Sports

By Bill Landon

After the Ward Melville girls lacrosse team dominated the first half of the game outscoring Smithtown East by eight goals, the Bulls regrouped for the second half and drew within four goals twice before the Patriots dropped the hammer to put the game away, 17-12, at home March 29.

Ward Melville senior Courtney Carollo led the way with four goals and three assists, 10th grader Summer Agostino, followed with three goals and two assists, and senior Lexi Reinhardt had an assist and found the cage four times. Also pictured above center, two Patriots celebrate a score against the Bulls.

Smithtown East senior midfielder Gabrielle Schneider topped the charts for the Bulls with three assists and two goals, sophomore Alayna Costa split the pipes four times, and her older sister Isabella Costa had two assists and two goals.

As of April 1, the win puts the Patriots at 1-1, and the loss drops Smithtown East 2-1 in Division I.

By Bill Landon

The Middle Country boys lacrosse team trailed by one goal against the visiting Huntington Blue Devils going into the fourth quarter, but the Mad Dogs managed to retie the game 9 all. With one minute left in regulation, Middle Country’s Kaleb Pullis answered the call when he blasted a shot that stretched the net for the game winner defeating the Blue Devils, 10-9, March 28.

It was Pullis’ second goal of the day where Middle Country attack Thomas Stock stood atop the leaderboard with three goals and three assists. Matthew Robbert and Jacob Hyman both scored twice, and the long stickman RJ Smith went coast to coast earlier in the game for his goal.

The win, as of April 1, extends the Mad Dogs winning ways to 4-0 in Suffolk Division 1 where the Blue Devils drop to 1-2.

By Bill Landon

Smithtown West’s girls lacrosse had the upper hand in the first half March 21 as Huntington was unable to overcome a deficit in the final 25 minutes of play. The Bulls notched their first league victory of the early season downing the Blue Devils 10-4 on the road. 

Senior Regan Kielmeyer led the way in scoring for Smithtown West with a pair of goals and five assists with teammates and fellow seniors Lauren Coletti and Taylor Mennella netting three goals each.

On the Blue Devils’ side, junior Abby Malchin, senior Maire Brown, senior Paige Lennon and sophomore Charlotte Maggio each scored a goal apiece for Huntington.

The Huntington girls lacrosse team is took the ield again at home against Farmingdale March 25, and will soon take be taking the long road to Riverhead March 29. Game time is set for 4 p.m.

by -
0 109
Port Jeff freshman Kyle Scandale passes to Daniel Koban in a non-league victory against Longwood March 23. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Port Jefferson’s boys lacrosse team trailed the Longwood Lions through three quarters, but the Royals got down to business in the final 12 minutes of play, outscoring their opponent 6-1 to clinch an 11-8 come-from-behind victory in a nonleague matchup March 23.

Junior Aidan Kaminska sat atop the scoring chart for the Royals who split the pipes five times along with an assist. Junior Colton VanOverberghe dished up an assist and stretched the net four times while Jonathan Moshe, a senior, along with sophomore Gage Jampol netted one goal apiece.

The Royals remain 0-1 in league but the road win against the Lions puts them at 2-1 overall. The Royals were back in action March 27 when they hosted West Babylon and lost 15-5.

by -
0 1924

By Bill Landon

The Panthers of Miller Place stayed with Sachem East’s girls lacrosse team goal for goal most of the way, but the Flaming Arrows had one more left with three minutes left in the game to edge ahead by one. 

The Panthers were unable to answer, falling 6-5 in a nonleague matchup on the road March 23. 

Juniors Madison Murphy and Lauren Mancini led Miller Place in scoring with two goals each. Senior Ava Burns scored a goal with one assist while sophomore goaltender Chloe Anthony had five saves. 

The loss drops Miller Place to 0-1 in league and 1-2 overall. The Panthers were back in action March 27 when they hosted Comsewogue and lost 18-1.

This post was edited to include correct photos.

by -
0 110

By Bill Landon

Middle Country boys track and field team opened its season at home but had its hands full against Sachem East March 25.

The standout performance came from Middle Country senior Josh Washington, who won the 100-meter race, placed second in the 200 and swept the long jump and triple jump competition, notching 18 of his team’s 55 points on the day.

