The University of Maine women’s hockey team’s six-game win streak ended this weekend after getting swept by the University of Vermont Catamounts.

“I’m pretty proud of the way we played five to six periods this weekend. We played really well,” UMaine’s head coach Richard Reichenbach said after the game. “We just couldn’t find the back of the net, and their goalie played really well.”

The Black Bears came into this series riding their winning streak, not having lost a game since the last time these two teams met in early January.

Vermont came into this series with a 17-10-1 record and was on a seven-game winning streak.

On Friday in the first period, Vermont fourth-year forward Theresa Schafzahl struck first to open the scoring in the series after picking off the Black Bears and shooting the puck past second-year goalie Jorden Mattison. The Black Bears got off to a slow start, only having seven shots on goal during the first period compared to 12 from the Catamounts.

The second period was scoreless as both teams struggled to get shots off, thanks to tremendous defense on both sides. UMaine had just four shots on goal the entire period compared to Vermont’s nine.

Fourth-year defenseman Ellice Murphy scored the second goal for the Catamounts from the blue line thanks to an assist from second-year defenseman Bella Parento and fifth-year forward Kristina Shanahan to put Vermont up 2-0.

The Black Bears finally scored after fourth-year defender Ida Press’ shot was knocked up in the air and brought down by fourth-year forward Ali Beltz, who found third-year forward Ida Kuoppala wide open on the side for her ninth goal of the season. 

Even with the late goal from Kuoppala, it was not enough as the Catamounts continued playing fantastic defense, and the Black Bears fell 2-1. The UMaine offense was finally able to get some shots off with 12 in the third period, but it was too little too late.

Both goalies were terrific as Mattison stopped 25 of 27, and Vermont’s second-year goalie Jessie McPherson stopped 22 of 23 shots in a masterful defensive performance by UVM.

Game 2 was not much different for the Black Bears as they lost once again to the Catamounts 3-1.

Vermont scored first for the second day in a row when fifth-year forward Alyssa Holmes got a goal from a breakaway thanks to an assist from Parento and third-year forward Lili Humphrey for her second goal of the year to give the Catamounts a 1-0 lead. Both offenses were held to limited chances, with both teams only shooting the puck five times. 

The second period did not go any better for the Black Bears. Following a turnover, third-year Vermont forward Hailey Burns was able to score an unassisted goal for her fourth goal of the season, 3:55 into the second period. The Black Bear offense was once again shut out in the second period. 

Late in the third period, third-year forward Morgan Trimper finally got the Black Bears on the board after deflecting a shot from second-year defenseman Olivia King for her fourth goal of the season, assisted by fifth-year defenseman Taylor Leech. Trimper’s goal was all for not, though, as almost immediately fourth-year Vermont forward Corinne McCool easily made a wide-open goal with no goalie in the net thanks to assists from Holmes and Murphy to end the game. 

Vermont was held to just six shots again in the third period to UMaine’s 11, but just like they had the whole game, the Catamounts capitalized on their few shots.

Mattison did not see much of the puck, with only 12 saves compared to McPherson’s 21. UMaine had plenty of opportunities to score and get back in it, but they failed to capitalize on these opportunities.

“I think we just need to finish,” Reichenbach said. “That’s how they scored both their goals and maybe our one-on-one play, but outside of that, just maybe driving far post a little bit more and making sure we’re boxing out and getting some rebound opportunities.”

With these losses, the Black Bears drop to 10-10-1 and will look to get back on track when they travel on Friday, Feb. 11 to Boston to face the Northeastern Huskies.

After a crazy football season full of highs and lows, shocking upsets and fantastic games, we have made it to the Super Bowl.

This year, the Cincinnati Bengals are facing off against the Los Angeles Rams. This is the Bengals’ third Super Bowl appearance ever and their first since 1989, and they have the chance to win their first Lombardi Trophy. This is the Rams’ fourth Super Bowl appearance, with only one victory back in 2000.

Coming into this season, no one thought the Bengals were actual Super Bowl contenders. Many people did not believe they would even make the playoffs – let alone the Super Bowl – but here we are.

