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.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Many Positive Signs/Mid Winter Recap of Varsity Teams
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.
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
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.
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.
Friday, January 11, 2008
An Ivy League Experience/Varsity Girls Squash Competes V. Brearly at the Harvard Club of NYC
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Athletes of the Week
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!!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
An Alum's Success is Bittersweat/Varsity Boys Hockey Loses to Fairlawn in OT
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.
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.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Leadership Keys Another Victory/Varsity Girls Hockey Defeats Millbrook
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.
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.
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