By Marc Thaler
Managing Sports Editor

During my three years covering sports for Neighborhood News, I’ve been privileged to report a number of spectacular performances, both individual feats and team accomplishments.

In particular, the postseason tournaments have brought me tremendous joy. As the stakes are raised and the pressure builds for the athletes involved, I’m continually reminded this gig I have is best summed up in one word.

Great.

The winter season, specifically at the high school level, has easily been my favorite campaign to cover. But before this year, the reason was directly related to the hoopla surrounding hoops.

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If my assignments sent me to the gym, I was happy. Give me a young player who can hit a clutch free throw or drain a jump shot from the elbow. To me, that’s pure paradise.

By contrast, an assignment forcing me to stand in a cold rink was my idea of punishment. Staring wide-eyed at my editor, my response was consistently the same two-word question.

Why me?

Now, if you’re a relatively new reader of this column, perhaps you’re unaware that I haven’t been the biggest fan of hockey. If that’s the case, now you know.

Admittedly, I didn’t play hockey growing up. Surely, that has everything to do with my lack of love for the sport. Loyal readers of the words in this space know baseball is in my blood. If sports were food, basketball and football would also be entrees at my feast.

But hockey? Whether the ranks are professional, college or high school, it’s barely been a blip on my personal sports radar.

That all changed this year.

While I still received my fill of quality basketball contests, the high school hockey season – to my surprise – gave me more thrills than chills.

Maybe that statement doesn’t mean much to some folks. But considering several local boys and girls basketball squads pieced together special seasons, admitting I received the most satisfaction from watching hockey hopefully counts for something.

This year, the Neighborhood was well represented in hockey’s Division I, II and III tournaments, placing at least one local team in each division’s Final Four.

John Stark of Weare, seeded fifth, skated into the D-III state semifinals. Bow, as the No. 3 team in D-II, booked its annual appointment in the semis.

Likewise, Salem and Concord, ranked third and fourth in D-I, respectively, advanced to the doorstep of the state title game.

But truthfully, this season was exciting from the start, most likely because I entered it with an open mind.

Working the Queen City hockey jamboree was a treat. Fill the slate with three city-school matchups between Central, Memorial and West, and it’s a guarantee the ice will nearly melt from the intensity generated.

Even stopping by St. Anselm College’s Sullivan Arena to chat with members of the Goffstown High hockey team was a pleasure.

Though the Grizzlies didn’t clinch a playoff berth this year, there’s something to be said for watching players and coaches enjoy themselves during an early morning skate prior to the start of the school day.

Concord and Salem squared off in a late regular-season duel that quickly became my favorite matchup of the winter months.

Despite being outshot 50-18, the Blue Devils delivered a stunning 2-1 triumph in late February.

To think, those two teams were one round away from lacing up the skates in the title round.

Bow was also a blast to cover. If ever there’s a team and coach that deserved better, it was the Falcons and their mentor, Tim Walsh. BHS was defeated by Dover in the semifinals for the third consecutive year – this time in overtime.

Looking ahead, I hope the 2006-07 hockey season is equally, if not more, exciting than this recent campaign. I also hope my willingness to give hockey a fair shake doesn’t land me an assignment in Loudon later this year.

Hockey is one thing, but NASCAR? No way. Hey, the puck stops here.