Boston, MA
Milford gets it over the finish line against Lexington
MILFORD — It was the kind of match that Milford boys’ volleyball coach Andrew Mainini felt like his team would have lost a year ago. But his Scarlet Hawks are a year wiser and a year more experienced.
That paid off in a massive way on Thursday in an intersectional battle against Lexington.
Yes, the Scarlet Hawks posted 25-21, 25-21 and 28-26 wins to sweep the match with the Minutemen but it was his team’s ability to come through in the clutch that made Mainini smile.
“If we had this kind of game a year ago, it might have been reversed because Lexington was the more experienced team and we were the younger group,” Mainini said. “Now we’re the experienced team and it’s paying off.”
When things got a little off the rails at times for the Scarlet Hawks in this one, their dynamic middle hitting duo of Ryan Franklin and Joey Newman were there to steady the ship.
“Those two are so big and take up a lot of space at the net,” Mainini said. “We were looking at stats compared to last season and one of our biggest improvements is in blocking.”
Milford dominated much of game one and looked like it was going to breeze to a win, leading 21-11. But after a timeout, Lexington finally got its offense revved up thanks to solid hitting and blocking from Ale Lucianni and Nick Sanchez DeRojas.
The Minutemen cut the lead to 24-21 before outside hitter Alex Guerra put the first set away for Milford. It wouldn’t be the last time he’d come through in a tough spot for the Scarlet Hawks.
Game two was more like what was expected between the two teams as they traded runs in a game where the biggest lead was four points on either side.
Lexington used an 8-2 run to take control and looked like they were ready to even things up when it led 21-20. But the Scarlet Hawks responded with the last five points of the set, capped by a Gus Da Silva ace to take a two game lead.
Game three also was a pins and needle affair as Lexington led most of the way before Milford put together a 7-3 spurt to tie it at 18 as the teams were just getting warmed up.
Lexington had a chance to serve for the set at 24-22 but Guerra kept Milford alive. Newman followed with a net cord ace and Guerra had another kill to get the Scarlet Hawks to match point. Lexington, however, fought it off and then did it a second time after another Guerra spike. But the third time wasn’t lucky for the Mustangs as Franklin put away the clinching point.
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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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