A very special Holidays and New Year Greetings to everyone and anyone out there who might occasionally find a little time to check out the Hey Hills blog. I'd like to take a quick moment to throw out a very special thanks to The Portledge School's Director of Communications and Marketing, Susan Pagano. It was Susan who came to me last fall with the idea of writing a blog. She had read a few things I had written and thought a blog would be a great fit for the school and me. Well at the time, I didn't really know what a blog was, but after a little research and some wonderful enthusiasm and coaching from Susan, we decided to give it a try and the rest has been history, as they say. Certainly, no pun intended. I would also like to give a special bit of thanks and good wishes for the health and speedy recovery of our beloved former Headmaster, Huson Gregory. Mr. Gregory went through a difficult spell in early December, but I know he is feeling much better now, because I am once again receiving a steady stream of emails from Cape Cod regarding life at the school and the progress of the Portledge ice hockey teams. Best to you, Hugh and Mimi, our thoughts are with you.
What's Going On with the Start of Winter Sports?
After a tremendous amount of organizational thought, and a huge amount of thanks goes out to Mrs. Zoe Schwam for all her help in putting together all of the logistics for the Winter Sports Season, we are off and running with some awesome athletic events. On almost any day throughout the winter you can catch some great Portledge athletes in action. So, I encourage you all to get down to the gym , or rink, or up to the lower school gym to catch some hoops, hockey or fencing, and if you are really committed, you can travel into NYC to see our wonderful squash team compete against the finest schools in the city. I will try to give a little overview of how all the upper school programs have started off their seasons, as well as mention some of the major games coming up for all the teams.
How Have Things Begun for the New Varsity Girls Basketball Coaches and Their Players?
Well, we are starting a new era in Girls Basketball at Portledge. After a successful run of four years Head Coach and Portledge alum Katie Henry passed on the leadership of the girls basketball program to Mr. Skip Amadio. Amadio has a good deal of prior coaching experience working with both girls and boys at the Varsity level during his teaching days in New Hampshire. Mr. Amadio and his top assistant, Mr. Nick Woll, who is also Head Coaching the JV Girls team, have brought a strong work ethic to the program. When you see this team play defense their desire and commitment to success is evident. On the floor, the unquestioned leader is point guard Monique Kelly. When the ball is in Kelly's hands the Lady Panthers are very solid. Her combination of playmaking and scoring ability has been a key to the team's early season success. Joining Kelly as Co Captain in Junior center Akanksha Trivedi. The "A Train", as she is known along coaches row, can dominate a game inside like no one else in IPPSAL can. Consistency will be her goal, as Akanksha continues her development as a top player in the league. Two other key players for the Lady Panthers are juniors Robyn Worrall and Claudia Rogers. These two share the ball handling responsibilities with Kelly, and provide a tremendous amount of energy on the floor. As their respective shooting touches improve, their play will be the key to a late season run by the Portledge girls. Senior Leah Heffernan has shown that when healthy, she can make a tough fifteen footer. Problem is that Leah's ankle has been a bit of a problem all season and has limited her opportunities to contribute. We are hoping that with a few weeks off, Leah will come back feeling stronger and making jumpers. Junior Marian Juste and Freshman Alexa Lodenquai round out what is a bit of a thin rotation for Mr. Amadio as he waits for other players to step forward and earn playing time at the Varsity level.
It was a fast start for the Lady Panthers as they began the season with back to back pre Thanksgiving, league, wins over Waldorf and Solomon Schechter. After some tough losses at the Martin Luther Tournament, and to defending League champ OSNA, the Portledge girls rebounded by defeating Knox in the semi final of the Portledge Invitational before losing a hard fought contest to a very experienced and polished Martin Luther team in an exciting Championship game. Martin Luther's veteran Head Coach, Ann Boyle, commented on how much the Portledge girls improved from one weekend till the next. This is certainly something that bodes well for the future. The Lady Panthers then went on to defeat Upper Room away from home in a critical early season league game, before dropping a tough friendly to Friends Academy at Wellington Gym. The girls broke for the holidays with a solid mark of 4 wins and 5 losses and real sense of confidence about the rest of the season. A spot in the IPPSAL playoffs, with hopes of competing in the IPPSAL Championship game, are some things that can be thought about. The Lady Panthers have two critical league games at the end of the first week back from break, both away from home on 1/8 & 1/9 at Lawrence Woodmere and Mill Neck, respectively. Yet another special thanks should go out to Miss Kelly Luken who has stepped forward to help Mr. Amadio and Mr. Woll with the Girls Basketball program on game days.
