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Bright future for Bishop Guertin’s Fischer

By Hector Longo - Staff Writer | Nov 5, 2019

Bad things come in threes, right? Well, this morning we choose to take the glass half-full approach and salute three of the great ones from the region, who have made news recently.

The first is Bishop Guertin senior Caroline Fischer, last seen tuning up for this weekend’s New England Cross Country Championships by destroying the field at the New Hampshire Meet of Champions Saturday at Nashua South.

This is one of the most uniquely humble athletes I’ve ever come across in nearly 30 years of following high school sports.

Perhaps, it is because of all the physical battles she’s fought, most recently lyme disease in the last year, and won.

Fischer’s recently-announced commitment to Providence College is incredible news, and she is clearly stoked about it.

“I’m so excited to be a Friar next year. I took my visit and I knew right away,” said Fischer.

“I went, and it was really the coaching staff and the team that won me over. Obviously, Providence is a great school. It is an awesome city. I don’t think you actually realize it until you visit and spend some time there.”

Saturday, she looked like a machine on the Mine Falls Park course. It was impressive to the end.

“My mom and my doctors have have worked really closely to get me better,” said Fischer. “We’re in the home stretch now.”

Here’s to more good health and amazing results through Fischer’s senior year in all three seasons.

Next up, we have to throw a shout out to Becky Balfour at Hollis Brookline, who certainly deserves it after her Cavaliers’ incomparable run of four straight state titles came to an end in the Division I quarterfinals on Saturday night.

The win streak ends at 72 matches, but Balfour’s distinction as one of the state’s legendary coaches (in any sport) and a top quality individual certainly does not.

So typical, the postgame email to The Telegraph, with stats an info, was prompt, cordial and, of course, classy.

Here’s to starting another win streak.

Rounding out the tremendous trio is Litchfield’s Steve Graveline, a Nashua High wrestling standout from the 1980s.

Back in October, Graveline was inducted into the WPI Athletic Hall of Fame.

A four-time all-region selection and a New England champion for the Engineers in 1987.

“Steve was one of the most team-oriented wrestlers, always working to pull everyone together for team unity and focus,” says his coach Phil Grebinar. “Wrestling at 190, Steve was one of our closers, wrestling at the end of a meet to successfully ensure a team victory.”

An electrical engineer, Graveline and his wife Peg have three children — Jonathan, Elizabeth, and Matthew.

Congrats.

SWITCHING GEARS

After watching first-hand, the new, eight-second shootout that has been introduced in field hockey, I have to give it my Longo seal of approval.

After seeing Derryfield and Souhegan deliver 80 scoreless, terrifying minutes, it was a heck of a lot more fitting than the frustration of penalty corners.

Player vs. goalie for eight seconds – times five for each team.

Soccer used to have a similar method, but that, like the more traditional penalty kicks, did not give the goalie much of a chance.

Penalty strokes are not an answer. That’s pretty much the same as a penalty kick.

Having a girl start at the 25-yard line and allowing the goalie to do whatever it takes to make the stop is a near-perfect solution.

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