Massachusetts

Seven high school sports takeaways from the first full day of hockey and basketball tournaments – The Boston Globe

Published

2 weeks ago

February 26, 2026

Seven high school sports takeaways from the first full day of hockey and basketball tournaments – The Boston Globe

Find all of Wednesday’s playoff action here:

Not seeing your team’s highlights in Takeaways? Here are all the ways to submit scores and stats to Globe Schools via phone, email, and social media.

▪ With a 16-point night in a 51-41 Division 3 preliminary-round win over Auburn, Hudson senior Kristina Bruce became the school’s all-time scoring leader, surpassing Jake Loewen’s total of 1,278, set in 2013. Bruce finished the game with 1,283.

▪ Bishop Feehan girls’ hockey junior Georgia Murray is now the program’s all-time points leader with 115 after netting two goals and an assist in a 3-0 Division 1 first-round win over Hopktinton/Dover-Sherborn. In the same game, senior Aviva Olitsky surpassed 1,500 career saves.

▪ Holliston/Ashland senior Oli Lareau notched an assist in a 2-1 Division 3 preliminary-round win over Nashoba Tech/Greater Lowell to reach 100 career points. It marked the Panthers’ first playoff win in 11 years.

▪ Pope Francis senior captain Matt Regan reached 100 career points with a hat trick in a 5-1 Division 1 first-round win over Belmont.

▪ Milton senior Sabrina Stone logged a goal and an assist to get to 100 career points in an 8-1 first-round win over Ashland/Medway.

Just two days into the basketball and hockey tournaments, no fewer than seven higher-seeded teams have fallen, not counting matchups that are withing one seed of each other.

The highest seed to falter thus far is No. 10 Methuen boys’ hockey, which was sent home by No. 23 Groton-Dunstable, 5-4, as Crusaders goalie Cam Columbus made 50 saves and Mac Kahwati notched the power-play winner with 3:30 remaining.

Also stumbling out of the game was No. 12 Westfield boys’ hockey, which fell, 4-1, to No. 21 Danvers and Cooper Dunham, who factored in all four goals, scoring three of them. The highest seed eliminated on the girls’ side is No. 13 Arlington Catholic, which suffered a 2-1 defeat to No. 20 Acton-Boxborough in the first round.

The rest: No. 42 Hudson boys’ basketball, 57-56, over No. 23 Chelsea; No. 36 Norwood boys’ basketball, 60-55, over No. 29 Agawam, and No. 34 Lowell Catholic boys’ basketball, 65-53, over No. 31 Saugus.

With less than a second on the clock, Shrewsbury’s Paige O’Donnell delivered the equalizer and Margaret Moody came through in overtime for a 3-2 Division 1 girls’ hockey win over Belmont.

Some honorable mentions: Cole MacKinnon’s overtime winner delivers Lynnfield boys’ hockey a 2-1 win over Blackstone Valley; Easthampton boys’ hockey wins 2-1 over Dedham after both teams were assessed penalties in overtime, leading to three-on-three play; Nico Santella’s double-overtime goal allowed No. 8 St. John’s (Shrewsbury) to survive an upset bid from No. 25 Acton-Boxborough, 2-1; Pauly Scaltrito netted the overtime winner for Bridgewater-Raynham in a 4-3 triumph over North Andover.

Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop — The senior racked up 30 points and snagged six rebounds in an 81-51 preliminary-round win over Smith Vo-Tech.

Jason Drake, Medway — The senior captain connected for four goals to propel Medway to a 7-5 first-round triumph over McCann Tech.

Jackson Dunton, Blackstone-Millville — The junior erupted for 33 points to push the Chargers past Mystic Valley, 78-70, in a preliminary-round game.

Kara Gambale, Billerica/Chelmsford — The junior notched an assist on all five of the Lindians’ goals in a 5-1 victory vs. Brookline.

Adrianna Girard, Blackstone-Millville — Bound for the the Marine Corps, the senior flirted with a quadruple-double with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 10 steals, and 8 blocks in a 49-21 preliminary-round win over Lynn Tech.

Grant Neal, Lynnfield — The junior dominated the paint with 21 points and 15 rebounds in a 57-47 preliminary-round victory over Ludlow.

Matt Pedroli, Hopkinton — The sophomore factored into all five goals during a 5-4 first-round win over Gloucester, producing a hat trick and two assists.

