Andover shocks unbeaten Beverly in game to honor slain teacher
By Matt Williams
sports@eagletribune.com
ANDOVER — A tragedy that brought together two communities also helped bring out the best in two of the Bay State’s best girls hockey teams at Phillips Andover last night.
ANDOVER, Mass. —The Andover Warriors took on the Beverly/Danvers High School girls’ hockey team Monday night.
Both teams shared a common goal: to celebrate the memory of Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer and raise money for the scholarship fund that bears her name.
(Please click on the link below to watch the story)
By Matt WilliamsStaff writer
ANDOVER — A tragedy that brought together two communities also helped bring out the best in two of the Bay State’s best girls hockey teams at Phillips Andover last night.
Colleen Ritzer, the beloved Danvers High teacher from Andover who was murdered in October, was honored in a contest between her hometown Warriors and Beverly, which has a co-operative girls hockey program with Danvers.
DANVERS — After back-to-back losses last week, Danvers girls basketball head coach Pat Veilleux stressed to his team the importance of playing four complete quarters….
Salem showed its support for the Falcons during pregame warm ups by wearing Danvers Strong T-shirts, with a quote from the fallen Danvers High math teacher Colleen Ritzer.
“That was a tremendous gesture by Salem,” said Veilleux. “The feeling here is still on the sad side about the tragedy. I think everybody in the conference has done something for us and it’s very meaningful.”
On April 27, 2014 Colleen’s friends will host a series of events at their alma mater, Assumption College to memorialize Colleen. All are invited to participate in a walk and witness the dedication of a tree planted in her honor. For more information about this special day, please click here.
(Andover, MA) – The family of Colleen Ritzer today issued the following statement in response to a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that allows youths convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison the opportunity for parole. The family learned of the ruling on Christmas Eve.
“The Ritzer family feels a deep sense of betrayal and anguish with the recent decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that provides more rights to those youths convicted of horrible and heinous crimes than victims and their families. While these convicted murderers are now provided a second chance through the possibility of parole, victims slain at the hands of ‘youthful offenders’, possibly even our precious daughter Colleen, will be victimized again and again.
Our daughter and sister Colleen was taken in a cruel manner; we are now forced to endure a tremendous loss for life while her likely attacker will be afforded the opportunity for parole if convicted. There will never be ‘parole’ for our family’s life sentence without Colleen.
If the individual charged with her horrific murder is convicted and sentenced to life in prison, he must never, ever have an opportunity for parole. Paroling such violent offenders would be more cruel and unusual punishment to victims’ families and loved ones.
This decision should not be applauded, rather overturned as an act of justice and humanity to victims of violent crimes and their families.”
What is the connection between an instructor’s enthusiasm for the subject and student learning?
By James M. Lang
If you watched the first game of this year’s World Series, you joined millions of people around the world in observing a moment of silence for Colleen Ritzer, the high-school math teacher from Danvers, Mass., who was killed by a 14-year old student on the school grounds. You would have observed the same moment of silence at a variety of sporting events and ceremonies in Massachusetts in late October.
ANDOVER — Two dozen pink balloons swayed in the cool evening air, held aloft by the members of two different teams from two different towns who stood as one around the circle in the middle of the field.
As the members of the Danvers and Andover varsity field hockey teams stood silently under the lights of Lovely Field last night, Danvers’ first-year head coach Jill McGinnity read a moving tribute to Colleen Ritzer, the Andover woman who was murdered Tuesday at Danvers High School, allegedly by one of her students.
(Photo: Salem News)