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Port Jefferson Royals

By Bill Landon

The Port Jefferson girls volleyball team, defending Long Island champions, have picked up where they left off last season. Winning. Through 10 games, the Lady Royals are undefeated but what’s remarkable is in all of these games — the best of five sets — the Royals have swept all of their opponents 3-0, not having lost a single set.

Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 8, was no different when Port Jeff hosted Southampton in a League VII matchup. Despite falling behind in two of those sets, the Royals swept the Mariners, who were on a six-game winning streak, 25-19, 25-18, 25-13.

Ava Reilly the sophomore, has been the cornerstone of the Royals success doing what she’s done all season long leading her team in assists with 30. McKayla Pollard recorded 16 kills along with seven digs and Thea Mangels notched four service aces. Bianca Nakagawa inked seven kills and Lina DeLeo killed six along with eight digs. Hannah Pflaster, the libero, spent a lot of time on the deck, digging out 11.

The win lifts the Royals to 11-0 with five games remaining before postseason play begins.   

— Photos by Bill Landon 

By Bill Landon

Having won their season opener convincingly with an 11-2 blowout over Wyandanch, the Port Jefferson Lady Royals soccer team made it two in a row in a home game against Hampton Bays Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 10. 

Port Jeff senior, Emily Snyder, broke free in the final minutes of the first half and drilled a shot to the back of the net unassisted to break the deadlock. Nina Gnatenko’s shot to the corner of the net provided the insurance goal but the freshman wasn’t finished yet. She struck again with a header into the back of the net off a corner kick to put her team ahead 3-0 for a comfortable victory. 

Port Jeff hit the road with an away game at East Hampton on Sept. 11 but the result was not available before press time. The Royals next home game will be against Babylon on Friday, Sept. 13. Game time is slated for 4:30 p.m.   

— Photos by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

Unlike high school varsity basketball, the Town of Brookhaven summer league has just one division for girls varsity basketball where the smallest school will face a much larger school at some point in the 10-game season. 

Such was the case Monday night, July 29, in the Mount Sinai High School gym where the Lady Royals of Port Jeff faced a much larger school, the Bulls of Smithtown East. Port Jeff, looking for that elusive first win, were valiantly unable to gain traction in falling to the Bulls 32-21. The win lifts Smithtown East to 6-2-1 with one game remaining.

 — Photos by Bill Landon

Loose ball. Bill Landon photo

Being one of the smallest schools in Suffolk County, when the Lady Royals of Port Jeff play an early season nonleague game, they always face a team from a larger school district. This was the case Friday afternoon with a home game against Miller Place. 

Having lost perennial scoring threats to graduation, Port Jeff’s roster features only one senior as the Lady Royals had their hands full, falling to the Panthers 47-22 in the Dec. 8 matchup.

Returning starter Ava Zicchinelli for Miller Place was the offensive spark for the Panthers, leading her team with 14 points followed by Brooke Callaghan, who banked nine. Sophia Ingenito netted seven.

Rose Meliker-Hammock scored three from the floor and three from the free throw line for nine points for the Royals.

Port Jeff (0-2) retakes the court with another nonleague matchup Saturday, Dec. 16, with a road game against West Islip. Game time is scheduled for 10 a.m.

The Panthers (2-4) face one more nonleague matchup at home to Pierson/Bridgehampton Dec. 20 before league play begins with a home game against Harborfields Thursday, Jan. 4, with tipoff at 5:30 p.m.

Port Jefferson, fresh off their Long Island championship sweep of East Rockaway two days earlier, looked to build on that momentum in the Southeast Regional final Saturday, Nov. 11, with home court advantage against Section IX winner Millbrook. The Royals hoped to make the trip back to Glens Falls for the NYS Class C championship final. It would have been the second year in a row, but it wasn’t to be as Port Jeff fell to Millbrook 25-23, 25-17, 25-15.

During the season, seniors Olivia Sherman and Erin Henry were the one-two punch for the Royals with Henry charting 13th in the county with 169 kills and Sherman placing 15th with 161 kills, as reported by Newsday. Sherman clocked in at No. 4 in the county with 57 service aces; Thea Mangels, a freshman, was No. 8 with 51; and sophomore McKayla Pollard No. 12 with 48.

The Royals conclude their 2023 campaign with a 17-3 record and will be a force to be reckoned with next season as they lose just three seniors to graduation.

— Photos by 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.

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

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

The Lady Royals of Port Jefferson, the defending class C Long Island Champions, continued their winning ways when they opened their season at home against the Greenport/Southold Clippers Thursday, Aug. 31. 

With Port Jeff handily winning the first two matches, the Clippers wouldn’t go quietly as they threatened late in the third match, trailing by two points in the set and desperately trying to force a game four. 

The Royals settled in for the final few points in the game to sweep Greenport 25-11, 25-9, 25-22 in this League VII matchup.

Senior co-captain Olivia Sherman led the way with 11 kills as sophomore McKayla Pollard had two blocks and five kills. Lina DeLeo, a freshman, killed three. Libero Ava Reilly had 14 digs, and teammate Bianca Nakagawa notched 18 assists.

The Lady Royals retake the court for another home game against Babylon on Sept. 7, with first service scheduled for 5 p.m.

– Photo by Bill Landon

Port Jeff had its hands full when the 11-2 Hauppauge boys lacrosse team came knocking. In the Royals’ final game of the season, they fell to the Eagles 11-6 Saturday morning, May 13.

Freshman Rowan Casey notched three goals. Ryan Filippi and Patrick Johnson scored, and senior Jonah Pflaster also stretched the net in the Div. II matchup. Freshman goalie Owen Whiffen had a busy day in net with 17 saves.

The Royals conclude their 2023 campaign with wins against Bellport, North Babylon and Deer Park.

— Photos by Bill Landon