Hey Hills....

Who Needs To Rebuild?

2010-09-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

Certainly not the Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer team. The Lady Panthers are coming off the programs first ever championship season as last year's team, dominated by a group of eight Senior year players, defeated Staten Island Academy in the PSAA Championship game at the met Oval to culminate a seven year development process that began with the program's inception. Most of those eight Seniors had been on the team for 4 years and knew almost everyone who had ever played Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer. Their departure was accompanied by statements like, "now it's time to rebuild the program" and "maybe in a few years we can get back to the championship game". Even I, ever the optimist, thought that it would be a little while till we saw some quality girls soccer being played on the lower pitch again. Well we were all WRONG!

Somehow, like a magician covered in soot, Coach Coope has quickly melded a cohesive unit that not only reminds people of past teams, but might even have the potential to add another championship trophy to the case, and much sooner than expected. With only two Seniors on the team, the squad is probably a year away from returning to the Met Oval, however, their play so far has been eye opening. Unexpectedly strong on defense, with veteran starters Denise Mikalef and Ceci Mulry as an impregnable sweeper/stopper combo and Senior Captain Ashley Wade in net, the Lady Panthers have also displayed a lightning quick counter-attack powered by new Sophomore midfielder Kristie Kelly ( Yes...she is former All League player Mo Kelly's little sister) and Sophomore Striker Erica Cohen. Already twice victorious by identical 4-0 results the Lady Panther Booters will face a series of tests next week when they take on the Lycee Francais School of NYC (Monday/4:30pm) and Columbia Prep (Wednesday/4:30pm). Both games should be competitive affairs so come on out and support this "new" and exciting team! Also...for more detailed descriptions of the Lady Panther's games, check out Coach Coope's recaps on the Varsity Girls Soccer team page in the Athletics section of the Portledge website (www.portledge.org)

A Really Special Day!

2010-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

If you are lucky enough to have been part of the Portledge community for any length of time you probably remember some pretty special times/days at 355 Duck Pond Road. This one though, last Saturday, Sept 11th, 2010 was a really something quite different, and I'm fairly sure it will stick in my mind for a long time.

By now you are all aware that nine years have passed since that horrifying Tuesday morning none of us will ever forget. So many images rush through your mind that, to this day, you almost experience a sensory overload. The one that always gets me is walking out of the Upper School with Mr. Gregory, to just get a look up in the sky, when to our awe two military jets buzzed by overhead doing mach whatever. We just starred at each other and mumbled," what is going on"? This anniversary, however, seemed different. Maybe it's all the controversy over the proposed 'Mosque @ Ground Zero", or the increased amount of tension in the Middle East as Iran closes in on having nuclear weapons, or maybe it's just that the beautiful weather of this past Saturday reminded me so much of the glorious conditions on that fateful morning. Whatever it was - it just was different this time around. We have played games on 9/11 since the tragedy, but never on a weekend, and never the traditional opening day games w/ Friends Seminary that so many have come to enjoy and so regularly come out to see. So this was a little different........

As the players from the opposing schools came together across the midfield of one field, and the endline of the other, to stand and salute the national and state flags as Junior Jake Horton blew an exquisite, yet solemn taps on his big deep tuba, there was a moment of total silence and what seemed like awe among the large crowd gathered to cheer on the "footballers". Somewhere, inside my memory and my being, I knew I had experienced that same awe before.

When the moment passed and a serene and polite clapping filled the air, I knew it was time to re- start life again. So as the whistles sounded and the games began, things became normal again. Still, the camaraderie and the gentile nature of everyone I had the pleasure of speaking with on this"special" day made me see that it wasn't just a normal opening day, and that every 9/11 from now on and every opening day from now on, for both different and similar reasons, would always be "special"!

Just Getting Caught Up - Or - Just in Time for a Big Finish!

2010-05-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

The title of this blog really says it all. The added responsibility of being Head Coach of Varsity Boys Lacrosse has kept me fairly busy, as has getting around to see as many of the other sports as possible. Thus, I have found little time for reflection, much less time to compose those reflections into some sort of coherent prose. It seems now, however, that I finally have a quiet weekend and a chance to look back on the first month of the Spring Athletic Season at Portledge. To say we have already had a bit of excitement and achievement during the first half of the Spring really does not do justice to the action of the past month. Whether you are watching the drive of the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team to remain at the top of Metropolitan area independent school girls lacrosse scene, or marveling at the amazing rekindling of top flight boys tennis here at Portledge, you are seeing some tremendous individual and team efforts. Did I fail to mention that in only their second season of Varsity play, the Varsity Softball team is undefeated with a record of 6-0, and stands at the top of the very competetive IPPSAL Softball league. Beyond that, the Varsity Basebal teaml is 3-3 and in good position to reach the IPPSAL Baseball playoffs, and although just sporting a record of 1-3, the Varsity golfers have turned in some phenomenal individual performances where several team members have recorded official match scores just above par. Finally, we have the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team - so many times a bastion of excellence and the leading spring athletic program. This spring, however, is a time of rebuilding for Boys Lacrosse. Nevertheless, it is a "situation" that may produce something quite special before you know it. Now that I have summarized all that is going on this Spring in Portledge Athletics, you can see how finding the time write about it all can be somewhat of a daunting task. Before I go into a few specifics though, I would like to remind those of you who would like more immediate feedback about how the individual programs are fairing to check out the team pages. There, the result of every game is recorded along with a coaches' recap of the events. In some cases, and I send out a big hooray to Senior Ben Shapiro, those recaps are even being written by the players themselves.

So, from all that I've shared, what is truly exceptional. Well one can't help to watch with wonder the day to day commitment to excellence displayed by the players and coaches of the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team. Led by a host of Senior standouts this team seems driven to be the best they can, and to possibly earn another shot at a NYSAISAA crown. Last spring ended in the heartache of a double overtime loss to Hackley in the Championship game, but that event has only served to springboard the team into this season. After a very productive week in Florida, they have returned to run up a record of 7 wins and 2 losses which has been strong enough keep them in first or second place in the metro area independent school girls lacrosse rankings. Tomorrow - Monday, May 3rd the Lady Panthers will take on the team that has most shared the top spot with the Portledge girls this season, the Riverdale Country School. The game will be at Riverdale (4:30pm) and the result should go a long way in determining the eventual top seed for the NYSAISAA Tournament. Aside from the great Senior play of Addie Reilly, Claudia Rogers, Robyn Worrall and Monique Kelly this team differs from last year's squad in the amount of production it is getting from underclassmen. Freshmen Ceci Mulry and Erin Brand have been significant contributors on offense, as has Sophmore Martine Krown, who recently recorded a five goal - three assist game. While at the other end of the field, Sophmore defender Alexa Lodenquai and Sophmore goalie Denise Mikalev have both been very solid. In addition to the Riverdale match up, the girls still have a bunch of other challenging dates with the likes of Lu Hi (May 5th), SIA (May7th), Chapin (May 10th) and Poly Prep (May 19th) before all these teams battle it out in the NYSAISAA Championship Tournament (May 23rd-26th). You are all encouraged to come out and see this remarkable team in the afoerementioned games, all of which are at HOME!

Where now....I guess we should stick with Girls Sports and the incredible ride that the Varsity Girls Softball team is on. Under the direction of Softball gurus Shane Capuccio and Andrea McKeon this Lady Panther outfit is running on all cylinders. Built around the incredible pitching arm of Freshman Samantha Kaplan, the team defeated defending IPPSAL Champion Lu Hi in its first game and has not looked back since. Playing here and there, since we have no softball diamond here at Portledge, and without several key hitters on ocaision, this group of girls has been fantastic. One can't help but root for them to go all the way this season and bring home the school's first ever Softball Championship. Next week the Varsity Softball team will travel twice to OSNA in Centereach for 4:30 starts on Wed, May 5th and Fri, May 7th. If you have the chance, gas up the car and go check out our unbeaten Lady Panther Softball team.

The last really phenomenal story from the first month of the 2010 Spring Sports season has been the revival of the Varsity Boys Tennis program. This all began on a cold day in January when a quiet young man, who was then attending a prep school outside of London, England, came by Portledge to see what it was like. His Mom, Dad and younger siblings were all moving to Long Island and he was contemplating leaving his school and making the move to the states with his family. He was just looking for the right school and we are very lucky that Portledge fit that bill. If you have not had the chance to see Alex Schidlovsky take on the opposing #1 players at all the ACIS and IPPSAL schools then you are truly missing something. Not only is Alex a legitimate ace (no pun intended) at the top spot, but he is a real artist with his game. Possessing a sublime backhand cut and exceptional touch all over the court, Schidlovsky constructs points like Tchaikovsky (note Russian reference) wrote music. Easy going and soft one minute, tunderous and final the next. If you are a tennis fan, do yourself a favor and stop by the courts next Saturday for the ACIS Individual Singles and Doubles Championships. Not only will you get to experience Alex' play, but you will also see the individual who is quickly becoming the best all around athlete at Portledge School, Cameron Daniels. Earlier this year Cameron was tremendous winger for a very good 7/8 Boys Soccer team and was then the MVP point guard for the 7/8 Boys Basketball team. There is a good chance he would have also garnered that award for his play in baseball this spring except that Cam decided it was time to bring his best game - tennis - to the Portledge sports scene. Sanding 4 foot something, Cameron always brings a bit of a chuckle out of his opponent when they are introduced. The opponent's smile though, usually turns to a frown before even the warmups are done. Just this past Friday the #2 player on a very good Friends Seminary team was overheard telling his coach, "this kid doesn't miss anything". While the team is 7-2 in combined ACIS & IPPSAL play Cameron remains undefeated in the #2 singles spot. The rest of the Varsity Tennis program is strong with Eddie Huai holding down the #3 singles spot and terrific doubles play from Vishal Chinchwadkar, George Gage, the Snow brothers, Niko and Alex, Dan Greenstein and Senior Christian Sbarro, who has been a really sound addition to the team playing both singles and doubles. They are deep, incredible at the top and guided by the steady and experienced hand of Dr. David Sarles, who has been cultivating the tennis program here at Portledge for years.

So we have got ourselves some exciting days ahead as these teams move toward championship play. We hope they are also joined by late runs from the Varsity Baseball and Varsity Boys Lacrosse teams, which would make the Portledge sports fields and courts an incredible place to be this spring. See you all at the games, because that's where I'll be!!

A Night to Remember!

2010-03-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

Probably very few people know that the title of this post is also the title of a very famous black and white movie from the 1940s. That story was about something going slowly down - the Titanic to be exact. My story, however, is about how something that is slowly coming up, and how on one special night this winter the movement became apparent to everyone.

Eleven long days and nights had passed since the IPPSAL Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball Championship games had been postponed because of snow. The excruciatingly long delay in playing the games occurred because some of the schools involved had mid winter holiday and were not able to get all their players together during the break. Both the Portledge Varsity Girls and Boys teams had qualified for these ultimate contests, and in some ways the time off had benefited the Lady Panther and Panther sides. Lots of bumps and bruises had a chance to heel, and a few extra practices enabled the coaches to implement some special game strategies they had tucked away for just such a special occaission. Still, now the time had come - it was 4:00pm on Tuesday, February 23rd and the Girls Championship game was to begin in an hour. The Lady Panthers were dressed and ready and were recieving good luck wishes from the Varsity Boys players, as well as from all the JV players and other people milling around the gym. As they boarded the bus for the short trip to Solomon Schechter, site of the 09-10 Championship Double-header, I remember thinking to myself this has the makings of something really special. I knew the Boys team was planning on going over early to support the girls and that some other Upper Schoolers had spoken about being there, so I was confident that our teams would get at least some support at this venue so close to home. When I arrived at the SSDS Gymnasium, more commonly called the Lion's Den, I could see that my earlier thoughts were not only correct, but had actually been surpassed. An incredible collection of the Portledge community had come together to root our teams on to victory. There were all sorts of classmates, brothers and sisters, and parents of the players. Then their were many of the coaches in the Athletic Dep't, a slew of other teachers, parents of students not participating this night, alumni, and even some alumni parents. All come together to see if these Lady Panther and Panther squads could pull something off that had not been done since 1992 - a Varsity Girls and Boys Sweep of the IPPSAL Basketball Championships.

The Varsity Girls team seemed in control of the first Championship game from the start. Senior Akanksha Trivedi dominated inside as she made one "cash money" turn around jumper after another. The Lady Panther defense was suffocating and it seemed that every Claudia Rogers steal turned into a Mo Kelly made basket for Portledge at the other end. Twice the lead reached 12 points as the Lady Panthers flirted with a first half blow out. Somehow though, The Lady Tigers of Lawrence Woodmere hung tough. Spurred on by the fine play of their excellent point guard, and the very athletic endeavors of their #12, the LWA girls reeled the Portledge side back in. At the half it was only a six point Portledge lead, and sitting in the stands I knew the girls from Woodmere had at least one more good run in them.

Throughout the season the Portledge girls had struggled at times in the 2nd half finding the offensive flow that was their trademark. This night turned out to be another one of those occaissions. It seemed like the Lady Panthers were stuck on 36 points forever, until late in the third quarter when senior Monique Kelly appeared to settle down and realize what was at stake. Kelly drove for one basket, then was fouled and sank two from the line, before finishing the quarter with a deep three pointer just before the buzzer. Some sense of calm had been restored, but we now had a dead even game just sitting there for the taking. The Lawrence Woodmere Lady Tigers made the first run of the quarter and actually took the lead by two at one point, but then the Portledge defense stiffened. As the Lady Panthers started to grab rebound after rebound and make steal after steal, the aforementioned tightness came off their offense as they whipped the ball up the court leading to some impressive fast break baskets. As time wound down Coach Amadio made sure Kelly had the ball in her hands and she calmy sank several free throws after being intentionally fouled by the opponents. The final horn set off a wild celebration and all I could think of was, "now we have one"!

Little did I know what I was in for with the 2nd game of the evening. The churning storm outside was only precursor to what you felt when you entered the SSDS Gym for the Portledge v. Waldorf Varsity Boys Basketball IPPSAL Championship game. Both sides were very well supported with fans as the Lion's Den was packed. OK....maybe you could have squeezed a few more people in here and there, but really, it was already standing room only. This game was a seesaw affair swinging back and forth time and again. Each time a team threatened to run away by more than four the oposing coach would calla timeout and the balance would seemingly immediately turn back his way. The incredible junior standout and probable IPPSAL Player of the Year Landon Twine dropped three ball after three ball on the Panthers, but he was always answered by someone on the Panthers. Sometimes it was Christian Sbarro nailing down his own three pointers, or senior Mark Dourmashkin driving again and again to the basket while being hacked at all the time. Lastly, there was the inside presence of Big Ben Shapiro. His put bascks and interior baskets were really the difference between these teams. Waldorf started to foul with Portledge up about six in the final minutes. The Panthers made some of their free throws, but not all of them - and the boys from Garden City came roaring back. In the end Waldorf trailed by only two as Twine lauched a lst second three pointer for the victory - only to have it glance off of the front ofthe rim and fall helplessly to the floor. Jubilation over took the Portledge faithful as they ran onto the floor to congratulate the players. Once order was restored and the trophy was handed out the seniors from both the Varsity Girls and Boys team posed for one final picture - togehter as simultaneous IPPSAL Champions.

This certainly was a Night to Remember. What had risen was the Portledge spirit, as this was the best night of community support for the Portledge Athletic program in the last twenty years. All of these athletes learned valuable lessons about team work, belief in a goal, playing a specific role for the good of the whole and, lastly, that you can play the game with excellent sportsmanship and still wind up on top!! Congratulations to all the Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball players and coaches - this was some season on the hardwood for Ol' Portledge!

Never To Old To Learn Something New

2010-02-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

This past weekend during the Portledge Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team's participation in the WIHLMA Championships I learned a few things. First, that winning is not everything. Secondly, it certainly is not the only thing. Finally, and definitely most importantly, that sometimes when the score does not end in your favor, you can really honestly still win by giving absolutely everything you have to give. You see that way, "you can hold your head up high, and as long as you do that, you can walk with Kings". Thank you Portledge Varsity Girls Ice Hockey, and thank you Joe Lapchick. Somehow the actions of the former proved the words of the latter to be true, and suddenly an ol' dog had a new trick.

The epic 5-4 double overtime loss to Morristown Beard was a game for the ages, and one of the most exciting Portledge sporting events I have ever witnessed. Neither team led by more than a goal, and the lead changed hands three times. Both teams battled and fought and struggled and overcame right up until the final shot tickled the twine. Mo Beard ran three lines regularly and the Lady Panthers countered with a strong rotation of eight, sometimes nine players. Still, the Portledge girls out shot their opponents and had every chance to win this thrilling clash. Unfortunately, the Hockey Gods didn't smile on the Royal Blue and White this day, and I was left to ponder and conclude the aforementioned theory. A theory, by the way, that in my opinion, is not reflected on enough in our "win at all costs" society. So girls...Joe Lapchick would be proud of you, because you all walked out of the Hill rink like hockey royalty.

Now Things Are Really Getting Interesting / Portledge Varsity Sports Teams Positioned to Possibly Win Four Winter Championships

2010-02-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

The excitement of last week's Varsity Girls and Boys IPPSAL Basketball semi final victories over the opposing teams from Solomon Schechter, although still palpable in Wellington Gym, has toned down a bit as it has been buried under several feet of snow. Even so school will eventually reopen on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the reality that Portledge is seven wins away from holding the Championship trophies in Girls and Boys Basketball and Girls and Boys Ice Hockey will eventually sink in. This is something incredible and unheard of at a small school like Portledge. To have all four major Winter Varsity teams challenging for titles is really special. A great deal of credit has to go to all the players, particularly all the Senior leaders, and the coaching staffs of these tremendous teams. This Saturday will start an eight day stretch during which all these championships will be decided, so if you have any lucky charms or know of any lucky chants, well by all means get them out or let's hear 'em, cause the Panthers smell trophies and they are on the hunt.

Things will start off with the WIHLMA Championship Tournament to be held at the Hill School next Saturday and Sunday, February 2oth and 21st. There our Lady Panther skaters will try to defend their title from last year against the likes of the home team Hilltoppers, long time rivals Rye Country Day School and the always tough girls from Morristown Beard School. Portledge plays Hill in one of the semis and the girls will have to find a way to put some pucks behind the leagues best goalie, while still holding down an improved Hill attack. If they can manage that, they will almost assuredly face the undefeated in league play ladies of Morristown Beard. Twice the Crimson has topped the Portledge girls by one goal during the season, so the Lady Panthers will have to come up with a formula for turning the tables on the favorites, if they hope to hoist the Championship banner once again. This Portledge team has a lot of experience in the presence of defensemen Chelsea Caraccilo, Emily Prey and Erin Brand, as well as some good fire power up front in the form of Senior Addie Reilly and Juniors Ashley Wade and Maria Robbins. Two freshmen players, goaltender Gaby Pilson and sharp shooting winger Julie Devlin will also have to play well if the Lady Panthers are to skate with the trophy. Go get em girls!!!

Then on Tuesday, February 23rd it's the turn of the Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball teams as they will take on the battle tested squads of Lawrence Woodmere Academy and The Walsorf School, respectively, for a chance at IPPSAL glory.Ironically, the last time the Varsity Boys team won the IPPSAL Basketball Championship in 1982, the Varsity Girls team also hung a Championship banner. The Lady Panthers then went on to win championships in '97, '98 and '99, but the banner wall has not changed in the basketball section since then.

The Girls game will come first and should be a real battle. Both games between Portledge and LWA during the regular season resulted in hard fought wins for the Lady Panthers, and to pull off a third straight victory it will take a really sound effort. Coach Amadio will certainly count on starters Robyn Worrall, Mo Kelly, Akanksha Trivedi, Marian Juste and Claudia Rogers, as well as the other Senior leaders to bring the championship home. That 15 - 1 regular season league mark tells me that these girls are up to the challenge. Finish it off right girls!!!

There is no secret that the key to the Varsity Boys game will be how Portledge decides to defend Waldorf's leading scorer and certain IPPSAL Player of the Year Landon Twine. The big guard has netted over thirty points on avarage and has gone off for more than 40 on several occaissions. Once again the play of Portledge Seniors will determine the outcome as starters Mark Dourmashkin, Jon Braisford, Christian Sbarro and Big Ben Shapiro will look to leave Portledge with a victory and a banner in their name.

Last but not least, will come the Empire Cup Boys Ice Hockey Tornament held at the Millbrook and Trinity Pawling Schools on Friday and Saturday, February 26th - 27th. The recent flurry of activity surrounding basketball has somewhat obscured the fact that Portledge Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team is having its best season since at least 2003. Currently standing at 13 wins and 3 losses the Panthers will play twice more, on Tuesday, Feb 16th @ Morristown (5:15) and on Monday, Feb 22nd v. Brunswick @ Beaver Dam (5:30), in preparation for the big season ending tournament. If they can play well in these last two regular season games, Portledge might have the best winning percentage of all the teams heading to the tournament. The boys will not have it easy though as they will have to face some combination of Millbrook, Albany Academy, Lawrenceville, Trinity Pawling, Brunswick, Wyoming Seminary and Hoosac to claim the prestigious title. This group just might have the depth to do it though as several injuries have forced coaches Coope and Sandos to dig deeper on the bench and develop more players. It all might be a blessing in disguise though, as some of these late season bloomers could play some critical shifts during this very tough tournament to win. The Panthers will not go far though, if there big guns don't have a stong finish to the season. Up front the line of Benyamini, Goldstien and Conslato has been tremendous all year, while the play of sophomores Matt Crockett and Jesse Schandler and Junior Matt Janketic is coming on strong. The return of Junior power forward Kurt Krotz could also really help the Portledge squad. Junior Tom Parisi, after filling in up front earlier in the year, has been playing as a very skillful defenseman lately. This has allowed the strong Junior duo of Pat Condon and Ron Fishman a chance to breathe and heel up a bit. While Junior Ryan Gottfried and Sophomore Matt Sullivan have been steady throughout. Finally, this will be the last few games in net for Senior Sal Magliocco, whose career between the pipes here at Portledge is surpassed by only the great Bobby Goepfert. A skate around the Millbrook rink with the Empire Cup sure would be agreat way to send ol' Sal out. Good luck fellas...we are behind you all the way.

So, as you can see, there certainly is plenty to get excited about as the Winter Athletic Season comes to a close. If you have missed all the action, come join us for what should be some incredible tournament play, or catch some of the highlights filmed throughout the season by Cablevision's MSG Varsity channel, which can be accessed through the Athletics section of the Portledge website by looking for Portledge on MSG Varsity found on the left side of the Athletics landing page. GO PANTHERS!!!

KNOCK....KNOCK - Hey Hills What's Dat ? - "No Worries Dude, That's Only Opportunity Knocking For the Portledge Basketball Programs"

2010-02-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Yeah there's a little pressure out there. The Colts feel it, the Who Dat Saints feel it....even Eli Manning who isn't even playing feels it. There are also some other teams on our athletic radar that will feel a little pressure this week as the IPPSAL Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball Championship Tournaments come around. Who Dat ? Well it would be the Portledge Lady Panther and Portledge Panther Varsity Basketball teams - Dat Who ! In an incredible turn around from a few years ago the Portledge Girls and Boys Varsity teams have managed to secure a first and second seed, respectively, in the IPPSAL Championship Tournaments. There will be a double-header Semi Final extravaganza this Tuesday night with the Girls playing first at 4:30, followed by the Boys at 6:30. Wouldn't it be grand to see both squads take advantage of the 'home court cookin' and reach the IPPSAL Championship game. That possibility definitely exists as the Lady Panthers come in with a league mark of 15 and 1. They have dominated IPPSAL play during the season and deserve a spot in the Championship. Deserve does not garuantee, however, and the Lady Panthers will have their hands full with whoever they play, but particularly so if the opponent turns out to be the Upper Room. The Lady Royals match up well with our girls and played them very tough in the teams' first meeting back in December. If Solomon Schechter is victorious on Monday over Lexington, however, the Portledge / Upper Room match up will not take place and we will see an even more traditional rivalry game between the Lady Panthers and the Lady Lions of Solomon Schechter. Either way, the Portledge girls have to play their game and take it to the opponent.

