Authors Posts by Bill Landon

Bill Landon

It rained on Port Jefferson’s Homecoming football game Saturday afternoon in more ways than one, as a steady downpour fell on the grass field in the matchup against Center Moriches. 

The visitors broke the ice in the opening quarter, finding the end zone on short yardage and finishing it with a 2-point conversion for the early lead. Port Jeff quarterback Ryan Filippi answered back when he punched into the end zone on a keeper from 7 yards out, but the point after kick struck the left upright. Center Moriches found the end zone again with two minutes left in the half to make it a two-score game. 

Neither team was able to gain traction in the second half as Port Jeff fell 16-6 as time ran out in the Oct. 14 Division IV clash.

The Royals (2-4) will look to put another “W” in the win column with a road game against Mattituck/Greenport/Southold Friday Oct. 20. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

It is often said that one play decides the outcome of the game and that’s just what happened when Shoreham-Wading River came calling on the Islip Buccaneers in a Division III soccer matchup Thursday Oct. 5.

Islip scored on a rebound from a penalty kick halfway through the first half to take the 1-0 advantage. The Wildcats mounted a late-game surge, getting off several shots on goal in the closing minutes of the game but failed to find the back of the net as time expired.

Shoreham-Wading River goalie Morgan Lesiewicz had five saves.

The loss drops the Wildcats to 8-2-1 (8-3-2 overall) for third place in the division, trailing Kings Park and Bayport-Blue Point.

The Wildcats have three more regular season games before postseason play begins Saturday, Oct. 21.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Ward Melville senior Robert Hauss shoots for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

It was mainly Robert Hauss in Ward Melville’s convincing 6-1 victory over visiting Riverhead Blue Waves Monday morning, where the senior striker peppered the scoreboard with four of those goals. Hauss got started 15 minutes in when he rifled a shot to the corner of the net for the early lead. 

The Patriots broke the game wide open in the second half when Hauss tapped a rebound in for the score. Less than a minute later, he found the back of the net again, courtesy of Aiden Burgueno’s assist and scored again unassisted at the 32-minute mark to put his team up 4-0. 

Riverhead was able to avoid the shutout a minute later when Anthony Yanes’ shot found its mark. Burgueno then hit the back of the net as did teammate Cole Palillo in rounding out the scoring for the Patriots in the League II matchup Oct. 9. Ward Melville senior goalkeeper David McElroy had a quiet day with four saves.

The win lifts the Patriots to 5-0-1 in league (9-2-2 overall) with two regular season games remaining before postseason play begins Oct. 23.

Newfield struck first at home on the second play from scrimmage on a flea-flicker play that went 74-yards on a pass play to Kenny Petit Frere to break the ice against crosstown rival Centereach Saturday, Oct 7. 

It would be Newfield’s only points in the game as the Cougars went to work when LaRawn Robinson punched in from short yardage for the touchdown and finished it running in for the two-point conversion for the lead.

Centereach quarterback T.J. Doyle on a keeper found the end zone and, with a two-point run after, took a 16-7 lead into the locker room. Robinson, a wide receiver, threw to Jason Zaita on a 13-yard touchdown pass-play to open the second half to make it a three-score lead. Centereach senior running back Anthony Prince broke to the outside on a 12-yard run for his touchdown score and finished it by running in the two-pointer after, in the Cougar’s 32-7 victory in the Division II matchup.

— Photos by Bill Landon

The Port Jefferson Royals had their hands full when Mattituck (8-1-2) paid a visit in a League IX matchup Friday afternoon, Oct. 6, when the Tuckers took command of the game early and never looked back. Holding the Royals scoreless, Mattituck’s potent offense would spread the wealth peppering the scoreboard with a 6-0 shutout victory. Royals’ starter freshman goalie Sam Matvya made seven saves.

The Royals (now 0-10 in league) have four games remaining in the regular season in search of that elusive first win.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Above, Patriots celebrate after a score. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Ward Melville girls volleyball squad sat atop the League I leaderboard two games ahead of second place Patchogue-Medford when they hosted Bay Shore in a nonleague matchup Saturday, Sept. 30.  

Bay Shore, a League II team at 6-2, gave the Patriots a run for their money by forcing Ward Melville to a tight second set. The Patriots weathered the storm and were able to keep Bay Shore at bay, winning the match 25-22, 27-25, 25-19.

Ward Melville made it back-to-back wins with a 3-0 shutout at home against Riverhead Monday, Oct. 2, winning 25-19, 25-18, 25-15 in league play.

This win lifted the Patriots to 9-0 in the league. Next up was a road game against Walt Whitman Oct. 4, but the result was too late for press time. 

— Photos by Bill Landon 

Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats stand alone atop the Division II field hockey standings as only one of two teams that remain undefeated in Suffolk County. The Wildcats made short work of visiting Babylon with a 7-0 shutout victory at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field Monday, Oct. 2.

Maddi Herr led the way for the Wildcats with three goals, Sophia Minnion had one goal and three assists, while Haylie Abrams rocked the box with another goal. Mae Kilkenny and Kayla Corso rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats with one goal apiece. Goalkeeper Maggie Andersen had a quiet day protecting the box.

The win lifts Shoreham-Wading River to 10-0 overall just beyond the midway point in the season. The team has allowed only two goals against, with five games remaining before postseason play begins.

— Photos by Bill Landon

The East Hampton Bonackers paid a visit to Comsewogue High School Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 3, with a score to settle having lost, 2-0, to the Warriors in early September. After a goalless first half, it was Comsewogue’s Dylan Raspanti’s header off a corner kick that broke the ice for a 1-0 lead after 25 minutes of second half play.

East Hampton seemed to have the better offensive press, clearly winning the time of possession in the final minutes of the game and testing Comsewogue goalie Ryan Worhle. The junior keeper, however, was able to stave off East Hampton’s late game surge to hold on for the 1-0 victory in the League VI matchup. Worhle had six saves in goal.

With the win, Comsewogue improves to 5-3-0 in league play with four games remaining before postseason play begins.

— Photos by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Ward Melville girls field hockey at 6-0 in their division looked for another win in a road game against Sachem East (5-1) Saturday morning, Sept. 23, in a windswept driving rain as senior midfielder Olivia Comerford rocked the box at the 3:28 mark of the opening quarter to put the Patriots out front. Midway through the 3rd quarter Sachem East answered when Ava Stunder’s shot found its mark to tie the game 1-1. The final 12 minutes of regulation wouldn’t decide the outcome of the game, forcing overtime in the miserable conditions.

Sachem East’s Kacey Berger settled the matter 6:28 into the sudden death overtime period when she scored off an assist for the game winning goal for the 2-1 victory. 

Sachem East improves to 6-1 as the Patriots dropped to 6-1 in the Division I contest.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Port Jefferson had its hands full when the Royals hosted the Tornadoes of Harborfields Sept. 21 in a League III matchup where they found themselves down two goals at the halftime break. Harborfields’ junior Alexandra Fiumara found the right corner of the net off a rebound within four minutes followed by Lila Porzio at the 22-minute mark.

The Royals struggled to keep the ball upfield in the second half when Harborfields’ seniors Meaghan Fealy and Alanna Ratti both found the net to close out the game with a 4-0 victory.

Port Jeff goalie Rose Meliker-Hammock had 13 saves on the day and Harborfields’ keeper Keira Collins stopped 3.

The win lifted Harborfields to 5-2 on the season while the Royals fell to 1-5.

– Photos by Bill Landon