind them, the team hopes to keep the feelin alive as they travel to Thayer Academy on Monday September 20th to play at 4:30 PM.

Soccer goes 0-2 Over the Weekend

This past weekend the Wolverine soccer team travelled to Northfield Mt. Hermon and Springfield College. The team lost 6-2 against Northfield Mt. Hermon and 4-1 against Springfield. Jordan Stoddart (Brampton) scored all three of the goals for BA this weekend.

While it was a tough weekend Coach Ashenfelter is looking forward to learning and moving on. "We were short on subs but BA played hard for 180 minutes over two days. Now we are looking to rebound," said Ashenfelter.

The soccer team will host Central Maine Community College this Wednesday September 15th at 4:00 P.M.

Soccer Hits the Road

The wolverine soccer team will play their next game on the road this Saturday September 11th at 2:00 P.M. at Northfield Mt. Hermon. They will then play on Sunday September 12th at 12:00 P.M. at Springfield College.

Soccer Wins on the Road

The soccer team traveled to Southern Maine Community College and returned with a win as they defeated Southern Maine 2-1 in a very close game.

After the wolverines dominated the first 65 minutes of play they went down 1-0 as Southern Maine scored the first goal of the game. Just 10 minutes later Jordan Stoddart (Brampton) put away a pass from Crispin Munyanay (Manchester, NH) to tie things up. The game winning goal came in the 85th minute when Noel Rix (Rye, NH) scored with assists from Stoddart and James Dever (Mansfield, MA).

Coach Ashenfelter was very happy with the hard work he saw from his team. “For our first game the team did very well. We carried the play but struggled early to find the finishing touch. After going down 1-0 in the second half, I am proud of the way the players battled back and found a way to get the result. It was a great first step for our team. We now set our sights on preparing for this Saturday,” said Ashenfelter.

The soccer team is looking forward to their next game on the road at Northfield Mt. Hermon at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday September 11th.


Photo Credit Nova Rogers


Photo Credit Nova Rogers


Photo Credit Nova Rogers


Photo Credit Nova Rogers

Preseason Coming to an End

The Wolverine soccer team has been working hard and preseason is coming to an end. With the rest of the Bridgton Academy students arriving tomorrow orientation will begin followed by the start of classes.









The team is still working hard to start the season off strong at Southern Maine Community College for their first game on the road which takes place at 4:00 p.m. on September 8th.

A Positive Start to the Season

The BA soccer team had an early start today as they start the season off. Coach Ashenfelter only had positive things to say. “The Wolverine soccer program hit the field today at 6am signifying the start of pre-season. The coaching staff is very excited by the high energy level and immediate team spirit displayed by the new squad. This positive attitude is a great sign for things to come.”




With three practices today and continuing all week the team is working hard and preparing for their season opener at Southern Maine CC on September 8th at 4:00.

Preseason Underway

The soccer team arrived on campus today excited and ready to get started. After a quick meeting the team headed up to the field for some hard work and testing for the upcoming season. Practices start early tomorrow morning.

Wolverine Strength adds staff

The Wolverine Strength program is proud to announce Michelle Sturgeon has joined the program and will be working exclusively with the soccer and lacrosse program.

Michelle joins Bridgton Academy after 10 years of coaching and training in the Boston area.
Michelle earned a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Maine, Orono in 1997 and a M.Ed. with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning from Springfield College in 2002.
Michelle attended school while designing and implementing strength and conditioning programs for Springfield College as well as American International College. As a previous employee of Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning, Michelle coached athletes from the NHL, NFL, NLL, WUSA and USA Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Team.
Michelle has earned a Club Coach Certification from USA Weightlifting, Performance Enhancement Specialist Certification from NASM, as well as her Schwinn Certification.

Joe Sawicki, Interim Athletic Director and Coordinator of Strength and Conditioning stated that, "We were very lucky to have Michelle join our program. She brings a tremendous depth of knowledge and will undoubtedly keep Bridgton Academy on the cutting edge of athletic development. I am eager to see how our soccer athletes will progress throughout the year."

Additionally, Michelle will also serve as Registrar as well as teaching in the science department.

Bridgton Academy Soccer

A video produced by BA Alum and soccer standout Dan Egan '83.

2010 Soccer Schedule

The 2010 Wolverine Soccer schedule is up. The season kicks off on September 8th, away against Southern Maine CC. The first home game of the season is set for September 15th against Central Maine CC.

Here is a link for the complete schedule.

New Head Soccer Coach Announced

Bridgton Academy announced the hiring of Alan Ashenfelter as the new Head Soccer Coach for the upcoming year. In addition to his coaching duties Ashenfelter will be teaching a mix of math and humanities classes. He will also serve as the Assistant Director of Mass Hall.

