Story Written By Quin Peer
NEWPORT - Another Northeast Kingdom tradition is being cancelled due to COVID-19.
LYNDON - COVID-19 has affected many small businesses across the country and one local sports network has felt the ramifications, as they have been doing everything they can to keep the lights on.
NorthEast Sports Network commonly known as NSN have seen the number of their college and highschool games that they would normally cover drop a signifacant amount. Last year around this time, the spring season for college and highschool sports was right around the corner. Ryan McDonald co-founder of NSN started to hear rumors swirling around from the Vermont Principals Association (VPA) that the spring season was going to be entirely cancelled. Having never heard of this ever happening in the past McDonald thought that it wasn't possible for the cancellation of the spring season.
Untiil it did happen, it was a huge amount of business for NSN that McDonald described "evaproated over night". With this loss in business and revenue, McDonald as well as other members of the network had to put their heads together in order to be able to sustain their fulltime employees. Many of the crew that works for NSN are paid on a per game basis, and with the stopage of games it stopped a good percentage of their payroll which benefited the fulltime employees.
NSN averages around 2,000 to 2,500 games and events per year, losing two-thirds of the games over the past year in college games alone. Their highschool coverage has increased an incredible amount because highschool games are still happening as opposed to many colleges cancelling their seasons entirely. Not all bad happened during the stopage of what was described as "a crazy year", McDonald states "COVID to some degree did increase the value of what we do because fans weren't allowed in the stands" with fans not being allowed to physically attend the games, NSN's viewership online soared. Like a good low post player, NSN pivoted to pick up other work such as auto-racing throughout the summer and fall, as well as filming many school commencements. McDonald says NSN has rolled with the COVID punches and done a great job with keeping the lights on.
VERMONT - The Vermont Principles Association says that all winter sports will have some form of playoff season this year. The season began back on February 12th for both Basketball and Hockey, after their 2020 playoff seasons ended abruptly in early March due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
EAST BURKE- Round six of The 2020 Enduro World Series (EWS), is going to be held at Burke Mountain. Marking the first time the International Mountain Biking Series visits the East Coast. Burke however, is no stranger to enduro races though.
Although Burke is a smaller mountain compared to what some of these riders are used to, enduro racer Jordan Zach says that the terrain is just as technical and challenging.
SAINT JOHNSBURY- In a close match the Saint Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute girl's field hockey teams tied 1-1 in yesterday's game.
Read more: Saint Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute Tie the Game
SAINT JOHNSBURY- Saint Johnsbury Academy girls volleyball team won their match against Harwood Union High School on September the 26th.
SAINT JOHNSBURY- On Wednesday night, Lyndon Institute's girls volleyball team won a close match against Saint Johnsbury Academy.
LI held a strong lead, winning the first two sets. However, SJA came back, winning the next two sets, putting the game into its fifth round.
SAINT JOHNSBURY-The Saint Johnsbury Academy girls soccer team bested BFA Saint Albans yesterday evening with a five to nothing win. This puts the Lady Hilltoppers at a 3 and 0 record for the start of the season. The girls have yet to let in a goal in their three games played.
LYNDON- After a long hard fought season and an outcome to the championship that they weren't expecting by losing to Woodstock high school, Coach Chris Meunier spoke out about the season after having some time to reflect.
LYNDON- Eric Berry has been a part of Northeast Kingdom Sports for many years now. Last week he decided to step down as the Head Basketball Coach for Lyndon Institute. He felt it was an appropriate time to step away from coaching.
Berry says some people thought he would step down once his daughter was finished playing for the Lady Vikings, but he wasn't even thinking about that and it's not the case for why he stepped down.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Whether it be a rainy and gloomy Saturday afternoon, or a blue sky and sunny Sunday afternoon, there's one place you'll find sixteen-year-old Reis Towle at. And that's sighting in and shooting his .22 rifle at the Caledonia Forest and Stream Club in St. Johnsbury, VT.
ST. JOHNSBURY- It was a bitter sweet moment to what was a remarkable season for the St. Johnsbruy Academy boys basketball team. The Vermont Basketball Coaches Association announced Thursday their lineups for the annual North versus South All-Star game to be played on Saturday at Windsor High School.
DANVILLE- One win away. One step away. The Danville boys basketball team is on the brink of their second division four state championship in the last four years. The 21-1 tribe will be taking the court at the Barre Auditorium Monday evening, for a chance at basketball supremacy in division four, and to be once again atop the division four landscape.
RUTLAND - In a thrilling finish, the St. Johnsbury Academy Hilltoppers were able to hold off defending champion Hartford Hurricanes to become the Division 1 football champions with a perfect 11-0 season. The penultimate game took place on neutral ground on the turf at Rutland High School. Under the lights, and in the cold, the only thing standing between St. J. and the championship were the Hurricanes.
LYNDON- Spring sports are in full swing for local high schools, and Lyndon Institute's baseball and softball teams have been working hard before and during the season.
The baseball team currently has a 3-2 standing. The season is looking positive to the fans.
St. Johnsbury- The Spaulding High School Crimson Tide were swept away by the St. Johnsbury Academy Hilltoppers 45-31 on Tuesday night. The St. Johnsbury Academy girls basketball team entered the game (8-4) on the season playing a Spaulding team that has yet to win a game (0-12).
LYNDON- Wednesday was an easy night for the Lyndon Vikings, who faced off against the Thetford Academy Panthers in Lyndonville.
By the half, the Vikings were up by more than 20 points and held strong through the rest of the game. Finishing with a 71-37 blowout, senior guard Nikola Veljic was able to contribute 21 points to the total, being the highest scorer for the Vikings.
Written By NewsINK Contributer: Dylan Clark
LYNDONVILLE - The Lyndon Institute Girls varsity basketball team are set to take the hardwood Wednesday evening, in their season opener against Hazen, with their sights set on the ultimate goal. "This year we have the same goal we had last year, that is to win the State Championship that'll be the goal here every year I'm here going forward," said Head Coach Eric Berry.
VERMONT- With the chilly weather and rainy days persisting, it was a question of when high school sports teams would get to see their fields. That question was answered yesterday when many local teams were finally able to step onto their fields to begin their season.
VERMONT- A popular sport in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont is one step closer to becoming sanctioned by the Vermont Principals Association.
LYNDONVILLE -The Lyndon Institute boys basketball team battled against the Randolph Galloping Ghosts last Wednesday. L.I. fought the Galloping Ghosts from start to finish. The Vikings came into the game on a scorching seven game winning streak and were looking to push that number to eight by the nights end.
RUTLAND, VT - Seventeen St. Johnsbury high school seniors took to the football field on Saturday for the final time. They took on Middlebury for the State Championship over the weekend hoping to keep their perfect record.
St. Johnsbury- It was a muddy, rainy game for the 110th meeting between the Hilltoppers and the Vikings. St. Johnsbury beat Lyndon 46-0 on Senior Day.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Natzu Friebel is proving why he was chosen as Captain of the Hilltoppers's Varsity soccer team, kicking in three of their nine goals last night for a win over Lyndon Institute, nine to zero.
ST. JOHNSBURY- Alex Rainville of the St. Johnsbury Academy will be taking his talents to Connecticut. Alex, a senior at the Academy, will be playing golf for the University of Hartford come fall.
Read more: St. Johnsbury Golfer Tees Off on Division I Dream