GLENS FALLS —The Adirondack Thunder has announced the start of its training camp for the 2023-24 season at Cool Insuring Arena.
Training Camp is open to all fans free of charge, a press release states. See below for upcoming dates and times:
• Monday, Oct. 16 (10 a.m.): On-Ice Practice
•Tuesday, Oct. 17 (10 a.m.): On-Ice Practice
•Wednesday, Oct. 18 (10 a.m.): On-Ice Practice
•Thursday, Oct. 19 (10 a.m.): On-Ice Practice
•Friday, Oct. 20 (10 a.m.): On-Ice Practice
The Thunder will host the Maine Mariners in the team’s home opener at Cool Insuring Arena on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. The first 1,000 kids 14 years of age and younger will receive a free youth jersey presented by Glens Falls Hospital, and the first 3,000 fans will receive glow sticks courtesy of SkyZone, the release states.
View the 2023-24 schedule at echlthunder.com/#schedule. For more information on ticket packages, call the front office at 518-480-3355 or visit echlthunder.com/tickets.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Saratoga Springs Professional Firefighters I.A.F.F. Local 343 will be hosting the Saratoga Springs Police PBA in the 2023 Saratoga Springs Fire & Police Holiday Hockey Classic on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Saratoga Springs Weibel Ice Rink.
The game will begin at approximately 7 p.m., after the conclusion of the Skidmore College versus New England College men’s hockey game. Admission to the Holiday Hockey Classic is free with the donation of a new unwrapped toy, a press release states.
The Holiday Hockey Classic is played to benefit the Franklin Community Center’s Holiday Assistance Program. The Holiday Assistance Program has the goal of providing the opportunity for every child in the Saratoga Springs area to wake up Christmas morning with a gift for them, the release states.
The toy collection associated with the hockey game will begin the week of October 10. Toy collection boxes will be placed at multiple locations throughout Saratoga Springs until November 17. The toy collection boxes will be located at both Saratoga Springs firehouses, the Saratoga Springs Police Department and Kings Tavern on Union Avenue.
This will be the fifth time both teams have played in the Holiday Hockey Classic, with each year seeing larger crowds and an increase in donations, according to the release. During the game, an in-game raffle is conducted to raise additional funds that will be included with the toy donation to the Franklin Community Center.
Last year, the teams raised over $1,000 and collected over 700 toys from the support they received from the community, the release states. Saratoga Springs firefighters and police will deliver the toys collected to the Franklin Community Center during the first week of December.
The Saratoga Central Catholic varsity girls golf team, from left: Head coach Heather Bott, Eva Nucera, Taylor Boldt, Lily Norton, Clara Goffioul, Maddison Norton, Chloe Lawrence, Aila Cartier, and Angelica Dugan (Photo provided).
REXFORD — The Section 2 girls golf tournament began on Wednesday, gathering many of the powerhouse programs in the sport at The Edison Club in Rexford. But one team was full of new faces.
The Saratoga Central Catholic girls varsity golf team qualified for this year’s sectional tournament as a team for the first time in school history, and also had three golfers representing the Saints in the individual tournament. It was a large step forward for the program, which previously had only one Section 2 qualifier in team history (Allison Motler in 2021).
Clara Goffioul, Chloe Lawrence, and Maddison Norton qualified for the Section 2 individual tournament, and the trio was joined by Aila Cartier for the team competition. Head coach Heather Bott said the trip to sectionals represents the girls’ dedication to the sport, and noted a sectional appearance was their goal entering the season.
“I knew with this group of girls, it was a real possibility,” said Bott of sectionals. “At the very beginning of the season, I was like, ‘Our goal is to send a team.’”
“It was definitely the goal,” added Lawrence.
“Yeah, everyone was close, but no one made it (last year),” said Cartier.
The Saints’ lineup at The Edison Club included Goffioul, a senior who was a part of the school’s first-ever girls golf team as a ninth-grader, Bott said. After moving to Germany, her family returned to the area in time for her senior year, and Goffioul was able to cap it off with a trip to sectionals.
“I was so happy, because it was my senior year, so it was my last chance to make sectionals,” Goffioul said. “And it’s my first year back, so I’m actually really happy I made that.”
“I was excited to see that she was coming back, because I was hopeful that she could have an opportunity to qualify for sectionals, and she did,” added Bott.
The team also includes Norton, a ninth-grader who has been a member of the varsity team since seventh grade.
“I’ve been working for it for three years,” said Norton. “I came close last year. It just feels good.”
