By Michael Scro
On May 12, Huntington girls lacrosse played Sachem North in a Division 1 matchup. Currently ranked second in Conference 1, Huntington had 11 wins entering their game against Sachem North, ranked fourth.
By the fourth quarter, the two teams were tied 4-4.
After a tough game, the Blue Devils lost 5-4. They will play Connetquot, also ranked fourth with a 9-3 record, on May 16 at 5:15 pm.
— Photos by Michael Scro,
Media Origin Inc.
By Bill Landon
It was all Ward Melville girl’s lacrosse when Walt Whitman came calling on May 12. The Patriots peppered the scoreboard with 10 unanswered points by the four-minute mark of the opening quarter to force a running clock.
The Patriots were loose and seemed to be able to score at will, keeping Whitman on their heels. Senior attack Olivia Zummo had her hat-trick with seven minutes left in the opening quarter that would set the tone for the Patriots the rest of the way.
Zummo finished the day with four goals and two assists with Ava Simonton adding three and Sadie Banks inked three assists and two goals in the 17-3 victory.
Goalie Delaney Florio notched a single save in the Division I matchup.
The win lifts the Patriots to 9-5 with two games remaining before post season play begins Tuesday May 20.
— Photos by Bill Landon
Stony Brook baseball held leads in both games of May 10th’s doubleheader, but UNCW rallied late in each contest to sweep the twin bill, defeating the Seawolves 7-3 in both games at Brooks Field in Wilmington, N.C.
GAME ONE: UNCW 7, STONY BROOK 3
Stony Brook threatened early, loading the bases in the top of the first after Matt Jackson led off with a single, but UNCW escaped the jam unscathed. The Seahawks then struck first with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the inning.
Right-hander John Rizzo settled in after that, retiring six straight batters and working around a leadoff double in the fourth to keep the score at 1-0.
The Seawolves broke through in the fifth. After Matt Miceli reached on an error and moved to second, Jackson drove him in with a single up the middle to tie the game.
In the sixth, Nico Azpilcueta singled and Cam Santerre followed with a double down the left field line. Nick Solorzano brought in the go-ahead run with a groundout, giving Stony Brook a 2-1 lead. But the Seahawks responded with a six-run bottom of the seventh to take control.
Johnny Pilla doubled to start the ninth and later scored on a James Schaffer pinch-hit single, but UNCW closed out the 7-3 win.
GAME TWO: UNCW 7, STONY BROOK 3
The Seawolves jumped ahead in game two. Erik Paulsen singled and Matthew Jackson walked in the first, but UNCW stranded both runners. Left-hander Nick Rizzo made the start and got out of the first with help from Santerre and Pilla, who combined with Scott Gell for an inning-ending play at the plate.
Santerre added a single in the second before Rizzo tossed a 1-2-3 bottom half.
Schaffer opened the third with a walk, stole second, and moved up on a flyout before Azpilcueta plated him with a sac fly. Jackson followed with a solo homer, giving Stony Brook a 2-0 lead.
UNCW answered with two runs in the bottom of the third and added another in the fourth to go up 3-2.
The Seawolves responded in the fifth as Schaffer singled and scored on a double by Paulsen to tie the game at 3-3. But the Seahawks again pulled ahead, plating three in the bottom half for a 6-3 edge.
Matthew Canizares pitched a clean sixth with a strikeout, and Jackson and Pilla each singled in the seventh, but Stony Brook couldn’t bring them in. UNCW added one more in the seventh to close the scoring.
George Adams recorded the final two outs for Stony Brook, stranding a runner with a strikeout-throwout double play.
The Seawolves went down in order in the ninth as UNCW secured its second 7-3 win of the day.
The team returns home for its final regular season series, hosting Monmouth beginning May 15 at Joe Nathan Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on FloCollege.
