Trinity Wallace scores for Newfield in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield junior Savannah Bond drives the lane in a league III matchup against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Raiyah Reid scores 2 of her team high 20 points for Newfield in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Bill Landon photo
Newfield 8th grader Raiyah Reid scores 2 of her team high 20 points in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield 8th grader Raiyah Reid scores 2 of her team high 20 points in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Megan Spina drives the baseline for the Wolverines in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Bill Landon photo
Newfield sophomore Megan Spina scores in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Bill Landon photo
Newfield sophomore Megan Spina goes up for the score in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Bill Landon photo
Newfield junior Chinelle Nelson sets up the play in a league III matchup against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Chinelle Nelson shoots from the top of the key for Newfield in a league III matchup against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield sophomore Gina Oliveira lets a three pointer fly in a home game against Copiague Jan. 4. Bill Landon photo
Newfield sophomore Gina Oliveira nails a three pointer in a home victory against Copiague Jan. 4. Bill Landon photo
Newfield senior Madison Roman comes down with the rebound in a league III matchup against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield sophomore Megan Spina lets a three pointer fly in a league III matchup against Copiague Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon
Newfield searching for that first League III victory made short work out of visiting Copiague, winning the game, 59-40, at home Jan. 4.
Eighth-grader Raiyah Reid led the way for the Wolverines throwing down five field goals, two triples and four free throws for a team high 20 points. Sophomore Gina Oliveira sank a pair of 3-pointers and three from the line for nine points, and Chinelle Nelson, a junior, banked eight.
The win lifts Newfield to 1-2 in league and 6-2 overall. Newfield was back in action when they hit the road Jan. 8 to take on crosstown rival Centereach. Results were not yet available at press time.
Middle Country long stickman RJ Smith clears the ball upfield in a 19-2 rout against Copiague. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country midfielder Matt Robbert rips a shot on goal in a 19-2 rout against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country attackman Jacob Hyman rips a shot at the pipes for another goal against Copiague in a Division I matchup May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country attackman Jacob Hyman fires at the cage against Copiague in a Division I matchup May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country attackman Jacob Hyman fires at the cage against Copiague in a Division I matchup May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country attackman Jacob Hyman winds up for a shot on goal against Copiague in a Division I matchup May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country senior Jacob Hyman looks for an open lane against Copiague in a Division I matchup May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior attack Erik Worsoe splits the pipes for the Mad Dogs in a Division I matchup against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior attack Erik Worsoe rips a shot at the cage for the Mad Dogs in a Division I matchup against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country senior Cody Genovese, left, battles at the X in a 19-2 rout against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country senior Cody Genovese wins again at the X in a 19-2 rout against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior midfielder Cody Genovese drives past a Copiague defender May 7 at home. Photo by Bill Landon
Long stickman Brian Lake #18 looks to go coast to coast for the Mad Dogs in a 19-2 rout against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Middle Country senior Anthony Cabral looks for an open cutter in a Division I matchup against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior midfielder Anthony Cabral pushes up-field for the Mad Dogs in a Division I matchup against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
Junior goal keep Adam Hyman clears the ball for the Mad Dogs in a Division I matchup against Copiague May 7. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Middle Country boys lacrosse made short work of Copiague in a 19-2 rout in a Division I matchup May 7 at home.
Spearheading the scoring for the Mad Dogs was Jacob Hyman who had an assist and found the back of the cage five times. Erik Worsoe had a pair of assists and four goals. Nicholas Gurello had three assists and stretched the net thrice, and Jason McKeever had an assist and split the pipes four times.
With the win the Mad Dogs improve to 8-5 in the division, 10-5 overall, and are solidly in the playoff mix. The team will host its final game of the regular season May 9 where they’ll go against William Floyd. Game time is at 4:30 p.m.
Suffolk County Police 2nd Squad detectives are investigating an incident during which a man was found unresponsive in a pool at a Fort Salonga home this weekend.
Police officers responded to Marcelle Court after a 911 caller reported a man was found unresponsive in an in-ground pool Aug. 5 at approximately 1:10 p.m.
Northport Rescue performed CPR on the victim, Edwin Campos, 39, of Copiague. Campos was transported to Huntington Hospital where he was listed in critical condition as of Sunday night.
