Sports in a Minute: O'Ree back in Methuen

O'Ree back in Methuen

Newest Hockey Hall of Famer Willie O'Ree, the first black man to play in the NHL, will be returning to Methuen this Sunday, Nov. 18 to sign autographs at the Gaythorne Knights of Columbus Hall on Broadway, near the New Hampshire line on Route 28.

O'Ree has come to the area the last few years, but this one is extra special with his "HOF" inscription.

O'Ree will sign for $25 each at from 10 a.m. until noon during the monthly Sports Cards Show, which runs from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with over 40 tables of cards and sports memorabilia.

Lost two great ones

The Eagle-Tribune family lost two great people over the last week, including Frank Tridenti and Laurie D'Amore.

Tridenti, 82, and D'Amore, 53, both succumbed to cancer after courageous personal battles, including D'Amore's long fight against breast cancer.

Both have connections to the local sports scene.

Tridenti's youngest son, Dean, was an Eagle-Tribune Football All-Star at North Andover High attending every game his son played.

D'Amore's brother-in-law, Steve D'Amore was a very good goaltender at Merrimack College from 1989 to 1992. She always kept up on Warriors hockey.

Both will be missed. 

Harvard-Yale at Fenway 

Fenway Sports Management announced that the 135th rendition of “The Game” between Harvard and Yale will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at Fenway Park this Saturday, Nov. 17. Kickoff is slated for noon when the host Harvard Crimson takes on the Yale Bulldogs in a clash of Ivy League rivals.

Fenway Sports Management will host a Fan Zone in partnership with Harvard Athletics prior to the game from 9 a.m. until noon in the Brookline Avenue parking lot across from Fenway Park. The Fan Zone, presented by Alumni Ventures Group, is open to the public and will feature food, beverage and entertainment for all fans beginning three hours before the noon kickoff.

Fenway Park has a long history with football dating back to its opening in 1912. The ballpark was commonly transformed to the gridiron for high school and college football games throughout the early 20th Century and was home to the Boston Patriots from 1963-68. In November 2015, football returned to Fenway Park for the first time since 1968 when Notre Dame hosted Boston College in their Shamrock Series game. In 2017, the Fenway Gridiron Series presented by Your Call Football hosted three collegiate football games featuring six of New England’s major college programs and a series of high school football games.

Merrimack graduation rate noted

The NCAA has released the latest Division II graduate rate data, and the Merrimack College Athletic Department once again was among the top schools nationwide after the data revealed the College's student-athletes achieved an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 88 percent for the 2017-18 academic year.

Merrimack student-athletes graduated at an 88-percent clip in the latest publishing of the ASR, a mark that ranks fifth among all Northeast-10 Conference institutions for the same cycle. The Warriors joined conference colleagues Bentley (100%), Saint Michael's (97), Stonehill (96) and Assumption (91%) as programs that boasted 88-percent success rates or higher.