The Varsity Boys Ice Hockey teams will play somewhere around 23 games this year, and except for 7 games played at Beaver Dam, they will all be on the road. This extensive amount of travel and lack of "home cooking" has become a tradition of Portledge Hockey and something that makes it unique. The Portledge squads even seem to relish their roles as "road dogs", as they travel from school to school thinking of nothing but ruining the home team's night. There is just something about going into a hostile environment and coming out with a win that makes it all that much more special. If anything, the amount of road games the Panthers play make them a tougher and more focused unit. Both the historic, and recent, success of the Boys Ice Hockey Program bares this out.
The Portledge Varsity Boys team currently stands on a record of 9 wins and 2 losses, with one of those losses coming in overtime against a very highly ranked Junior team from New England. The Panthers are coming off of an impressive 5-2 victory over the Lawrenceville School (see the team page @ portledge.org for a recap) and plays an up tempo style of hockey committing two forwards to a high pressure forecheck that usually rattles the opposition and forces many turn- overs. To use this system a team must have strong skaters from top to bottom and be willing to play the game on the edge. This is exactly the type of team that Portledge coaches Coope and Sandos have put together. The Panthers feature two equally adept scoring lines centered by Juniors Tom Parisi and Yuri Benyamini, respectively. They also have an incredbly stout defense anchored by Juniors Pat Condon & Ron Fishman and supported by Sophomore Matt Sullivan & Junior Ryan Gottfried. The last thing that has separated the Portledge team from their oppenents has been the stellar goaltending of Senior/Captain Sal Magliocco. Mags has been incredible game in and game out, and always gives his team mates a chance to win the game. One thing that could really help the Panthers as they go down their final stretch of games towards the Empire Cup would be the healthy return of Senior Defensemen / Captain David Wilson. Wilson, who has been out of the line up since opening night with a badly separated shoulder, hits hard and has a nice set of hands, just like his grandfather the famous American amatuer Peter Bostwick. It would be tough to imagine the team without Captain Dave's presence at the Empire Cup Tournament in late February. So let's all hope for a sound recovery! Now let's see....with either 11 or 12 games remaining, depending on Empire Cup results, a 15 win season looks probable, and even the magic 20 win mark is not out of the question. The Panthers will play home games at Beaver Dam on Monday nights throughout the month of February, so check their schedule, and come on down to see the #1 ranked secondary school in New York State play some awesome puck.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Checking the Hardwood Compass / Where We Are with the Varsity Basketball Teams
As we take a short break this week for mid year exams it is a stark realization that we are two thirds of the way through the winter sports season. There are still all sorts of great games to be played, so no one is down in the dumps yet, but we are closer to the end than the start. The question I hear a lot is Hey Hills - How we doin? Well the answer to that is... pretty darn well. Let's take a quick look in on the Varsity Basketball teams shall we. The Portledge Varsity Girls Basketball team has an overall record of 10 wins and 3 losses and the Lady Panthers are 8 and 1 in IPPSAL play. They are well positioned to earn a home playoff game in the IPPSAL semi finals and have certainly shown themselves to be a legitimate threat to win the IPPSAL championship. The girls had a bit of a stumble against OSNA last week here at Wellington Gym, but they will have the opportunity to avenge that loss during the stretch run of the regular season in February. There is also a strong chance that the Portledge and OSNA will come up against each other somewhere in the playoffs. If the future meetings are anything like the first tussle, we are all in for some great hoops. The squad continues to be led by an exceptional group of seniors that include Monique Kelly at point guard and Akanksha Trivedi at center. While these two are the focus of the offense, maybe the most important aspect of the team is the defensive play of Senior forward/guard Claudia Rogers. When Claudia is getting steals and helping to generate fast breaks, the Lady Panthers get a lot of easy baskets. Also critical at the defensive end is the rebounding and all around fine play of Senior Marian Juste. " Air Juste" as she is sometimes called, really gets up on the glass and her rebounding is a key in the team's success. Senior Robyn Worrall hasn't been shooting as much lately, concentrating instead on keeping the ball moving and getting everyone else involved. Sophomore Alexa Lodenquai has scored some points off the bench and looks to be a key player in the future of Portledge Girls Basketball. The other impressive youngster is Freshman Ceci Mulry, who combines with Trivedi to give Portledge a twin towers effect, or simply takes over the pivot giving Akanksha a chance to catch a breather. The Lady Panthers still have to venture to Lawrence Woodmere and to OSNA, and a victory at at least one of those hostile barns is necessary for a first or second place regular season finish. The girls will take part in a big triple header at home on Saturday, January 30th when they and both the Varsity and JV Boys will host the respective teams from Evangel Christian, in what should be a fun day of basketball here at Wellington Gym. Please also note that we will host a special Senior Night when the Varsity Boys and Girls take on Lexington and Waldorf , respectively, on Monday, May 1st. The Boys team will play first v. Lexington @ 4:00pm, and the Girls will have the night cap when they take on Waldorf @ 5:30.
