When the 2010 high school softball season begins, Lyndon Institute will be dealing with a loss in more ways than one.
The 2009 Lyndon Institute team reached the Division II championship game, but came up short against Otter Valley. Then, more than a month after the season ended, Pat Guckin made it known that he wouldn’t be returning as the program’s head coach next year.
Guckin said one of the reasons he was stepping away was to spend more time with his two sons.
“It’s been amazing,” Guckin told the Northeast Sports Network. “I have had some wonderful players and I ran into some great talent and we were able to put together some great streaks.”
Guckin led the Vikings to seven championship games and five state titles. Lyndon Institute won four consecutive championships from 2005 to 2008, and had a 79-game winning streak during that period. The Lyndon Institute program had a 186-22 record during Guckin’s tenure as head coach.
“We were extraordinary for a long period of time,” Guckin said.
Football: Shrine players preparing for camp
Practice for the 56th Annual Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl will begin July 22 at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H.
New Hampshire defeated Vermont 35-0 last summer to extend its winning streak to eight games. New Hampshire leads the overall series 40-13-2. This year’s game will be played at Windsor High School’s Macleay-Royce Field.
It’s the second time the game will be played in Vermont. The first game in Vermont took place in 1967, when it was held at Centennial Field in Burlington. The game is traditionally played at Dartmouth College, but was moved this year because of improvements being made to Dartmouth’s Memorial Field this summer.
Each team will have an intra-squad scrimmage at KUA on July 25. Both scrimmages are open to the public.
Springfield’s Mike Hatt will serve as Vermont’s head coach for this year’s game. Springfield completed an 11-0 season by winning the Division III championship last year.
Franklin’s Greg Husband will coach the New Hampshire team. Husband guided Franklin to the Division VI championship last season.
Boys Soccer: PA coach will return
It appears that Peoples Academy boys soccer coach Marc Newton will return to the program for the 2009 season.
The Morristown School Board voted Wednesday night to rehire Newton as long as he meets the standards that the school’s administration will establish for the 2009 season. Newton’s contract was not renewed by superintendent Tracy Wrend.
According to the Burlington Free Press, Newton received an unsatisfactory evaluation from athletic director Jason Michaelides following the 2009 season. Newton has coached at Peoples Academy, his alma mater, for 18 years. He’s been the program’s varsity coach for the last 11 years, and has guided the Wolves to 140 victories and three Division III state championships.
