By NoontimeSports.com 

Sunday’s tilt between Baltimore and New England was certainly dramatic, as well as an epic clash, too. And while many still have this particular game on their mind, Noontime Sports thought we’d create a list of interesting “day after” headlines.

* The Chicago Sun-Times has an interesting piece pertaining toward Billy Cundiff, who missed the potential game-tying field in the fourth quarter.

* The Washington Post regales about the Ravens final drive, and how they were 14-yards away from punching their ticket to Super Bowl XLVI.

* Wide receiver Lee Evans told the media that this particular loss falls on his shoulders.

* The Eagle Tribune provides a great article on New England’s Sterling Moore, who dislodged the ball from Evans’ grasp in the fourth quarter.

* After Sunday’s game concluded, Baltimore’s Ray Lewis hinted that he’s planning on not retiring.

* According to sources — New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski ankle injury won’t prevent him from suiting up and playing against the New York Giants in two weeks.

* Tom Brady didn’t exactly play his best game on Sunday, and on Monday, he told Boston’s Sports Radio Station, (WEEI/93.7FM) that he didn’t exactly sleep well on Sunday due to a few mistakes.

* Brendon Ayanbadejo admitted through Twitter that despite the Ravens heartbreaking loss, he’s planning on not watching the “unSuper Bowl” in two weeks.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are headed back to the Super Bowl! (Photo Credit: Middletownpress.com)

By NoontimeSports.com 

Good Monday morning to everyone, and welcome into yet another tremendous edition of the Daily Noontime! Let’s kick-start the day with some juicy headlines and news, enjoy!

* In case you didn’t know, the New England Patriots are headed to Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday, February 5 to face the New York “Football” Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. Who’s excited for the rematch?

* Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missed a game-tying field goal, which would have forced overtime in the AFC Championship game on Sunday, but luckily it sailed wide left, and allowed the New England Patriots and their fans to experience euphoria at Gillette Stadium, as well as a 23-20 victory, too. Wide receiver Lee Evans missed what would have been the go-ahead touchdown on the same drive, but cornerback Sterling Moore striped the ball in the end zone, which resulted in an incomplete pass.

* The Boston Bruins registered six goals, five in regulation, and one in the shootout to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-5. The Black and Gold will return to the ice on Tuesday when they travel to Washington to face the Capitals.

* The Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards on Sunday, 100-94. The Green and White will return to the hardwood on Monday evening when they host the Orlando Magic for a 7:30pm tip-off.

Do you remember Super Bowl XLII? (Photo Credit: Quarterbacks.org)

By NoontimeSports.com 

It’s hard to fathom, but yes, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will once again be facing off against one another in the Super Bowl.

Are you excited?

Last time, the Giants dashed the Patriots perfect season when quarterback Eli Manning connected on a 13-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Plaxico Burress, which helped New York upset New England, 17-14.

However, while it’s most likely we’ll see a different game than four years ago, we’ve decided here at Noontime Sports that we want to get your first opinions on this matchup.

Post a comment below, send us an email (NoontimeSports@gmail.com), write on our Facebook wall or even tweet at Matt Noonan, (@NoontimeSports).

We’ll have plenty of blogs, videos and podcasts leading up to this much anticipated rematch for the next two weeks. However, let’s get the pre-game excitement going with posts, thoughts and ideas!

Can Ray Rice repeat his 2009 postseason performance against New England's defense on Sunday? (Photo Credit: Zimbio.com)

By Matt Noonan

Last week, I went 3-1. This week, I am expecting to go 2-0, but let’s see what happens!

New England 27, Baltimore 24 – I am super excited for this matchup, especially since these two teams always find a way to end the game with a dramatic sequence. Baltimore defeated New England last time these two teams met in the postseason, 33-14. Running back Ray Rice tallied 159 yards on 22 carries, and two touchdowns, while quarterback Joe Flacco finished the game 4 of 10 for 34 yards. Although, the true matchup to watch on Sunday will be the Ravens defense against the Patriots offense. Tom Brady tossed six touchdowns last weekend against Denver, and certainly is capable of tearing apart Baltimore’s secondary. However, if Baltimore’s front seven can pressure Brady, as well as control the time of possession on offense, then they’ll win the game. Yet, if New England can control the time of possession, and contain Rice, they’ll win.

