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).