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Ward Melville Patriots open season against East Islip

by Bill Landon - September 1, 2021

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Ward Melville’s girls soccer team finished last season atop the League II leader with a 9-0-1 record in an abbreviated COVID-shortened season to advance to the Suffolk Class AA final. The Patriots, No. 1 seed, faced Sachem East, the No. 3 seed,w and played to a 1-1 tie to share the Class AA title as co-champions.

Ward Melville opened their 2021 campaign at home where they hosted East Islip to kick off a full season the first time since 2019. After 80 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods, the results were the same, ending in a scoreless 0-0 tie in a non-league game Aug. 30.

The Patriots are back in action Sept. 1 in another non-league matchup on the road against St. Anthony’s with a 7 p.m start before league play begins Sept. 4 on the road against Walt Whitman. Game time is 10 a.m.

Engeman Theater raising funds for revitalization of Northport Village basketball court

by Press Release - August 28, 2021

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Kevin O’Neill & Rich Dolce, owners of the John W. Engeman Theater, have joined forces with Northport High School 1995 Long Island Champion Boys Basketball Team in their effort to refurbish the iconic basketball court in Cow Harbor Park in downtown Northport Village to create an accessible place where kids can discover and nurture a love for the game.

“By working with the Northport Basketball Team, we are helping children and families have increased access to healthier lifestyles as well as safe, inclusive and innovative play opportunities for years to come,” said Kevin O’Neill.

“What’s been so inspiring is how many former classmates who are now parents have contributed to the initiative. As parents we have a unique perspective on how important a role sports play in building confidence and character. Kevin & Rich are parents too and have seen the benefits of sports on their own kids. They recognize that something as seemingly simple as a basketball court can have a profound impact on young people as they develop,” stated Doug Trani & Chris Wiebke, Northport Class of 1995 who are spearheading the efforts.

The Theater has pledged a $7,000 donation to the $23,861 already raised through the GoFundMe campaign that the team has set up.

All proceeds from ticket sales to SMOKEY JOES CAFE performances on 9/16 & 9/17 will be donated towards the project goal of $50,000.

“Basketball has had a profound impact on our lives, and it all stems from playing in our local parks here in Northport. Providing kids and teens the chance to fall in love with the game we did is an opportunity we didn’t want to pass up,” said Doug Trani.

The John W. Engeman Theater is located at 250 Main Street in Northport. To purchase tickets to the Sept. 16 or Sept. 17 performances of Smokey Joe’s Café, please call 631-261-2900 or visit www.johnengemantheater.com

Your Turn: The Field of Dreams becomes a dream realized

by Barbara Anne Kirshner - August 25, 2021

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By Barbara Anne Kirshner

The mighty Yankees and the AL Central first place White Sox magically emerge from a voluminous cornfield to take their places on a well-manicured baseball diamond and the game begins.

This scene played as if right out of a movie, except this wasn’t a movie, it was an actual baseball game. But it wasn’t being played in a grand stadium, instead it was played in a regulation ball field in rural Dyersville, Iowa, surrounded by acres of tall corn only feet away from the original baseball field and house featured in the iconic Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams.

The regular-season baseball game, which had been delayed for one year due to the COVID pandemic, finally played Thursday evening August 12. It was exciting as if scripted by Hollywood with a surprising edge of your seat twist at the end.

The Yankees fought their way back from a 7-4 deficit at the top of the ninth when they rallied with a two-run homer from Aaron Judge, then another two-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton off the Sox closer Liam Hendriks, to make the score 8-7 in the Yankees’ favor.

But the Yankees’ dreams of victory in Iowa were suddenly dashed when at the bottom of the ninth inning Tim Anderson hit the first pitch from Zack Britton to land a walk-off home run right in the middle of those corn fields giving the win to the White Sox.

Though the Yankees left in defeat, just being a part of this spectacular event was thrilling for the players and their fans. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “That was as special and breathtaking a setting for a baseball game as I’ve ever been part of.” Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said, “It was pretty cool driving in and seeing everybody standing on the side of the road, with signs, cheering us on as we’re coming in.”