Is There Really JV Girls Basketball at Portledge?
The answer to that question is...absolutely!!! Under the direction of Mr. Nick Woll a dedicated group of 10-12 girls has been getting on the court, whenever they can, to prepare for competition in the challenging JV Bracket of PSAA Girls Basketball. While they have dropped their first two contests, look for this team to improve as the season goes on, and hopefully snatch a few hard fought wins from some of their very strong competition.
How Has the Varsity Boys Team Rebounded From Losing So Many Players to Graduation?
Last season the senior trio Kai Stoll, Reid Ericson and Ray Weinmann gave Portledge one of the best front lines in their demanding league. Having lost those players , as well as senior Dan Duffy, the Varsity Boys team was only returning two players, Senior Aaron Lee and Junior Mark Dourmashkin, who saw meaningful playing time last year. Thus, the term 'rebuilding' was being thrown around the gym, yet again. A funny thing has happened though as a group of Juniors that includes Ben Shapiro, Jon Brailsford, Bashir Desgrottes and Vishal Chinchwadkar has stepped up to provide the Panthers with some outstanding play. The inside play of Ben Shapiro has been particularly impressive as has been the strong leadership and great outside shooting from the aforementioned Lee and Dourmashkin, respectively. The Portledge faithful have been treated to some great basketball and there is no reason why it can't continue into the New Year. While their record is only 3 wins and 5 losses, some of the losses have come in extremely close games such as the Portledge Tournament final when Mark Dourmashkin's last second shot rang off the iron sealing a two point win for a talented Lake Grove team. This group is really coming together and I will not be surprised when they fight through a challenging league schedule to earn a coveted spot in the IPPSAL playoffs. Now that Upper Room's semi professional team is no longer competing in IPPSAL play, a playoff spot comes with a legitimate chance to be IPPSAL Champion. Some other key contributors will be Sohpomore forward and energy machine Adeola Adegbite, creative Sophomore forward/guard Steven Dourmashkin and slick shooting Freshman Nick Lobley, who was recently promoted from JV to provide a bit more outside scoring.
The Panthers have critical games with Lexington and Kew Forest on the road, 1/7 and 1/12 respectively, before returning to Wellington Gym for back to back games with Solomon Schechter and Valley Stream Christian on 1/14 and 1/15. Good luck to Mr. Sandoval and all the guys as they "shoot" for the playoffs.
What's Happening With JV Boys Hoops?
Everyone knows, and this is no joke, that the most difficult league of all is the IPPSAL JV Boys Basketball Bracket. It requires and 18 game regular season league schedule (+ the Portledge JV Boys always play the Columbia Prep JV Boys twice each winter) that is very challenging in that some of the teams are the varsity teams of smaller schools, as well as JV teams that come from schools where basketball is the ONLY major sport. That being said, every year Portledge is lucky to have Mr. Erion Clark to work with our JV Boys team and teach them the game of basketball. Mr. Clark does a great job of working the players around the court and getting them to understand the game. So far the team has 2 wins and 5 losses, but their overall play has been excellent. Many of the players, including Freshmen Ben Fortgang, Yousef Macer, Eric Diamataris, TJ Roberts, Zach Hescheles and Joey Brambil, have a bright future in the Portledge Basketball program. If you want to see some students have a great time and support each other to the fullest, come on down and see a JV Boys hoops game. You can catch the team at home on the 7th and the 8th of January.
Well......that's a lot of blogging. I'm going to post this and I'll be back tomorrow to discuss the upper school Ice Hockey, Fencing and Squash teams. All for now... and peace be with you.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
It Was Like Amazing, Incredible and Totally Awesome/ Full Recap of Portledge School Fall Sports Season
Well what can you say when there is so much to say? First of all, some recognition of all the hard work, effort and sportsmanship that went into this fall sports season on everyone's part is necessary. As the Director of Athletics I couldn't be more proud of our entire program as I am at the conclusion of this last sports season. From the amazing organizational effort of the Assistant Director of Athletics and Athletic Department Associate, Mrs. Schwam and Mr. Sandoval, respectively, to the incredible sportsmanship exhibited by all of our coaches and players throughout what was a very competitive season of athletic contests, all I can think of is the catchy phrase, "like totally awesome". This is all I can think of because that's exactly what it was...totally awesome. I must also mention the fantastic support our teams received from all the fans of Portledge Athletics. Students, parents, grandparents and friends filled the soccer sidelines, the cross country courses and the tennis stands with cheers for our booters, runners and swatters. On occasion their devotion was challenged by some difficult weather, but the wild cheering for our Portledge athletes always prevailed. So in the end, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all, for your continued support of Portledge Athletics.