The No. 18 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team saw its 2025 season come to a close on May 11 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 2 Boston College by a final score of 10-7 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The Seawolves posted 16 victories this season and earned their 12th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Stony Brook was held scoreless through the first 25:02 of the game as Boston College went on a 6-0 scoring run. Through that time, the Seawolves were able to fire off seven shots with three hitting the post, three being saved, and one going wide in total.
Charlotte Wilmoth was able to open scoring for the Stony Brook squad with a goal from the doorstep, dished out by Casey Colbert at the 4:58 mark. Less than two minutes later, Courtney Maclay would find an open Olivia Schorr cutting to the crease for back-to-back Seawolves’ goals. The Eagles closed out the first half with a last second free position goal as Stony Brook trailed 7-2 heading into the break.
The Seawolves carried their momentum into the second half as Kylie Budke notched a free position goal at 12:34 in the third quarter, continuing to close in on the Eagles’ advantage. Boston College responded with another goal before Stony Brook went on a 3-0 scoring run between the third and fourth quarter courtesy of Wilmoth, Maclay, and Haydin Eisfeld to get back within two with 12:49 remaining in the contest.
The Eagles’ leading scorer, Rachel Clark, scored on a free position to take a three-goal lead, as Maclay recorded her second of the day to get the Seawolves back within two. Stony Brook would ultimately pull the goalie to get an extra defender in and time was running out on the Seawolves’ comeback. Boston College would score on an empty net with 52 seconds remaining as Stony Brook faced a 10-7 defeat.
After the Seawolves went down in order to start the game, right-hander Eddie Smink took the mound for Stony Brook. The junior tossed a clean first inning, retiring the side with a pair of groundouts.
Chanz Doughty led off the second with a walk and advanced to third following a double by Johnny Pilla down the right field line. UNCW responded with three straight outs to keep the Seawolves scoreless.
Smink worked around a one-out walk in the bottom half of the inning, picking up a strikeout and finishing the frame with a dropped third strike that resulted in an out at first.
Erik Paulsen delivered a two-out single to left center in the third, but the inning ended on a strikeout. Smink returned in the bottom of the frame, striking out the first batter and stranding two Seahawks on base with a flyout to Chris Carson to maintain a 0-0 game.
After another scoreless inning by Stony Brook in the top of the fourth, UNCW capitalized in the bottom half by loading the bases on two hit-by-pitches and an error. The Seahawks plated four runs in the frame on two hits and a pair of Seawolf errors to jump ahead 4-0.
Stony Brook went down 1-2-3 in the fifth, and UNCW followed with a three-run homer to extend its lead to 7-0. Vincent Mariella entered with two outs and two runners on, striking out the next batter to end the inning.
Paulsen sparked the sixth with a one-out single, and Doughty was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with two outs. A groundout back to the mound ended the frame.
Mariella worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, retiring the top of the Seahawks’ order to keep the deficit at seven.
The Seawolves went down in order in the top of the seventh before UNCW scored three more runs to close out a 10-0 win in seven innings.
The team continues its weekend series against UNCW on Saturday, May 10. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and the game will stream live on FloCollege.
It was a complete team effort on the defensive end as Avery Hines, Allie Masera, Abby Sabella, and Alexa Constant ran a tight ship, causing 14 turnovers and collecting 15 ground balls. Natalia Altebrando made eight saves in the cage, earning her 13th win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Through the first nine minutes of play, the Seawolves and Greyhounds traded shots but were unable to score. Stony Brook then opened scoring at 5:11 as Maclay notched her first of the day. Loyola responded with two of their own before the Seawolves’ found the back of the net, twice, with 15 seconds remaining in the quarter to take a 3-2 lead.
It was a quiet third quarter as Loyola scored a pair to start the half and Maclay got the Seawolves’ lone goal with 11 seconds to go, holding a 7-8 lead heading into the fourth.
