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The Ward Melville JV girls golf team. Photo courtesy the Three Village School District

By George Caratzas

After the closure of the Heatherwood Golf Club in 2020, the Ward Melville Patriots JV girl’s golf team played their matches at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Coram. Now, the Patriots have found their newest home.

In May of 2024, the Spy Ring Golf Club opened on the same plot of land that Heatherwood once occupied in Centereach. With Ward Melville in the market for a new place to play, the match was an easy decision.

“I feel like this is a perfect fit,” head varsity coach Nicole Connelly said. “I think with Spy Ring, this is going to be a much smoother season for a variety of reasons.”

One of the reasons that Connelly mentioned was the course itself, as Spy Ring is the latest course to open on Long Island. Designed by Tyler Rae — a well-known golf course architect — Spy Ring is half the size of what Heatherwood was, only having 9 holes as opposed to the full 18. Nonetheless, Connelly was impressed by her team’s introduction to its new home turf.

“It’s a really great course,” Connelly said. “We got to play it on Thanksgiving Eve this past year and it was awesome. It’s such a great track, the layout is really fun to play and it’s really well maintained. I think the girls are going to have a really great experience.”

A key benefit of Spy Ring is its proximity to the high school. At Ward Melville, JV golf does not get access to a bus for practice or games, meaning that players are responsible for their own transportation to and from team events. While Pine Ridge was about a 15-minute drive from the school, Spy Ring cuts that travel time by two-thirds with the drive clocking in at just about five minutes.

Photo courtesy the Ward Melville junior varsity golf team.

“Not to bash Pine Ridge, but for us it just was not convenient at all,” Connelly said. “I had expressed interest to Spy Ring’s general manager Jimmi Conway and we started to lay the groundwork for the move. The convenience of having it in our own community was huge.”

As indicated by the name, Spy Ring pays homage to the Setauket Spy Ring — a spy network during the Revolutionary War which was based in the Three Village area. While Connelly is a native of Chicago, she has become immersed in the area’s history as she enters her fourth season at the helm of the golf program. She hopes the change will bring educational value to her over 20 student athletes that will have access to the course.

“Spy Ring is all about the community and its history,” Connelly said. “They get to learn about American history in seventh and eleventh grade so I definitely think this will expand their educational experience beyond that curriculum. It’s important to me that they learn about the history of their community and make that connection to their new golf course. Being a team from the Three Villages and being called the ‘Patriots,’ I think this change gives them a little bit of empowerment.”

In a statement provided to Connelly, Conway echoed a similar excitement for the new partnership.

“We are so proud to have our Three Village School Districts girl’s golf team represent our golf course,” Conway said. “We feel this team will be proud to host a match with visiting schools. We are very thankful for the support the local communities have had in regards to having a great impact on our success. We are looking forward to the ’25 season starting and my staff and I will be available to helping and grooming the growth of the game,” he said.

Aside from the Patriots, Connelly is pleased with what Spy Ring has done to the surrounding neighborhoods. 

“I think it’s going to have a really positive effect on the community,” Connelly said. “The course seems to be really working on establishing itself as a place where people can come together and even from the earliest conversations [Conway] told me that he wants to make it a gathering place for locals.”

With the JV team on the move, both the boys and girl’s varsity teams will continue to play at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in East Setauket.

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.

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Sophomore midfielder Maddy Herr breaks downfield for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Morgan Lesiewicz wins the draw in a home game against Westhampton. Photo by Bill Landon
Maddy Herr. Photo by Bill Landon
Leslie Jablonski breaks free at home against Westhampton. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore goalie Sophia Giangreco with a save for the Wildcats. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior attack Grayce Kitchen fires at the cage in a home game against Westhampton. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior attack Grayce Kitchen. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior attack Grayce Kitchen drives towards the crease in a home game against Westhampton. Photo by Bill Landon
Anabel Keegan (r) strikes fear in a defender’s face in a home game against Westhampton. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior attack Grayce Kitchen sees a cutter in a home game against Westhampton. Photo by Bill Landon
Morgan Lesiewicz passes in a home game against Westhampton. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

When the Hurricanes of Westhampton girl’s lacrosse came calling on the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River both teams traded scores well into the 2nd quarter when the Canes netted three unanswered goals pushing the Wildcats back on their heels. Westhampton showed why they’re undefeated as they stretched their legs, edging ahead the rest of the way to win the game 15-8 handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season in the division II matchup on April 10.