On the other hand, in the case of the Portledge Varsity Boys team we have a bit of an underdog story. Mirred in 5th place just ten day ago, and out of the play offs all together, the Panthers caught a big break when Lake Grove folded their team, thus forfeiting their last game - to be played at Portledge, and Kew Forest won a tough game on the road at Waldorf - where the Big W hadn't lost all season. These events seemed to energize the Panthers as they went on to win their last three league games over Lexington, Solomon Schechter and Knox to finish with a final league mark of 8 and 4, which turned out to be good for 2nd place and home court advantage in IPPSAL play. The Scechter game was particularly impressive as the Panthers, led by Chritian Sbarro's twenty something points, came back from a 13 point 4th quarter defecit to keep the dream of home court alive. Whether they face Solomon Schechter, in what would be a fierce rematch, or have to take on a Waldorf team that has already beaten them three times this season, the Panthers face a significant challenge on their way to Championship game play. Like both Super Bowl teams though, the Panthers are HOT, so why not make a place for them in Thursday's Championship game. Hold onto your hats Portledge Bsketball fans 'cause it should be quite a week. To get you psyched everyone should catch the MSG Varsity broadcast of the aforementioned Portledge comeback game at SSDS this Monday night at 8:00pm on Cablevision CH. 14, and by all means be at Wellington Gym on Tuesday afternoon / evening for some exciting play off basketball. Goooooo Panthers!!

A Long and Winding Road/ Varsity Boys Ice Hockey Team Overcomes Adversity of Travel to Build Some Strong Credentials

2010-01-19T04:08:00.000-08:00

The Varsity Boys Ice Hockey teams will play somewhere around 23 games this year, and except for 7 games played at Beaver Dam, they will all be on the road. This extensive amount of travel and lack of "home cooking" has become a tradition of Portledge Hockey and something that makes it unique. The Portledge squads even seem to relish their roles as "road dogs", as they travel from school to school thinking of nothing but ruining the home team's night. There is just something about going into a hostile environment and coming out with a win that makes it all that much more special. If anything, the amount of road games the Panthers play make them a tougher and more focused unit. Both the historic, and recent, success of the Boys Ice Hockey Program bares this out.

The Portledge Varsity Boys team currently stands on a record of 9 wins and 2 losses, with one of those losses coming in overtime against a very highly ranked Junior team from New England. The Panthers are coming off of an impressive 5-2 victory over the Lawrenceville School (see the team page @ portledge.org for a recap) and plays an up tempo style of hockey committing two forwards to a high pressure forecheck that usually rattles the opposition and forces many turn- overs. To use this system a team must have strong skaters from top to bottom and be willing to play the game on the edge. This is exactly the type of team that Portledge coaches Coope and Sandos have put together. The Panthers feature two equally adept scoring lines centered by Juniors Tom Parisi and Yuri Benyamini, respectively. They also have an incredbly stout defense anchored by Juniors Pat Condon & Ron Fishman and supported by Sophomore Matt Sullivan & Junior Ryan Gottfried. The last thing that has separated the Portledge team from their oppenents has been the stellar goaltending of Senior/Captain Sal Magliocco. Mags has been incredible game in and game out, and always gives his team mates a chance to win the game. One thing that could really help the Panthers as they go down their final stretch of games towards the Empire Cup would be the healthy return of Senior Defensemen / Captain David Wilson. Wilson, who has been out of the line up since opening night with a badly separated shoulder, hits hard and has a nice set of hands, just like his grandfather the famous American amatuer Peter Bostwick. It would be tough to imagine the team without Captain Dave's presence at the Empire Cup Tournament in late February. So let's all hope for a sound recovery! Now let's see....with either 11 or 12 games remaining, depending on Empire Cup results, a 15 win season looks probable, and even the magic 20 win mark is not out of the question. The Panthers will play home games at Beaver Dam on Monday nights throughout the month of February, so check their schedule, and come on down to see the #1 ranked secondary school in New York State play some awesome puck.

Checking the Hardwood Compass / Where We Are with the Varsity Basketball Teams

2010-01-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

As we take a short break this week for mid year exams it is a stark realization that we are two thirds of the way through the winter sports season. There are still all sorts of great games to be played, so no one is down in the dumps yet, but we are closer to the end than the start. The question I hear a lot is Hey Hills - How we doin? Well the answer to that is... pretty darn well. Let's take a quick look in on the Varsity Basketball teams shall we. The Portledge Varsity Girls Basketball team has an overall record of 10 wins and 3 losses and the Lady Panthers are 8 and 1 in IPPSAL play. They are well positioned to earn a home playoff game in the IPPSAL semi finals and have certainly shown themselves to be a legitimate threat to win the IPPSAL championship. The girls had a bit of a stumble against OSNA last week here at Wellington Gym, but they will have the opportunity to avenge that loss during the stretch run of the regular season in February. There is also a strong chance that the Portledge and OSNA will come up against each other somewhere in the playoffs. If the future meetings are anything like the first tussle, we are all in for some great hoops. The squad continues to be led by an exceptional group of seniors that include Monique Kelly at point guard and Akanksha Trivedi at center. While these two are the focus of the offense, maybe the most important aspect of the team is the defensive play of Senior forward/guard Claudia Rogers. When Claudia is getting steals and helping to generate fast breaks, the Lady Panthers get a lot of easy baskets. Also critical at the defensive end is the rebounding and all around fine play of Senior Marian Juste. " Air Juste" as she is sometimes called, really gets up on the glass and her rebounding is a key in the team's success. Senior Robyn Worrall hasn't been shooting as much lately, concentrating instead on keeping the ball moving and getting everyone else involved. Sophomore Alexa Lodenquai has scored some points off the bench and looks to be a key player in the future of Portledge Girls Basketball. The other impressive youngster is Freshman Ceci Mulry, who combines with Trivedi to give Portledge a twin towers effect, or simply takes over the pivot giving Akanksha a chance to catch a breather. The Lady Panthers still have to venture to Lawrence Woodmere and to OSNA, and a victory at at least one of those hostile barns is necessary for a first or second place regular season finish. The girls will take part in a big triple header at home on Saturday, January 30th when they and both the Varsity and JV Boys will host the respective teams from Evangel Christian, in what should be a fun day of basketball here at Wellington Gym. Please also note that we will host a special Senior Night when the Varsity Boys and Girls take on Lexington and Waldorf , respectively, on Monday, May 1st. The Boys team will play first v. Lexington @ 4:00pm, and the Girls will have the night cap when they take on Waldorf @ 5:30.

Moving on to Varsity Boys Basketball - we see a team right at the crossroads of its season. The Panthers overall record is 7 wins and 7 losses, and they are 4 up and 4 down in IPPSAL play. In league games remaining, they have a winnable away match at Knox followed by tough home games versus Lexington and Lake Grove, before finishing their regular season at Waldorf in a game that will be a featured broadcast on the MSG Varsity channel. To be assured of a spot in the IPPSAL playoffs the Panthers will need to make sure of things at Knox, and then go on to win at least two of their final three league games, if not all three, depending on other school's results. Each contest will be vital to the teams chances for post season play, but the home game with Lake Grove will probably be the most critical result of the season. Senior Ban Shapiro has been a dominant player in the paint for Portledge. He has scored over twenty points several times and has given the team a real presence down low. Senior swingmen Christian Sbarro and Mark Dourmashkin have traded off leading from the outside, but I think for the Panthers to really make a move down the stretch, the squad will need both of these talented players to get hot at the same time. The plot is set....now this interesting group of players must finish the script. I don't know about you all, but I like the finish to Hoosiers.

Come on down to Wellington Gym and catch a game as this exciting season of Portledge Basketball plays itself out!!

Boutique Sports Continue to Thrive at Portledge

2010-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

I call Squash and Fencing "Boutique Sports" because they are hard to find. Many schools do not have these offerings, and even when they are offered they are relegated to out of the way places not on the usual path of winter sports fans. This is pretty much the case at Portledge as the Fencing Program is tucked away in the Lower School gym where it has to do battle with the Lower School Holiday play and other events just to get some solid practice time. The fencers don't complain though, they just go about there business and perform. In 1999 our Lady Fencers won the ISFL Championship and several of those girls went on to have very good college fencing careers. During the last decade Naomi Johnson, daughter of long time Varsity Coach Eric Johnson, dominated the ISFL Individual bouts, and just recently an Epee squad led by Nick Hagedorn '09 and Alan Phipps '10 has steadily climbed the ISFL ladder and is in position this year to possibly win the school's second ISFL Championship. So good luck to Alan, Niko, Ryan and all the other epee fencers as they move on into the meat of their schedule.

In terms of squash, the sport had been growing at Portledge over the last eight years and we are starting to see the kind of development that marks real progress. This spring Portledge will be graduating its first college bound squash player as Chris Gerry moves on up to Amherst College with every intention to be part of the squash program there. Chris met with the coach during his visit and knows some of the players on the team from his matches here at Portledge over the years. This is ceratinly a significant moment for the development of the sport at our school and a lot of credit should go to Mr. Shane Capuccio who has done a great job of running the program since taking it over last winter.

Both programs are fully enrolled and we look for their continued development during the next decade. We hope to see all the Portledge faithful out supporting our winter teams as a big January of competition opens up next week. Check the website for game schedules and we'll see you at the games!!

Hockey Sticks and Holiday Dinners

2009-12-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

After my last blog posting there was a comment from longtime Portledge Hockey friend, Neil Bliss. Evidently Neil had been reading the preview of this year's Varsity Ice Hockey teams while he was watching a professional game. Low and behold two Portledge alums, Doug Murray '99 and Eric Nystrom '01 were both playing in the game. Neil's comment was that he couldn't believe that he was seeing former Portledge players in the NHL. When you really think about it, however, it makes perfect sense because these two individuals were part of some very important Portledge traditions. Things that have gone on since the school's early days, and are still happening today. An obvious tradition that both were part of is Ice Hockey. We have been playing Varsity Ice Hockey at Portledge School for almost a half century and I have mentioned many times all the great players that have been part of this tradition. Certainly Doug and Eric are included in this group. The thing about a tradition though, is that it goes on and on in perpetuity, meandering through strong showings and some meeker ones. Sometimes the meeker showings might actually be the most important, because of the effort it took just to keep the tradition going that year. This can be true of hockey programs, as well as family celebrations

I am blessed to be part of a great family that cares very deeply for one another. Some years we have had a small table at holiday time because people were living in other parts of the country or were traveling to see other friends & family, and sometimes we have had very large and boisterous tables where the conversations were so plentiful you could always find something to listen to and comment on. Many times the table was so large because we had included friends who were visiting, or we had extended an invitation to someone who didn't have anywhere to celebrate that year. Regardless of their size of the table, however, is the warmth, inclusiveness and dedication that those who participate always bring to the tradition .

Just as break started I traveled north to Boston to watch the Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team compete in the 39th Annual William E. Barber Tournament held at the St. Mark's and Middlesex Schools. To people at those schools this tournament is an important tradition and I was very proud that Portledge was being included this year. Free from the focus of being behind the bench I was able to mingle in the crowd of Portledge parents, and the parents and friends of our opponents, and see just how special everyone felt to be there. Just like the size of the holiday table, the strength of the Portlege Ice Hockey program has been evident at times and yet not so apparent at others. In some ways this is an inevitable cycle at small independent schools like ours, but at this time, during this celebration of ice hockey tradition in Boston, Portledge Hockey was not only alive and well, but dominating the competition in a way that would bring great pride to our community. We skated fast, moved the puck beautifully, played with tremendous support for each other and displayed outstanding overall sportsmanship. Every player who took the ice contributed to the whole, and those that did not get a chance to play were there with tremendous spirit every step of the way. The heartbreaking 7-6 overtime loss in the Championship game was not really a loss as much as it was a vital celebration of tradition because more important than who won or lost was that it added another great chapter to the ongoing story of this wonderful tournament and to the tradition of Portledge Ice Hockey.

Meanwhile, there was a storm brewing, which would eventually force myself and the Varsity Boys team to stop in Danbury, Conn for the night. This turned out great as I was able to go to the Canterbury School the next day and see the Portledge Varsity Girls team play for third place at the Mike Oronato Holiday Classic. This tournament is named after a beloved member of the Canterbury School community Michael Kevin "Mo" Oronato who passed away in 2007. Thus, I found myself right in the middle of a new tradition that was just taking shape, and one that the people at Canterbury School were giving great respect and pride. Once again I realized how our tradition of playing this incredible game was bringing us in contact with a whole new group of people and how the desire of people to include others was creating a great experience for these Portledge athletes.

As I was driving home my mind wandered through many subjects - one of them was Neil Bliss' comment about how incredible it was that these two former Portledge players were playing in the NHL. My thoughts turned particularly to Doug Murray who came to Portledge from Sweden for his Junior and Senior year. Doug wanted to go to college in America, but at that time he couldn't speak English too well, and was unknown to American college coaches. The Portledge community embraced Doug in a very inclusive way. Students spent time tutoring him in many subjects and helping him understand the language. When Doug's parents and siblings came to visit during the Holiday Break of his Senior year, I remember they commented about how much Doug felt a part of the Portledge community, and how good they felt about him being here. Portledge certainly played a big part in Doug's life as he was accepted to Cornell University, where he went on to captain the Men's Ice Hockey team.

Thus, there was a certain symmetry to the whole thing. Inclusiveness and Ice Hockey, two strong traditions at Portledge had both been a part of Doug's experience, and had also been a part of everyone's experience this past weekend . I am indeed happy that our Portledge athletes and coaches could join with all those participating at St. Mark's, Middlesex and Canterbury, also that Mrs. Schwam was smart enough to reserve some rooms in Danbury for us, and finally, that I was able to see so many of my family members and friends at our holiday table this year. I hope everyone has a great Holiday season...Happy New Years to all.... and we'll see you soon.

Expectations Are High / Short Previews of the Varsity Ice Hockey Teams

2009-11-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

I guess it's only fair to start with last year's WIHLMA Champions - the Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team. As we enter the AS Era (that's short for After Siena) I can't believe I find myself saying that this year's team has the potential to be just as strong if not a bit stronger than last year's championship squad. With seven key players returning, and the addition of another excellent young defenseman and an exceptional goalie, whose to say another championship isn't in the cards. Coach Schwam will have to meld some beginners into a core of five experienced attackers. Junior Ashley Wade, a gifted offensive player with a knack for scoring big goals, will definitely have to lead the way. Alongside Wade will be Senior Addie Reilly who showed she could get the job done when she led the Lady Panthers to victory over Princeton High last year by scoring four goals in the the only game Captain Siena missed in six years. Junior Ali James will be looked upon to provide a bit more than last year, as she will probably be out there with Wade and Reilly quite a bit. More offensive punch should come from second line that will feature converted defensemen Erin Brand at center and tough Junior winger Maria Robbins. Both of these players were exceptional during last year's championship tournament and have the potential to exploit other teams second units. The sixth forward spot is still up for grabs with strong bids being put in by Junior Sophie Steele (the most improved skater in practice so far) and Sophomores Martine Krown and Alexandra Roll. My guess is that they will all get a chance to be important role players on what will be an improving attack as the season progresses. Also, look for a trio of seventh graders ( Grace Keogh, Sammy Horton, and Madison Weller) to make some appearances in non league games. The presence of these fine young skaters illustrates the development of some depth within the girls ice hockey program.

As we look to the defense we see the real strength of the team in Senior defensemen Chelsea Caracciolo and Emily Prey. These two have been as steady as granite for the Lady Panthers over the last few years and will both see a tremendous amount of ice time. They should also have the green light to rush the puck when the opportunity presents itself, thus giving the team another source of offense. The pair of Seniors will be joined on defense by smooth skating freshman Julie Devlin who is a newcomer to Portledge Hockey. Another new player that will be critical to the development of this team and the future of the program will be Freshman goalie Gabby Pilson. Judging from her play in practice the Lady Panthers have upgraded in goal and that only means trouble for the rest of WIHLMA, as last year's team was already the most stingy defensive squad in the league. Things get going this Monday, Nov 30th when the Lady Panthers host WIHLMA newcomers Rye Country Day in a 5:30 start at Beaver Dam.

After just squeaking above 500% last winter, this year's version of Portledge Varsity Boys Ice Hockey has coaches Coope and Sandos feeling very confident. The gregarious and exceptionally freindly duo has an early season two game win streak to support their positive attitudes. The Panthers rolled over Long Island powerhouse St. Anthony's by a score of 9-3 before traveling up to Westchester and beating the Rye Country Day Wildcats by a convincing margin of 7-0. The teams top two offensive lines are loaded with firepower as both trios keep the opponents defense scrambling in their own zone. Junior Tom Parise has been centering Sophomores Matt Crockett and Jesse Schandler, while Junior Ori Benyamini has been between Junior Matt Goldstein and Freshman Michael Conslato on these two offensive juggernauts. The coaches mix and match these players on several different power play combinations so you will not always see them in these forms, but these have been the steady top lines in five v. five play. The thing that makes this team very strong though is the existence of a hard nosed and effective third line that has really kept the pressure on opponents so far this season. This group has veteran Junior centerman Stephan DiBartolomeo between Freshmen Dylan Stewart and Junior Matt Janketic. Stewart and Di Bart also see special teams ice as Stewart plays some power play and Di Bart pairs with Benyamini as the top penalty killing duo. Meanwhile, Janketic's physical play has been vital. The converted defensemen gives the Panthers some thump in what is generally more of a skating line up. The depth goes on as Coach Coope started to work more players into the mix against Rye when he sent Junior Anthony Pergola out with Benyamini's line a few times and worked Sophomore Daylin Frantin in with the Parise line a bit. Then there is always the soft hands of Junior Hunter Lombardi and the hard nosed play of Junior Ryan Murray to turn to as the long season grinds on.

Senior Captain David Wilson returns for his last go round in the blue and white. Wilson is an excellent passer with an accurate shot that has developed a knack of producing the BIG HIT! Playing defense with Wilson is a pair of Juniors who really make everything else go, and set this year's Portledge team apart from any other since the late 90s. These exceptional players are Ron Fishman and Pat Condon. Both are incredible skaters who move the puck beautifully and in my opinion have Division I college hockey in their futures. Rounding out the defense are steady Sophomore Matt Sullivan, hard nosed Junior Ryan Gottfreid and a pair of smooth skating underclassmen in Sohpomore Andrew Reiter and Freshman Matt Meyer. Finally, we turn to the nets where Senior Captain Sal Magliocco returns between the pipes and is backed up by Sophomore Michael Bruschi who gained a great deal of experience when the Captain was out last year. In addition to all this, there is a recovering Kurt Krotz. The powerful forwards eventual presence will only make this exceptional group even stronger. The Panthers next play Friday night when they travel up to the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn to face Wyoming Seminary on neutral ice @ 6:00pm. Wyoming Seminary is a Division I team with a great deal of talent so this should be a real test for the boys. The team's next home game comes on Monday, Dec 7th when they take on Bergen Catholic down at Beaver Dam @ 5:30.

The Sweet Sounds,Sights and Smells of Winter Sports

2009-11-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

I love winter sports season. There is just something about all the action taking place at all the various venues and the sheer number of programs going on that make it, in my mind, the most exciting season. A couple of the more subtle things though, little stuff that if you were moving fast with something else on your mind, you would simply miss all together, is what make it really special to me. For example, I love walking out of the Upper School building by either the Gilmour or Slanetz doors and seeing Wellington Gym all lit up and knowing that there is a basketball game going on. At first the horns and cheers are far off and barely discernible, but as you get closer and the door flies open to let someone out, you start to feel the energy coming from inside. Once you enter you immediately fade your steps to the right a bit so that you can catch a glimpse of the scoreboard and see how whatever Portledge team is playing is doing. Then your attention focuses onto the opposite sideline where the coaches are frantically pacing the court and yelling out plays and defensive formations for the competitors to execute. You take a glance at the scoring table to see which kind people might have volunteered to work the game. If this was last week, you might have seen Freshmen Eve Shapiro and Arielle Parris, or Miss Maielo, or even Eric Mathieu (that's right an alumni like Eric running the clock, not for community service or because he was a manager, but simply because he liked being part of what was going on there - he was in the action!

Now let's journey off campus down the road to Beaver Dam. After negotiating a treacherous and ridiculously thin Kaintuck Lane (name of the entrance road for those that might have never noticed), you eventually pull up to the elongated parking lot not believing how many people are already there, and are forced to take a parking spot that seems like it's a mile away. It's OK though, because you know what - the short walk to the rink only serves to heighten your anticipation about what you are coming to see. You feel the adrenaline well up inside you as you hear the pucks slamming into the boards below. The sounds tell you that warm ups are still going on and that you have timed your arrival just right for the drop of the puck. You wind your way down the wooden stairs and catch a brief smell of the log wood fire that is burning inside the clubhouse as you first see all the people lining the outside of the boards. Your adrenaline pumps a bit more as the teams come together around their respective goalies and give themselves a traditional cheer. Finally, before you know it, there you are watching some incredible, fast paced ice hockey, full of tremendous skating, crisp passing and hard hitting. Now that's exciting!!

Hopefully, you can see I'm just a little bit pumped for the next three months of Portledge sports action. If you have any questions about winter sports or Portledge Athletics in general that are in a constructive and positive tone, please feel free to comment after any posting, and I'll try to respond at the beginning of my next post, and PLEASE get in the action yourself by coming out to see a game - we'll be there!

Here Comes Winter Sports / Previews of the Varsity Basketball Teams

2009-11-25T09:19:00.000-08:00

There is enough chill to the air that the amazing ice down at Beaver Dam is already hosting games, and at night, the lights of Wellington Gym shine out like a beacon alerting all around that their is some Basketball action going on. So here we go with the Winter Sports Season at Portledge School. We have a unique variety of Varsity offerings that range from the big four teams, Girls and Boys Basketball and Girls and Boys Ice Hockey, to the more boutique programs that make up the coed Fencing and Squash teams. The fencing program actually has several components that combine to make up the overall team.

Let's start today by concentrating first on Basketball.