This newly built 8,000 seat ballpark sits right next to the original built for the 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta and James Earl Jones. Before the game, Costner ambled onto the outfield like his character Ray Kinsella and watched as the White Sox and Yankees walked out of the cornrows to take their places.

Baseball in hand, Costner headed to the microphone while the original musical score from the movie accompanied him. The actor looked at the crowd and uttered, “It’s perfect. We’ve kept our promise. The dream is still alive. There’s probably just one question to answer. Is this heaven? Yes, it is.” And it was perfect; it was heaven. The dramatic introductory festivities were a prelude to this exciting game.

Throughout the evening there were clips from the movie featuring some of the classic quotes, adding to the enchantment of it all. One pivotal quote from James Earl Jones’ character Terrance Mann was “Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom.”

And that’s exactly what happened Thursday, August 12, 2021. People came to Iowa to that magnetic cornfield to be part of the tradition of baseball, but more than that, they came to be part of a unique event. In addition to those in attendance were the 5.9 million total viewers on FOX Television, the largest audience for a regular season game on any network since 2005.

At the end of the movie, the ghost players were on the field with Ray Kinsella looking on. Suddenly, the catcher takes off his mask revealing he is Kinsella’s deceased dad and after a few words, the father and son play catch leaving all of us to ponder what if we could have just a few minutes to play catch with a loved one.

Playing catch is such a singularly inviting activity for two people. The ball and the throw unite the pair. If only I could have one more moment with my mom, the person who introduced me to baseball and her beloved Yankees. If we could play catch like we did when I was a kid, what I would give for the chance to relive that moment with her.

Fans and players lingered after the game, then finally started their pilgrimage back home with the wish for one more moment.

Thankfully, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the Field of Dreams game will return to Dyersville, Iowa next August 2022. The teams taking part are undecided as of this writing.

Miller Place resident Barbara Anne Kirshner is a freelance journalist, playwright and author of “Madison Weatherbee —The Different Dachshund.”

Team USA Softball coach reflects on mental health, COVID Olympics

by Daniel Dunaief - August 4, 2021

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Coach-Eriksen — Coach Ken Eriksen during practice with Team USA Softball. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Some days, you win a close race against the best in the world by a fingernail, the way Michael Phelps did in 2008 in the 100-meter butterfly.

Coach Ken Eriksen with members of Team USA softball team. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Other days, your team, after thousands of hours of practice, working hard, watching video and dancing on a bus — more on this later — you lose by that same margin.

That’s how Team USA Softball’s coach Ken Eriksen, who contributed his last volunteer hour to traveling around the world on behalf of the country, felt after losing 2-0 to Japan in the gold medal game at the Tokyo Olympics.

“The difference between gold or silver is almost microscopic,” Eriksen said. “Japan had a good day.”

A turning point in the gold medal game came in the bottom of the sixth inning when American third-basemen Amanda Chidester lined a ball that hit off her counterpart at third base and into the shortstop’s mitt, who threw to second base to get a double play, ending a potential American rally from a 2-0 deficit.

“When that play occurred, that’s the first time in the game that I said, ‘This may not be our day,’” Eriksen, a 1979 graduate of Ward Melville High School said.

The head coach was pleased with the preparation and effort from a team of 15 players, including pitching legends Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott, who returned for one more chance at an Olympic medal.

“I thought we played a very good tournament,” Eriksen said from Tampa, Florida, where he has been the University of South Florida head softball coach for the last 24 years.

Outside the lines, the Olympics presented numerous challenges. Even on their way to the Olympics, it was clear this would be a unique experience, as the only people on the flight to Japan were either athletes or the military.

Once in the country, they had numerous restrictions as a result of the Delta variant.

“The Japanese wouldn’t let you do much,” Eriksen said.

The team and coaches went to the ballpark and spent much of their time at the hotel. They couldn’t go outside and socialize with other athletes. Inside the village, they had to put on their masks everywhere.