How Did Things End Up for the Varsity Soccer Teams?
Going back to one of my title words, amazing, is appropriate when describing the achievements of our Varsity Soccer programs. For the second year in a row both the Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams were selected to participate in the NYSAISAA Championship Tournaments. Last year, along with the Riverdale Country School, we were one of only two schools to warrant this distinction. This year, however, only Portledge qualified both its girls and boys for these prestigious competitions. The fact that many of the school's in the running for these coveted spots are twice, and in some cases three times the size of Portledge, makes this accomplishment even that much more amazing. While our sides were eliminated in the quarterfinals of both tournaments, and we continue to search and desire our first ever semifinal berth, one cannot help but be amazed at the consistency and overall quality of Portledge Soccer. It is something our school and community can be proud of and continue to buil;d around in the future. A few individual accomplishments deserve special recognition. Senior captains Aaron Lee and Trevor Wolfson were both named All League for their tremendous play an incredible leadership. In addition, Trevor Wolfson was selected by the IPPSAL Boys Soccer coaches as Player of the Year in IPPSAL Boys Soccer. On the girls side of things, Junior Claudia Rogers and Senior Alex Siwiec were chosen by the coaches of the PSAA Girls Soccer League as All League players. A well deserved congratulations goes out to all the coaches and players of the Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer teams for this incredible season.
Was the Varsity Girls Tennis Team Able to Regain the IPPSAL Girls Tennis Championship?
A great amount of respect for all their hard work stands behind the resounding answer of YES to that question. Under the cool and calm guidance of Head Coach Henry Stay the Portledge Girls Tennis team returned to the top spot in IPPSAL Girls Tennis. The final match was a very competitive battle with our cross town rival Long Island Lutheran that ended with a individual match score of four wins to one loss in Portledge's favor. This makes six championships in the last seven years and a totally awesome record of thirteen total championships for Portledge's most historically successful program. Special congratulations goes out to Senior captain Siena Falino who as the PANTHER'S #1 player received the IPPSAL Player of the Year Award. Way to go girls...now let's make it seven out of eight.
How Did the Cross Country Team Do in the IPPSAL and PSAA Championships?
The development of the Varsity Cross Country team at Portledge School is directly tied to the enthusiasm and dedication of our incredible Head Coach, Dr. David Sarles. Under his steady and compassionate hand the Portledge runners are quickly developing into a force on the metropolitan independent school running scene. Freshman Isabella Muratore and Sophomore Millie Stallings have emerged as excellent harriers, while the boys have been paced by the strong efforts of Junior Alan Phipps. In addition to these exceptional athletes a slew of improving runners is ready to take on all comers over the cross country courses of the metropolitan area. While there were no "totally awesome" finishes at the championship meets, the Portledge team put forth some surprisingly consistent performances to place within the top three IPPSAL schools and in the top ten of the more numerous and more competitive PSAA schools. These are great signs for next year as 90% of the Portledge runners will return to race again!
Does Portledge Have Junior Varsity Soccer Teams, and If So, How Did They Do?
I have to admit that the JV Girls and Boys Soccer teams did not get as much attention in the blog this fall as they deserved. Sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day to chronicle all the athletic happenings here at Portledge on a regular basis. That being said, I sure try my best! The interesting thing is that Portledge alums would not even know about the existence of JV teams here at Portledge. They are relatively new, heck the Varsity Girls team is only six years old, and they are still really in the developmental stage. Regardless, I saw many a JV game this fall, including the historic first ever win for the JV Girls program, and the quality of the play and the great spirit of the athletes was amazing. Many of these players will eventually be filling our Varsity sides and doing so with incredible skill and "totally awesome" enthusiasm. Having coached high school sports for twenty years, that bus ride back from the JV Girls win over Chapin was one of the best I've ever been on. It was full of joy and recognition of a great team effort that all the girls were proud off. Many of these same feelings were present when the JV Boys team cam back to defeat the JV side of Columbia Prep after having been beaten earlier in the year. These type of accomplishments, as well as the day to day commitment and sacrifice necessary to be part of a team, fuel the development of our student athletes as overall and complete individuals in our society.