San Francisco 24, New York 20  - I am not exactly the biggest fan of head coach Jim Harbaugh, but what he’s done in San Francisco has been rather impressive. Harbaugh revamped the 49ers defense to become one of the best in the league, and against Eli Manning, I’m expecting the front seven to not only pressure him, but also record two or three sacks, too. Alex Smith proved he’s a clutch quarterback, as he tossed three strikes to the end zone last weekend against New Orleans, which included the game winning touchdown to Vernon Davis. San Francisco handed New York a loss earlier this season, and once again, I am expecting them to defeat the Giants in the City By The Bay.

Rich Sutter's Westfield State Owls remain the top squad in the MASCAC! (Photo Credit: Westfield State Athletics)

By NoontimeSports.com 

This past week, Noontime Sports caught up with Westfield State University’s men’s basketball coach Rich Sutter to discuss the team’s current season.

Here is our conversation with the head coach, enjoy.

On starting the season with a five-game winning streak: “I kind of talked to them in practice [on Thursday] a little bit about our early five-game win streak [earlier this season]. The ball was moving so freely on offense, and we all had everyone digging in on defense, and then when you get up against better teams, Amherst and Wesleyan and then some teams that are very, very strong, they kind of knock you off your pace a little bit. They can knock you off your mark a little bit, so with us, it was just taking those first five games, and realizing that we were pretty good. And getting knocked off our mark a little bit and then having to bring it all the way back around. So now, we’re bring it back around, and I like the way they’re playing.”

On winning 11 games thus far: “I really believe that the season has gone very well so far, mostly highs, very few lows. The team has worked incredibly hard to get [11 wins], and to be honest with you, I really can’t point to any lows, they’ve been a pretty good group to be around.”

On the impact of playing NESCAC and non-conferece foes: “It certainly is a good learning experience because teams that play at a high level, you want to emulate those teams, and you want to attempt to be like those teams. The difference is sometimes is especially in the NESCAC is that they have a very high caliber of athletes, and great [centers] on those teams, so a lot of times you can get warn down, a lot of times they space the floor very well, play very good fundamental basketball, but it is a learning experience for us, and that’s why we play those teams, so we can see how things are done at the high level because that’s where you aspire to go.”

On keeping your team focused for the remainder of the season: “I’ve talked to [my team] about that. It depends on your team to be honest with you because with this group, I haven’t had to really hit them that hard with [the idea of staying focused]. They know it, they realize it, they know that every game is important, and they’ve approached every single game with a good energy. Sometimes the ball goes in the basket for us, and sometimes it doesn’t, but they’ve approached every single game with good energy, and that’s the way we approach our business here at Westfield State University. We’re passionate about what we do, we’re excited about what we do, and we want that to show through. And that being said, I think that this group has matured. We’re playing a couple of freshmen right now that have matured and grown, and every game is important when you play basketball. We told them from the beginning of the year, all 25 games are important. There’s no game on our schedule that’s not.”

On the Owls home court advantage: “Last year, our first 15 or 17 games were on the road, and it was a stretch that I wanted to take those young men onto test their medal, and to see what they were really made of, so this year, we’ve actually had some home games brought back to us, and that’s been good. The biggest difference, I’ve got to be very honest wit you has been the intensity of our crowd. [They] have been terrific. We have a very student-centered president in [Evan S. Dobel]. It starts at the top, and it moves all the way down through the whole organization, but really it’s been the students with their intensity coming to the games, and cheering us on, and making our home court really something special.”

On possibly earning an NCAA berth: “I have made this point clear to just about everybody I’ve ever spoken to about this subject – our guys do things the right way. Our guys are graduating, our guys are doing the best that they possibly can here in basketball, and I’m extremely proud of the progress we’ve made over the 14-years. That’s not my measurement stick. I know it’s other peoples’ measurement stick, but my measurement stick is the quality of our effort, and how well we play in and out, and right now these guys are champions in my mind. So what happens at the end of the year that will be told by time only, but right now I couldn’t be happier with the effort of this group, and their intensity and the way that they’ve conducted themselves and represented the university.”

Photo Credit: Images.Picturehunt.com

By NoontimeSports.com

Here are some headlines, news and scores from Saturday’s Massachusetts Division III hoops contests.

Men’s Basketball

WPI 80, MIT 68 – MIT’s 16-game winning streak came to an end, as WPI held the Engineers to 27 points in the second half. Jamie Shannon scored 17 points for WPI, while Mitchell Kates paced MIT with 22 points, and seven assists.