Each morning, the players and coaches had a COVID saliva test, which built anxiety as the team waited for results in the afternoon.

“There was no release of stress to go out and just relax,” Eriksen said. “Elite athletes need that pressure release and coaches need it.”

Indeed, in addition to restrictions placed on the team, the athletes regularly heard from Japanese citizens who were upset that the Olympics even took place.

“Everywhere we went, we heard protests,” Eriksen said. “It’s unnerving. You’re there in allegedly the greatest athletic event in the world and in the host country, they don’t want you. When you’re hearing voices coming over megaphones behind a police line, it’s not normal.”

To counterbalance the stress and help the team, Eriksen said he slackened the reins, giving his players the green light to get “goofy.”

“People think of athletes as having ice in their veins. They are human beings.”

— Ken Eriksen

Led by infielder Valerie Arioto, 32, the team danced on the bus. Arioto did the “greatest rendition of Cher” and Kelly Clarkson, Eriksen said. The head coach also allowed the team to listen to music while practicing, giving them a chance to blow off steam while preparing for upcoming games.

Mental health

Eriksen said the softball team had already focused on the mental health aspects of the game, which gymnast Simone Biles brought to the world’s attention when she withdrew from the team and several individual events.

“We’ve been ahead of the curve on this for three or four years,” Eriksen said.

While people talk about softball and baseball as games of failure because a batter is considered successful if he or she gets on base once in three tries, Eriksen said the softball team describes the experience as a “game of opportunity,” by defining successes in ways other than batting averages.

Eriksen is grateful to Biles and Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from Wimbledon rather than face questions from the media, for raising the issue of mental health for athletes.

“People think of athletes as having ice in their veins,” he said. “They are human beings. The pressure on anybody that wears a U.S. uniform … is almost unfair.”

The rest of the world has improved in numerous sports, including softball, in part because American coaches have helped train them, Eriksen added. Through the Olympics, American players compete against their college roommates or coaches who worked with them earlier in their careers.

After the gold medal game ended in heartbreak for players who put everything they had into the game, Eriksen said he shared a few words with the team.

“This game will not be the toughest they’ll ever play,” he recalled. “The toughest game will start tomorrow: the rest of their life.”

He encouraged players to call him for any future support.

Having been an assistant coach with the gold-medal winning team in Athens in 2004, Eriksen recognized that the game fades quickly.

“Within five minutes, you have the realization that it’s over and the climb is the most exhilarating part,” he said.

Eriksen was pleased to have the support and leadership of 38-year-old Osterman and 36-year-old Abbott, who served as inspirations to their teammates. He described the two pitchers as the Nolan Ryans of their era.

“What God gave these people is absolutely rare,” Eriksen said, as they have maintained their athleticism well into their 30s.

Accumulated wisdom

After all his years on the diamond, first as a baseball player at Ward Melville and in college at USF, and then as a coach, Eriksen shared a few thoughts.

When he was hired, his athletic director at USF told him never to get in a conversation with parents because he’ll always lose. Twice in his career, he removed players from the team because their parents questioned him about playing time.

As for being around men’s and women’s teams, he suggested a difference among athletes of each gender.

“Women have to feel good to play good, men have to play good to feel good,” he said.

In his coaching career, he recalled one moment that mirrored a scene from the Kurt Russell movie “Miracle,” in which the actor played Coach Herb Brooks from the 1980 ice hockey team that defeated the Russians amid the Cold War in Lake Placid.

Before tryouts ended, Russell gave a stunned Olympic hockey league director his list of players.

In 2019, Eriksen said he, too, handed the Olympic softball league director a list of the 15 players who would be on the team before tryouts ended.

Eriksen said he is comforted by his decision to retire from coaching Team USA.

“If I never get on an airplane again, I’ll be okay,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s good to wake up in your own bed, drink coffee on the back porch and listen to the birds.

Ward Melville graduate coaches Team USA softball to silver in Olympics

by Daniel Dunaief - July 29, 2021

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Coach-Eriksen2 — Coach Ken Eriksen with members of Team USA softball team. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Coached by 1979 Ward Melville High School graduate Ken Eriksen, Team USA softball team ran out of walk-off magic in the gold medal game Tuesday.

