Northampton season ends in semifinals

CHICOPEE - Not long ago, the sight of the Northampton boys soccer team pushing perennial superpower Ludlow to its limit was unimaginable.

But it happened Friday night at Szot Park. And while the Blue Devils lost 2-0 to the Lions in the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament semifinals, it was clear that the program took another big step forward this year.

Northampton advances over Braves

NORTHAMPTON - The suspense was gone five minutes into Tuesday night's game.

Northampton capitalized on a considerable speed advantage and took an early two-goal lead en route to a 4-1 win over Taconic in the quarterfinals of the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament at David Wright Field.

Spartans oust Blue Devils

East Longmeadow 6, Northampton 1 - The 10th-seeded Blue Devils (5-8-6) could not recover from two early first-half goals scored by the No. 7 Spartans (8-6-5) in the first round of the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament Sunday in East Longmeadow.

Kyla Krumpholz scored the lone goal for Northampton in the 30th minute with an assist by Molly Ross.

Rene LeVay, 87, WWII paratrooper

Westhampton - Rene J. "Mac" LeVay, 87, of Montague Road, passed away Thursday morning, Nov. 5, 2009, at the Linda Manor Extended Care Facility in Leeds.

A room of their own: Teenagers' flights of fancy take wing in separate spaces

A generation ago families were large and children were expected to share bedrooms. These days teenagers expect to have their own rooms. It's almost like a rite of passage, a learning process in decorating to express one's personality. Indeed, the novelist Virginia Woolf believed that women, in particular, needed "a room of one's own" in order to develop fully as human beings and writers. For three area teenagers, having their own bedroom is a joy.

Lorraine 'Dodo' Ryan, 80, life of the party

NORTHAMPTON - Lorraine "Dodo" LaBarge Ryan, 80, of 357 Haydenville Road in Leeds, died quietly in her home with family on Oct. 31, 2009.

Blue Devils make the plays, get a win

NORTHAMPTON - When the final seconds ticked off the clock at David Wright Field, everyone on the Northampton bench leaped in the air.

The team sprinted and formed a mosh pit at midfield, jumping around in celebration. Assistant coaches jumped in the arms of players.