Moving on to Varsity Boys Basketball - we see a team right at the crossroads of its season. The Panthers overall record is 7 wins and 7 losses, and they are 4 up and 4 down in IPPSAL play. In league games remaining, they have a winnable away match at Knox followed by tough home games versus Lexington and Lake Grove, before finishing their regular season at Waldorf in a game that will be a featured broadcast on the MSG Varsity channel. To be assured of a spot in the IPPSAL playoffs the Panthers will need to make sure of things at Knox, and then go on to win at least two of their final three league games, if not all three, depending on other school's results. Each contest will be vital to the teams chances for post season play, but the home game with Lake Grove will probably be the most critical result of the season. Senior Ban Shapiro has been a dominant player in the paint for Portledge. He has scored over twenty points several times and has given the team a real presence down low. Senior swingmen Christian Sbarro and Mark Dourmashkin have traded off leading from the outside, but I think for the Panthers to really make a move down the stretch, the squad will need both of these talented players to get hot at the same time. The plot is set....now this interesting group of players must finish the script. I don't know about you all, but I like the finish to Hoosiers.
Come on down to Wellington Gym and catch a game as this exciting season of Portledge Basketball plays itself out!!
Moving on to Varsity Boys Basketball - we see a team right at the crossroads of its season. The Panthers overall record is 7 wins and 7 losses, and they are 4 up and 4 down in IPPSAL play. In league games remaining, they have a winnable away match at Knox followed by tough home games versus Lexington and Lake Grove, before finishing their regular season at Waldorf in a game that will be a featured broadcast on the MSG Varsity channel. To be assured of a spot in the IPPSAL playoffs the Panthers will need to make sure of things at Knox, and then go on to win at least two of their final three league games, if not all three, depending on other school's results. Each contest will be vital to the teams chances for post season play, but the home game with Lake Grove will probably be the most critical result of the season. Senior Ban Shapiro has been a dominant player in the paint for Portledge. He has scored over twenty points several times and has given the team a real presence down low. Senior swingmen Christian Sbarro and Mark Dourmashkin have traded off leading from the outside, but I think for the Panthers to really make a move down the stretch, the squad will need both of these talented players to get hot at the same time. The plot is set....now this interesting group of players must finish the script. I don't know about you all, but I like the finish to Hoosiers.
Come on down to Wellington Gym and catch a game as this exciting season of Portledge Basketball plays itself out!!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Boutique Sports Continue to Thrive at Portledge
I call Squash and Fencing "Boutique Sports" because they are hard to find. Many schools do not have these offerings, and even when they are offered they are relegated to out of the way places not on the usual path of winter sports fans. This is pretty much the case at Portledge as the Fencing Program is tucked away in the Lower School gym where it has to do battle with the Lower School Holiday play and other events just to get some solid practice time. The fencers don't complain though, they just go about there business and perform. In 1999 our Lady Fencers won the ISFL Championship and several of those girls went on to have very good college fencing careers. During the last decade Naomi Johnson, daughter of long time Varsity Coach Eric Johnson, dominated the ISFL Individual bouts, and just recently an Epee squad led by Nick Hagedorn '09 and Alan Phipps '10 has steadily climbed the ISFL ladder and is in position this year to possibly win the school's second ISFL Championship. So good luck to Alan, Niko, Ryan and all the other epee fencers as they move on into the meat of their schedule.
In terms of squash, the sport had been growing at Portledge over the last eight years and we are starting to see the kind of development that marks real progress. This spring Portledge will be graduating its first college bound squash player as Chris Gerry moves on up to Amherst College with every intention to be part of the squash program there. Chris met with the coach during his visit and knows some of the players on the team from his matches here at Portledge over the years. This is ceratinly a significant moment for the development of the sport at our school and a lot of credit should go to Mr. Shane Capuccio who has done a great job of running the program since taking it over last winter.
Both programs are fully enrolled and we look for their continued development during the next decade. We hope to see all the Portledge faithful out supporting our winter teams as a big January of competition opens up next week. Check the website for game schedules and we'll see you at the games!!
In terms of squash, the sport had been growing at Portledge over the last eight years and we are starting to see the kind of development that marks real progress. This spring Portledge will be graduating its first college bound squash player as Chris Gerry moves on up to Amherst College with every intention to be part of the squash program there. Chris met with the coach during his visit and knows some of the players on the team from his matches here at Portledge over the years. This is ceratinly a significant moment for the development of the sport at our school and a lot of credit should go to Mr. Shane Capuccio who has done a great job of running the program since taking it over last winter.