Shawn Tierney and Timmy Murphy, Billerica — The seniors both produced 5 points, with Tierney scoring three times and dishing two assists, and Murphy doing the opposite in an 8-1 first-round destruction of Amesbury/Whittier.

David Stein announced he is stepping down after two seasons as boys’ basketball coach at Whittier Tech. Whittier went 7-33 over his two seasons.

“Excited for what is next for me,” he wrote on social media.

6. Basketball leaderboard

(includes Tuesday’s games)

Liam MacPhee, Stoneham, 37

Jackson Dunton, Blackstone-Millville, 33

Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop, 30

Niles Scott, Methuen, 28

Julia Walsh, Dedham, 28

Ashley Cohen, Bedford, 24

Shauna O’Brien, Pingree, 23

Delvis Rodriguez, Lowell Catholic, 23

Meredith Gibbs, Dover-Sherborn, 22

Andrew Karaban, Hudson, 22

Jimmy Mortarelli, Natick, 22

Grant Neal, Lynnfield, 21

Mike Dever, Norwood, 20

Allyson Johnson, Blue Hills, 20

Sofia Pichay, Ursuline, 20

Grant Neal, Lynnfield, 15

Ben Clarkin, Lincoln-Sudbury, 13

Tony Dean, Stoneham, 12

Evie Roman, Pingree, 12

Niles Scott, Methuen, 12

Sarah Michel, Blue Hills, 11

Lizzy Bettencourt, Peabody, 10

Sophia Coburn, Peabody, 10

Prudence Kouhiko, Lawrence, 10

Jonathan Perez, Lawrence, 6

Collin Christiansen, Lowell, 5

Alex Echevarria, St. Mark’s, 5

Sara Graves, Pingree, 5

Sarah Michel, Blue Hills, 4

Adrianna Girard, Blackstone-Millville, 10

McKenna Devanney, Central Catholic, 7

Alinsa Ryan, Peabody, 5

Ben Clarkin, Lincoln-Sudbury, 4

CJ Farrell, St. Mark’s, 3

Allyson Johnson, Blue Hills, 3

Shauna O’Brien, Pingree, 3

Adrianna Girard, Blackstone-Millville, 8

Prudence Kouhiko, Lawrence, 3

(includes Tuesday’s games)