In conclusion, I would like to throw out a special thanks to all the coaches who worked so hard in the Upper School athletic program this fall. We certainly couldn't have all these great stories without your contributions. Well I'm off to watch the Varsity Boys Hockey team take on Rye Country Day, but I will be back to blogging later this weekend and will post a full recap of Middle School Fall Sports soon. All for now....and everyone enjoy their TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!
How Did Things End Up for the Varsity Soccer Teams?
Going back to one of my title words, amazing, is appropriate when describing the achievements of our Varsity Soccer programs. For the second year in a row both the Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams were selected to participate in the NYSAISAA Championship Tournaments. Last year, along with the Riverdale Country School, we were one of only two schools to warrant this distinction. This year, however, only Portledge qualified both its girls and boys for these prestigious competitions. The fact that many of the school's in the running for these coveted spots are twice, and in some cases three times the size of Portledge, makes this accomplishment even that much more amazing. While our sides were eliminated in the quarterfinals of both tournaments, and we continue to search and desire our first ever semifinal berth, one cannot help but be amazed at the consistency and overall quality of Portledge Soccer. It is something our school and community can be proud of and continue to buil;d around in the future. A few individual accomplishments deserve special recognition. Senior captains Aaron Lee and Trevor Wolfson were both named All League for their tremendous play an incredible leadership. In addition, Trevor Wolfson was selected by the IPPSAL Boys Soccer coaches as Player of the Year in IPPSAL Boys Soccer. On the girls side of things, Junior Claudia Rogers and Senior Alex Siwiec were chosen by the coaches of the PSAA Girls Soccer League as All League players. A well deserved congratulations goes out to all the coaches and players of the Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer teams for this incredible season.
Was the Varsity Girls Tennis Team Able to Regain the IPPSAL Girls Tennis Championship?
A great amount of respect for all their hard work stands behind the resounding answer of YES to that question. Under the cool and calm guidance of Head Coach Henry Stay the Portledge Girls Tennis team returned to the top spot in IPPSAL Girls Tennis. The final match was a very competitive battle with our cross town rival Long Island Lutheran that ended with a individual match score of four wins to one loss in Portledge's favor. This makes six championships in the last seven years and a totally awesome record of thirteen total championships for Portledge's most historically successful program. Special congratulations goes out to Senior captain Siena Falino who as the PANTHER'S #1 player received the IPPSAL Player of the Year Award. Way to go girls...now let's make it seven out of eight.
How Did the Cross Country Team Do in the IPPSAL and PSAA Championships?
The development of the Varsity Cross Country team at Portledge School is directly tied to the enthusiasm and dedication of our incredible Head Coach, Dr. David Sarles. Under his steady and compassionate hand the Portledge runners are quickly developing into a force on the metropolitan independent school running scene. Freshman Isabella Muratore and Sophomore Millie Stallings have emerged as excellent harriers, while the boys have been paced by the strong efforts of Junior Alan Phipps. In addition to these exceptional athletes a slew of improving runners is ready to take on all comers over the cross country courses of the metropolitan area. While there were no "totally awesome" finishes at the championship meets, the Portledge team put forth some surprisingly consistent performances to place within the top three IPPSAL schools and in the top ten of the more numerous and more competitive PSAA schools. These are great signs for next year as 90% of the Portledge runners will return to race again!
Does Portledge Have Junior Varsity Soccer Teams, and If So, How Did They Do?
I have to admit that the JV Girls and Boys Soccer teams did not get as much attention in the blog this fall as they deserved. Sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day to chronicle all the athletic happenings here at Portledge on a regular basis. That being said, I sure try my best! The interesting thing is that Portledge alums would not even know about the existence of JV teams here at Portledge. They are relatively new, heck the Varsity Girls team is only six years old, and they are still really in the developmental stage. Regardless, I saw many a JV game this fall, including the historic first ever win for the JV Girls program, and the quality of the play and the great spirit of the athletes was amazing. Many of these players will eventually be filling our Varsity sides and doing so with incredible skill and "totally awesome" enthusiasm. Having coached high school sports for twenty years, that bus ride back from the JV Girls win over Chapin was one of the best I've ever been on. It was full of joy and recognition of a great team effort that all the girls were proud off. Many of these same feelings were present when the JV Boys team cam back to defeat the JV side of Columbia Prep after having been beaten earlier in the year. These type of accomplishments, as well as the day to day commitment and sacrifice necessary to be part of a team, fuel the development of our student athletes as overall and complete individuals in our society.
