Continuation of Abrakadabra / Blog Moves on to Discuss Varsity Ice Hockey Teams

As the weather turns colder many people in the Portledge community get a big smile on their face because they know it means the start of hockey season. Hockey is a big part of this small school it and has been from the institutions early days. Few people realize that two Portledge graduates were back to back captains of the Cornell University Mens Ice Hockey team in 2002 and 2003, or that two Portledge alums Doug Murray '98 and Eric Nystrom '01 are currently playing in the Nat'l Hockey League, while several others, such as Will Bodine '99, Ryan Vesce '00, Bob Goepfort '00 and Gerard Miller '01, play professionally in the North American minor leagues or in the elite leagues of Europe. In addition, three Portledge graduates, Lois Liotti '03, Garret Vassel '03 and Danny Markowitz '06, are currently among the top collegiate players in the nation, leading their teams at Northeastern, RPI and Dartmouth, respectively. Then there are all the other great players like Evan Wax '99, who starred at Yale, and Kenny Turano '99, who was a four year letter winner at Harvard, that have come through the Portledge program. Even further back we could mention Keith Merkler '89 a Portledge Bowl and Slanetz Award winner who was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a collegiate star at Princeton, or Justin Ort '90, who after graduating from Portledge went on to be one of the all time leading scorers in the history of Williams College ice hockey. I guess you all get the picture, that there have been some incredible student athletes and tremendous teams throughout the relatively short history of the school. I do apologize for all those I left out, because there are so many other fantastic and accomplished athletes I failed to mention. One of those is our current Varsity Boys Assistant Coach and former Portledge Captain, Jon Sandos, who has returned to Portledge, after a wonderful four year hockey career at Cortland State, to contribute once again to the legacy of Portledge Hockey. So, let's get on with it and see what's up with this year's Varsity teams.

Can the Varsity Boys Team Make a Move Towards Returning Portledge Hockey to its 'Glory Days' ? ( *Thanks go to to the Boss for the Question)

Head Coach Mike Coope and Assistant Jon Sandos worked hard last year to rekindle the spirit of Portledge Hockey gone by. They received tremendous assistance from last year's captain Zack Lombardi '08, and our best wishes are with Zack, who after taking a year off after graduation is in the middle of the college selection process, and all the other Seniors from the Class of '08. This work really paid dividends as the 08-09 version of Portledge Hockey comes together. It is a relatively young team that has only two Seniors, assistant captain Tim Morrison and winger Renny Kraft, and two Juniors, team captains David Wilson and Sal Magliocco. These four provide the leadership base that is necessary to build a program up. They have all been through many tough games and are very happy, and committed, to seeing the program rise once again. Joining with Morrison and Kraft in the team's attack is the young line made up of of Sophomores Kurt Krotz and Ori Benyamini and Freshman winger Matt Crockett. Both Benyamini and Crockett have older brothers who were successful Portledge Hockey players before them, and it is nice to see this continuity in the program. This is a talented line that has already demonstrated that it can dominate a game even at the highest levels. Playing along side Morrison on another line are Freshmen Brendan "the Governor" McGovern and slick stick handling winger Jesse Schandler. This has also been a great line so far, and gives the offense a real one/two punch. Anyone who knows real Prep School Hockey though, realizes you are only as strong as your third unit. After some fine tuning the coaches made a bold move by pairing returning Sophomore Tom Parise, one of the team's most experienced players, with Sophomore Stephen DiBartolomeo and Senior Renny Kraft. During the Princeton Day Tournament this line worked great together as Parise, who also plays point on the power play, went on to receive recognition ( The Christopher Reeve Award ) as one of the Tournament's top players. A host of other forwards including Junior Sam Cohen and Sophomores Ryan Murray and Anthony Pergola, Freshman Daylin Frantin and 8th grader Dylan Stuart will keep the pressure on the top nine by all consistently making a case for playing time.

On defense the team is anchored by co captain Wilson, but he has a great deal of help in the form of Sophomores Ron Fishman, Ryan Gottfried, Pat Condon and Matt Janketic. The coaches are also developing an even younger core of defensemen that includes Freshmen Matt Sullivan, Zach Pilson and Andrew Reiter, as well as early season surprise, 8th grader Michael Conslato. Behind all of this is returning keeper and team captain Sal Magliocco. If " Mags " can produce the type of netminding we saw last year, this will be a tough team to beat. So far, after early season victories over Fairlawn High and Rye Country Day the young team ran into some really competitive play in losing to Brunswick and Millbrook. Then came the early season highlight of a championship win in the Annual Princeton Day School Invitational Tournament. The Panther's victories over Holy Ghost Academy from Philadelphia and the host school, PDS, brought Portledge its third ever PDS Tournament trophy. The other times Portledge captured this prestigious crown came in 1986 and 1997. Both of these championships propelled the program onto some great runs of form. Hopefully that is what will happen now!!!!

Can the Varsity Girls Team Recapture its Amazing Play of a Year Ago?

We must start the section of the blog by stating that for the first time ever there is a young lady that can be spoken about in the same way as all of the aforementioned former stars of Portledge Hockey. There is no doubt that she will receive many accolades throughout the season, she already has orchestrated a huge early season win over Canterbury that avenged last year's only loss not to Mo' Beard, but it would be remiss if we didn't start the recognition here. You see, I'm not sure there would still be a Portledge Girls Ice Hockey program without the contributions of Siena Falino. She is the last remaining member of the six original girls hockey players who started the program six years ago, and with all due respect to Jess Sarrantonio and Kelly Alefeld, both former recipients of the Craigmyle Award for contributions to girls hockey, it is Siena Falino who put Portledge Girls Hockey on the map. She is regarded as one of the top, if not the top, female player under 19 in New York State. Her decision to remain at Portledge for her prep school career drew other girls to the program, and her subsequent leadership of these players has been unparalleled in all my years of coaching secondary school sports. I have seen Siena, or "C" as she is known around campus, do some amazing things on the ice, but it is really the kind and respectful way she goes about her day to day interactions with everyone that has left such a positive mark on our school. It looks like Siena will be playing her college hockey at Northeastern University; we wish her the best of luck, and strongly recommend that you mark off Monday, January 26th on your calendars, as this will be the last time you will be able to see Siena grace the ice down at Beaver Dam as a member of the Portledge Girls Ice Hockey team.

As great a player as Siena is, she could not have reached a mark of 14 wins and 3 losses last year all by herself. Whenever Siena is on the ice, you can usually find her trusted sidekick Addie Reilly on the wing. Reilly has become an excellent prep school ice hockey player and demonstrated her significance to the team by scoring a huge short handed goal in the third period of the big early season win over Canterbury. Addie is tough in the corners, faster than you think, and has a wicked shot. When Falino and Reilly are not on the ice, the forward tandem of Sophomores Ashley Wade and Alyssa Parke usually are. This dynamic duo is incredible at controlling the puck in the offensive zone, as they regularly cycle it between themselves, eventually drawing down the forwards and opening up the points for wide open shots. These two really love to play the game and are definitely a major part of this year's team. When she is not out there on defense, Maria Robbins can be found playing wing on one of these two lines and getting involved in the play in front of the net, and when she is at the point....watch out for the boomer as she loves to let go of the big slap shot. Freshman Katherine Gahagan is working hard to learn the game and contribute up front, as are Sophomores Sophie Steell and Ali James.

On defense the Lady Panthers are led by the returning duo of Junior Emily Prey and Sophomore Chelsea Caracciolo. Caracciolo was an WHILMA All League First Team choice last year and Prey can skate the puck out of the zone with the best of them. Added to these two fine players is 8th grader Erin Brand. Although she is the youngest player on the team, Brand is one of the most well rounded. She skates, passes, shoots and plays defense like a veteran and has certainly earned her spot at crunch time. Another newcomer to Portledge Girls Hockey is goaltender Olivia Rivera. Rivera is a top notch student as well as an accomplished goalie. She has brought a tremendous amount of athleticism to the Porledge cage and I look for her to be a key down the stretch.

Led by the fine play of Falino and the emerging scoring power of the Wade and Parke line, the Lady Panthers cruised through their early season schedule by notching wins over prep school powers Rye Country Day and Canterbury and registering victories over league foes Princeton High and The Hill School. In the case of the league games, both opponents thought before the game that they had closed the gap on the Lady Panthers from last year, only to find out that this year's version is faster and more well balanced than its predecessor. The girls finished off the pre break part of their schedule by competing in the Deerfield School Holiday Invitational. At this tournament the Portledge girls played against some of the toughest girls ice hockey teams in North America, and even though they were winless in four games, everyone who saw the games said that they played well and gained some excellent experience as they move forward in hopes of capturing a Mid Atlantic Championship. We all know, however, that this road runs through a little town in New Jersey called Morristown. The girls will return to play a big week of hockey against Rye Country Day, Shaddy Side and Holten Arms all on the road, followed by critical mid season games at Lawrenceville and Millbrook, before welcoming Mo' Beard to Beaver Dam on January 26th (4:00pm) for the first of two regular season meetings with the Crimson.

A big congratulations goes out to Mrs. Zoe Schwam for putting together such a great team, as well as a heartfelt 'welcome on board' to Mr. Ian Wisotsky, who has also joined the ice hockey coaching staff at Portledge.

One last note, come out to see the Portledge Middle School Little Panthers as they will compete every Thursday after holiday break down at Beaver Dam in the newly formed Middle School Ice Hockey League. The league includes Portledge, Green Vale, East Woods and Friends Academy and there will be two games every Thursday under the roof; one at 3:45, and another at 5:00. Check to see which time Portledge will play every week and come on down!!

Abrakadabra....The Hey Hills blog is like magic / After a long post fall season hiatus the Portledge Athletics blog is back!!

A very special Holidays and New Year Greetings to everyone and anyone out there who might occasionally find a little time to check out the Hey Hills blog. I'd like to take a quick moment to throw out a very special thanks to The Portledge School's Director of Communications and Marketing, Susan Pagano. It was Susan who came to me last fall with the idea of writing a blog. She had read a few things I had written and thought a blog would be a great fit for the school and me. Well at the time, I didn't really know what a blog was, but after a little research and some wonderful enthusiasm and coaching from Susan, we decided to give it a try and the rest has been history, as they say. Certainly, no pun intended. I would also like to give a special bit of thanks and good wishes for the health and speedy recovery of our beloved former Headmaster, Huson Gregory. Mr. Gregory went through a difficult spell in early December, but I know he is feeling much better now, because I am once again receiving a steady stream of emails from Cape Cod regarding life at the school and the progress of the Portledge ice hockey teams. Best to you, Hugh and Mimi, our thoughts are with you.