The investigation is continuing. Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the 2nd Squad at 631-854-8252.
Smithtown East's Alex Colon, Lauren O'Malley, Allie Brady and Brooke Berroyer celebrate a second-set win. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Allie Brady serves. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Brooke Berroyer sets up a play at the net. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Michelle Husslein smacks a kill shot. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Nikki Cannata sends the ball into play from the service line. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Allie Brady sends the ball back over the net. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Felicity Hoffert winds up to send a kill shot over the net. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Marissa Oliveri serves. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Logan Kozlowski makes contact with the ball. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Michelle Husslein and Allie Brady wait for a Copiague serve. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Marissa Oliveri sets up a play. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Alex Colón bumps the ball. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Smithtown East's Brooke Berroyer, Allie Brady, Marissa Oliveri and Alex Colon rally around Michelle Husslein after her game-winning service ace. Photo by Desirée Keegan
By Desirée Keegan
Brooke Berroyer loves the burst of adrenaline she gets out on the volleyball court, and her team’s current winning streak certainly seems to be getting her engine revving.
Smithtown East’s Brooke Berroyer celebrates a point. Photo by Desirée Keegan
“Playing gives me such a rush — especially when you’re playing with such great players and you see all the hard work culminate in a win,” the senior setter and right side said. “We go to practice every day and work hard; we all trust each other a lot. I would never be able to play and set the people that I do if I didn’t trust them.”
That trust and confidence led Smithtown East to its seventh straight win Oct. 2 with a 3-0 sweep of Copiague, 25-18, 25-16, 25-23. Berroyer finished with 14 assists and eight digs in the win, but she credited teammate Allie Brady for getting the team to the No. 1 spot in the League III standings.
“Allie Brady is our powerhouse,” she said of the senior outside hitter. “No one can stop her. She puts the ball down every time. She’s our best player right now.”
Brady came through for Smithtown East in crucial situations, like when her back-to-back kills put the Bulls up 12-7 in the first set, or when her spike stopped Copiague’s momentum after three straight points, leading to three straight Smithtown East points in the second set.
“We believe in each other,” said Brady, who had 12 kills and 11 digs in the win. “We have great leaders on this team. All of us seniors work hard to get the team going in the right direction and the rest follow our lead. We always have each other’s back.”
The senior gave credit to the Bulls’ juniors that contributed to the win, and Berroyer recognized one in particular: Michelle Husslein.
Smithtown East’s Alex Colón receives a Copiague serve. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Husslein, an outside hitter, added a handful of service aces in a close third set, and closed out the match serving on the final two points, the second an ace to win the game.
“She’s a junior with a really strong serve, and it’s tough getting on that line, especially as an underclassman,”Berroyer said.
Husslein was filling in for the injured senior middle Steph Berdon, and Smithtown East head coach George Alamia pointed to his junior’s standout performance among others helping to fill the space.
“She was a spark plug,” he said of Husslein. “She hasn’t played a lot, and she was among several players that stepped in to play today, and she played really well.”
Alamia was quick to point to the stellar serving throughout the evening from not only Husslein, but the rest of the squad as well. In total, nine players added to the Bulls’ 41 service aces, accounting for a little less than 55 percent of Smithtown East’s total points.
“Our service team was excellent,” Alamia said. “Game three we had a lot of our bench in with starters sprinkled in. Michelle [Husslein] on the line changed the game — she ran off five or six points and gave us confidence. Logan Kozlowski is a nice young setter coming up and she also got some great opportunities today in the third game.”
Smithtown East’s Allie Brady spikes the ball. Photo by Desirée Keegan
The Bulls remain undefeated at 7-0 on their quest to take their 11th straight League III title this season. Senior libero Alex Colón, who had 14 digs and 16 service receptions, said she’s moved by what her team has already done this year.
“It’s inspiring,” she said of the run. “At the beginning of the season it was a little rough — we all had to learn to work together [after losing seven senior starters to graduation]. We work harder than any team in the gym, we’re communicating and controlling the ball, and that’s key to getting our momentum going. When we come together and play as a team nothing can stop us.”