In conclusion, I would like to throw out a special thanks to all the coaches who worked so hard in the Upper School athletic program this fall. We certainly couldn't have all these great stories without your contributions. Well I'm off to watch the Varsity Boys Hockey team take on Rye Country Day, but I will be back to blogging later this weekend and will post a full recap of Middle School Fall Sports soon. All for now....and everyone enjoy their TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Future and Missed Opportunities/ Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer Teams Prepare for NYSAISAA Tournaments Following Bitter Playoff Defeats
Even though both sides endured tough loses in their league playoffs, with the Varsity Girls team falling to Berkeley Carroll by a score of 1-0 in OT in a PSAA Girls Soccer semi final and the Boys coming up short by 2-1 score in the IPPSAL Division I Boys Soccer Championship Game, the supporters of Portledge soccer can take great pride in threi program because for the second year in a row both the Portledge Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer teams have been selected to participate in the NYSAISAA Girls and Boys Soccer Tournaments. Over forty independent schools from across New York state apply for participation in these prestigious competitions, and every year most schools are dissappointed at not being selected. Each of these Independent School State Championship Tournaments is comprised of only eight schools and the selection process is a complex one that takes into account overall wins and losses, head to head competition, as well as strength of schedule and closing season form. Much like the selection of teams for the NCAA March Madness Mens Basketball Tournament there are always schools that are on the bubble and are upset at not being included. Last year only Portledge and the Riverdale Country School, a longtime soccer powerhouse from the Bronx, had both their girls and boys teams selected to participate, and this year only Portledge can claim this amazing distinction. The Lady Panthers, seeded 7th for the second year in a row, face this year's PSAA regular season and tournament champion Staten Island Academy, seeded 2nd overall, in a quarter final match on Thursday, Nov 5th. The game will be played at the College of Staten Island and kickoff will be 2:45. The Portledge Varsity Boys team, seeded an impressive 4th in the their draw, will be at home in a quarterfinal match up with the Dalton School of NYC. This game will also be on Thursday, Nov 5th and likewise kickoff will be at 2:45. A heartfelt congratulations goes out to all the Varsity Girls and Boys Soccer players at Portledge. I know how much both teams wanted to be league champions this fall, but unfortunately, and because of tremendous play by their opponents, Berkeley Carroll and the Waldorf School of Garden City, respectively, it was not to be. Maybe the fall of 2009 will see our Panthers and Lady Panthers bring home dual league championships. In the meantime, however, we must all celebrate the achievement of our NYSAISAA selections and support our incredible sides as they both, once again, try to accomplish something no Portlege soccer team ever has...Making a semi final appearence at the State level. Good luck to Head Coaches Coope and Coleman, Assistant Coaches Luken and Meyers, and all the players as they go on to represent Portledge with such class and sportsmanship.
The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same/ Varsity Girls Tennis Reclaims IPPSAL Championship
Last fall, for the first time since the 01-02 school year, the Portledge Varsity Girls Tennis team did not win the IPPSAL Girls Tennis Championship. The school's five year hold on the IPPSAL trophy came to an end at the hands of Long Island Lutheran in a hard fought match that ended in LuHi's favor by an individual match score of 3-2. Even though the 07 season was considered to be a rebuilding year after the graduation of six long time Varsity players, including the amazing trio of Alyssa Ruiz, Skylar Kono and Alexa DePasquale, the loss still stung and the returning players vowed to return to the Championship match and then hang yet another IPPSAL Championship Banner in the Wellington Gym. Knowing that almost all of the team was returning, and having tremendous confidence in the coaching ability of Mr. Henry Stay, Portledge's resident teaching professional, the Athletic Dep't cleared some space on the Wellington Gym wall for that potential banner to reside. Well, that proved to be excellent foresight as the Lady Panther Raqueteers powered their way through the IPPSAL regular season with an undefeated mark, then set the stage for a showdown in the IPPSAL Championship with cross town rival Long Island Lutheran by winning two impressive non league contests against NYC Girls Tennis powerhouse The Dwight School
What Happened in the Championship Match?
The Portledge and LuHi Varsity Girls Tennis teams both have several excellent singles players, so both coaches had to chose the position of their players wisely. Portledge coach, Henry Stay, selected his most veteran player, Senior Sienna Falino (2008 IPPSAL Player of the Year), to lead the way in the #1 singles spot. Junior Elizabeth Girgenti would play #2 with Freshman Lisa Dourmashkin occupying the #3 spot. One of the teams most consistent players, Junior Robyn Worrall, would team with 8th grade rookie Lianna Starrantino as the #! doubles team, while Junior Steph Hegarty and 9th grader Rachael Scheinmann made up the #2 doubles combo. Stay proved to have the magic touch as the Lady Panthers stroked their way to a dominating victory, winning four of the five individual matches. Only Falino lost, and that was in a heated match that went to a tie breaker. Congratulations to Coach Stay and all the girls on bringing Portledge its record 13th Championship in Varsity Girls Tennis, and on reaching this achievement with great class and sportsmanship along the way.
