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).