Area Sports Roundup, Nov. 20-21

Nov. 22—Sturtz continues undefeated running season

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Eighth-grader Sully Sturtz of the Keene Middle School cross country team won the Region 1 Northeast Junior Olympic Cross Country championship Sunday in Attleboro, Mass.

Sturtz ran a 5:08 pace on the 4K course, finishing in 12:46.

He remained undefeated this year in all cross country meets, coming off a state championship for KMS and a New England Junior Olympic Championship.

His 5:08 pace is one second off the pace of the 2019 National Junior Olympic champion.

Sturtz will wrap up his season Dec. 11 at this year's national championship meet in Kentucky.

Lily Runez came in 16th for the KMS girls, with a 15:16 time.

Keene bowling wins Merrimack Invitational

MERRIMACK — The Keene Blackbirds bowling team earned the Merrimack Invitational Championship Saturday with a win over Goffstown at Merrimack 10 Pins.

Seniors Dom Carbonaro and Zack Coll led the way, backed up juniors Caz Couble and Matt Brown, and sophomores Riley Watt and Parker LaClair.

"Outstanding team energy and communication were the key to beating a team of senior four-year bowlers," said Keene head coach Aaron Moody in an email. "All had impressive frames right when we needed them to beat a surging competitor."

The JV team also made the championship, but lost to Goffstown.

The Blackbirds next compete Dec. 6 at Yankee Lanes.

Moore's double-double lifts FPU over Saint Anselm

RINDGE — Junior Isaiah Moore went for career highs in both points (35) and assists (11) to record his second career double-double on Saturday afternoon, as the Franklin Pierce men's basketball team opened the Northeast-10 Conference portion of its schedule in style with a 92-68 win over Saint Anselm in the team's home opener in the Fieldhouse.

Moore had 21 at the half, as 13 three-pointers keyed a 55-point opening stanza for the Ravens.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 2-2 (1-0 NE10), while Saint Anselm falls to 0-2 (0-2 NE10). The two sides will round out the season series later in the year with a Feb. 16 contest at Saint Anselm.

Moore was joined in double digits by junior Maxwell Zegarowski, who scored 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting, with all of his makes coming from long distance.

Freshman Mohamed Traore chipped in 11 points as well, on 4-for-11 from the floor. Sophomore Antonio Chandler was the team's leading rebounder, with nine boards off the bench.

Franklin Pierce is back in action Tuesday on the road with another NE10 matchup, against Assumption University. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Laska Gymnasium in Worcester, Mass.

Strong fourth not enough as FPU falls

ORANGEBURG, N.Y. — The Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team started strong and finished strong Saturday afternoon on the road at Dominican (N.Y.). In between, however, a disastrous second quarter and a mediocre third undid all the team's work, as the Ravens dropped an 86-80 non-conference decision at Hennessy Center.

Senior Emma Carter led three Ravens in double digits with a game-high 29 points, while fellow senior Rylee Skinner added 24 off the bench. The host Chargers had four in double figures, led by 18 from sophomore Alexis Suarez.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 3-2, while Dominican stays perfect at 5-0.

The Ravens are back on the road Tuesday, when they open their Northeast-10 Conference campaign at Assumption at 5:30 p.m.

Franklin Pierce women's ice hockey blanks Post

SHELTON, Conn. — It's now four straight shutouts, and seven on the season through 13 games, for the Franklin Pierce women's ice hockey team.

This time, it was 11 saves from sophomore Suzette Faucher and a goal in each period for the Ravens, who finished off a weekend sweep of New England Women's Hockey Alliance opponent Post, with a 3-0 win at Sports Center of Connecticut Saturday afternoon.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 8-4-1 (5-1-0 NEWHA) and is unbeaten in its last seven (6-0-1). With the loss, Post falls to 2-11-0 (2-7-0 NEWHA).

A day after securing her 100th career point, graduate student Marissa Massaro was back at it Saturday, as she opened the scoring at the 9:42 mark of the first period.

The Ravens have the holiday weekend off, but will travel to Long Island for an important pair of NEWHA games against LIU to open the month of December, on Dec. 3-4.

Puck drop is set for 3 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, N.Y. — Penalties hurtful as Franklin Pierce men's hockey stumbles at Fitchburg State

FITCHBURG, Mass. — A night after a penalty-filled and misconduct-marred third period short-circuited a comeback attempt, the Franklin Pierce University men's ice hockey team was hurt by undisciplined play again on Saturday night in a 4-1 loss at Fitchburg State.

A pair of power-play goals late in the third turned the tide, as the host Falcons erased a 1-0 deficit. Franklin Pierce was shorthanded on five occasions over the final two periods and, at least partially as a result, was outshot 31-8 over the game's final 40 minutes.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce drops to 0-7-0, while Fitchburg State stays perfect at 4-0-0.

The Ravens are back in action on Tuesday for a home game against non-conference opponent Framingham State University.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena in Winchendon, Mass. — Franklin Pierce's Donnelly takes 85th at NCAA Cross Country Championship

SAINT LEO, Fla. — Graduate student Bethaney Donnelly became the first runner in the history of the Franklin Pierce University women's cross country team to represent the program at the NCAA Championship national meet on Saturday morning.

Donnelly turned in a 6K time of 22:02 to take 85th, in a 250-athlete field. The NCAA Championship was hosted by Saint Leo University at Abbey Golf Course.

The 85th marked the second-highest finish ever by a Raven at the national cross country meet, trailing only a 53rd-place finish by Colton Ham on the men's side in 2015.

For Donnelly, it capped an impressive individual season, which included a pair of meet wins: at the Smith College Invitational on Sept. 11, and at home in the Bruce Kirsh Cross Country Cup on Oct. 2.

She picked up All-Northeast-10 Conference First Team accolades with a fourth-place finish at the NE10 Championship on Oct. 24. Donnelly did one better at the NCAA Championship East Regional on Nov. 6, when she took third to earn All-East Region honors and punch her ticket through to Saturday's national meet. — Other Scores:

Women's basketball (Nov. 19): Caldwell 66, Franklin Pierce 63

Men's hockey (Nov. 19): Saint Michael's 5, Franklin Pierce 2

Women's hockey (Nov. 19): Franklin Pierce 9, Post 0

— See full roundup at Sentinelsource.com