Last year was an important one for the Varsity Girls team as it improved significantly under new Head Coach Skip Amadio. This season, with almost all of the significant players returning, the Lady Panthers have their eye on an IPPSAL Championship - something that the girls program has not achieved since the 1999 season. Wouldn't it be great to see our girls claim the title a decade after their last championship. Things pretty much start with Monique Kelly and Robyn Worrall, a talanted duo of senior guards. These two have been playing together for a long time and do a great job of handling the ball. Worrall can be deadly from outside when she is hot, and Mo Kelly is showing real confidence taking the ball to the hoop. She had 21 pts and 12 pts in the first two games , respecrively, for a 16.5% per game average so far. This type of back court scoring will be key if the girls want to build on their early season success. Inside there are the twin towers of Senior Akanksha Trivedi and Freshman Ceci Mulry. The two, over six footers, give the Lady Panthers a real presence under the hoop. Mulry went for twelve points and ten rebounds in Monday's 39-19 win over league rival Solomon Schechter, and certainly looks like she is going to have a big impact on the future of the girls program here at Portledge. The glue to the team is Senior swing player Claudia Rogers who is an expert defender with lightning fast reflexes that can play multiple positions. It doesn't matter whether she is playing guard or forward though, because she is consistently stealing the ball and disrupting the opponents offense. Senior Martian Juste is another player who can play guard or forward, and her incredible leaping ability gives Coach Amadio a nice option in the starting line up or off the bench. Junior guard Tatiana Parris has also found some playing time early on and provides another ball handler when needed. If Parris can learn to get her outside shot off at the Varsity level it will give the Lady Panthers another strong outside shooter. Right now the team's record stands at 2-0 and they will be @ Waldorf on Tuesday (5:00pm) and Home for Knox on Wednesday(4:15) during the upcoming week, before competing in the always challenging Martin Luther Tournament next Saturday and Sunday.

On to Varsity Boys Basketball and the debut season of new Head Coach Nick Woll. Enthusiasm and excitement are the terms that best describe Woll's practice sessions as he consistently puts the Panthers through tough and fast paced workouts. Up tempo basketball will be the emphasis as Woll tries to blend some experienced players with some fresh faces to the Varsity Team. Senior swingman Mark Dourmashkin is the most experienced player on the team and he returns for a fourth Varsity season without a championship so far. It would be great to see this exceptional athlete lead the team all the way to an IPPSAL crown in his last season on the wellington Gym hardwood. Right along side will be Senior transfer Christian Sbarro. The sleak, but powerful Sbarro has shown in pre season that he can do everything on the floor and certainly gives a big boost to the overall talent level of this interesting team. Probably the most important player to the ultimate fortunes of this pride of current Panthers is Senior center Ben Shapiro. If Ben can play with dominance inside and free up Dourmashkin and Sbarro for open looks on the perimeter, this will be a tough group to defend. Another key will be the play of Senior guard Jon Brailsford. Patiently waiting to play big minutes for a long time, Brailsford will get his chance this winter to hopefully lead the Panthers all the way. A variety of underclassmen provide Coach Woll with some depth, but we will have to see which of them emerge to play significant roles during the season. An opening night win over St. Demetrios from Queens, NY was a step in the right direction, but we will learn more about the Pathers when the suit em up exactly opposite the girls this week with a game Tuesday at Home v. Waldorf (5:00pm) and another contest Wednesday @ Knox (5:30) as part of a double header with the JV Boys team. Then next Saturday and Sunday, the 5th and 6th, come tough games at the Martin Luther Tournament where Portledge has failed to win a game in several years.

A Game to Remember!

2009-11-02T04:49:00.000-08:00

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...........

"Glory Days"

2009-11-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

To say that things came together this fall in Portledge Athletics would be an understatement. In an unprecedented show of gender balance, our Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams both captured the regular season championships of their respective leagues and earned automatic bids into the NYSAIASAA Soccer Championship Tournaments. Since then the Varsity Girls have gone onto win the PSAA Post Season Tournament Championship with two incredible 1-0 victories over long time rivals Berkeley Carroll and Staten Island Academy. On the Boys side, even though they suffered a heart breaking defeat to Lu Hi in the final of the IPPSAL Post Season Championship Tournament, their regular season title was their third straight and speaks volumes about the consistently high quality of Head Coach Kevin Coleman's Varsity Boys Soccer program. In addition to these tremendous soccer accomplishments, the Varsity Girls Tennis team captured its second consecutive, and thirteenth overall, IPPSAL Girls Tennis Championship. The Lady Panther Netters were only able to continue the trend of Portledge dominance of IPPSAL Girls Tennis because of exceptional Senior leadership on the part of Robyn Worrall, Elizabeth Girgenti and Stephanie Hegarty. The success of the athletic program at Portledge does not stop there though as the Middle School soccer teams enjoyed a very successful year in competition against our local day school rivals from Green Vale, Buckley, Holy Child and East Woods. The 7/8 Boys Soccer team led the way with a 7-2-1 overall mark that was highlighted by some tremendous play throughout the fall. Not only did the team have a exceptional group of attackers in Ronel Juste, Cameron Daniels, Kyle Flowers David Anderson and Solomon Hur, but the cadre of deep players made up of the Roel brothers, Jimmy and Tommy, stopper Sam Lerner and sweeper Zak Kleinwaks were stingiest defense in memory. Behing all this there was goaltender par excellence Patrick Byrnes. As team leader Byrnes consistently made incredible saves look easy as he was a rock in the Panther nets. Many great keepers have worn the Portledge crest, but Patrick Byrnes has the opportunity to go on and be the not only the strongest goaltender in Portledge history, but possibly one of the finest soccer players we have ever had at this institution. The 7/8 Girls team won several games this fall and showed a marked improvement in their overall play. Head Coach Miss Maiello will have most of her team returning next year and with the addition of a few more pieces from an also improved 5/6 Girls program should be very hard to beat in the fall of 2010. While the 5/6 Boys Soccer team, Middle School Coed Cross Country team, and Varsity Coed Cross Country teams are all still developing programs, there is no shortage of effort on behalf of their players to make those teams as strong as possible Thus, it is with a great amount of appreciation and congratulations that we commend all the Portledge fall sports players and coaches on a fantastic 2009 fall sports season. Special thanks also go out to all the parents and faculty who came out and supported our athletes this fall. Lastly, please give our Varsity Soccer players, both girls and boys, a wish of good luck as they prepare to compete in the state independent school championships coming up this week. The boys will play first on Wednesday, Nov 4th @ Randall's Island - Field # 70 (3:45pm) in a round of 16 game v. Lycee Francais of NYC. If they can secure a positive result, they will be back at Randall's Isaland the next day to face 2nd seeded UNIS. The Varsity Girls team will move right to the quarter finals when they face 2nd seeded St Ann's of Brooklyn on Thursday, Nov 5th at 3:45 at either the Red Hook or Aviator Field complex. Please feel free to check the homepage of portledge.org for more details as those contests draw closer. You can also learn a bit more about Portledge Athletics as Hey Hills goes on to answer a question we have heard a lot lately!

How is it that Portledge is experiencing so much success lately in its athletic programs?

The one thing that has become apparent during this exciting run of athletic accomplishments at Portledge is that, while hard work does not guarantee victory, it certainly does consistently put you in a position to achieve great things, and that if you put yourselves in that position often enough, you gain the type of experience, that when coupled with hard work, brings success. That's certainly a lot to say in one sentence and I'm not sure if it's even grammatically correct - I guess I'll have to check with someone in the English Dep't - but I do know that it is emphatically true. Portledge has enjoyed many periods of athletic bloom. During the late 1980s Boys Soccer and Lacrosse, and Girls Tennis were all having a great deal of success and establishing themselves as foundational blocks in the Portledge Athletic program. The 1990s saw Boys Tennis go through a boom and the Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team reached tremendous heights as it consistently defeated very strong prep opponents from around the country and was a team on which future NHL players honed their skills. This latest round of progress and growth in Portledge Athletics really began six tears ago when Michael Coope challenged a group of girls soccer players to work harder than they ever had athletically and to come together as a group as they never has before. The result, in only the fourth year of the programs existence, was a trip to the PSAA Girls Soccer Championship and the realization that hard work, and commitment to each other, could certainly breed success and put you in position to achieve great things. Since then we have seen the Girls Basketball program challenge for championships behind the relentless play and exceptional leadership of Emily Edwards Bourdrez, the creation of a Girls Ice Hockey and Baseball programs and in the case of Girls Ice Hockey its ultimate evolution to championship status. All of these developments have beeen powered by the hard work of players and coaches and their commitment to the success of our programs. Now that we are getting to these lofty places more often, we know how to prepare and how to act once we are there. So whether you are a girls or boys ice hockey, basketball, soccer, tennis, lacrosse, baseball or softball player - be ready to work, have a great overall experience and ultimately achieve some great things of your own.

Blog is Back in Town

2009-09-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone - it's been quite some time since I took some time to blog about my favorite topic of Portledge Athletics. That said, I have no excuse to offer other than I was fairly busy last spring and wherever creative juices come from, they had temporarily stopped flowing in me. Now that a new year of athletic competition is under way, however, it appears that my mojo is back and I'm ready to go. So as they say, " here it goes"!

What are people saying about the Varsity Girls Soccer team?

Well let's start with the Varsity Girls team because I've spent a bit more time with them so far this fall. Anytime you have you have the option to start eight Seniors you obviously have a team with tremendous experience. This is certainly true about the Lady Panthers as half their players will be earning their forth Varsity letter in Girls Soccer this fall. These seniors are spread out throughout the formation as coaches Coope and Luken seemed to have settled on a 4-3-3 set up. The middle three will be playing in a triangle with Senior Monique Kelly advanced on the point just behind three forwards coming from a some combination of Seniors Addie Reilly and Marian Juste, Juniors Ashley Wade and Tatiana Parris, and Freshman winger Erica Cohen. Right behind Monique, completing the midfield triangle, will be the central midfield pair of Seniors Claudia Rogers and Chelsea Caracciolo. All three players have a green light to join the attack and the coaches feel that this Senior midfield triad can potentially dominate against any other central grouping in the league. As of now, the defense will be a flat back four manned by seniors Natalie Grey and Natalie Flammia on the left and right flanks, respectively, with a pair of traditional center backs comprised of Sophomores Alexa Lodenquai and Denise Michalev. Returning letter winner, Freshman Ceci Mulry, should be able to fill in anywhere in the midfield or on the back line and will give Coach Coope a small amount of flexibility as the season wears on. Lastly, we have Senior keeper Chelsea Estevez between the pipes. As a starter for the last two seasons Chelsea has been in goal for many big contests including numerous PSAA Playoff and NYSAISAA Tournament games. So there shouldn't be anything coming Chelsea's way that she hasn't already seen during what has been an overall excellent career. Thus, here are the ifs......if Reilly can maintain her past scoring output and get some production help from another forward or two, if the midfield triangle concept works and teams cannot disect which midfielder will be coming forward, and if the back four set up can support the attack and while maintaining solid defense.....then the Lady Panthers might have a rare opportunity to play for a PSAA league championship. COME ON OUT THIS THURSDAY as the girls open their season with a tough match against Friends Academy @ Home on the Lower Field (4:30pm)

Can the Varsity Boys Soccer Team Continue Its Streak of Excellent Seasons?

The last few years have certainly been interesting ones for Head Coach Kevin Coleman and the Portledge Varsity Boys Soccer team. Two straight first place finishes in IPPSAL Division I Boys Soccer regular season play have led Panthers to consecutive NYSAISAA Tournament appearences for the first time in the school's history. Last year that appearence was in the form of a #4 seed - again a first in school history. The other side of the coin, however, is that not only have both those NYSAISAA appearences been of the one and done variety, but the team has also failed to capture an elusive IPPSAL Championship, although twice being seeded first in the playoffs. So we have some questions coming into what should be another very exciting season. Can the squad duplicate its regular season dominance and secure more home dates for IPPSAL Championship and NYSAISAA Tournament play, and even more importantly can they then go on to the next level by winning some of these intense late season clashes. The team's showing late last season in a very competetive Portledge Tournament that saw the Panthers gain victories over perennial NYSAISAA Tournament squads from Packer Collegiate and Columbia Prep is a real reason to believe that this group of players is maturing and has the depth to produce a truly memorable season.

Coach Coleman is taking a big chance in listening to the desires of his players as he moves steady defender Vishal Chinchwadkar out of the back line up into midfield. This could back-fire, or it could give the Panthers the explosiveness you need at the highest levels. Either way it will leave Seniors MJ Shin and Bashir Desgrottes, and Sophomore Eric "Dima" Diamataris, with a good deal of work to do in order to maintain a solid defense. They should get great support, however, from the team's pair of very experienced keepers, Seniors Dan Leask and Ben Shapiro. Chinchwadkar will be joining an already potent midfield comprised of the Dourmashkin brothers, Senior Mark and Junior Steven, along with Junior Nic Leask, who is arguably the most skilled and polished player on the field. Up front, Junior Chris McCloskey will try to keep up the tremendous scoring he contributed as a 9th and 10th grader. This will not be easy though, as Chris' strike partner of the last two years, Trevor Wolfson, has departed for college. The first chance to secure a spot alongside of McCloskey will go to Junior Anthony Pergola. Anthony is a very tricky player with a sly and deft touch. He was an excellent complimentary forward in junior high, and had a very solid season with the junior varsity team last fall. Needless to say, LET'S GO PANTHERS!!! Come on out this Wednesday afternoon when the Vrasity Boys Soccer team will open their season at HOME v. Tevor Day School on Sawyer Field @ 4:00pm.

Faculty beat Varsity 71-68!!

2009-02-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Varsity Basketball teams took on the Portledge Faculty again this year. Congrats to the "more experienced" faculty who defeated the poorly coached (by Phil Hills) Varsity teams. Playing for the faculty were Mr. LaFlair, Mr. Woll, Mr. Sandoval, Mr. Hahn, Mr. Amadio and Ms. Maiello (game MVP).

Like Climbing a Mountain / Six Years After Starting From Scratch Portledge Varsity Girls Hockey Are Mid Atlantic Interscholastic Champions

2009-02-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

Like the old song says," you just have to put one foot in front of the other". This is the strategy that was adopted by Portledge School over seven years ago when it was decided that a girls ice hockey program should be created. The first discussions come to mind very easily, as I remember someone saying,"we will build slowly... and in five or so years we will have girls playing in the Middle as well as in the Upper School, and we will be playing for the championship of whatever league we decide to join". Thanks to the efforts of our former Headmaster, Huson Gregory, our current Head of School, Steve Hahn, former Head Coach, Kelly Weideman, and most recently, current Head Coach Zoe Schwam, this has all come true. This past Sunday afternoon the Portledge Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team stepped out of Locker Room #1 at the Lisa McGraw Rink, on the campus of Princeton Day School, to play the Varsity Girls team of the Morristown Beard School for the Mid Atlantic Interscholastic Championship. At the same time the Portledge Athletic Dep't is expecting at least 15 young ladies to participate in the Middle School Ice Hockey program next winter, and this is a conservative estimate considering we had 11 girls playing in the Middle School this past winter. Isn't it amazing how some strategies stand the test of time, and how the some people's words turn out to be quite prophetic!

What Happened in the WIHLMA Championship Game?

Both Portledge and Morristown were coming off of hard fought wins in the semi finals. Portledge, the tournament's #1 seed had a surprisingly difficult time getting passed a determined group of girls from the Hill School. The Hill team does have the league's top goaltender and boosted by her fine play, the Hilltoppers found themselves only trailing the mighty Lady Panthers by one entering the third period. The Portledge girls, however, were equally determined to make this their weekend, and send their leader, Senior captain Siena Falino, out as a champion. Thus, the third period turned out to be a Panther blitz, as Falino and her mates turned up the speed of play a notch or two and netted three straight goals on the girls from Pottstown, PA.

In the second semi final the tournament's other favorite, the Crimson Ladies of Morristown Beard, faced an even greater challenge to advance from the Shaddy Side Varsity Girls from Pittsburgh, PA. Shaddy Side's incredible #10 banged in two quick goals to give the underdogs a formidable 2-0 early game lead. Slowly but surely though, the Morristown girls clawed their way back into this hard fought contest. The score was tied at two mid way through the third period when Mo Beard finally took the lead for good at 3-2. So both of Sunday's final contestants had been tested and had come through. Now we would settle once and for all the question of who was the best girls interscholastic hockey team in the mid atlantic region, The Portledge Lady Panthers, or the Crimson Ladies of Morristown Beard.

I once heard someone say that Princeton had given two great gifts to amateur ice hockey, Hobey Baker and Harry Rulon Miller. I reflected back on that statement as the venerable Mr. Rulon Miller took the microphone to introduce the teams competing in the WIHLMA Championship. In his most gravely and gargled voice, Harry wished both teams the best of luck, then eloquently and ever so simply stated,"play ball"!! These two teams took that simple statement to heart, as they both attacked the game with a youthful exuberance that literally shook the building. Up and down the ice they went, trading scoring chances and fine defensive plays from end to end. Little by little the territorial advantage started to slide towards the Lady Panthers as they consistently kept the puck in the Mo Beard end. The Portledge defensemen, Emily Prey, Chelsea Caracciolo, and 8th grader Erin Brand fearlessly pinched down the boards time and again denying the Crimson Ladies a respite from the growing pressure on their goal. Finally, half way through the second period, after 22 minutes of scoreless and tension packed play, the nervous tie was shattered as Portledge Sophomore winger Alyssa Parke came out of the corner in control of the puck and deftly snapped a wrister into the top corner of the Mo Beard net. A jubilant celebration by the Lady Panthers followed, and for a moment all seemed right in the world...but just for a moment!

Before the Portledge girls had the chance to get really comfortable with the lead a questionable penalty was called on Falino during a scrum in front of the MB net. The Crimson took advantage of the ensuing power play to tie the score at one. The Morristown goal came on a blistering slap shot by the Crimson's dominant offensive player, Sarah Beyerdorf. As the second period ended with the score tied at one, everyone in attendence realized that they were in for something really special because the third period would determine the WIHLMA champ, and what a period it would be!

Right from the drop of the puck the Lady Panthers were flying. Falino attempted rush after rush into the Mo Beard end, only to be efffectively steered away from the Crimson net by a well prepared Mo Beard defense. Every once in a while the Crimson managed to get off a shot at the Portledge goal, but they were usually from off angle and were easily handled by the Lady Panther's keeper, Sophomore Olivia Rivera. A side note on the weekend is that Rivera played solid throughout both games, providing a calm and cool presence in the Portledge net during some highly stressful situations. As the game was winding down and the coaches were beginning to think about the possibility of overtime there was a break. A Mo Beard turnover right at the Portledge blue line left Junior Addie Reilly with the puck just as speedy Sophomore winger Ashley Wade started to break down the ice. Reilly feathered a perfect pass between the Crimson defendrs and all of a sudden Wade was in alone. The crowd rose to their feet and witnessed Wade pull the puck to her backhand side before slyly slipping it through the ol' five hole and into the net. Over the last three minutes the Lady Panthers resisted a furious charge by the Morristown girls and finally, after what seemed like forever, the final horn sounded. This championship culminates a dream that people had and a tremendous amount of work by a very special group of girls. One girl, in particular, has strived for six years to put Portledge on the Girls Hockey map. The exceptional Miss Falino can now move on to Northeastern University for the next stage of a very special hockey career satisfied that her contributions to Portledge Girls Hockey did establish a program that is now recognized throughout the region. Congratulations to Siena, Head Coach Zoe Schwam, all the girls on this years incredible team and all the girls who have played for, and contributed to, this special program over the years!! WAY TO GO LADY PANTHERS!!!!

GIRLS ICE HOCKEY WINS WIHLMA CHAMPIONSHIPS

2009-02-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Congrats to the Varsity Girls Hockey team who defeated Morristown-Beard 2-1 to capture the WIHLMA Championships. Pictured to the left is Senior Captain, Siena Falino who finished off her spectacular career with this Championship. Congrats to Siena -- she will be missed.

7/8 v. JV Games -- JV's WIN

2009-02-22T13:15:00.001-08:00

MVP's of the the Girls game was freshman Lisa Dourmashkin and in the boys game two players were selected, sophomore Ben Lobley and freshman Zach Pilson. Congrats to all who competed in these hard fought games. Special thanks to coaches for hard work getting these teams into shape; Mr. Woll (JV Girls), Ms. Maiello (7/8 Girls), Mr. Clark (JV Boys), and Mr. LaFlair (7/8 Boys).

Crazy Days/ The Last Two Weeks Prove to Be Full of Surprises as Porledge Upper School Winter Sports Start to Whind Down

2009-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

As I sat watching the Varsity Boys Hockey team fight back from a two goal deficit and gain an improbable win a week ago Monday against Seton Hall, I had a feeling that the next few weeks would be full of more surprises, including a host of fantastic finishes and great performances. It did not take long for that craziness to kick in, as on Wednesday, Feb 5th when the buses carrying the Varsity Hockey teams to separate game venues broke down almost simultaneously during their respective journeys. As the frustrated coaches spoke with each other via cell phone, repair crews and, in the case of the girls trip, a new bus were dispatched. When the girls team finally arrived at their destination, the Twin Oaks Ice Rink, they found their most heated rival, the Crimson girls from Morristowm Beard, waiting for them.

This installment in the Portledge/Mo' Beard Girls Hockey rivalry did not disappoint anyone in attendance as the teams ferociously battled each other on the way to a 2-2 tie. The Lady Panthers skaters were forced to come back twice from 1-0 and from 2-1. In doing so they continued to display the heart and determination that has become their hallmark. A week later, playing the first game in the program's history without consummate team leader Siena Falino, the now even younger Lady Panthers found themselves trailing a fired up Princeton High team by a score of 3-1 entering the third period. The Lady Tigers were being boosted by hundreds of fans who had come out to support their team on Senior night. Once again the Portledge girls showed that giving up is not part of their make up. Riding an amazing individual performance by Junior forward Addie Reilly the Lady Panthers came storming back to win the game 5-3 and lock up first place in the WIHLMA regular season. Reilly scored the first four goals for the Lady Panthers that night at Hobey Baker Rink as she tallied once in the second and three straight times in the third period. This was a memorable performance in yet another remarkable girls hockey season. Just last night the Varsity Girls Hockey team finished out their regular season with a 7-0 win over Pingry. It ran the team's WIHLMA regular season unbeaten streak to 17 games and was marked by the first time notation of Sophmore sensation Sophie Steell on the scoresheet. The team first oriented winger scored the first two goals of her Varsity Girls Hockey career in the win. The squad will now start preparing for the Mid Atlantic Championship Tournament which will be played at Princeton Day School the weekend of Feb, 21st & 22nd. I know Coach Schwam and the girls would love to bring home the WIHLMA Championship Banner and we wish then the best of luck in their endeavor!

Meanwhile the twists and turns of the Varsity Boys season continues to illustrate the revival of boys ice hockey at Portledge School. The team currently has a record of 9 wins, five loses and 1 tie. This is a real turnaround from the consecutive string of losing seasons that has dominated the middle of this decade. The team's record would probably be even stronger had it not been for a serious season ending injury to team captain and starting goalkeeper Sal Magliocco. The Panthers are 2-3 since the injury and while Freshman Michael Bruschi has been courageous, and a welcome surprise between the pipes, it's not the same as having your best player in there. That being said, what a job Bruschi has done! The kid deserves tremendous credit for the poise and determination he has displayed during this challenging experience. Games with Division I Hill School and cross town rival Locust Valley High remain to be played before the team travels north to Millbrook, NY to compete in the season ending Empire Cup. Over the years Portledge has reached the unofficial state championship final twice, but has never captured this prestigious trophy. The Panthers will give it another go on the weekend of February, 27th & 28th, and , thus, we wish coaches Coope and Sandos, and all the guys on the team, the best of luck for a strong finish to the season.