Momentum was on Stony Brook’s side, scoring three more goals from Caporuscio, Maclay, and Fusco as the Greyhounds scored the final goal of the contest and the Seawolves went on to win, 11-8.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
Up next, the team advances to the NCAA Tournament Second Round to face No. 3 seed and host, Boston College, on Sunday, May 11 at noon. The game will be played at Alumni Stadium and air on ESPN+. This marks just the sixth time in program history that the Seawolves and Eagles will go head-to-head. The teams last met in the 2018 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals where Boston College emerged victorious 12-11 in overtime.
By Steven Zaitz
The Ward Melville softball team held their 5th annual charity game on May 3 for the benefit of the Gabby Petito Foundation and to bring awareness to domestic abuse.
For the past five seasons, the team has chosen a different charity to support and, for 2025, the team selected the Gabby Petito Foundation.
Petito, who attended Bayport-Blue Point High School, was 22 years old when she was murdered by her fiancé in 2021 during a cross-country road trip. The foundation’s mission is to address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations through education, awareness and prevention strategies.
Purple balloons, bunting and petals of lilac and lavender festooned the grounds near the softball field and, although it was only 10 o’clock in the morning, the strengthening whiff of fire-grilled hot dogs tantalized the taste buds.
Posters of Petito stood on easels near the backstop and an ice sculpture rested on a purple-and-pink draped table that was protected from the morning sun by a canvas tent. Two banners devoted to Petito and her namesake organization hung on the centerfield fence.
Dana Powell, mom of senior star player Emerson Powell, who is currently on the injured list, organized much of this event, which has raised more than $10,000 so far.
“We felt it would be great because this is a team of young ladies to bring awareness to domestic abuse and teach them — and the community — that it does start young. We want everyone to look for the signs,” said Powell, who is the head of the team’s booster club. “The Gabby Petito Foundation is doing amazing things to protect not just young women but also young men and missing persons.”
Members of Petito’s family participated in the pregame service and entered the field through the third-base fence, passing through a welcoming line of players holding their bats in an overhead V formation. The procession was led by Petito’s grandmother, Mary Wickman, and the family of about 10, who were all greeted by warm applause as they took their place near the middle of the diamond. Ward Melville head softball coach Joe Burger addressed the crowd near the third-base bleachers.
“There are times when our athletes need more than coaching,” Burger told the crowd. “They need to be lifted up, be seen, heard and supported. When the pressure of life and the game becomes too heavy, they need to know that we are standing right beside them and that we believe in them.”
Ward Melville players, coaches and most of the parents wore special purple shirts for this game that promoted the event on the front of the shirt and Gabby Petito Foundation. On the back, the phrase Love Doesn’t Hurt was written inside a heart-shaped border. Bellport donned similar shirts, but theirs were mostly white with purple trim.
Lady Patriots players Isabella Parente, Sara Kropp, Cate Scolaro and Kaitlyn Morales spoke to the crowd about how much they have learned about the many forms of domestic abuse and what can be done to help.
“I have learned that there are many resources and support available,” said Scolaro, who is an 11th grader. “Hotlines, shelters, counseling services and legal assistance are some of these and it is important to know that you are never alone and there is always help to escape the cycle of abuse and rebuild a safe life.”
Mary Wickman closed the oratorical portion of the ceremony with a heartfelt thank you to the team, the school and the Three Village community. Petito’s cousin, Bubba Wickman, a middle schooler in the Middle Country Central School District and a grandchild of Mary, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Patriots catcher Haley Mauser, as last-minute hugs were shared on and around the field up until the very last moments before the umpire shouted “Play Ball.” During this time, the team presented Mary Wickman with a bright yellow, glass-encased softball signed by every member of the team, along with a bouquet of pink and white flowers. As she posed for photos and hugged each player, Wickman was awash with emotion.
“Being a team isn’t just about what happens on the field, it’s about fighting for something bigger,” said Mary Wickman. “And these young women have done just that. To the coaches and the players and the school and the community, I say thank you for taking the time, energy as a force for good. For the love of Gabby, keep leading, keep caring and using your voice to make a difference.”