Ashenfelter was a student athlete at Wesleyan University where he earned a degree in History. Ashenfelter played four years for the Cardinals and served as Captain his senior year. In 2005 Ashenfelter and the Cardinals won the schools first ever NESCAC Championship. In 2005 and 2006 they played in the teams first two appearances in the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual National Champions Messiah in OT. Ashenfelter helped build a program that is now regularly ranked in the Top 20 in the Country. In 2008 he was named to 1st Team All NESCAC and was also awarded the Raymond J. Walsh Memorial Award for exceptional leadership and outstanding ability.

Ashenfelter has been working at the Rivers School in Weston, MA since his graduation from Wesleyan. There he has worked as a teacher and coach, working with the soccer, basketball, and lacrosse programs at the school.

Class of 2010 Getting Some Press

Dillon Flynn is heading to Sewanee and they have a nice write up on Dillon here.

Rob Palumbo made the top ten in this video (his shot comes at about the 2min mark)

Enjoy.

Vieira Signs NLI

Ronaldo Vieira signing his NLI with Head Coach Kevin Mellon

Bridgton Academy Soccer standout Ronaldo Vieira (Framingham, MA)recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play soccer next fall at Radford University in Radford, VA. Vieira chose Radford because newly appointed head coach Marc Reeves showed a great deal of interest, "I was waiting to hear from some schools, and Coach Reeves made made an offer and I talked with my parents and decided it was the right place," Ronaldo said of his decision.

Vieira contributes a great deal of his success to the Bridgton program, but his individual hard work is not over looked. Vieira came into preseason weighing 222 lbs, he trimmed 20 pounds off midway through the season, and in the off season he is now down to 180 lbs. Ronaldo said, "Coach Mellon pushed us as a team hard, to improve our play as a team an individually. Playing with great players allowed us all to get exposure." Vieira set his goals on playing soccer at a D-I school coming into the school year, but he also knew he must get his grades up to achieve that. He has done just that.

Radford University competes at the Division I level, in the Big South Conference.

Wolverine Strength hits the web

Bridgton Academy is proud to announce the start of the Bridgton Academy Strength & Conditioning Blog. You can find up to the minute information regarding all that is going on in the world of Wolverine Strength. You can click on the link at the lower right of this page or check it out here.

Martin Signs National Letter of Intent

Ethan Martin signs his National Letter of Intent to play at Yavapai College.


Soccer standout Ethan Martin (South Burlington, VT) signed his National Letter of Intent to attend Yavapai College next year. The Roughriders are NJCAA members of Region One. Located Prescott, AZ the soccer program has won seven national championships since 1990. Martin stated his reasons for attending Yavapai as being, "the school is in a good location, I can see new places and I will be exposed to West Coast schools now." Martin first was referred to the school by his home state university's (UVM) soccer coach. Ethan says that his year at Bridgton, "opened more doors" for him as a player and now has more East Coast exposure. Following his years at Yavapai he hopes to move on and play at the NCAA DI level.

Nice write up on the Palumbo's

Both Rob and Steve have committed to UNH for next season, it will be exciting to watch them continue to play together.

Palumbos Sign National Letters of Intent

On Wednesday, Bridgton Academy Soccer standouts Rob and Steve Palumbo (Kingston, NH) signed National Letters of Intent to play soccer at the University of New Hampshire next fall.

Rob and Steve Palumbo sign their National Letters of Intent to the University of New Hampshire. They are joined by Bridgton Head Soccer Coach Kevin Mellon.

The Palumbos, New Hampshire natives, credited the university saying, "Its close to home, they have a great coach (Rob Thompson) who we have known for a long time." Rob and Steve join a long line of family members to attend UNH, which includes their sister Diana '07, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins.

During their time as Wildcats the Palumbos have goals for themselves, Steve said, "I want to have a good soccer career, show well personally, but also make the team better so we can do well in the conference and make the NCAA tournament." Rob had similar aspirations stating, "I want to continue to succeed in soccer, but also focus on academics in case soccer doesn't follow through."

The twins chose to attend Bridgton Academy because as Rob said, "We only applied to UNH, and Bridgton was the back up plan, to increase test scores, and GPAs." Steve saw the year as one, "to grow and get better, become prepared for the college level."

Giving credit to Bridgton Steve said, "Academically, its hard not to do well here because there are so many opportunities to get work done, and there is not much else going on around here. You can do work, and then go train because we have the facilities and (Head Athletic Trainer) Sawicki does a great job with the workout programs." Rob said he has become, "more focused on school, I have increased my GPA, and physically gotten better thanks to Coach Mellon running the program well, with the right training."

Head Coach Kevin Mellon had the following to say about his players, "Rob is one of the nicest and most genuine players I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. He always wants to learn more and do more. He knows what he needs to do every day."

