The Bishop Guertin boys soccer team celebrates its 1-0 win over city rival Nashua South in the Division I championship game in Manchester. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

What a year it’s been in local sports. It always is, isn’t it?

There’s still a couple of days left in it, but we’re choosing this week to give you our very subjective thoughts on what were the Top 10 Local Sports Stories of calendar year 2025. A couple are related to 2024, but not too many. But you see, it’s never a dull moment around this are for sure.

Let’s give you one scribe’s top 10

NO. 1: BISHOP GUERTIN’S 1-0 BOYS SOCCER TITLE WIN OVER NASHUA SOUTH

This isn’t all about just one team, it’s about two of the best boys high school soccer teams we’ve seen, and a game for the ages that reminded all of the old Nashua-BG soccer rivalry of the 1980s and ’90s. When Nick Chartier put a rebound into the back of the net on a bang-bang play nearly 10 minutes into the second overtime, it gave the Cards their first title since 2004, but also ended an epic event that was packed at Manchester Memorial High School. Saves. Defensive plays. And one late rush by BG’s Ryan Neary that resulted in a goal, little while after BG keeper Beau Boughter robbed South’s Steve Long with a high reaching fingertip save. It was a game you didn’t want anyone to lose, but also glad it didn’t go to penalty kicks.

NO.2: NASHUA MAKES HOCKEY HISTORY

This is all about the co-op merging of Nashua North and South boys teams, and a girls tri-op created between girls players from North and South merging with the existing Souhegan High School squad. It made history as it was the first time Nashua girls could play public school hockey on a girls team – previously they had to play on the boys team. And the Storm’s debut a couple of weeks ago was an event recognized and cherished by many. It turns out to be a saving move because the roster is pretty much split down the middle between the Nashua and Souhegan girls. Neither could have gone it alone.

As for the boys, the move meant the end of the North-Souhegan and South-Pelham co-ops, mainly because those non-Nashua schools had very few on those teams. And the debut was the first single Nashua hockey team since the 2003-04 Nashua High team. Pelham is now with Timberlane but Souhegan took the year off, hoping to likely merge with possibly Alvirne-Milford next year? Had they done it this year it would have meant, in the middle of a two-year cycle, the Admirals would have had to play in Division I (no appeals down during a cycle). Stay tuned.

NO. 3: NASHUA SILVER KNIGHTS/FCBL

Well, there’s a lot here. One, the Knights had a year of record attendance. Two, they had a pretty much record collapse, losing 17 of their last 19 after going 21-19 through the first 39 games, and that epic slump included a 10-game losing streak. Kudos to the fans – and the players– who stuck it out. The other half of this was the league’s landing the new franchise in Lowell, which turns out to be a re-brand of the popular Spinners after five years of an empty LeLacheur Park through the summer. But what it’s done is create what will be an interesting and hopefully intense rivalry with the Silver Knights, beginning with the Knights former president, Tim Bawmann, now running the Spinners – again.

Nashua’s Ernie Little loses his helmet after stealing third during a Silver Knights game this past season. An injury to Little helped lead to a tailspin that knocked the Knights out of playoff contention.(Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NO.4: STEVE LANE ERA ENDS AT NORTH, THE KYLE TAVE ERA BEGINS.

One opposing coach has already said he looks over at the Nashua North boys basketball bench and it’s strange not to see longtime Titan coach Steve Lane on the bench. But Lane felt after some 15 years it was time, and given his good golf game, can you blame him? And that refers to the off-season work it takes (summer leagues, etc.) that he knows takes a ton of time if you want to do the job right. Lane is fabulous and he was a great voice and teacher for his players, who always came back to see him and still will. And now, it’s Kyle Tave’s turn as he knows it will take a rebuild and patience with a lot of young players and not a lot of size.

NO. 5: STELLOS STADIUM RE-OPENS

It was the top story in 2024, the closing of the much-needed athletic facility due to unsafe field turf conditions, and the effort made to reverse that and begin the work to put in a new turfed field. The finishing touches were completed in early April, just in time for the start of the lacrosse season for the Nashua North, South and Bishop Guertin boys and girls, give or take a day or two. All the fall sports were able to compete there, and it’s a lot of games – football, field hockey, plus boys and girls soccer. The city and school department did right by the student athletes.

