Although it’s not the final regular-season home game, Saturday is Senior Day for the Colby men’s lacrosse team. It’s also a day to honor a senior who is no longer at Colby, but is still considered part of the team.

Derrik Flahive drowned Nov. 15, 2011, while spending a semester abroad in Chile. Since Flahive’s death, his name and number 5 have remained on the Colby roster, both on the website and in the program.

The Flahive “5” wall went up in October, after the team and the school raised more than $46,000 in donations in about six months. After Saturday’s Senior Day game at 1 p.m. against Williams, the wall will be officially dedicated.

Colby president William D. “Bro” Adams will speak, as will Colby athletic director Marcella Zalot, men’s coach Justin Domingos and senior Ian Deveau. The band Roshambo, made up of Colby students, will play “The Weight,” one of Flahive’s favorite songs. Flahive’s mother, Katherine, will throw the “first ball” at the wall and also speak at the ceremony.

“Derrik, just as a person, was a very spirited and enthusiastic young man,” Domingos said. “His personality was just infectious. The kids loved him on the team. The campus loved him. A lot of the people in the community that he played music with loved him. It wasn’t just people at Colby — he connected with folks in the town, too.”

A picture of Flahive in his Colby uniform will be on the front of Saturday’s game program. The program will also include thoughts from each of Colby’s seniors about Flahive.

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“As a senior now, he would have been an All-American for us,” Domingos said. “There’s no doubt in my mind. He was one of the most talented young men I’ve had the pleasure of coaching. He was a great kid and a great athlete, and someone that we miss. To have everybody come together and honor his life and his spirit in this way is pretty special.”

• • •

Central Maine Community College women’s basketball coach Andrew Morong said the Mustangs scored 82 points per game this winter and 63 of those will be gone next season.

Morong wanted some players who can score and CMCC has picked up two of them — Madison’s Sam Bruce and Mt. Blue’s Gabby Foy.

Bruce averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game this season as the Bulldogs reached the Western C final, losing to eventual state champion Waynflete. Over her career at Mt. Blue, Foy averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

“I think it’s a sign of the changing times, the way people look at our school and at community colleges in general,” Morong said. “On the court, Sam and Gabby are extremely talented players. But off the court, they’re great young women.”

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Morong said he expects both Foy and Bruce to contribute immediately.

“I told both of them that they will definitely see playing time,” Morong said. “I didn’t promise them a starting position or anything, because that’s earned, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see one or the other — if not both of them — in the starting lineup next season.”

CMCC finished 23-5 last season, losing in the USCAA Division II national semifinals.

• • •

This weekend, the Thomas College women’s lacrosse team lost 16-4 to Castleton, picked No. 1 in the North Atlantic Conference in the preseason coaches poll. But the Terriers made their statement one day later, beating Colby-Sawyer, 10-9, on a goal by Miranda Tinsman with 24 seconds to play. Colby-Sawyer was picked second in the same coaches poll, while Thomas was tabbed fifth.

Thomas coach Lauren Bickford said it was the first time in program history that the Terriers defeatedColby-Sawyer. Thomas led 9-5 with 18 minutes left in the second half before the Chargers rallied to tie the game.

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“Emotionally, (a loss) would have been a huge hit for us, so I’m really glad we came out with the win,” Bickford said.

Thomas is 6-4 after finishing 5-7 last spring. The Terriers have played two of their eight games at home. Thomas has home games remaining against UMaine-Farmington (Saturday), Green Mountain (April 20), and New England College (April 21). With a few more wins in the remaining four games of the season, the Terriers will be among the top teams in the NAC.

“I feel like they’re taking things much more seriously, now that they know what’s on the table for them,” Bickford said.

Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
mdifilippo@centralmaine.com


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