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).
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Almost There/Varsity Baseball Loses Close Contest to League Power
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Swinging Into Action/Varsity Golf Opens Season w/ Tri Match v. LWA & LuHi
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.
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.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Back to Level Ground/Varsity Baseball Splits Opening Series of the Year v. Knox
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!!
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
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.
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.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Blog Is Back/Spring Preview and Early Results
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.
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.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Winter Season Home Stretch Starts With Some Great Individual and Team Performances
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.
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.
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