Both programs are fully enrolled and we look for their continued development during the next decade. We hope to see all the Portledge faithful out supporting our winter teams as a big January of competition opens up next week. Check the website for game schedules and we'll see you at the games!!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Hockey Sticks and Holiday Dinners
After my last blog posting there was a comment from longtime Portledge Hockey friend, Neil Bliss. Evidently Neil had been reading the preview of this year's Varsity Ice Hockey teams while he was watching a professional game. Low and behold two Portledge alums, Doug Murray '99 and Eric Nystrom '01 were both playing in the game. Neil's comment was that he couldn't believe that he was seeing former Portledge players in the NHL. When you really think about it, however, it makes perfect sense because these two individuals were part of some very important Portledge traditions. Things that have gone on since the school's early days, and are still happening today. An obvious tradition that both were part of is Ice Hockey. We have been playing Varsity Ice Hockey at Portledge School for almost a half century and I have mentioned many times all the great players that have been part of this tradition. Certainly Doug and Eric are included in this group. The thing about a tradition though, is that it goes on and on in perpetuity, meandering through strong showings and some meeker ones. Sometimes the meeker showings might actually be the most important, because of the effort it took just to keep the tradition going that year. This can be true of hockey programs, as well as family celebrations
I am blessed to be part of a great family that cares very deeply for one another. Some years we have had a small table at holiday time because people were living in other parts of the country or were traveling to see other friends & family, and sometimes we have had very large and boisterous tables where the conversations were so plentiful you could always find something to listen to and comment on. Many times the table was so large because we had included friends who were visiting, or we had extended an invitation to someone who didn't have anywhere to celebrate that year. Regardless of their size of the table, however, is the warmth, inclusiveness and dedication that those who participate always bring to the tradition .
Just as break started I traveled north to Boston to watch the Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team compete in the 39th Annual William E. Barber Tournament held at the St. Mark's and Middlesex Schools. To people at those schools this tournament is an important tradition and I was very proud that Portledge was being included this year. Free from the focus of being behind the bench I was able to mingle in the crowd of Portledge parents, and the parents and friends of our opponents, and see just how special everyone felt to be there. Just like the size of the holiday table, the strength of the Portlege Ice Hockey program has been evident at times and yet not so apparent at others. In some ways this is an inevitable cycle at small independent schools like ours, but at this time, during this celebration of ice hockey tradition in Boston, Portledge Hockey was not only alive and well, but dominating the competition in a way that would bring great pride to our community. We skated fast, moved the puck beautifully, played with tremendous support for each other and displayed outstanding overall sportsmanship. Every player who took the ice contributed to the whole, and those that did not get a chance to play were there with tremendous spirit every step of the way. The heartbreaking 7-6 overtime loss in the Championship game was not really a loss as much as it was a vital celebration of tradition because more important than who won or lost was that it added another great chapter to the ongoing story of this wonderful tournament and to the tradition of Portledge Ice Hockey.
Meanwhile, there was a storm brewing, which would eventually force myself and the Varsity Boys team to stop in Danbury, Conn for the night. This turned out great as I was able to go to the Canterbury School the next day and see the Portledge Varsity Girls team play for third place at the Mike Oronato Holiday Classic. This tournament is named after a beloved member of the Canterbury School community Michael Kevin "Mo" Oronato who passed away in 2007. Thus, I found myself right in the middle of a new tradition that was just taking shape, and one that the people at Canterbury School were giving great respect and pride. Once again I realized how our tradition of playing this incredible game was bringing us in contact with a whole new group of people and how the desire of people to include others was creating a great experience for these Portledge athletes.
As I was driving home my mind wandered through many subjects - one of them was Neil Bliss' comment about how incredible it was that these two former Portledge players were playing in the NHL. My thoughts turned particularly to Doug Murray who came to Portledge from Sweden for his Junior and Senior year. Doug wanted to go to college in America, but at that time he couldn't speak English too well, and was unknown to American college coaches. The Portledge community embraced Doug in a very inclusive way. Students spent time tutoring him in many subjects and helping him understand the language. When Doug's parents and siblings came to visit during the Holiday Break of his Senior year, I remember they commented about how much Doug felt a part of the Portledge community, and how good they felt about him being here. Portledge certainly played a big part in Doug's life as he was accepted to Cornell University, where he went on to captain the Men's Ice Hockey team.
Thus, there was a certain symmetry to the whole thing. Inclusiveness and Ice Hockey, two strong traditions at Portledge had both been a part of Doug's experience, and had also been a part of everyone's experience this past weekend . I am indeed happy that our Portledge athletes and coaches could join with all those participating at St. Mark's, Middlesex and Canterbury, also that Mrs. Schwam was smart enough to reserve some rooms in Danbury for us, and finally, that I was able to see so many of my family members and friends at our holiday table this year. I hope everyone has a great Holiday season...Happy New Years to all.... and we'll see you soon.
