Former Newburyport High standout linebacker Garrett Boyd, now a defensive end/tackle for Merrimack College, just finished his best season with the Warriors. He recorded 39 total tackles, 14 for a loss as well as a forced fumble and an interception, as the team won the Northeast-10 with a 7-3 record.

For the first time since 2004, no Merrimack player was selected to represent the Northeast-10 Conference in the Division 2 playoffs. However, with coach John Perry in only his second year with Merrimack, Boyd said the Warriors have made great progress in his three years there.

"We were a very young team this year, and our coach is in his second year," Boyd said. "My freshman year, we went 4-6, then last year we went 6-4, and this year we went 7-3. Our coach has brought in two really good recruiting classes, and I expect us to be in the hunt again next year."

Boyd, who was a standout middle linebacker in the Cape Ann League, said the transition to defensive tackle has not been difficult because he has less responsibility at the position.

"We had a bunch of linebackers coming in my freshman year, and I was pretty much the biggest out of all of them," said the junior, who added he was real happy his friend and former teammate Joe Clancy chose to come to Merrimack. "We had a couple of injuries on the defensive line that season, and they asked me if I would change positions, so I said sure because I just wanted to play.

"I've put on 20 pounds since high school. I graduated at 230 pounds, I've been up and down since, but this year I played at 245 pounds," continued Boyd, who said it was not difficult to put on weight with a meal plan at Merrimack with mostly buffet style cafeterias. "I'm a tackle, but I'm kind of like a defensive end because the linebacker plays right behind me."

Although Boyd is vastly undersized playing against lineman as big as 350 pounds, he has been able to utilize his speed at the position.

"It's a bit of a challenge when you are undersized because I usually play against linemen that are 50 pounds bigger than me — anywhere from 280 to 350 and from 6-0 to 6-7," Boyd said. "The best thing I can do is get by with speed and use my hands. If you are undersized, you have to use your hands, get up field, and beat offensive linemen off the ball."

Burke blisters The Commonwealth Coast Conference

With eight goals in eight conference games during her freshman field hockey campaign at Salve Regina, Georgetown's Kelly Burke not only won the TCCC rookie of the year award, the former two-sport standout for the Royals was also named on the all-conference first team.

Only a goal off the school's all-time record, Burke tallied 15 goals on the season, including four game-winning goals, and five goals in conference play that either tied the game or put the Seahawks in the lead.

"Kelly has brought great speed and ball control to our offensive attack," said fourth-year head coach Jennifer Eldridge, according to Salve Regina's school Web site. "Even when other teams started recognizing her as a weapon, she found a way to score or to set up a teammate."

Condon earns coach of the year nod

Rowley's Terry Condon was named the women's volleyball Division 3 New England Region coach of the year after her UMass Boston team produced its best season in school history with a 30-4 record, a current school record 17-match winning streak, and a perfect 7-0 record in the Little East Conference.

Condon became the first coach in any sport in school history to win its opening round NCAA tournament game after the team beat Westfield State Nov. 12. The 2009 team has been the Beacon's best in school history, setting new records for wins (30), kills (1,460), assists (1,342), block assists (230) and hitting percentage with a .321 mark, which leads the nation.

In her five-year tenure (95-55, .633), Condon has more than doubled the win percentage of her predecessors in the five season prior to her arrival (39-87, .310).

Hersey named to All-MASCAC Second Team

Newburyport's Chelsea Hersey, a senior captain for Bridgewater State College, finished her collegiate career in style, leading the team with six assists and contributing five goals as well. Those stats earned a second team selection in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference. Hersey has 10 goals and six assists adding up to 26 points in her two seasons with the BSC women's soccer team, and was also named to the MASCAC All-Academic Team and dean's list in the spring semester.