Merrimack's Luca Kabel, right, shows his appreciation for having Ukraine native Danyil Kovryzhenko as a teammate. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Danyil Kovryzhenko remembered stepping outside from his home in the Ukraine nearly two years ago and seeing two Russian tanks.

“There was a giant fuse,” he said, probably 500 meters and then there were two tanks driving. It was fine.”

He just froze and waited. He was 14 then, but will turn 16 midway through next month, and is now a standout soccer player for the Merrimack High School boys soccer team. A long way from the turmoil, that’s for sure, as his life has completely changed.

“Honestly, when you see it, you just don’t think about it,” he said. “You just think about survival.

“You don’t think how terrifying it is.”

Kovryzhenko has been the the U.S.for the last year and a half, Merrimack was the spot because his aunt – his Mom’s sister – was already there. “She invited us,” he said.

How difficult was it to get out of the country? Not hard, as they went to the western part of the country to make the arrangements, the capitol city of Kyiv. Most of the fighting at the time was in the eastern part. “We were in a different part of the country,” he said, “so we were fine.”

His older brother, who is 30, stayed behind in the Ukraine, with his own family.Kovryzhenko said his brother helps the military, although he’s not a soldier, getting the soldiers food and supplies. He said he talks to him once a month, but wi-fi and computer use is limited there.

Kovryzhenko’s transition to the U.S. hasn’t been too difficult. He studied English while in elementary school in the Ukraine, so he’s able to fully communicate with everyone here.

But the cultural differences certainly were there.

“It was hard for me to make friends,” he said. “Just the culture. But through soccer, I met a lot of good friends.”

Kovryzhenko says he plans on going back at some point to the Ukraine to see his friends, but he plans on living in the U.S., going to school at Merrimack and then go to college.

His teammate Luca Kabel, is always amazed when he hears the stories.

“We’re so thankful to have him,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable. I couldn’t imagine going through what he has, and he’s such a nice kid. You wouldn’t think he comes from that, and he does. He’s an amazing person.”

What’s the thing Kovryzhenko loves the most about the U.S.?

“Freedom,” he wasted no time in saying. “You can say whatever you want. I’ve never seen a corruption here, as in Eastern Europe. People here are so open; I just came to the first (soccer) practice and people came up to me and said,’ What’s your name, how are you doing, and so forth”. They’re really awesome.”

Meanwhile, one of the things Kovryzhenko noticed about the U.S.is the abundance of one particular thing.

“There’s a lot of fast food here,” he said with a grin.

When he first came here, he was a bit homesick, he admitted. But it’s a small price to pay in his mind to be safe.

“I missed a lot of my friends, and some of them have died,” Kovryzhenko said. “I just can’t be in a country where there’s war.”

GINGRAS NAMED AD OF THE YEAR

Nashua Athletic Director Lisa Gingras – her formal title is Directo of Athletics and Wellness – was honored by not one but two organizations recently.

Gingras was named not only the NHIAA’s Athletic Director of the Year for the 2022-23 school year, she was also the New Hampshire Awardee of Merit, one given to an athletic director in each state by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator’s Association. One is given to an AD in each state annually.

Gingras is in her 11th year on the job in Nashua – her first AD position – and she’s in charge of the entire district’s athletics program, more than 120 teams and 1,000 student athletes.

A big feather in her cap this past year in the eyes of the NHIAA was the fact that Nashua South was received a runnerup banner in Sportsmanship in Division I.

Gingras during her time in Nashua has made two big changes, one being the Battle of the Bridge competition in all three seasons between Nashua High Schools North and South, plus the resurrection of the Nashua Athletics Hall of Fame, which had its second induction this past spring – first in-person – since being revived with a virtual induction in May of 2021.

GOLF TOURNEYS THIS WEEK

Eight teams qualify for the state golf tournaments in each of the four Divisions, and they take place this coming week. Division I will be held at Canterbury Woods on Tuesday, while Division II heads to Breakfast Hill the same day.

On Thursday, Division III will be held at Sagamore Hampton, while Division IV is at North Conway CC.

Now, locally, here’s what it looks like:

In Division I, as of this writing, Nashua North was aiming to grab the eighth and final team spot, in a race with Bishop Guertin as the only locals realistically alive. Concord (22-1 at midweek) and Bedford (21-4) the favorites for sure.

In Division II, no locals will make it. The team with the most wins at mid-week was Alvirne with eight (8-20). Windham has been dominant (28-0).

The best local team? The same as last year, Souhegan, in Division III. The Sabers were, at last look, a scintillating 24-0 and are certainly the favorites to repeat.

In Division IV, Campbell was 14-8 fighting for the last spot, two up in the loss column over 14-10 Fall Mountain with a few days to play.

Now remember,those schools that didn’t qualify for the team tourney will still send two players to the event because that day is also the first day of the individual tourney, with a certain number qualifying for the second day which will be next Saturday, Oct. 14 at Beaver Meadow in Concord. Bishop Guertin’s Maria Tribou is already qualified for the girls tourney, finishing tied for fifth in the qualifier last weekend at Campbell’s Scottish Highlands in Salem. North’s Taylor Barry just missed out, finishing sixth.

FIELD HOCKEY’S FINAL WEEK

Coming up is the final week of the high school field hockey season, and locally, the tourney teams will be few and far between – but still the usual suspects: Bishop Guertin and Souhegan, as well Hollis Brookline. The Sabers fell to rival John Stark this past week while HB saw its 10-game winning streak come to an end vs. Oyster River.

In Division I it’s only red-hot BG; the Cards are 11-2, winners of nine straight, and fighting to secure a top four finish which would give them home field for the quarterfinals.

Guertin is led by Taylor Guibord, who sets an example with her play.

“She’s just a great player and she’s gritty,” Cards coach Dakota Bilodeau said. “You have everybody defend her, and she doesn’t care if it’s one girl, two girls, three girls on her. She’ll find a way.

“She’s just that kid, you know.”

The Cardinals’ engine, so to speak.

“She is,” Bilodeau said. “We have a lot of engines, but she is the heart and soul sometimes. She’s a leader on and off the field. She may not be the loudest kid, But she’s that kid who brings the intensity each and every single day.”

And it spreads to the rest of the team. “Absolutely,” Bilodeau said.

Meanehile, the Cavs as of this writing had won nine in row after losing to last year’s finalists, John Stark, and then Souhegan in overtime..

The Sabers lost a rematch with Stark this past week; it will be interesting to see if Souhegan and HB make the Final Four for the second straight year.

SOCCER HAS TWO WEEKS

There are two weeks left in the boys and girls soccer seasons, and the way it looks now, it will be a busy, busy tournament season.

In boys Division I, two-time defending champion Nashua South, with just two losses, got a huge win Friday night over Bedford. While Hanover is atop the division, there are other contenders. The Panthers have played a ton of close games.

“I keep saying, we can beat anybody,” coach Tom Bellen said. “And we can also lose to anybody.”

The two Hollis Brookline teams suffered heartbreaking semifinal losses last year, but have their eyes set on getting back to that round. The HB girls have a head start with an unbeaten record (11-0). Meanwhile, in Division I girls, Bishop Guertin is by far the best local team at 12-1. BG is in a three-way tie atop Division I, and will close out the season in two weeks with its usual tough test: at Hanover and then at home on Oct. 19 vs. Bedford. Their only loss was to nemesis and fellow top team Timberlane.

“We’re doing well, coming together,” Cards coach Winston Haughton said. “We try to find lessons in every performance, and certainly when you lose you find the most lessons. Since then we’re just trying to keep ourselves on our toes.”