The tandem of Bobby Ingraselino and Nico Lavazoli were the class of the field in the 4×400 relay, and Alec Weiss took the 110 hurdle event. Lavazoli crossed the line first at the 400 distance, but Sachem East with strength in numbers finished stronger overall to win the meet, 77-55.

by -
0 1859

By Bill Landon

The Ward Melville boys varsity lacrosse team hosted Sachem East March 22.

Neither team trailed by more than one goal in the Patriots’ league opener as Sachem East traded goals with Ward Melville from the opening faceoff. With the game tied at 5-5, with just under five minutes left in regulation, Rocco Barbero buried his shot for the goal in what turned out to be the game winner as the Patriots edged Sachem East, 6-5.

It was Barbero’s second goal in the game where teammates Dylan Pallonetti, Steven Germain, Brandon Aviles and Robert Kratochvil each scored one goal apiece. Junior goalkeeper Collin Krieg had a busy day at net grabbing 12 saves in the day.

Frankie Anzaldi runs in the NYC Half Marathon March 17. Photo from Frank Anzaldi Sr.

Since he was very young, limits were placed on Frankie Anzaldi, a 16-year-old Rocky Point High School student. When he was in kindergarten, doctors said Anzaldi would never be able to tie his own shoes, but each time he was told he couldn’t do something he has consistently proved the doubters wrong, all despite his epilepsy and seizures. 

Anzaldi has no limits, and he’s ambitious — always looking for the next goal to tackle. With that attitude, he has become an accomplished trombone player and on this past St. Patrick’s Day March 17 he participated in the New York City Half Marathon representing Athletes Without Limits, an organization supporting athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Frankie Anzaldi runs with his friend and trombone tutor Michel Nadeau. Photo from Frank Anzaldi Sr.

Frankie’s journey to the NYC Half Marathon began simple enough, with a visit to the Stony Brook men’s soccer team after he was named its honorary captain three years ago. It was his interactions with the team in the gym, working out with them, that helped spur his decision to start running. 

“I never thought it would be running,”
Anzaldi’s mother Michelle said. “Out of the blue he said he wanted to go running — so we brought him to the track.”

The 16-year-old’s mother said when they first brought him to the track in July 2016, her son could barely run a mile. But the persistent teenager kept at it, and later decided he wanted to run a race. 

“We found a fun race, a 1K. He did the race and he loved it,” his mother said. 

For that race, Anzaldi ran for the Rolling Thunder Special Needs Track Team. Three months later, he became a member of the team and represented it at the Suffolk County Half Marathon. 

The co-founder of Athletes Without Limits, Barry Holman, happened to be at the race and met the Anzaldi family. The teenager saw one of the organization’s slogan of “No limits” and he adopted it  as his own and has since lived by it. Many of his posts on Instagram, a social media platform, feature the hashtag, #nolimits.  

Frank Anzaldi, the runner’s father, marveled at the progression his son has made in a short amount of time.  

“He just worked at it — went from barely running one mile to thirteen miles,” Anzaldi’s father said.  

The NYC Half Marathon was his fifth half marathon in three years, and despite how long he’s been at it, Anzaldi is still out on the track every week training. 

“Training was really intense — he was running close to 40 miles a week,” he said. 

Frankie Anzaldi after receiving medal in NYC Half Marathon. Photo from Frank Anzaldi Sr.

In training for his first NYC Half Marathon, Anzaldi received virtual coaching from the Badger Track Club, a club based in Madison, Wisconsin, whose main focus is to teach, train and educate athletes in track and field, cross country and road racing.  

“He’s was being virtually coached by Scott Brinen; he’s worked with special needs athletes before,” his father said. “I was put in touch with them through Athletes Without Limits.”

The young man told them he wanted to run another half marathon and his improve his run time, and soon the club helped Anzaldi with a workout plan which included speed and distance training as well as working out in the gym. According to young Anzaldi, it got him in the best shape he’s ever been. 

At the marathon, Anzaldi was joined by his longtime trombone tutor and friend, Michel Nadeau, who is a music teacher in the Commack School District, who just so happened to be a runner himself. 

