The weekend is about Decathletes, Eagles soccer, or Hockey All-Stars
Nashua North's Isabella Di Vernieri, left, finished third in last year's Heptathlon behind winner Plymouth Regional's Katherine Luehrs, right, but the North graduated senior should be one of the favorites in this weekend's even. (Telegraph file phot by TOM KING)
The high school tournament season has concluded, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a busy weekend in local sports for school and non-school events.
First, on Saturday and Sunday, the 66 annual high school Decathlon and 46th Heptathlon will be held the renovated Nashua South Fran Tate Track, returning to its home for the first time since 2019. Also today at 6 p.m., in non high school action, the Eagles of the International Soccer Club of Nashua will be in their first playoff game in four years when the take on GSZ FC in a UPSL quarterfinal in Bridgeport,Conn.
Sunday, for your pre-summer cooler, the fourth annual New Hampshire Girls High School Hockey Invitational All-Star Games will be held at 5 and 7:30 p.m.at Tri-Town Ice Arena in Hooksett.
Here’s a look:
DECATHLON-HEPTATHLON
It’s unknown what impact the rain expected today will have on the event, but it can’t be a good one, so we’ll see how it impacts the first day of the schedule.
Keep an eye in the Heptathlon on Nashua North’s Isabella Di Vernieri, a just-graduated senior who finished third a year ago as a junior. Unfortunately on the Decathlon side, last year’s local co-champion, graduated senior Jack Sullivan, won’t be competing due to a foot injury. Sullivan missed the entire track postseason with the injury.
The athlete who he shared last year’s title with, Conant’s Ben Sawyer, is competing again this weekend and is likely considered one of the top favorites. Plymouth Regional’s Cole Ahern,fifth a year ago, should be right up there as well.The event begins today, weather permitting, and concludes on Sunday.
EAGLES IN UPSL QUARTERS
The Eagles (5-4-1) will be at Bridgeport’s Kennedy Field to take on GZS FC of Bridgeport, a team Nashua tied there 1-1 during the regular season. In that game, the Eagles had a 1-0 lead before GZS tied it durng added time, the 92nd minute.
Thus, today should be a close battle. The Eagles enjoyed one of their better seasons in making the playoffs for the third time in their brief history. If they win today, depending on other results, they could host a playoff game next weekend, but there would have to be some upsets.
“It feels really great,” Eagles team president Jared Barbosa said. “It’s the culmination of everything – a lot of hard work on the part of the players, coaching staff and management. We’re super excited.”
HOCKEY ALL-STARS
There’s two games at Tri-Town, the freshmen-sophomore game with Team Flanagan vs. Team King at 5 p.m., then the juniors-seniors with Team Mounsey vs. Team Dunn at 7:30 p.m.
The teams are named after New Hampshire Olympians Kali Flanagan, Katie King, Tara Mounsey and Tricia Dunn-Luoma. The athletes have to be New Hampshire residents but could play at prep schools outside the state as well as high schools.
Known locals in the games, first for Team Flanagan: Bishop Guertin’s Riley Goldthwaite , Haley Gagne and Carly Green. For Team King, Nashua area players Kenzley Goode of Cushing Academy, and Victoria Hausberger of Lovell Hockey Academy.
In the later game, for Team Dunn is Alvirne-Milford’s Madelynn Debelis.