NO. 6: RIVIER’S ATHLETIC YEAR WITH A RECORD, A CHAMPIONSHIP AND NEW AD

There never seems to be a dull moment in Raider World, does there? The fun began in January when Lyric Grumblatt became the school’s all-time leading basketball scorer, for women or men, just a fantastic accomplishment for a beloved player. In March, the women’s ice hockey team lost a heartbreaking four overtime MASCAC title game to Plymouth State, an incredible event. Then in the spring, the men’s lacrosse team, which had been knocking on the GNAC door for years, finally came through for head coach Jay Delanoy. Doing it at Joanne Merrill Field with a 9-7 win over Lasell was even more special, and the Raiders went on to host and win their first ever NCAA tournament game. Fast forward now to June when it was announced that Jonathan Harper, who oversaw a continued big upgrade in athletics after the torch was passed by 40-plus year AD Joanne Merrill, announced he was leaving to take an athletic administration at Saint Anselm College. The Raiders then in July named Anna Maria’s AD Joe Brady as their new athletics head. And then….in the fall the men’s and women’s soccer programs both made the GNAC Finals. So you see why we had to wrap it all together in one item?

NO. 7: MILFORD CHAMPIONSHIPS

There were four for the school year, but three in calendar year 2025, and that would begin with the first of two boys track titles, this one indoors; both were paced by speedster Avery Wilson.

Then it was girls basketball’s turn, as coach Mike Davidson’s girls hoop team was doing what you need to do to win a championship: play your best basketball come tourney time. They handled Oyster River in the title game for the first Milford girls basketball crown since 1979, after beating Derryfield in the semis. It’s a testament to what Davidson did when he had taken over the program a few years earlier when there were barely enough players to field a competitive varsity. Fast forward to June when boys track, again with a limited number (10-12) pulled off the outdoor championship. Amazing.

The Souhegan baseball team celebrates its Division II title last June. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NO. 8 SOUHEGAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Three programs that are always in contention came away with hardware. First, the Saber girls tennis team, a year after losing in the finals, beat rival Portsmouth in a match that came down to doubles to win a hard-fought Division II title in the late May heat. A couple of weeks later The Saber baseball team came out on top beating John Stark 4-3 in the finals a year after getting pummeled by Bow in the Division II title game. The Sabers did not lose a single Division II game, losing only to Division I Concord on an April break trip to Cooperstown. Fabulous season.

Then we move to the fall, in which the Souhegan field hockey team beat Bow in the Division II title game, with sisters scoring, Ori (game tying goal) and Mariellah (game winning) Dart. A lot of work over the years paid off.

NO. 9 BISHOP GUERTIN’S 4 OT TITLE GAME LOSS TO CONCORD

It was historic, simply because of the length of the game.It’s a result that still bugs BG coach Gary Bishop, who was closing in on his 500th career win as the year was winding down. Guertin led 1-0 but Concord tied it with 33 seconds left in regulation and it took three-plus more periods before the Tide won it 1:29 into the fourth OT despite BG goalie Luke Bettencourt’s 64 saves. Despite the outcome, it was a game for the ages, and it aged plenty.

Nashua’s Ernie Little loses his helmet after stealing third during a Silver Knights game this past season. An injury to Little helped lead to a tailspin that knocked the Knights out of playoff contention.(Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NO. 10: CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT ALVIRNE

Karen Bonney spent over 40 years of her adult life serving Alvirne High School, and the Broncos longtime athletic director retired, riding off into the sunset in June. And when one door closes, another one opens, and it opened for former Pelham AD Justin Hufft, who not only became the first new Alvirne AD in over three decades but also took over as the Broncos new football coach after Matt Lee resigned in January to take the Windham job.

HONORABLE MENTION: A very strong one at that, Campbell beating ConVal in penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer.This was the title the Cougars missed out on a year ago, losing to Milford in the finals.

And, of course, the Bishop Guertin boys lacrosse team won another state championship with a 19-5 thrashing of rival Pinkerton, the Cards first under new head coach Brian Cameron. It was BG’s fifth straight.

The Hollis Brookline girls soccer team was one win away from a Division II threepeat and extending its unbeaten streak to 57 games but was beaten 1-0 by Bow in the title game.

The Nashua North field hockey team ended a winless streak of 121 games with the program’s first win since 2017; two players at North who won a lot, Titan twins Allison and Sarah Frye, dominated local and Division I girls soccer; and last February, Bishop Guertin beat rival Pinkerton to capture a stunning NHIAA gymnastics state championship. And Souhegan football was upset by Trinity in the Division II state title game, 31-21, foiling the Sabers’ bid at an unbeaten season and second straight title. And sadly, the year also had the passing of former longtime Nashua Athletic Director Al Harrington.