Framingham State 73, Westfield State 69 – Both the Owls and Rams combined for 65 fouls, and 80 free throws before Framingham State earned their first conference win of the season.

Babson 52, Wheaton 45 – The Beavers picked up their second consecutive victory, as they defeated the Lyons to earn their second conference win, too. David Mack led Babson with 14 points, while Will Bayliss notched 12 points for Wheaton.

Amherst 82, Colby 64 – David Waller registered 18 points and three assists, as the Lord Jeffs defeated the Mules in Maine.

Women’s Basketball

Amherst 51, Colby 50 – Trailing the Mules at halftime, 28-25, the Lord Jeffs stormed back, and somehow managed to pick up their 17^th win of the season, as well as fifth conference victory, too. Megan Robertson paced Amherst with 18 points, while Caroline Stedman tallied 14 points and two rebounds. Rachael Mack led Colby with 14 points, as well as recorded five rebounds, two blocks and one assist.

Babson 96, Coast Guard 47 – Erin Young sank eight trifectas off the bench, as well as tallied a career high 28 points in 21 minutes, which helped the Beavers, earn their 55^th straight conference clash against the Bears in Connecticuit.

Tufts 51, Conn. College 21 – The Jumbos held the Camels to 11 points in the first half, and 10 in the second, as Tufts handed Connecticut College their third loss of the season. The Camels finished the game 6 of 47 from the field, and 8 of 14 from the free throw line.

Smith 61, MIT 36 – The Pioneers registered 40 points in 20 minutes, which gave Smith a commanding lead, which they never relinquished. Ellie Giles led Smith with 10 points, as well as recorded eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and four steals.

By Matt Noonan 

WESTWOOD, MA – Earlier this season, Medway handed Westwood a four-point loss.

On Friday, the Wolverines responded by gifting the visiting Mustangs a 49-46 loss, which marked Westwood’s seventh victory of the season, as well as their seventh Tri-Valley League conference win, too.

“I think, Westwood wasn’t fully prepared [back in December], and I think we came out flat [on Friday],” said Medway’s junior guard Matt Ozzella. “I guess we didn’t come to play.”

“[This win] is huge for the team and the program,” said Westwood head coach Steven St. Martin. “Guys kept fighting through, and it was funny, one of my captains in their at the end, when [we talked] in the locker room, he said, ‘at the beginning of the year, we wouldn’t have won this game, and now we have,’ and that’s that part of the process, [which is] you’re trying to keep getting better.”

Medway’s senior co-captain Pat Sheehan got things going with a quick basket before Westwood’s junior Joe Lally and senior Eric Tanery answered with back-to-back trifectas to give the Wolverines an early lead.

The Mustangs eventually erased their opponent’s four-point cushion with two three-pointers by Sheehan, who helped Medway secure a somewhat comfortable 15-11 advantage after eight minutes.

The Wolverines fought relentlessly in the second quarter, as they managed to secure numerous rebounds, mainly on the defensive end, which eventually set up Lally to race down the court, and end the half with a layup that cut the deficit to 26-21.

However, the second half belonged to Westwood, who outscored Medway, 28-20.

Senior Glenn Parsons sparked Westwood’s offense by registering nine points in the third frame, which included two three-pointers that helped the Wolverines tie the game, and set up a dramatic fourth quarter.

“He was shooting well, he was shooting well tonight,” said Medway head coach Jay Rojee, when asked to describe the play of Parsons.

“[He’s] coming up clutch, he had some clutch hoops the other night,” said St. Martin.

Ozzella retained the Mustangs lead with a jump shot and two free throws during the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Wolverines answered with a Lally jump shot, and a two-pointer by senior Mike Keane in the paint to tie the game at 44-44.

Junior Wes Jursek then sank two critical free throws with less than two minutes remaining, but unfortunately, those two points didn’t frazzle the Wolverines offense, as Tanery knocked down a three-pointer on the ensuing possession, which electrified the home crowd.

Parsons then solidified the win when a two-point jump shot during the final seconds before Sheehan attempted a three-pointer from roughly half court, which bounced in and out of the basket.

“I’m still in shock that [Sheehan’s shot] didn’t go in,” said Rojee. “They played a great game. Give them credit, they hit some big shots down the stretch, and it’s a big three-pointer when we were up two with 40 seconds left, so hats off to Westwood, they played hard.”

