Pelham’s Local Sports Updates: New Coaches and Golf Events

Pelham, August 31, 2025

News Summary

This week in Pelham, local sports are buzzing with updates from high school soccer, football coaching changes, and exciting golf tournaments. The Pelham High girls soccer team faced Milford, losing 3-1 despite a commendable effort from senior Lexy Brodeur. Meanwhile, Ryan McKenzie has been appointed as the new head football coach. Anticipation builds as five local seniors prepare for the Massachusetts Super Senior Amateur Championship, with a high-stakes raffle for a Masters VIP package also on the horizon.

Pelham

Local Sports Scene: Goals, Saves, Coaching Moves and Golfers Eyeing Glory

There’s a lot happening in our backyard this week, and while I usually keep my pulse on the fairways, the high school fields are producing drama worth putting in the notebook. The Pelham High girls soccer team ran into a tough night, falling 3-1 to Milford in an NHIAA Division 2 matchup. Pelham grabbed an early lead, but momentum shifted and Milford answered back to take control.

The town’s lone goal came from veteran senior midfielder Lexy Brodeur, with junior playmaker Grace Riley feeding the attack with an assist. Between the pipes, goalkeeper Chloe Shanahan stood tall and kept Pelham in the match with a whopping 12 saves. That kind of workload tells you Pelham was under pressure the whole night; the scoreline doesn’t capture the grit the roster showed.

On the sidelines, there’s movement. Pelham has brought in Ryan McKenzie as the new head football coach. McKenzie arrives with a 13-year coaching résumé and a recent season that saw a program rise from an 0-10 nadir to a 4-6 record. He takes over a program used to post-season success — Pelham has maintained a 10-year playoff streak — and steps into the shoes of Leonard Guyton, who posted an 11-23 record over three seasons. In another key staff change, Michael Soucy will leave his role at Nashua High School North to become athletic director at Pelham, bringing prior AD experience and a desire to return to his hometown roots.

Across town lines, Shawsheen Tech’s football opener versus Bedford will now be hosted in Billerica on Friday, September 5 at 7 p.m. The Rams, who carry the crown as the defending Division 5 Super Bowl champions, start their 2025 slate with three straight home games, including matches against Lynnfield on September 12 and Winthrop on September 19. For local fans, that’s a great chance to stack weekend calendars early and tune into a team with momentum.

There’s also shifting energy in the coaching ranks beyond football. Nashua North is interviewing candidates for its boys soccer vacancy after the resignation of the previous coach. Tom Bellen, who used to helm the Nashua South boys soccer program, is now serving as Executive Director of the Granite State Games. And for girls sports development, Souhegan’s girls basketball coach Greg Cotreau is starting the first annual Souhegan Girls Basketball Summer League, a month-long run from June 23 to July 23 aimed at sharpening skills in the off-season.

Golf Corner: Super Senior Action, Masters Dreams and a Raffle That’s Hard to Ignore

Now for the part of this dispatch closest to my heart: golf. Five local seniors are teeing up in the 12th Massachusetts Super Senior Amateur Championship next week at Haven Country Club in Boylston. This event is strictly for players aged 65 and up who hold active Mass Golf memberships, and the local crew includes Doug Parigian, Wayne Burgess, Danny Brown, Peter Harrison, and Michael Corbin. For players in that age bracket, tournaments like this are about course management, iron control and a short game that refuses to lie down — the courses might be shorter than championship layouts, but the competition and pride are as fierce as ever.

Also on the calendar: a high-stakes raffle being sold as part of a maritime museum gala. Only 400 tickets at $100 each will be sold, and the prize is a VIP package to the 2026 Masters in Augusta, Georgia. The package includes two badges to Augusta National, VIP dining, a premium open bar, and two nights’ accommodations (airfare not included). For any serious golf fan, that prize is the dream trip — seeing Amen Corner in person and soaking in the tournament vibes with VIP treatment is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of ticket.

Local Leagues and Development

Nashua North girls lacrosse is taking a different route this season, choosing a reduced schedule to build interest and give more practice time to players new to the sport. That’s a smart move: investing time in fundamentals early often pays dividends later. Youth development, whether on the links or the pitch, is the quiet engine behind sustained success.

The overlapping stories here — a goalie making a dozen saves, a coach resetting a program, seniors swinging at a state amateur title, and a raffle with Masters tickets — all point to an active local sports scene with something for everyone. I’ll be watching the Super Senior results closely; experience and course knowledge usually win out in that field, and it’s always a pleasure to see local names near the top of the leaderboard.

Quick Reference Table

Bottom line: Whether you’re tracking a long iron into a long hole or a long throw into the box, the local sports landscape offers plenty to follow. Keep an eye on the Super Senior leaderboard and the high school schedules — both will serve up drama, strategy and a reminder that competitive spirit doesn’t age out.

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HERE Resources

Additional Resources

• Lowell Sun: Pelham High Girls Soccer Team Falls 3-1 to Milford
• Nashua Telegraph: HS Notebook – Locals on Chad Teams, Soucy New Pelham AD
• Union Leader: High School Football Notebook – Pelham Rises Above Turmoil
• Score Atlanta: Class A Division II Blog – Pelham Hires Hardaway’s McKenzie
• Vnews: Lebanon Pelham Girls Lacrosse
• Google Search: Pelham High School Sports
• Wikipedia: Pelham
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Pelham High School
• Google News: Pelham Athletics
• Google Scholar: Pelham High Coaching Changes

Author: STAFF HERE BOSTON WRITER

BOSTON STAFF WRITER The BOSTON STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREBoston.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Boston, Suffolk County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Boston Marathon, Head of the Charles Regatta, and Boston Harborfest. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Massachusetts, plus leading businesses in finance, biotech, and insurance that power the local economy such as Fidelity Investments, Biogen, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Massachusetts's dynamic landscape.