PUTNAM — The Center for Bone & Joint Care, the premier orthopedic practice in northeastern Connecticut, has announced that it will be joining forces with Orthopedic Partners as of Jan. 1, 2022.
This agreement will allow coordinated orthopedic care throughout the eastern region of Connecticut led by a combined group of 18 physicians and 15 advanced practice providers in four office locations. All existing office locations will remain active; East Franklin, Niantic, Putnam and Willimantic; and surgeries will continue to be performed throughout the region.
The Center for Bone & Joint Care has been the largest physician-owned orthopedic practice in northeastern Connecticut for over 25 years. With office locations in Putnam and Willimantic, the surgeons, advanced practice providers and staff of The Center for Bone & Joint Care have cared for the residents of Windham County since 1992 through surgical and non-surgical treatments.
The Center for Bone & Joint Care provides surgical care at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam and at Windham Hospital, a member of the Hartford Healthcare System, in Willimantic.
Orthopedic Partners, formerly Norwich Orthopedic Group, has been a growing orthopedic and physical therapy practice since its founding in 1957. The physicians, advance practice providers and staff of Orthopedic Partners provide surgical and non-surgical care for the residents of New London County in their North Franklin and Niantic offices and provide surgical care at Hartford Healthcare’s Backus Hospital, Yale New Haven Healthcare’s Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, Constitution Surgery Center East and River Valley Surgery Center.

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Pomfret girls’ basketball team
struggles; Taft wins 65-54
POMFRET — The Pomfret School girls’ varsity basketball team struggled in its game Dec. 8 against Taft.
The score was: Taft 65 - Pomfret: 54
Coach Patrick Burke said: “We struggled to get started in today’s game against Taft and our slow start on both ends created a tough hill to climb despite our strong second half. Our first half lacked intensity, focus, and compete level, but our second half performance showed what our team is capable of when we push ourselves to be our best. Credit to Grace Bullied for her strong second quarter performance and Alba Samu for her energetic leadership that gave us some momentum and something to feel good about as we went into half time.
“The third quarter was the best we have put together in this short season. Our defensive efforts were led by Brooke Zahansky. Her intensity and willingness to hustle, cover space, and get her hands on loose balls allowed us to push the tempo and find easy baskets. Tyler Dendy and Mia Fuller got to the foul line consistently, and we chipped away at Taft’s lead. Grace, Lulu Ditenhafer, Alba, and Tyler were strong on the boards, while Victoria Dervisheva and Ari Centeno both got steals and rebounds. The quarter was a solid team effort, and at one point we cut Taft’s lead to 7.
“We played a solid fourth quarter, but some heavy legs and timely shooting by Taft’s # 12 and # 33 allowed Taft to respond to every attempt we made at a run. Grace and Mia frequently responded on offense, but Taft knocked down their free-throws and made some late twos to extend their lead.”
By Patrick Burke

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caption:
Senior ‘Dependent’
The Woodstock Academy boys’ basketball team will rely on the talents of seniors. Back, from left: Everett Michalski, Ethan Davis, Huck Flanagan. Front: Jackson Goetz, Parker Anderson and Hamilton Barnes. Photo by Marty Hart/The Woodstock Academy.



Four of the five returning varsity players for the Woodstock Academy boys’ basketball team have something in common.
Ethan Davis, Jackson Goetz, Parker Anderson and Huck Flanagan return for their high school senior seasons in 2021-22.
All are familiar names from this past fall when Davis was lofting passes to Goetz and Anderson on the football field and Flanagan was getting after opposing quarterbacks.
That chemistry will, hopefully, pay dividends this winter.
“This team is confident in its ability to play basketball and its ability to play together,” said coach Marty Hart. “I think that is the thing that impresses me the most is how connected they are and how well they know, like and enjoy playing together.”
The Centaurs are coming off a successful football season where they finished 7-3 and won the ECC Div. II title.
That’s in addition to the confidence already built a year ago when the Centaurs finished the abbreviated 2021 basketball season with an 11-1 record and won the ECC North title.
That said, this team will be different from last. Logan Talbot, last season’s leading scorer with a 17.2 point per game average including 23 3-pointers, is now playing for the  Academy’s Blue prep basketball team.
Also missing will be the determined play of Andrew Johnson (10. 7 ppg, 4.7 rebounds per game), the inside presence of Dmitri Zinchenko (9.8 ppg, 5.3 rebounds) as well as Liam Blanchflower (4.1 ppg), Jacob Hernandez, Daimler Aleksjuks and Rich Hickson.
Games against Putnam. Tourtellotte, Lyman and Wheeler will be replaced by games against ECC Div. II opponents Waterford, St. Bernard, Ledyard and Bacon Academy. Add to that games against the likes of NFA, New London, E. Lyme, Fitch and Killingly and it’s a pretty formidable schedule.
Hart doesn’t hesitate when asked what has to go right for his Centaurs this season. The Centaurs have to hit the boards.
 Davis, a 6-foot, 2-inch senior forward, is the leader of the group. He averaged 8.6 points per game last season and was the team’s best rebounder, pulling in 9.3 caroms per game. He also dished out 28 assists.
He and Anderson are the two returning starters.
Anderson is a 6-1 shooting guard, missed some time due to injury last season, but still finished with 10 3’s and averaged 6 ½ points a game. Point guard Brandon Nagle, a 6-foot junior, will also be relied upon to put the ball in the basket.
Goetz, a 6-foot senior, is also a good shooter and the fifth returning varsity player, Hamilton Barnes, is a tenacious 5-10 senior who finds a way to get things done a la Hernandez of last year.
That rebounding will have to come from the likes of Davis, Flanagan and Everett Michalski, both of whom are physical 6-4 seniors, and 6-5 junior James D’Alleva-Bochain.
The Centaurs will have juniors Carter Morissette (6-2 forward); Braiden Saucier (5-9 guard) and Jackson Gallagher (5-9 guard) and sophomores Hunter Larson (6-1 guard) and Keon Lamarche (6-3 forward) on the varsity bench.
Boys’ Basketball Schedule: Dec. 16: vs. Waterford, 7 p.m.; Dec. 18: at Bacon Academy, 2:30; Dec. 21: at Stonington, 7; Dec. 23: at New London, 7; Dec. 28: vs. Killingly, 5; Dec. 29: at Griswold, 7; Jan. 4:    vs. East Lyme, 7; Jan. 7:  vs. St. Bernard; 7; Jan. 14: at Ledyard, 7; Jan. 18: vs. Windham, 7; Jan. 21: at Waterford, 7; Jan. 24: at Killingly, 7; Jan. 28: vs. Bacon Academy, 7; Feb. 1:  at Fitch, 7; Feb. 8: vs. NFA, 7; Feb. 10: at St. Bernard, 7; Feb. 14: vs. Ellis Tech, 7; Feb. 15: vs. Ledyard, 7; Feb. 18: at E. Lyme, 7; Feb. 21: vs. Griswold, 7.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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