Lions Baseball team ends their regular season with a record of 16-4

By: Ian Mendola & Justin Horak

Staff Writers

New Hope Solebury Lions Baseball ended their season 16-4 with their only losses being to Holy Ghost Prep, Lower Moreland and Christopher Dock. As the season winds down, nine seniors are close to their last game as lions. The team has two seniors taking talent beyond high school baseball. Derek Smith will be attending and filling out the outfield for Dickinson University. In addition, Blake Doherty will be attending the United States Naval Academy where he will also be a pitcher. As the season winds down, Derek Smith is hitting .388 with four home runs. Blake Doherty is hitting .328 with 14 RBI’s. They both are huge factors in the team's success both on the mound and in the outfield.

    The starting lineup stayed the same throughout the season with Blake Doherty and Deven Smith as the number top pitchers, John Mangan (Catcher), Blake Doherty or Cole Davis (First Base), Michael Lehman (Second Base), Cameron Mertz (Shortstop), Jack Gawason (Third Base), Kyle Campbell (Left Field), Connor Campbell (Center Field), Derek Smith (Right Field) and Justin Horak or Dan Khouri (Designated Hitter). The starting lineup for the Lions had five first team all-league players and three second team athletes on the team. Head Coach Tony Vlahovic won coach of the year for the second season in a row.

    This year at New Hope-Solebury High School, the varsity baseball team is having an amazing season. With the current record being 16-4, they have advanced to the district playoffs. The Lions' District Semi-Final Game will be hosted at HOME at the varsity field. The game will have a noon start time on Saturday, May 25. This group of senior players has the most wins for a class in New Hope history. We are hoping to continue to add to those wins within the following weeks.

    Make sure to come out and support the boys on Saturday!

On Saturday May 25, New Hope Solebury Baseball played against Palmerton High School. The game went down to the wire and did not end until the 8th inning. The game started off with Blake Doherty on the mound pitching for the Lions. The team had a shutout top of the first in the field. Starting at the bottom of the first inning was Mike Lehman, Cameron Mertz, and Derek Smith. Cam Mertz came up with  a big hit to get him a double with 1 out. Derek Smith came up to the plate and hit a home run to right field. The Lions went up 2-0 at the end of the first inning.

    Make sure to come out and support the boys on Saturday! On Saturday May 25, New Hope Solebury Baseball played against Palmerton High School. The game went down to the wire and did not end until the 8th inning. The game started off with Blake Doherty on the mound pitching for the Lions. The team had a shutout top of the first in the field. Starting at the bottom of the first inning was Mike Lehman, Cameron Mertz, and Derek Smith. Cam Mertz came up with  a big hit to get him a double with 1 out. Derek Smith came up to the plate and hit a home run to right field. The Lions went up 2-0 at the end of the first inning. Throughout the whole game the score was very tight. Neither team had a major lead throughout the entire game. As the 7th inning is approaching, New Hope and Palmerton are tied 7-7. With both teams playing tight defense no team scored in the 7th inning. New Hope was in the field at the top of the inning. With Josh Shiller on the mound for the Lions in the top 8th, they came out of the inning with the game still tied. With Mike Lehman, Cameron Mertz and Derek Smith coming up in the bottom 8th the Lions are due for a run. Mike Lehman got up to the plate and came up with a big hit to get on first base. While Cameron Mertz is up to bat, Mike Lehman steals second base and is now on 2. Cameron Mertz struck out trying to bunt. Palmerton intentionally walked Derek Smith with John Mangan coming up with 1 out. First pitch John Mangan hit a line drive to left field and drove in Mike Lehman from second. As soon as Mike Lehman touched home plate to get the winning run the whole team dog piled in the infield. With an all out team effort the Lions are headed to Coca Cola Park in Allentown for the District Finals Game.

The Lions have started the district final game strong. The team has bases loaded with one out. But were unsuccessful in scoring any potential runs on the board. Josh Shiller was the starting pitcher for this game and he threw a great game but was wearing down. First team all BAL pitcher Deven Smith entered the game in the fifth inning. Everyone was cheering for #6. Deven threw a fantastic game and the Lions were holding their own for 6 innings and then things took a turn for the worst. Notre Dame was playing a fantastic game and ended up taking the win 5-0. It was a fantastic season for the Lions.