What's Going On with the Start of Winter Sports?

After a tremendous amount of organizational thought, and a huge amount of thanks goes out to Mrs. Zoe Schwam for all her help in putting together all of the logistics for the Winter Sports Season, we are off and running with some awesome athletic events. On almost any day throughout the winter you can catch some great Portledge athletes in action. So, I encourage you all to get down to the gym , or rink, or up to the lower school gym to catch some hoops, hockey or fencing, and if you are really committed, you can travel into NYC to see our wonderful squash team compete against the finest schools in the city. I will try to give a little overview of how all the upper school programs have started off their seasons, as well as mention some of the major games coming up for all the teams.

How Have Things Begun for the New Varsity Girls Basketball Coaches and Their Players?

Well, we are starting a new era in Girls Basketball at Portledge. After a successful run of four years Head Coach and Portledge alum Katie Henry passed on the leadership of the girls basketball program to Mr. Skip Amadio. Amadio has a good deal of prior coaching experience working with both girls and boys at the Varsity level during his teaching days in New Hampshire. Mr. Amadio and his top assistant, Mr. Nick Woll, who is also Head Coaching the JV Girls team, have brought a strong work ethic to the program. When you see this team play defense their desire and commitment to success is evident. On the floor, the unquestioned leader is point guard Monique Kelly. When the ball is in Kelly's hands the Lady Panthers are very solid. Her combination of playmaking and scoring ability has been a key to the team's early season success. Joining Kelly as Co Captain in Junior center Akanksha Trivedi. The "A Train", as she is known along coaches row, can dominate a game inside like no one else in IPPSAL can. Consistency will be her goal, as Akanksha continues her development as a top player in the league. Two other key players for the Lady Panthers are juniors Robyn Worrall and Claudia Rogers. These two share the ball handling responsibilities with Kelly, and provide a tremendous amount of energy on the floor. As their respective shooting touches improve, their play will be the key to a late season run by the Portledge girls. Senior Leah Heffernan has shown that when healthy, she can make a tough fifteen footer. Problem is that Leah's ankle has been a bit of a problem all season and has limited her opportunities to contribute. We are hoping that with a few weeks off, Leah will come back feeling stronger and making jumpers. Junior Marian Juste and Freshman Alexa Lodenquai round out what is a bit of a thin rotation for Mr. Amadio as he waits for other players to step forward and earn playing time at the Varsity level.

It was a fast start for the Lady Panthers as they began the season with back to back pre Thanksgiving, league, wins over Waldorf and Solomon Schechter. After some tough losses at the Martin Luther Tournament, and to defending League champ OSNA, the Portledge girls rebounded by defeating Knox in the semi final of the Portledge Invitational before losing a hard fought contest to a very experienced and polished Martin Luther team in an exciting Championship game. Martin Luther's veteran Head Coach, Ann Boyle, commented on how much the Portledge girls improved from one weekend till the next. This is certainly something that bodes well for the future. The Lady Panthers then went on to defeat Upper Room away from home in a critical early season league game, before dropping a tough friendly to Friends Academy at Wellington Gym. The girls broke for the holidays with a solid mark of 4 wins and 5 losses and real sense of confidence about the rest of the season. A spot in the IPPSAL playoffs, with hopes of competing in the IPPSAL Championship game, are some things that can be thought about. The Lady Panthers have two critical league games at the end of the first week back from break, both away from home on 1/8 & 1/9 at Lawrence Woodmere and Mill Neck, respectively. Yet another special thanks should go out to Miss Kelly Luken who has stepped forward to help Mr. Amadio and Mr. Woll with the Girls Basketball program on game days.

Is There Really JV Girls Basketball at Portledge?

The answer to that question is...absolutely!!! Under the direction of Mr. Nick Woll a dedicated group of 10-12 girls has been getting on the court, whenever they can, to prepare for competition in the challenging JV Bracket of PSAA Girls Basketball. While they have dropped their first two contests, look for this team to improve as the season goes on, and hopefully snatch a few hard fought wins from some of their very strong competition.

How Has the Varsity Boys Team Rebounded From Losing So Many Players to Graduation?

Last season the senior trio Kai Stoll, Reid Ericson and Ray Weinmann gave Portledge one of the best front lines in their demanding league. Having lost those players , as well as senior Dan Duffy, the Varsity Boys team was only returning two players, Senior Aaron Lee and Junior Mark Dourmashkin, who saw meaningful playing time last year. Thus, the term 'rebuilding' was being thrown around the gym, yet again. A funny thing has happened though as a group of Juniors that includes Ben Shapiro, Jon Brailsford, Bashir Desgrottes and Vishal Chinchwadkar has stepped up to provide the Panthers with some outstanding play. The inside play of Ben Shapiro has been particularly impressive as has been the strong leadership and great outside shooting from the aforementioned Lee and Dourmashkin, respectively. The Portledge faithful have been treated to some great basketball and there is no reason why it can't continue into the New Year. While their record is only 3 wins and 5 losses, some of the losses have come in extremely close games such as the Portledge Tournament final when Mark Dourmashkin's last second shot rang off the iron sealing a two point win for a talented Lake Grove team. This group is really coming together and I will not be surprised when they fight through a challenging league schedule to earn a coveted spot in the IPPSAL playoffs. Now that Upper Room's semi professional team is no longer competing in IPPSAL play, a playoff spot comes with a legitimate chance to be IPPSAL Champion. Some other key contributors will be Sohpomore forward and energy machine Adeola Adegbite, creative Sophomore forward/guard Steven Dourmashkin and slick shooting Freshman Nick Lobley, who was recently promoted from JV to provide a bit more outside scoring.

The Panthers have critical games with Lexington and Kew Forest on the road, 1/7 and 1/12 respectively, before returning to Wellington Gym for back to back games with Solomon Schechter and Valley Stream Christian on 1/14 and 1/15. Good luck to Mr. Sandoval and all the guys as they "shoot" for the playoffs.

What's Happening With JV Boys Hoops?

Everyone knows, and this is no joke, that the most difficult league of all is the IPPSAL JV Boys Basketball Bracket. It requires and 18 game regular season league schedule (+ the Portledge JV Boys always play the Columbia Prep JV Boys twice each winter) that is very challenging in that some of the teams are the varsity teams of smaller schools, as well as JV teams that come from schools where basketball is the ONLY major sport. That being said, every year Portledge is lucky to have Mr. Erion Clark to work with our JV Boys team and teach them the game of basketball. Mr. Clark does a great job of working the players around the court and getting them to understand the game. So far the team has 2 wins and 5 losses, but their overall play has been excellent. Many of the players, including Freshmen Ben Fortgang, Yousef Macer, Eric Diamataris, TJ Roberts, Zach Hescheles and Joey Brambil, have a bright future in the Portledge Basketball program. If you want to see some students have a great time and support each other to the fullest, come on down and see a JV Boys hoops game. You can catch the team at home on the 7th and the 8th of January.

Well......that's a lot of blogging. I'm going to post this and I'll be back tomorrow to discuss the upper school Ice Hockey, Fencing and Squash teams. All for now... and peace be with you.

It Was Like Amazing, Incredible and Totally Awesome/ Full Recap of Portledge School Fall Sports Season

Well what can you say when there is so much to say? First of all, some recognition of all the hard work, effort and sportsmanship that went into this fall sports season on everyone's part is necessary. As the Director of Athletics I couldn't be more proud of our entire program as I am at the conclusion of this last sports season. From the amazing organizational effort of the Assistant Director of Athletics and Athletic Department Associate, Mrs. Schwam and Mr. Sandoval, respectively, to the incredible sportsmanship exhibited by all of our coaches and players throughout what was a very competitive season of athletic contests, all I can think of is the catchy phrase, "like totally awesome". This is all I can think of because that's exactly what it was...totally awesome. I must also mention the fantastic support our teams received from all the fans of Portledge Athletics. Students, parents, grandparents and friends filled the soccer sidelines, the cross country courses and the tennis stands with cheers for our booters, runners and swatters. On occasion their devotion was challenged by some difficult weather, but the wild cheering for our Portledge athletes always prevailed. So in the end, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all, for your continued support of Portledge Athletics.

How Did Things End Up for the Varsity Soccer Teams?

Going back to one of my title words, amazing, is appropriate when describing the achievements of our Varsity Soccer programs. For the second year in a row both the Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams were selected to participate in the NYSAISAA Championship Tournaments. Last year, along with the Riverdale Country School, we were one of only two schools to warrant this distinction. This year, however, only Portledge qualified both its girls and boys for these prestigious competitions. The fact that many of the school's in the running for these coveted spots are twice, and in some cases three times the size of Portledge, makes this accomplishment even that much more amazing. While our sides were eliminated in the quarterfinals of both tournaments, and we continue to search and desire our first ever semifinal berth, one cannot help but be amazed at the consistency and overall quality of Portledge Soccer. It is something our school and community can be proud of and continue to buil;d around in the future. A few individual accomplishments deserve special recognition. Senior captains Aaron Lee and Trevor Wolfson were both named All League for their tremendous play an incredible leadership. In addition, Trevor Wolfson was selected by the IPPSAL Boys Soccer coaches as Player of the Year in IPPSAL Boys Soccer. On the girls side of things, Junior Claudia Rogers and Senior Alex Siwiec were chosen by the coaches of the PSAA Girls Soccer League as All League players. A well deserved congratulations goes out to all the coaches and players of the Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer teams for this incredible season.

Was the Varsity Girls Tennis Team Able to Regain the IPPSAL Girls Tennis Championship?

A great amount of respect for all their hard work stands behind the resounding answer of YES to that question. Under the cool and calm guidance of Head Coach Henry Stay the Portledge Girls Tennis team returned to the top spot in IPPSAL Girls Tennis. The final match was a very competitive battle with our cross town rival Long Island Lutheran that ended with a individual match score of four wins to one loss in Portledge's favor. This makes six championships in the last seven years and a totally awesome record of thirteen total championships for Portledge's most historically successful program. Special congratulations goes out to Senior captain Siena Falino who as the PANTHER'S #1 player received the IPPSAL Player of the Year Award. Way to go girls...now let's make it seven out of eight.

How Did the Cross Country Team Do in the IPPSAL and PSAA Championships?

