Welcome, July.

You’ve got to be better than April, May and June, right?

You’re the only month out of the year that doesn’t have an NHIAA sanctioned high school event or organized full high school team practice.

Yet you’re the best month out of the year in terms of weather. And as far as sports go, you still have plenty to offer.

Here’s a few things we look forward to you

bringing:

NASHUA

SILVER KNIGHTS

Attendance has been tough, thanks to a horrible schedule with a lot of weeknight games, terrible weather, and all the offseason changes that caused a late start to everything.

But this is their month. The month of July is when they can boost their attendance and their record. It looks right now as if Westfield will be the odd team out of the playoffs, so now Nashua is playing for a potential home game. Their fans haven’t had one since that glorious night in August when more than 2,000 saw them win their last FCBL title back in 2017.

The month at home begins with a doubleheader vs. Worcester July 3 (they face the Bravehearts three times in 24 hours) and ends with a Camp Day matinee on Wednesday, July 31 vs. Brockton.

The Knights hope to still be playing that following week in the FCBL

playoffs.

“This is a talented team,” Nashua manager B.J. Neverett said the other day. “We’re sitting here at 12-11, and a game-and-a-half out of first place.

“I still think there’s enough here to make a run. The league is completely up in the air. I don’t think anybody’s going to run away with anything. I’d like to get a home game that first round.”

NASHUA EAGLES SOCCER

You’ll have to head to Manchester Memorial High School’s Clem Lemire Complex to see Nashua’s highest level of soccer, the Eagles of the International Soccer Club of Nashua, a United Premire Soccer League (UPSL) run by former Nashua South coach Jared Barbosa.

They will be at Memorial for the remainder of their schedule, which are Saturdays July 6, 13, 20 and August 3, all at 2 p.m.

Year Two is a tred water team for this franchise which has a long way to go, not its fault entirely as the construction at Rivier University is forcing the temporary move to Manchester. Last summer the Eagles performed in front of a couple of packed late afternoon crowds at Raider Field and the soccer was spectacular.

It was just one game, but Saturday’s 0-0 tie with the Astroria Knights showed that the talent level may be down in the league a bit this season. The Eagles appear younger, and so did the competition. The team also should have foreseen Rivier’s issues and months ago tried to find a venue closer to Nashua so the local soccer community could take it in. But, as they say, for this year, it is what it is. Still better soccer than we’re used to seeing.

STATE AM GOLF

Welcome to Portsmouth Country Club in Greenland to the state’s biggest golf event of the season, as a crowded field from July 8-13 will try to unseat defending champion Matt Paradis of Concord Country Club. Weather, wind, etc. could be a big factor in this one. The NHIAA Division I tourney was at Portsmouth a couple of years ago and wind was a huge factor as the scores plummeted.

NASCAR RETURNS

The NASCAR circuit makes its annual stop – down to one now – at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon the weekend of July 19-21, with the big race, the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 that Sunday the 21st. It’s still a major event, will draw an incredible number of fans, but has NASCAR lost its popularity over the years? It seems it’s searching for another driver to become a big name and turn into the next legend. Just a thought.

SENIOR AMERICAN LEGION TOURNAMENT

It returns to Holman Stadium after a couple of years at Gill Stadium. Actually the event was supposed to be in Nashua last summer but there was a mixup on the dates. But beginning Friday, July 26 through Tuesday, July 30 the top eight Senior teams will compete for the title, and Nashua Post #124 certainly looks like it will be one of them, and it would be great if Merrimack Post #98 can get there too, after making the finals last year. The goal will be to unseat two-time defending champion Rochester, but it’s a tough event with arms dangling by the end. It starts at 11 a.m.on the 26th with the title bout on the 30th at 4:30 p.m. (and 7 p.m. if necessary).

PATRIOTS TRAINING CAMP

Ah, it all begins again on July 25 at the fields out behind Gillette Stadium, as the countdown begins to the defending Super Bowl champions opener on Sunday Night, Sept. 8 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. The questions in camp will be about who takes over the tight end positionin the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, and who else will be catching Tom Brady’s tosses besides documentary star Julian Edelman. Football will be back, and for many, all will be right with the world.

These are just a few of the month’s highlights, and of course there will be local youth baseball tournaments galore as well.

July is here, and let all sports roads lead to the beach.

Tom King may be reached at 594-1251, @Telegraph_TomK or tking@nashuatelegraph.com.

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