Emily Dawidczyk scored six goals and broke the Oxford scoring record

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

DUDLEY – The last thing you want to do is tell Oxford High School Girls Soccer star Emily Dawidczyk that something is not possible, because with this girl anything seems possible—not just in track and field—but on a soccer field as well.

The senior all-star played nothing less than brilliantly, leading the Pirates to a 6-6 tie against an excellent Shepherd Hill Rams team last Thursday, scoring all six of her team’s goals in one of the greatest individual performances in Oxford High School history.Things did not start off well for the Pirates when sophomore Callie Andrews picked up a red card for an intentional handball on a shot that appeared to be heading into the goal only three minutes into the game.  

The red card ruling resulted in the Pirates being forced to play an already heavily favored Rams team a player down.

The Rams wasted no time in capitalizing and picked up two quick goals by junior Emily Reynolds and senior Amanda Keovongmanysar to take a 2-0 lead and it looked like they were going to roll all over the Pirates.

Dawidczyk was not about to go away that easily, though, and blasted a shot by Rams sophomore goalie Ciara McKissick to make it 2-1. Moments later she tied the game with another score, making a 2-2 game.

Keovongmanysar, who played an excellent game as well, put the Rams up 3-2 on a nifty goal but Dawidczyk then scored four of the next five goals and the Pirates were up 6-4 with less than twenty minutes left and looked like they could be pulling off a huge upset.

However, the Rams refused to quit and goals by co-captain Laura Barton and Reynolds tied the game and they escaped with a 6-6 tie.

For the Pirates and coach Dung Nguyen it was moral victory and afterwards was talking like his team had won. “Playing a man down, down 2-0, these girls played with heart and they pulled it out.  I had a funny feeling before the game started that these girls were going to pull it off today. When we play a more competitive team the girls show up and this team we tied today is a great team.”

“This is unbelievable, I am really proud of our team, they put everything into this win,” said Dawidczyk, who became the all-time goal scorer leader in Oxford High School history with her performance.

“We had a red card early in the game and that’s unfortunate but I think everyone stepped up and we have a lot of heart on our team. Once you get out there, it’s like there is a driving force behind us,” said Dawidczyk.

Shepherd Hill coach Sarah Garneau had never seen a red card called before.  “The referee did say the grass was kind of long and it was iffy if the ball was going to go in but ultimately it was going to and he had to call it.”

Garneau also praised Dawidczyk’s effort. “She is very good. She is hard to stop, she has really long legs, she is very fast, you have to find someone that has the same speed as her, my girls are quick but its hard.”

Rams’ Tina Gauvin, who played well in the loss, also acknowledged Dawidczyk’s effort. “She is an amazing player and I have to give her props. Anyone that can do this should be going D1 and I tried my best, but she is really good”.

It was tough for the Rams to take a tie, but Gauvin knows it was just one game. “It’s just a bump in the road, we just have to get past it and play on.”

Fellow Rams senior star Taylor Daniels said, “I feel like our momentum was a little off today. Usually we get out there and we pass well, but today it was like we were in a slump, we couldn’t shake it off.”

On the school record, Dawidczyk said, “Getting the record means so much to me. I've broken so many track records that it feels great to break a record in the other sport that I love. I think it finally validates me as a good dual-sport athlete.”  

That might be a bit of an understatement, considering Dawidczyk leads Central Mass in scoring and may very well be the best player as well.

The Rams were back in the winning column with a 1-0 victory over Minnechaug behind Meg Dunn's great goaltending and a goal by Freshmen Rachel Schulman on Saturday, giving them an impressive 6-1-3 record on the year.

The 4-5-1 Pirates still have some work to do if they want to make the playoffs.

For more on Shepherd Hill and Oxford girls soccer, check out View From The Sidelines every week in the Patriot and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ViewFromTheSidelines or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your feedback and comments.