As for the hardwood it's definitely the Varsity and JV Girls Basketball teams that are making the most noise. Both squads, in complete reversals from the poor seasons of last winter, qualified for the playoffs in their respective leagues, IPPSAL and PSAA. The vigilant coaching job turned in by Mr. Amadio with the Varsity, and Mr. Woll with the JV, can definitely be viewed as changing the tone of the program. All the girls put in a great deal of work, both on individual skills and on team play, and all this paid off in some very successful seasons. The Varsity team led by a host of Juniors finished with an overall mark of 14 wins and 6 losses, and a league record of 13 wins and 3 losses. They made the IPPSAL play offs for the first time in four years and were eliminated by a tough OSNA team in a hard fought semi final game. As for the JV, after a winless campaign last winter, and being made up of many of the same girls, the team completely turned things around to finish with 5 wins and 7 losses. They were victorious over Martin Luther in a PSAA Girls JV Basketball Quarterfinal game and were eventually eliminated in the league semi final by Long Island Lutheran. Strong foundations have been built for many years of great play in Upper School Girls Basketball here at Portledge. A well deserved congratulations goes out to all those involved!!

Hey Hills will be back next week with some wrap ups of both Fencing and Squash. See you all then!

Portledge Super Fans

2009-02-11T11:00:00.001-08:00

Everyone's Doin Something/Amazing Individual Efforts Lead Panther Skaters to Victory

2009-02-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

Freshman goaltender Michael Bruschi was supported by a strong team effort and some incredible individual performances by Sophomores Ori Benyamini and Ron Fishman, and Freshman Matt Crockett in leading the Portledge Panthers to victory over long time rival Seton Hall Prep in Varsity Boys Ice Hockey. Bruschi was starting his second game in goal after taking over for injured captain Sal Magliocco. He looked more comfortable than he did v. Morristowm last week and made some big saves down the stretch to preserve the victory. This result was made possible by a memorable Panther comeback. Trailing 3-1 with time winding down in the second period, the Portledge skaters came together to produce some fast paced and exciting hockey that propelled them to an unlikely victory.

The comeback started just before the end of the second when Freshman winger Jesse Schandler ripped one of his patented inside out slap shots past a surprised Pirates keeper to bring Portledge within one. Then in the third period Portledge turned up the heat and started coming at the Seton Hall defense in swarms. Before long Freshman Matt Crockett found himself battling for position in front when the puck was centered to an area around his feet. Although he was tied up by a Pirate defender, Crockett kept working and managed, as he was on his way down to the ice, to slip the loose puck into the Seton Hall net. Crockett celebrated while sitting on the ice and the score was remarkably tied. The game went up and down as both teams had some chances, but with about 5 and a half remaining a Portledge player was tripped up in center ice and the Panthers went on the power play. During the man advantage Sophomore Ron Fishman made an incredible end to end rush eventually slashing into the Seton Hall zone. After eluding a Pirate defender, Fishman sent a rocket snap shot into the upper right corner and amazingly Portledge had the lead. The Panthers still had to kill off some man down situations, but that was deftly handled by the Sophomore duo of Steven Dibartolomeo and Ori Benyamini with a significant contribution from Freshman Brendan McGovern. Bruschi made some nice saves as the clock wound down, and after Benyamini put one in the empty net, this solid victory was complete. Good luck to the Panther skaters as they take on the Bruins of Brunswick School, in Geenwich tonight, before returning home next Monday for 5:30 face off with Rye Country Day.

Ladies Night/ Varsity Girls Basketball and Varsity Girls Hockey Both Rock On

2009-02-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

Girls sports at Portledge continue to dominate the headlines. Last Wednesday night was a prime example as the Varsity Girls Basketball team had a huge win over previously unbeaten in league play LWA, and the Varsity Girls Hockey team extended its regular season unbeaten streak in WIHLMA play to an incredible 15 games.

Lately you can just see the Varsity Girls Basketball team coming together. Their practices are upbeat and productive, and the girls seem quite focused on the task at hand, which is to get better with each passing game. That was certainly the case when hosted the LWA Lady Tigers on Wednesday. LWA came into the game unbeaten in IPPSAL play, but left Wellington Gym sporting their first league loss. The Lady Panthers made 7 out of 8 free throws in OVERTIME to secure a hard fought 33-25 victory. The Portledge girls have locked up an IPPSAL Girls Basketball play off spot, and are now fine tuning their play in hopes of pulling an upset over either LWA or OSNA, and thus reaching the IPPSAL Championship game. The Junior class quartet of Captains Mo Kelly and Akanksha Trivedi, Robyn Worrall and Claudia Rogers ccntinues to lead the teams play. Kelly and Trivedi are scoring consistently and Rogers is fast becoming the best defensive player in IPPSAL Girls Basketball. The Lady Panthers have a big week as they take on Waldorf tonight in Garden City, before tipping off with Solomon Schechter(Tuesday - 5:30 - Wellington Gym) and Lexington (Friday - 4:30 - Wellington Gym) .

Varsity Girls Hockey extended its amazing regular season WIHLMA win streak at the expense of a determined Princeton Day School team. The PDS girls fought hard and put up a stubborn defense, but the new forward combo of Senior Siena Falino and Sophomore Ashley Wade proved to be too much as they combined for numerous goals during a big Portledge second period. There is lots of regular season work to do for the Lady Panthers though. This week they will be down in New Jersey on both Wednesday and Thursday night to face off with Morristown Beard and Princeton High School, respectively. After these contests only one regular season game remains before the Mid Atlantic Championship Tournament, which will be held the weekend of Feb, 22nd & 23rd at Princeton Day School this year.

Chilly Winds Blow in Some Exciting Puck/ Varsity Girls and Boys Take on Morristown Beard in Double Header @ the Dam

2009-01-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

WHAT A NIGHT FOR HOCKEY!! The word was spread around town that this was the night to come down to Beaver Dam , if you wanted to see some great Prep School hockey action. The Portledge Varsity Girls and Boys Hockey teams were taking on the Varsity teams from Morristown-Beard. Both of these schools love their ice hockey and both games were set to be battles. The crowd steadily built during the night, reaching its peak during the incredible third period of the girls game, and creating a real buzz for the start of the Varsity Boys contest. The skating was fast with beautiful playmaking all around.

What Happened in the Varsity Girls Game?

To say that this match up has become a rivalry is to not fully illustrate how hard the Portledge and Mo Beard girls go at it when they face each other on the ice. Five of the last six times they played the difference was just one goal with Morristown hoisting the Mid Atlantic Championship last February following a 2-1 victory over the Lady Panthers. This season Portledge is slightly favored to take the crown, and the Lady Panthers were determined to serve notice of their skill in this winters first meeting between the squads. Just imagine the little bit of shock that went through the Portledge team when Mo Beard took a 1-0 lead early five minutes into the first period, or when the Crimson answered the Lady Panthers early second period equalizer with goal of their own, to regain a one goal lead more than half way through the game. Going back to that first Portledge goal - what a beauty! Emily Prey slipped a slick pass from the point onto the stick of Sophomore Ashley Wade. Wade then sent a behind the back cross creas fed to winger Alyssa Parke who blasted the biscuit in to the open net. Still with time running down in the second period the Portledge girls trailed 2-1. At this point the game started to change as the lady Panthers began taking their play to another level. They continuously worked the puck around the Mo Beard zone with crisp passing and tenacious forechecking. Finally, captasin Siena Falino found an open Erin Brand cutting down from the point. The eigth grader then sent a wicked wrister past the Crimson goalie to tie the score and set the stage for what would be a very memorable third period.

Right from the drop of the puck the Lady Panthers swarmed into the Mo Beard zone, while at the same time denying the Crimson access to the Portledge zone. As the pace of play reached yet another level of speed, it became Falino time. The senior, playing her last game at home, simply took over. After getting a nice pass from Wade in the slot she fired a snap shot off of the cross bar and into the opponents net. Minutes later she wound things up in her own zone and took the puck the length of the ice around several Mo Beard players before finally beating the Crimson goalie while being dragged down to the ice. I will always remember the picture of Siena sliding on her knees to the corner, with her stick raised in joyful celebration after this amazing goal. She added another after stealing the puck in the neutral zone and going in alone on the Crimson goalie. The relentless Portledge forecheck led to one last goal by Addie Reilly as the Lady Panthers made a point with a dominating third perios and a hard fought 6-2 win. The score does not accurately reflect the up and down play, and the Portledge girls need to be ready to defend their first place position when the travel out to Morristown next Wednesday for regular season rematch.

How Was the Varsity Boys Game?

Everyone knew that the Portledge boys had a tough one ahead of them since they were playing without their starting goalie, captain Sal Magliocco. Freshman Mihael Bruschi would be making his first start in the Portledge Varsity nets and there was a bit of a nervous feeling around the rink. Well, the joke was kind of on everyone as Bruschi turned away shot after shot in the first period and gave the Panthers a real shot to establish themselves in the game. Something the boys definitely accomplished when Sophomore Tom Parisi won the race to a loose puck in the Morristown zone, snuck in front with quick move, and beat the Crimson goalie to give Portledge a 1-0 lead. Parisi is really emerging as a skilled offensive player who can score and pass equally well. He is playing with great confidence and taking on the mantel of leadership among all the young talented forwards. Despite tremendous pressure during successive power play opportunities, the Panthers could not get that critical second goal that would have given them some control over this fast paced game. Early in the second period Morristown tied the game with a beautiful shot off the rush and went on to take the lead late in the stanza when the Panthers misplayed a dump in. Tailing 2-1 going into the third the Portledge boys pressed for the equalizer, but eventually left themselves open to counter attacks by a well balanced Morristown team. Much like the girls game, but in the opposite direction, the 5-1 final did not reflect the true nature of the game. This one could have gone either way. Congratulations should go out to the Morristown goalie, who played a tremendous game.

Please check the web site and come out to support our Panther hoopsters, AS THEY PLAY MANY GAMES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS!!!

How 'Bout Them Apples/Varsity Girls Hockey Overcomes Big Red of Lawrenceville

2009-01-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

I remember writing in the blog last winter how the Portledge v. Lawrenceville Varsity Girls Hockey game was one of the best secondary school sports events I had ever been a part of. The 9-8 overtime classic, which is seen as a historic win for the Portledge Girls Hockey Program, had at its core a tremendous individual performance. Current Portledge Senior Siena Falino, a Junior at that time, scored seven of the Lady Panthers nine goals, and assisted on another. Her will to achieve victory, and the overall confidence she displayed in that game is unmatched by the anything I have seen at the rink in my twenty years of coaching. Much of the moxie displayed by the captain on that night last January, has rubbed off on the rest of the girls who have returned from last year's team. For the second time this season they entered the third period of a Division I Varsity Girls Hockey game tied with their opponents, and both times they have prevailed by playing a defensively sound and offensively aggressive last fifteen minutes. The latter of these games took place last night when the Lady Panthers visited The Big Red of Lawrenceville for this season's version of what is becoming an excellent Girls Hockey rivalry.

How Did the Game Unfold?

The Lawrenceville girls were ready for Portledge's #7 this time. From the first time she touched the puck it was easy to see that stopping Falino was the focus of the Big Red gameplan. Two, and sometimes three skaters were immediately on the scene when the puck came around the Portledge captain. Still, about seven minutes in, Falino found a little space down the right wing and sent a wrister towards the Lawrenceville net. The shot was deflected by a defenseman and a bit misplayed by the keeperbefore it settled in the net to give the Portledge girls a 1-0 lead. It was an extremely tight checking game throughout as the Lady Panthers, sensing that this was not going to be a fifteen goal affair, consistently smothered the Lawrenceville attack right at the defensive blue line. When the Big Red attack did penetrate the Portledge zone, their shots on goal found a very sharp Olivia Rivera in the Lady Panthers net. Two or three big saves kept Portledge in the lead until L'Ville finally evened the game towards the end of the second period. The stage was set for a great finish and a real calm settled over the Portledge team as Coach Schwam asked them, "can we do this"? The answer came in the form of a uniform and determined head bob by all the Portledge girls...and so it came to be. The play was gradually pushed into the L'Ville end for longer periods of time and eventually Falino came free at the left circle. Instead of shooting though, the crafty Senior sent a beautiful cross ice pass to a wide open Ashley Wade, who was unmarked and standing by the far post. The spunky Sophomore banged the puck into the unguarded side of the net and Portledge had its eventual one goal margin in the form of a 2-1 score. The final few minutes provided the Portledge girls another opportunity to display their developing experience under pressure. They handled the all out effort of the L'Ville girls to tie the score, with a real sense of calm and confidence. To me, it appears they all learned something that cold January night one year ago. The Lady Panther's have another tough one coming up when they travel up to Millbrook School to take on the Lady Mustangs in a 5:30 face off on Friday night.

An Almost Perfect Big Monday/ Varsity Girls Basketball and Varsity Boys Hockey Post Wins, But Varsity Boys Basketball Goes Down to Defeat

2009-01-14T05:44:00.000-08:00

It was a big Monday in Portledge Athletics as the Varsity Girls Basketball team squared off at home v. Upper Room in a critical IPPSAL match up, the Varsity Boys Basketball team traveled to Kew Forest for an important IPPSAL game of their own, and Varsity Boys Hockey faced off at Beaver Dam against the combined team of Locust Valley and North Shore High Schools.

What Happened in the Varsity Girls Basketball Game?

The Lady Panthers were in a tough spot as they took the floor. Junior captain and starting point guard Monique Kelly was home sick and their opponents from Upper Room looked determined to avenge an early season defeat at the hands of the Portledge girls. Thus, the stage was set for a very tough game at Wellington Gym. Juniors Robyn Worrall and Claudia Rogers took turns handling the and remained quite calm against Upper Room's often used full court press. In breaking the pressure the Junior duo created open court opportunities at the other end that the other Lady Panthers took advantage of. Junior Akanksha Trivedi scored 16 points and Freshman Alexa Lodenquai added 13 to lead the Portledge squad. Also making key contributions were Junior Marian Juste, who was all over the boards, and Senior Leah Heffernan, whose experience was essential down the stretch. This great team effort led to many assisted baskets and a very satisfying win over a tough league rival. The Lady Panthers next take the court this Friday (Wellington Gym @ 4:00pm) when they should continue to solidify their play off position against a weak Kew Forest team.

What Happened to the Boys Team at Kew Forest?

Even with Junior Mark Dourmashkin hitting for 25 points, it wasn't enough to propel the Panthers to victory over their foes from Queens. Down by three at the start of the third quarter was as close as the Portledge team came to last year's IPPSAL Runners Up. The IPPSAL Varsity Boys Basketball picture is starting to clarify and the Panthers will need to play much better, if they hope to qualify for the league play offs. That process will start at home this Wednesday when the boys take on Solomon Schechter at 5:45pm.

How Was the Local Darby Hockey Game Down at Beaver Dam?

This was a tough match up for the Portledge team because everyone was expecting them to win, but they were, nevertheless, facing a skilled and determined opponent in the form of the combined team of ice hockey players from North Shore and Locust Valley High Schools. Freshman Winger Jesse Schandler was a big part of the Panthers offense as he tallied twice during the game, and added an assist as well. With Junior captain and lead defenseman David Wilson on the bench resting some bumps and bruises, Sophomores Ron Fishman, Pat Condan and Ryan Gottfried all rose to the occaision and played some great hockey. Freshman defender Mike Conslato also played really well and impressed the large crowd with his strong skating and passing skills. The final score of 6-0 was not indicative of the Panther's total control of the game as Mr. Coope took advantage of the situation to get all his players plenty of ice time. After taking on Morristown (Home/Jan26th) and PDS (Away/Jan28th), the boys will begin the hardest part of their schedule with a very difficult stretch of games during February.

Southern Hospitality/Varsity Girls Hockey Wins Twice During Mid Atlantic League Trip to Maryland

2009-01-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

The Portledge Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team raised their overall record to 7 wins and 4 losses by posting two victories during their trip to Maryland this past weekend. The Lady Panthers also remained at the top of the WIHLMA standings by building an mark of 4 wins with no losses in league play.

Who Did the Girls Play and Which Players Led the Way?

Saturday's opponent was Shady Side Academy from Pittsbugh, PA, while Sunday saw the Portledge girls take on our awesome hosts, Holten Arms. The Lady Panthers controlled both games and registered similar 5-2 and 6-1 results, respectively. Saturday's offense was paced by Siena Falino, who led the way with four of the goals, and Junior defenseman Chelsea Caracciolo who added a score when she completed one of her patented end to end rushes. On Sunday, the Sophomores took over as Alyssa Parke had the hat trick, Ashley Wade scored on a beautiful break away move and crafty winger Ali James tallied for the second time in three games. It's great to see the scoring be so balanced and the team play well together. They will need both of these things to remain constant this week, as they play consecutive away games against New England Division I opponents. The Lady Panthers travel to Lawrenceville on Wednesday for a 6:15 start, where the Big Red will be looking for revenge for last years 8-7 overtime loss to Portledge. Then it's up to Millbrook School for a big Friday night tilt (5:30) at Bontecou Rink. The Lady Panthers opponents should know not to try any rough stuff because the Portledge girls ain't no bandleaders! Yeah, we heard that story.

The Continuation of the Continuum of Portledge Athletics/ The Return of a Class of '87 Alum to Take on Panthers @ Beaver Dam Highlights a Great Week

2009-01-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

On Monday night not only was the Assistant Coach of the Portledge Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team a former captain of Portledge Hockey, but so was the Head Coach of the opposition. Of course the first individual in question is our very own Mr. Jon Sandos '03, who has returned after college to coach and teach at his alma mater. While the second person referred to above is Michael Goodrich '87. Mike, or Goody, as he was known during his days on the ice for Portledge School and Norwich University, is a successful businessman in the financial markets and has also become an accomplished coach in the New Jersey Public School ice hockey ranks. His Fairlawn High team has been a perennial playoff participant in the New Jersey State Championships, that over the last three years has developed a solid and exciting rivalry with their coaches' former school, Portledge. Goody captained 86-87 squad at Portlege and was a team mate of such Portledge Hockey legends as Keith Merkler and Justin Ort. Last year, right here at Beaver Dam, he led Fairlawn High to a dramatic 4-3 cvertime victory over our very own Portledge Panthers. Goody loves to compete v. Portledge and the Panthers always know that they will get a determined effort from the Fairlawn players. Thus, it was with great respect and a real sense of purpose that the Panther skaters laced em up Monday night for this exciting tilt.

How Did the Game Unfold?

It was obvious when Ron Fishman sent a beautiful cross ice pass for a wide open Kurt Krotz tip in to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead that Portledge had the more talented and experienced team. Goodrich's Fairlawn team was determined to make it a game though, and much of the play during the first two periods was quite scrappy. A beautifully executed drop pass by Freshman winger Jesse Schandler sent Senior Renny Kraft in alone, and the smooth skating Kraft suavely put a backhander over the Fairlawn goalie's shoulder to make it 2-0. Gorgeous goals by Sophomore Pat Condon and Freshman Matt Crockett contributed to the final score of 6-1, but the real winner on this night was Portledge Hockey, as it welcomed back one of its own for a great game that was really enjoyed by all.

Did the Varsity Boys Hockey Team Play Any Other Games This Week?

They most certainly did, as the Panthers went on to register the first Portledge win over a New England Division I squad in quite some time. The victory came against Albany Academy on Wednesday night and it goes a long way in showing that Portledge Boys Hockey is on its way back. Albany was a hot club coming into the game, having recently knocked off South Kent, a recent victor itself over Avon and according to Hockey Night in Boston one New England's top teams this year. Facts like these really make you think that Coaches Coope and Sandos are building a very special club here on the Island. Early in the game the Panthers put a great deal of pressure on Albany and finally took the lead when Kurt Krotz found the puck on his stick in front yet again. The big Sophomore centerman made no mistake and the early goal gave Portledge some much needed confidence. The Panthers made it 2-0 early in the second when Freshman Brendan McGovern converted a rebound opportunity and the Panthers really started believing they could leave the capitol region with a very meaningful win. You knew it wouldn't be easy though, and Albany took care of that when they scored twice to even the score. The pressure was on the visitors to step up their game and that is exactly what happened. The Panthers broke the tie around the 12 minute mark of the third period when Sophomore defenseman Pat Condon finished off a Panthers rush with a neatly placed slapper into the top corner. Portledge played a solid last six minutes to secure the win and really make a statement about the direction of the program. A huge shout out goes out to Mr. Conslato and Mr. Magliocco for making the long trip up to Albany to support our team. Portledge will next take the ice on Monday, January 12th @ Beaver Dam (5:30) in what should been a real backyard brawl against the combined team that represents North Shore and Locust Valley High Schools.

Did the Varsity Girls Team Have Any Games This Week?

The Portledge Varsity Girls Hockey team traveled just across the Throgs Neck Bridge to take on one their biggest rivals the Rye Country Day Wildcats. This would be the second meeting of the season between the teams and the Rye girls were looking for some pay back after the Lady Panthers smacked them 9-1 earlier in this winter. Rye definitely showed improved play as the up and down action was spirited during the early going, but the Portledge girls also displayed development after playing all that really tough hockey at the Deefield Tournament. During one of the irst shifts of the game, Sophomore center Ashley Wade made an incrdible behind the back wrap around pass to a wide open Siena Falino in the slot. Falino buried the opportunity and the Lady Panthers were on their way. Falino later returned the favor setting Wade up in front, and the dominating combo of Addie Reilly and Alyssa Parke broke the game open as they were virtually unstopable in crashing their way through the Rye defense time and again. Sophomore Olivia Rivera was sharp in goal and the defense really controlled the play with slik puck movement. The Girls have some big Mid Atlantic League games this weekend as they travel down to Laurel, Maryland to face Shaddy Side of Pittsburgh, Pa and Holten Arms of Baltimore. Good luck girls and a very huge congratulations to my advisee Ali James on scoring her first goal for Portledge in the victory over Rye.

How Did the Varsity Basketball Teams Do This Week?

It was a quiet week on the hardwood as basketball picked up again after the Holiday Break. The varsity Boys team only played once and lost disappointingly to Lexington. The offense didn't seem to be able to get on track and the tough team from Jackson Heights went on to dominate the glass. The Panthers will have the chance to rebound this coming week though as they will play a critical IPPSAL game at Kew Forest on Monday, followed by home games v. Solomon Schechter and Valley Stream Christian on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. There is no time to waste for the Panthers as they must get on a hot streak to be a factor in the IPPSAL season.

The Varsity Girls team also had a less than glorious week as they played what some called their worst game of the season on Thursday night in losing to LWA by a score of 36-13. Mr. Amadio's post game chat seemed to take hold though as the girls came back to play a very solid game v. Mill Neck on Friday night. Freshman Alexa Lodenquai led Portledge with 13 points as every player on the team scored on route to the victory. The girls have two must win games at home this coming week as they face Upper Room on Monday and Kew Forest on Friday. As mentioned both games will be at home and will start at (4:00PM).

Anything Else Exciting Happening in Portledge Athletics?

There is the start of something special occurring with the Epee component of the Varsity Fencing program. Led by Senior Nick Hagedorn and Sophomore Alan Phipps the epee fencers are unbeaten through three sets of bouts. So far they have registered wins over the epee teams at Horace Mann, St Ann's and Rye Country Day. Each of those schools has great fencing teams, so this is no small accomplishment. The fencing team will now go back into training until after exams when they will resume their season with the individual and team championship meets, as well as several tough dual meets with rivals such as Hackley and Chapin.

