A 25-yard pass brings the New England Storm close to midfield. "Hold the line, Sunny," the coach hollers, pacing the sidelines, headset poised, fists clenched. A bad snap on the next play drags the Storm back to the 17, with 30 seconds in the quarter. "Come on, Storm," screams a fan. "Don't give up." But they can't get a first down on third and 25, and the first half ends: Syracuse, 14, New England, zip. The Storm plod back to their locker room under the aluminum stands of Hormel Stadium in Medford. The Boston skyline blinks through the southern uprights as daylight fades.... Read more

Hockey practice at Jackson Arena in Stowe: The coach points his stick in one direction, the goalie dives right. The coach points at the goalie's knees, the goalie drops forward. The coach points his stick to the left, the goalie lunges, clambers up and dives, then goes back up and down again.

Not an easy maneuver, especially when you're tricked out in fully padded regalia. The goalie's ordeal is just one of the grueling drills performed by the two dozen top female teenage ice hockey players who spend four months at the North American Hockey Academy (NAHA) in Stowe.... Read more

Some people’s guilty pleasure is chocolate or ABBA. Mine is mink. Last fall, I acquired my mother’s minks — a stole and a jacket. My 6-year-old daughter Clare loves them. She has no doubts or nagging concerns over ethics. To her, these are clearly super-luxe items, and she couldn’t give a rat’s ass what the animal-rights activists say.... Read more