By Steev Riccardo

OXFORD – The Oxford Pirates came back from a 23-point deficit to the David Prouty Panthers on Saturday afternoon but their comeback bid fell short and they were beaten in their homecoming 36-28 in front of a large crowd at Oxford High School.

Sophomore quarterback Matt Faucher had an outstanding game in a losing effort for the Pirates, scoring all of the Pirates points including three second-half touchdown runs in a valiant losing effort.

Trailing 29-6 at half time, the Pirates refused to quit and scored 14 unanswered points to make a 29-20 game.

Faucher added a late 4-yard run following a Panthers touchdown but it wasn’t enough for the struggling Pirates.

“A lot of things are starting to click,” said Pirates head coach Mike Adams. “We put a challenge into them at half time and we told them that is not who they are and things started to come together.”

“We put together one great drive on offensive in the first half and we struggled defensively. We had to find our identity and in the second half we really played tough and aggressively.”

The Pirates will take on the Uxbridge Spartans next Saturday afternoon in Uxbridge. “They are a tough team and hopefully we can put together a full game against them instead of a half a game,” said Adams.

Zack Gorczynski (#11) on the run

By Steev Riccardo

Oxford - The Oxford Pirates lost a heartbreaker 12-6 in double overtime on Saturday morning in an inter-league game against the Worcester South Colonials.

The game had an unusual 11 a.m. start time, rescheduled from Friday night as a precautionary measure due to the threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Central Mass. 

The Pirates received the opening kickoff but could only muster one first down highlighted by a Zack Gorczynski 13-yard run.

Liam Pinkett made a nice play and picked off a South pass to give the Pirates the ball back on the Colonials first play from scrimmage, but once again the Pirates were stalled and forced to punt. 

The only other highlight in a quiet defensive first half struggle was a 25-yard run by the Pirates Tyler Barrie.

The two teams went on to play a scoreless second half that resulted in a rare 0-0 tie at the end of regulation.

Both teams scored in the first overtime, forcing a second overtime in which South eventually scored in and held the Pirates on their last possession, leaving town with the win.

Sophomore quarterback Matt Faucher scored the Pirates’ only touchdown. 

The 0-2 Pirates will take on the David Prouty Panthers at home next Saturday afternoon at 2:30 in its homecoming game. 

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Coach Leslie Chambers on the sidelines with her team

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

OXFORD – With a new coach and a young team, the Oxford Pirates split their first two games of the season, beating Southbridge 9-0, after losing to Sutton 5-0 in their opener.

The team is coming off a remarkable 18-0 regular season and are in a rebuilding mode after losing not only the core of their team, which included leading scorer Michelle Williams (28 goals), Linda Troung, Jenna Mandella (17 goals), and ace goalie Lauren Puishys, who only gave up nine goals all year, but also Head Coach Shayna Mandella.

Led by new head Leslie Chambers, the Pirates overcame their opening loss to Sutton in the rain by burying Southbridge 9-0.

The Pirates were led by juniors Ashley Mikkila, who scored three goals, and Angela Grassechi, who added a pair of goals. Goaltender Brea Dell'Aquilla played an excellent game, earning her first shutout in the win.

Senior Captain Megan Stevenson also had a strong game in the win for the Pirates.

Oxford will travel to Grafton on Friday, September 14.

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Matt Faucher tries to get away from Bay Path tacklers

By Steev Riccardo

CHARLTON –  The defending Central Mass Division 6 super bowl champion Bay Path Minutemen used a balanced scoring attack and a stingy defense to defeat the Oxford Pirates 34-7 and spoil the debut of new Pirates head coach Mike Adams.

The Minutemen capitalized on an early Pirates turnover and great field position and ran the ball six consecutive times with senior quarterback Kyle Thibeault’s six-yard touchdown run culminating the drive. Thibeault also ran in the two-point conversion and the Minutemen were up with just less than six minutes in the opening quarter.

The Pirates were held to just three plays on their second possession and once again the Minutemen used a power running game to eat up the clock and grab a 14-0 lead with nine minutes left in the half.

