An affinity for midfield
It is clear that being a midfielder suits Claudia Paz well.
She said she likes sending balls behind the defense to set up scoring opportunities for her teammates. Check.
She said she likes reversing the ball and switching the field. Check and check.
She said she likes to play in the middle of the field. Obvious check.
She said she likes to fight for 50-50 balls. Again, check.
“And I like to shoot from so far out.”
What’s that now?
“I like to shoot from so far out.”
How far?
“Far.”
What about shooting from close? You don’t like that?
“No. Far. Far is better.”
Paz, a member of the undefeated Putnam Science Academy girls’ soccer team, believes that all goals are pretty but goals from outside the 18 are much more beautiful. If she has a shot on goal from inside the 18, she will certainly take it. But if the defender leaves her a little breathing room farther back, it’s bombs away.
“They’re not usually bad shots,” Paz said. “Some are good shots and some are not so good. The ones that go in, those are good shots.”
Plenty of them have been good then, as the native of Madrid, Spain, has recorded four of her five goals from outside the box this season. Shooting from that far out obviously gives the keeper more time to react to the ball and judge it properly.
“But with her power and placement,” said Mustangs coach Jen Bennett, “it doesn’t matter. She has a beautiful shot, and can place the ball in the top corner and goalies are going to have a very hard time saving it because of the power that she puts behind it. And she does it all the time.”
Paz is making up for some lost time. She didn’t play until mid-October, PSA’s fourth game, because of a groin injury. While she was out she dedicated herself to physical therapy, and supporting her teammates any way she could. Paz never missed a single training session or game, remaining on the sideline and offering encouragement, even though “it was so hard not to play and not to be out on the field with my new teammates.”
Bennett was more than happy to get her back for the second of back-to-back games with a physical Winchendon team that turned into a 10-0 win. Bennett saw glimpses of the talents as Paz kept herself busy and entertained on the sideline during practice, demonstrating strong technical skills.
“When Claudia was out at the beginning of the season I couldn’t wait to get her on the field,” she said. “I could just tell she was a game changer, and she hasn’t disappointed. She is a force in the midfield. She’s a great player, very unselfish. She’s strong on the ball, wins tackles in the midfield, and distributes the ball wonderfully.
“I’m very happy to have her back on the field.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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caption, page 5:
Ana Garcia, right, heads for the goal. Putnam Science Academy photo.
Soccer teams
power up
Putnam Science Academy may be best known for its basketball programs, but the soccer teams have quickly established themselves as legitimate powers as well.
The boys’ prep team handily won a battle between Top 10 teams when it defeated Berkshire Academy 4-1 on the road Oct. 26. Jesus Barea scored a pair of goals, and Geni Kanyane and Felipe Santos had one apiece for the Mustangs, who improved to 7-1.
“Based on the chances we had, and the chances they didn’t have,” said PSA coach Sam DeMello, “this is a game that could have been 6-nil if we played the full 90 minutes at our level. Certainly happy with the end result though.”
The Mustangs played Hoosac Oct. 30 and square off with South Kent, another top 10 program, Nov. 3.
The boys’ varsity team had a win and a tie in its games, finishing 2-2 with Hoosac on Oct. 23, and then coming back with a 13-0 win over Williams on Oct. 25.
Christian Mateo and David Menzies scored in the Hoosac game; Menzies had two more against Williams. Paulo Carvalho had a hat trick in that game, and Luca Almeida and Abenego Commue scored two apiece. Javier Gil, Jekai Eve, Romulo Pinheiro, and Aaron Estravit had one goal each. Francisco Navarro had four assists.
“We played very well,” said coach Ivan Damulira. “I just wish we could translate this performance against the teams that our competition level.”
Finally, the girls’ team continues its incredible run in its first season, posting two more wins over another overmatched opponent. This time it was 9-0 over MacDuffie on Oct. 23, then 11-0 over Williams two days later. The Mustangs (7-0) have outscored their opponents 66-3.
Against MacDuffie, the defending NEPSAC Class C bracket, Claudia Paz had four goals (all from outside the 18) and Karol Souza had three more. Giovanna Moreno and Ana Garcia added one each.
Coach Jen Bennett spoke glowingly of her team’s play. On Ana Aldaz, who had three assists, she said, “she was unselfish and found the open player. She sends beautiful balls into the 18, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Bennett called Souza “an amazing player. She’s so versatile, she can play anywhere on the field and play it amazingly.”
Bennett also credited back Thandeka Siboda with holding down the defense. PSA keeper Steph Davis only had to touch the ball three times, and “that happens only if our defense is doing their job, and they did. Thandeka has been doing a great job back there, pushing the defense up, holding the line, and catching other teams offside.”
Aldaz, Garcia, and Souza scored twice each against Williams, while Paz, Siboda, Moreno, Tais Mota, and Ana Velasco had one goal each.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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Putnam Bank
sold to RI
savings bank
PUTNAM — Centreville Bank, a Rhode Island- chartered savings bank, and PB Bancorp, Inc. signed a merger agreement last week for Centreville Bank to acquire PB Bancorp and its wholly owned subsidiary, Putnam Bank. The transaction is valued at $115.5 million and the transaction is anticipated to close in the first or second quarter of 2020.
Harold M. Horvat, president, CEO and chairman of Centreville Bank, said: “Bringing Putnam Bank into the Centreville Bank family makes great strategic sense, business sense, and cultural sense. Our two organizations share many common traits, including being solid fiscally, making decisions that are customer centric, and having an unwavering commitment to the communities that make up our market area. We feel that our entry into eastern Connecticut through Putnam Bank is a ‘win/win’ for both institutions.”
Tom Borner, president and CEO of PB Bancorp and Putnam Bank, said: “This transaction provides excellent value to our shareholders. We are excited to become part of Centreville Bank and we believe that this partnership will be beneficial to our employees, customers and communities. “We look forward to partnering with the talented people of Centreville Bank to combine the best of both of our organizations and assuring that our customers and communities will benefit from the wide range of products and commitment to service provided by Centreville Bank.”
The combined organization will have approximately $1.78 billion in assets and $1.31 billion in deposits. Following completion of the merger, the current branches of Putnam Bank will remain open and will conduct business under the trade name “Putnam Bank, a Division of Centreville Bank.”
Shareholders of PB Bancorp will receive $15.25 in cash per share. The merger consideration represents approximately 145 percent of PB Bancorp’s tangible book value as of June 30, 2019.
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Mattress disposal
policy tightened
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The town’s mattress and box spring disposal policy will be tightened up, effective immediately.
Highway Superintendent Travis Sirrine said the Department of Public Works used to allow mattresses and box springs to be dropped off outside the facility’s gates on Fox Road, 24-7.
“But we were overwhelmed with mattresses so we suspect that some non-residents were taking advantage of the policy,” he said. “Too many mattresses were being dropped off overnight. The service is for residents of Putnam, not the tri-state,” he added.
He said it became unsightly and DPW crews were having to spend time cleaning up the mess. “The crews have enough to do,” Sirrine said.
Putnam residents only can now drop off mattresses and box springs inside the gates only, from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of the month. And IDs will be checked to make sure it is a Putnam resident, he said. Landlords who live out of town can bring a tax bill or other proof that the mattress came from a Putnam residence.
Mattresses and box springs must be dropped off. They have not been part of the trash pickup program for years.
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