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SHEFFIELD, England -- Pele believes American fans were misled about what David Beckham could bring to Major League Soccer.

Basketball season!

As Webster County�s Bev Hart enters his third year as head coach of the Trojans, he�s looking for two things from his troops ... aggressive play and a nasty attitude in rebounding.

The Trojans begin the 2007-08 campaign without the services of last year�s talented seniors, Jordan Coomes, Logan Dennison and James Tapp. The trio took with them a ton of points, rebounds and more importantly that hard-nosed play that the WCHS coaching staff is looking for.

�Early this summer we were pretty rough around the edges. But our play got better the last two weeks of the summer and won 10-of-12 games,� Hart explained. �We really got into a rhythm and played very well.

�But right now, I don�t think we�ve gotten back to that level. We�re still a little slow in decision-making and our biggest concern is defense and rebounding.

Grass-roots program for a blossoming sport

LOWELL -- Up until two decades ago, Peter Pinto was a hockey referee who didn't know very much about lacrosse.

But that changed in a hurry once Pinto had an opportunity to officiate a few lacrosse games.

"I found lacrosse through hockey," said Pinto, 52, who grew up in Somerville. "I started officiating lacrosse about 20 years ago and the sport became an instant addiction. I no longer officiate hockey.

"Lacrosse is such a great game to watch. It's quick. It's a tough sport. The most impressive thing about the sport is the ball movement. Watching the way players pass the ball. To be running as fast as you can and zip the ball while on the move to a teammate like it's a laser is really something to see."

Eventually, officiating lacrosse games turned into a labor love, one that Pinto wanted to share with as many young players as possible.

Lights back on at Boys and Girls Club

LAS CRUCES - The dire financial straits at the Boys and Girls Club of Las Cruces have eased a bit - the lights are back on and the heat is running - but the group still is in need of any assistance the community can provide.

A recently awarded $20,000 state grant "will buy us a little bit of time," said local club CEO Clint Ziehl. In addition, the community provided enough donations to pay a $2,800 electricity bill and get the lights turned back on, and a Nov. 15 fundraiser at Glenn Cutter Jewelers & Gallery raised some money.

"It's still really tight. We're budgeting the best we can and cutting out all the expenditures we can," Ziehl said. Those include salaries - the club has hired work-study students to replace full-time paid staff members.

One thing Ziehl refuses to cut are club scholarships.

Is this the season the Lake's late show doesn't lack?

Games are under way across the state in boys' hockey. Before we know it, we'll be talking about that annual winter storm that seems to strike the area each year during tournament time. But with the season still young, here are a few story lines and notes to get you going.

Wood is first-team All-American

• Penn State's Kiersten Wood, a senior from Warwick, was named to the NCAA Division I All-America first team in field hockey last week.

Wood, a midfielder, had six goals and five assists for 17 points for the Nittany Lions (16-8).

Penn State (16-8) beat No. 3 Maryland and No. 2 Wake Forest before falling to No. 1 North Carolina 3-0 in the NCAA title game last Sunday in College Park, Md.

Wood was one of four Lancaster County players named to the All-America team, which is voted on by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

Temple's Alli Lokey, a senior from Elizabethtown, was a second-team selection. Lokey, a midfielder, led the Owls with 18 goals and 10 assists for 46 points.

Iowa's Meghan Beamesderfer and Michigan's Paige Laytos, both sophomores from Warwick, were named to the third team.