Sophomore quarterback Matt Faucher carried the ball three straight times and the Pirates finally got their first first down of the game but were stopped again by the Minutemen and forced to punt.

On the Pirates next possession Faucher was picked off, but Liam Pickett made a touchdown-saving tackle at the one-yard line. The Minutemen were still able to score on the next play, however, when Thibeault dove in the end zone with only three seconds left in the half to give the Minutemen a solid 21-0 lead.

The Pirates defense came out and forced the Minutemen to punt on their first possession of the third quarter which led to an electrifying 54-yard punt return for a touchdown by Pirates captain Tyler Barrie to cut the lead to 21-7.

On the next Minutemen possession, the Pirates defense came alive and forced Bay Path to punt and were looking at great field position but a roughing- the- punter penalty killed the Pirates’ momentum and gave the Minutemen the ball back.

The Minutemen added a pair of scores in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. 

Josh St. Laurent scored on a four-yard run and Nick Thomas picked Faucher on the ten-yard line and scored the final touchdown of the game.

Adams talked about the roughing- the- punter call afterwards. “It was unfortunate, we wanted to get pressure on the kicker. I didn’t think it was as bad as a 15-yard penalty but they called it and it took a little life out of us. We had the momentum going and we shot ourselves in the foot.”

“We have to work on the little things, our execution has to be on point, it’s not going to all happen at once but we have to get back to what we should be doing,” said Adams, who will now get his team ready for its home opener against Worcester South Friday night.

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Oxford co-captains Gina Manzi, Emily Dawidczyk, and Dominique Lesieur

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

Oxford -  The Oxford High School girls soccer team has seen some hard times the last few seasons, but the climate and attitude seem right for change and this could be the year the team turns things around.

One thing that the Pirates do have going for them is that they have one of the best athletes in Central Mass in all-star co-captain Emily “The Sweet Assassin” Dawidczyk on their team.  The track star, who holds many schools records, is also a superb soccer player who is feared by her opponents.

Alongside Dawidczyk the team has several other seniors who are proven players, ready to win some matches. One of them is co-captain Gina Manzi, who has been playing with Dawidczyk for ten years in school, town leagues, and on a premier team that features many of the areas top players.

Manzi, who was second in scoring last year behind Dawidczyk, and fellow co-captain Dominique Lesieur, along with senior defender Blair Reilly, gives the team plenty of experience and leadership.

They also have a second-year coach who is fired up and ready to bring a winning attitude to the program. “Our program has changed a lot since last year,” said Head Coach Dung Hguyen.

“Our girls are a lot more prepared this year, we are working on a lot of things, their skills, the attitude is positive and they want to be here. They want to play, they want to compete, and I think we are going to do well this year.”

Hguyen feels good about his team leaders and knows he and the team need to rely on them, especially Dawidczyk.

“She is a great kid, a well-rounded athlete, a great student and she is a phenomenal player.  I think she has been playing since she could walk. She has a great attitude. She is a great role model for these girls. Her teammates like her and they want to play with her.”

The chemistry that exists between Dawidczyk and Manzi will also play a key role. “Emily and Gina understand each other, they know how to read each other, they know how to get open,” said Hguyen. “They really work well together. It’s a plus for us; we don’t have many premier players at our high school level compared to most schools”.

“I think the girls know that Emily and I have played together over the years,” said Manzi, “and I think they have seen all the things that we have done together and they want to aspire to that.”

Dawidczyk knows what she and her fellow seniors bring to the table, she also realizes that it’s important to involve the younger girls in the program.

“Last year was all about the team building up skills and by the end of the season we were getting better. Everyone is working hard and a couple of the older players have improved. For us the big thing is the eighth graders coming up.”

With the Oxford junior varsity team being discontinued because of the lack of players, the varsity has twenty players.  Fourteen of them are underclassmen, four of whom are eighth graders.

