Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Everyone's Doin Something/Amazing Individual Efforts Lead Panther Skaters to Victory
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.
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.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Ladies Night/ Varsity Girls Basketball and Varsity Girls Hockey Both Rock On
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.
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.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Chilly Winds Blow in Some Exciting Puck/ Varsity Girls and Boys Take on Morristown Beard in Double Header @ the Dam
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!!!
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!!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
How 'Bout Them Apples/Varsity Girls Hockey Overcomes Big Red of Lawrenceville
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
An Almost Perfect Big Monday/ Varsity Girls Basketball and Varsity Boys Hockey Post Wins, But Varsity Boys Basketball Goes Down to Defeat
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.
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.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Southern Hospitality/Varsity Girls Hockey Wins Twice During Mid Atlantic League Trip to Maryland
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.
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.
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