Jonah Rainisch, Berkshire, 5

Jason Drake, Medway, 4

Mia Amato, Billerica/Chelmsford, 3

Cooper Dunham, Danvers, 3

Jack Funk, Thayer, 3

Cam McKenna, Hingham, 3

Matt Pedroli, Hopkinton, 3

Matt Regan, Pope Francis, 3

Shawn Tierney, Billerica, 3

Charlotte Woodford, HPNA, 3

Lindsay Butt, Milton, 2

Jared Capella, Groton-Dunstable, 2

Nate Carter, Nashoba, 2

Stephen Constantine, Arlington Catholic, 2

Payton Curran, Reading, 2

Ella Duffy, Methuen/Tewksbury, 2

Payton Fitzgerald, Billerica/Chelmsford, 2

Jake Guerriero, Archbishop Williams, 2

Mia Kmiec, HPNA, 2

Dylan Krasco, Stoneham, 2

Bryce Leonard, Stoneham, 2

Paul McCullough, Scituate, 2

Timmy Murphy, Billerica, 2

Georgia Murray, Bishop Feehan, 2

Derek Perault, Wilmington, 2

Cam Petrillo, Arlington, 2

Charlie Puglisi, Winchendon, 2

Cam Rouillard, Nashoba, 2

Nico Santella, St. John’s (Shrewsbury), 2

Pauly Scaltrito, Bridgewater-Raynham, 2

Brody Sharpe, Milton Academy, 2

Cameron Smith, Billerica, 2

Becca Sobol, Shawsheen/Bedford/Lowell, 2

Aiden St. Pierre, St. Mary’s, 2

Avery Tapp, Woburn, 2

Brandon Ward, St. John’s Prep, 2

Chase Warsofsky, Cushing, 2

Kara Gambale, Billerica/Chelmsford, 5

Jake Cataldo, Billerica, 3

Cosmo Ciccarello, Stoneham, 3

Bryce Leonard, Stoneham, 3

Timmy Murphy, Billerica, 3

Payton Fitzgerald, Billerica/Chelmsford, 2

Chris Giacchetto, Stoneham, 2

Dante Guarino, Stoneham, 2

Jake Guerriero, Archbishop Williams, 2

Evan Jones, Belmont Hill, 2

Mia Kmiec, HPNA, 2

Colby Medeiros, Danvers, 2

Emrick O’Brien, Wilmington, 2

Matt Pedroli, Hopkinton, 2

Andrew Pugliese, Stoneham, 2

Lily Rodgers, Reading, 2

Sammy Ryan, Methuen/Tewksbury, 2

Shawn Tierney, Billerica, 2

Juliana Iozza, Westwood, 52

Cam Columbus, Groton-Dunstable, 50

Gavin Durand, Blue Hills, 39

Carson Brownridge, Arlington, 38

Michael Marenghi, Lynnfield, 29

Sam Griswold, Concord-Carlisle, 26

Liam Gagne, Billerica, 23

Rylee Middleton, Reading, 22

Hayden Tyrell, King Philip, 20

Conor Foley, Wellesley, 18

Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.

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Massachusetts

People are moving out of Massachusetts but the population still grew

Published

10 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

People are moving out of Massachusetts but the population still grew

More people left Massachusetts than moved in from 2024 to 2025, with the state ranking fourth in the nation for net domestic migration loss, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Thousands of residents left the Bay State for other states during that period. Regionally, the Northeast experienced a net domestic migration loss of 205,552, according to the data.

Despite the domestic outflow, Massachusetts’ population still grew by 15,524 when factoring in births, deaths, and international migration.

Here’s what to know about the states with the highest and lowest net domestic migration across the country:

Massachusetts’ net domestic, international migration from 2024 to 2025

From July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, Massachusetts had a net domestic migration of -33,340, with 33,340 more people moving out of the state than moving in, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Meanwhile, the state had a net international migration of 40,240, as 40,240 more people moved into Massachusetts from abroad than left.

States with highest net domestic migration from 2024 to 2025

Here were the states with the highest net domestic migration from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, according to U.S. Census data:

North Carolina: 84,064 residents
Texas: 67,299 residents
South Carolina: 66,622 residents
Tennessee: 42,389 residents
Arizona: 31,107 residents
Georgia: 27,333 residents
Alabama: 23,358 residents
Florida: 22,517 residents
Idaho: 19,915 residents
Nevada: 14,914 residents

States with lowest net domestic migration from 2024 to 2025

Here were the states with the lowest net domestic migration from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, according to U.S. Census data:

California: -229,077 residents
New York: -137,586 residents
Illinois: -40,017 residents
New Jersey: -37,428 residents
Massachusetts: -33,340 residents
Louisiana: -14,387 residents
Maryland: -12,127 residents
Colorado: -12,100 residents
Hawaii: -8,876 residents
Connecticut: -5,945 residents

New England states’ net domestic migration from 2024 to 2025

Here’s how New England states ranked on net domestic migration from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, according to U.S. Census data:

Maine: 7,406 residents (ranked 18th nationally)
New Hampshire: 6,554 residents (ranked 22nd nationally)
Vermont: -726 residents (ranked 34th nationally)
Rhode Island: -1,551 residents (ranked 36th nationally)
Connecticut: -5,945 residents (ranked 42nd nationally)
Massachusetts: -33,340 residents (ranked 47th nationally)

Census regions with highest net domestic migration from 2024 to 2025

Here’s how the four Census regions ranked on net domestic migration from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, according to U.S. Census data:

South: 357,790 residents
Midwest: 16,040 residents
West: -168,278 residents
Northeast: -205,552 residents

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Massachusetts

Planning a staycation? Tripadvisor recommends this MA city

Published

22 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Planning a staycation? Tripadvisor recommends this MA city

Are you thinking about spending some time off but don’t want to splurge on a big international vacation?

A summer 2025 report found that many Americans are choosing nearby staycations over changing time zones.

And Tripadvisor said one of the best travel experiences you could have in the United States would actually be a guided walking tour in Salem, Massachusetts, and the Freedom Trail walking tour in Boston.

As part of 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do, Tripadvisor said that History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour is the second-best experience in the U.S.

As we move on from 2025 onto 2026, here’s what you need to know about this Bay State travel opportunity.

Tripadvisor said Salem has the second best experience in the U.S.

Tripadvisor said the History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour is one of the best experiences in the United States. Its AI summary tool said the tour guides paint a vivid portrait of one of America’s most macabre towns.

Here’s what Tripadvisor said about it: “There are many Salem tours out there but few are as compelling as this one, led by a local historian who brings alive the city’s history at the time of day you choose. For a spookier experience, pick a nighttime tour led by lantern light. Visit the Burying Point Cemetery, Witch House, and Ropes Mansion garden as your guide tells stories of the haunted history of Salem, Massachusetts.”