Rising star quarterback Joe Burrow leads the Bengals offense. After tearing his ACL and MCL last season, he bounced back stronger than ever. Burrow completed 366 passes on 520 attempts for 4,611 yards, and had 34 touchdown passes this season. There is no question that Cincinnati needs him to have a big game to win.

Versatile running back Joe Mixon is the clear number one back for the Bengals. He had a strong season after missing all but six games last season with a foot injury. Mixon carried the ball 292 times for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns, while adding 42 catches for 314 yards and three scores through the air.

After a bad preseason, many people were doubting rookie Ja’Marr Chase’s ability, but he proved everybody wrong this season by having a terrific first year. His performance will almost certainly see him take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Chase caught 81 passes for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. Tee Higgins has been a great second option in his second season of his career, catching 74 passes for 1,901 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end C.J. Uzomah was very solid this season, but he may not play in the Super Bowl thanks to a sprained MCL, so look for tight end Drew Sample to have a good game.

Newcomer Trey Hendrickson leads the Bengals defense in sacks with 14, while linebacker Logan Wilson leads the team with 100 tackles. Wilson also leads in interceptions with four. The Bengals defense will have its hands full playing the Rams, but they will need to play hard if they want to win.

Veteran newcomer Matthew Stafford leads the Rams offense after they traded for him in the offseason. He completed 404 passes on 601 attempts for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns on the season.

When Cam Akers tore his Achilles tendon during the last offseason, everybody thought he would be out for the whole season, except for Akers himself. Akers defied all odds and returned fewer than six months later. He has not played much this postseason, but he could end up making a big difference in the Super Bowl.

Cooper Kupp has always been one of the best Rams players, but he has never been able to stay healthy. That all changed this season, where, for the first time in his career, Kupp played every game. Kupp, finally being able to maintain health, had a historic season, becoming the fourth wide receiver in modern NFL history to win the Triple Crown. He led the NFL with 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. His clutch performances in the playoffs have  been a significant reason the Rams have made it to the playoffs, and the Rams will need him to continue their dominance against the Bengals.

When he was cut by the Browns earlier this season, many were quick to question wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., saying he was washed up. Since coming to the Rams, he has proved that he is far from that. So far in the postseason, OBJ has come to life averaging 88 yards per game. In the NFC Championship, OBJ had a breakout performance with his first game over 100 yards since joining the team in November. He could be a major factor in helping the Rams win the Super Bowl. 

In a situation similar to that of the Bengals, Rams tight end Tyler Higbee has been dealing with an injury that may force him out of the Super Bowl. If that is the case, Kendall Blanton will replace him in the biggest game of his career.

The Rams defense is led by three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald. This season, he has sacked the quarterback 12.5 times and forced four fumbles. Safety Taylor Rapp leads the team in tackles with 94 and is tied with Pro Bowl corner Jalen Ramsey with four interceptions. The Rams defense will need to stop Burrow and the passing game in order for them to win the Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl LVI will take place on Sunday, Feb. 13. Will the Bengals win their first Super Bowl, or will the Rams avenge their Super Bowl loss from 2019?

Another season for the New England Patriots ended with a rather disappointing result. While the Patriots made the playoffs, they lost in the first round, ending their season prematurely.

The Patriots decided to start rookie quarterback Mac Jones at the beginning of the year after taking him in the first round, casting veteran quarterback Cam Newton to the curb. 

The season did not start well for the Patriots, as they went just 2-4 with their offense failing to score over 30 points in any game. Jones struggled at the beginning with turnovers, at one point having thrown the same number of interceptions as touchdowns. 

After losing to the Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots flipped the script on their season, thanks to Jones cutting down on interceptions. New England rattled off seven straight victories before their bye week. It should be stated that the level of competition the Patriots faced was not very difficult outside of the Tennessee Titans, who were without star running back Derrick Henry, and the Buffalo Bills.

Once the bye week ended, the tires started falling off the wagon for the Patriots, who lost three out of their last four games. Their lone victory came against the worst team in football, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Even though the regular season ended on a sour note, New England did qualify for the playoffs, but would have to face the Bills again. The Patriots struggled significantly on defense against star quarterback Josh Allen. Allen went 21-25 on passing, with 308 yards and five touchdowns, falling just shy of a perfect quarterback rating.

