AUBURN — When St. Dominic Academy chose to change home ice rinks this season, one of the first questions on many people’s minds was, “Where will they fit everyone when they face off against rival Lewiston?”
It’s a question still begging an answer if the crowd from Lewiston’s home game between the two teams is any indication, but the school has announced — at least in part — how it plans to help control the flow of people.
And that includes a time change.
The junior varsity game has been pushed back to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, while the varsity, originally slated for a 7:10 p.m. start, will now begin at about 7:40.
According to Saints’ athletic director Gene Keene, the change was to allow fans from the game previous to the JV contest — Poland/Gray-NG vs. Mt. Ararat/Lisbon — to vacate the building before the expected throng of fans descends upon the Norway Savings Bank Arena for the nightcap.
In addition, pre-sale tickets will be available for the game at each of the participating schools in the week leading up to the game.
Devil of a day
Track and field records are made to be broken, of course, but that doesn’t mean they change hands easily. Walk past the boards that tout those records at local schools and you’ll find names that have occupied those lines for a decade, or two, or more.
Amazing, then, that the Lewiston girls’ indoor squad saw three such standards eclipsed in the final KVAC regular-season meet Jan. 18 at Colby College in Waterville.
Heather Kendall, a rookie to the team in her junior year, ran 1:03.49 in the 400 meters.
Faith Shaw was more than four seconds faster than her seeded time, finishing the 800 in 2:29.14 to set a new Lewiston mark.
And if one record was good for Kendall, two was better. She combined with Jenny Martin, Adela Kalilwa and Olivia Norton to win the 4×200 relay in 1:53.57, an all-time best for the Devils.
Elsewhere in the region, Dartmouth-bound Will Shafer of Gray-New Gloucester set a Western Maine Conference record in the boys’ mile. Shafer ran 4:19.50 to win Friday’s race at the University of Southern Maine.
Shafer is one of two local athletes currently ranked No. 1 in his event for the indoor season. Josh Horne of Mt. Blue (9:53.90 in the two-mile) is the other.
Water works
With the state swim championships only three weeks away, at least three Twin Cities racers are in prime position to win individual awards in the Class A ranks.
Edward Little’s Olivia Paione is currently qualified among the top 10 in six different girls’ individual events. Paione ranks second in the 100-yard breaststroke behind Kristen Prelgovisk of Messalonskee. She is also third in the 50 freestyle, fifth in 100 freestyle, seventh in 100 butterfly and ninth in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.
The Lewiston boys’ tandem of Matt Charest and Peter Tirabassi sits fourth and seventh, respectively, in the 100 breaststroke. Charest also may choose from the 200 individual medley (eighth) and 100 freestyle (10th). All told, he is shown among the top 15 in seven events.
EL and Lewiston conclude the regular season with their traditional rivalry meet Friday at Lewiston YWCA.
A Fleming fan
Oxford Hills sophomore Andrew Fleming has been one of the breakout stars in high school basketball this season. According to statistics gathered by WMTW-TV’s Travis Lee, the versatile 6-foot-5 Fleming ranks sixth in Eastern Class A in scoring (15.2 ppg), second in rebounding (11.2 rpg), first in steals (3.6 spg), seventh in assists (3.4 apg).
It’s easy to see why opposing coaches speak glowingly of Fleming. But one observer has some unique insight on where the fledgling forward fits in Oxford Hills history.
Lewiston coach Tim Farrar is a 1997 Oxford Hills graduate and a former assistant to head coach Scott Graffam. He played with and watched some of the best basketball players to pass through South Paris and thinks Fleming already stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
“I got to play with the all-time leading scorer at Oxford Hills, Kevin Toohey,” Farrar said after his Blue Devils edged Fleming’s Vikings, 41-39, on Jan. 15. “Kevin was a great player. I coached when Corey Tielinen, Matt McDonnell and those kids were there. I saw Danny Ladd play growing up. And this kid is as good as anyone that’s ever played there, and he’s just a sophomore. I think the world of him.”
Toohey finished with 1,092 points in his four-year varsity career (1994-98). Tielinen (2001-04) ranks second on the all-time list with 949 points, followed by Ladd (943 points 1987-90), McDonnell (907 points 2002-05) and Eben Hobbs (869 points 1968-71).
Ladd holds the school’s single-season scoring record with 458 points in 1990.
The Vikings (9-5) rank second in the Eastern A Heal Point standings. They travel to Skowhegan on Monday, then to Hampden for a showdown with the unbeaten, top-ranked Broncos on Saturday.
Eastern Class A observers have been waiting all season for someone to challenge the defending state champions. Farrar thinks Fleming gives the Vikings as good of a shot as anyone.
“They could be a very tough out come tournament time,” Farrar said. “If he plays a good game, they can beat anybody.”
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