Senior attack Charlotte Erb led the way for the Wildcats netting three goals and teammates Grayce Kitchen and Morgan Lesiewicz banked two goals apiece. Sophomore goalie Sophia Giangreco had five saves in net. 

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team remains the only team left undefeated in the CAA as the Seawolves topped Drexel, 17-14, on April 18 to secure the No .1 seed heading into the program’s third-straight CAA Championship tournament.

The Seawolves’ offense was led by Riley McDonald who tallied five goals and a pair of assists with Charlotte Wilmoth following closely behind with four goals and one assist. Casey Colbert notched a career-high seven points on two goals and five assists.

Defensively, Avery Hines collected a team-high three caused turnovers as Alexa Constant had a career performance with four ground balls. In net, Natalia Altebrando played her seventh full 90-minute game of the season, making nine saves on a .409 save percentage.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Seawolves started off hot with a pair of goals from McDonald and Wilmoth before Drexel responded with one of their own in transition, off a turnover. Stony Brook then added two more courtesy of Casey Colbert and McDonald as the Dragons notched another from a free position opportunity. With 13 seconds remaining in the quarter, McDonald would tally her 11th hat trick of the season to give the Seawolves a 5-2 lead early.

Stony Brook started the second quarter right where they left off outscoring Drexel, 7-4. The Seawolves won the initial draw control and scored an immediate goal from Isabella Caporuscio. Less than two minutes later, Alexandra Fusco would join in on the fun with a goal of her own to give the Seawolves a five-goal advantage. Drexel scored on yet another free position goal before a 4-0 scoring run powered the Seawolves to an eight-goal lead. The Dragons were able to piece together some offense, scoring three straight but Stony Brook performed a class act with back-to-back goals, dished out from Colbert to Wilmoth to close out the half and give the Seawolves a 13-6 lead at the break.

Drexel started the third quarter with an offensive push, scoring their fourth free position goal of the game on a woman-up opportunity and gaining momentum through the first nine minutes of the half. The Seawolves then burst onto the scene, going on a 3-0 scoring run with goals from Courtney Maclay, Colbert, and a behind-the-back beauty from Wilmoth to take their largest lead of the day, 16-7. The Dragons notched a pair of goals through the final three minutes of the quarter to get back within seven.

Drexel continued their push, getting back within four with three goals to start the fourth. As the Seawolves were held scoreless through six and a half minutes, but Maclay ended the drought finding a lane through the eight-meter right to the back of the net. With less than two minutes remaining, the Dragons would score their final goal with the Seawolves ultimately securing a 17-13 victory for their seventh CAA win of the season.

QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES

Up next, the team concludes the regular season next Saturday, April 26 at Hofstra for the Battle of Long Island. First draw is scheduled for 7 p.m. with coverage available on FloCollege. Stony Brook is 8-5 in the all-time series against the Pride, winning seven straight in a streak dating back to 2015.

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Comsewogue midfielder Hunter Marquardt splits the pipes for the Spartans in a non-league game against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior midfielder Doug Anacelli looks for a cutter for the Spartans in a non-league game against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon
Freshman defender Dylan Giorlando looks to clear the ball for the Spartans in a non-league game against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue midfielder Nick Saladino fires at the cage for the Spartans in a non-league matcup against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon
Comsewogue attack Anthony Marino looks for a cutter for the Spartans in a non-league matcup against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore defender Jack Pacifico charges up-field for the Spartans in a non-league game against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore midfielder Nick Saladino looks to clear the ball for the Spartans in a non-league game against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore goalie Ryan Schnepf with a save for the Spartans in a non-league game against Port Washington. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Comsewogue Spartans boy’s lacrosse team looked to play “up” in their first of two non-league games of the season and play up they did, when they hosted Nassau County conference 1 powerhouse Port Washington (5-1). Comsewogue, a Suffolk Division II team got their nose bloodied in a rain swept matchup that yielded only two goals for the Spartan’s in a home game on April 12. 

Port Washington rattled off eight unanswered points in the first half before Comsewogue senior midfielder Doug Anacelli broke the ice when his shot on goal stretched the net just before the half to trail 8-1.

Junior midfielder Hunter Marquardt would be the only other Comsewogue stick that spoke the rest of the way when his shot found its mark in the third quarter. Port Washington cruised the rest of the way to a 15-2 victory.

