Boston, MA
Chelmsford Lions come out roaring, oust Saint John’s of Shrewsbury
CHELMSFORD – Any concerns the Chelmsford boys volleyball team might have felt for the playoffs after dropping its regular season finale were quickly put to rest Thursday night.
With the exception of a couple late runs they allowed in the second and third sets of their Div. 1 state first-round matchup, the 12th-ranked Lions (15-6) mostly dominated a sleeper No. 21 Saint John’s of Shrewsbury team to the tune of a 3-0 sweep (25-13, 25-22, 25-18).
A balanced attack and momentum were at the heart of the win, using at least seven kills from three different players to help Chelmsford force large deficits in each set. The Pioneers’ (9-11) 5-1 run near the end of the second set was the lone time the Lions’ didn’t close out with a comfortable lead.
They await the winner of Saturday’s No. 5 Methuen versus No. 28 Greater New Bedford matchup to play in the second round.
“They’re a quality opponent, they were in the Final Four last year,” said Chelmsford head coach Edgar Valdez. “We kind of just waited (past a slow start) and just kind of played really well defensively. Just a total team effort. Everybody doing their job, everybody playing to their potential. It was great, especially with the way we ended the season on Friday. … This was kind of perfect for us to just come out here, shake that stuff off and just get back to work.”
Francis McGonagle (13 kills) and Eric Barcelos (six kills) were bright spots for Pioneers setter Suraj Marla (21 assists). Saint John’s just couldn’t keep up with Chelmsford when it was clicking on all cylinders, which was most of the match.
Liam Quinn was a constant threat for the Lions, racking up 12 kills with a block. Add in Royce Roxas’ nine kills and Ridty Tauch’s seven kills, five aces and two blocks, and Chelmsford presented too many threats for setters Jack MacPhee (25 assists, four aces) and Jayden Som (seven assists). A tough start in serving still finished with double-digit aces for the Lions, and excellent defense from Som (12 digs) and the rest of the team often kept the Pioneers from breaking up runs.
“Everybody found a way to contribute,” Valdez said. “That’s the best part, when everybody kind of pulls (together a team effort).”
It showed up huge in a 25-13 first set, using an 8-0 run to close out a tone-setting win.
A 4-0 run near the middle of the second set helped separate from side-out volleyball to take a 12-8 lead. Teams traded points again, but another 4-0 run pushed the advantage to 20-12. By the time Chelmsford built a 23-17 lead, the 5-1 response Saint John’s gave came far too late in a 25-22 set.
The Lions allowed consecutive points against it just twice in the third set, quickly running away with the match by building a lead as high as 23-13.
“I think that’s the part of being on track,” Valdez said. “is scoring a few points here and there, and then getting in a good rhythm. … That’s kind of what you want. It’s a momentum game.”
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The FIFA World Cup is coming to Massachusetts, and when it comes to having a place for people to hang out together, there will be a free fan zone where everyone can celebrate the big event.
Seven World Cup matches will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this summer, and the first one is right around the corner, to be played on June 13, with Scotland taking on Haiti.
Fan Zones are a public space to watch the game for people who don’t have tickets to the actual game. Held in public places, they broadcast the mach on giant screens to offer an immersive experience to watch the game, according to FIFA>
“At the heart of FIFA Fan Festival Boston, (a) Cultural Showcase will ignite the stage with a vibrant celebration of the spirit, creativity, and cultural heartbeat of Boston and communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” FIFA said.
Where will the fan zone be located when the World Cup games start in just 11 days?
Where is the World Cup fan zone going to be in Massachusetts?
The official FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup in Boston will be located at Boston City Hall Plaza at 1 City Hall Sq. Boston, MA.
“The festival will run daily from June 12 through June 27, offering live match broadcasts, cultural showcases, food vendors, and entertainment,” according to FIFA.
The fan zone will open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will stay open until after dark, between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. according to reports.
Activities at the fan zone
Here are some of the offerings at the fan zone in Boston, according to the FIFA website:
- Live broadcasts: Giant outdoor screens that broadcast tournament matches in high-definition.
- Entertainment & music: Live concerts, DJ sets, and performances celebrating global culture.
- Interactive activations: Skills challenges, mini-pitches, inflatable games, and sponsor booths.
- Food & merch: International food stalls, local beverage offerings, and official tournament merchandise.
How to go to the fan zone
While the game is free, you do need to register in advance.
“You can select which days and matches you plan to attend through the FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 website or the Meet Boston events page. Up to six people can register on a single application,” the World Cup Boston website says.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
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