Pirates senior Blair Reilly

“Since there is no jayvee team we were able to bring up the eighth graders and they have been a really good contribution to the team because they work as hard as anyone,” said Blair Reilly, who is in her third year as a varsity player, and also thinks a youth movement can help the team. “I think we are going to be better this year than we were last because of these contributions.”

Co-captain Lesieur knows that this team has what it takes to be better than last year’s 3-16 team.  “Sometimes it can be a little frustrating playing for a team that has been struggling, but you have to keep your head up, we know that we can only get better. It’s a team effort it’s not about any single player.  You win when everybody plays together and tries harder, everyone needs to play together, it’s a team sport.”

The Pirates will need many contributions to get on the winning track and they will still be relying on Dawidczyk a great deal, but with help on the way, the formula could be a winning one.

“Emily is really good and I know everybody already knows that.  It’s nice to be able to pass to her and know that whatever she is going to do it’s going to go somewhere,” said Reilly.  “It’s hard for her to do everything, she is good but she needs someone else. So it’s nice that we have a lot more offensive players this year to help her out, so I think she is going to like that.”

Pirates sophomore Callie Andrews

One position that is still being worked for the Pirates is the goaltending situation.  Sophomores Callie Andrews and Bethany Keefe are currently in the mix, but Andrews suffered a leg injury, which has slowed her down, but Hguyen likes what he sees in her.

“Callie is a tough kid, this is a girl who never played soccer before until last year. She has natural ability. She is one of strongest players on the team, she is a great player.”

The Pirates will start their season on Thursday, September 6, at Southbridge, return home on Monday, September 10, to host Uxbridge, and have a marquee match-up with Bartlett on Wednesday, September 12, in Webster.

The Bartlett game is an intriguing one for two teams that are ready to turn their programs around and had a fierce contest a year ago in which the Indians escaped with a 3-2 win.  

“We really look forward to playing Bartlett, we feel that we are equally matched teams,” said Manzi.

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Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

2011 Record: 3-8
Key Returning Players: Tyler Barrie, Steven “Tiki” Barber, Alex Ton, Matt Faucher
Head Coach: Mike Adams

OXFORD – It was pretty impressive watching the Oxford-Sutton Pirates and their new head football coach Mike Adams take the field for practice last week; not only were they focused and orderly, but they had numbers, including 35 freshmen.

It’s no secret that the Pirates struggled last year after a good 2010 campaign that earned them a district playoff game, but with a new coach on board and a lot of young players, there is plenty of reason for optimism.

“Everything is going really good so far,” said Adams, “the kids are really picking up on what we expect on the new stuff that we are putting in. Everything overall is going pretty well.”

Although Adams has yet to name captains, which isn’t unusual since he is only a little over a week into the job, he has been able to see what players could play key roles.

Tyler Barrie is a key two-way player

Three players that Adams has singled out for showing great leadership are seniors Tyler Barrie, who had 16 receptions, 340 yards, and 4 touchdowns last year at receiver and was also a key secondary player on defense,  linebacker/tailback Steven “Tiki” Barber, and the rough and rugged Alex Ton, who will play guard on offense and linebacker on defense.

“Tyler Barrie will play a prominent role at receiver and at strong safety for us, Steve Barber is doing real well at tailback and linebacker, and Alex (Ton) has really shown us some grit, he is getting better every day.”

Steven "Tiki" Barber has looked good in practice

Alex Ton gives the Pirates "grit"

Adams also talked about his quarterback situation. “We have a pretty good battle at quarterback between Liam Pinkett and Matt Faucher, they are battling back and forth, both have their own strengths and both have their own weaknesses.”  

Faucher started the last few games for the Pirates at quarterback last year as freshman and, although inexperienced, looked good at times under former coach Jeff Parcells. Faucher is the younger brother of Senior Mike Faucher, who his teammates refer to as “psycho” for his tenacious play.

The players are adjusting well under their new coach. “Coach Adams has been really positive, we are all working together well to have a good season this year. The whole coaching staff is really behind us,” said Ton.