The development of the Varsity Cross Country team at Portledge School is directly tied to the enthusiasm and dedication of our incredible Head Coach, Dr. David Sarles. Under his steady and compassionate hand the Portledge runners are quickly developing into a force on the metropolitan independent school running scene. Freshman Isabella Muratore and Sophomore Millie Stallings have emerged as excellent harriers, while the boys have been paced by the strong efforts of Junior Alan Phipps. In addition to these exceptional athletes a slew of improving runners is ready to take on all comers over the cross country courses of the metropolitan area. While there were no "totally awesome" finishes at the championship meets, the Portledge team put forth some surprisingly consistent performances to place within the top three IPPSAL schools and in the top ten of the more numerous and more competitive PSAA schools. These are great signs for next year as 90% of the Portledge runners will return to race again!

Does Portledge Have Junior Varsity Soccer Teams, and If So, How Did They Do?

I have to admit that the JV Girls and Boys Soccer teams did not get as much attention in the blog this fall as they deserved. Sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day to chronicle all the athletic happenings here at Portledge on a regular basis. That being said, I sure try my best! The interesting thing is that Portledge alums would not even know about the existence of JV teams here at Portledge. They are relatively new, heck the Varsity Girls team is only six years old, and they are still really in the developmental stage. Regardless, I saw many a JV game this fall, including the historic first ever win for the JV Girls program, and the quality of the play and the great spirit of the athletes was amazing. Many of these players will eventually be filling our Varsity sides and doing so with incredible skill and "totally awesome" enthusiasm. Having coached high school sports for twenty years, that bus ride back from the JV Girls win over Chapin was one of the best I've ever been on. It was full of joy and recognition of a great team effort that all the girls were proud off. Many of these same feelings were present when the JV Boys team cam back to defeat the JV side of Columbia Prep after having been beaten earlier in the year. These type of accomplishments, as well as the day to day commitment and sacrifice necessary to be part of a team, fuel the development of our student athletes as overall and complete individuals in our society.

In conclusion, I would like to throw out a special thanks to all the coaches who worked so hard in the Upper School athletic program this fall. We certainly couldn't have all these great stories without your contributions. Well I'm off to watch the Varsity Boys Hockey team take on Rye Country Day, but I will be back to blogging later this weekend and will post a full recap of Middle School Fall Sports soon. All for now....and everyone enjoy their TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!

Future and Missed Opportunities/ Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer Teams Prepare for NYSAISAA Tournaments Following Bitter Playoff Defeats

Even though both sides endured tough loses in their league playoffs, with the Varsity Girls team falling to Berkeley Carroll by a score of 1-0 in OT in a PSAA Girls Soccer semi final and the Boys coming up short by 2-1 score in the IPPSAL Division I Boys Soccer Championship Game, the supporters of Portledge soccer can take great pride in threi program because for the second year in a row both the Portledge Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams have been selected to participate in the NYSAISAA Girls and Boys Soccer Tournaments. Over forty independent schools from across New York state apply for participation in these prestigious competitions, and every year most schools are dissappointed at not being selected. Each of these Independent School State Championship Tournaments is comprised of only eight schools and the selection process is a complex one that takes into account overall wins and losses, head to head competition, as well as strength of schedule and closing season form. Much like the selection of teams for the NCAA March Madness Mens Basketball Tournament there are always schools that are on the bubble and are upset at not being included. Last year only Portledge and the Riverdale Country School, a longtime soccer powerhouse from the Bronx, had both their girls and boys teams selected to participate, and this year only Portledge can claim this amazing distinction. The Lady Panthers, seeded 7th for the second year in a row, face this year's PSAA regular season and tournament champion Staten Island Academy, seeded 2nd overall, in a quarter final match on Thursday, Nov 5th. The game will be played at the College of Staten Island and kickoff will be 2:45. The Portledge Varsity Boys team, seeded an impressive 4th in the their draw, will be at home in a quarterfinal match up with the Dalton School of NYC. This game will also be on Thursday, Nov 5th and likewise kickoff will be at 2:45. A heartfelt congratulations goes out to all the Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer players at Portledge. I know how much both teams wanted to be league champions this fall, but unfortunately, and because of tremendous play by their opponents, Berkeley Carroll and the Waldorf School of Garden City, respectively, it was not to be. Maybe the fall of 2009 will see our Panthers and Lady Panthers bring home dual league championships. In the meantime, however, we must all celebrate the achievement of our NYSAISAA selections and support our incredible sides as they both, once again, try to accomplish something no Portlege soccer team ever has...Making a semi final appearence at the State level. Good luck to Head Coaches Coope and Coleman, Assistant Coaches Luken and Meyers, and all the players as they go on to represent Portledge with such class and sportsmanship.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same/ Varsity Girls Tennis Reclaims IPPSAL Championship

Last fall, for the first time since the 01-02 school year, the Portledge Varsity Girls Tennis team did not win the IPPSAL Girls Tennis Championship. The school's five year hold on the IPPSAL trophy came to an end at the hands of Long Island Lutheran in a hard fought match that ended in LuHi's favor by an individual match score of 3-2. Even though the 07 season was considered to be a rebuilding year after the graduation of six long time Varsity players, including the amazing trio of Alyssa Ruiz, Skylar Kono and Alexa DePasquale, the loss still stung and the returning players vowed to return to the Championship match and then hang yet another IPPSAL Championship Banner in the Wellington Gym. Knowing that almost all of the team was returning, and having tremendous confidence in the coaching ability of Mr. Henry Stay, Portledge's resident teaching professional, the Athletic Dep't cleared some space on the Wellington Gym wall for that potential banner to reside. Well, that proved to be excellent foresight as the Lady Panther Raqueteers powered their way through the IPPSAL regular season with an undefeated mark, then set the stage for a showdown in the IPPSAL Championship with cross town rival Long Island Lutheran by winning two impressive non league contests against NYC Girls Tennis powerhouse The Dwight School

What Happened in the Championship Match?

The Portledge and LuHi Varsity Girls Tennis teams both have several excellent singles players, so both coaches had to chose the position of their players wisely. Portledge coach, Henry Stay, selected his most veteran player, Senior Sienna Falino (2008 IPPSAL Player of the Year), to lead the way in the #1 singles spot. Junior Elizabeth Girgenti would play #2 with Freshman Lisa Dourmashkin occupying the #3 spot. One of the teams most consistent players, Junior Robyn Worrall, would team with 8th grade rookie Lianna Starrantino as the #! doubles team, while Junior Steph Hegarty and 9th grader Rachael Scheinmann made up the #2 doubles combo. Stay proved to have the magic touch as the Lady Panthers stroked their way to a dominating victory, winning four of the five individual matches. Only Falino lost, and that was in a heated match that went to a tie breaker. Congratulations to Coach Stay and all the girls on bringing Portledge its record 13th Championship in Varsity Girls Tennis, and on reaching this achievement with great class and sportsmanship along the way.

It Was A Long Time In Coming/ Varsity Boys Soccer Wins Portledge Tournament for the First Time This Century

Yes... it was October, 1996 the last time the Portledge Varsity Boys Soccer team won its own Invitational Soccer Tournament. This dry spell is more about the level of competition Portledge invites to this annual fall celebration of boys prep soccer than any type of ineptitude by the Boys Soccer program. One of only two losses suffered by the 2003 IPPSAL Championship team came at the hands of Packer Collegiate in the final of the Portledge Tournament. Other recent winners of the Invitational have been Fieldston from the prestigious Ivy League, St Ann's from the tough ACIS, Rye Country Day who competes in the excellent New England Dvivsion II League, and of course Packer Collegiate, a perennial NYSAISAA Tournament qualifier that has won four of the last five Portledge Tournaments. Thus, it was with tempered optimism that the Portledge side entered this year's edition of what is possibly the best non post season independent school soccer tournament in the metropolitan area.

Everyone who was there knew that this contest between regular season champs was going to be a real battle. Packer Collegiate, representing the ACIS and still smarting a bit from last year's semi final upset, and Portledge, representing the sometimes overlooked IPPSAL group of schools, were both ready to lay it all on the line. The pace of the game and the level of play certainly did not disappoint as both sides went at each other with a measured ferocity and a skillfull display of passing. Back and forth the early play went until the Packer side started to really pressure the Portledge goal chance after chance. To its credit the Portledge defense, playing without Senior captain Mike McCloskey and with a resolute Daniel Leask in net, turned back wave after wave of Packer attacks. At the half the sides remained even in a scoreless draw. The start of the second half looked a lot like the first as the Packer side put great pressure on the Portledge defense, but then the first of an exciting series of events took place. A Portledge attack down the left side resulted in a throw in that was taken by Senior striker Trevor Wolfson. Wolfson sent one of his patented long throws towards the Packer goal and Junioor midfielder Mark Dourmashkin was there to head it past the Packer keeper and into the open net. Surely the only way for Portledge to win the game was to hold onto this 1-0 lead. Ahhh, but soccer is a strange game that can change in an instant. Things began to look bad for the Panthers when a beautiful Packer passing play forced the Portledge defense to take down the open Packer striker in the penalty area. Packer's #10 then calmly sent the PK into the back of the ol' onion bag and a feeling of dread came over the Portledge faithful. Surely the Panthers wouldn't be able to withstand the coming onslaught. Ahhh, but soccer is a strange game that can change in an instant, and that is just what happened this amazing afternoon on Sawyer Field. Senior Trevor Wolfson got hold of a loose ball in midfield and whirled towards his favorite right flank. Like a flash down the sideline he went past one Packer defender then another. All of a sudden, Wolfson cut the ball back to his left foot and sent a well placed shot towards the far side of the Packer net. When the side of the net bulged back, the Portledge supporters went wild in celebration. Moments later the final whistle blew and the Panthers were headed back to the final for the second year in a row. THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND WAS, "this time could they get done".

The air was heavy with the approach of a significant storm front as the Panthers took the field against the powder blue clad side from Columbia Prep. The team from the Upper West Side of NYC was eager to pay back the Panthers for a loss here at Sawyer Field earlier in the season. Unfortunately for the Lions of Columbia Prep there would be no revenge this day. First half goals by Wolfson and Sophomore Chris McCloskey pushed the Panthers to a 2-0 half time lead, and when Wolfson added another at the start of the second period the game was all but over. Sophomore Nic Leask and Senior Paul Maalouf added uneeded insurance goals to establish the final 5-0 score line. Congratulations to Coach Coleman and all the players on a great weekend of soccer. Now that you have a Portledge Tournament Plaque, let's go out and get an IPPSAL Championship Banner!!!!!!!!!!

Portledge will take on Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the IPPSAL Boys Soccer Semi Finals here at Portledge on Wednesday, October 29th (3:00pm).