The itinerary says the tour begins at Salem Old Town Hall and ends at Hamilton Hall, visiting sites like the Bewitched statue of Elizabeth Montgomery and The Witch House at Salem on the way.

You can book History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour at this link here. Be aware that this event is booked 23 days in advance, the tour’s Tripadvisor page said.

Kathleen Wong contributed to the reporting of this story. Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.

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Massachusetts

Massachusetts beach towns look to ease ‘overly strict’ conservation rules: ‘Common sense’

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Massachusetts beach towns look to ease ‘overly strict’ conservation rules: ‘Common sense’

As certain shorebirds rebound in population along the Massachusetts coast, beach towns are pushing for the state to strike a healthier balance between conservation and recreation.

State Rep. Kenneth Sweezey, a South Shore Republican, is leading the charge on Beacon Hill, authoring legislation to untangle what he describes as “overly strict” regulations hindering his region’s access to its beaches.

Over the years, Duxbury Beach, in particular, has borne the brunt of protecting recovering bird species, including piping plovers and terns, limiting business and recreational opportunities at the prominent South Shore coastline.

The Duxbury Beach Reservation, a private landlord, has had to close certain roads and portions of the shoreline while birds are nesting. Residents and visitors are also required to have an oversand vehicle permit, which costs more than $150, for beach access.

Under one of Sweezey’s proposals, the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife would only restrict over-sand vehicle access or other recreational activities if the bird species is listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Sweezey has said that piping plovers are the only species nesting on Duxbury Beach, which his district includes, that are federally endangered, while other birds carry a state designation.

“Birds may be federally protected because they’re doing poorly in one region of the nation, even though they may be thriving in the Commonwealth,” Sweezey said at the State House last week. “Those differences sort of create problems when you’re looking at human access, recreational opportunities on the beaches and conservation on the beach.”

Sweezey made his appeal to the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, touting shorebird management expert Chris Kennedy for helping him craft his proposals.

Kennedy, a wildlife biologist who has worked for the state Environmental Police and Division of Fisheries and Wildlife over the decades, is championing an equal balance between conservation and recreation.

In response to a post in the ‘Save Duxbury Beach’ Facebook page, Kennedy highlighted how the Bay State has seen a nearly “tenfold” jump in nesting plovers since 1986, going from 140 to over 1,200 last year. Roseate and common terns are also “strongly increasing,” while least terns are “slowly climbing.”

“Reasonable public access is not anti-birds,” Kennedy stated. “It is simply common sense.”

The 1,221 nesting pairs of plovers identified in 2025 marked a record high for the species’ population, up even from the 1,196 in 2024, numbers show.

According to the state’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Duxbury Beach had 149 days of recreational activity last year.

Sweezey is also calling state regulators to conduct a review of their recreational management guidelines that protect piping plovers, terns and their habitats across the state at least once every two years. Part of that process would include two public hearings.

Patrick Parquette, a government affairs officer for the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association, called the state’s current shorebird management program “long outdated,” having been adopted in 1993.

Parquette pointed out how, decades ago, nests of certain shorebirds needed to be a minimum of an eighth of a mile apart. Today, species, including the piping plover, are nesting within 100 feet of each other.

“At the time, it was based on the best thinking that we had,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a reasonable human being in this building, no matter the ilk or philosophy they come from, that would say that our knowledge base 33 years ago could compare with today’s knowledge base.”

Andrew Marshall, founder of the Save Duxbury Beach nonprofit advocacy group, centers his concerns around climate change and its effects on the Plymouth County town of roughly 16,000.

“We’re being unfairly punished due to climate change, with some of these southern birds moving up to the north here,” Marshall told lawmakers. “These birds aren’t rare or threatened. They’re just new in our area.”

A third piece of legislation that Sweezey has crafted would ban state regulators from prohibiting any beach management program from using all legally authorized shorebird nesting mitigation tools under the state’s habitat conservation plan.

Sweezey said a goal of the bill would be to promote parity among Massachusetts beaches.

“These bills,” the representative said, “are critically important to our environment, our coastal traditions and local economies down in Duxbury, but really along the entire coast.”

A woman takes in the shoreline view at Duxbury Beach. (Staff Photo By Faith Ninivaggi/Boston Herald/Media News Group, File)

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