After coming from behind to beat Australia, 2-1, and then Japan by the same score in the last two games before the final, Team USA couldn’t rally to beat Japan in the gold medal game, falling 2-0.

Coach Ken Eriksen during practice with Team USA. Photo by Jade Hewitt from USA Softball

Eriksen, who had a successful college baseball career, has extensive softball coaching and playing experience, including as the current head coach of the University of South Florida for over 24 years. He has had several roles with the national team over the years, including as an assistant on the 2004 Olympic team that won gold in Athens. He became head coach of Team USA in 2011.

Members of the local athletic community expressed their admiration for the coach and his involvement at the Olympic games.

“For one of our former student athletes to be coaching on the highest stage possible in the world is something we’re so proud of,” said Kevin Finnerty, athletic director of the Three Village Central School District. Eriksen’s role shows “that our students, through hard work, effort and time can” reach their goals.

Joseph Burger, who has been coaching softball at Ward Melville for seven years, appreciated the connection between Eriksen and the high school.

“When you have a Ward Melville graduate coaching the Olympic team, that sheds a great light on the sport and what we’re trying to do here,” Burger said. “This is very positive for the program.”

Burger appreciated how Team USA showed sportsmanship at the end of the loss, which, he said, reflects well on the coach.

Burger, who posted the Team USA softball schedule on the high school softball team’s Instagram page, said the games set a great example for his players.

The Olympians are “aggressive toward the ball,” he said.

Rising Ward Melville junior third baseman and team captain Alicea Pepitone watched the gold medal game.

“They played their hearts out this whole series in the Olympics,” said Pepitone, who would like to play in college. “They should be proud, even though it didn’t go down the way they wanted it to.”

Pepitone thought it was “awesome” that Coach Eriksen attended Ward Melville. She recalls watching softball in the Olympics in 2008.

“I want to be one of those girls on that field and wearing that jersey,” she said.

Reached by email before the final game, Eriksen responded to TBR’s questions from Tokyo.

TBR: Who were some of your softball mentors growing up in Setauket?

Eriksen: My coaching mentors from Long Island were Russ Cain at Gelinas Junior High School and Coach Everett Hart. They were both tremendous teachers. They both taught the game, and you would never know you were up by 10 or down by 10. They treated and respected the game as it should be … a teaching platform for life.

TBR: Have you emulated any of the coaching patterns you observed as a player?

Eriksen: Most definitely. It’s all about the players’ ability to be prepared for any situation and trust them to react to the situations.

TBR: What is the best advice you received as a player?

Eriksen: Trust your preparation. Less is more.

TBR: Do you use that advice with the players on USA softball?

Eriksen: Every day.

TBR: Is the sport of softball any different than it was during the age of Jennie Finch?

Eriksen: It’s more competitive worldwide now than it was prior to 2008. You can see that by the competition in the last four World Championships and the 2021 games.

TBR: Does the sport require any different skill sets?

Eriksen: Absolutely as it does comparatively to baseball.

TBR: How is USA softball any different from softball in the rest of the world?

Eriksen: The expectations sometimes are unrealistic in respect of not thinking it’s a global game.

TBR: Does your team or does the program emphasize specific skills that differentiate it from softball in the rest of the world?

Eriksen: Not really. Everyone spends an inordinate amount of time trying to be flawless.

TBR: What is different about coaching and playing?

Eriksen: It was easier to play! Only had to worry about me!

TBR: Have you had to learn different skill sets as a coach than you had as a player?

Eriksen: Obviously when you are dealing as a manager in any organization there is a “human hierarchy of needs” that each player presents to you as a coach. When you have a unit that is together for years, you better understand the people first.

TBR: Was it challenging to coach and play softball without anyone in the stands?

Eriksen: Not really. When you are locked into the moment, all noise is irrelevant in the heads of elite athletes.

TBR: Was the team able to provide the energy and excitement that the crowd might normally offer in the context of a more typical softball game or season?

