Winter Season Home Stretch Starts With Some Great Individual and Team Performances

On Tuesday afternoon, January 27th the tablet desks were taken off the gym floor, the ice hockey bags were packed into the white van for the ride down to Beaver Dam and the fencing foils and squash rackets were taken out of the closet, as winter sports kicked back into gear after a short break for exam period. Almost immediately the teams were playing games again and Portledge athletes were doing some incredible things on the hardwood, on the ice, on the fencing mats and in the squash courts. The home stretch of winter sports has begun, and it should be some finish to what has already been an exciting season.

What's Up with the Varsity Boys Basketball Team?

The VBBB team came out of the exam break looking and playing like a group on a mission. They have three wins and two losses since resuming play and their big win over Lake Grove solidified a spot in the IPPSAL Varsity Boys Basketball playoffs. The five starters, Aaron Lee, Mark Dourmashkin, Ray Weinmann, Kai Stoll and Reid Ericson have really come together to produce some beautiful ball. The squad is also getting some great contributions off the bench from Freshman Ben Shapiro and Senior Dan Duffy. Last Friday the Panthers had a critical match at home against the high flying team from Lake Grove. The Grovers always like to get up and down the floor and fill the air with long range shots. On this night, however, it was the methodical and precise passing of the Portledge Panthers that carried the day. Sophomore Mark Dourmashkin made five threes on his way to 28 total points to lead the Portledge attack, as the inside combination of Kai Stoll and Ray Weinmann controlled the boards. Another key to the big win is the maturation of point guard Aaron Lee. His overall control of the flow of the game has improved and he is really making others better with his unselfish play. The Panthers will look to advance to the IPPSAL Championship game when they take on the Varsity of Kew Forest in a cross over semi final on Monday, Feb 11th @ Kew Forest(4:15pm). Directions to KF can be found on the Portledge website, so come on out and cheer the Panthers into the final.

How Did the Varsity Girls Basketball Season Finish Up?

The VGBB team lost all three games they played after the exam period and finished the year with an overall mark of 3 wins and 12 losses. This was definitely a rebuilding year for the program with many young players getting the chance to play a lot of minutes. Sophomores Monique Kelly and Akanksha Trivedi certainly established themselves as major building blocks for a revival of girls basketball at Portledge. Kelly's fine ball handling and improved scoring ability make her someone to lead the team in the future, while the inside play of Trivedi will be something other teams will have to contend with as time goes on. Akanksha is learning to use her height in the paint and her general agility and conditioning have come a long way during tis season. Speaking of leaders, the VGBB season ended with a celebration of a very important leader, Senior Yola Yu. For four years, Yola has been getting rebounds and diving for loose balls in the hopes of bringing Portledge basketball wins. She has played in big playoff wins, twice been recognized as Unsung Hero of the team and is generally regarded as one of the toughest athletes ever to wear the blue and white. We said goodbye to Yola at Portledge YU-Nite and we thought that was an appropriate name for the event because that is what individuals like Yola do. They brng people and teams together with their consistent dedication and selfless effort. Congratulations to Yola and all the girls on the team, even though they didn't win too many games, they represented Portledge well throughout the season with a combination of great sportsmanship and strong overall commitment to the program. We'll see you next year Lady Panthers.

Any Big Games for Varsity Boys Ice Hockey?

The VBIH team played its best game of the season this past Monday when they beat Seton Hall Prep, one of New Jersey's finest teams, in a thrilling game down at Beaver Dam. The Panthers came out flying against Seton Hall and took the game to the Pirates from the get go. Constant pressure in the Seton Hall end helped create some excellent scoring chances for the Panthers and five minutes in they finally tallied when Senior Dan Leavey collected his own rebound and skilfully lifted a backhander over the fallen Pirate net minder and into the top netting. Portledge continued to carry the play into the second period when the Senior trio of Leavey, captain Zach Lombardi and "Big Al" Vitsentzos jammed in a goal mouth scramble to stake the Panthers to a rare two goal lead. Seton Hall answered back before too long though, as they caught Portledge making a defensive change and sent one of their skilled forwards in alone on the Portledge keeper. This time the Pirate forward beat Portledge goalie Sal Magliocco with a crisp shot to the top corner, but that is all "Mags" would allow for the rest of the game. Let me take a moment to point out that game in and game out Magliocco is the best player on the ice for the Panthers. He is an incredible keeper and his determination to keep the biscuit out of the net gives Portledge a chance to win every time they play. On this night he was the difference as the New Jersey powerhouse kept the pressure up throughout the third period. Just when it looked like they would break through to tie the game, Senior Austin Prey stole a pass in the neutral zone and headed off towards the Pirate net on a two on one with his line mate Freshman Stephen DiBartolomeo. At the last possible second, Prey feathered a pass across the crease and "DiBart" deflected it by the Seton Hall goalie for his first Portledge goal. This great play iced the game and the Panthers celebrated a hard fought win over a real quality opponent. The Portledge team will play their last home game on Monday night, Feb 11th @Beaver Dam (5:30pm), then it's a few away games against Wyoming Seminary and Morristown before finishing the season at the Empire Cup Tournament at the Millbrook School on Feb 21st and 22nd.