Freshman Muratore Finishes First Among Female Runners for a Third Time This Season as Portledge X- Country Prepares for IPPSAL & PSAA Championships

Like a gazelle bursting out of some wooded cover, Portledge Freshman Cross Country runner Isabella Muratore has lept onto the stage of metropolitan area independent school running. Muratore has finished first among female runners in three of four IPPSAL meets this season. Her cool and calm demeanor serve to hide what is seemingly a real desire to compete and thrive on the cross country trails. It will be very interesting to see how Isabella fares when she lines up with girls from about thirty different schools in the PSAA Championships on November 5th at Van Cortleand Park in the Bronx. It is the first time Muratore will be running in what will be a strictly female race, as the girls will have a separate start from the boys at this prestigious meet. Before that race though, Portledge will try to better their 3rd place team finishes throughout the season at the IPPSAL Team and Individual Championships on the grass course at Eisenhower Park this coming Tuesday at 4:00pm.

Other Portledge runners who have had impressive seasons are Millie Stallings and Alan Phipps. Sophmore Stallings has consistently been among the top five female finishers at IPPSAL meets and has a 2nd and a 3rd place on her resume for this season. Sophmore Alan Phipps finished in 10th and 18th place, respectively, in the last two IPPSAL meets, and will certainly be looking for a top ten fnish in the Championship Run at Eisenhower. Good luck to the entire cross country team as they head into these two big meets.

Tough One to Swallow/ Varsity Girls Soundly Beaten at Home by Staten Island Academy

Some losses hurt a bit more tham others. This one was a real stinger. The Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer team went into this mid week match up with Staten Island Acaemy coming off of a great win at LWA and looking to secure a home game in the PSAA Varsity Girls Soccer playoffs for the first time since 2005. Unfortnately, nothing seemed to go the Lady Panthers way in this one as they eventually fell to the SIA girls by a score of 4-1. It was a funny game as Portledge dominated the early play but could not find the back of the ol' onion bag. Sophmore forwards Alex Devivo and Marian Juste both had excellent chances, each just missing open corners of the net. Then, a questionable penalty call against Portledge in their own box led to a successful SIA penalty kick and the Portledge girls found themselves down 1-0, even though they had controlled much off the possession. A second SIA goal just before the half really took the wind out of the Lady Panther sails though, as the girls seemed a bit lifeless as they took the field for the second half. Things got worse before they got better as SIA converted on two dead ball situations to make the score an insurmountable 4-0 with just about 25 minutes remaining. To their credit the Portledge girls did not give up though and when Junior Monique Kelly slipped around the SIA defense and goalie to deposit one in the SIA net anything seemed possible. The comeback was not to be though as the SIA girls regained their composure and killed off the remaining time with some impressive passing and team defense.

Now it is the Lady Panthers who must regroup. The result of the SIA game means that Portledge finishes 3rd in regular season PSAA Varsity Girls Soccer play, and while this does come with a fourth playoff apearance in the last five years, it will be on the road against Berkeley Carroll at the Prade Grounds in Brooklyn (Tuesday, October 28th @ 3:45). The Portledge girls have lost four straight there, and only Senior captain Alex Siwiec has ever walked off the Parade Ground fields a winner. Ironicaly, that 2-1 win came in an PSAA semi final game just like this game will be. Hopefully, captain Siwiec can lead her Lady Panther team mates to an upset over the BC team. That would be yet another great accomplishment in what has been an amazing soccer career here at Portledge by the eloquent senior midfielder. Win or lose on Tuesday, one cannot argue against the fact that Alex Siwiec is the most influential player in the history of Varsity Girls Soccer at Portledge. Her combination of speed, grace and power truly make her a joy to watch. So come on #10, take us on one more great play off ride as you play your last games with the Portledge crest over your heart.

" What a Beautiful Day" / Portledge Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer Teams Travel to South Shore to Participate in Homecoming Games at Lawrence Woodmere

That phrase, " what a beautiful day" was repeated over and over by Portledge players, coaches and fans all throughout this tremendous fall afternoon. The sky was bright blue, there was a slight chill to the air, and a generally steady breeze made "football" playing conditions challenging but also perfect at the same time. As always, there was gracious hospitality extended by the LWA community as the Portledge community was invited to participate in the LWA Homecoming by sampling some of the amazing international cooking that was available, and by sharing a cup of postgame hot chocolate with some of the LWA players. The competition was excellent, as both LWA teams were determined to play strong games on their home turf. In the end, everything combined to produce some incredible soccer wrapped in the tremendous atmosphere of autumm on Long Island.

What Happened in the Girls Game?

This contest between the LWA Tigers and the Portledge Lady Panthers was not for the faint of heart. It was a physical game loaded with hard challenges and rough play. The LWA was desperate to beat a top team and Portledge was the last quality side on their schedule. The Portledge team was attempting to rebuild their momentum after a tough loss the week before at BC and was committed to plaing a great game. The play went back and forth with both teams throwing themselves into the attack. Twice, during the first part of the first half, the LWA girls jumped out to a one goal lead, but both times their marks were answered by the strong right foot of Sophomore winger Ashley Wade. Wade's first response came off of an Alex Siwiec cross that feisty winger banged home from about ten yards out. Wade's second goal, that evened the score at two, was a right footed blast from about twenty five yards out that just caught the top corner of the net. On this play Wade was set free by a beautiful pass from Junior midfielder Claudia Rogers. Rogers was a fantastic player all day for the blue & white as she dominated the midfield with great tackles before moving back to sweeper to close out the game. Sometimes lost in the noteriety extended to the main goal scorers Claudia Rogers is the heart and soul of the Portledge girls soccer team. She plays wherever Coach Coope needs her to play and always gives an incredible effort. She is also tough as nails. Afact that was proved went she limped off the field afgter the last whistle because of the huge bruise on her leg. Yet as time had wound down, you would never have known she was injured in any way. LWA continued to assert themselves and eventually took a 3-2 lead into half time. In the second frme the Portledge girls came raoring back with goals by Junior Striker Addie Reilly and Senior captain Alex Siwiec. Then, with Rogers sweeping up in the back and some great goaltending by Junior Chelsea Estevez, the Lady Panthers held off one Tigers charge after another to secure an extremely hard fought 4-3 win. Second place and home field in the play offs is on the line when the Portledge girls next play on Wed, Oct 22nd v. Staten Island Academy @ HOME (4:00PM).

How Was the Match b/w the Portledge and LWA Varsity Boys Soccer Teams?

This match was one of speed and generally less physical tham the earlier Varsity Girls game. Twice during the first half Portledge's amazing Senior striker Trevor Wolfson took off on incredibly fast runs down the right side. The first of these ended with a little slip pass to a wide open Nic Leask in front of the LWA goal, which the calm,cool Sophmore midfielder easily deposited in the Tiger's net for a 1-0 Panther lead. Wolfson's second daring dash down the right came in the half's closing minute and culminated with a right footed blast the found the far side lower corner of the LWA goal and gave Portledge a 2-0 half time lead. The many Portledge fans in attendance saw more of the same in the second half as once again Wolfson freed himself with a freshly paced run down the right wing. This time the Senior captain's beautiful cross found left side midfielder Ashwin Chinchwadkar charging the far post and the result was Chichwadkar volley that made the score Portledge 3 and LWA 0. Thhe sides traded attacks over the last 3o minutes with each team netting one strike for a final score of 4-1 in the Panther's favor. This was a big win that built great momentum going into a hige week that would see the Portledge Varsity Boys Soccer team secure first place during IPPSAL regular season play and win the Portledge Invitational Soccer Tournament for the first time in over a decade.

Answer Regarding Question About Portledge v. Friends Soccer Game

The soccer game played b/w Portledge School and Friends Academy on Monday, Oct 6th was scheduled as a Varsity Boys Soccer match. It was scheduled by the Athletic Directors of both schools and counted as a regular season game that should be accounted for in the teams final overall records. I have no knowledge of who is a starter, and who is not a starter on the Friends Academy Varsity Boys Soccer team. All I know is that the team that came to Portledge that day was NOT the Friends Academy JV Boys Soccer team. Before the game, the Friends Academy Varsity coach did say that he would be playing his reserves more than usual, and, of course, that is his right and perogative to do so. Still, the game was scheduled, considered and reported as a Varsity match, as it should.

The tradition of this blog is that all comments be signed so as to make sure that all statements remain accurate and in the positive nature of independent school sports. That being said, I would ask whoever 27 is, to refrian from posting anything that has a contentious or adversarial tone. A simple congratulations Varsity Boys Soccer would be fine.

Rollin..Rollin...Rollin/ Varsity Boys Soccer Ups Overall Record to 7-1-3 with Impressive Tie v. UNIS and Victories Over SSDS and Friends Academy

The Portledge Varsity Boys Soccer team is on a roll. Their play of late is incredibly well balanced as this consistent side has mixed complicated attacking play with some good old fashioned hard nosed defense to boost their season record to a very lofty place. The Panthers have only been beaten once in ten games and currently stand at 7 wins, one loss and three ties. The latest draw came against ACIS powerhouse The United Nations School. The UNIS team boasted a fine record of their own, having only lost to Packer Collegiate, while playing the first half of a very challenging ACIS schedule. The Panthers trailed in this one by a score of 2-0 before thundering back with two second half goals to even the score. Even more impressive was the fact that it was the Panthers who were carrying the play in the final minutes as darkness slowly enveloped the "pitch". Junior keeper Daniel Leask was asked, however, to make an outstanding diving save as a last minute UNIS counter attack produced a dangerous chance to gain the result. The final horn sounded as both teams could barely see each other in the darkness, but knowing they had all played an excellent match of"football".

Obviously boosted by the UNIS result, the Panthers went on a two game tear last week beating last year's IPPSAL champs, SSDS, by a score of 7-0 and then handing our Duck Pond Road neighbors, Friends Academy, a 3-0 defeat. In their last five games ( LWA, Columbia Prep, SSDS, UNIS and Friends Academy ) the Panthers have scored 17 goals and given up only two. The fine overall play of a now healthy Mark Dourmashkin in midfield, and the tremendous consistency of the back four ( Seniors Aaron Lee and Mike McCloskey, Junior MJ Shin and Sophomore Vishal Chichwadkar ) have made this incredible play possible. Keep it up guys...we are all pulling for an IPPSALChampionship and a NYSAISAA berth in your future!!!

