PSA roundup
Soccer
Putnam Science 5
Winchendon 0
PUTNAM — Putnam Science Academy finished up its season Nov. 10 at home vs Winchendon. It’s the Mustangs’ 10th shutout of the season. On Senior Day Vinny Knupp, Jenluis Henriquez and Tristan Erispe scored for Putnam Science Academy who recorded an impressive 12-1-2 campaign, with the lone loss coming to a South Kent program, ranked #2 in New England.
Basketball
Putnam Science 93
Rock Top Academy 78
PUTNAM — The Mustangs jumped out to a hot start in the 1st half and held on for their 2nd victory of the season in a win at home over Rock Top Academy. Tyler Henry led all scorers with 31 points and Troy Goode had 15 points for PSA to help the Mustangs to a 2-0 record.
Putnam Science 130
Rock Top Academy 61
PUTNAM — The Putnam Science Academy Mustangs returned home from the Bahamas and held their season opener vs Rock Top Academy from Philadelphia. It was all PSA in this one. Akok Akok led the charge for the Mustangs with 17 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the win. St. Bonaventure commit Justin Winston notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds while John Buggs III had 13 points and 6 assists as Putnam Science improves to 4-0 and have won 28 straight games dating back to last season.
By Josh Sanchas
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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PUTNAM — Amaya Santiago is enjoying her first year at Putnam Science Academy. The 5-foot, 9-inch guard from Elmwood Park, N.J., has been impressive in her time at PSA and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. She committed to Canisius.
Second-year Head Coach Derek Marchione spoke highly of Amaya and her work ethic that she brings to the Mustangs. “She can shoot the lights out. Amaya is a scorer and I look forward to her becoming more of a playmaker this year for our team.”
He added, “I can’t believe how under recruited she was. She deserved to have more offers than she did but Canisius got a tough player who is going to make shots and help a team win at the next level.” Canisius was aggressive in recruiting Amaya and once Santiago went on an official visit to Buffalo, N.Y., she was sold on the Golden Griffins.
“I enjoyed my visit very much” Santiago said. “It just felt right once I walked through the doors and met with the coaching staff.”
Even with Santiago committed to the Golden Griffins, there is still more work to do here at PSA. The Lady Mustangs in their first year finished 22-9 and are hungry to better that record this upcoming season. “I plan to bring maturity and positive energy to the team this year and I believe my mindset and skillset will get us far and make us even more successful than last season.” The Lady Mustangs held their home opener on Halloween where they dominated in a 104-41 victory over TPLS.
By Josh Sanchas
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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The Woodstock Academy Centaurs girls' soccer team saw its season come to a close.
The No. 4 Centaurs were upset by No. 13 Daniel Hand of Madison, 4-1, in a Class L state tournament second round match.
The Centaurs didn’t reach the goal that all the high school teams who qualify for the state tournament are striving for – a state championship.
But in the 20 games that they played, they did accomplish a lot.
“It was a winning season, losing only one regular season game and winning the ECC championship back-to-back. Lots of people scored goals, different names helped the team, there were plenty of positives,” said Woodstock Academy coach Dennis Snelling.
The Centaurs finished 16-2-2.
The only blemish on the card prior to the loss to the Tigers was a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Norwich Free Academy in the final match of the regular season.
They won the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I regular season title and, for the second straight year, defeated Plainfield in the league’s championship match.
Heather Converse had the only goal in that match against the Panthers and it came with 52 seconds left.
It was her first career goal and one imagines, she will never forget the moment.
Nor will she forget her senior year.
“This is the best season, as coach has been saying, that we’ve ever had,” Converse said. “The attitude of the girls here is so positive. They are great people and players and I’m really going to miss them. I’m just so proud of everyone.”
Unfortunately, as Converse pointed out, “there is only one winner in the end.”
If there has been a monkey on the back of the Centaurs’ program, it has been the state tournament.
Woodstock Academy, outside of receiving a bye, has not won a state tournament match since 2013.
The draw the Centaurs received after another first-round bye this season was not easy.
Daniel Hand is a quality program out of the soccer-rich Southern Connecticut Conference.
It may have come in as the 13th seed, but that was deceptive.
The Tigers came in with an 11-3-4 record.
Two of those losses came against Class LL schools Amity and Cheshire.
It didn’t take long for Daniel Hand to strike.
Snelling had warned the Centaurs (16-2-2) about Daniel Hand junior Kayla Howard prior to the contest.
But Howard took her first touch down the sideline, cut around the Centaurs defense and beat Woodstock Academy keeper Irene Askitis one-on-one just 1 minute, 25 seconds into the match.
“We had eyes on her, we knew we had to mark her and keep her off the ball. The first time she touched it, she scores,” Snelling said.
The goal was the only tally of the first half which the Centaurs dominated, getting six shots to the Tigers two.
But Daniel Hand struck early again in the second half off a set play when Chloe Silva got in the middle of the box and headed a corner from Francesca Antoni into the net just 4:13 in.
“We thought we would come out strong and we just lost track of those marks at the back post and two people were wide open and could have scored,” Snelling said.
The Tigers looked like they had put it away off another corner just 2 ½ minutes later.
Antoni sent it in from the corner and Chloe Thompson stepped in front of it on the near post, she re-directed the ball which hit a Woodstock Academy player and went into the net for the 3-0 advantage.
But the Centaurs didn’t pack it in.
Converse, who scored her first career goal in the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship match last Thursday, scored her second just 1:29 after the Thompson tally.
“I kind of trapped it, turned around and slammed it into the net. I was able to get my anger out a little bit,” Converse said.
The goal revitalized her teammates a bit.
“We started getting more possessions, looked more in control. We just owned it after that and I really thought we had a chance. No one gave up,” Converse said.
The problem was that, even though the Centaurs were working hard and moving the ball well, they weren’t getting quality chances.
“We kept moving forward, kept getting into the space that we needed to be in, but we weren’t getting the ball to the goal. They’re a good team, Daniel Hand is always a good team,” Snelling said.
The end, however, came at the halfway mark of the half when Hayley Dean, on a free kick put the ball into the goalie box. Howard picked it up, dribbled to the near post, tossed it back out to Dean who sent it into Samantha Riordan on the opposite side and Riordan did not miss the open net.
“We couldn’t track them in those set plays. When you get down to these late rounds, you don’t want to give up free kicks in the final 30 (yards) of the field. Every chance they had at goal was well calculated,” Snelling said.
The Centaurs will lose seven seniors.
Leading scorer Ivy Gelhaus (19 goals, 5 assists), Askitis, midfielders Regan Stuyniski and Ashleigh Angle (6 goals, 2 assists), Converse, Aislin Tracy (2 goals, 3 assists) and Isabel Cintron will all graduate.
“The six that we had for four years built this program up with their work ethic, attitude, and approach. Certainly, we will miss them all. I told them that. Part of the reason the team was so successful and cohesive was those kids. They were the foundation of the team,” Snelling said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy

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