Jones had a very successful rookie season, and while he was not the flashiest quarterback, he managed to do his job well, which was a primary reason why New England got back into the playoffs. Jones would finish the season completing 352 passes on 521 attempts for 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Damien Harris was the clear top running back this year, carrying the ball 202 times for 925 yards and an impressive 15 touchdowns to go along with 18 catches for 132 yards. Rookie Rhamondre Stevenson started in two games when Harris was injured and had a solid rookie year, with 133 carries for 606 yards and five touchdowns, along with 14 receptions and 123 yards receiving.

No Patriot receiver stood out this year with no one getting past 900 yards. Jakobi Meyers led the team in both receptions and yards with 83 catches and 866 yards for two touchdowns. Newcomer Kendrick Bourne was second with 55 receptions for 800 yards and five touchdowns. Look for the Patriots to add someone new next offseason.

Hunter Henry had a solid first season with New England, finishing the year with 50 receptions for 603 yards and nine touchdowns. Like in his previous seasons, he sadly could not stay healthy and only played in 10 games. Fellow newcomer tight end Jonnu Smith was a big disappointment for the Patriots, catching just 28 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown.

Matthew Judon had a tremendous year defensively, sacking opposing quarterbacks 12.5 times, more than twice the amount made by any other player on the team. His impressive statistics led him to get into his third straight pro bowl. Kyle Van Noy was second on the team with five sacks in his first season back with the Patriots.

Linebacker Ja’Whuan Bentley led the team in total tackles with 109, including five tackles for loss. Safety Kyle Dugger was second on the team with 92 tackles.

Cornerback J.C. Jackson led the team with eight interceptions, the second-most in the entire league, which helped get him to his first-ever pro bowl. Dugger and safety Devin McCourty were tied for second most interceptions with four each. Opposite of Jackson, the Patriots should look at adding another corner.

Kicker Nick Folk had a solid season, going 36 for 39, but he struggled with extra points, missing five on the year.

Looking ahead to this offseason, the Patriots have a lot of talented free agents this year, including Jackson, McCourty, Bentley, Folk and starting left tackle Trent Brown. With the Patriots having less than $10 million in cap space, some tough decisions might have to be made.

Next season the Patriots will look to take a step forward and try to get past the first round of the playoffs. If Jones can keep developing and the defense keeps playing at their level, the Patriots might just surprise some teams next season.

With the NFL season winding down, every game matters for the teams still fighting for a playoff spot. There is no bigger matchup than this Monday night when the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots face off.

The Patriots are coming in hot, riding a six game win streak that’s put them in the second seed in the AFC. They have not played any great teams during this stretch; the best team they have beaten is the Los Angeles Chargers on Halloween.

The Bills have struggled the last few weeks, losing in embarrassing fashion 9-6 against the two-win Jacksonville Jaguars, and then the Colts defeated them 41-15.

The Bills quarterback Josh Allen has had a very good season so far this year. While he might have cooled off since the beginning of the year, he has still completed 66.8% of his passes for 3,071 yards and 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He has had issues with turnovers in the last few weeks and needs to cut that down in order for the Bills to win this week.

The Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has continued his very solid rookie season with another strong performance against the Tennessee Titans. Coming into this game, he has completed 70.3% of his passes for 2,850 yards and 16 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He has yet to put up eye popping numbers, but he has stayed surprisingly consistent for a rookie. If he continues this way and does not turn the ball over, New England’s offense should do well this week.

Devin Singletary leads the Bills in rushing 459 yards on 98 attempts for two touchdowns. Veteran Matt Brieda has started to show some good signs the last few weeks with Zack Moss not playing, and he has done well with 109 yards on just 21 carries and one touchdown. With the Patriots having issues stopping the run this year, the Bills could look for more from their running backs, but it is hard to see anyone having a big game.

The Patriots gained a big part of their offense back two weeks ago when leading rusher Damien Harris returned. He has by far been the top running back on the team with 154 carries for 643 yards and 8 touchdowns. With the Bills having the fourth best run defense, Harris will have his work cut out for him.