Cold Diplomacy Followed By a Bit of a Flame Out/ Varsity Girls Soccer Slams The United Nations School Before Losing to Defending League Champs BC

The last two games for the Varsity Girls Soccer team can certainly be considered as feast and famine. On Friday, Oct 3rd with the Varsity Girls and Boys teams from the United Nations School visiting beautiful Portledge, our Lady Panthers played some of their best soccer in defeating the UNIS girls 4-0. Junior striker Addie Reilly opened the scoring with an incredible left footed strike from just outside the penalty area as the Portledge girls carried the early play. Super sub Alex Devivo made it 2-0 when her right footed blast blew past the helpless UNIS keeper. As the game went on the Lady Panthers displayed some exquisite "football" as midfielders Claudia Rogers and Alex Siwiec controlled the ball and sent crisp passes through to a darting Monique Kelly on the right flank. In the second half 8th grader Ceci Mulry tacked down a Kelly cross and slipped a perfect pass to Siwiec at the top of the box. The Senior captain then sent a right footed rocket past the UNIS keeper making a huge bulge in the back of the ol' onion bag and Portledge led 3-0. Reilly added another as she maintains her remarkable scoring pace, and the Portledge faithful were all smiles on this afternoon.

Unfortunately, those smiles turned to frowns four days later as a confident Portledge Lady Panther team visited the Brooklyn Parade Grounds for a match against defending PSAA League champs Berkeley Carroll. The BC girls have had the Portledge girls number recently, winning two straight at the end of last year, after an early season 2-2 draw between these two quality sides. Things played out much the same this crisp fall day as BC scored mid way through the first frame, and then twice again in the second half to hand the Portledge girls only their second loss of the season. According to Head Coach Mr. Michael Coope, Portledge had some strong ball control, but could not generate any really good scoring opportunities as attack after attack sputtered just outside the BC penalty area. No woories though, hopefully the Lady Panthers will get another shot at the BC girls in either the PSAA playoffs, or possibly the NYSAISAA Championships, if their final record is strong enough to qualify.

The Portledge girls will be at HOME this coming Thursday v. Brooklyn Friends @4:30, before taking on PSAA rival LWA in a non league game at LWA's Homecoming on Saturday, Oct 18th. Kickoff at LWA will be @ 12:00. If this team sticks together, they have the potential to finish the season with some incredible accomplishments. Good luck girls....your fans are behind you all the way !!!

Even Steven With Much Work To Do/ Varsity Girls Tennis Stands at 3 and 3 and Will Play 7 Times Over 14 Days

The Portledge Varsity Girls Tennis team has played well overall, and is looking very good in IPPSAL Girls Tennis competition. While they have not beaten any of their tough non league opponents, they have been very competitive against teams such as Trinity and Rye Country Day. At the same time, the girls are unbeaten in IPPSAL play. Senior Siena Falino is currently playing #1 singles and is usually followed by Junior Elizabeth Girgenti as the #2. Several players, including Freshman Lisa Dourmashkin and Senior Robyn Worrall have alternated as the # 3 player with the doubles combinations being made up from a pool of players that include Lianna Starrantino, Rachael Scheinmann, Stehphanie Hegarty, Michelle Kerwick , Hannah Fortgang, Ali James and Tori Phillips. With so many quality players Head Coach Mr. Henry Stay always has a strong pool to chose from when he makes out his line up sheet. As stated in the title of the post, this team has a great deal of work ahead. Primarily because of some early season bad weather, the Portledge Lady Panther Swatters will play 7 times from Wednesday, Oct 15th through Tuesday, Oct 27th. Hopefully after all these matches they will be in position to play for the IPPSAL Girls Tennis Championship, which will be held here at Portledge on Thursday, Oct 30th @3:00pm. Please come out and see a tennis match and cheer our girls onto a possible sixth IPPSALChampionship in seven years. The next home match will be v. Dwight on Monday, Oct 20th @ 4:00pm.

Running Like the Wind/Varsity Cross Country Takes to the Course in First IPPSAL Meet of the Season

Perfect conditions prevailed for the first IPPSAL Varsity X-Country meet of the season. Portledge hosted this initial run, and the meet was contested over a new course laid out by the Head Coach, Dr. David Sarles, and yours truly. The new "track" is much more visible to fans, and is based on a wide series of winding turns that take advantage of the natural topography of the campus. Over 75 runners started the race with some 60 boys and 12 girls competing.

How Did the Portledge Runners Do?

The Portledge girls continued their strong performances from last fall by having two of the top three finishers. Freshman Isabella Muratore was second overall and Sophomore Millie Stallings was right behind her in third. If the girls can maintain these types of strong showings, Portledge might be able to challenge Martin Luther for the overall IPPSAL Championship.

The Portledge male runners also put in a strong showing by placing 2 competitors in the top twenty with Sophomore Alan Phipps finishing 12th overall and Junior Bryce Behar placing 19th among the 60 or so male runners. Eddie Huai, George Gage, and Henry Stallings also all ran well.

The Portledge runners finished 3rd overall out of seven schools, and will be looking to move into the top two at the next IPPSAL meet, which will also be held at Portledge on Tuesday, Oct 7th @4:15pm. Come on out to watch a great race and cheer our athletes on!

A Long and Winding Road/Portledge Soccer Teams of All Levels Are Victorious During Long Week of Play

Portledge School Played a total of 14 soccer games last week. Each of the Varsity teams played twice, as did all the Middle School teams, and there were midweek games on Wednesday featuring our improving JV programs.

What Kind of Week Did the Varsity Girls Soccer Team Have After Their Beautiful Play on Founder's Day?

The VGS team had a challenging week after competing three times the week before. First came a critical PSAA league game @ Home v. LuHi and that was followed by another home tussle against the always tough girls side from Columbia Prep. The game with LuHi was an incredible exhibition of soccer from both teams. Throughout the first half the sides traded attacks with both teams threatening to break through for an initial tally. Near the end of the first stanza LuHi appeared to have taken a 1-0 lead when an accurate cross was driven into the net by the Crusader striker, only to have the goal disallowed due to an offsides whistle. As the teams set up for the second half everyone in attendance knew they would be seeing a wild half of "football". The Portledge girls really pressed the issue with at least 15 minutes of relentless action around the LuHi penalty area. One corner kick after another had the black shirted defenders scrambling to deny the Portledge attempts on goal. Finally, Sophmore wing-half Ashley Wade's cross was defleted into the LuHi goal by Junior striker Monique Kelly and the pro Portledge crowd erupted into celebration. Soon after, Senior captain Alex Siwiec was off on one of her patented runs down the right side. Siwiec's eventual cross found an unmarked Alex Devivo in front of the LuHi net and the score was Lady Panthers 2 and Lady Crusaders 0. The girls from Old Brookville were not dead though, as they mounted a furious comeback that resulted in two Crusader tallies during the last ten minutes. The Portledge girls were shocked to see their lead evaporate, however, this tie might have taught them something about how to keep your composure and close out a game against a tough foe because two days later v. Columbia Prep the Lady Panthers found themselves in virtually the same situation. An Addie Reilly first half goal was the only mark on the scoreboard as the Portledge girls were clinging to a 1-0 lead with time winding down in the second half. This time though, great midfield play and ball control from the duo of Siwiec and Junior Claudia Rogers kept the ball away from the powder blue clad attackers and the home side went on to secure the positive 1-0 result. This will be a quiet week for the Lady Panthers with just one game, at Home v. United Nations School on Friday @ 4:15pm.

How Does the Varsity Boys Soccer Team Look Half Way Through Their Season?

Well, with eight regular season games played and eight remaining, the VBS team looks pretty good. They currently have a record 5 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties. They are in second spot in IPPSAL Boys Soccer, trailing only the undefeated Waldorf side that still has to go to both LWA and LuHi, as well as host our own Panthers during the second part of the season. Thus, an opportunity for an automatic bid to the NYSAISAA Tournament still is a possibility, but they probably must run the table in their four remaining IPPSAL games, plus get some help from either LWA or LuHi v. Waldorf. The great thing is that the team is playing some of the best boys soccer we have seen around here since the 04' team swept their IPPSAL opponents on the way to NYSAISAA participation. Last week saw the Panthers register back to back 4-0 wins over LuHi and Columbia Prep in what some are calling the best week of Portledge Boys Soccer ever. Senior striker Trevor Wolfson continues to lead the offensive way. Wolfson scored a combined five goals in the two games and assisted on some of the other tallies. Sophomore Chris McCloskey added a real touch of class in the LuHi game when he drilled a 45 yard shot past the Crusader keeper to stake Portledge to a 2-0 halftime lead. Portledge went on to add two second half goals, one each by Wolfson and McCloskey, to create the final 4-0 advantage. Against Columbia Prep, the game hung in the balance as the teams battled to a 0-0 halftime draw before Portledge exploded for four second half goals. Three came via the tremendous power and speed of Wolfson, and one from a Mike McCloskey header. The Panthers are really rolling as they enter a difficult stretch of games with an AWAY game SSDS on Thursday followed by a tough non league game with UNIS on Friday. Then, on Monday, October 6th, there will be a little bit of history made as Portledge Boys Soccer will take on the Varsity Boys team from Friends Academy in what will be the first Varsity Boys meeting of any kind between the schools in at least a decade. It's great to see this old rivalry reborn as a brand new "Locust Valley Darby". This little piece of local athletic history will be played at Portledge on Monday, Oct 6th at 4:30pm.

How Are the Portledge JV Soccer Teams Doing?

Although their combined record stands at 1 win and 5 losses, the play of the JV Girls and Boys Soccer teams is much improved from last year. Gone are the blowout defeats that have instead been replaced by some great soccer games in which our younger players can really develop. The JV Girls have lost all three of their games against Chapin, Waldorf (Varsity) and Poly Prep, respectively, but they have put up a strong fight in each. An excellent and well organized defense and great goaltending from Alyssa Parke have kept this young squad in every game so far. If their offense can come around and put a few bulges in the back of the ol' onion bag this team has the ability to win a few games down the stretch.

Over with the JV Boys things are really looking up. After hard fought losses to the JV Boys sides of Friends Seminary and Columbia Prep, the Portledge JV Boys team registered their first win of the year. The victory came against the Varsity side of Martin Luther High School. This was a quality side from the 2nd Division of the IPPSAL Varsity Boys Soccer League and the Portledge boys had to play a whale of a game to get the win. Freshman Matt Crockett was great throughout as he, with help from Freshman Ben Fortgang, controlled the midfield. The big goal scorer was another Freshman with a bright soccer future, Zach Hescheles. The "Zach Attack" connected twice in the 4-3 Portledge win. Another player who has demonstrated some scoring ability on the Portledge side is Sophomore Matteo Trentini. It was Trentini's header that was the difference in the game. The JV Boys next go home and home v. the Knox Varsity in what should be some excellent soccer games.