What Happened in the Championship Match?
The Portledge and LuHi Varsity Girls Tennis teams both have several excellent singles players, so both coaches had to chose the position of their players wisely. Portledge coach, Henry Stay, selected his most veteran player, Senior Sienna Falino (2008 IPPSAL Player of the Year), to lead the way in the #1 singles spot. Junior Elizabeth Girgenti would play #2 with Freshman Lisa Dourmashkin occupying the #3 spot. One of the teams most consistent players, Junior Robyn Worrall, would team with 8th grade rookie Lianna Starrantino as the #! doubles team, while Junior Steph Hegarty and 9th grader Rachael Scheinmann made up the #2 doubles combo. Stay proved to have the magic touch as the Lady Panthers stroked their way to a dominating victory, winning four of the five individual matches. Only Falino lost, and that was in a heated match that went to a tie breaker. Congratulations to Coach Stay and all the girls on bringing Portledge its record 13th Championship in Varsity Girls Tennis, and on reaching this achievement with great class and sportsmanship along the way.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
It Was A Long Time In Coming/ Varsity Boys Soccer Wins Portledge Tournament for the First Time This Century
Yes... it was October, 1996 the last time the Portledge Varsity Boys Soccer team won its own Invitational Soccer Tournament. This dry spell is more about the level of competition Portledge invites to this annual fall celebration of boys prep soccer than any type of ineptitude by the Boys Soccer program. One of only two losses suffered by the 2003 IPPSAL Championship team came at the hands of Packer Collegiate in the final of the Portledge Tournament. Other recent winners of the Invitational have been Fieldston from the prestigious Ivy League, St Ann's from the tough ACIS, Rye Country Day who competes in the excellent New England Dvivsion II League, and of course Packer Collegiate, a perennial NYSAISAA Tournament qualifier that has won four of the last five Portledge Tournaments. Thus, it was with tempered optimism that the Portledge side entered this year's edition of what is possibly the best non post season independent school soccer tournament in the metropolitan area.
Everyone who was there knew that this contest between regular season champs was going to be a real battle. Packer Collegiate, representing the ACIS and still smarting a bit from last year's semi final upset, and Portledge, representing the sometimes overlooked IPPSAL group of schools, were both ready to lay it all on the line. The pace of the game and the level of play certainly did not disappoint as both sides went at each other with a measured ferocity and a skillfull display of passing. Back and forth the early play went until the Packer side started to really pressure the Portledge goal chance after chance. To its credit the Portledge defense, playing without Senior captain Mike McCloskey and with a resolute Daniel Leask in net, turned back wave after wave of Packer attacks. At the half the sides remained even in a scoreless draw. The start of the second half looked a lot like the first as the Packer side put great pressure on the Portledge defense, but then the first of an exciting series of events took place. A Portledge attack down the left side resulted in a throw in that was taken by Senior striker Trevor Wolfson. Wolfson sent one of his patented long throws towards the Packer goal and Junioor midfielder Mark Dourmashkin was there to head it past the Packer keeper and into the open net. Surely the only way for Portledge to win the game was to hold onto this 1-0 lead. Ahhh, but soccer is a strange game that can change in an instant. Things began to look bad for the Panthers when a beautiful Packer passing play forced the Portledge defense to take down the open Packer striker in the penalty area. Packer's #10 then calmly sent the PK into the back of the ol' onion bag and a feeling of dread came over the Portledge faithful. Surely the Panthers wouldn't be able to withstand the coming onslaught. Ahhh, but soccer is a strange game that can change in an instant, and that is just what happened this amazing afternoon on Sawyer Field. Senior Trevor Wolfson got hold of a loose ball in midfield and whirled towards his favorite right flank. Like a flash down the sideline he went past one Packer defender then another. All of a sudden, Wolfson cut the ball back to his left foot and sent a well placed shot towards the far side of the Packer net. When the side of the net bulged back, the Portledge supporters went wild in celebration. Moments later the final whistle blew and the Panthers were headed back to the final for the second year in a row. THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND WAS, "this time could they get done".