The U.S starts its for it’s fourth World Cup as the 2019 games begin

Juliana Covino
Editor-in-Chief

The 2019 Women's World Cup has kicked off! The United States enters the Women's World Cup as the defending champion, the No. 1 ranked team, and the favorite to win the title once again. The National Team has begun its quest for its fourth Women's World Cup title with a match against Thailand on Tuesday. The last time the team played in the World Cup was in 2015 when they faced off against their rival Japan. The 2015 World Cup final was a rematch from 2011 in which Japan took home the cup after a defeat of the United States in a penalty shoot-out following a 2–2 a tie at the end of regulation. However, the women’s team rallied and crushed Japan 5-2 in the 2015 World Cup Final earning them their third title.
    Although, times have changed over the past four years with the women's national team.
     When the U.S entered the World Cup in 2015 they had Abby Wambach (F), Hope Solo (GK), Sydney Leroux (F), and Christie Rampone (D) all of them are astonishing soccer players that have since left the team.
     Nevertheless, the women's team still has 2015 World Cup veterans such as Carli Loyd (M), Megan Rapinoe (M), Alex Morgan, and Tobin Heath (F) as they enter the 2019 Cup. In addition, the team has welcomed a new generation of amazingly talented players such as Rose Lavelle (M), Crystal Dunn (D), Mallory Pugh (F), and Sam Mewis (D) that are sure to make a lasting impact on the team’s future.
    Over the years, the U.S Women’s national team has increased their level of play with the help of there returning coach Jill Ellis. The USA is no longer the only nation with a well-funded national team and well-run domestic league, but Ellis continues to work her team harder than ever. After a devastating defeat at the Rio Olympics, the team needed to reevaluate their play in order to regain their number one ranking. Overall, the Women’s team is one to look out for as they attempt to earn another World Cup with a young yet highly skilled team.

Newcomers challenge vets: the Blues and Bruins face off in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals

Will Kelley and Kel MacDowell

Staff Writers

The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been one of the best we have seen in years. Quick skating, hard shots, bone crushing hits, and fast pace place have all made for an exciting playoffs. Every year, 16 teams enter the playoffs but only two will end up in the Stanley Cup Final. This year, from the Eastern Conference, it’s the Boston Bruins, a big body size and playoff experienced team.

The Bruins were the Stanley Cup champions in 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, and 2011. From the Western Conference, the St. Louis Blues are coming into the finals for the first time since 1970. The underdogs have also never won nor played for the Stanley Cup before. The Blues are a smaller team but have very quick skating and excellent shooters on the team such as Jaden Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ryan O’Reilly. The Blues captain, Alex Pietrangelo, is a solid defenseman that can play both ways and is the core of their team.

On the other hand, Bruins captain, 39 year old Zdeno Chara is one of the most experienced players in the entire league and stands at an astonishing 6”9. They also have the most hated player in the NHL, Brad Marchand, who is an animal at getting in his opponent’s heads. The Bruins are not new to the Cup Finals and look to win another championship.

The series without a doubt will be a nail biting head to head matchup that will start out in Boston, Massachusetts and then head to St. Louis, Missouri for game 3 and four and so on. The location of games five, six, and seven are to be determined if necessary. The battle between the Blues and Bruins is set to be one for the ages as each team is coming in with their own skill sets, and one hoping to best the other.

Toronto faces off against the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals

By: Michael Borys

Staff Writer

The NBA finals are finally here. The Golden State Warriors have made their 5 straight appearance to the finals. The Toronto Raptors have made their first finals appearance in history. Led by newcomer Kawhi Leonard who was traded from the Spurs before the season. The raptors had a great regular season finishing in second place. Raptors finished with 58 wins. The Milwaukee Bucks finished in first with 60 wins. Raptors just eliminated the Bucks 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

    On the other hand, the Warriors finished with 57 wins and first place in the western conference. Throughout the season, the Warriors had 5 all stars containing Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Demarcus Cousins. Cousins was sidelined with an injury for a majority of the season, and re-injured himself before the playoffs. During the western conference finals Kevin Durant suffered a calf injury and has been out since. The Warriors are hoping for Durant to be back due to his unbelievable scoring ability. Even though Klay and Steph also have the scoring ability, they need all they can get when facing the very strong defensive Raptors.

    The Warriors have the upper hand due to experience. Warriors have been 5 straight when the Raptors are just getting to their first NBA finals in team history. Raptors leader Kawhi Leonard has made the finals before when he was with the San Antonio Spurs. In 2014, a young Leonard defeated the Miami Heat dynasty. The Heat had Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Kawhi beat the stacked lineup at just 22 years old and won the finals MVP. Even though the Warriors have the upper hand in experience, the Raptors are hungry for their first NBA Championship.

Sixers have a great but heartbreaking season

Parker Cane and Lear Asplundh
Staff Writers

After a 51-31 2019 NBA season, the Sixers hoped to win a championship with the transactions made during the season. The Sixers made two key trades to emphasize their win now mentality and complete the process. The team made some major trades. In November, they traded Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless, and a 2022 second round pick, for Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton. Then just before the trade deadline, they acquired Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott, in exchange for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, the Sixers own 2020 first round pick, and the Miami Heat's unprotected first round pick in 2021 and two second round picks in 2021 and 2023. Finally, they traded Markelle Fultz to the Orlando Magic, for Jonathon Simmons, and a first and second round pick.
     This resulted in the Sixers reaching the third seed for the second consecutive year. In the playoffs, the 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets in the first round in five games, winning four straight to end Brooklyn’s season. However, they didn't go as deep as they would have liked after losing to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games due to a Kawhi Leonard buzzer beater miracle in Game 7. This left Sixers fans heartbroken heading into the offseason.
     The Sixers look to improve in the off season and to become stronger and smarter. They will look to keep Jimmy Butler and possibly Tobias Harris but both these players have the player option, meaning they can go wherever they want and the Sixers can do nothing about their decision. However, the Sixers can offer Butler a special “supermax” which includes a five-year $220 million contract. The 76ers will now try next year to get to the championship and win it for the city of Philly.