I am blessed to be part of a great family that cares very deeply for one another. Some years we have had a small table at holiday time because people were living in other parts of the country or were traveling to see other friends & family, and sometimes we have had very large and boisterous tables where the conversations were so plentiful you could always find something to listen to and comment on. Many times the table was so large because we had included friends who were visiting, or we had extended an invitation to someone who didn't have anywhere to celebrate that year. Regardless of their size of the table, however, is the warmth, inclusiveness and dedication that those who participate always bring to the tradition .
Just as break started I traveled north to Boston to watch the Varsity Boys Ice Hockey team compete in the 39th Annual William E. Barber Tournament held at the St. Mark's and Middlesex Schools. To people at those schools this tournament is an important tradition and I was very proud that Portledge was being included this year. Free from the focus of being behind the bench I was able to mingle in the crowd of Portledge parents, and the parents and friends of our opponents, and see just how special everyone felt to be there. Just like the size of the holiday table, the strength of the Portlege Ice Hockey program has been evident at times and yet not so apparent at others. In some ways this is an inevitable cycle at small independent schools like ours, but at this time, during this celebration of ice hockey tradition in Boston, Portledge Hockey was not only alive and well, but dominating the competition in a way that would bring great pride to our community. We skated fast, moved the puck beautifully, played with tremendous support for each other and displayed outstanding overall sportsmanship. Every player who took the ice contributed to the whole, and those that did not get a chance to play were there with tremendous spirit every step of the way. The heartbreaking 7-6 overtime loss in the Championship game was not really a loss as much as it was a vital celebration of tradition because more important than who won or lost was that it added another great chapter to the ongoing story of this wonderful tournament and to the tradition of Portledge Ice Hockey.
Meanwhile, there was a storm brewing, which would eventually force myself and the Varsity Boys team to stop in Danbury, Conn for the night. This turned out great as I was able to go to the Canterbury School the next day and see the Portledge Varsity Girls team play for third place at the Mike Oronato Holiday Classic. This tournament is named after a beloved member of the Canterbury School community Michael Kevin "Mo" Oronato who passed away in 2007. Thus, I found myself right in the middle of a new tradition that was just taking shape, and one that the people at Canterbury School were giving great respect and pride. Once again I realized how our tradition of playing this incredible game was bringing us in contact with a whole new group of people and how the desire of people to include others was creating a great experience for these Portledge athletes.
As I was driving home my mind wandered through many subjects - one of them was Neil Bliss' comment about how incredible it was that these two former Portledge players were playing in the NHL. My thoughts turned particularly to Doug Murray who came to Portledge from Sweden for his Junior and Senior year. Doug wanted to go to college in America, but at that time he couldn't speak English too well, and was unknown to American college coaches. The Portledge community embraced Doug in a very inclusive way. Students spent time tutoring him in many subjects and helping him understand the language. When Doug's parents and siblings came to visit during the Holiday Break of his Senior year, I remember they commented about how much Doug felt a part of the Portledge community, and how good they felt about him being here. Portledge certainly played a big part in Doug's life as he was accepted to Cornell University, where he went on to captain the Men's Ice Hockey team.
Thus, there was a certain symmetry to the whole thing. Inclusiveness and Ice Hockey, two strong traditions at Portledge had both been a part of Doug's experience, and had also been a part of everyone's experience this past weekend . I am indeed happy that our Portledge athletes and coaches could join with all those participating at St. Mark's, Middlesex and Canterbury, also that Mrs. Schwam was smart enough to reserve some rooms in Danbury for us, and finally, that I was able to see so many of my family members and friends at our holiday table this year. I hope everyone has a great Holiday season...Happy New Years to all.... and we'll see you soon.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Expectations Are High / Short Previews of the Varsity Ice Hockey Teams
I guess it's only fair to start with last year's WIHLMA Champions - the Varsity Girls Ice Hockey team. As we enter the AS Era (that's short for After Siena) I can't believe I find myself saying that this year's team has the potential to be just as strong if not a bit stronger than last year's championship squad. With seven key players returning, and the addition of another excellent young defenseman and an exceptional goalie, whose to say another championship isn't in the cards. Coach Schwam will have to meld some beginners into a core of five experienced attackers. Junior Ashley Wade, a gifted offensive player with a knack for scoring big goals, will definitely have to lead the way. Alongside Wade will be Senior Addie Reilly who showed she could get the job done when she led the Lady Panthers to victory over Princeton High last year by scoring four goals in the the only game Captain Siena missed in six years. Junior Ali James will be looked upon to provide a bit more than last year, as she will probably be out there with Wade and Reilly quite a bit. More offensive punch should come from second line that will feature converted defensemen Erin Brand at center and tough Junior winger Maria Robbins. Both of these players were exceptional during last year's championship tournament and have the potential to exploit other teams second units. The sixth forward spot is still up for grabs with strong bids being put in by Junior Sophie Steele (the most improved skater in practice so far) and Sophomores Martine Krown and Alexandra Roll. My guess is that they will all get a chance to be important role players on what will be an improving attack as the season progresses. Also, look for a trio of seventh graders ( Grace Keogh, Sammy Horton, and Madison Weller) to make some appearances in non league games. The presence of these fine young skaters illustrates the development of some depth within the girls ice hockey program.