Stefon Diggs leads the Bills in receiving with 67 catches for 847 yards and seven touchdowns. Veteran Cole Beasley is second on the team with 62 catches for 530 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Dawson Knox has had a solid season as well, catching 31 passes for 315 yards and seven touchdowns. The matchup of Diggs and cornerback J.C. Jackson is one to keep an eye out for this week.

Jakobi Meyers leads the Patriots in receiving with 59 receptions for 620 yards and one touchdown. Kendrick Bourne is second on the team with 42 receptions for 623 yards and five touchdowns. With the Bills secondary being one of the best in football, the Patriots will need big games from both receivers.

The Bills defensively have been one of the best teams this year. Outside of their loss to the Colts, only one team has scored over 30 points on them all season. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds leads the team with 63 tackles, defensive end Mario Addison leads the team with four sacks and safety Jordan Poyer leads the team with five interceptions.

Similarly to the Bills, the Patriots also have one of the top defenses in the league with the group only giving up 20 points once in the last six weeks. Safety Kyle Dugger leads the team with 80 tackles, Matthew Judon is third in the league with 11.5 sacks and cornerback J.C. Jackson is continuing his ballhawking skills and is second in the NFL with seven interceptions.

This game is extremely important for both sides as they both fight for the lead in the AFC East, which the Patriots currently have by half a game. They are also set to play each other one more time this season in three weeks. With the Patriots currently the second seed and the Bills the sixth, these two games could be the decider on where the teams wind up in the playoffs. Expect whichever quarterback that plays better to win this game, but with two great defences, it could go either way.

At the end of last season, the New England Patriots finished with just seven wins. This year they came back and have already reached their previous mark of seven wins with six games still remaining. The Patriots are riding a five game win streak after beating the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers. Their recent success means they could be contenders to win the AFC.

After last season’s disappointment, a lot of people questioned whether or not head coach Bill Belichick was only good because of Tom Brady, who left the team last year. Now with a rookie quarterback under center, Belichick seems to be proving his doubters wrong once again.

The aforementioned quarterback Mac Jones has continued his very successful rookie season. While his numbers have not been eye popping, he has done a fantastic job leading the offense to scores with little turnover. He’s only had one game that featured multiple interceptions, which totaled up to three against the New Orleans Saints back in September. 

So far this season, Jones has completed 70.2% of his passes for 2,540 yards, along with 14 touchdown passes to just eight interceptions.

After James White suffered a season-ending hip injury, the Patriots have gone with a running back by committee approach with no real standouts. Damien Harris leads the way with 603 yards on 143 carries and seven touchdowns. Rookie Rhamondre Stevenson is second with 305 yards on 67 carries for three touchdowns.

While the receivers may have struggled at the beginning of the year, they found their rhythm. While there are no superstars, the group as a whole has done a very good job helping Jones out.

Jakobi Meyers emerged as the heir apparent to the recently retired Julian Edelman this season, and Meyers leads the team with 54 receptions for 522 yards and one touchdown. Free agent acquisitions Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry have played key roles now that they are more comfortable with Jones. Bourne this season has 37 receptions for 562 yards and three touchdowns. Henry has 33 receptions for 378 yards and 7 touchdowns, making him Jones’ top red zone target.

The Patriots offensive line has been rock solid, and this week they were aided by left tackle Trent Brown’s return to the starting lineup. In Brown’s first game back against the Browns, the Patriots completely dominated up front thanks to him, Isaiah Wynn, Ted Karras, David Andrews and Shaq Mason all putting in great work.

The defense has not given up more than seven points in the last three weeks. The Patriots have been able to get to the quarterback 28 times for sacks, intercepting them 18 times and forcing four fumbles. The defense is shaping up to be a real force for other teams to deal with. 

Matthew Judon leads the Patriots in sacks this year with 10.5 on 22 quarterback hits, and Kyle Van Noy follows him with four. Second year safety Kyle Duggar leads the team with 70 tackles and three interceptions. Linebacker Ja’Whuan Bentley is second with 63 tackles. Cornerback J.C. Jackson leads the defense with the second most interceptions in the league with six, followed by safety Adrian Phillips with four.