Lawrence also qualified this year after finishing only one match short in 2022, Bott said. She added it is rewarding to see the team achieve its goal, saying it has been “a lot of fun to watch them grow.”
“I think really, it was just dedicating themselves to the sport,” Bott said. “You can see the improvement they’ve made over the last year … Just being able to watch them, see them grow, get to know them a little bit more on the course, and see their personalities come out, see them enjoy the love that they have for the game and watch that grow, it’s been really fun.”
The Saints placed eighth as a team, with a total score of 453. Lawrence shot 101, Goffioul shot 108, Cartier shot 117, and Norton shot 127. Prior to sectional play, Bott said her message to the team was simply to “enjoy the experience,” which was echoed by the Saints’ golfers.
“I just want them to have fun and take it all in,” Bott said ahead of sectionals on Tuesday. “Don’t take it so seriously. Because golf is a tough game. It’s a mental game. Just having fun, enjoying the camaraderie that they have with their teammates, with the other teams that they’re playing, that’s what it’s all about.
“If you focus on that, I tell them, everything else will come.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District is alleged to have not adequately handled “a toxic culture of alleged abusive coaching” in a legal complaint filed by lawyer Martin Greenberg representing Safe Athletes for Everyone (SAFE).
Included in the letter are complaints against girls varsity cross country/track coaches Art and Linda Kranick, as well as girls varsity soccer coach Adrienne Dannehy and former girls varsity lacrosse coach Katie Hannan.
The letter by SAFE requests, in part, the firing of the coaches involved, and for the State Education Department to investigate the district. It also requests the district’s prior athletic directors be fired or reprimanded, and for the district to issue a public apology.
Many of the complaints were filed anonymously. Statements are included from runners, parents of runners, parents of former girls lacrosse and girls soccer players, as well as from a girls soccer and a girls lacrosse player. The letter states that many chose to keep their identities anonymous due to fear of retribution.
One former runner, 1989 graduate Kristen (Gecewicz) Gunning, attached her name to a statement alleging the running program is “a toxic culture of control and abuse of middle and high school girls all in the name of winning.”
Gunning stated the coaches would restrict runners’ diets, clothing, and who they associated with. Other anonymous statements also claim instances of overtraining or training through injuries.
“The message was always strong and clear from the Kranicks: run through illness and pain,” part of Gunning’s statement reads.
A 2020 letter from former Board of Education member Steve Grandin to school officials regarding concerns about the cross-country teams training out of season was also included in the SAFE complaint.
Ann Marie Pendergast, a parent of a former girls varsity soccer player, described the girls soccer program as a “demoralizing and unhealthy culture” in a letter from July. She also wrote letters in 2015 and 2016 to district officials regarding Dannehy, which were included in the SAFE letter.
The letter was addressed to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa, Chancellor Lester Young, and NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas.
A statement provided by the district states that, “The Saratoga Springs City School District cares about each and every student. We take any matters of alleged abuse or bullying very seriously.”
“The district was notified of a letter sent to New York State officials that contains allegations concerning some of the district’s athletic programs late on October 4,” the district’s statement continues. “The letter was not sent to the district directly. While the allegations in the letter are very concerning, any allegations that the district ignored or did not address the complaints referenced in this letter are completely false. We are not able to comment on any individual personnel or student matters included in the letter.”
“As a district, our goal is to provide a positive experience for all our student-athletes, on and off the playing field. We appreciate the dedicated efforts of our professional coaching staff and the ongoing support of our families and school community. We will continue to review the allegations with the goal of providing a more detailed response at an appropriate time.”
The Schuylerville varsity girls soccer team beat Scotia-Glenville 3-2 in overtime on Sept. 30 during their annual ‘Kickin’ Out Cancer’ fundraiser (Photo by Kent Wian).
SCHUYLERVILLE — The Schuylerville varsity boys and girls’ soccer teams each picked up victories in their annual ‘Kickin’ Out Cancer’ fundraiser, with this year’s event held in honor of longtime teacher Dave Mehan.
The Schuylerville girls’ team defeated Scotia-Glenville 3-2 in overtime on Sept. 30, while the Black Horses’ boys team beat South Glens Falls 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Proceeds raised at the games will be donated to the Schuylerville Elementary School Kindness Closet, which the district previously stated would be established in memory of Mehan, who died of cancer in August.
“Dave was such a great part of this community,” said Schuylerville boys head coach David Gauci. “He was an awesome guy. He was part of the soccer program, coaching. It was emotional for a lot of us … Dave would’ve loved it.”