Smithtown East faces off against crosstown rival Smithtown West for the second time this season Oct. 4 at 5:45 p.m. Smithtown East edged its opponent 3-1 in close sets to open the season Sept. 9. Smithtown West is currently 7-2 overall and 7-1 in league play.
“This team has pressure on them — they want a league championship, they expect it and they’re looking to get it,” Alamia said. “Every year West is a challenge, and I think we’re ready for it — we’re all in. These girls are hungry for he league title, they’re focused, we’re going to have a great practice and we’re going to give them everything we have. I think we’re ready to take what’s ours.”
Senior striker scores hat trick in Tigers’ win over Copiague
Charlie Theofield gets ready to score his hat trick goal for Northport. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Senior striker Charlie Theofield scored again, again and again Tuesday, to help propel the Northport boys’ soccer team to a 4-2 win over Copiague.
Northport’s Joseph Malico sends the ball into Copiague’s zone between two opponents. Photo by Desirée Keegan
“Everyone was working hard and we played well,” he said following the win. “The first goal came after my goalie Kiernan Kirby kicked it up, and I wasn’t expecting it at first, but it went in, and the other two came naturally — I was in the right place in the right time, like I should be.”
Theofield got the Tigers on the scoreboard first when he chipped a shot in, over the Copiague goalkeeper’s head, as he came out the box to try to make a save, for the early 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the matchup.
Fewer than 10 minutes later, Theofield did it again, with the same shot straight up the middle and over the goalkeeper’s head, to give his team a 2-0 advantage.
“We pressed up a lot,” Theofield said. “Even thought we know we clinched playoffs, we should still be playing for first, and we’ve got to keep our offense up.”
With 25 seconds left in the first half, sophomore midfielder Joseph Malico gained possession of the ball with a defender on his hip and sent his shot to the center of the net for a 3-0 lead heading into the halftime break.
Northport’s James McKenna tangles with a Copiague player in a race for possession. Photo by Desirée Keegan
“I thought we played really hard all game long,” Northport head coach Don Strasser said. “I though Copiague played really strong — they never gave up and they battled, but putting away a couple of goals early on in the first half helps the team.”
Less than three minutes into the second half, Copiague put its first point on the board, with a shot into the far left corner.
After a long scoring drought, and a save by senior goalkeeper Ahmad Timsah to keep the score unchanged, Theofield scored his hat trick goal.
With 4:25 left, the Copiague goalkeeper came out of the net to make a save, and punched the ball away amid a flurry of opponents. He pushed the ball straight toward the feet of Theofield, who seized his opportunity and knocked it in past the diving keeper for a 4-1 lead.
With 45 seconds left on the clock, Copiague scored its second goal of the game, to bring the final score to 4-2.
Northport’s Jordan Amella dribbles the ball downfield. Photo by Desirée Keegan
“We sort of died out at the end, but most of the game we were taking it to them, and that’s what we need to do for the rest of the season,” Theofield said. “We’re going to playoffs, and we’re hoping to take it to states.”
The team moves to 8-3 in League II with the win, has only let an opponent score three goals once, and has only given up two goals twice this season.
Despite losing two players in senior midfielder Dimitri Mendrinos and junior defender Ryan Pedersen, the team continues to rack up the wins.
“Every game is really a battle, so we just always have to play our best game,” Strasser said. “Since Dimitri’s injury, we are 2-1, and this is the first game without Ryan, so the first half we were 5-2, and the second half, right now, we’re 3-1, so all is good so far. At any given day, some team can beat you, so you just have to be on task and play hard from whistle to whistle; so we have to continue to play well.”