The air was heavy with the approach of a significant storm front as the Panthers took the field against the powder blue clad side from Columbia Prep. The team from the Upper West Side of NYC was eager to pay back the Panthers for a loss here at Sawyer Field earlier in the season. Unfortunately for the Lions of Columbia Prep there would be no revenge this day. First half goals by Wolfson and Sophomore Chris McCloskey pushed the Panthers to a 2-0 half time lead, and when Wolfson added another at the start of the second period the game was all but over. Sophomore Nic Leask and Senior Paul Maalouf added uneeded insurance goals to establish the final 5-0 score line. Congratulations to Coach Coleman and all the players on a great weekend of soccer. Now that you have a Portledge Tournament Plaque, let's go out and get an IPPSAL Championship Banner!!!!!!!!!!
Portledge will take on Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the IPPSAL Boys Soccer Semi Finals here at Portledge on Wednesday, October 29th (3:00pm).
Everyone who was there knew that this contest between regular season champs was going to be a real battle. Packer Collegiate, representing the ACIS and still smarting a bit from last year's semi final upset, and Portledge, representing the sometimes overlooked IPPSAL group of schools, were both ready to lay it all on the line. The pace of the game and the level of play certainly did not disappoint as both sides went at each other with a measured ferocity and a skillfull display of passing. Back and forth the early play went until the Packer side started to really pressure the Portledge goal chance after chance. To its credit the Portledge defense, playing without Senior captain Mike McCloskey and with a resolute Daniel Leask in net, turned back wave after wave of Packer attacks. At the half the sides remained even in a scoreless draw. The start of the second half looked a lot like the first as the Packer side put great pressure on the Portledge defense, but then the first of an exciting series of events took place. A Portledge attack down the left side resulted in a throw in that was taken by Senior striker Trevor Wolfson. Wolfson sent one of his patented long throws towards the Packer goal and Junioor midfielder Mark Dourmashkin was there to head it past the Packer keeper and into the open net. Surely the only way for Portledge to win the game was to hold onto this 1-0 lead. Ahhh, but soccer is a strange game that can change in an instant. Things began to look bad for the Panthers when a beautiful Packer passing play forced the Portledge defense to take down the open Packer striker in the penalty area. Packer's #10 then calmly sent the PK into the back of the ol' onion bag and a feeling of dread came over the Portledge faithful. Surely the Panthers wouldn't be able to withstand the coming onslaught. Ahhh, but soccer is a strange game that can change in an instant, and that is just what happened this amazing afternoon on Sawyer Field. Senior Trevor Wolfson got hold of a loose ball in midfield and whirled towards his favorite right flank. Like a flash down the sideline he went past one Packer defender then another. All of a sudden, Wolfson cut the ball back to his left foot and sent a well placed shot towards the far side of the Packer net. When the side of the net bulged back, the Portledge supporters went wild in celebration. Moments later the final whistle blew and the Panthers were headed back to the final for the second year in a row. THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND WAS, "this time could they get done".
The air was heavy with the approach of a significant storm front as the Panthers took the field against the powder blue clad side from Columbia Prep. The team from the Upper West Side of NYC was eager to pay back the Panthers for a loss here at Sawyer Field earlier in the season. Unfortunately for the Lions of Columbia Prep there would be no revenge this day. First half goals by Wolfson and Sophomore Chris McCloskey pushed the Panthers to a 2-0 half time lead, and when Wolfson added another at the start of the second period the game was all but over. Sophomore Nic Leask and Senior Paul Maalouf added uneeded insurance goals to establish the final 5-0 score line. Congratulations to Coach Coleman and all the players on a great weekend of soccer. Now that you have a Portledge Tournament Plaque, let's go out and get an IPPSAL Championship Banner!!!!!!!!!!
Portledge will take on Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the IPPSAL Boys Soccer Semi Finals here at Portledge on Wednesday, October 29th (3:00pm).
Freshman Muratore Finishes First Among Female Runners for a Third Time This Season as Portledge X- Country Prepares for IPPSAL & PSAA Championships
Like a gazelle bursting out of some wooded cover, Portledge Freshman Cross Country runner Isabella Muratore has lept onto the stage of metropolitan area independent school running. Muratore has finished first among female runners in three of four IPPSAL meets this season. Her cool and calm demeanor serve to hide what is seemingly a real desire to compete and thrive on the cross country trails. It will be very interesting to see how Isabella fares when she lines up with girls from about thirty different schools in the PSAA Championships on November 5th at Van Cortleand Park in the Bronx. It is the first time Muratore will be running in what will be a strictly female race, as the girls will have a separate start from the boys at this prestigious meet. Before that race though, Portledge will try to better their 3rd place team finishes throughout the season at the IPPSAL Team and Individual Championships on the grass course at Eisenhower Park this coming Tuesday at 4:00pm.