The Patriots’ end of the season will not be an easy one. They still have to play solid teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills, but they also have to play two of the lowest-seated teams in football in the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Week 17 might be tricky, as they play the Miami Dolphins on the road. The Patriots have already lost to the Dolphins this year and they always play hard against New England.

As it stands right now, the New England Patriots sit at a 7-4 record and are currently in a position to get a playoff spot thanks to their impressive run in the last few weeks. If the Patriots are able to keep this up, they should be a lock to make the playoffs as, at least, a wild card team.

After the last season was shortened due to COVID-19 where the University of Maine Black Bears only played two games all, the team was ready to play football again.

The Black Bears started the season by facing the number five ranked Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens. The Black Bears scored 24 points in the second quarter to give the Black Bears a surprising 24-17 lead at the half. However, UMaine failed to score in the second half and fell to Delaware 34-24 for their first game back with fans in attendance.

While Delaware was a tough team, they were nothing compared to the FCS third ranked team in the country, the James Madison University Dukes, that the Black Bears faced the very next week. The game wasn’t close at all as the Dukes beat the Black Bears 55-7.

During the first quarter, the Black Bears’ star third-year quarterback Joe Fagnano suffered a high ankle sprain that sidelined him until the last three games of the season. Second-year quarterback Derek Robertson took his place.

In Robertson’s first start for the Black Bears, UMaine was able to pick up their first victory against Merrimack College 31-26 thanks to two extra point blocks and a late interception in the endzone to secure UMaine’s first victory of the season.

The very next week, the Black Bears faced an FBS team, the Northern Illinois University Huskies. While the game was 7-7 in the first quarter, the Huskies scored 27 unanswered points from the second quarter on and won handily 41-14.

Coming off of a loss to the Huskies, the Black Bears faced the Elon University Phoenix, where UMaine fell short in a comeback effort after being down 26-10. Robertson and fourth-year wide receiver Andre Miller led the offense by scoring 13 unanswered points, but it was not enough. The Black Bears lost their fourth game, losing 33-23.

UMaine won their second game of the year against the William and Mary Tribe 27-16 on Homecoming Weekend after fending off a fourth quarter comeback from the Tribe thanks to a late interception from fourth-year linebacker Adrian Otero.

The Black Bears won again the very next week in a tight matchup against the University of Albany Great Danes, holding off a comeback in the fourth quarter to win their second straight game of the season.

UMaine pushed their win streak to three games, defeating the University of Rhode Island Rams. The Black Bears led 24-3 going into halftime and even though the Rams got within a touchdown to tie the game, a touchdown from Robertson to third-year tight end Shawn Bowman and another from second-year running back Freddie Brock ended the game with the Black Bears winning 45-24.

On senior night, the Black Bears fell to the Stony Brook University Seawolves 22-17 after UMaine’s comeback attempt fell short. Robertson threw an interception on the final drive, ending a frustrating day for the Black Bears. Giving up 12 penalties for 108 yards and costly turnovers doomed the Black Bears.

 In Fagnano’s first game back from injury, the Black Bears cruised to an easy victory over FBS opponent the University of Massachuestts Minuteman. While the Minuteman led 10-0 after the first quarter, it was all Black Bears afterward with UMaine scoring 35 unanswered points leading to an easy 35-10 victory.

In the Black Bears’ final game against arch rivals the University of New Hampshire Wildcats, the Black Bears controlled the second half after going into halftime tied at 20 and held the Wildcats scoreless to win 33-20, snapping a seven game losing streak against New Hampshire and claiming the Brice-Cowell Musket.

The Black Bears did not qualify for the FCS playoffs and their season has come to an end. They finished with a respectable 6-5 record, and fought hard to do it by winning five of their last six games. 