On the field the Lady Patriots certainly made a difference too, as they beat Bellport by a score of 17-5. Senior second baseman Sophie Reed hit a grand-slam home run in the first inning and Ward Melville raced out to a 7-0 lead after just one inning. Starting pitcher Makenna Steinberg struck out 10 Bellport batters for the win.
By George Caratzas
After a long career as a collegiate athletic executive, Ward Melville graduate Tom Theodorakis was recently named the athletic director of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Theodorakis — who attended Ward Melville from 2000 to 2002 — was a standout on the lacrosse field, eventually going on to play at the collegiate level at Syracuse. As a member of the Orange, Theodorakis made four NCAA tournaments, making three final four appearances and won the national championship in 2004.
“Lacrosse afforded me a lot of opportunities,” Theodorakis said. “To go to a place like Syracuse as a student-athlete just had a really profound impact on my life … I don’t know where I’d be without them. I came in as a proverbial punk kid and left school as an adult.”
Still, Theodorakis credits much of his start to the place where he spent his early years.
“I am very fortunate to grow up in a fantastic part of Long Island that afforded me a lot of great opportunities,” Theodorakis said. “One of those was going to Ward Melville High School. Not only was I surrounded by great teachers, but also first-class athletics.”
Fast forward 20 years, Theodorakis was named West Point’s 31st Athletic Director in February of this year. Previously, he served as a deputy director under Mike Buddie who he credits as an instrumental piece in his transition into the new role.
“It was a sudden change,” Theodorakis said. “I was fortunate that Mike empowered me on a lot of initiatives and responsibilities in our department. He really helped prepare me for this role.”
Working at a service academy poses a unique set of challenges, especially on the athletic level. While some of Theodorakis’ career stops have prioritized athletic excellence, West Point’s top goal remains to prepare cadets for future military experience.
“You have to recruit the right individuals that are thinking long-term,” Theodorakis said. “It takes a special type of individual that is able to say, ‘this is the sacrifice that I want to make.’ Ultimately, these individuals want to serve their country and set them up for success.”
West Point is not the first service academy that Theodorakis has called home. In fact, his first job out of college was an internship in the athletic department of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This role gave him all sorts of different experiences, including some not so glamorous ones.
“Air Force is definitely a smaller athletic department which let me have my hands on a lot of things,” Theodorakis said. “Sometimes this included cleaning out the closet or being the mascot, but those are the things you do in an entry level position. For me, I just loved all of it because I was just so excited to be a part of college athletics.”
His tenure in Colorado Springs was a jumping off point for various roles at the University of Arizona, UCLA and Harvard, before landing in the Hudson Valley.
“I knew that if someone’s going to give me an opportunity — or at least crack the door open — I am going to work my tail off to turn that into a full-time job,” Theodorakis said. “I grew up in New York, went to school in New York. I think getting out of my comfort zone personally and professionally was a really good thing and that came from moving out west.”
All along, Theodorakis’ plan was to return to the East Coast, a move he made in 2022.
“Ultimately, I always had the goal of moving back to New York, but I realized that it may take some time,” Theodorakis said. “These careers are not linear, and for me it took close to 15 years to get to Harvard and get back to the East Coast.”
Despite a lengthy career, Theodorakis stays true to his roots on Long Island’s north shore.
“It’s hard for me not to look back on my time growing up on Long Island and not to thank the amazing moms and dads that understood the value of sports,” Theodorakis said. “Whether it be coaching teams or volunteering, I still rely on a lot of those lessons today. It had such an impact on my life and they believed in the community and what we were doing.”
George Caratzas is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
After a 1-2-3 top of the third, Aidan Colagrande came on and worked out of a jam, inducing a double play to strand two runners.
Stony Brook threatened in the fourth, as Doughty singled to left and advanced to third following an error and a groundout by Johnny Pilla. But once again, the Red Storm ended the inning with a groundout to first, preserving their lead.
St. John’s extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three more runs to make it 6-0.
Following a scoreless top of the fifth, Vincent Mariella kept the Red Storm off the board in the bottom half, ending the frame with a caught-stealing from Gell.