As we look to the defense we see the real strength of the team in Senior defensemen Chelsea Caracciolo and Emily Prey. These two have been as steady as granite for the Lady Panthers over the last few years and will both see a tremendous amount of ice time. They should also have the green light to rush the puck when the opportunity presents itself, thus giving the team another source of offense. The pair of Seniors will be joined on defense by smooth skating freshman Julie Devlin who is a newcomer to Portledge Hockey. Another new player that will be critical to the development of this team and the future of the program will be Freshman goalie Gabby Pilson. Judging from her play in practice the Lady Panthers have upgraded in goal and that only means trouble for the rest of WIHLMA, as last year's team was already the most stingy defensive squad in the league. Things get going this Monday, Nov 30th when the Lady Panthers host WIHLMA newcomers Rye Country Day in a 5:30 start at Beaver Dam.
After just squeaking above 500% last winter, this year's version of Portledge Varsity Boys Ice Hockey has coaches Coope and Sandos feeling very confident. The gregarious and exceptionally freindly duo has an early season two game win streak to support their positive attitudes. The Panthers rolled over Long Island powerhouse St. Anthony's by a score of 9-3 before traveling up to Westchester and beating the Rye Country Day Wildcats by a convincing margin of 7-0. The teams top two offensive lines are loaded with firepower as both trios keep the opponents defense scrambling in their own zone. Junior Tom Parise has been centering Sophomores Matt Crockett and Jesse Schandler, while Junior Ori Benyamini has been between Junior Matt Goldstein and Freshman Michael Conslato on these two offensive juggernauts. The coaches mix and match these players on several different power play combinations so you will not always see them in these forms, but these have been the steady top lines in five v. five play. The thing that makes this team very strong though is the existence of a hard nosed and effective third line that has really kept the pressure on opponents so far this season. This group has veteran Junior centerman Stephan DiBartolomeo between Freshmen Dylan Stewart and Junior Matt Janketic. Stewart and Di Bart also see special teams ice as Stewart plays some power play and Di Bart pairs with Benyamini as the top penalty killing duo. Meanwhile, Janketic's physical play has been vital. The converted defensemen gives the Panthers some thump in what is generally more of a skating line up. The depth goes on as Coach Coope started to work more players into the mix against Rye when he sent Junior Anthony Pergola out with Benyamini's line a few times and worked Sophomore Daylin Frantin in with the Parise line a bit. Then there is always the soft hands of Junior Hunter Lombardi and the hard nosed play of Junior Ryan Murray to turn to as the long season grinds on.
Senior Captain David Wilson returns for his last go round in the blue and white. Wilson is an excellent passer with an accurate shot that has developed a knack of producing the BIG HIT! Playing defense with Wilson is a pair of Juniors who really make everything else go, and set this year's Portledge team apart from any other since the late 90s. These exceptional players are Ron Fishman and Pat Condon. Both are incredible skaters who move the puck beautifully and in my opinion have Division I college hockey in their futures. Rounding out the defense are steady Sophomore Matt Sullivan, hard nosed Junior Ryan Gottfreid and a pair of smooth skating underclassmen in Sohpomore Andrew Reiter and Freshman Matt Meyer. Finally, we turn to the nets where Senior Captain Sal Magliocco returns between the pipes and is backed up by Sophomore Michael Bruschi who gained a great deal of experience when the Captain was out last year. In addition to all this, there is a recovering Kurt Krotz. The powerful forwards eventual presence will only make this exceptional group even stronger. The Panthers next play Friday night when they travel up to the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn to face Wyoming Seminary on neutral ice @ 6:00pm. Wyoming Seminary is a Division I team with a great deal of talent so this should be a real test for the boys. The team's next home game comes on Monday, Dec 7th when they take on Bergen Catholic down at Beaver Dam @ 5:30.
As we look to the defense we see the real strength of the team in Senior defensemen Chelsea Caracciolo and Emily Prey. These two have been as steady as granite for the Lady Panthers over the last few years and will both see a tremendous amount of ice time. They should also have the green light to rush the puck when the opportunity presents itself, thus giving the team another source of offense. The pair of Seniors will be joined on defense by smooth skating freshman Julie Devlin who is a newcomer to Portledge Hockey. Another new player that will be critical to the development of this team and the future of the program will be Freshman goalie Gabby Pilson. Judging from her play in practice the Lady Panthers have upgraded in goal and that only means trouble for the rest of WIHLMA, as last year's team was already the most stingy defensive squad in the league. Things get going this Monday, Nov 30th when the Lady Panthers host WIHLMA newcomers Rye Country Day in a 5:30 start at Beaver Dam.