Comsewogue goalie Ryan Schnepf had 12 saves in net.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Justin Pagan fires it in for Commack. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Ward Melville first baseman Jason Stiles put the tag on shortstop M. Heller. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Luke Krzemienski makes solid contact. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack baseball vs. Ward Melville April 11 and 12. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack baseball vs. Ward Melville April 11 and 12. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack baseball vs. Ward Melville April 11 and 12. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Ward Melville starter Connor McFarland. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Commack baseball vs. Ward Melville April 11 and 12. Photo by Steven Zaitz
Joey Karpowicz rips a two-run double. Photo by Steven Zaitz

By Steven Zaitz

The game took 19 hours to complete, but the defending Long Island champion Commack Cougars baseball team took out the Ward Melville Patriots by a score of 8-3 this past weekend, April 11 and 12.

Suspended after 5½ innings due to darkness on Friday, April 11, Commack finished off the Patriots on Saturday despite gloomy weather conditions. Reliever Justin Pagan pitched a scoreless three innings to earn the win that improved the champion Cougars’ record to 5-1 and put them in a first-place tie in Division II with Connetquot. Ward Melville dropped to 1-2 after the loss.

Trailing 3-0 in the third, a two-run double by Pats third baseman Joe Karpowicz highlighted a three-run rally that tied the score at three. It stayed that way until the top of the sixth when the Cougars broke the game open with a 5-run frame. Cougar centerfielder Anthony Antorino hit a two-run triple in that inning that made the score 6-3. They tacked on two more runs with the help of an infield error that allowed both Antorino and catcher Robbie Mascia, who reached on a walk, to score. Ward Melville reliever Dan Cornish was charged with four runs, three of which were earned, in that decisive frame. He suffered the loss.

Ward Melville committed three errors in the game, Commack committed none.

When the game resumed on Saturday morning, Sam Kay, brother of former Commack star and current Stony Brook pitcher Evan Kay, pitched the final inning and a third and struck out three batters.

Commack has won four straight Suffolk County titles and two straight Long Island Championships. During Spring recess, they will play nonleague games against St. Anthony’s and Longwood, resuming league play on April 22 against Lindenhurst.

Ward Melville plays a three-game set against those same Lindenhurst Bulldogs on April 14, April 15 and April 19.

Both teams wore military tribute-style uniforms for the game, with Ward Melville sporting a full camouflage top and Commack, whose school colors are black and gold, wore khaki green shirts.

— Photos by Steven Zaitz

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Patriots score. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville Mia Modica scores for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior midfielder Ava Simonton with an under-hand goal for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Patriots score. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior midfielder Ava Simonton rifles a shot on goal for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior attack Olivia Zummo scores for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Midfielder Kiera Pirozzi wins the draw for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior defender Peyton Phillips clears the ball for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville Mia Modica looks for a cutter. Photo by Bill Landon
Freshman attack Emily Costeira clears the ball for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Patriots score. Photo by Bill Landon
8th grader Nicole Manolakes looks for a cutter for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Freshman attack Emily Costeira clears the ball for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore midfielder Giavanna Parente shoots for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon
Midfielder Kiera Pirozzi fires at the cage for the Patriots. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Longwood Lions girl’s lacrosse (2-2) had their hands full from the opening quarter when they collided the Patriots of Ward Melville in a Division I matchup on the road Friday afternoon April 11.

Ward Melville protecting a three-goal lead coming out of the half time break the Patriots peppered the scoreboard with three more while holding the Lions scoreless in the second half to win the game 9-3.

It was Keira Pirozzi’s stick that spoke the loudest for the Patriots where the junior midfielder notched 4 goals along with Ava Simonton’s goal coupled with 3 assists. 8th grader Nicole Manolakes split the pipes twice and teammates Olivia Zumma and Mia Modica both scored.

Sydney Millett had 8 saves in net for the Patriots.

The win keeps the Patriots undefeated in their division, 4-1 overall.

— Photos by Bill Landon

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

Fueled by a dominant 8-0 run and strong second-half defense, Stony Brook men’s lacrosse defeated CAA foe Monmouth, 13-9, at LaValle Stadium on April 12. Collin Williamson and Justin Bonacci led the Seawolf attack, each recording a game-high six points.

Good goalie play and timely offense allowed the Hawks to take a 3-1 lead with 5:55 remaining in the first. The Seawolves scored two of the final three goals in the first quarter, bringing the score to 4-3 in favor of Monmouth heading into the second quarter.