Is the Varsity Girls Ice Hockey Winning Streak Still Alive?


The VGIH team has now won ten straight games and has an overall record of 12 wins and 2 losses. One of those losses, an early season 4-3 decision v. Morristown Beard, was avenged this past Wednesday night down in Morristown when the Lady Panther skaters wrapped up the WIHLMA regular season championship with a decisive and efficient 4-1 win over their Crimson rivals. As in most of their games Junior captain Siena Falino set the pace with two first period goals that put Morristown back on their heals. One of these was a patented Falino end to end rush that culminated with a beautiful move on the Mo' Beard keeper. After that it was the Portledge team play that took over. The MB girls became increasingly frustrated as the Lady Panthers were all over them defensively. Well timed stick checks all over the ice and blocked shots supported the fine play of the Portledge keeper, Senior Jess Sarrantonio. Duringthe second period the Portledge girls extended their lead with one of the best goals of the season. Senior captain Kelly Alefeld pinched down from her point spot and stole the puck from a MB winger. She then proceeded to skate down into the corner and eventually wound all the way around behind the net. Just at that moment, Freshman dynamo Ashley Wade cut hard to the slot area and Alefeld found her with a slick no look pass. Wade made no mistake as her well hit one timer sailed past the Crimson goalie to give the Portledge girls solid 3-0 lead. The teams traded goals in the third and the Lady Panthers cheered as the final horn sounded. The celebration was a subdued one, however, because the Portledge team knows that the WIHLMA Championship Tournament is still to come. The Lady Panther skaters will take on Rye Country Day and Wyoming-Seminary this week before traveling to Pittsburgh over the long weekend for the championships that ultimately define their season. Good luck girls and keep it going!

Have the Fencing and Squash Teams Produced Any Great Individual Efforts?

The answer to that question is a definite YES! Last weekend the Portledge Varsity fencers traveled to the Horace Mann School in the Bronx for the Independent School Fencing League Individual Championships. While many Portledge fencers had a solid showing, it was Junior Nick Hagedorn who distinguished himself the most, by placing third in the Epee competition. In order to get to an award level, such as third position, a fencer must come through pool competition that eliminates most of the competitors. "Hags" was able to win many bouts and survive these early rounds and eventually qualify for the medal competition. Although Nick was ultimately beaten by two other fencers, a third place finish in this prestigious competition is an excellent accomplishment, and is the best ever performance from a Portledge fencer in the Epee category. Congratulations to Nick and all the Portledge fencers. The team is having an excellent season and they are preparing hard for the ISFL Team Championships to be held at the end of February.

Is There Any News About Portledge Squash?

Quietly, under the radar, the Portledge squash program has been improving and consistently growing. This year we have over twenty students playing squash in the Upper School, with another fifteen or so whacking the ball around on the Middle School team. A few of the Upper School players have really progressed over this season and they are starting to produce some fantastic results. Freshman Maria Wade has become the first Portledge Squash player to consistently win her interscholastic matches. Event after event, she has regitered victories over her opponents from other schools. Recently, in a match v. Friends Seminary of NYC, maria posted two wins as Portledge almost won their first ever team match. In that same competition, the Portledge #1 player, Sophomore Chris Gerry, bested the FS #1 in a hard fought and exciting match. I'm not sure, but I think that it was the first time a Portledge player has been successful at the #1 spot. Congratulations to Maria, Chris and all the Portledge squash participants on the development of the program. I know that the "Captain" would be proud.