At halftime of the boys’ game, the Schuylerville teams, along with fellow students, district staff, and community members participated in a ‘glowstick walk’ around the track in Mehan’s memory.
The Schuylerville girls team was powered by a hat trick by Anna Armstrong, who scored twice in regulation before netting the game-winner in overtime. Riley Keefer and Peyton DeLisle added assists for the Black Horses.
The lone goal in the Schuylerville boys’ victory was scored by Trevor French, off an assist by Corey Cottrell. Griffin Brophy made six saves in goal to preserve the win.
Tuesday was also the Black Horses’ senior night, honoring eight senior players: Parker Bendon, Griffin Brophy, Corey Cottrell, Trevor French, Sean Klingebiel, Austin Mosher, Alvaro Perez, and Brenden Steinberg.
Gauci said it was “a great win,” adding that it was meaningful to see the community support.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The CJD Foundation is hosting its annual walk to fundraise and bring awareness to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and other prion diseases. This year’s walk is on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Veterans Memorial Park on 10 Adams Rd in Saratoga Springs.
Registration begins at 10 a.m., with the walk around the track beginning at 11 a.m. There will be refreshments, a photo booth, an interactive fire truck, Santa Claus, children’s activities and supportive people to share CJD experiences with.
Each registrant receives five raffle tickets for an opportunity for many prizes, including sports and cultural events tickets and signed photos by well-known athletes. Participants are encouraged to bring framed photos of your loved ones lost to this disease, which has no treatment currently available, a press release states.
The CJD Foundation provides support to affected families, provides funds for research and medical community education, and hosts an annual conference bringing together doctors and researchers annually to hopefully one day have a treatment and cure for this disease.
For more information go to www.CJDFoundation.org or call 800-659-1991. Registration can be done the day of the event. To register online or donate to this cause, go to www.strides4cjd.com and click on the Saratoga Event.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Registration is going on now for the Saratoga Springs Recreation Department’s winter programs, including programs such as basketball, boxing, curling, ice skating and figure skating lessons, and volleyball.
Visit www.saratogarec.com and click Programs for complete information and a registration link. Contact the Recreation Department at 518-587-3550 x2300 or recreservations@saratoga-springs.org with questions.
Drop-In Sessions at the Saratoga Springs Rec. Center
The Saratoga Springs Recreation Center at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue is currently offering Open Adult (17+) Basketball, Open Gym, and Pickleball sessions. A Drop-In Rec Card is required in order to participate. Visit www.SaratogaRec.com, and click the basketball for the schedule, information, and to sign up for a Drop-In Rec Card.
Drop-In Sessions at the Saratoga Springs Ice Rink
Family Skate, Open Public, Family and Open Stick, Open Adult (17+ and 40+), and Open Figure sessions are offered. A Drop-In Rec Card is required in order to participate in all sessions except Family Skate and Open Public (City residents receive a discount upon sign-up).
Visit www.saratogarec.com, and click the ice skate for the schedule, information, and to sign up for a Drop-In Rec Card.
Get Fit at the Saratoga Springs Rec. Department
The Scott T. Johnson Recreation Center offers exercise equipment including a treadmill, rowing machine, free weights, and more. Participants must sign up for a Drop-In Rec Card prior to their first visit. Visit www.saratogarec.com and click Programs, Rec Center, Drop-In Sessions for complete information.
Racquetball Rentals at the Saratoga Springs Rec. Center
Reservations for court times can be made through Community Pass. Fees are $5 for City residents with a verified Community Pass account and $8 for all others. Reservations and fees are per person/per hour. Participants must sign up for a Drop-In Rec Card prior to their first visit.
Participants must bring their own racquet, racquetballs, and appropriate footwear.
Visit www.saratogarec.com and click Programs, Rec Center Drop-in Sessions for additional information and to reserve a court.
QUEENSBURY —The Queensbury Walk to End Alzheimer’s returns on Oct. 14, offering a chance for community members to come together, raising money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association.
The event is meaningful to many, but especially to families such as the Davies.
Chris Davies, Jr. was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2019. Joan Davies, his mother, was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2022. While they are aware of the disease’s progression, the family is remaining positive, and said they are trying to take advantage of each day.
“Well, the one thing I generally talk about with people is that I’m not in pain, I’m not physically limited in any way. It’s just frustrating from time to time,” Chris Jr. said. “I’m not blind to what’s going to happen eventually. But if I walk into a room and can’t remember what I was getting, it doesn’t bother me.”