Finale of Abrakadabra / Preview of Upper School Squash and Fencing Programs

2009-01-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

OK...we have talked up basketball and hockey, so now it's time to wrap up the upper school sports previews with some discussion about squash and fencing. These are difficult sports to have knowledge about since squash is practiced off campus at the Creek Club and all of their matches are played in NYC and Brooklyn; and Fencing takes place in some far off place called the lower school gym...that's when it's not serving as a venue for the latest Portledge School drama production. I will have to say, 'hats off to the lower school students, faculty and especially Mrs. Carvell for yet another amazing winter pageant". But getting back to these off the radar programs, it is important to note that these fantastic programs would not work without the contributions of some very dedicated faculty members. First of all there is Dr. David Sarles. Dr. Sarles spends a good part of every winter afternoon behind the wheel of the Portledge bus ferrying students to and from the Creek Club, so that we may even offer a squash program. He is a tireless performer and we are all lucky to have his knowledge and wit around us at all times. The second person that deserves serious recognition is Mr. Eric Johnson. This winter Mr. Johnson is running both the middle and upper school squash programs and, as always, is doing a great job. He brings many years of experience to the job and performs it with a light hearted sense of enjoyment. The last of the 'men behind the scenes' is Freshman teacher Mr. Shane Cappucio. Mr. Cappucio has taken over the day to day oversight of the Varsity Squash program and has done a great job acclimating himself to all the responsibilities. Just last month, when the team showed up at the wrong Eastern Athletic Club in NYC, and found no opponents waiting for them, Mr. Cappucio kept his cool. He ascertained that there was another such establishment merely 12 blocks away, and delivered his squad so that the first match began right on time. Way to go Mr. C!!! It's the quiet work of individuals like these that makes Portledge Athletics the successful and inclusive program it is.....so a big thanks to all of you, gentlemen.

What's Going On With Portledge Squash?

The Portledge Squash program took a bit off a hit this winter when we lost the opportunity to field a JV squad. This was because a lack of available court space and it is something we are working on , so that hopefully next winter we will be able to offer squash to more individuals This winter, however, we have only a Varsity team and it is made up of 8 boys and 4 girls. The adventurous quartet of females are three Juniors with a good deal of experience on the court, Stephanie Hegarty, Elizabeth Girgenti and Hannah Fortgang, plus fearless Freshman Rachael Scheinman. Rachel is currently recovering from an injury sustained during play and we all wish her a speedy recovery. The top male players are Juniors John Litke, Miles Works, Sam Scheinman and Craig Renjifo. Sophomore Will Pascucci and Freshmen Sam Melman, Harrison Tanchuk and Zachary Cooper-Vastola all display good ability and a desire to improve their games. With veteran squasher Sam Ticker being the only Senior, this group has the potential to become a solid crew over the next two years. So far the squad has taken on Packer and Friends Seminary in coed matches and the girls have gone head to head with Brearly. While we have not won an overall match several individuals have broken through for single victories. The Varsity Squash team has a busy January as they will play coed matches v. Chapin (twice) and Poly Prep from Brooklyn. Good luck to all the players and Mr. Cappucio for a great season on the hardwood.

How is the Portledge Fencing Program Doing?

The answer to that question is.... that it's alive and well. This winter over twenty individuals are competing in Varsity foil and epee fencing and on a JV squad as well. In the groups first match, v. Horace Mann, the epee and JV teams were victorious , while the Varsity foil squad was defeated. Leading this year's fencers is a group of Seniors that includes Matt Ardito, Ashwin Chichwadkar, Nick Hagedorn, Adam Kravietz and Farone Rasheed. These individuals have been fencing throughout their upper school years and are providing excellent leadership to the younger swashbucklers. A key to the success of this year's epee team, which is arguably Portledge's best fencing dicsipline, will be the skill of Junior Alan Phipps. Phipps had some strong showings last year and he hopes to build on that success this winter. In foil, watch out for 8th grader Evan Solomon. Not only does Evan help coach our middle school fencers, but he is a ferocious competitor at the Varsity level. Good luck to Mr. Johnson and all the fencers as they compete in the very challenging ISFL (Independent School Fencing League). The fencers will host St Ann's and Rye Country Day on Wednesday and Thursday, January 7th and 8th, before heading off to a big quad match at Masters on Saturday, January 10th. The home matches will take place in the lower school gym.

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

2008-12-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-12-29T10:14:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-16T04:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

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 ?

2008-09-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

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.

Coming On Strong/Varsity Girls and Boys Lacrosse Finish Up Regular Seasons With Impressive Records and Good Momentum

2008-05-14T04:48:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a spring on the lacrosse fields at Portledge School. We saw a Portledge Varsity team be ranked #1 among independent schools in the metro area for the first time ever, and both the girls and boys varsity teams have never dipped below fourth position in the laxpower.com rankings. The teams have a combined record of 23 wins and 6 losses and have registered victories over perennial metro area powers such as Poly Prep, Hackley and Riverdale. The boys team ended the regular season ranked third among metro area independent schools and has an overall record of 13 wins and 3 losses. They average well over 12 goals a game, while only giving up around 7. The Panthers will have home field advantage throughout the NYMLA playoffs and hope to reach the championship game for the first time since the programs three consecutive NYMLA Championships from 1998-2000. The girls program has been consistently strong over the last few years qualifying for the NYSAISAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons. In the spring of 06' they reached the semi final round and in 07' they were knocked out in the quarterfinals, both of these losses at the hands of the girls from The Hackley School. The boys will open the NYMLA Playoffs at Home with a Round of 16 game v. Archbishop Stepinac on Thursday @ 4:30, while the girls should also open at Home on Sunday in a quarterfinal game against a yet to be determined opponent. Good luck to both teams and let's hope for some championships.

How Did the Varsity Girls Team Finish Up the Season?

Unfortunately for the VGL team, a few rainy days towards the end of the season forced the cancellation of games v. Chapin and Riverdale, two longtime rivals of the girls lacrosse program. Without these contests the Lady Panthers have their impressive victory over Hackley to dwell on as a positive, and their defeat at the hands of Poly in the back end of a home and home as motivation, heading into the NYSAISAA Tournament. If Portledge can get their high powered offense clicking at the right time, there is no reason they can't win this very competetive tournament. Seniors Ashley Gilchrist, Liz Lanza, Yola Yu, Miyuki Miyagi and Jess Sarrantonio will all be playing in their last games for Portledge during this tournament. These girls have meant a great deal to Portledge girls lacrosse and to Portledge female sports in general. Their efforts are appreciated and they will all be sorely missed by those of us involved in Portledge Athletics.

Is the Varsity Boys Team Ready for Another Run in the NYMLA Tournament?

With a lofty record of 13-3 and a #1 overall seed the VBL team is primed for another run in the upcoming NYMLA Tournament. This is a four round marathon with 16 teams representing four different leagues. In order to progress, a team must be playing its best lacrosse as it faces the top teams from all the metro area organizations. Last year's champ, Fieldston, looks tough again, as do a host of other top teams from the Catholic, Ivy and PSAL Leagues. The Panthers finished the regular season with some very impressive play over their last four games. Wins over Poly Prep, LuHi, Monsignor Farrel and Riverdale have the Portledge team playing with a great deal of confidence. It has been a real team effort as many of the offensive players have raised their games to compensate for the loss of Junior attackman and All American candidate Tim Morrison. Juniors Captains Renny Kraft and Aaron Lee have led the way and Senior Austin Prey has also played some great offensive ball. The defense, led by Junior captain and goalkeeper Dan Duffy has been rock solid down the stretch and many of the role players are making timely contributions to Portledge victories. This group has worked very hard and I know they will be leaving it all out the field as they go for the NYMLA Championship

Take Me Out To The Play Offs/Varsity Boys Baseball Sweep of Solomon Schechter Puts Panthers in IPPSAL Post Season

2008-05-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Coming off two tough losses to Waldorf, the Varsity Boys Baseball team was facing must wins in a two game home and home series with Solomon Schechter. Fortunately, the games would be broken up by four days, thus allowing the Panthers to start "Ace" pitcher Reid Erickson in both games. The first game was played at SSDS in Glen Cove. Erickson was the story in this game as he completely shut down the Lions' offense. Senior Dan Leavey ran his consecutive on base streak to 11 straight plate appearances and Mark Dourmashkin contributed both at the plate and in the field, as he has done all season. Now the pressure would mount though, as the teams squared off for one game that would determine which school qualified for the IPPSAL play offs. This time it was the Panthers attack that carried the day. Sophomore Mark Dourmashkin, Junior Mike McCloskey and Senior Kai Stoll each had two hits as Portledge scored early and often on their way to an eventual total of 8 runs. Once again Erickson was rock solid on the mound as he scattered 5 hits over the game and held SSDS to a total of 3 runs. There was a great crowd for the home game in this series, and making the play offs is a real accomplishment for the young program. Portledge will finish up the regular season with a two game home and home series v. Upper Room this week. Hopefully, familiarity will be an advantage for the Panthers, as Upper Room will most likely be their heavily favored opponents in the semi finals of the IPPSAL Tournament.

Like a Phoenix/Varsity Boys Tennis Wins Three in a Row to Revive Hopes of Another IPPSAL Championship

2008-05-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

With great leadership from Seniors Paul Wirkowski, Corey Axelowitz and Mete Seker the Varsity Boys Tennis Team has turned their season around by winning three consecutive matches and five of their last six. Two victories over Kew Forest, and one each over Knox and LWA have put the Panthers swatters back in the picture for a sixth consecutive IPPSAL Championship. Huge regular season matches with Solomon Schechter and a double dip with LuHi remain before a possible date in the IPPSAL Championship match. Also impressive was a win against ACIS rival Berkeley Carroll. Come watch the Panthers this afternoon, when they face BC in a tough rematch of this ACIS rivalry. Let's go tennis.....Finnish Strong!!!!

Top of the Heap/Nine Consecutive Wins Propel Varsity Girls Lacrosse to First Place in the Laxpower Metropolitan Area Rankings

2008-05-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

It's an exciting time in Varsity Girls Lacrosse at Portledge. Not only have the Lady Panthers won nine consecutive games, but they were recently elevated to the #1 position in the Laxpower.com metropolitan area rankings for independent schools. The team continues to be propelled by an unstoppable offense. This goal scoring machine is orchestrated by Junior Siena Falino from her attacking position, but it is driven by the fantastic midfield play of three dynamic sophomores and another Junior star. The middle of the field is controlled by the duo of Addie Reilly and Claudia Rogers, while the incredible speed of Chelsea Caracciolo and Alex Siwiec dominates the flank play. A host of talented underclassmen fill out the attacking positions and the defense is manned by a trio of Seniors in Liz Lanza, Ashley Gilchrist and Yola Yu. Impressive Freshman Hope Mulry is also making valuable contributions on the defensive end, as is Senior goalie Jess Sarrantonio. Sarrantonio's leadership of this talented group of players is undeniable, but also not solo. Seniors Lanza, Gilchrist, Yu and Miyuki Miyagi all provide a calming and focused influence on the team. Congratulations to all the players and coaches on the incredible accomplishment of rising to the top ranking in the area, and best of luck down the stretch and in the NYSAISAA Tournament.

It's Do or Die Time/Waldorf Sweep Puts Varsity Baseball Up Against the Wall

2008-05-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Last week's two game series with Waldorf was critical to the play off hopes of the Portledge Varsity Baseball team. With both games being played at Broxmeyer Field there was an air of confidence around the young Panthers. When the games were over, however, Portledge had been swept, and despite some really fine play, the team was now staring at what had become "must win" games v. Solomon Schechter.

How Did the Series With Waldorf Unfold?

The first game of this evenly played and hard fought series was a great contest that saw some good hitting, fielding and pitching from both sides. Watching from behind the left field fence, I saw Sophomore shortstop Mark Dourmashkin make a beautiful play in the hole and Freshman Chris McClosky make a great catch in center. Senior Reid Ericson was his usual steady self on the mound, striking out at least one Waldorf batter per inning. At the plate, Junior Adam Kravietz one hopped the fence with a rope to left center, and Dourmashkin had a key single to drive in a Portledge run late in the game. In the end though, you had to tip your cap to the Waldorf pitcher who held the Panther hitters in check during their last at bat to secure the 5-4 win.

Friday afternoon saw the second game be played as close as the first with the matter not being decided until extra innings had been contested. Senior Dan Leavey had a great day at the dish as he reached base all five times up with three hits and two walks. I know the coaches have been waiting for Dan to show this type play and leadership. Let's hope the third baseman's fine play continues throughout the rest of the season. Mark Dourmashkin once again had a key late game hit as his triple drove in several runs to tie the game. Junior Adam Kravietz, Sophomore Ben Shapiro and Freshman Chris McClosky all pitched fairly well, and certainly gave the Panthers a chance to win this critical game. The Waldorf attack proved to be too much though, as the team from Garden City closed out the sweep with a 12-8 extra inning victory.

These results leave Portledge needing to sweep the season's second to last series v. Solomon Schechter to keep themselves alive in the race for the IPPSAL play offs. The Panthers will also need some help from OSNA, against SSDS, during the final week, but only if they are able to secure two wins first. With the series broken up by a weekend, the Panthers could conceivably start their ace, Reid Ericson, in both games. GOOD LUCK GUYS ....Let's make this thing exciting!

Tough Conditions/Varsity Golf Team Wins Only 1 of 5 Matches During a Big Week of Play @ Great Courses

2008-05-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

What a week for the Portledge Varsity Golfers. On three consecutive days from April 22nd to April 24th they were able to play at The Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Westchester, The Greenwich Country Club in Connecticut, and at Tam O'Shanter on Long Island. This is a dream week for a metropolitan area golfer, and the Portledge players really enjoyed the experience.

First up was a tri match with Poly Prep and Hackley at Sleepy Hollow in Tarrytown , NY. The legendary Charles Blair MacDonald design provided an unbelievable challenge to the young Portledge team. With Senior captain Ray Weinmann home with the flu, Sophomore John Litke made his debut in the #1 spot. Litke played a fine round carding a score of 40, which could have been lower if not for a few missed short puts. There are no gimmes in High School competition. The star of the day was Freshman Stephen DiBartolomeo. Playing in the #2 spot, Stevie D was able to defeat both his competitors to earn the only Portledge wins of the day.

The next day the Panther swingers traveled to Connecticut to play Brunswick at the fabled Greenwich Country Club. On a windy day that made scoring extremely difficult, no player on either team broke 40. DiBartolomeo was the low Portledge golfer posting a score of 44 and securing a halved match with his Bruin opponent.

This incredible week came to a close with another tri match. This time the Panthers took on LuHi and Staten Island Academy at the great ol' lady of Brookville, Tam O'Shanter. Portledge registered a 4 to 2 victory over SIA, but were once again defeated by LuHi by a match score of 1 to 5. Weinmann and Litke posted team lows of 42, and Elizabeth Girgenti, playing in her first Varsity match, became the first Portledge girl to ever post a victory in head to head play, when she won her match in the #6 position. Way to go Lizzie!!!

With a current record of 3 wins and 5 losses the Panthers will travel out to The Woodmere Club on the South Shore for a big match with LWA this afternoon. What a beautiful day to play.....I wish I was teeing it up. GOOD LUCK AND HIT EM STRAIGHT!

The End of an Unusual Drought/ Varsity Boys Tennis Defeats Kew Forest to Stop Four Match Losing Streak

2008-04-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Varsity Boys Tennis team is used to winning championships , not having losing streaks, but this is a bit of a rebuilding year so the difficulties of the last ten days were not altogether unexpected. Having dropped four in a row, two to IPPSAL teams (LWA and SSDS) and two to ACIS teams (Friends Seminary and Staten Island Academy) the Panthers really needed a win over Kew to keep, at least, their IPPSAL hopes alive. With Senior Paul Wirkowski and 8th grader Clark Ruiz, who has been the team's most consistent player, leading the way, the Panthers responded with this critical victory. Hopefully we'll see a strong "rally" from the guys as the season enters it's second half. Go Portledge Tennis !!!!!!!

A Big Win That Also Hurts/Varsity Boys Lacrosse Defeats Hackley But Leading Scorer Is Lost For Season

2008-04-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

The play of the Portledge Varsity Boys Lacrosse team during the first half of their 12-10 victory over Hackley was some of the finest lacrosse ever played by a Portledge team. The offense had an incredible flow, as goals seemed to come from everywhere, and the Panthers built a 9-2 lead. Just before the half, however, some real bad luck hit the Portledge squad when Junior attackman, and leading scorer, Tim Morrison, was lost for the rest of the season with a broken collerbone. It's tough on the team, but it's for Tim that I really feel bad. He was having an All American type season with over 40 goals scored in the first 8 games, and the leadership he was providing was something really special to the school. All we can say is.... that's the game Tim, and I know that the team will do everything they can to keep things going in your absence. So feel better and come back soon!!! The Panthers will face Glen Cove on Friday @ 4:30 in the semi finals of the Portledge Tournament. The other semi will pit Rye Country Day v. LuHi and will also be played at 4:30 on Friday. Saturday will see a 12:00 consolation game, and a 2:00pm final.

Portledge Takes Part in a Day of Lacrosse All Over Long Island

2008-04-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a truly gorgeous day. Bright blue skies, warm temperatures and blossoming flowers and trees made everyone happy to be alive and outside. All along the North Shore youth and high school lacrosse was being played as the Island's signature sport kicks into high gear. Most people were over at Manhasset High School, where a temporary stadium had been erected to host the Army v. Duke / Manhasset v. Chaminade double-header. Those games were being preceded by many youth games as high schools throughout Long Island were encouraged to support the youngsters who are just learning the game. Portledge participated in this effort by hosting two youth events. The first saw a team of 6th grade girls from the Oak Neck Lacrosse Club take on a team of 6th grade girls from the Cold Spring Harbor Youth program. Oak Neck serves the Locust Valley/Bayville area and , in fact, their team was coached by Portledge's own 5/6Girls coach Amy Tansill, while the Cold Spring Harbor squad was coached by Don Morrison, the father of starting Portledge attackman Tim Morrison. Down on the Varsity Boys field there was a well attended scrimmage featuring 7th and 8th grade boys from both the Oak Neck and Portledge teams. This was a fun game to watch as two groups from the same community got to mingle and get to know each other a bit. The big events of the day started around noon though, as the Portledge Varsity Girls faced off against perennial NYSAIS powerhouse Hackley, and the Varsity Boys took on a tough team from St. Francis Prep in a critical NYMLA contest.

What Happened in the Varsity Girls Game?

Early on the well coached and game savvy Hackley squad played some excellent defense to hold down the high powered Portledge attack. The black shirted girls from Tarreytown collapsed on Portledge center midfielder Addie Reilly and consistently frustrated the Portledge attack. When the halftime whistle blew Hackley was controlling the game and had a comfortable 6-3 lead. The second half was a different story though, as Siena Falino, Portledge's most experienced attacker steped up to lead the Lady Panthers to a huge victory. The Junior attacker scored 4 of her 5 total goals as Portledge erupted for 7 second half goals in all. Reilly finished with 3 of her own and Chelsea Caracciolo and Alex Siwiec each added 1. The Portledge defense was also key in that they greatly slowed down the Hackley attack and limited the 2006 NYSAIS Champions to only
3 goals in the second stanza. This is a big win for the Portledge Girls and should go a long way in securing them at least one home game in the NYSAISAA Championship Tournament in May. The girls will play a reserve game v. Green Vale this week as they prepare to take on St Dom's, Long Island Lutheran and Kellenberg in the Portledge Girls Lacrosse Tournament next weekend.

How Did the Varsity Boys Lacrosse Team Do Against St. Francis Prep?

St. Francis and Portledge were coming into this showdown ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, out of about thirty schools in the Laxpower metropolitan area rankings. So everyone knew that this would be a tough and hard nosed affair. That certainly was the case at the start, as both teams traded some big body and stick checks as St. Francis forged an early 2-1 lead. The Portledge attack started to wake up though through the fine play of Junior attackman Renny Kraft. The dynamic lefty exploded for three goals to help Portledge build a 7-5 halftime lead. During a well played second half Junior attackman Tim Morrison carried the load as he continuously drove to the cage and either scored or passed to an open teammate to keep up the production of the Portledge offense. The nicest goal of the game came when Freshman middie Pat Condon finished of a beautiful transition play with a qiuck stick to the top corner of the net. The Portledge defense, manned by a group that included Seniors Alfred Vitsentzos and Cam Cromer, Juniors Anker Johansen and Trevor Wolfson and Sophmore John Hambrook, played well throughout and eventually won the battle against the patient and effective St Francis offense. The final score was 14-9 as Portledge pulled away in the closing minutes. Next up for the Panthers, who have now won six in a row, is Hackley (Away on Monday@ 4:000), then comes the Portledge Tournament next weekend.

Facing Quality Pitching/Varsity Baseball Shut Down by OSNA Hurler

2008-04-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Portledge Varsity Baseball team traveled out to OSNA on Thursday afternoon looking to gain a split in their two game home and home series . Having dropped the opener 2-1 in a real pitchers duel during which Portledge starter Reid Ericson struck out 14 OSNA batters, the young Panther team was optimistic that they could compete with this IPPSAL power.

What Happened in This Closing Game of the Series?

The Panthers found out the hard way that OSNA has some real pitching depth. Having struggled to generate offense on Tuesday against OSNA's first starter, the Panthers were hoping for more success when a new pitcher would take the mound. Unfortunately, this second OSNA starter was even better than the one who had out dueled Ericson on Tuesday. Mixing his curve with a dominating fastball the OSNA hurler struck out many of the Portledge batters on the way to a one hit shut out. The no hitter was broken up by Ashwin Chinchwadkar in the top of the seventh. Meanwhile, OSNA used a combination of some good hitting and experienced base running to score 10 against the Portledge pitching and defense. The Panthers will look to get back on the winning track when they play a critical two game series with Waldorf this coming Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Both games of this series will be played at Broxmeyer Field and they will start @ 4:30. Come out and root the Panthers on, as they try to work the home field advantage.

Climbing the Local Independent School Rankings/Varsity Boys and Girls Lacrosse Both Post Impressive Wins

2008-04-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

The middle of the week was an important time for the Varsity Lacrosse programs. Tuesday, the Boys had an important measuring stick game against a tough non-league opponent in the form of the St. Luke's School from Connecticut, and on Wednesday, the Girls were slated to rumble and tumble with their longtime rivals from Poly Prep in a critical match with regard to the end of the season NYSAIS seedings.

What Happened Against St. Luke's?

The game with St. Luke's was scheduled to ensure that the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team had enough quality competition to prepare itself for the challenging NYMLA Championship Tournament at the end of the year. Luke's had already registered some impressive wins against some tough New England competition and they obviously had a good scouting report on the Panthers as they came out trying to shut off Portledge attacker Tim Morrison. Morrison had scored 18 goals in the Panthers first four games and was coming off a monster game v. Rye last weekend. The Portledge offense didn't panick though and they methodically worked the ball around to atke advantage of Luke's over concentration on Morrison. Early in the game midfielder Aaron Lee often found himself covered by a shortstick defender and the versatile middie quickly took advantage of these mismatches. The Panthers jumped out to 5-1 lead before the St. Luke's team started to settle down and run their own quality offense. Despite several three goal bursts by the Panthers, St. Luke's refused to go away and as the game entered its last four minutes the score was tied at 11. Portledge earned an extra man opportunity when Morrison was dragged down from behind and the boys sensed that this was their chance to win this game. Even though they were trying to deny him the ball, Morrison had managed to score four up to this point, so the Luke's defense were looking for him to get the ball in this critical situation. The sneaky Lee,
however, skipped past Morrison in the extra man set and threw behind an early slide to Portledge attacker Renny Kraft. Kraft calmly faked the goalie a few times before depositing the game winner in the net. The defense held the fort during the last few minutes and Portledge came out with a hard fought 12-11 win. Challenging games like these will serve the Panthers well as they continue their march towards the NYMLA Championships. The Boys will have a busy weekend as they take on Masters @ Home on Fri (4:15), St.Francis @Home on Sat (12:00) and Hackley Away on Monday(4:00).