After just squeaking above 500% last winter, this year's version of Portledge Varsity Boys Ice Hockey has coaches Coope and Sandos feeling very confident. The gregarious and exceptionally freindly duo has an early season two game win streak to support their positive attitudes. The Panthers rolled over Long Island powerhouse St. Anthony's by a score of 9-3 before traveling up to Westchester and beating the Rye Country Day Wildcats by a convincing margin of 7-0. The teams top two offensive lines are loaded with firepower as both trios keep the opponents defense scrambling in their own zone. Junior Tom Parise has been centering Sophomores Matt Crockett and Jesse Schandler, while Junior Ori Benyamini has been between Junior Matt Goldstein and Freshman Michael Conslato on these two offensive juggernauts. The coaches mix and match these players on several different power play combinations so you will not always see them in these forms, but these have been the steady top lines in five v. five play. The thing that makes this team very strong though is the existence of a hard nosed and effective third line that has really kept the pressure on opponents so far this season. This group has veteran Junior centerman Stephan DiBartolomeo between Freshmen Dylan Stewart and Junior Matt Janketic. Stewart and Di Bart also see special teams ice as Stewart plays some power play and Di Bart pairs with Benyamini as the top penalty killing duo. Meanwhile, Janketic's physical play has been vital. The converted defensemen gives the Panthers some thump in what is generally more of a skating line up. The depth goes on as Coach Coope started to work more players into the mix against Rye when he sent Junior Anthony Pergola out with Benyamini's line a few times and worked Sophomore Daylin Frantin in with the Parise line a bit. Then there is always the soft hands of Junior Hunter Lombardi and the hard nosed play of Junior Ryan Murray to turn to as the long season grinds on.
Senior Captain David Wilson returns for his last go round in the blue and white. Wilson is an excellent passer with an accurate shot that has developed a knack of producing the BIG HIT! Playing defense with Wilson is a pair of Juniors who really make everything else go, and set this year's Portledge team apart from any other since the late 90s. These exceptional players are Ron Fishman and Pat Condon. Both are incredible skaters who move the puck beautifully and in my opinion have Division I college hockey in their futures. Rounding out the defense are steady Sophomore Matt Sullivan, hard nosed Junior Ryan Gottfreid and a pair of smooth skating underclassmen in Sohpomore Andrew Reiter and Freshman Matt Meyer. Finally, we turn to the nets where Senior Captain Sal Magliocco returns between the pipes and is backed up by Sophomore Michael Bruschi who gained a great deal of experience when the Captain was out last year. In addition to all this, there is a recovering Kurt Krotz. The powerful forwards eventual presence will only make this exceptional group even stronger. The Panthers next play Friday night when they travel up to the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn to face Wyoming Seminary on neutral ice @ 6:00pm. Wyoming Seminary is a Division I team with a great deal of talent so this should be a real test for the boys. The team's next home game comes on Monday, Dec 7th when they take on Bergen Catholic down at Beaver Dam @ 5:30.
The Sweet Sounds,Sights and Smells of Winter Sports
I love winter sports season. There is just something about all the action taking place at all the various venues and the sheer number of programs going on that make it, in my mind, the most exciting season. A couple of the more subtle things though, little stuff that if you were moving fast with something else on your mind, you would simply miss all together, is what make it really special to me. For example, I love walking out of the Upper School building by either the Gilmour or Slanetz doors and seeing Wellington Gym all lit up and knowing that there is a basketball game going on. At first the horns and cheers are far off and barely discernible, but as you get closer and the door flies open to let someone out, you start to feel the energy coming from inside. Once you enter you immediately fade your steps to the right a bit so that you can catch a glimpse of the scoreboard and see how whatever Portledge team is playing is doing. Then your attention focuses onto the opposite sideline where the coaches are frantically pacing the court and yelling out plays and defensive formations for the competitors to execute. You take a glance at the scoring table to see which kind people might have volunteered to work the game. If this was last week, you might have seen Freshmen Eve Shapiro and Arielle Parris, or Miss Maielo, or even Eric Mathieu (that's right an alumni like Eric running the clock, not for community service or because he was a manager, but simply because he liked being part of what was going on there - he was in the action!
Now let's journey off campus down the road to Beaver Dam. After negotiating a treacherous and ridiculously thin Kaintuck Lane (name of the entrance road for those that might have never noticed), you eventually pull up to the elongated parking lot not believing how many people are already there, and are forced to take a parking spot that seems like it's a mile away. It's OK though, because you know what - the short walk to the rink only serves to heighten your anticipation about what you are coming to see. You feel the adrenaline well up inside you as you hear the pucks slamming into the boards below. The sounds tell you that warm ups are still going on and that you have timed your arrival just right for the drop of the puck. You wind your way down the wooden stairs and catch a brief smell of the log wood fire that is burning inside the clubhouse as you first see all the people lining the outside of the boards. Your adrenaline pumps a bit more as the teams come together around their respective goalies and give themselves a traditional cheer. Finally, before you know it, there you are watching some incredible, fast paced ice hockey, full of tremendous skating, crisp passing and hard hitting. Now that's exciting!!
