Since we have a little break here locally between the end of the winter season and the start of spring, now is as good a time as any to go around the horn and check in on former area stars who are now in college.
Let’s see what some area college athletes have been up to.
Sam Craig chipped in for Westfield State
It was a solid first year for Sam Craig on the Westfield State University men’s basketball team.
The Newburyport native and former Clipper star saw action in 18 games as a freshman. He scored a season-high 8 points against Old Westbury (knocking down two 3s), played a season-high 13 minutes against Mitchell, and was in the starting lineup against Fitchburg State. Craig helped the Owls (21-6) earn the program’s fourth-most wins in a season, and make it to the MASCAC championship game where they lost to Worcester State, 73-71.
Strong spring start for Anna Affolter
As per ususal, Anna Affolter is doing a bit of everything to help the Holy Cross women’s lacrosse team as its spring season is just getting underway.
Now a junior midfielder for the Crusaders (4-5), the Newburyport native already has 8 goals, 2 assists, 19 ground balls, 10 turnovers forced and 7 draw controls across the team’s opening to the year. She scored twice while assisting on another goal in a win over Lafayette, then found the back of the net two more times in a win at Lehigh during the team’s next game.
A former three-time Daily News All-Star (1x MVP), Affolter finished her high school career with 218 points (158g, 60a) while leading the Clippers to the Division 3 State Championship as a senior in 2023.
Not much still gets past Teagan Wilson
It was another strong season on the ice this winter for Teagan Wilson.
Now a junior goalie for the Plymouth State University women’s hockey team, the Salisbury native made eight starts and posted a .904 save percentage. The Panthers rotated between three netminders this year, but Wilson still shined in putting up a combined 72 saves across two games against VTSU Castleton, and 61 saves in two games against Norwich.
A former Triton student, Wilson was our 2022-23 Daily News Girls Hockey MVP when she starred for the Newburyport co-op team.
Max White making early impression Just a freshman, Max White is already earning a role early on this spring for the UMass Boston men’s lacrosse team.
The 6-foot midfielder and Amesbury product has played in all six games so far for the Beacons (3-3) with one start, and scored his first collegiate goal in a win over Nichols. A three-time Daily News All-Star during his time in high school, White left the Redhawks with a program record 196 points, scoring 146 goals with 50 assists.
He of course played for his father, George, who started the Amesbury varsity program ahead of the 2021 season.
Another step forward for Abby Dube
Each year that passes, Abby Dube takes on more responsibility for the St. Joe’s (Maine) women’s basketball team.
The Groveland native and former Pentucket star started in all 23 games this winter as a junior, and posted career-highs in points (3.7) and minutes played (18.8) per game, while also grabbing 2.2 rebounds and dishing out 1.2 assists. She scored a season-high 10 points on two 3s in a win over Albertus Magnus in the GNAC semifinals, lifting the Monks (17-11) to the tournament finals where they lost to Emmanuel College, 73-64.
Dube was a two-time Daily News All-Star during her career at Pentucket, and was named the CAL Kinney MVP as a senior during the 2022-23 season.