Eriksen: We bring it every day regardless. That happens when you wear U-S-A on the front of your jersey.

TBR: What’s next after the Olympics?

Eriksen: For me … getting away from the spotlight. Won’t be hard. I love the “game,” but it’s a game. It’s not my whole life. The old saying … “gone fishing.”

Battle of the Badges in Yaphank

by Bill Landon - June 25, 2021

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It was the Lawmen of Suffolk County who took on the Nassau County Lawmen in the Battle of the Badges charity softball game at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank on Wednesday, June 23.

The Nassau lineup consisted of police officers from the Nassau County Police Department, while the Suffolk roster included correction officers, deputy sheriffs and members of the SCPD.

After the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Honor Guard presented our nations colors, the Suffolk County Police Department Pipe and Drums took to the diamond before the ceremonial first pitch was thrown by SCPD Officer Christopher Racioppo.

Racioppo was severely injured when he was stabbed during a traffic stop in Patchogue earlier this year.

Both teams fielded long ball hitters in a high scoring game in a benefit for the USA Patriots/Wounded Warrior Amputee softball team. Its mission is to bring athletic and like-minded veteran amputees together to promote the benefits of inclusive sport and therapeutic recreational activities, to inspire and motivate communities of people, to support children with physical challenges, and to operate as a vehicle that offers national opportunities for continued service to our country.

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr., Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Stuart Cameron, and Nassau County Police Commissioner Pat Ryder conducted the coin toss to decide who batted first.

The USA Patriots are made up of veterans from across the country. They will return to Long Island next month for two free games and a children’s clinic, where players will meet with kids and stand for photo ops.

On July 17, the USA Patriots will go against the Bayport Blue Point All Stars at the newly turfed Bayport Commons, 2p.m.

Sunday, July 18, the team will go against the Long Island All Stars at noon at the Medford Athletic Complex in Brookhaven. There will be a s special opening ceremony with guest of honor Daniel Murphy, father of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy.

On Friday, July 16, at the Bayport Commons and the Medford Athletic Complex in Brookhaven, kids ages 5-12 can meet and greet the players at the children’s clinic, starting at 2 p.m. The clinic is free, but they ask to register with Scott June at [email protected].

All events are free. Donations will be accepted.

Additional reporting by Julianne Mosher

Both Northport Lacrosse teams win Long Island title on the same day

by TBR Staff - June 23, 2021

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By Steven Zaitz

The Tiger Title Train rolls on — and it is making stops all over Long Island.

On a day that would be considered incredible even by Northport Athletic standards, both the boys and girls lacrosse teams captured Long Island Class A Championships June 19 and together sit atop the Long Island lacrosse universe.

The boys beat Syosset, 11-10, at East Islip, in a match that was as hotly contested as the scorching artificial turf beneath the players’ feet. The raucous crowd, half dressed in red and the other half blue, was deafening from the opening whistle, reacting boisterously to every save, turnover and goal.

The Lady Tigers traveled to Bethpage to take on Massapequa and won in rather casual yet dominating fashion by a 10-6 score. It wasn’t even that close.

The win capped a perfect 19-0 season for the #1 seeded Lady Tigers, who now have two straight Long Island crowns in their trophy case, to go with a New York State title the last time that tournament was played in 2019.

The boys, who floundered around in the beginning of the 2021 season, earned it the hard way with a third seed. They beat perennial top teams Smithtown West and Ward Melville, the latter of which had won the past four county titles. The win against Syosset on Saturday was the Tigers 13th straight.

Tyler Kuprianchick, whose primary function is to take faceoffs, won the James C. Metzger Most Valuable Player Award for the Syosset L.I. title game. He won 65% of his faceoffs during the bracket and over 80% for the year. He also chipped in offensively with a goal on Saturday.

“It’s a blessing to get the M.V.P. of this game, especially because it was for the championship of all of Long Island. It’s so special,” said the fresh-faced Kuprianchick. “My teammates and my coaches have pushed me to be the player I am today.”