“It’s been really good,” said Barber. “It’s difficult as a senior changing our offense and defense, it’s a work in progress. Coach Adams is a really cool guy, he is very positive.” 

“I like him, he’s a nice guy,” said Barrie, who knows Adams is a fairly young coach and jokingly made light of the situation and said “he looks older cause he has that James Harden beard.”

The Pirates will open Saturday, September 8, at noon against defending super bowl champs the Bay Path Minutemen in Charlton.

Barber especially is looking forward to playing Bay Path in the opener. “I look forward to playing them, they like to talk a lot.  We feel pretty confident about our chances.”

The Pirates could be a surprise team and judging by the way they looked on the practice field, one to keep a close eye on.

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Oxford's head coach Mike Adams

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

Oxford – Taking over a team that was 3-8 last season might seem like a difficult task for a new football coach, but after what Oxford Pirates head coach Mike Adams has already been through, this is nothing.

Adams, 25, took over the Parsippany High School football team in Parsippany, New Jersey, in 2010, when he was just 23, and the team was in the midst of a 31-game losing streak.  He was faced not only with the unenviable task of breaking the streak, but he also had to deal with the pressure of returning home after college to coach his alma-mater as the youngest coach in the state, something he was able to accomplish.

Adams played football and was a wrestler while at Parsippany High School and went on to have a great career as the starting middle linebacker at Springfield College for four years. He also did what he  had set out to do, getting a degree in Physical Education.

“After finishing college with the degree, I tried to find a job in Massachusetts, but it didn’t work out, so I headed back home and “I found an Instructional Aide job at my high school and became an assistant coach on the football team,” said Adams.

“When the head coach left, I had the opportunity to get interviewed and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I went for it and ended up getting the position, which was really good, and I became the head coach.”

The team ended its losing streak and even won a few more games and became competitive. Unfortunately, after getting a full time teaching job and coaching Parsippany for two years, Adams was let go after staffing cuts, and had to find another teaching job. 

“I came across the Oxford job through a friend of mine who is a graduate assistant at Springfield College. I went through the whole interview process and a few weeks later I found out that I got the position as a full time health education teacher and head football coach.” 

It was a win-win situation for both Adams and the school since Oxford head football coach Jeff Parcells had moved on to become the Athletic Director at Sutton High School and the Pirates needed a football coach and had the teaching opening as well. 

Adams couldn’t be happier to be here. “The school is beautiful, the field is in great shape, the staff does a great job in keeping up with the facilities. I am getting a lot of support from the administration, so it’s a great environment to be in.”

The new head coach is using web resources and has been in touch with some of the other coaches in the area to get up to speed with the Southern Worcester County League (SWCL).

The team also added veteran Worcester County coach Ron Sylvestri to the staff as an assistant, someone who Adams says will help a lot since he knows the area.  He has also talked extensively with Parcells “who has filled me in on a lot of things, as have some of the other SWCL coaches.” 

Despite coming off a poor season, the outlook is good as the Pirates expect to have the largest freshmen group that the school has seen in some time.  Between the new kids in Oxford and those coming in from Sutton, they could have as many as 35 new players, and that is a good reason to be optimistic.

“We plan on being competitive,” said Adams, who will implement his own offensive system. With a strong staff in place, which includes Sylvestri and Matt Tyrell, who is also the strength and conditioning coach, everything is falling into the place.

The Pirates will begin full practices on August 20 and open at Bay Path on Saturday, September 8.  They have their work cut for them, with match-ups against powerhouses Auburn, Shepherd Hill, and Northbridge on the horizon.

It’s all just business as usual for Adams, who is no stranger at facing big challenges.

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Text and Photos By Steev Riccardo

Oxford – The State Champion Oxford Junior League baseball team has already accomplished something that has never been done before in the town’s history, and now they have the opportunity to go even further.