What Was the Latest Installment on the Portledge/Poly Prep Varsity Girls Lacrosse Rivalry Like?

Poly is definitely the best team that the Lady Panthers have faced since coming north from Florida. So the Girls knew that they would have to have a solid team effort to be victorious. This was certainly the case as the deep and well rounded Portledge team rolled to a surprisingly easy 19-8 win over their Ivy League rivals. Once again Sophomore Addie Reilly was the leading goal scorer registering 7 tallys on the day. Supporting offense in the form of multiple goal games canme rom the usual cast of characters made up of Sophomores Chelsea Caracciolo and Claudia Rogers, and Juniors Siena Falino and Alex Siwiec. In this game,much more than in their last two, the Lady Panthers defense was consistently tested by a pesky Poly attack. With Sophmore Delphine Starr and Senior Ashley Gilchrist providing the initial stop and Seniors Liz Lanza and Yola Yu guarding close to the goal the Portledge defense was able to slow Poly down enough that they were not able to keep up with the home team's offensive onslaught. The Girls will have to raise their game to yet another level this weekend when they take on perennial NYSAIS power Hackley this Saturday @ Home (11:00am).

Almost There/Varsity Baseball Loses Close Contest to League Power

2008-04-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

There were some signs during spring training scrimmages that the Portledge Varsity Baseball team might be able to hang in there with the top teams in IPPSAL Baseball. On Tuesday, April 15th the boys got there first chance to see where they were in relation to the top of the league when they squared off against OSNA in the first game of a two game home and home series.

What Happened at Broxmeyer Field in the First Game of the OSNA Series?

The Panthers were feeling good because they had ace pitcher Reid Ericson on the mound and he was coming off a 14 strikeout and no hit game v. Knox a week ago. Ericson didn't disappoint as he twirled another three no hit innings and pushed his strikeout total to 28 with some incredible pitching throughout the game. OSNA did eventually score twice, but both runs were unearned, thus, through two games "the ace" has an ERA of 0.000. This is an amazing occurrence that rarely happens during early season baseball. Unfortunately, OSNA had their own ace on the mound, and except for a few scattered hits, the Panthers couldn't manage much offense against the hard throwing righty. The final score was 2-1, but the Panthers will get a chance to even the season series when they travel to OSNA for a rematch on Thursday, April 17th. Good luck to
Mr. O'Rourke and the team.

Swinging Into Action/Varsity Golf Opens Season w/ Tri Match v. LWA & LuHi

2008-04-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Monday afternoon the Portledge Varsity Golf team opened its season at the Piping Rock Club in a tri match v. LWA & LuHi. The Panther links men, and women, were well adorned in their brand new Portledge golf shirts and appeared ready to go as they boarded the bus for the short trip over to Piping. Since they would be competing without regular #2 David Wilson, out due to hip surgery, there was a slight air of butterflies running through the Portledge team. Many of whom were playing in their first Varsity Golf match.

How Did This Contest Turn Out?

Well, the Panthers could not really have hoped for much better results on this day. The team was victorious over LWA by a match score of 5 to 1 and were also better than LuHi by a 4 to 2 margin. These are excellent results for so early in the season. Senior captain Ray Weinmann led the way carding an impressive score of one under par 34. Ray had back to back birdies on the difficult sixth and seventh holes and only bogeyed the last when he missed a short put for par. Junior John Litke shot a solid round of 41 to defeat his opponents, and the Freshman duo of Steven DiBartolomeo and Tom Parisi both shot in the forties to secure some more victories for Portledge. Next up is a rematch with LuHi over at Tam O' Shanter on Thursday.

Back to Level Ground/Varsity Baseball Splits Opening Series of the Year v. Knox

2008-04-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to blog contributor Len Shapiro for filling me in on the results of Friday's away game at Knox. Early on starting pitcher Adam Kravietz looked to have things under control as the Panthers were looking to sweep this first series of the year following an 11-0 opening day win. Before it was over though, the Boys from Knox had come back to claim a 12-9 victory and a split in the two game series.

What Happened in This IPPSAL Game Out at Knox?

Well, early on it looked very much like the opener as the Panthers swept out to a big early lead behind some powerful offense. Mark Dourmashkin, Reid Ericson and Dan Leavey all contributed to the Panther attack and at one point Portledge had a 9-1 lead. Then, a combination of losing the strike zone and some good patience by the Knox hitters allowed the boys from St. James to claw their way back into the game. The final score of Knox 12- Portledge 9 evens the Panthers record at one and one as they prepare for a challenging series against OSNA this week. Tuesday's match will be at Home(4:00), while Thursday's game will be out at OSNA. Directions are available on the Portledge website. LET'S GO PANTHERS!!

Lax Power Resides in Locust Valley

2008-04-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

It is fun to go on the website laxpower.com to check out how your team is ranked in the region. The site compares your squad to the others in the metropolitan area and predicts the outcome of games. Over the last few years laxpower has begun to recognize the quality of both the Girls and Boys lacrosse programs at Portledge. At one time last spring both teams were ranked in the top five in the metro area. Recent victories by Girls and Boys varsity teams have Portledge Lacrosse climbing the rankings yet again.

How Did the Varsity Girls Follow Up Their Win Over Trinity?

With their confidence high the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team boarded a bus on Friday afternoon for their second consecutive game in NYC. This time the opponent would be Brearly, another NYC school with a long history of good lacrosse. The outcome was much the same as the Trinity game though, as the Portledge girls dominated from the outset and went on to a convincing 15-3 win. Siena Falino, Addie Reilly, Chelsea Caracciolo and Claudia Rogers all had multiple goals and the defense was tight throughout this contest. The Lady Panthers have their work cut out for them this week as they face a perennial girls lax power in the form of Poly Prep @Home on Wednesday before taking on the recent Queens of Nysais Lacrosse, Hackley, on Saturday @Home/11:00am. Saturday's game will be preceded by a scrimmage between youth teams from Locust Valley and Cold Spring Harbor, so come on out and see some great girls lacrosse throughout the day on Saturday at Portledge School.

What Happened in the Big Boys Lacrosse Game v. Rye Country Day on Saturday?

While many Portledge families were preparing for the auction, the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team was traveling up to Rye for a critical Metro League match-up with Country Day. Last year RCD was the superior team handing the Panthers a 12-5 stomping. This time the outcome would be quite different though. Portledge was fired up from the get go and burst out to 3-0 lead behind transition goals from Juniors Tim Morison and Renny Kraft and Senior Austin Prey. It was the defense, however, that was really setting the tone. Long pole middie Alain Mathieu was all over Rye's All American midfielder and the rest of the Portledge "D" was sliding with great ferocity. Junior goalie Dan Duffy made 18 saves and was the key to an outstanding effort of team defense. All the time the Portledge offense kept pushing the ball up field and attacking the Rye net before the Wildcats could get set up. Morison finished with 5 goals and 4 assists in a monster game, while Kraft was equally impressive registering 4 goals and 3 assists of his own. Prey added two extra man goals to his early score to finish with three overall, and Senior midfielder Zack Lombardi added two of his own. The final score of 16-1 was indicative of how well the entire Portledge team played this day. The Panthers have a busy week of their own coming up as they face a tough New England opponent in St. Luke's on Tuesday (Home@ 4:30), before taking on The Masters School and St.Francis Prep on Friday (Home@ 4:30) and Saturday (Home@12:00), respectively.

The Blog Is Back/Spring Preview and Early Results

2008-04-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

Well hello readers. I know its been a bit since I last got the opportunity, and had the motivation to blog it up, but things were moving quite quickly as the winter season wrapped up and the spring season began. My primary focus was the Varsity Girls and Boys Lacrosse trip to Florida, but there were many other things keeping me busy. One of those is the Master Planning process that is going on here at Portledge, and while it has taken up a good deal of time, I have to say it is a fascinating endeavor and one that should really benefit the future of Portledge School. Those of us on the faculty greatly appreciate the initiative being taken by the Board of Trustees and hope that before too long we all will start to see the future evolution of our fine institution. Also, to be honest, I was just a little tired, and a bit burned out from trying to report on all the events taking place in Portledge Athletics. I think all those bus trips with the Varsity Girls Hockey team might have had something to do with this. In any case, the blog is back and in the words of Virgil Solottzzo, " there's nothing you can do about it". So check in from time to time, and keep up with all that's happening during the spring season. I will try to make a posting at least twice during every seven day period, and you should look for new postings on Thursdays and Sundays. With all that being said, let's hope for lots of goals on the lax field, lots of runs on the baseball diamond, many aces on the tennis courts, and maybe even a hole in one on some golf course somewhere.

How Did the lacrosse Trip to Florida Go and What do the Varsity Girls and Boys Lacrosse teams Look Like?

A tremendous amount of thanks goes out to Mr Sandoval and Mrs. Schwam for making all the arrangements for what turned out to be an amazing spring training trip down to Disney. Portledge students got to play twice a day under blue skies with an average temperature of about 75 degrees. The Girls and Boys teams competed against squads from Maryland, New Jersey and Colorado, and the whole experience was superb. Many times the process of hanging out together and getting a chance to bond is underrated in the development of the team. All the athletes were very well behaved and the commitment of the coaches to their programs should also be noted. Plans for a trip next spring are already beginning with the possibility of expansion to other sports, such as golf, tennis and baseball.

It is tough to look past the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team as the top team on campus this spring. Talk about an athletic team, this group is loaded. The team's midfield is skilled and fast with Junior Alex Siwiec and Sophmores Claudia Rogers, Addie Reilly and Chelsea Caracciolo leading the way. Junior Siena Falino, already a four year starter, returns to orchestrate the offense, while the defense has solid leadership in the form of Seniors Ashley Gilchrist, Yola Yu, Liz Lanza and goaltender Jess Sarrantonio. The girls were twice beaten by one goal while in Florida, but their competition, in the form of the Calverton School from Maryland and the J.K. Mullins School from Colorado was outstanding. The Lady Panthers opened their regular season schedule yesterday against perennial NYSAIS powerhouse the Trinty School of NYC and posted a convincing 17-9 victory. The dominating Addie Reilly led the way with six goals, while Caracciolo and Falino added four and three, respectively. Claudia Rogers created many of the chances and finished with three assists. Next up is the Brearly School of NYC. This match will be played on Friday @ 4:15 on the Asphalt Green field (90th and York). Also, make plans to see the Portledge girls take on defending state champion Hackley next Saturday, April 19th @ Home (12:00).

Can the Varsity Boys Lacrosse Team Equal or Better Their Amazing Run of Last Spring?

As the weather got warmer last May the play of the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team became hotter and hotter, hotter and hotter. After qualifying for the NYMLA Play Offs, the Panthers rolled off victories over Horace Mann and Poly Prep, before finally losing to the eventual league champions Fieldston in the semi finals of the post season tournament. The question of whether the Boys can repeat, or better, this outcome is a fair one because the league is very competitive and many of the other schools have fine teams. The chemistry needed to have a successful lacrosse team is also a very fickle thing. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much talent you have, if the lax stars don't align properly for you. Thus, there is a sort of cosmic nature to a lax season that is really undefinable in its character. It can only be experienced and hopefully enjoyed, but as many of us who have played and /or coached the game know, that is not always the case. The two things you can control is your degree of commitment and level of effort. With a strong group of returning players there is nothing to stop the Panthers from understanding these concepts and reaching their full potential as a squad. Junior midfielder Aaron Lee is the engine that drives the Portledge lax machine. Lee takes faceoffs and orchestrates the extra man offense. He ha been a Varsity player since the eighth grade and his drive and quickness are well known around metropolitan lacrosse circles. Senior Austin Prey will be along side of Lee picking up grounders and firing his patented bouncers into the opposing nets. Other key midfielders will be Senior Zach Lombardy, returning to the game after a two year hiatus, Sophomore Sal Magliocco and a host of talented Freshmen that is made up of Blake Martin, Steven Dourmashkin and lefty Pat Condon. In my opinion, the evolution of this latter trio will be a critical component to the overall success of the team. One key strength this team has is the play of long pole midfielders Alain Mathieu and John Hambrook. This Senior and Sophomore combine to give the Panthers a fast and physical presence all over the field. Up front the Portledge attack is manned by some dynamic players. Juniors Tim Morison and Renny Kraft are gifted offensive players who should both put up some big numbers. Morison scored a total of seven goals in the two games the Panthers played while in Florida, while Kraft had two plus three assists in the big 14-3 win over the Dwight Englewood School of NJ. Senior Christian Works and Freshman sensation Ben Lobley will also contribute to the offense, while you will also see Lombardy play some attack from time to time. It is the defense, however, that has fourth year Head Coach Marcelo Sandoval most excited. Anchored by returning Senior starters Alfred Vitsentzos and Cam Cromer in combination with Juniors Trevor Wolfson and Anker Johansen this unit has the potential to dominate opponents. Add in the incredible play of new starting goalie Dan Duffy and back up Eric Mathieu, as well as the quality defensive depth provided by Junior Peter Vasilakos, Sophomore Miles Works and Freshman dynamo Ryan Murray and you have quite a crew. The Panthers open up today @ Home v. St. Joseph's, then travel to Rye for a critical league contest against Country Day on Saturday @ 3:30. Go get em boys!

How Will the Varsity Baseball Team Do in its Second Year of Varsity Competition?

History was made on Opening Day at Broxmeyer Field when Senior Reid Ericson twirled a No Hitter against the Knox School. Ericson was perfect through 4 and 1/3 innings and finished up the game with 14 strikeouts. He was supported by Sophomore shortstop Mark Dourmashkin who went two for two, including a triple, and two walks, and catcher Mike McCloskey who handled the catching duties throughout Ericson's gem. The team is much improved over, and more experienced than, last year's squad. Junior Adam Kravietz will also handle much of the pitching, while Seniors Kai Stoll and Dan Leavey provide great play at the corner infield spots. The starting outfield in the first game was made up of Juniors Matt Ardito and Chris Gerry and Sohpomore Ben Shapiro. The Panthers will finish up their IPPSAL series with Knox this Friday when they travel out to St. James for a 4:00 start. While the Upper Room and Our Savior teams look to be the cream of IPPSAL this spring, don't be surprised if this group of Panthers comes up and chomps one of the big two come play off time.

Is the Varsity Boys Tennis Team Ready to Repeat as IPPSAL Champs, and Challenge for the Coveted ACIS Championship?

In his final year as Head Coach of the Varsity Boys Tennis team Alex Rudback will rely heavily on the singles trio of Senior Paul Wirkowski, Junior Steven Pardo and 8th grader Clark Ruiz for victories. In yesterday's opening match v. ACIS foe the Dwight School of NYC the Panthers used doubles combinations of Freshman Eddie Huai and Senior Corey Axelowitz and Senior Mete Seker and Junior Ryan Axelowitz. The Panthers went down by an overall match score of 4-1 with Pardo gaining the only victory at #3 singles. It will be a challenging year for the boys as they compete in the difficult ACIS league and try to fend off rivals for their IPPSAL crown.

What Does This Year's Varsity Golf Team Look Like?

Even having lost an outstanding player because of medical reasons, Junior standout David Wilson will miss this golf season while he recovers from hip surgery, the Portledge Varsity Golf team looks to be stronger and deeper than ever. Senior Ray Weinmann, who was among the top five independent school golfers in the state last year, is back to lead the Panthers one last time. Ray got his handicap down to zero last summer, so his matches against the opposing #1 players should be something to see. Following Ray is returning two year letter winner Junior John Litke. This is a player who is always working on his game and is really ready for the opportunity to compete against some of the other top players from the metropolitan area. Then there are the players who are new to the team, but bring great promise for the future of Portledge golf . This list includes Sophomore Lindsay Krause and the Freshmen trio of Steven DiBartolomeo, Tom Parisi and Ryan Gottfried. There is another 10 or so individuals working out with the team, so the development of the program is well under way. Special thanks go out to Mr. Pat Myers for his leadership and drive towards the evolution of Portledge Golf.

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

2008-02-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

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.

Many Positive Signs/Mid Winter Recap of Varsity Teams

2008-01-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

When the fencing team returned from a quad match this Saturday afternoon, Portledge Upper School Athletics shut down for an exam period break. There will be no Upper School games or practices for the three days preceding the start of the exam period. The ice hockey teams will have short optional skates on Monday, Jan 28th (Girls 3:30-4:30, Boys 4:30-5:30) and will resume full practices on Tuesday afternoon, Jan 29th ( Mandatory for both teams 4:45-6:15). The Upper School Basketball teams will resume practicing on Tuesday, Jan 29th once the gym floor has been cleared of exam desks. We plan to have Varsity Girls on the court from 3:30-5:00, JV Boys will go from 5:00-6:00 and the Varsity Boys from 6:00-7:30. Hopefully there will be time for open shooting before the Varsity Girls practice, but that will depend on how quick the clean up takes place. Fencing will start up on Wednesday, Jan 30th with a practice for all boys from 3:00-4:30 followed by a girls match v. Marymount @ 4:30. Varsity Squash will resume on Thursday, Jan 31st with an away match at Friends Seminary (Dismissal of 1:55), and JV Squash will start practicing again on Tuesday, Feb 5th at Piping Rock.

So as we take this short break from athletics to prepare for our mid year academic evaluations it gives us a chance to get caught up on the developments with some of the principle winter sports.
Last week was certainly an exciting one for the Panthers with both Varsity Ice Hockey teams winning their Wednesday away contests, the Varsity Girls Basketball team winning v. Valley Stream Christian in impressive fashion, and the Varsity Boys Basketball team sweeping a pair of games from Knox and Solomon Schechter. All of these events set up an interesting second half of the winter season for Portledge athletics.

The top story so far this winter has to be the amazing run of the Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team. The Lady Panther skaters have been on fire recently, recording post holidays wins over Millbrook, Lawrenceville, Shaddy Side Academy of Pittsburgh, PA, Holten Arms of Bethesda, MD and Princeton High School. When added to the team's three straight wins to close out 2007, it makes eight straight, and an overall mark of nine wins and two losses. The team also has a WIHLMA League mark of six wins and one loss, good for second place, and only percentage points behind league leader Morristown Beard. Everyone is looking forward to the
Portledge-Mo' Beard rematch game on Wed, Feb 6th in Morristown, NJ. The outcome of this game will determine the top team for the WIHLMA regular season and set the top seeds for the championship tournament a week later in Pittsburgh, PA. There have been many highlights during this amazing streak, but nothing was as impressive as the seven (yes, I said seven) goals scored by Junior captain Siena Falino v. Lawrenceville on Wed, Jan 9th. The Lady Panthers had never beaten L'Ville, and as recently as two years ago had lost by double digits to this perennial prep school power. The entire game, and the effort by all the Portledge girls, was incredible, but the play and determination of Falino on this night was something that was truly amazing. She scored in every way possible, added a beautiful assist on Alyssa Parke's goal, and simply refused to let Portledge lose. When the Big Red scored with 1.2 seconds in regulation to send the game into overtime, the team rallied around Coach Schwam and somehow everyone knew that Siena could not be stopped. Sure enough, two minutes into the OT, Falino got a nice pass in the neutral zone from Senior captain Kelly Alefeld and wound her way into the Lawrenceville end. Seconds later she let go yet another powerful wrister that beat the Big Red keeper and sent the Portledge girls on a happy bus ride back to the Island. If you didn't get to see this remarkable performance, it is hard to imagine how exceptional it truly was. Even more noteworthy though, is the great dynamic that exists between all the girls on the team. They constantly support each other, on and off the ice, and it's just really neat to see a group of athletes come together like this. Good luck down the stretch girls and against Mo' Beard when you meet them again.

The Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team has also been playing some great puck, but they have not been able to get the same positive results as the girls team. This is understandable in that the VBIH team plays what is arguably the most difficult schedule of any Varsity team at Portledge.
Every game is a battle, and any win is something to really celebrate. So when one considers the actual game scores that go along with their overall record of two wins and seven losses, and keeps in perspective who they are playing against and the level of competition they are experiencing, the team's results become much more impressive. The team's last game before the exam break, a huge 5-2 win over a Bergen Catholic squad that had beat Portledge by a score of 3-1 earlier this winter, illustrates some of the development that is taking place in Portledge boys hockey. The sweetest goal of the game came when talented Freshman winger Tom Parisi corralled a loose puck in the neutral zone and threw a beautiful behind the back pass to Sophomore defensemen David Wilson. Wilson went in alone and beat the BC keeper with a eloquent move to the backhand to put the Panthers ahead to stay. Parisi added a goal of his own later in the game, and we also saw rookie Brendan McGovern notch his first ever Varsity goal for the Panthers. When you look at the attacking talent of a Tom Parisi and you see the fine play of other young forwards such as Stephen DiBartolomeo, Ryan Murray, Brendan McGovern and Matt Crockett you can't help but be excited about the prospects for the future of this team. Add to that the solid defense being played by the Freshmen duo of Pat Condon and Ryan Gottfreid, and the steady play of Sophomores David Wilson and Sal Magliocco ( extraordinary goalie), you can really see something that could become quite extraordinary as time goes by. It wouldn't be fair though to not mention, or diminish in any way, the contributions of some really great veteran leaders. So hats off to the Seniors, captain Zach Lombardi, linemate "Big Al" Vitsentzos, and forwards Austin Prey and Dan Leavey. Two other major contributors who are between the seniors and the youngsters are Juniors Renny Kraft and Tim Morrison. Both these guys give Portledge a great effort every time they take the ice. Good luck against PDS guys, and have a great all around second half of the season.

Varsity Boys Basketball improved its IPPSAL mark to 4 wins and 4 losses with back to back wins over Knox and Solomon Schechter last week. Five players scored in double figures in the victory over Schechter and Coach Sandoval is very happy with the team's overall development. If the boys could be a bit more consistent, they could definitely make a run all the way to the IPPSAL championship game. Portledge's play off participation and position will be determined by the results of upcoming home games against Lake Grove, Knox and Schechter. Having beaten all these teams on the road already, it will be critical for the Panthers to control their own floor and propel themselves into the play offs on a bit of a run. The inside play of Seniors Kai Stoll and Ray Weinmann will be the key to the second half of the Portledge season. If these two can really put it together, then the Panthers could make some noise down the stretch.

The Varsity Girls Basketball team was able to end a mini three game losing streak by defeating the girls from Valley Stream Christian last week. While Senior captain Yola Yu continues to provide very strong inside play and great leadership, it is the development of Sophomores Monique Kelly, Akanksha Trivedi, Robyn Worrall, Lindsey Krause, Toni Paterson and Marian Juste that everyone is watching. I think what people see is a core of fine players that will be able to grow into a very strong team. The girls finish off their regular season with games against LWA, Martin Luther and Solomon Schechter. A win over SSDS will be necessary for the girls to have any chance at post season play. This is a really fun team to watch. They have a lot of youthful enthusiasm and a great deal of potential, so try to get out to their final home game v. Solomon Schechter on Tuesday, Feb 5th @ 5:00 in the Wellington Gym.

On a sad note, the Portledge community and Portledge Athletics lost a great supporter when Mrs. Pat Wellington past away over the holidays. One of the school's original founders and always a major presence in the development of this institution, Mrs. Wellington will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing this extraordinary woman. The Athletic Department sends their belated condolences and prayers to the Wellington family.