Hopefully, you can see I'm just a little bit pumped for the next three months of Portledge sports action. If you have any questions about winter sports or Portledge Athletics in general that are in a constructive and positive tone, please feel free to comment after any posting, and I'll try to respond at the beginning of my next post, and PLEASE get in the action yourself by coming out to see a game - we'll be there!
Now let's journey off campus down the road to Beaver Dam. After negotiating a treacherous and ridiculously thin Kaintuck Lane (name of the entrance road for those that might have never noticed), you eventually pull up to the elongated parking lot not believing how many people are already there, and are forced to take a parking spot that seems like it's a mile away. It's OK though, because you know what - the short walk to the rink only serves to heighten your anticipation about what you are coming to see. You feel the adrenaline well up inside you as you hear the pucks slamming into the boards below. The sounds tell you that warm ups are still going on and that you have timed your arrival just right for the drop of the puck. You wind your way down the wooden stairs and catch a brief smell of the log wood fire that is burning inside the clubhouse as you first see all the people lining the outside of the boards. Your adrenaline pumps a bit more as the teams come together around their respective goalies and give themselves a traditional cheer. Finally, before you know it, there you are watching some incredible, fast paced ice hockey, full of tremendous skating, crisp passing and hard hitting. Now that's exciting!!
Hopefully, you can see I'm just a little bit pumped for the next three months of Portledge sports action. If you have any questions about winter sports or Portledge Athletics in general that are in a constructive and positive tone, please feel free to comment after any posting, and I'll try to respond at the beginning of my next post, and PLEASE get in the action yourself by coming out to see a game - we'll be there!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Here Comes Winter Sports / Previews of the Varsity Basketball Teams
There is enough chill to the air that the amazing ice down at Beaver Dam is already hosting games, and at night, the lights of Wellington Gym shine out like a beacon alerting all around that their is some Basketball action going on. So here we go with the Winter Sports Season at Portledge School. We have a unique variety of Varsity offerings that range from the big four teams, Girls and Boys Basketball and Girls and Boys Ice Hockey, to the more boutique programs that make up the coed Fencing and Squash teams. The fencing program actually has several components that combine to make up the overall team.
Let's start today by concentrating first on Basketball.
Last year was an important one for the Varsity Girls team as it improved significantly under new Head Coach Skip Amadio. This season, with almost all of the significant players returning, the Lady Panthers have their eye on an IPPSAL Championship - something that the girls program has not achieved since the 1999 season. Wouldn't it be great to see our girls claim the title a decade after their last championship. Things pretty much start with Monique Kelly and Robyn Worrall, a talanted duo of senior guards. These two have been playing together for a long time and do a great job of handling the ball. Worrall can be deadly from outside when she is hot, and Mo Kelly is showing real confidence taking the ball to the hoop. She had 21 pts and 12 pts in the first two games , respecrively, for a 16.5% per game average so far. This type of back court scoring will be key if the girls want to build on their early season success. Inside there are the twin towers of Senior Akanksha Trivedi and Freshman Ceci Mulry. The two, over six footers, give the Lady Panthers a real presence under the hoop. Mulry went for twelve points and ten rebounds in Monday's 39-19 win over league rival Solomon Schechter, and certainly looks like she is going to have a big impact on the future of the girls program here at Portledge. The glue to the team is Senior swing player Claudia Rogers who is an expert defender with lightning fast reflexes that can play multiple positions. It doesn't matter whether she is playing guard or forward though, because she is consistently stealing the ball and disrupting the opponents offense. Senior Martian Juste is another player who can play guard or forward, and her incredible leaping ability gives Coach Amadio a nice option in the starting line up or off the bench. Junior guard Tatiana Parris has also found some playing time early on and provides another ball handler when needed. If Parris can learn to get her outside shot off at the Varsity level it will give the Lady Panthers another strong outside shooter. Right now the team's record stands at 2-0 and they will be @ Waldorf on Tuesday (5:00pm) and Home for Knox on Wednesday(4:15) during the upcoming week, before competing in the always challenging Martin Luther Tournament next Saturday and Sunday.