Nadeau met him five years ago when the Anzaldis were looking for a trombone tutor for their son. The family called Nadeau a godsend, as he helped the teenager learn how to play the trombone by modifying music notes so he could read them. Nadeau taught their son how to read music even before he could read a book. 

“Two years ago, Frankie started running and [his parents] didn’t know I was a runner as well, so it was kind of cool,” Nadeau said.   

Because of Anzaldi, Nadeau was motivated to run in the Suffolk Half Marathon two years ago and ran it again with him this past November. Nadeau also trained with Anzaldi for his fifth half marathon. Training sessions consisted of running for eight miles, three times a week, according to the music teacher. 

“Frankie doesn’t say no to anything, and he’s one of the hardest working guys I’ve met in my life,” Nadeau said. “It’s been really fun working and running with someone that has no quit in them.”

A little more than a month before the race, Anzaldi’s father received a call from Athletes Without Limits asking if the 16-year-old could represent the national team at the marathon. The teenager said absolutely, and he was excited for the race to run past NYU Hospital where his doctors and surgeons work. He would also be running past the windows of other patients he knew personally and was excited to show them what he has accomplished. 

Frankie Anzaldi and his friend and trombone teacher Michel Nadeau after receiving medal in NYC Half Marathon. Photo from Frank Anzaldi Sr.

With five half marathons under his belt, the freshman in high school has already expressed his desire to do more. One of his goals is to represent the United States in an international competition. 

A first chair trombone player in middle school last year and a member of the high school marching band, Anzaldi also has dreams of being a trombone player in the Disney Marching Band. According to his mother, that is the ultimate job he wants in life. 

“It started from the get-go that limits were placed on him, and every time someone says he can’t do something, he proves them wrong,” the teenager’s mother said. 

Anzaldi’s father agreed, saying even if someone has a disability, you shouldn’t limit them. When someone believes in them great things can happen.

“They said he was never going to be able to tie his shoes and now he is tying them and running marathons,” he said.

The Rocky Point Eagles boys lacrosse team, a Division II contender, tested themselves early against the Middle Country Mad Dogs, a Division I team, in a nonleague lacrosse matchup on their home turf March 19.

Many coaches have said you want to play “up” against a better team to expose your weaknesses and to see where your team needs improvement. The Eagles got that test where they were able to stay with their opponent early, but the Mad Dogs stretched their legs outscoring Rocky Point by five goals over the last two quarters of play to win 11-2 in their second game of this early season.

Middle Country senior attack Jacob Hyman led the way in scoring with four assists and one goal. Senior midfielder Jason McKeever netted two goals and one assist as did teammate Kaleb Pullis, the junior midfielder. Defenseman RJ Smith stretched the net twice as did Erik Worsoe.

Rocky Point senior attackman Teddy Accardi and sophomore midfielder Matthew Sweeney both scored for the Eagles while senior Kyle Bonesteel dished up an assist.

Middle Country opens league play on the road against Lindenhurst March 22 at the Lindenhurst Middle School. Faceoff is 5 p.m.

The Rocky Point’s Eagles are set to take the field again March 21 where they host Elwood. Game time is 4:30 p.m.

by -
0 1790
Miller Place senior co-captain Sebastian Cannon drives against a WHB defender March 16. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Miller Place’s boys lacrosse team tried to shake off the early season cobwebs but had their hands full when the Westhampton Hurricanes blew into town for a non-league matchup where the Panthers fell 17-4 at home March 16. 

The goals for Miller Place were few and far between but sophomore Nicholas Belvedere scored one goal along with two assists, freshman Aiden Schook stretched the net twice and senior co-captain Sebastian Cannon split the pipes to round out the scoring. Freshman goalkeeper Kenny Leen recorded 10 saves.

The Panthers were back in action March 19 where they faced Babylon on the road in another non-league contest before league play gets under way today, March 21, at home against Hauppauge. First faceoff for both games are 5 p.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.

Clockwise from top left, Cannon drives against a WHB defender; Leen with one of his 10 saves; sophomore Matthew LoNigro gets checked; freshman midfielder Anthony Bartalotto gets checked by two WHB players; Cannon drives against a WHB defender; Belvedere passes over the middle; Bartalotto turns the corner.