Rob compiled the following stats over the Fall season:
- Games Played - Games Started: 15-15
- Goals: 18 (1 game winner)
- Assists: 13 (1st)
- Points: 49 (2nd)

vs. Bowdoin College JV: 3 goals (1st game)
vs. Navy Prep: 3 goals
vs. Winchendon School: 1 goal & 1 assist
vs. Bowdoin College JV: 3 goals & 4 assists
vs. Holderness School: 2 goals & 3 assists
vs.Kents Hill School: 1 goal
vs. Hyde School (ME): 2 goals & 2 assists
vs. Tilton School: 1 goal & 2 assists
vs. Winchendon School: 1 assist
vs. South Kent School: 1 goal (3-1 victory over the only other undefeated team in NEPSAC)
vs. Hebron Academy: 1 goal

- Bridgton Academy Player of the Month: September '09
- 1st Semester GPA: 3.35
- Academic Honors: 1st & 2nd Quarters
- Faculty Class Award: World War II
- Community Service: Wolverines in Training Soccer Clinic

"Steve is the true definition of a leader. It is odd for a young man to come into a program like this (being one-year) and lead the team from Day 1. He led by example both on and off the pitch. He is a great student-athlete and a play maker."

Steve had the following statistics:
- Games Played - Games Started: 15-15
- Goals: 11 (3 game winners)
- Assists: 7
- Points: 29 (4th)

vs. Bowdoin College JV: 1 assist
vs. Providence Country Day School: 1 assist
vs. Thayer Academy: 1 assist
vs. Milton Academy: 1 goal
vs. Winchendon School: 2 goals
vs. Kents Hill School: 3 goals & 1 assist
vs. Hyde School (ME): 1 goal & 2 assists
vs. Tilton School: 2 goals
vs. South Kent School: 2 goals (3-1 victory over the only other undefeated team in NEPSAC)
vs. Hebron Academy: 1 assist

- Team Captain
- 1st Semester GPA: 3.75
- High Honors: 1st & 2nd Quarter
- Community Service: Wolverines in Training Soccer Clinic

Coach Kevin Mellon is congratulated by former Wildcat, and current Bridgton Headmaster Grady Vigneau, during the signing of National Letters of Intent by Rob and Steve Palumbo.

Andrew Henshaw '08 Making Headlines

Bridgton graduate Andrew Henshaw '08 has been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region Team. Henshaw a standout soccer player, is at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For the full article follow the link: http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/121109aaa.html

Student Profile: Josh Lombard

HOMETOWN: Saco, ME.

IN HIGH SCHOOL: I was a little bit lazy, I just coasted through I did the minimum amount of work and I didn’t really study a lot. School work wasn’t the biggest priority for me in high school.

HEARD ABOUT BA: My soccer coach talked to me about going to a prep school, and my guidance counselor in high school knew Mr. Webb so they made the connection.

GOALS AT BA: Just to get better grades. Learn how to be productive so I can excel in college.

BA IS DIFFERENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL: Well first, Bridgton is all boys. Here the teachers actually care about your work, and grades, and if you excel or not. In high school they didn’t really care as much. People here are also more willing to help you if you need it. In high school it was kind of intimidating to ask teachers for extra help.

BEST ABOUT BA: The atmosphere and the people here. Everyone is kind of here for the same thing, and the teachers are here to help you out. Its just a great atmosphere.

WORST THING ABOUT BA: The location, its in the middle of nowhere. Its hard to get yourself motivated with the weather outside right now (winter). Its hard to get up in the morning and actually go to classes.

ACTIVITIES AT BA: Soccer.

OUTSIDE OF BA: I play a lot of video games, pick up basketball, lift weights.

ROLE MODEL: My Mom, she is really hard working, and she can push herself to be better and always striving to be the best person she can be and it reflects on me.

FAVORITE BOOK: I just recently read The Blind Side, that’s good.

FAVORITE MOVIES: The Hangover is really funny, or Step Brothers.

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM & ATHLETE: Boston Red Sox, Kevin Garnett.

FAVORITE MUSIC: Hip-hop.

FRIENDS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: That if I’m in the right mood I actually like to read books.

BA PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW: Even though this place is up in the middle of nowhere, and its all guys, its still going to be one of the best choices you ever make because its going to get you ready for college and your future.

BA Bits

The Boston Blitz effort is wrapping up on Friday, the Admission’s team is visiting the following schools today: Newton North, Newton South, CRL, Everett, Medford, Winchester, Wakefield, Malden, Barnstable, Falmouth, Dennis-Yarmouth, Nauset, Hopkington, Bellingham, Dover-Sherborne, Ashland, and Norton. The trip wraps up tomorrow with a swing through Billerica, Burlington, Bedford, Lexington, and Arlington.

Feedback from the team on the road has been very positive as they have had the opportunity to meet up with a number of great kids who are interested in BA.
Bridgton will be holding a Group Information Session on January 18th here on campus, if you are interested in attending give the Admission Office a call at 207-647-3322x4 for details.

Head Lacrosse Coach, Garrett Bamann ’00 will be heading out to the Rochester NY area on January 18th to conduct interviews, if you are interested in contacting Mr. Bamann call 207-647-3322 x211 or email gbamann@bridgtonacedemy.org.

Two other quick pieces to pass along-become a Fan of Bridgton Academy on Facebook and don’t forget to check out the new online book store where you can pick up all your Bridgton Academy gear to keep you looking sharp in 2010.