He was also pushed by Syosset midfielder Luca Cutolo, but in not such a nurturing manner. In fact, Kuprianchick had to go to the hospital after receiving his M.V.P trophy with a split tongue due to Cutolo’s hit.

“I had to get three stitches in my tongue but winning the Long Island Championship today made it all worth it,” Kuprianchick said. “One hundred percent!”

“Tyler works so hard at his craft and I’m so happy for him,” said Northport Head Coach Larry Cerasi. “He does all those things when nobody is watching, to be the best at what he does – and he is.”

Cerasi, who is in his first year as varsity head coach and took over for longtime coach George Searing, is not looking ahead to what he and his Tigers might do for an encore. Not yet.

“I’m just going to enjoy this moment,” Cerasi said. “I’m really, really proud of this team because we didn’t start the season off too well, but we obviously turned it up as the year progressed to play at this high level.”

Goaltender Andrew Tittmann, who is considered the vocal leader of the team, was spectacular in net for the entire playoffs. He made many difficult, point-blank saves and was aggressive around the crease by shooing away pesky attackers, smartly cutting off angles and making pinpoint outlet passes.

“As a goalie, I see the field in front of me and have the chance to focus on all the matchups,” Tittmann said. “It’s one of my jobs to keep everybody involved, make sure everybody is talking and know what they need to do. Communication is so important in this game, and it brings everyone, offense and defense, closer as a team.”

The Tigers built a 7-4 lead in the first quarter with a dizzying display of offense by both teams.

Midfielder Tristan Triolo opened the scoring for the Tigers four minutes in. Michael Meyer had his customary multiple goal game and Ryan McCarthy, Tim Kirchner and Casey Fortunato helped to build this lead with goals of their own.

But Syosset would not go away. In fact, they would score five of the next six goals, bridging the second and third quarter, to take a one goal lead at 9-8 — the final one in that stretch by Syosset Brave Danny Garone, who had a hat trick on the day.

Despite the heat and fatigue from playing three games in five days, the Tigers had an answer to this.

Jack Helrigel tied the score almost immediately after Garone’s goal. Triolo and Emerson Payne, a defensive midfielder, each scored in the fourth giving Northport a two-goal lead. Payne’s goal was far from pain-free as he lay on the baking turf for close to three minutes after a vicious stick check, again by Cutolo.

“I was running at full speed and so was their defender and he hit me a little high,” Payne said. “I took my shot on goal and didn’t even know the ball went in. When my guys came over to celebrate, I thought they were coming to help me up. But I saw the goalie getting the ball out of the net and I realized that I had scored.”

It was only Payne’s second goal of the year, but what a big one it was. It would be the final goal of a long and ultra-successful season for the Northport Tigers, following up another team that knows a lot about ultra-success — their Lady Tiger counterparts.

Earlier that morning, in a somewhat sleepier setting across county lines in Bethpage, the 18-0 Lady Tigers took on the happy-to be-here Massapequa Chiefs and their less than shiny 6-10 regular season record. It showed, as Northport breezed to a 5-1 lead midway through the second quarter.

“I felt like we controlled the whole game,” head coach Carol Rainson-Rose said. “We went out and got a good lead which helped our confidence.”

Confidence was not in short supply for superstar attackers Kaylie Mackiweicz and Shannon Smith, both juniors. Mackiweicz had four goals and Smith had two, along with a gorgeous assist when she hit Mackiweicz with a perfect lead pass from behind the net.

“We were working well together out there today as an entire unit,” Smith said. “We really practice finding the open person and Kaylie was able to finish on that play, which she usually does.”

Smith is not kidding. Mackiweicz finished with a ridiculous 66 goals for the year, including playoffs, averaging three and a half a game. She credits Rose for putting herself, and the team, in the best position to win.

“Coach Rose is a master of making the right adjustments,” Mackiweicz said. “She pushes you to be the best you can be, and nobody knows this game as well as she does.”