Manager Paul Fitzpatrick and his team, made up of 13- and 14-year olds, defeated Tewksbury in two straight games to win the state title on Sunday, July 23, advancing to the Eastern United States regional tournament, which gets under way this weekend in Township, New Jersey.

“The first day we talked about effort and attitude and the energy that you need,” said Fitzpatrick. “We practiced for about a week and we added in a little discipline and the heart that you need to go on and we told them the only way we win is by being a team. It’s not about one individual, it’s about all 12 guys on the team. The majority of the games it has been 12 kids coming together and playing good baseball.”

The Oxford Junior League team, which consists of 12 players, three from each of its four teams, beat Auburn to win its district and then surprised everyone with a win over East Bridgewater, which led them to the best-of-three state championship game in Lowell against Tewksbury.

“It was amazing to be there in Lowell, and to win it the way we won was fabulous,” said Fitzpatrick, who has worked with assistant coaches Tim St. Germain and Burt Desautals to get this team ready for this amazing playoff run.

State Representative Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) stopped by the team’s first practice after winning the state title to congratulate them and to invite them to the State House for pizza and promised them ice cream if they go further in the tournament. 

If Oxford wins the Eastern Regional, they will travel to Michigan to compete for the national championship.

“We are very proud of them,” said Fattman, “and I will do anything I can to help them out. I have my connections in the community and I would like to solicit them and help the team raise some funds and get to Michigan and win this entire thing.”

“This is the favorite part of my job, being younger I kind of remember this very well. It was basketball for me, but its great to see the local team doing well,” said Fattman, who played high school basketball for his alma mater Sutton High School. 

The Little Leaguers have a bye for the first round and will play the winner of New Jersey and Rhode Island on Sunday, August 5.

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Kristen Doldoorian

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

Now that Oxford High School 2006 graduate Kirsten Doldoorian can look back at her great basketball career and achievements, she can do so proudly, but also realize just how far she has come since then.

Doldoorian, who is only one of four girls to ever score over 1000 points at Oxford High School, and is second only to former WNBA/UConn star Carla Berube, recently reflected on her high school career and all the amazing series of things that have happened to her since then.

The former high school and college star, who is currently assistant basketball coach and head cross country coach at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire, has done so much since high school that, like fellow OHS graduate Berube, those accomplishments pale in comparison to what has happened since.

In her junior year at NCAA Division 2 power Franklin Pierce College, she and her teammates made it to the NCAA final game before bowing out in the nationally televised ESPN game. 

“Its pretty cool to come back and see my name up on the wall, but honestly, in comparison to the championship run, it’s nothing to me,” said Doldoorian, “and I would take the experience with my college team over that individual accomplishment any day.”

Doldoorian grew up in Brimfield and came to Oxford High School as a 14-year-old freshman as part of the school choice program to play for her uncle John Doldoorian, Oxford’s current athletic director and one of the school’s most heralded ex-basketball coaches.

She was on the varsity team her freshman year and while still learning the game from the older kids, had a good rookie season, taking into account things she learned as a youngster keeping shot charts for her uncle.

During that time she was also able to watch a former Oxford player, Shalyn Polinski, whom she viewed as a role model. “She was my big inspiration growing up, she was a point guard, and helped me through a lot of basketball things.”

During that freshman campaign, she was a reserve and did get some significant playing time, contributing 200 points as her team won the SWCL and reached the districts.

She had to “step it up” her sophomore year and became the team’s starting shooting guard and leading scorer. It was obvious that she was on her way to making history in an orange and black uniform and the stage was set for her and her team to go to the next level.

“Our junior year was a big year, we made a run and went to the districts and lost in the state semi-finals.”  She was also piling the points and gearing up for a record-breaking senior year.

Although she had that great individual senior year and led the team in scoring and helped the squad win the SWCL and make the districts, they fell short as a team in the playoffs.

Her amazing high school career was over and it left her with two Central Mass All-Star selections and third all-time on the Oxford High School basketball scoring list with 1461 points, behind only Berube (2190), and the great Billy “The Kid” Herrion (1521).  That is some pretty good company.