Other Portledge runners who have had impressive seasons are Millie Stallings and Alan Phipps. Sophmore Stallings has consistently been among the top five female finishers at IPPSAL meets and has a 2nd and a 3rd place on her resume for this season. Sophmore Alan Phipps finished in 10th and 18th place, respectively, in the last two IPPSAL meets, and will certainly be looking for a top ten fnish in the Championship Run at Eisenhower. Good luck to the entire cross country team as they head into these two big meets.
Other Portledge runners who have had impressive seasons are Millie Stallings and Alan Phipps. Sophmore Stallings has consistently been among the top five female finishers at IPPSAL meets and has a 2nd and a 3rd place on her resume for this season. Sophmore Alan Phipps finished in 10th and 18th place, respectively, in the last two IPPSAL meets, and will certainly be looking for a top ten fnish in the Championship Run at Eisenhower. Good luck to the entire cross country team as they head into these two big meets.
Tough One to Swallow/ Varsity Girls Soundly Beaten at Home by Staten Island Academy
Some losses hurt a bit more tham others. This one was a real stinger. The Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer team went into this mid week match up with Staten Island Acaemy coming off of a great win at LWA and looking to secure a home game in the PSAA Varsity Girls Soccer playoffs for the first time since 2005. Unfortnately, nothing seemed to go the Lady Panthers way in this one as they eventually fell to the SIA girls by a score of 4-1. It was a funny game as Portledge dominated the early play but could not find the back of the ol' onion bag. Sophmore forwards Alex Devivo and Marian Juste both had excellent chances, each just missing open corners of the net. Then, a questionable penalty call against Portledge in their own box led to a successful SIA penalty kick and the Portledge girls found themselves down 1-0, even though they had controlled much off the possession. A second SIA goal just before the half really took the wind out of the Lady Panther sails though, as the girls seemed a bit lifeless as they took the field for the second half. Things got worse before they got better as SIA converted on two dead ball situations to make the score an insurmountable 4-0 with just about 25 minutes remaining. To their credit the Portledge girls did not give up though and when Junior Monique Kelly slipped around the SIA defense and goalie to deposit one in the SIA net anything seemed possible. The comeback was not to be though as the SIA girls regained their composure and killed off the remaining time with some impressive passing and team defense.
Now it is the Lady Panthers who must regroup. The result of the SIA game means that Portledge finishes 3rd in regular season PSAA Varsity Girls Soccer play, and while this does come with a fourth playoff apearance in the last five years, it will be on the road against Berkeley Carroll at the Prade Grounds in Brooklyn (Tuesday, October 28th @ 3:45). The Portledge girls have lost four straight there, and only Senior captain Alex Siwiec has ever walked off the Parade Ground fields a winner. Ironicaly, that 2-1 win came in an PSAA semi final game just like this game will be. Hopefully, captain Siwiec can lead her Lady Panther team mates to an upset over the BC team. That would be yet another great accomplishment in what has been an amazing soccer career here at Portledge by the eloquent senior midfielder. Win or lose on Tuesday, one cannot argue against the fact that Alex Siwiec is the most influential player in the history of Varsity Girls Soccer at Portledge. Her combination of speed, grace and power truly make her a joy to watch. So come on #10, take us on one more great play off ride as you play your last games with the Portledge crest over your heart.
Now it is the Lady Panthers who must regroup. The result of the SIA game means that Portledge finishes 3rd in regular season PSAA Varsity Girls Soccer play, and while this does come with a fourth playoff apearance in the last five years, it will be on the road against Berkeley Carroll at the Prade Grounds in Brooklyn (Tuesday, October 28th @ 3:45). The Portledge girls have lost four straight there, and only Senior captain Alex Siwiec has ever walked off the Parade Ground fields a winner. Ironicaly, that 2-1 win came in an PSAA semi final game just like this game will be. Hopefully, captain Siwiec can lead her Lady Panther team mates to an upset over the BC team. That would be yet another great accomplishment in what has been an amazing soccer career here at Portledge by the eloquent senior midfielder. Win or lose on Tuesday, one cannot argue against the fact that Alex Siwiec is the most influential player in the history of Varsity Girls Soccer at Portledge. Her combination of speed, grace and power truly make her a joy to watch. So come on #10, take us on one more great play off ride as you play your last games with the Portledge crest over your heart.
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