Stony Brook opened the scoring in the second with a man-up goal from Williamson to even things up at 4-all. Each team traded a goal to make it 5-5 with 7:42 remaining in the first half.

Monmouth tacked on a pair of goals late in the second quarter to take a 7-5 lead into the locker room.

The Hawks carried their momentum into the third quarter, scoring the first two goals of the second half and giving themselves a 9-5 lead with 6:55 remaining in the third. The Seawolves answered back just nine seconds later after Robbie Smith won a face-off and raced downfield to bury Stony Brook’s first goal of the half.

From that point on, the Seawolves took full control of the game, scoring the final two goals of the quarter, including a buzzer-beater from Gary Correa that brought them within one goal heading into the final frame.

Stony Brook evened things up with 11:47 remaining in the fourth as Bonacci buried the game-tying goal. Just over four minutes later, the Seawolves took their first lead of the day on a goal from Williamson.

Now in the driver’s seat, Stony Brook tacked on three more fourth-quarter goals to bookend an 8-0 run that spanned more than 21 minutes of game action to secure victory over the Hawks.

The win gives Stony Brook a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.

Up next, the team will travel to Philadelphia for its next matchup against Drexel on April 19. The contest will begin at noon and will stream live on FloCollege.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team defeated Campbell, 19-12, in a comeback effort on April 13 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek, N.C. A second-half surge saw the Seawolves outscore the Fighting Camels 10-4 over the final 30 minutes to overcome a halftime deficit and emerge victorious.

After an even first quarter (3-3), Campbell would go on to score four straight to take a 7-4 lead with 6:49 remaining in the first half. The Seawolves and Camels then traded goals before Stony Brook found the back of the net twice courtesy of Isabella Caporuscio and Riley McDonald and cut the Camels’ lead to 8-7 heading into halftime.

The Seawolves surged out of the gates in the second half, netting nine goals (four woman-up) to start the third quarter and take a comfortable eight goal lead. McDonald, Charlotte Wilmoth, Caporuscio, Alexandra Fusco, and Molly LaForge were responsible for the dominant display of Stony Brook goals.

The fourth quarter would become a back-and-forth affair with Campbell outscoring Stony Brook, 4-3, but the Seawolves were able to close out the come-from-behind victory with a strong second half offensive performance.

Up next, the team returns to Long Island for their home finale at LaValle Stadium on Friday, April 18 at 6 p.m. as they face off against undefeated Drexel. Stony Brook won both the regular season (18-11) and postseason (9-6) contests over the Dragons last season. Coverage is set to be available on FloCollege.

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Photo courtesy of Councilwoman Bonner's office
Photo courtesy of Councilwoman Bonner's office

On April 5, Councilwoman Jane Bonner attended the North Shore Little League (NSLL) Opening Day ceremonies. The NSLL, which was established in 1963, offers boys and girls, ages six through sixteen, the opportunity to play organized baseball and softball with their peers at fields on Route 25A in Rocky Point.

Also at the Opening Day ceremony was 2nd District State Assemblywoman Jodie Giglio and Quentin Palifka  representing Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon.

Councilwoman Bonner said “The North Shore Little League is great for kids to have fun and enjoy spending hours playing America’s pastime. I always know that summer is just around the corner when I hear the words ‘play ball!’ on opening day.”

For more information about the North Shore Little League, to volunteer or join their e-mail list, go to www.nsllrp.org or call 631-744-3355.

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Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics

Stony Brook women’s track and field continued its busy April slate on April 12 in Rhode Island, competing at the Friar Invitational hosted by Providence. The Seawolves recorded five top-ten placements, with the day’s best performance coming from Jasmine Mason-Rudolph in the 400m hurdles.

HIGHLIGHTS 

  • Mason-Rudolph placed third in the 400m hurdles event (1:07.26).
  • Enyero Omokeni finished fourth in the 200m race (26.59).
  • Grace Sisson recorded a fifth-place finish in the 3000m (10:06.89).
  • Samantha St. Juste placed seventh in the 200m (27.29).
  • Shaylen Goslar finished ninth in the mile run, setting a new PR with a time of 4:51.46.

“The Friar Invitational was an opportunity for some of our younger guys and girls to compete in one of the better meets in the Northeast,” head coach Andy Ronan noted. “Shaylen ran very well in the mile, and I also felt that Danielle produced a good effort in the same event. Grace also had a nice run on the night.”

The team is back in action on April 18, competing at the Virginia Challenge and Wake Forest Invitational. Both events are scheduled for a noon start.

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