“But, you know, it’s always kind of somewhere there in the back of your mind, how long am I going to be at this level, or he’s going to be at his level?” said Joan Davies. “And we know that there are probably going to be changes that aren’t for the better.”
Cheri Davies, Chris Jr.’s wife, works as a licensed clinical social worker, and said they received a care consultation with the Alzheimer’s Association after Chris Jr.’s diagnosis. Because of their experience, she was quickly prepared after Joan was diagnosed.
“When Joan got her diagnosis, I think within a week, Cheri came to the house with a big bag with her folders, and a notebook, and a list of things to do,” Chris Davies Sr. said.
Joan and Chris Sr. also took advantage of the Association’s services, attending a series of meetings for patients and caregivers.
“And that was very helpful, to see whoever the speaker was, whether it was on legal issues, support issues, or neurology issues,” said Chris Sr. “And then to sit with the other caregivers and be able to honestly discuss what we’re seeing with our patient, our loved one, and how it’s affecting us.”
Joan added that it has been “eye-opening” to realize how many people the disease affects, and said it is meaningful to have the support of the Alzheimer’s Association and other groups. Cheri pointed out that social connections can be crucial for people with Alzheimer’s.
“In Chris’ case, he is doing much better for going into year five than he really should be,” Cheri said. “And so much of that is attributed to social connections, keeping active, good diet, physically active, those kinds of things.”
In addition to his family, Chris Jr. also has a strong support system in the Hudson Valley region, where he worked as a police officer. In 2022, Chris Jr. and Cheri attended the Poughkeepsie Walk to End Alzheimer’s, saying a group of nearly 50 people participated with Chris’ walk team, ‘Chris 287.’
Chris Sr. said the family is looking to “take every day,” a message he said was passed along at one of the meetings.
“Enjoy every day, find something positive, and just hold onto that,” Chris Sr. said. “And then the next day, do the same thing.”
The Queensbury Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held at SUNY Adirondack, with registration opening at 9 a.m., according to the Alzheimer’s Association website. Registration for the Walk is free, although participants are encouraged to fundraise.
The Queensbury walk has a fundraising goal of $195,000, according to the event website. Kym Hance, a member of the Walk’s Executive Leadership Committee, said funds support free services provided by the Alzheimer’s Association regionally, including care consultations, support groups, and educational programs, services that families such as the Davies have been able to take advantage of at no cost.
The event also holds strong meaning to the Shimkus family. Todd Shimkus, a member of the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeast New York Board of Directors and the president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, said he first attended the Walk in 2018 in support of his mother, Amy Shimkus, who died of Alzheimer’s in 2022.
Shimkus said that for his mother and the rest of the family, the Walk was “a way to fight.”
“It was a way to end this miserable disease. She felt like she was doing something that would help, hopefully, stop this disease from ever harming people in the future,” said Shimkus. “There was little else she could control, but she could walk, and she could raise money. And that’s what she did. And that’s what we continue to do today.”
Shimkus and his sister, Tracy, formed the ‘Amy’s Army’ team, which walks and fundraises each year in both Queensbury and Reston, Virginia. Between the two locations, they raised around $17,000 last year, Shimkus said, and hope to reach $20,000 this year. Shimkus also published a book in March, ‘I’m Not Ready For This,’ and said he is donating all of its proceeds to the ‘Amy’s Army’ walk team.
“It is the story of what I went through with my mom with Alzheimer’s, particularly during COVID, as well as my role in the community as the President of the Chamber,” Shimkus said. “So it’s what I learned about Alzheimer’s, being a caregiver, being a community leader, and resilience.”
Hance noted the theme for this year’s Walk is ‘Fighting for a Different Future,’ one where an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is not necessarily terminal.
“That’s what we’re really fighting for,” said Hance. “We’re fighting for that cure, we’re fighting for those medications that really can help people hold on much longer than they would have, even a year ago.”
Hance also noted that numerous sponsors will have tables set up prior to the Walk with information on resources and services for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, as well as caretakers, friends, and families.
“It’s nice to have somebody kind of guiding you along and know that you can reach out for help to quite a few different people or organizations,” said Joan Davies.
“Really, again, it’s just about connecting,” Hance said. “That’s one of the things that I love most about (the) walk.”