The proof is in the numbers — as well as the trophies. This is Rainson-Rose’s second Long Island Class A title in a row. She won her 13th Suffolk County crown when the Lady Tigers beat Smithtown East last Wednesday, and she is the runaway favorite to win her fourth Long Island Coach of the Year when that is announced — and oh yeah, her team has won 35 games in a row, dating back to 2019.

Isabella Germani had a pair of goals, and Emma Demarco and Emma McLam each had one. Tara Walsh had three assists and Midfielder Ella Cabrera patrolled the field from end to end, which maintained the Lady Tigers territorial advantage for most of the contest.

Massapequa showed signs of mustering an uprising with a goal midway through the second half to cut Northport’s lead to 8-5. But Lady Tiger Goaltender Megan Morris made some key stops and got a little help when the Chiefs had a goal wiped off the board, as there was a player illegally in Morris’s crease.

That would have cut the lead to two with about ten minutes to go. But it stayed at three and became four when Smith scored minutes later. At that point, the rest of the game was a countdown to Rose’s Gatorade shower — which her players were only too happy to administer. It is Rainson-Rose’s ninth Long Island Championship at Northport.

After the win, the newly-crowned Lady Tigers raced over to East Islip to cheer on the boys team. Northport athletes from all different sports have been cheering for each other during this playoff-packed month of June, and Coach Cerasi feels very strongly that the support from the other teams, especially the Lady Tigers, helped push his squad to victory.

“Northport Lacrosse is like a family,” Cerasi said. “After they won, Coach Rose took her team straight to our game to support us. When our boys saw the girls team walk into the bleachers with their uniforms still on, and with their trophy, they got so motivated to follow suit — follow what the girls had done. It was a very special moment and it’s great that both teams are so genuinely proud of what the other was able to accomplish.”

Many other Northport athletes were there to support their classmates in other sports throughout this playoff run and it seems to be part of the D.N.A. of what makes Northport’s athletic achievements so noteworthy.

During this new era of COVID-driven alterations and concessions, the boys basketball team won Suffolk County, the football team won League III, the field hockey team won the Long Island championship, and the boys badminton team won the Suffolk County Championship. All of this winning in a four-month span.

The list goes on with the 2021 successes of both cross-country teams, baseball, softball, wrestling, soccer, volleyball and girls basketball all having successful post-season runs for the White, Blue and Gold.

But it was the Northport Lacrosse program, on a memorable Saturday in June, that put the two final cherries on the Tigers’ championship sundae.

Mustang Kellachan shuts down SWR for conference championship

by TBR Staff - June 23, 2021

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By Steven Zaitz

Mount Sinai senior pitcher Dan Kellachan has a long memory.

When head baseball coach Eric Reichenbach handed Kellachan the ball to pitch against archrival Shoreham Wading River for the Conference V title, the fireballing righty had a single thought — revenge.

Back on May 14, the 6’1”, 200-pounder was uncharacteristically shelled by SWR for four runs in four innings, including two home runs, in his only loss of the season.

“Since then, that game has been the only thing on my mind, and I wouldn’t have wanted to face any other team to win the championship,” Kellachan said. “I knew I could have done better against them last time. I was happy I got the chance to prove myself.”

He did exactly that, as the Mustangs defeated the Wildcats 4-1 on Friday afternoon and advanced to the Long Island Championship game against Nassau County’s Island Trees. Kellachan, mixing a fastball in the low 90s with a knuckle curve, struck out four in 5 2/3 innings, escaped some serious basepath traffic, and got big-time help from his defense and bullpen.

“With a championship on the line, there is nobody else I’d rather have out on that mound than Dan,” Reichenbach said. “His outing against these guys in May did not worry me at all. Dan has the mental make-up just for this type of situation — and he proved it tonight.”

From very early on, Kellachan would call upon that mental make-up, as the Wildcats were prowling around the bases and looking to strike.

“I got out of a couple of tough spots there and I had a lot of help from my defense,” the Ithaca-bound senior said.

In the 2nd inning, the Wildcats put runners on second and third to start the frame. Kellachan struck out Jacob Bacenet and Joey Marchese and then got Kyle Engmann to ground out to end the threat. Kellachan pumped his fist with delight on his way back to the dugout. It would be one of many fist pumps on the afternoon.