She also had a coach who worked her hard and prepared her for a college career. “He was very intense, wanted things done the right way.  He was a lot harder on me the minute I stepped in the door here, more than everyone else. More was expected because you are always harder on your family.”

One important decision that she made after her sophomore year was to stop playing soccer for the Pirates, which wasn’t easy since she was the second leading scorer in SWCL. Still, it was something she chose to do to focus on basketball, so she played AAU and the recruiters were already eyeing her.

Once her senior year arrived she had already been through a heavy recruiting process and it was time to decide where she would further her education and play ball.

“I had a lot of choices to make and I chose St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, NH. They offered me a full scholarship to play for Monica Golamaga, who was one of the nicest ladies I knew; she was a genuine person, great coach, and I thought it would be a really good fit for me at the school and it was beautiful there.”

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.  She had two major injuries, a broken disc in her back and a season- ending torn ACL in her freshman year. On top of that, the coach who had recruited her left the college after her freshman season to coach elsewhere.

Despite having what she called a decent freshman year in which she started six or seven games, the injury and the coaching change was suddenly a burden.

“We had a new coach and I struggled a bit, he had a brand new system, plus coming back from the knee injury, it was really hard for me to adjust and fit into what he expected me to do while being a step slower so that is when I started to look to transfer.” 

“I was really unhappy there, between basketball and my life, there had to be a better fit.  Playing time was a big factor and we weren’t winning games.  The coach told me I was a strong offensive weapon and he didn’t know how to fit me into his system and that was the icing on the cake.”

A lot of people may have given up at the point and focused on school and other things but that wasn’t in Doldoorian’s blood, playing basketball was.

“I called every program in the league. I knew I wanted to stay in the Division 2 in the northeast ten conference. It was one of the most competitive in the country for Division 2 and having most of the coaches recruit me out of high school, I figured I might get lucky with something.” 

“I was set to go to AIC, I had visited them, talked to the coach, and then at the last minute Franklin Pierce offered me a scholarship to go there and play so I took that and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Franklin Pierce had just made a run at the national championship. They had a really strong team and were an elite 8 contender the year  before Doldoorian arrived. It was a solid program that was about to get even stronger.

“I knew they were a really strong team and I knew I wanted to fit in and be a role player. I turned my focus to the team rather than be an individual; it was a little bit of an adjustment.”

She became the team’s sixth man and things started to click. Even though it was her third coach and third system in three years, she made in happen.

Her team made it all the way to San Antonio, Texas, and the NCAA Division 2 finals before losing to a much bigger Minnesota state team.

“It turned out being the highest scoring game in Division 2 national championship history. It was heartbreaking loss, we completely believed in ourselves.” Despite the tough loss, she said, “the entire experience was really great and something that I will never forget.”

In her senior year the team made another run before bowing out in the NCAA semi-finals in St. Joseph’s, Missouri, but it was that junior year that she will always remember most.

“It paid off 110% for me, transferring to Franklin Pierce and being part of the final four team. It defined my entire college career for me.” 

Doldoorian had a chance to play overseas but passed and instead focused on working on her career and took her Criminal Justice degree and became a New Hampshire State Trooper.

“After five months I decided it wasn’t for me and it wasn’t what I wanted to do. That is when I decided that I needed to get back to what I loved the most and that was basketball.”

This past season, Daniel Webster College in Manchester, NH, had an opening for an assistant basketball coach and she was hired and also accepted the schools cross-country coaching job.  She has been retained by the school for next season and now has made it her main goal to become a head coach in Division 2 or and assistant coach in Division 1.

As far as her entire experience thus far, she offers this advice to the kids. “School comes first always; you would never want your grades to hold you back.  Secondly, get out there and play and practice and get better and get where you want to be.”

At only 24 years, Kirsten Doldoorian has accomplished a lot, but after talking to her, there is no doubt in this writer’s mind that this is still only the beginning.  She is definitely going places.

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