Robertson finished the year as the Black Bears leading passer, completing 121 passes on 238 attempts for 1505 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Brock led the team in rushing with 131 carries for 739 yards and seven touchdowns. Fourth-year wide receiver Devin Young led the team in receptions, with 54 for 585 yards and three touchdowns, while Miller caught 39 passes for 684 yards and three touchdowns

Sixth-year linebacker Ray Miller led the team with 106 tackles while only four players registered sacks on the year. Second-year defensive lineman Dorian Royal led the team with 1.5 sacks and first-year defensive back Kahzir Brown led the team with three interceptions.

On Nov. 13, 2021, the University of Maine Black Bears and Providence Friars faced off for UMaine’s home opener. After a long tough matchup, the Friars pulled it off in overtime. The Black Bears were looking to bounce back after losing to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 108-50 earlier in the week.

The first quarter was dominated by the Black Bears. UMaine got out to a 5-0 lead before the Friars even scored a basket. The Black Bears forced five turnovers and held the Friars from scoring a field goal until 2:55 was left on the clock in the first quarter. Third-year guard Anne Simon was responsible for eight of the 17 baskets that made up the Black Bears lead of 17-3 after one quarter.

While the first quarter was dominated by the Black Bears, the second quarter was the exact opposite. The Friars jumped out to a 10-2 run and UMaine was held to just six points in the entire quarter. Going into halftime, UMaine barely hung on to a 28-24 lead.

Providence gained the lead for the first time in the third quarter, but UMaine regained the lead by going on an 8-2 run capped off by a three-pointer from second-year guard Alba Orois. Thanks to a jumper from Providence first-year Emily Archibald, the Friars led 32-30 going into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Friars took back the lead. The Black Bears regained the lead thanks to some three pointers from Simon and second-year guard Olivia Rockwood, leaving the Black Bears with the lead 54-49 with just 1:13 left in regulation.

Just like they had the entire game, the Friars rallied thanks to a layup from fourth-year forward Alyssa Geary, bringing the Friars within 3 points. On the Friars next possession, fourth-year forward Mary Baskerville made a layup and was fouled on the play. This sent her to the line for one free throw, which she made to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, the Friars held the lead the entire time after going on a 7-2 run and ended up winning 66-61.

The Black Bears finished the contest shooting 23-69 and 8-31 from the three point line. UMaine forced 22 Friars turnovers but they were only able to score 23 points off of them. The game was very physical as the Black Bears had 23 fouls and Providence had 15.

“We left a lot of points on the board,” coach Amy Vachon said after the game. “We’re young and a lot of us haven’t been in that position.”

The Black Bears were led in scoring by Simon, who scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds. Orois pitched in 13 points and three assists, and fifth-year forward Maeve Carroll also added eight points, five rebounds and seven assists.

Providence was led by Archibald, who scored 20 points, had six rebounds and two steals. Geary had 15 points and three rebounds while third-year guard Janai Crooms had 18 points and 19 rebounds.

The Black Bears will host Delaware on Monday Nov.15 at 7 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

Looking back to July, it seemed like a long shot the Atlanta Braves would make the playoffs, let alone the World Series, but against all odds they somehow pulled it off. 

Coming into this season, the Braves had very high expectations. They had a young squad with a lot of talent and experience. However, the Braves also boasted an extremely offensive core that was led by star outfielder Ronald Acuna. Their infield was immense for them offensively too. Veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman, second baseman Ozzie Albies, third baseman Austin Riley and shortstop Dansby Swanson all were leaned on heavily.

Going into this year, pitching was the biggest question mark for the Braves, particularly their bullpen. Before the season, the Braves brought in veteran starters Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly to add to their core of young pitchers, as their star Mike Soroka was returning from an injury. Their bullpen was led by closer Will Smith, but it was full of unproven pitchers and players who had not played in the major leagues in years.

In the first half of the year, the Braves did not start off well due to injuries to their key players. Travis d’Arnaud picked up an injury and Soroka tore his achilles again. On top of that, outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested for domestic violence and did not return to the team. Even with these issues, Acuna, Freeman and Albies were all elected to the All Star game. 

On July 10, everything changed for the Braves. Acuna went up to get a ball and landed awkwardly on his knee, tearing his ACL and seemingly dooming the Braves chances of making it to the playoffs. Up to that point, Acuna was having a great season batting a .283 average on a .394 on base percentage with 24 home runs. 