Smithtown East kicked off its homecoming day with a parade on Oct. 3. Hours later, Smithtown East fell to Copiague in a close contest, 14-8. Photo by Bob Savage
Smithtown East kicked off its homecoming festivities with a parade on Oct. 3. The Bulls dropped the football game later that day, 14-8, to Copiague. Photo by Bob Savage
The Smithtown East marching band performs during the Bulls' homecoming parade on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
The Smithtown East football team lines up and raises their helmets in the air prior to their 14-8 homecoming loss to Copiague. Photo by Bob Savage
Smithtown East junior quarterback Anthony Voelker rushes up the field with the ball during the Bulls' 14-8 homecoming loss to Copiague on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
Smithtown East senior defensive lineman Matthew Palumbo blocks a defender during Smithtown East's 14-8 homecoming loss to Copiague on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
The Smithtown East Whisperettes kickline team performs during the Bulls' homecoming halftime show. Smithtown East fell to Copiague, 14-8, on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
The Smithtown East Whisperettes kickline team performs during the Bulls' homecoming halftime show. Smithtown East fell to Copiague, 14-8, on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
Young girls danced in future Whisperettes outfits during Smithtown East's homecoming halftime celebration. Photo by Bob Savage
The Smithtown East marching band performs during the Bulls' homecoming parade on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
Smithtown East homecoming king Kevin Keese and queen Victoria Joscelyn pose for a photo during the Bulls' homecoming halftime show. Smithtown East fell to Copiague, 14-8, on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
Smithtown East sophomore defensive back Andrew Durland reaches to tackle an opponent during the Bulls' 14-8 homecoming loss to Copiague on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
Smithtown East junior linebacker Michael Marino tackles a Copiague player during the Bulls' 14-8 homecoming loss on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
Smithtown East junior quarterback Vincent Guarino rushes with the ball during the Bulls' 14-8 homecoming loss to Copiague on Oct. 3. Photo by Bob Savage
By Joe Galotti
The Smithtown East football team’s defense gave an admirable effort in the school’s homecoming game Saturday afternoon, but in the end could not do enough to help the Bulls earn their first victory of the season. Visiting Copiague scored only once in regulation, but still came away with a 14-8 win, thanks to an overtime rushing touchdown by junior quarterback Ronald James.
“From top to finish it was the best game we’ve played all year long,” Smithtown East head coach Chris Denton said. “The result was tough — having to end the game like that, especially on homecoming, but our defense played a great game.”
Even with wet and windy weather conditions, Smithtown East was able to draw a large crowd of students and parents for the school’s homecoming festivities, but on the field, the Bulls did not give their fans much to cheer about in the first half, as the team’s offense struggled to move the ball up field. Both defenses were sharp through the first two quarters though, resulting in a scoreless game at the half.
The contest’s first points came 4:11 into the third quarter, when Eagles junior running back J’Quan Brown delivered a 7-yard rushing touchdown. James then connected on a pass to junior tight end Tyrone Browne on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, to give Copiague an 8-0 advantage.
Smithtown East provided a quick response to the Eagles strike. With 6:01 remaining in the third, sophomore running back Lauden Hendricks broke a 70-yard touchdown run, giving his team a much needed spark. The sophomore was able to find a hole on a rush up the middle of the field, and once he found an opening, used his speed to race into the end zone.
“It was a trap right call,” Hendricks said. “It was a perfect blocking scheme and a perfect block that got me up to the second level. Then I just had to run it.”
Denton was not surprised by Hendricks’ highlight-worthy run, and said that his team has seen that level of play from him before.
“Lauden is a fantastic athlete,” Denton said. “Once he gets hot, he gets really hot. And then we just let him run the ball.”
The Bulls tied the game at 8-8 when junior quarterback Anthony Voelker found sophomore wide receiver Andrew Durland in the end zone for the two-point conversion.
After the two quick scores, the game returned to being a defensive struggle. The Eagles threatened to score in the final minute of regulation, but Smithtown East’s defense held strong, forcing overtime.
In the extra period, each team was given a chance to start a drive at their opponent’s 20-yard line. The Bulls got possession first, and nearly punched the ball into the end zone, but were denied when Copiage senior linebacker Dylan Dixon forced a Smithtown East fumble just shy of the goal line. The Eagles recovered the loose ball.
On the fifth play of Copaige’s ensuing drive, James faked to his running back and ran three yards to the outside for the game-winning touchdown.
While the Bulls defense was unable to avoid a frustrating defeat, Hendricks still was pleased with the unit’s effort.
“I think our defense played as good as we have all year,” he said. “There were just certain moments where we gave up the big play, and were just in bad situations.”
Smithtown East will look for better results in the second half of their 2015 campaign, beginning this Saturday, when the Bulls travel to Half Hollow Hills East for their opponent’s homecoming at 1:30 p.m.