HALFMOON —The Saratoga Springs varsity girls golf team has started clicking at the right time, as the Blue Streaks captured the team title at the 2023 Suburban Council Tournament on Sept. 26, held at the Fairways of Halfmoon.
“We stuck together, we definitely held each other up,” said sophomore Sophia Jackson. “In the end, we came out on top, and we’re pretty happy about it.”
Jackson paced the Blue Streaks, shooting 42 to finish third overall individually. Lira Bonitatibus shot 46, Paeton Koshgarian shot 49, and Emily Landau shot 53 for Saratoga. The team’s combined score of 190 was enough to hold off second-place Guilderland (194 points), while Colonie and Shaker (202 points each) tied for third.
“I was just trying to put up a good score, so I could contribute to the team the best that I could,” said Landau, who won the Suburban Council individual championship last year. “I just tried to have fun when I was playing, just because I know I can put up a better score if I’m having fun.”
It is the second consecutive Suburban Council championship for the Saratoga girls’ team, but this year’s victory comes after a regular season that saw the Blue Streaks drop several close matches.
“If you look at the scores throughout the entire season, the Suburban Council girls’ golf has become incredibly competitive,” said head coach Karen Cavotta. “On the bus that morning, I talked to them about that again, and said, ‘Listen, we have just as much opportunity as anyone else. We might not have the record that a couple of the other teams had, but we have the scores, we have the ability.’”
Saratoga will send five golfers to sectionals this year, with the four who represented the Blue Streaks at the Suburban Council Tournament set to attend, along with ninth-grader Lily Collier.
Cavotta said the team is “a great group,” noting that they are supportive of each other, and that the team has bought into something Cavotta said she often tells her golfers, “‘If it’s not your best day, make it the best day you can give us.’”
“It helps that they really support each other,” she added. “They really do. They always want everyone to have their best day.”
The Blue Streaks finished their regular season on Wednesday against Columbia, and now prepare for the Section 2 Tournament. Saratoga finished second in the 2022 sectional tournament to Albany Academy.
Cavotta and Bonitatibus noted the sectional tournament will be a challenge, consisting of 18 holes compared to the Suburban Council Tournament’s nine holes.
“The big thing I said to them was that we’ve shown, throughout the year, our continued improvement,” said Cavotta. “I think people are looking at us a little bit more than they were halfway through the season. I think they’ve gained confidence, I think they feel pretty good about themselves.”
Bonitatibus said the victory at Suburbans is a “confidence-booster” ahead of sectionals.
“It showed us that we were able to do it, all of us,” Bonitatibus said. “So it just gave us a lot of confidence that we could continue to do well.”
“We didn’t have our best season, so I think this win really uplifted us, and gave us a bit more hope for how sectionals might go,” Koshgarian added.
Saratoga Springs quarterback Jack Rigabar (10) handles a snap with Ian Burnett (13) in the backfield during the Blue Streaks’ 56-0 win over Schenectady on Friday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity football team picked up a big win on Friday, celebrating its homecoming night with a 56-0 win over Schenectady.
Jack Rigabar threw three touchdown passes, and Rodell Evans ran for three touchdowns on the ground as the Blue Streaks cruised to their third victory of the season.
Saratoga took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 39-yard touchdown run by Christian Mello and extended the lead to 14-0 on a three-yard run by Evans. A 22-yard pass from Rigabar to Tucker Zeh extended the lead to 21-0, and Rigabar, then found Brady Mills for a six-yard score to make it 28-0. Evans’ second touchdown run gave the Blue Streaks a 35-0 lead entering halftime.
Evans ran in his third touchdown of the game, this one from 12 yards out, in the third quarter to extend the lead to 42-0. Saratoga added another third-quarter score when Rigabar found Zeh for an 18-yard TD pass. David Newell scored the Blue Streaks’ final touchdown on an 18-yard run in the fourth, sending the game to its final score of 56-0.
Rigabar was 19 of 24 passing for 241 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Evans had 85 yards rushing and three TDs on 11 carries, while Newell had 56 yards and a score on seven carries. Mello added a 39-yard TD run and caught seven passes for 105 yards.
Zeh had 58 yards receiving and two TDs on five catches, with Mills adding 55 yards and a touchdown on three catches. Caleb Casey caught two passes for 14 yards, with Josh Simon catching two passes for nine yards, according to stats posted by the team on Hudl.
With the win, Saratoga improves to 3-2 overall (2-1 in Suburban Council Class AA). The Blue Streaks will travel to face Shaker (3-2 overall, 1-2 Suburban) on Friday.