Because the Braves lost Acuna, they had to find replacements in the outfield for him, so they brought in Jorge Soler from the Kansas City Royals, former Brave Adam Duvall from the Miami Marlins, Eddie Rosario from the Cleveland Indians and Joc Pederson from the Chicago Cubs.

Even with everything stacked against them the Braves managed to make the playoffs, though they were in a stacked division. They made it thanks to the team rallying together after Acuna’s injury. The new outfielders were able to hold their own and the bullpen was able to get the job done even with their issues coming into the season.

In their first playoff series, they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in four games. After losing game one, the Braves won the next three thanks to dominant pitching from everyone, especially starters Max Fried in game two and rookie Ian Anderson in game three, neither giving up a single run in either game. One of the big offensive pieces in this series was Pederson, who had five RBI’s, four of them coming in game four.

In the NLDS they faced the Dodgers. The Braves came in as the massive underdogs. Not only did the Dodgers have 18 more wins than the Braves, they were also the reigning World Series champions. None of that mattered though as the Braves were able to win in six games and advance to the World Series.

The Braves won the first two games against the Dodgers because of a walk-off double from Riley in game one, and in game two Rosario hit a walkoff single that Swanson scored on. After losing in game three, the Braves completely dominated game four thanks to four RBI’s from Rosario and a very strong game from the bullpen. 

After losing in game five, the Braves bounced back and won the pennant in game six thanks to another strong game from Rosario with three more RBI’s and another very strong game from the bullpen.

In the World Series the Braves faced off against the Houston Astros. The Braves once again upset the favorite and won the World Series in six games. The Braves dominated with their pitching in all four wins, even after Charlie Morton broke his leg. Anderson pitched a five inning no hitter in game three and Fried also did not allow a hit in game six.

Soler led the offense with six RBIs and three home runs, which won him the World Series MVP. He is the second Venuzelan player to win it. 

Looking back at the trades general manager Alex Anthopoulos made at the deadline, all four played major parts in the Braves pulling off the impossible. The Braves proved this year that you do not always have to be the best team on paper to win the World Series. Sometimes all it takes is a team getting hot at the right moments to win it all.

On Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, the Stony Brook Seawolves and the University of Maine Black Bears faced off.  

The Black Bears entered the game with a record of 4-4 coming off of a 45-24 victory against Rhode Island and they were looking to extend their win streak of three to four. The Seawolves entered the game on a two game win streak coming off of a 27-14 victory against Richmond.

Coming into this game, the Black Bears were without one of their best wide receivers, fifth-year Andre Miller, who was out with a hamstring injury.

Third-year Joe Fagnano, the team’s starting quarterback, returned this week after suffering a high ankle sprain in week two against James Madison. He did not play at all on Saturday and it is unknown if he will play again this year. 

On the Seawolves’ first drive, third-year kicker Angelo Guglielmello was able to make a 38-yard field goal after the team successfully moved the ball down the field, all thanks to their sixth-year quarterback Tyquell Fields making plays with both his arm and legs.

After holding the Black Bears to a punt, the Seawolves got fantastic field position at the 45-yard line and Guglielmello once again kicked a field goal, this time from 37-yards out. The play was possible after Fields made a completion to fifth-year wide receiver Khalil Newton that set up the field goal. The kick gave the Seawolves a 6-0 lead.

On the Black Bears’ next drive, second-year quarterback Derek Robertson threw a backwards pass that ended up being ruled a turnover recovered by Seawolves fourth-year linebacker Isaiah Givens after the play was reviewed. This set up a 9-yard rushing touchdown from fourth-year running back Ty Son Lawton.

The Seawolves scored another field goal after forcing the Black Bears to punt once again, this time from 30 yards out by Gugliemello after Fields was able to connect with third-year receiver Shawn Harris Jr. on a 46-yard pass. 

