A Game to Remember!

Last Thursday night's PSAA Girls Varsity Soccer Championship Game which pitted The Portledge Lady Panther Booters v. the Lady Lions of Staten Island Academy was an athletic contest that will certainly be remembered for a long time. It was a physical match that somehow the refs managed to keep just on the edge of out of control, but still relatively safe for the players, as well as an illustration of excellent soccer skill and tactics demonstrated by both sides. Portledge's 1-0 sudden victory in double overtime made the game a very happy memory for everyone involved in Portledge athletics but in reality this contest was something of which both teams should be proud. The final result could just as easily gone the other way in what was an up and down affair, and both sides left everything they had on the field. Congratulations to the players on both Portledge and Staten Island for playing in what was one of the greatest games in the history of Portledge athletics.

Where does this game rank in the list of great Portledge games?

After giving this question some real thought, the conclusion reached is that it belongs in the top three Portledge games of all time. Back in the late 1990s there were a series of tremendous Varsity Boys Ice Hockey games. Victories over the Hill School, Lawrenceville, Millbrook, New Hampton, Pingree, Pomfret and others. While they were all extraordinary in their own way, they seem to blend together in an era of great Varsity Boys Ice Hockey play. There have also been mumerous Varsity Boys Soccer games that can be remembered with tremendous fondness. Just last year there was a thrilling 2-1 win over Packer that was exceptional and went a long way in establishing the quality of the current Boys Soccer Program. It is to the girls, however, that one has to give the top three spots, along with an honorable mention to last year's NYSAISAA Championship lacrosse game as fourth. They are in no specific order because they were all amazing. We'll go first with January, 2007 Portledge Varsity Girls Ice Hockey @ Lawrenceville. Junior captain Siena Falino scores seven goals to lead the Panthers to a 9-8 overtime victory. Certainly the greatest individual achievement in Portledge sports, thus consideration as the greatest game. Next, one would go to late October, 2004 Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer @ Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the last game of the regular season with a play off spot on the line for the winner. Tied throughout the second half the game was decided in the last minute when then Freshman Alex Siwiec sent a beautiful cross into the box only to see Junior Monica Mangani bycicle kick the ball over her head into the LWA net. The girls made the PSAA play offs for the first time and this great run of Girls Soccer had begun. Lastly we come to last weeks Championship Game in Varsity Girls Soccer v. SIA. The inclusion of this game is based on all the hard work put in by a group of girls who have been playing soccer together for four years. The game and the team is so special because of the thunderous sweeper play of Claudia Rogers - who decided to make a sacrifice for the team by playing in the back and went on to earn Tournament MVP for her sheer dominance of the championship game - and because of the determination of Chelsea Caracciolo - who basically playing on one foot made run after run up the left side until she came onto the perfect ball and neatly netted it into the SIA goal for sudden victory - and becuase of the tenacity of Addie Reilly who along with Monique Kelly and Denise Mikalev battled the SIA players in midfield all game long. We could go on and on to mention the savvy of Natalie Flammia or the all out effort of Natalie Gray, or what about the key saves delivered by goaltender Chelsea Estevez. In the end though, I can honestly say that I have never seen two teams go at each other like this and that's what makes this one so special! WAIT - I forgot all about the hockey rivalry with Mo Beard...........