Westwood will return to the hardwood on Tuesday when they host Bellingham, while Medway will look to snap their current two-game losing streak against Ashland at home. Both contests are slated for 6:30pm.

By NoontimeSports.com 

1.) Amherst College (Last Week/No. 1) – The Lord Jeffs are on fire, and haven’t lost a single game this entire season. They’re currently 15-0, and 3-0 in NESCAC conference play. Amherst will kick-off a seven-game road trip on Friday at Bowdoin College.

2.) Babson College (Last Week/No. 2) – The Beavers have won 10 of their last 11 contests, and a main reason for their success is the trio of junior Sarah Collins, as well as senior Kathleen King and Nicki Wurdeman, who were a major factor Wednesday against Clark University. Babson will look to earn their 10^th conference victory of the season when they travel to Connecticuit on Saturday to face the U.S. Coast Guard.

3.) Williams College (Last Week/No. 5) – The Ephs earned their fifth road win on Thursday when they defeated Eastern Conn., 63-47. Grace Rehnquist came off the bench, and led Williams with 17 points in 20 minutes. Similar to the men’s squad, they’ll welcome Hamilton College to campus on Sunday for an afternoon matinee.

4.) Tufts University (Last Week/No. 4) – The Jumbos kicked-off their three-game road trip with a non-conference victory against Wheaton College on Monday, and will now focus their attention on Wesleyan University and Connecticuit College this weekend. Seniors Kate Barnosky and Tiffany Kornegay continue to be the focal point, as well as lead Tufts with 294 points combined.

5.) Smith College (Last Week/ No. 3) – The Pioneers recovered from their third conference loss of the season on Wednesday when they defeated WPI, 74-57. Smith should most likely earn their 12^th victory of the season, and seventh conference victory on Saturday when they travel to Rockwell Cage to face MIT.

Can Larry Anderson's MIT men's basketball team keep their perfect record intact on Saturday against WPI? (Photo Credit: ESPN)

By NoontimeSports.com 

1.) MIT (Last Week/No. 1) – The Engineers can pick up their 17^th win of the season, as well as fifth conference victory on Saturday, when they welcome WPI to Rockwell Cage in Cambridge. MIT hasn’t played a game since last weekend when they defeated Babson College on the road, 72-63, so it’ll be interesting to see how Larry Anderson’s team responds from a week off of games.

2.) Amherst College (Last Week/No. 2) – Despite losing by one point to Wesleyan this past week, the Lord Jeffs will look to rebound on Friday and Saturday, as they travel to Maine to face Bowdoin College and Colby College. Also, Aaron Toomey was held to just 11 points and four rebounds against the Cardinals on Tuesday, which is rather unusual numbers for the sophomore guard, hint…hint!

3.) Williams College (Last Week/No. 4) – Similar to Amherst, Williams lost to Wesleyan this season, but is currently riding a two-game winning streak. The Ephs will enjoy two days of rest before welcoming Hamilton College to Williamstown on Sunday for an afternoon matinee, which should end with a win for the men dressed in purple and white.

4.) WPI (Last Week/No. 3) – Despite losing to Wheaton College at home last weekend, the Engineers responded this past week with a crucial conference win against Clark University. Saturday’s tilt against MIT could possibly determine the NEWMAC men’s basketball conference winner, as well as tournament host, too. Yet, both squads will meet again in February, so let’s not count our chickens before they hatch, right?

5.) Tufts University (Last Week/No. 5) – The Jumbos finally earned their first home victory of the season last Friday, as well as two additional win against Colby and Suffolk University. Tufts will begin a three-game road swing on Friday when they travel to Wesleyan, who recently handed Amherst their second loss of the season.

By NoontimeSports.com 

UPDATE: 9AM Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 – Sources have confirmed that the New England Patriots will indeed travel across the pond next season to face the St. Louis Rams.

8AM Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 - According to ProFootballTalk.com, as well as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it’s believed that the New England Patriots will travel to London, England next season to face the St. Louis Rams.

Over the past few years, the NFL has played one game overseas at Wembley Stadium, and yes, the Patriots have already made an appearance across the pond when they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009.

NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has expressed previously that he’d like to have one squad make London their home in the future, and according to sources, it’s believed  that the Rams could become Great Britain’s team.

Rams owner  Stan Kroenke is quite familiar with London, especially since he overseas an English football club, too.