UMaine was finally able to score after second-year safety Shakur Smalls intercepted a pass from Fields. This set up a 69-yard rush from second-year running back Freddie Brock to get the Black Bears in the red zone for the first time in the game. Two plays later, Robertson hit Brock for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

After trading punts, UMaine was able to move the ball down the field in 10 plays after getting great field position at the 45-yard line. UMaine’s drive was halted once they got over midfield and had to settle for a 37-yard field goal from fifth-year Jonny Messina.

At that point, the Black Bears seemed to have the momentum to win the game, as they were now only down 16-10 after forcing another punt. It looked like the Black Bears were about to score again when fifth-year seawolves defensive back Randy Pringle intercepted a Robertson pass at the seawolves 21-yard line.

On the Black Bears’ next drive, they were quickly faced with a fourth-and-one on their own 32-yard line. After calling a timeout, Head Coach Nick Charlton chose to go for it, which would turn out costly as Robertson failed to convert.

“I looked at the distance of the actual down, and it was less than a foot,” Charlton said after the game. “You know, now obviously, I wish I had not done that, but it was a matter of inches.”

After receiving the ball, the Seawolves quickly scored a touchdown after Lawton scored from 7 yards out. However, Guglielmello missed the extra point.

The Black Bears were able to get the ball back and move all the way down the field thanks to big catches from fifth-year receiver Devin Young and second-year receiver Montigo Moss. They set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to fifth-year wide receiver Jacob Hennie to make it a five point game.

After forcing the Seawolves to punt, it looked like the Black Bears were about to complete the comeback. However, on the very first play of their next drive Robertson threw a pass across his body right into the hands of third-year linebacker Tyler King, ending the game with the Seawolves winning 22-17.

Robertson would finish the game completing 17-32 passes for 160 yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions. Brock led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 82 yards but outside of the 69-yard run, the Black Bears did nothing rushing the ball. In the absence of Miller, Moss led the team in receiving with three receptions for 48 yards.

Sixth-year linebacker Ray Miller led the defense with 12 tackles and Smalls had the interception in the second half.

In the end, the thing that ruined the Black Bears chances of winning this game, outside of turnovers, were the costly penalties. The Black Bears had 12 penalties for 102 yards, which ended multiple drives and continued the drives for the Seawolves. 

“We left way too many points out there. We just didn’t execute at times when we had optimal field position to be able to do that,” Charlton said after the game. 

Next week, the Black Bears go on the road to face the University of Massachusetts Minutemen for their second matchup against a FBS school this season.

After six games the Boston Bruins are 3-3. They have picked up wins against the Stars, Sabres and Sharks, while they have lost to the Flyers, Hurricanes and Panthers.

Brad Marchand currently leads the Bruins with four goals and is tied for a team high in assists along with Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, all with three assists each.

So far this season, former University of Maine goalie Jeremy Swayman has not had a good start to the season. He started the season playing well against the Stars, giving up only one goal, but he struggled against the Flyers and gave up five goals on just 24 shots against him. His last game on Thursday against Carolina was more of the same as he gave up two goals on 23 shots.

After the game versus Philadelphia, Linus Ullmrik replaced Swayman for the next three games, which led to mixed results. As it stands right now, it looks like they’re going to be splitting the duties, so we will see if one of them becomes the clear cut top goalie.

After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to continue their dominance. Their star players, Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevski and Brayden Point are as dangerous as ever. They are a handful for opposing teams to deal with and will be a tough obstacle for the Bruins to overcome.

Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs have not had good playoff success, they still pose a threat to the Bruins any night they play them. With debatably the strongest top six in all of the NHL, all stars such as John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs will be in contention to win the Atlantic come year’s end.

Coming off of a very successful season last year, the Carolina Hurricanes are emerging as a big threat for the Bruins. Led by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, the Hurricanes are currently undefeated. In goal this year for the Hurricanes is former Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen, who has had a great start for Carolina.

As it stands right now, the Bruins should make the playoffs once again as one of the top seeds in the Atlantic Division. The biggest question for the Bruins now is how the young players will hold up. Barring any massive injuries, the Bruins have an almost definite playoff seat, but some of the younger players’ lack of experience could hurt them. Time will tell, but there’s one thing in hockey that will always stay the same; any team at any time can get hot and you never know how far that can carry a team.