What's Up With the Middle School Soccer Teams?

Well the hottest Middle School soccer team right now is the 7/8 Boys. After a tough 3-0 opening game loss to LuHi, the 7/8 Boys have won two straight in convincing fashion. They turned in an incredible 3-0 domination of the Greenvale 7/8/9 team that was a joy to watch. 7th grade keeper Patrick Byrnes was solid in the net and the Portledge offense put consistent pressure on the Blue and Gold opponents. The boys followed this strong showing up with an equally impressive and very well balanced display of soccer v. the Holy Child 7/8 Boys. Portlegde clearly had the stronger side and Coach Arceri gave everyone quality minutes in the 2-1 win. Games with LWA and East Woods are in the near future for this strong team.

Both the 5/6 Girls and 5/6 Boys were also victorious over the opponents from Holy Child on this day that saw Portledge teams win a total of 5 out of 6 soccer contests. The 5/6 teams are well organized and seem poised for some solid seasons. Matches with the Buckley "A's" and return contests with Holy Child are coming up for these young sides.

Please check the Fall Season Schedule or just hit the Calendar tab on the home page of the website to get all the information concerning the when and where of Portledge Athletics. Also remember that on game days you can get up to the minute game info by calling the Athletic Hotline @ (516) 750 3162. Thanks for supporting our teams and we'll see you at "the pitch".

Way to Go Senora Edwards-Bourdrez and Portledge Athletes/ Ceremony to Honor Fine Educator and Play of Varsity Girls Soccer Highlight Founders Day

This past Saturday Portledge celebrated its Founders Day and 25 years of service by Spanish teacher and Middle School Dean Susan Edwards-Bourdrez. It has been a true pleasure to work with Senora Edwards-Bourdrez during my own twenty years at Portledge School. She is a model of professionalism, a tremendous leader among the faculty and someone who has always been supportive of the true values and ideals of independent school education. We congratulate Senora Edwards-Bourdrez on this celebration of her service, and wish her the best during what are hopefully many years to come at Portledge School.

The weather certainly cooperated with the full schedule of events during this Founders Day at Portledge. The sky was a royal blue, the sun golden and warming, and the slight breeze cooling and refreshing. Under these optimal conditions Portledge athletes played soccer, tennis and ran the cross country trails. While it would have been great to replace the 2-2 tie in Varsity Boys Soccer game with a win, there is still so much to celebrate from this fine day. Special thanks go out to Mr. Henry Stay and Dr. David Sarles who orchestrated and ran the Tennis and Cross Country events, respectively. These competitions were a great addition to Founders Day and we would not been able to pull them off without the contributions of these two wonderful gentlemen. So thanks guys and good luck with your teams as the fall athletic season goes on.

The highlight of the day has to be the exceptional play of the Varsity Girls Soccer team. Over the last few years a great rivalry has evolved between the Portledge and LWA girls soccer players. This rivalry is based on respect for one another built through some incredible games. In fact only one of the previous eight meetings between these two sides has been decided by more than one goal and that was a 3-1 win by the LWA girls at last year's Founders Day game. All of this makes Saturday's incredible 7-0 result all that much more amazing. LWA entered the game coming off of a thrilling 3-3 comeback tie v. LuHi and were looking to make an early positive statement in the PSAA Girls Soccer league. The Lady Panthers were ready though, as they took total control of the game early on, and never let LWA get going. Attacking with equal ferocity down both flanks the Portledge girls peppered the LWA box with one accurate cross after another. After a few nice saves by the Tiger's keeper, an Ashley Wade cross found the foot of Junior striker Mo Kelly, and Kelly's one timer made it 1-0 Portledge. Moments later captain Alex Siwiec made one of her patented runs out of the midfield and after breaking free down the left side sent a beautifully weighted ball to the other striker, Junior Addie Reilly. Ahead by two Coach Coope looked to his bench for even more spark and sent on super sub Alex Devivo. Within moments Devivo was off like a rocket down the right sideline. Her whistled cross found Reilly in front of the net and the strikers deflection made it a three goal lead for Portledge. Reilly then went on to put her own stamp on the game with two great displays of individual dribbling and shooting. Once just before half, and then again right after the break, she slipped in and around the LWA defense and deposited well aimed strikes into the Tiger's goal. Reilly's goals made 5-0 and put the game out of reach. The Lady Panthers added two late goals to illustrate their total control of the game. Special shout outs should also go to Junior midfielders Natalie Flammia and Claudia Rogers who played just behind Siwiec and totally controlled the middle of the pitch. No rest for the weary as the girls have a huge HOME game v. LuHi on Tuesday.

As stated earlier, the Varsity Boys team tied the LWA boys 2-2. The Panthers trailed by one twice during this hard fought contest-coming back in the last few minutes to achieve the final result. Once again Senior striker Trevor Wolfson paced the Panthers with some incredible individual efforts. His first goal was truly amazing as he outraced the entire LWA defense to a loose ball before drilling into the back of the net. Comebacks aside, the Portledge Boys Soccer team needs to get some wins against the other top teams in the league if they hope to earn an automatic spot in the state tournament, much less earn a home playoff spot in the IPPSAL Championships. A great start would be a convincing win tomorrow over Lu Hi on the road.

So much other fun stuff took place Saturday that it's almost overwhelming to try and describe it all. Both the JV Girls & their Dads v. the JV Boys and their Moms game, and the Alumni v. Faculty, games were entertaining and spirited. While it was rumored that the faculty brought in some ringers, that is false, as Mr. Davis, Mr. Juste Mr. Mott and Mr. George are all current Portledge parents. So better luck next year alums!

This was a great day......thanks again to everyone, especially Tara Askeland, whose calm demeanor and precision planning made everything run very smoothly.

What a Week/Portledge Teams Compete All Over in an Excting Week of Athletics Leading Up To Founders Day

There was a tremendous amount of great action this week as Portledge athletes took to the fields all over the metropolitan area.

Varsity Girls Soccer had an interesting week as they took on two strong non league opponents. On Monday, the Lady Panthers traveled to the Bronx for a challenging match with perennial NYSAISAA girls soccer powerhouse Riverdale Country School. The Bronx Bombers proved to be too strong and skilled for the Portledge girls at this point in the season, as they kicked their way to a 5-0 win over our beloved Lady Panthers. The day was important though in that it gave our girls a look at the top of independent school soccer and showed them where they have to go if they want to challenge for a league and state title. The game certainly made a strong impression on the girls who went back into training with a real sense of purpose. That purpose was then put on display yesterday as the team took the field at home against the Gators of Chapin School. The Portledge Girls were awesome as they played what in my opinion was their most complete game in several years. Junior striker Addie Reilly lead the way with two first half goals. The second came after a lovely give and go passing play with strike partner Monique Kelly. Kelly was dangerous all afternoon as she consistently made runs down the wing and sent great crosses into the box. Senior midfielder Alex Siwiec put the game out of reach just before the half when she made a tremendous run from out of the midfield and buried a rocket shot in the corner. Portledge played great team defense throughout the second stanza and Sophomore Alex Devivo added a goal after receiving a beautiful pass from Siwiec. The Lady Panthers look to be hitting on all cylinders as they prepare for a huge PSAA league game v. LWA on Founders Day @1:00pm. Come on out and cheer the girls on....they love your support!

It was a very productive and efficient week for the Varsity Boys Soccer team. In a two game home and home series v. OSNA the Panthers were twice victorious. On Tuesady in Centereach the boys rode some terrific play from Sophomore Steven Dourmashkin to a 4-1 win. "Stevie D", as he's known around campus, scored twice and dominated the right side of the field in leading the Panthers to the great result. In the return match played Thursday afternoon at Portledge, Senior Striker Trevor Wolfson put on a real show with two assists and a goal. Wolfson's play was particularly impressive since several other starters were out with injury. Not lost in all this offensive glory is the fine play of the back four. Senior captains Aaron Lee and Mike McCloskey, Junior MJ Shin and Sophmore Vishal "the Tiger" Chinchwadkar have become a very strong group in the rear. Panthers face a strong LWA team on Founders Day @ 1:00pm in a critical IPPSAL match up. Let's here the Portledge crowd roar in support of our boys.

From the world of Middle School soccer came a great effort from the 7/8 Girls team. Led by AMAZING PLAY from 7th grade goalie Lauren Dorsey, the Little Lady Panthers gave a much more experienced and technically superior LuHi squad all they could handle. While they lost by a score of 3-0, this group has the makings of a fine team. If you get the chance, come by next Tuesday to watch this team and their incredible goaltender play against Green Vale. You will not be disappointed!

Busy, Busy, Busy/ Many Teams Play This Week As Portledge Athletics Moves Towards Founders Day

It certainly will be a busy week in Portledge Athletics. Both Varsity Soccer teams have two contests during the week leading up to their big Founders Day match ups with their respective counterparts at Lawrence Woodmere Academy. The Girls and Boys JV Soccer teams both play twice during the week and Middle School Soccer "kicks" into gear as the 7/8 Girls and Boys teams both take on LuHi at HOME on Tuesday afternoon. There will also be three Varsity Girls Tennis matches played , as well as an intramural day for 5/6 soccer on Thursday. This all leads up to a full schedule of athletic events on Founders Day. One new Founders Day event will be the JV Boys Soccer team & their moms v. the JV Girls Soccer team & their dads game. This will start around noon and will be played on the Middle School soccer field. Hopefully you will all come out and see some of our Portledge parents mix it up on the soccer pitch with some of the underclassmen from the Upper School. As you can see there is plenty going on every afternoon. If you need to check a daily schedule go to portledge.org or just call the Athletic Dep't Hotline at 516 750 3162. I would like to thank Dr. Lustberg for his positive comments about the blog and I encourage all Hey Hills readers to comment/ask questions/give opinions....etc,etc. Just be mindful to be respectful and have fun with it.....I know I do.