A Pointed Display/ Checking Out a Varsity & JV Fencing Match

2008-01-21T08:10:00.001-08:00

Last week I had the pleasure of taking in an afternoon of Portledge fencing. It was a Varsity & JV match contested in both foil and epee against Rye Country Day. The Lower School gym was buzzing with excitement as I entered from the balcony door, and as I looked below to the white parquet floor there were dozens of individuals dressed in white outfits shuffling back and forth. Some had masks on and were involved in actual matches , while others were standing alongside the long match mats to cheer their teammates on. To me, the camaraderie of the sport was the most unique aspect of this new experience. All the Portledge fencers were very supportive of one another and were just as happy to see a teammate be successful as to fence themselves. I wound up thinking to myself that this is a perfect sport for Portledge. It fits the character of our school to a tee.

Portledge was defeated in both boys and girls foil, as well as in epee, on this day, yet it did not damper anyone's attitude as all the fencers gathered for some post match pizza compliments of the Phipps family. Quick note of thanks goes out to Mr.Phipps-whether it's cross country or fencing, he is always there supporting the Panthers and usually feeding them too. Thanks so much for your dedication, the students and athletic department really appreciate your efforts.

Who Are Some of the Top Girls and Boys Fencers at Portledge?

The girls foil team is captained by Anna Avalone and Mr. Johnson, the Head Coach of the Fencing Program, reports that Anna is always good for a few victories during a long match of interscholastic fencing. Haley and Jessica Tynes, although both currently injured, are also up and coming fencers on the girls foil squad. The boys foil group is quite deep with Junior captains
Matt Ardito and Farone Rasheed leading the way. Rookies Niko Snow and 7th grader Evan Solomon have both been very impressive in the early season matches. In the case of Solomon this is no surprise, since Evan has done a lot of competitive fencing before coming to Portledge this fall. We are glad to have him as part of Portledge fencing, and we hope he has a long and distinguished career as a Panther swordsman. Although he is a junior, Ashwin Chichwadkar is new to the sport and according to Mr. Johnson " a natural fencer". So we will be watching "Shwink's" development as the year goes on. The combination of Junior Nick Hagedorn and Freshman Alan Phipps has made the Panther's epee squad one of the best in the entire independent school fencing league. Epee varies slightly from foil in the way that points can be scored during a match. If you want to learn more about the technicalities of fencing, or you just want to see some action, come on down to the Lower School Gym one afternoon and check out the Panthers. I think that you will find something quite unique, as I did on my visit. Good luck to the fencing team as they prepare for the individual and team championships coming up in February.

An Ivy League Experience/Varsity Girls Squash Competes V. Brearly at the Harvard Club of NYC

2008-01-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday the Varsity Girls Squash team had the opportunity to travel into NYC and play a match at the Harvard Club. Seven Upper School girls participated and everyone really enjoyed the experience. Our thanks go out to Brearly for hosting us, and a hardy congratulations to the Portledge squash players, some of whom were playing their first ever match.

Who Are Some of the Girls Who Play Squash @ Portledge?

Squash is in its fifth year at the school and for the first time we are able to field a full girls team of seven individuals? The most experienced players are Haley Schattner, Stephanie Hegarty, Maria Wade and Elizabeth Girgenti. Hannah Fortgang is in her second year of the sport and Freshmen Ali James and Tori Phillips have taken up squash following their participation in the tennis program this fall. During the afternoon in the city both Maria Wade and Stephanie Hegarty were able to win an individual match. This is great news for Portledge squash in that Portledge is obviously becoming more competitive with schools that have had squash as a part of their athletic programs for a long time. Congratulations girls and good luck in your future matches.

Athletes of the Week

2008-01-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Girls Ice Hockey goalie, Jessica Sarrantonio '08 and Varsity Boys Basketball forward, Kai Stoll '08 for the hard work and leadership this past week. Both players helped their teams to great wins!!

An Alum's Success is Bittersweat/Varsity Boys Hockey Loses to Fairlawn in OT

2008-01-08T05:37:00.000-08:00

Head Coach and Portledge alum Mike Goodrich '88 relishes the opportunity to bring his Fairlawn High hockey team out to Long Island each season to play against Portledge at Beaver Dam. Mike has very strong and positive feelings about his time at Portledge. On many an occasion he has commented about how his Portledge experience helped shaped his entire life. Last night was particularly special for everyone involved because many of Mike's former teamates as well as Mike's parents, who had worked so hard to send him to Portledge in the first place, were in attendence at the Portledge v. Fairlawn Varsity Boys Ice Hockey game. This would be the second ever meeting between the boys ice hockey teams from these two schools, with Portledge taking last year's game by a score of 4-2. Thus, the stage was set for another exciting night down at "the Dam".

How Did This Overtime Thriller Unfold?

Even though Portledge enjoyed a territorial edge during the first period, they could't seem to find the right connection needed to score a goal. The heavy Panther pressure created many chances, but yielded no tangiable results as half way through the opening session the score remained tied at zero. Then, while Portledge was on the power play, the talented Fairlawn duo of #s 12 and 3 managed to create a turnover and head down the ice towards the Portledge zone. At first it looked like Sophomore defensemen David Wilson had thwarted their attack, when the Clippers #12 made a spin-a-ramma move on a losse puck and sent a perfect pass to his mate on the far post leading to the opening goal of the game. The Panthers looked a bit dejected by this unlikely turn of events, and the rest of the first period went by without any real strong chances for either team.

The Panther's play at the start of the 2nd continued to be less than trilling, and only the incredible goaltending of Sophomore keeper Sal Magliocco kept Fairlawn from extending their lead. Mags made some awesome saves on what looked to be sure goals for the Clippers. THEN THE PORTLEDGE OFFENSE EXPLODED! Wilson made a nice play to break the Panthers out of their own zone and the Senior line of captain Zach Lombardi, "Big Al" Vitsentzos and
"Lil' Dan" Leavey finished the break off with Vitsentzos getting the goal. In the next five minutes the Panthers tallied twice more, with the Lombardi notching both goals. Everything seemed to be going well for Portledge as the teams retired to their dressing rooms following this exciting period. Little did we all know.

The first half of the third was uneventful, but then, with about six minutes left to play, Portledge was assessed two simultaneous penalties giving Fairlawn a 5 on 3 advantage. In a gutsy and unorthodox move, Fairlawn coach Goodrich pulled his goalie to make it six attackers v. three defenders. The risky gamble paid off as Fairlawn scored with time remaining on one of the penalties. Even though their goalie was sent back in during the ensueing power play, the Clippers soon scored again and this back and forth contest seemed headed for overtime. In the second minute of the OT session the Portledge line of Freshmen Steve DiBartolomeo, Junior Renny Kraft and Senior Austin Prey drew a Fairlawn penalty by apllying a strong forecheck anfd forcing a Clipper defenseman to haul down Kraft in the slot. The Portledge power play took some hard shots at the Fairlawn keeper, but then another turnover sent the Clipper penalty killers flying outn of the zone on a break. Seconds later a perfect shot beat Magliocco and the FAIRLAWN PLAYERS WERE MOBBONG THE ICE IN CELEBRATION! What a game! As much as the Portledge players wanted a victory, sometimes it just doesn't turn out that way. Still, the Panther skaters should be commended for their effort and fine play, and all our congratulations go out to the Fairlawn Clippers and their coach Mike Goodrich, Portledge Class of '88.

Leadership Keys Another Victory/Varsity Girls Hockey Defeats Millbrook

2008-01-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

Senior Jess Sarrantonio wasn't feeling too well when she woke up on Friday morning, but she knew she had to get up the energy to come to school. Jess, you see, is the only goalie on the Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team and there was a big game scheduled for Friday night. She is also one of only two players to have played in every game in the history of girls ice hockey at Portledge, so there was no way Jess was going to miss her last trip to the famed Bonticou Rink at Millbrook School. It's funny the way things in sports happen sometimes because as it turns out, it was Jess' play that night that keyed the victory for the Portledge girls over yet another quality New England prep school team. Even more important than Jess' fine play though, was the sense of commitment and leadership she displayed for the younger girls. Not once all night did Jess say anything about not feeling well to anybody but the coaches. She just put on her pads, got between the pipes and turned away one Mustang shot after another. Her devotion, as well as that of the other veteran players, to girls ice hockey at Portledge is really something to be commended and admired. Thus, when you see the younger players compete with so much energy and poise, it is not difficult to discern from where it comes. You need not look any further than the team's netminder and her other veteran comrades.

What Happened in This Exciting Game?

The Portledge VGIH team knew it would be a difficult test. Not only is the Millbrook Varsity
team a quality squad, but Portledge would be playing without one of its top defensemen, Sophomore Emily Prey, who was out of the line up with an injured shoulder. There was some trepidation by the ten Lady Panther skaters who took the ice when the Millbrook team came roaring out of the locker room twenty five strong. Once the puck dropped, however, it was apparent that the Portledge girls were very much focused on victory. There just was an unmistakable determination to their play that couldn't be matched by the deeper, and some would say more talented, Millbrook team. So, when Freshman Ashley Wade stole the pick while Portledge was down a player in the box, and calmy flicked it into the Millbrook goal, there wasn't anyone on the bench that was surprised. In fact, the girls hardly celebrated because they knew there was much hard work to be done. It was a fast paced game that one of the referee's characterized as, "excellent hockey with crisp passing".Up and down the teams went, trading one strong scoring chance for another, when half way through the first period Junior Siena Falino spotted Freshman Alyssa Parke flying out of the zone early and sent a long clearing pass in the rough and tumble wing's direction. Parke chased the puck down and rifled a shot from a tough angle through the pads of the Millbrook. The goal capped an excellent period of play as the Portledge girls retired to the dressing room with a 2-0 lead.

Millbrook got one back early in the second before an extensive forecheck and cycle play resulted in another Panther goal. Falino and Sophomore Addie Reilly worked the puck back and forth to each other in the corner with Reilly eventually finding Falino with a crisp pass as she rolled to the goal. The Junior sniper made no mistake as she buried a wrister in the top corner to restore a two goal lead for the Portledge team. Millbrook scored again early in the third period, but then Sarrantonio shut the door, turning away one Mustang chance after another as the clock wound down. Falino added an insurance goal in the final minutes, and the Lady Panthers enjoyed the last few minutes of play with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

That's four in a row for this close knit team with a big tilt V. Lawrenceville scheduled for this Wednesday. The game is AWAY @Lawrenceville and the puck will drop at 5:30.

Fencing and Squash Start Play This Week

2008-01-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

What's Going On with Fencing and Squash?

Post break winter season sports get going in earnest this week with the Varsity Fencing and Squash teams taking to action. The teams have been working hard in preparation for the bulk of their competitive schedules and they are ready to go. The fencers have home matches on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon and on Saturday morning. The home fencing matches take place in the lower school gym. The Lady Squashers will take on the Brearly School on Wednesday
afternoon at the Harvard Club in NYC. Good Luck to both teams, I'm eager to blog about your progress.

Wishes For A Happy New Year With Hope And Thanks

2008-01-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

As the calendar turns from one year to another, it seems unavoidable to take a moment or two for reflection on the world around us. It is impossible to view the politically charged violence in Pakistan and Kenya without feeling horrible for all the innocent people caught in the fray during this time of tumult around the world. Or not to feel an incredible amount of respect and gratitude towards all those risking their lives in trying to bring a sense of calm and peace to our planet. In that regard, my Best Wishes for a Happy New Year come along with a hope of safety for all the service men and women around the world, as well as a prayer for all of those less fortunate, that might be enduring a time of struggle in their lives, and lastly, a great deal of thanks for the health and well being of our own families and friends.

Varsity Boys Ice Hockey Starting to Play Well

2007-12-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Another Portledge winter season Varsity team that is going through a rebuilding process is the Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team. Playing with a very young corps of defensemen and many young forwards, the squad is slowly coming together and beginning to be competitive against their very challenging schedule. Recently, the Panthers defeated the Landon School and lost tough but close contests against The Hill and Bergen Catholic. Although their overall record is only 1 win and 5 losses, the Panthers are confident about their post break schedule, and everyone is looking forward to improved results.

How Did the Boys Do at the PDS Tournament?

After a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to La Salle Academy in the opening semi final, the Panthers bounced back with 5-2 win over the Landon School. Freshman defender Par Condon displayed why Coach Coope is so high on him by having an excellent all around tournament, even though he was playing in only his first Varsity games after an early season shoulder injury. 8th grade forward Brendan McGovern was also impressive as he showed no fear in challenging for loose pucks against older and more experienced players. Senior forward Zach Lombardi was selected to the All Tournament team. This honor recognizes fine sportsmanship, as well as excellent overall play. So congratulations to Zach! He is a great leader and an incredible role model for the younger players. It was fantastic to see the Portledge School represented at the PDS Tournament once again, and we in the athletic department look forward to many more years of great hockey at this annual event.

How Did the Team Do in Its First Home Game Down at Beaver Dam?

On a cold night following an exciting Varsity Girls game, the Varsity Boys took the ice for the first time this season down at Beaver Dam. The Portledge games have become quite an event down at the "Dam". On this night the crowd was made up of supporters from the school community and many club members enjoying the opportunity to see some great prep school ice hockey. The opponent was the Varsity from Bergen Catholic, one of the top teams in the state of New Jersey. From the beginning the BC team displayed some excellent skill and speed, as they dominated the early play and kept Portledge pinned down in their own zone. Little by little though, the Panthers found a way break the puck out and establish an offensive presence of their own. The best Portledge line was made up of Freshman Stephan DiBartolomeo centering for Junior Renny Kraft and Senior Austin Prey. This trio worked very hard throughout the game and created many quality scoring chances for themselves. Another player returning from an early season injury was Sophomore defensemen David Wilson. Wilson is a player with tremendous potential. He is a strong skater with a long reach and a great shot from the point. Having Wilson back in the line up on a regular basis should make quite a difference in the Portledge team. Although the final score on this night was 3-1 for BC , everyone who was down at the game was treated to some excellent hockey. When you look at all the young talent on this team it is easy to see how they steadily improve as this season and Portledge hockey goes on. The Panthers next take the ice on Monday, Jan 7th @ Home v. Fairlawn Prep, another strong team from Jersey coached by Portledge alum Mike Goodrich '88.

Rebuilding Varsity Girls Basketball Team Finishes December Schedule on a Positive Note

2007-12-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

It has been a tough first month for the Varsity Girls Basketball team. This squad has many new faces and most of the players seeing a lot of game time are largely inexperienced. Add to this, the fact that the December schedule is quite difficult and one can easily see how challenging the beginning of this season has been. Still, the girls managed to start this stretch with a win and they were able to finish it with a win also. In between, there was a good deal of growth and coming together as a group that took place. The team's overall record is 2 wins and 6 losses, but they are a respectable 2 wins and 2 losses in IPPSAL Girls Basketball league play. That mark was secured on the day before holiday break with an impressive 10 point win over league rival Upper Room. Assistant Head Coach Coach Reynolds remarked that it was the girls "best all around game so far this year" and that the team displayed an "ability to play smart" as they protected their lead in the closing minutes.

How Did the Upper Room Game Unfold?

After a first half that saw the evenly matched teams trade baskets, the Lady Panthers took over in the second stanza to get the big W. Sophomore point guard Monique Kelly was at her best as she erupted for 18 second half points on the way to a career high 24 points in all. In addition to her scoring, Kelly added 6 steals and 6 rebounds to lead the girls to victory. Also impressive in the win was the play of Sophomore center Akanksha Trivedi. Trivedi threw in 14 points, mostly from in the paint, as she and Senior forward, and rebounding machine, Yola Yu, controlled the inside play. The 40-30 win ends the early part of the season to on a positive note, and allows the girls to resume their training in January with a sense of confidence and purpose. A birth in the IPPSAL play offs is a difficult but obtainable goal for this group, and we are all behind them as they continue to come together as a team.

On A Roll/ Varsity Girls Ice Hockey Rebounds From Tough Loss at Canterbury With Three Straight League Wins

2007-12-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

On Wed, Dec 3rd the VGIH team traveled to New Milford, Conn to face a strong Canterbury Girls Varsity team. The game ended in a 4-3 victory for Canterbury, but the level of play and the effort put in by the Portledge girls were both extremely high. This hard fought contest was followed by three straight wins in WIHLMA competition. These impressive results were turned in by the Lady Panther skaters against The Pingry School, The Hill School and Princeton High School, respectively. The team's overall record now stands at 4 wins and 2 losses as they head into a well deserved holiday break. When school resumes in January, the girls will take on the Varsity teams of Millbrook School and Lawrenceville, before heading back down to Hill for a weekend of WIHLMA play over the weekend of Jan 12th-14th.

What Happened Up @ Canterbury?

Well this was a really intense varsity girls ice hockey game. The Portledge girls jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Addie Reilly scored her first goal as a Portledge skater on a rebound of a Siena Falino shot, only to see Canterbury come back to even the score at the beginning of the 2nd period after some prolonged pressure in the Panther zone. The one on one battles in this game were incredible, as both teams struggled to clear their respective defensive zones while facing strong fore checks from their opponents. Portledge went up 2-1 mid way through the 2nd period when Emily Prey launched a rocket of a wrist shot into the top corner of the Canterbury net. Emily surprised the Saint's goalie with the pace of her shot as she also registered her first Portledge goal. Once again Canterbury unleashed some extensive pressure in the Portledge zone and eventually forced a loose puck in the top of the slot area. Eventually a Saint's winger got control of the loose biscuit and fired it by Portledge goalie Jess Sarrantonio to tie the score once again. This goal really enthused the Canterbury team and before long they had added another to take a 3-2 lead going into the second intermission. The Portledge girls have a lot of heart though, and they emerged from the locker room to carry the play in the early going of the third period. As the clock wound down to under 5 minutes left, captain Siena Falino took a perfect breakout pass from captain Kelly Alefeld in center ice and headed towards the Canterbury zone. Falino was being hacked at continuously as she weaved her way around the numerous Saint's defenders and bore down on the goal. At the last second "C", as she's called by the girls on the team, sent a beautiful cross crease pass to a wide open Ashley Wade who calmly knocked the puck into the back of the net to tie the score once again in this amazing game. Unfortunately for the Lady Panther skaters the Canterbury girls had the last say though, as one of their top players found an open teammate on the back post with a slick pass of her own, to give the Saint's the lead as time was running out. Coach Schwam pulled Sarrantonio with well over a minute remaining, but although they had some good chances, the Portledge girls couldn't find another miracle this time. The teams exchanged the traditional hand shakes, and this excellent example of girls prep school hockey was complete. While the loss was tough to swallow, the Portledge team can be very proud of the way they competed on this day. I know that their coaches are very happy with their consistent effort and dedication to the program.

What's Happened During This Run of WIHLMA Wins?

This latest stretch of three league games was viewed by the VGIH team as critical to the overall success of the season. It was a chance for the Lady Panther skaters to stake a claim as one of the top teams in the league, alongside Morristown Beard and Shaddy Side Academy. The first of these contests was against the Pingry School from New Jersey. Pingry's program is not as strong as some of the others in the league, so the game was a chance for all the Portledge girls to get a lot of ice time and really move the puck around. Senior Liz Lanza and Freshman Hope Mulry both scored their first Portledge goals, and Freshman forward Ashley Wade continued her fine play with two goals in the first period and one in the third. Wade is emerging as a solid player at both ends of the rink and has been equally effective as a first line wing and as a second line center. During this game the teams defensive corps, made up of Senior captain Kelly Alefeld, Sophomores Chelsea Caracciolo and Emily Prey, and Freshman Maria "Robbie" Robbins, continuously broke the puck out with ease and confidence. If the "D" can control the game this way , it will make a tough second half schedule a lot easier to deal with. The final score of 10-0 gave the whole team a big boost going into an away game v. The Hill.

Down at The Hill School the Portledge girls faced one of the best goalies the program has ever seen. The Hill netminder made save after save as the Lady Panthers peppered the Hill goal with shots. The game was still scoreless half way through the second when Addie Reilly sent a wrister towards the opposing net and captain Siena Falino darted in to deflect it by what seemed like a brick wall in the Hill goal. This relaxed the Portledge team and they went on to dominate the rest of the game with great puck possession and hard forechecking that pinned the Hill team in their own zone. Falino added a second goal in the third period to reach the final scoreline of 2-0. The Lady Panthers now had just one more hurdle (Princeton High@Home) to complete the sweep of these three pre-holiday break league games.

It was a cold night down at the Dam for this final game before break. Princeton High is a much improved team and they were a determined bunch on this night. After Portledge broke out to an early 2-0 lead on goals by captain Siena Falino and Senior Liz Lanza, PHS came roaring back at the start of the 2nd period with two goals of their own. Each game this year has seemed to have a defining moment and this was definately true on this evening. After the second PHS goal Siena Falino deflected the center face off to herself and took off towards the Princeton zone. After eluding two PHS defenders she threw a few fakes at the keeper before slipping the biscuit by her and into the net. The Portledge lead was restored and the girls went on to play a great 3rd period and extend their lead to three goals. The final score of 5-2 was not indicative of how hard these teams battled during this game. The Lady Panthers go into the break with three straight wins and great deal of confidence. We'll see all you girls hockey fans after the holidays as the story of this inaugural WIHLMA season continues.

7/8 Girls Basketball Rocks the House

2007-12-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday afternoon, with plenty of Portledge fans in attendance, the 7/8 Girls Basketball team played a great game on the road at GreenVale. It isn't very often that visiting teams are victorious when they visit the Blue and Gold, so when these young LadyPanthers and their coach,Mr. Nick Woll, returned home with a win, everyone was quite impressed. Keys to the the girls success was some slick ball handling by 7th grade point guard Arielle Parris and some crucial foul shooting by Eve Shapiro. Shapiro made some shots at the end of regulation to send the game into OT, then made a few more during the overtime session to help secure the 2 point victory for Portledge. The girls played great team defense throughout the game as Justine Boisits and Ceci Mulry were all over the place grabbing a bunch of rebounds and preventing GV from establishing any offensive flow. Many of the team's 7th graders were part of last years undefeated 5/6 girls team and they are creating a real winning attitude surrounding their play. Congratulations girls and keep it up throughout the season. Please look for more postings about middle school sports following the holiday break as all the middle school teams get into action.

New Postings Coming Soon

2007-12-14T07:22:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy few weeks in Portledge Athletics and I have been going to many games at various rinks and gyms. Unfortunately, I have not had the time to complete many postings, but I hope to get caught up starting this weekend. So check the blog out starting Sunday night the 16th, and throughout the holidays for lots of good stuff about the Panther teams.

Revival of an Old Tradition Signals the Start of a New Era/Portledge Varsity Boys Hockey Returns to the Princeton Day School Invitational

2007-12-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend the Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team will be playing in the Princeton Day School Invitational Tournament. This tournament has a very rich history and boasts prestigious hockey programs such as Lawrenceville, The Hill and Brunswick as former champions. The Portledge Panthers are also part of the glorious past of this great event. During the mid 80s, a Portledge team that included current Advancement Director Turk Lewis '87 and was captained by former Headmaster Hugh Gregory's son John '86, was victorious over a competitive field of fine hockey clubs. Then in the late 80s, another Portledge team, whose most dynamic player was current Portledge parent and alum Justin Ort '90, once again hoisted the PDS Trophy in victory. Finally, the 1996 Panthers, coached by Mr. Pierre Ranger and yours truly, and captained by two Sophomores who would go on to make a great deal more Portledge Hockey history, defeated Princeton Day and a heavily favored Millbrook School to secure yet another championship at this annual ice hockey fest. A few years later those two Sophomores, Jordan Karp '98 and James Sedoruk '98, would lead a Panther squad that included several future NHL professionals and Division I college stars, in the first of three consecutive Brooks-Pingree Holiday Tournament championships. Could this return to the Princeton Day Tournament usher in a new era of Portledge Hockey success? We'll have to wait and see. Right now, however, we are all very excited about seeing Portledge return to this classic competition of some of the best schoolboy hockey in the Mid Atlantic region.