On to Varsity Boys Basketball and the debut season of new Head Coach Nick Woll. Enthusiasm and excitement are the terms that best describe Woll's practice sessions as he consistently puts the Panthers through tough and fast paced workouts. Up tempo basketball will be the emphasis as Woll tries to blend some experienced players with some fresh faces to the Varsity Team. Senior swingman Mark Dourmashkin is the most experienced player on the team and he returns for a fourth Varsity season without a championship so far. It would be great to see this exceptional athlete lead the team all the way to an IPPSAL crown in his last season on the wellington Gym hardwood. Right along side will be Senior transfer Christian Sbarro. The sleak, but powerful Sbarro has shown in pre season that he can do everything on the floor and certainly gives a big boost to the overall talent level of this interesting team. Probably the most important player to the ultimate fortunes of this pride of current Panthers is Senior center Ben Shapiro. If Ben can play with dominance inside and free up Dourmashkin and Sbarro for open looks on the perimeter, this will be a tough group to defend. Another key will be the play of Senior guard Jon Brailsford. Patiently waiting to play big minutes for a long time, Brailsford will get his chance this winter to hopefully lead the Panthers all the way. A variety of underclassmen provide Coach Woll with some depth, but we will have to see which of them emerge to play significant roles during the season. An opening night win over St. Demetrios from Queens, NY was a step in the right direction, but we will learn more about the Pathers when the suit em up exactly opposite the girls this week with a game Tuesday at Home v. Waldorf (5:00pm) and another contest Wednesday @ Knox (5:30) as part of a double header with the JV Boys team. Then next Saturday and Sunday, the 5th and 6th, come tough games at the Martin Luther Tournament where Portledge has failed to win a game in several years.
Let's start today by concentrating first on Basketball.
Last year was an important one for the Varsity Girls team as it improved significantly under new Head Coach Skip Amadio. This season, with almost all of the significant players returning, the Lady Panthers have their eye on an IPPSAL Championship - something that the girls program has not achieved since the 1999 season. Wouldn't it be great to see our girls claim the title a decade after their last championship. Things pretty much start with Monique Kelly and Robyn Worrall, a talanted duo of senior guards. These two have been playing together for a long time and do a great job of handling the ball. Worrall can be deadly from outside when she is hot, and Mo Kelly is showing real confidence taking the ball to the hoop. She had 21 pts and 12 pts in the first two games , respecrively, for a 16.5% per game average so far. This type of back court scoring will be key if the girls want to build on their early season success. Inside there are the twin towers of Senior Akanksha Trivedi and Freshman Ceci Mulry. The two, over six footers, give the Lady Panthers a real presence under the hoop. Mulry went for twelve points and ten rebounds in Monday's 39-19 win over league rival Solomon Schechter, and certainly looks like she is going to have a big impact on the future of the girls program here at Portledge. The glue to the team is Senior swing player Claudia Rogers who is an expert defender with lightning fast reflexes that can play multiple positions. It doesn't matter whether she is playing guard or forward though, because she is consistently stealing the ball and disrupting the opponents offense. Senior Martian Juste is another player who can play guard or forward, and her incredible leaping ability gives Coach Amadio a nice option in the starting line up or off the bench. Junior guard Tatiana Parris has also found some playing time early on and provides another ball handler when needed. If Parris can learn to get her outside shot off at the Varsity level it will give the Lady Panthers another strong outside shooter. Right now the team's record stands at 2-0 and they will be @ Waldorf on Tuesday (5:00pm) and Home for Knox on Wednesday(4:15) during the upcoming week, before competing in the always challenging Martin Luther Tournament next Saturday and Sunday.
On to Varsity Boys Basketball and the debut season of new Head Coach Nick Woll. Enthusiasm and excitement are the terms that best describe Woll's practice sessions as he consistently puts the Panthers through tough and fast paced workouts. Up tempo basketball will be the emphasis as Woll tries to blend some experienced players with some fresh faces to the Varsity Team. Senior swingman Mark Dourmashkin is the most experienced player on the team and he returns for a fourth Varsity season without a championship so far. It would be great to see this exceptional athlete lead the team all the way to an IPPSAL crown in his last season on the wellington Gym hardwood. Right along side will be Senior transfer Christian Sbarro. The sleak, but powerful Sbarro has shown in pre season that he can do everything on the floor and certainly gives a big boost to the overall talent level of this interesting team. Probably the most important player to the ultimate fortunes of this pride of current Panthers is Senior center Ben Shapiro. If Ben can play with dominance inside and free up Dourmashkin and Sbarro for open looks on the perimeter, this will be a tough group to defend. Another key will be the play of Senior guard Jon Brailsford. Patiently waiting to play big minutes for a long time, Brailsford will get his chance this winter to hopefully lead the Panthers all the way. A variety of underclassmen provide Coach Woll with some depth, but we will have to see which of them emerge to play significant roles during the season. An opening night win over St. Demetrios from Queens, NY was a step in the right direction, but we will learn more about the Pathers when the suit em up exactly opposite the girls this week with a game Tuesday at Home v. Waldorf (5:00pm) and another contest Wednesday @ Knox (5:30) as part of a double header with the JV Boys team. Then next Saturday and Sunday, the 5th and 6th, come tough games at the Martin Luther Tournament where Portledge has failed to win a game in several years.
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