Experiencing a Little Bit of Everything/ Varsity Boys Soccer Ties , Wins and Loses During Long First Week

It has been quite a start to the season for the Varsity Boys Soccer team. During a long and tough first week of games the Panthers squared of against the Lycee Francais School of NYC before taking on a pair of IPPSAL rivals in the form of Solomon Schechter and the Waldorf School. The contest v. LFNY was a rematch of last year's first round NYSAISAA Tournament pairing, a hard fought game that LFNY won by a score of 2-1. This time the Portledge boys vowed to be ready for their French counterparts, and they certainly were, as those who watched this excellent game on Sawyer Field could attest . The play was fast, precise and hearty as numerous slide tackles sent both LFNY and Portledge players sprawling. Although the Panthers controlled most of the early action it was LFNY that took the first lead of the game as they put a bulge in the back of the ol' onion bag near the end of the first half. The goal was actually a beautiful strike from the LFNY striker, who was not marked as closely as he should have been by the Portledge defenders. Things became a bit more worrisome when the LFNY striker notched his second on a toe poke of a loose ball in the box. Suddenly we were in the second half and Portledge trailed by two. The Panthers did not panic though, and kept the pressure on the LFNY side constant. Before long, Senior striker Trevor Wolfson broke free and perfectly slotted a shot past the helpless French goaler to bring Portledge within one. As time was winding down, Sophomore Chris McCloskey sent a sublimely weighted cross towards Sophomore Steven Dourmashkin, who was unmarked in the box. Just as Dourmashkin rose to head the ball into the net an LFNY defender crashed into his back and Portledge was awarded a penalty kick from the 12 yard spot. Sophmore Nic Leask left no doubt about it as he buried a fearsome blast in the side netting. With the score tied at two Portledge pushed for the game winner but it was not to be as the combatants had to settle for a 2-2 draw.

The second game of the week saw SSDS visit Sawyer Field for the first IPPSAL game of the season. While all the Portledge players were fantastic in this 7-3 win the highlights certainly belonged to Senior striker Paul Mallouf. Mallouf came on in the second half to bury three goals as the Panthers roared to victory. No garbage here as Mallouf's goals came on a header , a 20 yard blast and a perfect volley of a Steven Dourmashkin cross. Paul has played on the JV team for the last three years, so it was great to see him net his first, second and third Varsity goals in such magnificent succession. From now on this game will always be known as the Second Miracle of Mallouf. The first coming when a Freshman Paul netted an amazing thirty yard volley to help Portledge to its first ever JV Boys Soccer win back in September of 2005.

Maybe it was the long week that caught up with the Panthers.....maybe it was the absence of injured midfielder Mark Dourmashkin......or maybe it was the determined play of their opposition from Garden City, but it was something as the Panthers went down to a 2-1 defeat in the final game of the week v. Waldorf. The game was played during a driving rain storm reminiscent of a great English 'FOOTBALL' day. The conditions did not hamper play though, as both teams displayed a tremendous amount of poise and skill. Portledge had fought back to even the score at one when half way through the second stanza a ball slipped through the two Panther center halfs and onto the foot of the now open Waldorf striker. He made no mistake as his crisply netted shot putting the visiting team ahead 2-1. Portledge continued to press forward and put the pressure on. The Panthers were even granted a late game penalty shot, but somehow this was not to be their day as the Waldorf keeper turned back Nic Leask's effort from the spot, as well as any other chances that the Panthers mustered. This IPPSAL loss at home will be difficult, but not impossible, to overcome as the Portledge boys progress along in the season. Another challenging week awaits as the Panthers go home and home with Our Savior before a big Founders Day home fixture with LWA. Portlegde will be at OSNA on Tuesday (4:15), and will host on Thursday (4:15).

Where's the Professor, Maryanne,Ginger and The Howells ?

To see their enthusiasm on the sideline is refreshing. To see the comradeship among their players is exciting. To see them stand together though, is to see the Skipper and Gilligan in real life. Many of us over thirty have a special affinity for the old television program Gilligan's Island. One of the best things about that show was the friendship and interaction between Gilligan, played by Bob Denver , and the Skipper, played by Alan Hale. Their relative stature made for interesting by play between the two, and they always seemed to be up to something. The Skipper was the mentor and Gilligan was a good natured fellow , who always wanted to help someone out. Here at Portledge, coaching the JV Boys Soccer team we have our own Skipper and Gilligan "aka" Mr. Sandoval and Mr. Sandos, respectively. They are the best of friends and have a wonderful time working with the JV boys. Don't think their laughter during practice and games means they are not taking things seriously though. Portledge's Skipper and Gilligan have spent countless hours this fall studying the finer technical points of soccer with The Portledge soccer maestro, Varsity Boys Coach Mr. Kevin Coleman. Coach Coleman has taken the two under his wing and together the three of them, and Coach Coleman's able Varsity Assistant Mr. Pat Meyers, are building an excellent high school soccer program. The fact that we have well over 30 boys playing soccer in the Upper School is a testament to the enjoyment the program offers Portledge students. So when you hear Mr. Sandoval say, " wait a minute there little buddy", you're not on Gilligan's Island, but probably on the Portledge soccer "pitch" - that's English for field Mr. Sandos. Although they played very well in their opener against Friends Seminary, the JV Boys team went down to defeat 4-0. Don't worry though.... immediately after the game Sandoval and Sandos were seen huddling under one of the cherry blossoms with Coach Coleman, as the three went through an extensive debrief of the contests tactical aspects. The next home game for the JV Boys will be Tuesday v. Martin Luther (4:15).

Special Delivery/ Skill & Determination Mark Early Season Play of Varsity Girls Soccer

Right from the start of things one can see that the Varsity Girls Soccer team has a tremendous amount of skill. In both their games thus far, a 12-1 drubbing of LFNY and a hard fought 2-2 draw with Friends Seminary, the Lady Panthers have displayed excelent ball control and passing. Midfielders Alex Siwiec and Ashley Wade have controlled the play and allowed strikers Mo Kelly and Addie Reilly to really press forward in the attack. In addition, the backfield play of Natalie Flammia and Chelsea Caracciolo has been solid, steady and very impressive. Two new starters, Freshman Alexa Lodenquai and Sophomore Natalie Grey, have also contributed to the swift and accurate passing coming out from the backfield. Reilly netted four goals v. LFNY and Kelly added one, before Coach Coope brought on some younger players to finish off the game. Two of those youngsters, 8th grader Ceci Mulry and Sophomore Tatiana Parris each scored two goals as the LFNY game wound down. During the second game of the season, the draw with Friends Seminary, the team exhibited another important characteristic - determination. The play of goalie Chelsea Estevez was a prime example as the net minder dug deep to make several crucial saves during the last few minutes of play. One incredible early season side note came when Sophmore Ashley Wade took an elbow to the face that brought quite a bit of blood flowing from her nose. Somehow, with the help of Mr. Sandoval, Ashley was able to stop the bleeding without getting a single drop on her bright white game jersey. Now that's some skill! Good luck to the Lady Panthers as they face two tough non league opponents next week in the form of Riverdale (Monday) & Chapin (Thursday) with both matches on the road.

From the Trails to the Courts....and more.

Hi Hey Hills readers! Let's give you a little info about this year's Varsity Cross Country and Girls Tennis squads. The Portledge runners are over twenty strong this fall and hope to elevate their standing to the very top of the IPPSAL Cross Country league. Top female runners Delphine Starr and Millie Stallings return to lead an expanded group of girls as they navigate the twists and turns of the cross country season. On the boys side, Senior Nick Hagedorn and Sophomore Alan Phipps return with the strongest running resumes, but there is a host of young runners eager to challenge them, and the rest of the IPPSAL fields, for cross country supremacy. The Portledge team will host a short 2K run on Founders Day that is open to the entire Portledge Community, before opening their official season by hosting the first IPPSAL meet of the season on Wednesday, Sept 24th. Please come out and support these fine athletes.

What Does Coach Henry Stay Have on the Varsity Girls Tennis Team This Fall?

USTA teaching professional Henry Stay returns for his second season with the Varsity Girls Tennis program. After last year's rebuilding efforts, Coach Stay is optimistic he has a team that can return to the top of IPPSAL Girls Tennis. Of course that is the place where the Portledge girls are most comfortable, having won 12 of the last 15 IPPSAL Championships in Girls Tennis. Former coaches John McIlvain and Alex Rudback would be excited to see this year's group of players. Senior Siena Falino and Junior Elizabeth Girgenti return to lead the singles players, and should be supported in singles play by Sophomore Michelle Kerwick and Freshman Lisa Dourmashkin. Yes, that makes three Dourmashkins playing Varsity sports this fall. Lisa's brothers, Junior Mark and Sophomore Steven are both on the Varsity Boys Soccer team. The doubles pairings are still being worked on but should include various combinations of Liana Sarrantino, Rachel Scheinmann, Ali James, Tori Phillips, Akanksha Trivedi, Hannah Fortgang and Alison Herzig. Another experienced member of the team is Junior Robyn Worrall, who should be able to contribute both as a singles and doubles player. Thus, Coach Stay has a good many options as he fills out his line up card for each match. The Lady Panther netters take on Rye Country Day this afternoon @ HOME (4:15) in a tough non league opener before starting their IPPSAL schedule next week. Come out and see some great tennis from this potential league championship squad!

How Great are Secondary School Athletics?

Being in Wellington Gym yesterday before the Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams took to the field to face their respective sides from the Lycee Francais School of NYC was special. The Portledge players, male and female, were sitting around talking and wishing each other luck, while some others were getting a last minute tape job. Everyone, especially the coaches, was focused on the upcoming games and there was a palpable air of excitement in the building. Portledge Athletics has worked hard to create an environment that is competitive, but at the same time enjoyable and comfortable for the athletes. One that is based on good sportsmanship and strong support for your team mates. As I took in the scene yesterday, I could see these attitudes and feelings were present in the faces of the young athletes. It was a neat moment to slow down and enjoy what is going on around you.... All for now, and we hope to see you all out at some Portledge athletic events in the near future.

Here We Go Again!

Well it's fantastic to be blogging about the world of Portledge sports once again. I was hoping to get going much sooner because I had all sorts of theoretical observations about the reflective opportunities available during summertime. My musings concerning days at the beach and the intellectual illumination of a sunset will have to wait until next July though. When, hopefully, I take advantage of some of my off time to satisfy the frustrated writer that lives inside me. This past summer seemed to end just as it got going, but I guess that is just a symptom of not being as youthful as I once was. What did Jim Croce say, "if I could have time in a bottle" ? Well you would be a rich man Jim, because everyone would be coming to you to find out how to recapture all those past minutes and days.

The only good thing about the end of summer is that it means the return of Portledge sports and, in particular, the resumption of the game I like to call "true football", but what others often refer to as soccer. Along with that we have a robust bunch of runners taking to the cross country trails and a much rebuilt and revived Varsity Girls Tennis team. So as the title states, "here we go again".

What kind of team does Coach Coleman have with Varsity Boys Soccer?