Winter Sports Schedules Now Up On The Portledge Website

2007-12-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

A blog reader recently asked about the Varsity Girls and Boys Ice Hockey schedules. You can find the schedules for all the Portledge Winter Sports teams by going to (Portledge.org) and clicking on Athletics. Then just hit the schedule tab and you will get the full schedule page. If you would like detailed information on a specific event, use the school calendar tab at the top of the home page. Thanks for checking out the blog and we'll see you down at the rink!

Athletes of the Week

2007-12-05T07:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to our first Winter Athletes of the Week. From Left to Right: Ashley Wade '11, Siena Falino '09, Tom Parisi '11 and Mark Dourmashkin '10. Tom and Ashley both received and Ice Hockey athlete of the week award for their fine performances both getting two goals against Rye Country Day and Morristown-Beard respectfully. Mark played some great basketball during the Martin Luther tournament this past weekend and finally, Siena Falino earned her award for scoring two goals against Gunnery in a 2-1 overtime win last Wednesday -- the last goal was scored with 1 second left in overtime.

GREAT JOB GUYS!!!

A Tough Loss, But What A Game/ Varsity Girls Ice Hockey Takes on League Rival Morristown Beard

2007-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

When the Portledge VGIH team joined the Mid Atlantic Girls Hockey League they knew that one of the biggest obstacles to becoming champions would be defeating the current league champs, the girls from Mo-Beard. The Lady Panther skaters have played some great games against the girls in crimson and white over the last few years, and their first meeting this season was quite a tussle.

It was a windy and chilly night down at Beaver Dam for this early season contest between WIHLMA powerhouses Portledge and Mo-Beard. The stands filled up quickly with supporters of both sides and the early play had a real fast pace to it. Unfortunately for the Portledge girls, their opponents seemed a bit more ready to go at the beginning, and it wasn't long before Portledge found itself down 2-0. As the period was coming to a close, Freshmen Ashley Wade was able to fire a wrister by the MB goalie and give the Lady Panthers some life, only to see their enthusiasm dashed by another MB goal that made the score 3-1 at the end of the first period. The teams traded goals in the second period as Portledge followed a MB score with a beautiful power play goal by Sophomore Chelsea Caracciolo. Caracciolo's blast from the point was set up by a beautiful cross ice feed from captain Siena Falino. Still, the Portledge girls trailed by two going into the third. This was a great period of hockey with both teams rushing the puck from end to end only to be stopped by some fine goaltending from Portledge net minder Jess Sarrantonio and her opposite # on the Mo-Beard side. As the game was entering its last five minutes the Freshman dynamo that is Ashley Wade took a feed from behind the goal and slid one by the crimson keeper. Now the Panthers were only behind by one and before to long had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. The puck stayed down in the MB end and the Portledge team had some quality chances, but alas, none found the back of the net and Mo- Beard escaped with a 4-3 victory. Players and coaches from both teams congratulated each other on a fine game and there were a few "can't wait for the next time" uttered around the rink. If this is what league play in girls hockey is about, well....Bring It On!

Program Shows Real Depth/JV Boys Basketball Opens Season With Fine Play and Lots of Talent

2007-12-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

What Does This Year's JV Boys Basketball Team Look Like?

This year's JVBB team is an interesting mix of characters. They are a fun loving group that likes to hang out together (they already have team nicknames) and really compete hard in games. Their leaders are Sophomores Bryce Behar aka "Brizzle" and Bashir Desgrottes aka "B Diddy". Bryce is an energetic shut down defender and Bashir is a talented point guard that has the ability to score as well as distribute the ball. On the forward line we have two powerful players in Freshmen Adeola Adgebite aka "Man Child" and Blake "Tiny" Martin. Both these guys rebound very well and have displayed a deft touch around the basket. Freshmen Vishal Chinchwadkar aka "Cookies", Steven "Stevie D" Dourmashkin, Eddie "Huai Not" Huai and Ben "Lobley" Lobley run the wings and provide the squad with excellent ball handling skills and good overall team speed. Finally, there is Chris McCloskey aka"McCloskey" who flies around the court with reckless abandon and brings some real energy and a spice of dash to the team's play.

The JVBB opened up its season with games against two of their toughest opponents(Upper Room and Columbia Prep), and although both these games ended in losses, you couldn't help but be impressed with the effort and fine play of all the players. Mr Clark is doing a great job of getting the guys to play as a team, and we are all looking for great things out of this group as the season goes on.

Tough Weekend for Varsity Basketball Teams As They Step Up In Competition at the Martin Luther Tournament

2007-12-03T04:24:00.000-08:00

The Martin Luther High School Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball Tournament is known for its very high level of competition. Martin Luther Athletic Director Jim Reagan always brings in some of the finest teams from around NYC to play in this annual pre-holidays event. It is always a challenge for the Portledge teams, but we like to keep our place to see where our program stands. Just last year the Lady Panthers almost won the tournament only losing by a few points in an exciting final, and this year our boys team was definitely competitive even though they went down to defeat twice.

How Did The Varsity Girls Do?

It was a tough weekend for the VGBB team. They were playing without their starting point guard and many of the young players were experiencing this type of competition for the first time. Although they dropped both games by some considerable margins there were some definite positives that came out of the weekend. Sophomore Robyn Worrall played very well at the point and showed that she can handle the ball well when under pressure. This will certainly give Robyn and the rest of the team increased confidence when they face pressure defenses during league play. Also, Sophomore Akanksha Trivedi illustrated that she can score against some tough defenders, as well as rebound in some heavy traffic. Once again, this experience should pay off down the road. Lastly, watching the girls throughout the weekend one could see the team dynamic starting to evolve as the players got to spend more time together. Great job by coaches Henry and Reynolds in keeping the girls upbeat and making the entire weekend a positive one.

How About The Boys?

The VBBB team played two very tough and competitive games. They were in the lead at various times in both games and they demonstrated that they can score the basketball against some strong defenses. Sophomore Mark Dourmashkin really broke out in the opener against Martin Luther when he scored 25 points, while also dishing out some quality assists. In addition, Senior Ray Weinmann earned the start at center in the second game with his fine overall play and showed that he can be counted on to be a strong presence inside. Although he struggled a bit in the opener, Junior Aaron Lee played so well in the second game that he was selected as All Tournament by the tournament committee. Two losses are never easy to swallow, but the boys played well, and I think the experience they gained will help them as they try to reach their goal-to secure a spot in the IPPSAL play offs. Great job by Mr. Sandoval and Miss Nugent getting the guys ready and we will see you all at the Portledge Invitational next weekend. The girls semi finals will be on Thursday, while the boys will play their semis on Friday. Saturday will see a whole day off basketball at Wellington Gym as we play the girls consolation and final followed by the boys consolation and final. Play will begin at 11:00am and proceed throughout the day.

Exciting Start to a Promising Season/Varsity Girls Ice Hockey Opens Up With a Win at The Gunnery

2007-12-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

The Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team is a close knit group of 12 very dedicated young athletes. Under the leadership of Head Coach Zoe Schwam they will play their inaugural season in the Womens Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid Atlantic ( WIHLMA) . This is a great opportunity for Portledge Hockey and the girls are quite enthusiastic about their prospects.

Who Are the Leaders of the Varsity Girls Team?

The VGIH team is led by a trio of veterans who have all been with the program since its first game four years ago. Senior rear guard and co captain Kelly Alefeld and Senior goalie Jess Sarrantonio take charge of the Lady Panthers defensive zone with a combination of great skill and quality leadership, while Junior forward and co captain Siena Falino continues to illustrate why she is so respected in the world of Portledge athletics by maintaining a presence of thorough determination and regal eloquence. These three exceptional young ladies set an incredible example for the younger players by consistently working hard and never losing sight of their commitment to the development of girls ice hockey at Portledge.

Who Are Some of the Other Forwards on the Team?

Senior Liz Lanza returns to the ice after missing last year with an injury and is having a blast playing again. She often teams with Freshmen Alyssa Parke and Ashley Wade to form a line that creates a great deal of offensive pressure. Sophomore Addie Reilly has tremendous potential as a goal scorer and can usually be found riding shotgun on Falino's wing, always fighting hard to control loose pucks. Freshmen Maria Robbins is a consistent skater who loves to play the game, and Freshman Hope Mulry is also working hard in practice and coming along quite nicely as an all around player.

How Many Defenders Does the Team Have?

Only two other girls, Sophomores Chelsea Caracciolo and Emily Prey combine with Alefeld to form the teams blue line corps. They will each get a lot of ice time and have the opportunity to be an excellent and mobile defense. While they are all great skaters, the most impressive thing so far has been their impeccable positioning during fast paced play. It seems that they are never caught up and are always giving Goaltender Jess Sarrantonio lots of protection.

What Happened in the Lady Panthers First Game at the Gunnery?

Gunnery and Portledge have played three times in girls ice hockey with the Gunnery winning all three contests. As the teams took the ice this past Wednesday night it first appeared as if the Gunners would easily make it four straight over the Lady Panthers. Someone, however, forgot to tell Siena Falino and the rest of the Portledge players about this plan. From the drop of the puck it was a hard fought and physical contest as the referees gave the girls plenty of room to play a determined game. Both sides had good scoring chances during the first period, but neither team was able to put one by the opposing goalie and the period ended in a 0-0 tie. The Gunnery girls came out strong in the second stanza and consistently applied forechecking pressure in the Portledge zone. Finally, after a long shift with many attempts on the Portledge cage, Gunnery took the lead when their first line center sent a beautiful backhand shot past Sarrantonio and into the lower right corner of the net. The Lady Panthers steadied themselves though, and created some good chances of their own in the periods closing minutes. Even though they trailed 1-0 the Portledge girls were feeling comfortable and skating well as they took the ice for the third and final period. At the seven minute mark Falino got loose in front of the gunnery net and slid one by the keeper to tie the score at 1. As the period went on the Gunnery girls tired a bit, while the Lady Panthers were able to maintain their overall speed and pace. When the horn sounded to signal the end of regulation it was Portledge that was carrying the play. The overtime was a wild affair with the teams rushing the puck from end to end and almost no whistles to stop the rapid play. When Freshmen Alyssa Parke and a Gunnery player were sent off with coincidental minors for holding with a minute left I think it was an advantage for Portledge in that it created more open ice for Falino to work some of her magic. As the time ticked away and the clock showed 0.12 seconds to play Freshman Ashley Wade gathered a loose puck in the Portledge zone along the left boards. When she looked up she saw Falino streaking across the ice and sent the puck along in her path. The pass was perfect. It caught Falino in full stride and enabled her to get her head up at just the right time to elude one of the Gunnery defenders. Then she turned on the jets and raced towards the Gunnery zone. They couldn't catch her as all of a sudden, with less than 0.05 seconds remaining, Falino was in all alone . A slick move to the backhand and a calm finish put Portledge ahead right as the final horn sounded. THE BENCH EXPLODED IN JOY as the referee signaled goal and the girls realized that all their hard work had paid off in a very improbable victory. The 2-1 win with no time left will fade into Portledge hockey history, but it will never be forgotten by anyone who was there to witness it, or by the lucky girls who played in this amazing game.

Come see the Lady Panther skaters when they take on their league rivals Morristown-Beard this coming Monday, 12/3 down at Beaver Dam @5:30pm. You won't be disappointed, and you might even catch another miracle.

Harmony Is the Design/Varsity Boys Ice Hockey Looks to Effectively Mix Expirience With Youthful Talent

2007-11-30T10:58:00.000-08:00

Morale is high surrounding this year's Portledge Panther hockey team. The team has some significant depth on their forward lines and a solid corps of blue liners. When you add in last year's surprise star, goalie Sal Magliocco, it should equal a strong season for the icemen.

Who Are Some of the Key Players On Offense?

Leading the group of returning players is Senior captain Zack Lombardi. Lombardi is set for his 5th campaign with the Panthers, and provides the team with some incredible experience. His ability to see the ice and organize the power play will be critical to the offensive output this winter. Seniors Alfred "Big Al" Vitsentzos, Austin Prey and Dan Leavey all must come up with huge contributions, if the glory days of Portledge hockey are to return to the frozen tundra of Beaver Dam. The team's depth is certainly better as Coach Coope can also call on slick sKating Junior Renny Kraft and a group of very talented youngsters for added firepower. Freshman Tom Parisi looks to be a player that will score many goals as he develops, and the trio of Freshman Stephen DiBartolomeo and 8th graders Matt Crockett and Brendan McGovern are already impressing in practice. As this varied group comes together, the Panthers should produce some exciting and wide open hockey.

What Does the Team's Defense Look Like?

Their will be four key players on the Portledge blue line. Junior Tim Morrison and Sophomore Dave Wilson will get a good deal of the ice time against the other teams top lines, while Freshmen Ryan Gottfried and Pat Condon will look to add experience to their abundant talent. Once Wilson returns from a nagging leg injury look for this group to provide some excellent all around play. Sophomore goalie Sal Magliocco should be great in the nets and keep Portledge in many a tight game.

Was That Portledge Alum Jon Sandos '03 on the Ice the Other Night at Practice?

A very exciting development is the addition of Coach Sandos to the Portledge ice hockey program. A former captain of the Panthers, and college star at Cortland State, Sandos brings his energy and commitment to the ice every day. I always held Jon's character in the highest regard and couldn't be more enthused about him joining Portledge Hockey. Good luck to Jon, coaches Coope and Schwab and all the guys on the team. LET'S HAVE A GREAT SEASON!

Varsity Girls Basketball Looks To Rebuild, While Varsity Boys Hope to Take Advantage of Their Experience

2007-11-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to get people fired up for the next sports season, here are some previews of this winter's Varsity Basketball teams. Previews of the Ice Hockey, Fencing and Squash teams will be coming soon. Games have already begun, so don't be shy! Get out and support the Panthers whenever possible.

How Big a Rebuilding Job Do the Varsity Girls Basketball Coaches Have?

In year one of the post Emily Edwards-Bourdrez Era in Portledge Girls Basketball there will be quite a few different faces and some younger players out on the court for the Lady Panthers. Coaches Henry and Reynolds were blessed with a large turnout for tryouts, and they will look to create a positive attitude of hard work that will carry the program forward into the future. In fact, there were so many players out for the team that some extra practices will be added, and some JV games scheduled, to help satisfy all of the interest. Some real thanks should go to Miss Henry and Mrs. Reynolds for taking the initiative and devoting their time to create this opportunity for all the girls interested in basketball in the upper school. It looks as if next year there will have to be a full fledged JV program. Getting back to this year though, the coaches will certainly be faced with some real challenges as the Varsity players are a bit short on experience.

One key returning player on the Varsity will be senior Yola Yu. Yola has been on the team for four years and is a proven rebounder and solid defender. Her competetiveness will be crucial as this young group searches for their identity during the early going. Another important returning player will be sophomore point guard Monique Kelly. Kelly is coming of off a great soccer season and she has looked good in practices and scrimmages so far. After concentrating mostly on passing last year, Kelly will be asked to score the ball more as this season rolls on. Two other returners who will be looking for increased minutes are Junior Leah Heffernan and Sophomore Robyn Worrall. Both these players, neither of whom played much last year, are good shooters, and will have to look to put the ball up when they are open. The player with the most potential to have a big impact is definitely Sophomore Akanksha Trivedi. Trivedi is the tallest player on the team and has worked hard during the off season to develop her ball handling and shooting skills. If Trivedi can score and rebound with some consistency, it will be a big plus for the Lady Panthers. The rest of the Varsity team is made up of a group of freshmen and sophomores who are ready to work hard and improve their skills as the program goes forward. The Lady Panthers won their first game of the season by defeating the Varsity of Mill Neck Manor and will next take the court at HOME on Tuesday v. Solomon Schechter (5:30pm).

How Do Things Look For the Varsity Boys Basketball Team?

The Varsity Boys team will go into its third year under the leadership of Head Coach Sandoval with a good deal of experience and some real talent. It looks to be an unselfish team that takes as much pleasure from setting up a teammate as they do in scoring. The overall play of Junior point guard Aaron Lee will be critical to the team's chances for success. Lee looks be much more comfortable handling the ball and directing the offense this year and it will be his job to spread the ball around to some fine scorers. Senior Kai Stoll returns to the middle of the Portledge line up and will be trying to build on two consecutive strong seasons. Stoll has great touch around the basket and should be counted on for double digit scoring game in and game out. Along side will be Senior forward Reid Ericson. Reid is a consistent player who will probably find more opportunities to score this year, as the ball seems to be moving more freely around the Portledge offense. The starting wing players will be Junior Trevor Wolfson and Sophomore Mark Dourmashkin. These two players might be the best athletes on the team and both have the potential to "fill it up". Wolfson plays solid "D" and loves to get out on the break , while Dourmashkin is kiddingly referred to as "Little Larry" because of his ability to both shoot and pass the ball at a very high level. In a scrimmage last week against Martin Luther, Dourmashkin was in the middle of some really nice Portledge passing plays, as he epitomized the team's unselfish attitude. Help off the bench will come from Seniors Ray Weinmann and Dan Duffy up front, while Junior Mike McCloskey will probably be spelling the back court players. In addition, everyone will be watching for the development of Sohpomores Ben Shapiro and Jon "JB" Brailsford as the season goes along. If these two can become contributors, Mr. Sandoval will have some real depth to work with. The Panthers first match is a tough one, as they open up at HOME v. Upper Room, last year's IPPSAL champ. This game will be on Wed, Nov 28th @5:30 pm.

The Brooklyn Odyssey/Varsity Girls Soccer Goes Down to Defeat in the NYSAISAA Quarter-Finals

2007-11-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

There was just something a bit strange about the day. It was dark and overcast, and the weatherman was calling for rain sometime in the afternoon. The 2:45pm start time didn't leave much room for error on such a gloomy day, and it was not without some trepidation that I climbed into Mr. Sandoval's SUV for the trip to the Parade Grounds in Brooklyn. While traffic was bad, both teams finally made it to the field. Not so for many of the fans who were caught behind a large accident on the BQE. Yours truly and Mr. Sandoval, along with our enthusiastic passengers, Miss Nugent and Mrs. Reilly, wound our way around the trouble by traveling down the Jackie Robinson Parkway. Now Jackie Robinson was a great ballplayer, and probably the most influential professional athlete of the 20th century, but the parkway named after him doesn't have a great deal of exits. So by the time we were able to get off the JRP, we were at the wrong end of Brooklyn. It took another hour to travel up Atlantic Avenue before we finally found Prospect Park and the Parade Ground Fields. We were disappointed because we knew that we had probably missed at least the first half, but to our surprise, the game hadn't even started yet. There was some problem with the referee assigning by the tournament officials, and NO refs had arrived. There was some talk about moving the game to Queens, to play at a field with some lights, but in the end it was decided that this was not a good plan. So we all climbed back into our cars and headed home to Long Island in the middle of rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon. The team bus finally pulled into Portledge about 7:00pm, or 7 full hours after it had left, and the girls were told to report back at 10:00am the next morning to try to play this game all over again.

The next day was sunny and beautiful, if a bit windy. Mr. Sandoval and I thought we would give it another try as well and wound up making to the field at Aviator Park in just over 30 minutes. Somehow I wasn't surprised though when the cellphone rang(that would be Mr. Sandoval's cellphone) and the team bus was, amazingly, lost. This was just the weirdest couple of days ever, and definitely was the game that didn't want to be played. Well, my comrade and I climbed into the car and went in search of the bus. About 45 minutes later the bus passed us on Flatbush Avenue and we were able to get them going in the proper direction. Thus, the Varsity Girls Soccer team lined up to start the state tournament game some 25 hours after they had originally boarded a bus for this purpose. These events were some of the strangest things to happen in my 19 years of coaching, and certainly can be called an odyssey.

What Happened When the Game Was Finally Played?

The Portledge girls were determined to make things difficult for the higher seeded, and significantly favored girls from Berkeley Carroll. The Lady Panthers concentrated on defense, but it was not too long before some sloppy defending led to a BC free kick from just outside the penalty area. The BC #9 sent a rocket into the Portledge net and the girls found themselves behind early on. The Portledge players steadied themselves and actually were carrying the play to BC during the late stages of the first half, but, as the mid way whistle sounded our girls still trailed by a score of 1-0.

During the second half the BC defense proved to be too tough for the Portledge attackers to crack, as one Portledge push after another was turned away by some excellent team defending by BC. Finally the eventual counter led to a BC corner that was knocked into the Portledge net after a goal mouth scramble. This second BC goal really took the life out of the Portledge girls and they couldn't muster much of an answer, as a very talented BC team took over the rest of the game. While the girls were very disappointed, they should be quite proud of making a bit of school athletic history by being the first Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer team to make it to the NYSAISAA Tournament. The team gained valuable experience, and with so many returning players the future of girls soccer at Portledge looks very bright. Besides, reflect on Homer Portledge soccer fans, a little odyssey here and there, only makes you stronger!

Varsity Girls Tennis Finishes a Great Season

2007-11-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

What Happened in the IPPSAL Varsity Girls Tennis Championship?

Several vociferous readers have commented about the lack of a final posting on the girls tennis team. Well, all I can say is that I'm sorry not to have filled everyone in sooner, but there was no intent to slight any varsity team whatsoever. That being said, I would like to congratulate all the girls on the varsity tennis team on a wonderful season. With so many players graduating last spring the outlook for this fall's tennis team was not particularly bright, but the girls on the team didn't listen to the dark prognostications and simply worked hard to be best squad they could.
Under the guidance of the new varsity girls coach, Mr. Henry Stay, the team consistently improved throughout the fall. Seniors Ellen Huai and Sonali Marfatia, and Junior Siena Falino, provided excellent leadership throughout the season and a number of underclassmen rose to challenge of playing in varsity competition. Sophomore Elizabeth Girgenti had a fantastic season as a singles player and the doubles team of Wade-Scheinman was outstanding. This group's work ethic paid off in that they qualified for a place in the IPPSAL Championship against Long Island Lutheran.

The championship match took place at the Portledge courts and was a hotly contested affair. The LuHi #1 singles was able to defeat the Portledge #1, Ellen Huai, but Portledge rebounded with a victory at #3 singles by Siena Falino. After the two doubles matches were split, the championship came down to the only match still going. This was the #2 singles match and Portledge was represented by Elizabeth Girgenti. Lizzie played brilliantly and fought her opponent to the end, but unfortunately the final score of 8-6 was not in Portledge's favor. The Lady Panther tennis team will have many players returning for next year's campaign and hopes are high for another chance at the IPPSAL crown. Thanks again to Mr. Stay and congratulations to all the varsity girls tennis players on a great season.

A Short Lapse In Postings

2007-11-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

What Happened to Our Favorite Blog?

The last two weeks of the fall season were so hectic with the all the various playoffs that Portledge teams qualified for, that there wasn't much time for blogging. I realize the lack of postings left a few questions unanswered. I apologize to faithful readers about the lapse, but this is the first time we are doing this and there are always going to be a few wrinkles to iron out. So I appreciate everyone's patience and will try to wrap things up from the fall, before I move on to a preview of the winter sports. This will not be easy though, since some of the winter teams are already playing games.