In the 5th, Mustang center fielder Joe Valenti made a fine shoestring grab and right fielder JT Caruso made a diving catch to end the inning with the bases loaded. In the 6th, with Mount Sinai nursing a three run lead, Matt Fauvell, who replaced Caruso in right, made a twisting catch of a wind-blown ball with two outs and the bases again loaded.

If that ball gets past Fauvell, the game would have likely been tied.

“We’ve been playing great defense all year,” Reichenbach said. “Our offense has come and gone at times during the season, but we’re all about pitching and defense, and those two parts of our team showed up today.”

SWR starting pitcher Billy Steele wasn’t as fortunate. Two errors in the third inning led to three unearned runs for the Mustangs and first basemen Matt Galli, who would relieve Kellachan and finish the game, knocked in L.J. Bohne and Matthew Carrera with a single to center. Mount Sinai would eventually take a 4-1 lead into the seventh.

Galli pitched 1 1/3 innings for the save, giving up two walks and a hit. Despite the baserunners, not to mention his unorthodox style of having his baseball cap fly off his head after every pitch, he negotiated the final four outs, fittingly sent Kellachan off to college as a winning pitcher — and his team to a championship.

Upon the final putout, there was a sea of white and red bedlam in the middle of the diamond — with Kellachan on the bottom of the pile.

“There’s no better way to go out,” said Kellachan, who acknowledged the adoring home crowd with a tip of the cap when he was relieved in the sixth. “We have such a great team and we’ve had such a great season. I’m glad I could get this win. Now, we have one more win to get.”

The Mustangs would indeed get that win, beating Island Trees to win the Conference V Long Island Championship on Father’s Day.

They blew a three-run lead in the fifth inning as the Bulldogs tied the score at 5. But an RBI double by catcher Derek Mennechino gave Mount Sinai a 6-5 lead. He would score on a sacrifice fly later in the inning, but only after the umpires discussed the tag up rule for nearly 30 minutes. They would allow Mennechino’s run to stand.

The final score was 8-6 and it gave Mount Sinai its first-ever Long Island baseball title. They finished the year with 19-2 record, which is the best in school history. Relief pitcher Chris Batuyious pitch the final three innings and was credited with the win.

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Warriors fall to Garden City in Long Island Championship

by Bill Landon - June 20, 2021

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Comsewogue senior Jake Deacy looks for a cutter in the Long Island class B Championship game against Garden City Jun. 19. Photo by Bill Landon

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It would take three minutes into the 3rd quarter for the Comsewogue Warriors to get on the scoreboard when Jake Deacy’s shot on goal found it mark in the Long Island class B Championship June 19. Trailing Garden City by two Deacy’s goal would be the only one the Warriors could muster as Comsewogue fell 5-1 at the Boomer Esiason Field at East Islip High School.

Comsewogue the Suffolk class B champion concluded their 2021 Covid-19 abbreviated season with a 13-2 record.

Photos by Bill Landon

Royals heartbreaker in Long Island Championship

by Bill Landon - June 20, 2021

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Port Jeff junior Kyle Scandale uncorks a shot for the Royals in the Long Island class D Championship against Friends Academy Jun. 19. Photo by Bill Landon

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It was a high scoring game for the Class D Long Island Lacrosse Championship between Royals of Port Jefferson and the Quakers of Friends Academy at the Boomer Esiason Field at East Islip High School. 29 goals found their mark but the first 28 didn’t count. Deadlocked at 14-14 it would take two four minute overtime periods to decide the winner where the Royals lost a heartbreaker in the 6th period June 19.

Port Jeff junior Kyle Scandale led the scoring with 4, Brady DeWitt scored 3 and Daniel Koban concluded his varsity career with his hat-trick. Peter Murphy the junior had 9 saves on the day.

The Royals finished their COVID-19 abbreviated season with their first ever County Championship title with an 8-8 record.

Photos by Bill Landon

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