After finishing first in regular season play last year , Coach Coleman's lads tasted the bitter pill of upset when they were ousted from the IPPSAL play offs by #4 seed, but eventual champion, Solomon Schechter Day School. Based on their fine overall record, the boys were still selected to compete in the NYSAIS Championships. They played well, but were beaten in the first round by the Lycee Francais School of NYC. The team should experience similar success this year in that many key starters return fot the Panther booters. Center back is manned by four year starter and co captain Aaron Lee and co captain Mike McCloskey. Junior Mark Dourmashkin and Sophomore Nic Leask will provide the transitional play through midfield and most of the scoring should come from the dynamic striker duo of Senior Trevor Wolfson and Sophomore Chris McCloskey. One huge key for the Panthers will be replacing Austin Prey in goal. Juniors Daniel Leask and Ben Shapiro have both been working hard during pre season and are ready to go guarding the woodwork. Ther are also some interesting new faces on the Varsity Boys team. Sophomore outside midfielder Steven Dourmashkin joins his older brother on the team and Junior MJ Shin returns to Portledge after a two year hiatus at boarding school. Shin's technical skill and strong shot should certainly help the Panthers ball control and overall play. The Chinchwadkar boys, Ashwin and Vishal, make up the third set of brothers on the team and definitely make Portledge Soccer a family affair. The Panthers have a big opening week as they face LFNY on Tuesday afternoon at HOME (4:15), followed by two more home games against SSDS and Waldorf on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Come on out and see this excellent team play.

Can the Varsity Girls team finaly break through and win a PSAA Championship?

After several years of knocking on the door, the potential for a championship team exists, but it certainly will not be easy with the likes of Berkeley Carrol, Lu Hi and Staten Island Academy standing in the way. Not only are those teams tough, but as always, all games played in PSAA Girls Soccer will be challenging. The Lady Panthers have a solid returning core though, as many starters come back looking for that elusive championship season. Senior Alex Siwiec, having moved into central midfield, will take part in her fifth girls soccer campaign and will be a critical cog in the side. She will be partnered in middle of the pitch by Sophomore Ashley Wade, who has had her playmaking responsibilities expanded for the coming season. Coach Coope will be looking for Juniors Monique Kelly and Addie Reilly to provide consistent scoring from up front, while Juniors Chelsea Caracciolo, Natalie Flammia and Claudia Rogers will all move around giving flank support and manning the defense. Junior Chelsea Estevez returns to the goal after an excellent Sophomore season. The girls have a tough back to back to open as they face LFNY on Tuesday - HOME (4:15), followed by Friends Seminary on Wednesday - HOME (4:15).

Check in tomorrow for previews of Varsity Girls Tennis and Varsity Cross Country!

Into Each Life A Little Rain Must Fall / Varsity Girls and Boys Lacrosse and Varsity Baseball All Lose Tough Semi Final Contests

Much like the dreary weather conditions of the last few days, which have caused the cancellation of numerous Middle School athletic contests, the mood of many Portledge Varsity athletes was dark and gloomy Monday evening. Earlier that afternoon the seasons of three Varsity teams had come to a close because of defeats in playoff contests. Players on each of these teams had dreams of celebrating championships with raucous pile ons in the middle of the field, followed by joyous bus rides home from the championship sites filled with laughter and lauding. Sadly, however, these dreams were not to be realized as the Portledge squads ran into obstacles that were too difficult to overcome. What should not be lost though in the deflation of defeat is an appreciation for, and a recognition of, the truly amazing effort and commitment that all the individuals who make up these athletic programs have put forward. I vividly remember coming to my office in the gym on a Sunday afternoon in February and, to my surprise, seeing Reid Erickson, Adam Kravietz and some of the other Panther hurlers throwing pitches to Mr. O'Rourke in preparation for the opening of baseball season. I also remember the Varsity Lacrosse teams gathering at 4:00am to catch their early morning flight to Florida, just so they could get in that one extra afternoon of practice in the warm weather. Because of some delays with their baggage, the Varsity Girls team was not ready to go over to the practice facility until around 11:00pm that night, but rather than go to bed and wait till the next day, the girls coaches, who did an amazing job all year, tracked down a bus and the team wound up practicing to well past midnight, only to be on the field again early the next morning. These are stories of true dedication to a shared purpose, that is to be the best you can be. Somehow athletics finds a way to bring this type of noble character out of all those that choose to participate. So while I hold some sadness in my heart that our teams were beaten on Monday afternoon, it is quickly replaced by the feelings of respect and pride I have concerning our Portledge athletes and their coaches. Don't you worry, plans for next year's spring training trips and Varsity scheduling making are already underway, and I can assure you that the Varsity Lacrosse teams, the Varsity Baseball team and the Varsity Boys Tennis and Varsity Golf teams will all be back looking, once again, to capture championships and unleash raucous celebrations. Let's hope we can all be part of one!

What Happened in the IPPSAL Varsity Boys Baseball Semi Final?

What happened was that a heavily favored Upper Room team received the scare of its life before finally cruising to victory over a young and eager Panther squad. Portledge "Ace" pitcher, Senior Reid Erickson, did a masterful job through the first four innings keeping the heavy hitting Upper Room line up off balance, and the Portledge offense managed to score a few runs gaainst what has beena dominant pitching staff all year. Then, with Portledge trailing by a score of 4-3 and the Upper Room bench getting a bit nervous, some of the Panthers inexperience began to show a bit. A few errors and some timely Upper Room hits later, the Big Red Machine of Dix Hills was on its way to the IPPSAL Championships (which they went on to win by a score of 13-4 over OSNA of Centereach). Most of the juniors and seniors on this Panther team have been with the baseball program since it began. They should all be very proud of their combined accomplishment of getting Portledge Baseball on the map and on its way up in the independent school ranks. With the arrival of many new faces from what is currently an undefeated 7/8 team next year, the Portledge Varsity Baseball team is certainly looking good going forward.

How Did the Varsity Girls Lacrosse Team of Hackley Manage to Defeat Our Promising Squad?

Sometimes in playoff competition it comes down to goaltending. This was one of the biggest reasons behind Hackley's victory. The black clad keeper made several incredible saves and played an all around great game in leading her team to victory by a score of 10-8 over the Lady Panthers. The Portledge girls really came together this year and saw the potential of what the Portledge Girls Lacrosse Program can become. Hackley has been a quality program, sending many players to Division I college teams, for a long time, and the Portledge girls played them hard all season defeating them once earlier, before losing the hard fought playoff contest. While the team will have to rebuild on defense a bit, the entire offense will return and should lead the way to another assault on the NYSAISAA Girls Lacrosse Championship.

What Happened in the NYMLA Semi Final Between the Portledge Varsity Lacrosse Team and Their Opponents, the Fordham Rams?

The most important play of this game might have occurred in the closing seconds of the Panther's 12-11 quarterfinal win over the Trinity School of NYC. That's when Portledge captain, face off man and star midfielder, Aaron Lee, went down with a broken collarbone. The Panthers had already lost another potential All American, Junior Tim Morrison, to the same injury half way through the season. The team had really come together since that injury and was playing some outstanding lacrosse. This time there just wasn't enough time to successfully make the necessary adjustments to compensate for the loss of such a fine player. The Panthers played a hard game v. Fordham, taking the lead early and pushing the pace of play, but in the end, without Lee's controlling presence in the midfield the deeper and very solid Fordham team proved to be a bit too much for the Panthers to handle. The final score of 7-5 illustrates how well the Panthers defense and Junior goalie Dan Duffy played, however, it wasn't enough as the offense struggled a bit against an excellent zone defense played by the aggressive Rams. While the team will miss the contributions of graduating Seniors Austin Prey (Academic All American), Christian Works (15 goal scorer), Alfred "Big Al" Vitsentzos, Zach Lombardi and Eric and Alain Mathieu, the returning cast of characters (and they certainly are that) is a strong one. So watch out NYMLA, because the Panthers will be a growling, hungry lot next spring.

Excitement Mounts/ Varsity Girls Lacrosse Wins Convincingly Following Boys Victory in Nail Biter

It was some weekend of lacrosse at Portledge School. Large crowds turned out to cheer on the Varsity Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams as they both competed in the quarterfinals of their respective athletic associations. Things got started on Saturday afternoon with the boys team facing Trinity School of NYC in a NYMLA quarterfinal match up, while on Sunday it was the girls turn as they took on Holy Child of Westchester in the quarter final game of the NYSAISAA Tournament.

What Happened in the Boys game on Saturday?

You could not have had a better day for a big lacrosse game than this past Saturday. The sky was blue, it wasn't too hot, and both teams were ready to score some goals. The Panthers came out a little flat and before long found themselves trailling 3-1 in the early going. Then the Portledge offense exploded as the Panthers registered a 7 goal second quarter. The highlight of the run came as the final seconds of the first half were ticking by. Junior defender Anker Johansan got the play going by forcing a turnover in the Panthers defensive zone. After Johansan recovered the ball it went on to touch five other players sticks before Junior Renny Kraft finally deposited the " rock" in the back of the Trinity net. This type of unselfish team play has been the hallmark of the Panther efforts over the last month or so.

Trinity gave the Panthers all they could handle in the second stanza as they fought back from 5 goals down to trail by only one in the closing minutes. Junior goalie Dan Duffy made some crucial saves as time ran out to preserve the Portledge victory, and now it's on to the semi finals and a date with an old Portledge boys lacrosse rival, Fordham Prep. GAMETIME is 4:30 on Monday, May 19th @ Portledge.

How Was the Girls Game on Sunday?

With a big crowd gathered under a dark and threatening sky the Portledge Varsity Girls Lacrosse team prepared to start a run into the NYSAISAA Tournament by taking on the girls of the Holy Child School of Westchester. To say that that the Lady Panthers were convincingly better than their foes from across the Sound does not do justice to the exceptional play of the Portledge team. Right from the opening minutes when Sophomore Claudia Rogers stormed down the field and rocketed a shot past the helpless HC keeper the outcome was never in doubt. The Portledge attack came in waves as the Holy Child defense had no answer for the passing and shooting skills of Junior Siena Falino and Sophomore Addie Reilly. When it wasn't these two putting pressure on the HC net, it was outside midfielders Alex Siwiec and Chelsea Caracciolo. When the Holy Child team did get control of the ball in the Portledge zone they imply could not penetrate the solid defense of Seniors Liz Lanza, Yola Yu and Ashley Gilchrist. If they were able to get off a shot, you could bet that Senior goalie Jess Sarrantonio had it all measured up as she finished the game with around 10 saves or so. The final mark was 16-4, and it sets the stage for what should be an incredible semi final v. one of the girls team's biggest rivals , Hackley School. GAMETIME is 5:00 on Monday, May 19th @ Portledge.

Good Luck to both teams and if either, or both, should advance, the final games will be Wednesday afternoon.