Paulsen collected his second hit of the day with a one-out single in the sixth, but St. John’s turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. The Red Storm then added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on one hit and two Seawolves errors to push the lead to 8-0.
Stony Brook went down in order in the seventh. Ryan Dieguez entered and stranded the bases loaded with a flyout to right, keeping the Red Storm scoreless in the inning.
The Seawolves broke through in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs on two hits. Brett Davino, Cam Santerre, and James Schaffer each drew walks to load the bases. Paulsen drove in Davino with a single to right, and Nico Azpilcueta followed with a two-run single up the middle, cutting the deficit to 8-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, Dieguez stranded two more runners in scoring position with a swinging strikeout to end the frame.
Stony Brook added one more run in the ninth, but St. John’s closed it out to secure the 8-4 victory.
The team heads to Wilmington this weekend for a three-game series against UNCW. The opener is set for Friday, May 9 with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. on FloCollege.
Stony Brook softball fell to No. 4 Campbell and No. 6 Hofstra on day one of the 2025 CAA Championship at Buies Creek, N.C. on May 7 to end the season.
GAME ONE: CAMPBELL 13, STONY BROOK 7
Stony Brook scored twice in the first inning after Campbell committed a pair of errors in the frame. Kyra McFarland reached on an error leading off and Alyssa Costello walked and both came around to score with two outs after Madelyn Stepski’s speed forced an errant throw at first.
Campbell responded in the home half of the first, evening the contest on a ground-rule double that plated two runners. The Camels pushed across a pair of two-out runs, chasing Crimson Rice from the game in the first inning. Gabrielle Maday induced a ground ball for the final out, stranding two runners in scoring position.
The Seawolves had runners on second and third with one out after hits from Emily Reinstein and Malorie Hill, but did not score in the second.
The Camels put up a four-spot in the scoring column for the second straight inning, taking an 8-2 lead after two full innings.
Nicole Allen doubled to lead off the third and Mia Vannelli worked a walk, but a double play helped Campbell post a second-straight scoreless frame.
Maddie Male took to the circle for the third inning and despite loading the bases with no outs, allowed just one run and escaped a jam.
Trailing by seven runs, Costello put a dent in Stony Brook’s deficit with a grand slam to right. Allen followed with her second double of the game, but the four runs were all the Seawolves managed in the fourth.
Campbell got two of the four runs it allowed back in the next half inning, extending its lead to five runs after four frames.
The Camels added a pair of insurance markers in the fifth inning. Campbell placed the potential winning run, via the eight-run rule, in scoring position with two away, but Male stranded her to keep the Seawolves in it.
Naiah Ackerman led off the sixth with a ground-rule double and scored on a McFarland single to make it a six-run game.
Rice re-entered in the sixth inning, working a scoreless frame to send things to the seventh.
Stony Brook went down in order in the seventh, falling to the host Campbell and moving to the elimination bracket.
GAME TWO: HOFSTRA 7, STONY BROOK 2
Maday started the elimination game for the Seawolves, allowing three runs on four hits in the first frame.
Allen worked a two-out walk in the first inning, but Stony Brook did not score.
Hofstra added another run in the second inning after a missed tag at home plate. The Pride extended their lead to five runs after a second unearned run scored.
The Seawolves’ three hitters saw just five pitches in the second inning, going down in order.
Maday made quick work of Hofstra in the top of the third, retiring the side in order on just eight pitches.
The Seawolves got on the board in the third inning on a wild pitch and again in the fourth frame when Naiah Ackerman doubled to the opposite field. Hofstra stranded a pair of runners to end the inning and keep it a three-run game.
Hofstra extended its lead back to five runs, 7-2, with two runs in the fifth inning. One run scored on miscommunication on a throw down to second and another came around on a sacrifice fly to right. Maday finished the frame with a strikeout.
Stony Brook could not push runs across in the final three frames, falling to Hofstra in the first elimination game of the 2025 CAA Championship.
