Volleyball Hammers Port Jeff
Detwiler goes for the kill earlier this season (PC: Bruce Jeffrey)
On Friday night, in front of an electric Homecoming crowd, the volleyball squad moved one step closer to the program’s first League Championship in a 3-1 victory over Port Jeff to remain undefeated in league play.
The Bears took the opening two games by scores of 25-16 and 25-18 before dropping their first set of the league season, 20-25, in a game where the Bears never seemed to find a rhythm while the Royals came up with every shot they needed to to survive. The loss ended a string of 26 straight sets won versus league opponents dating back to last year’s Suffolk County Championship win over Pierson.
However, the loss only served to wake a a sleeping giant as the Bears hammered the Royals in game four, 25-12, behind the hard hitting of Hannah Detwiler. Detwiler finished with 5 kills and 2 blocks, Sam Petersen registered 7 kills, 6 aces, and 13 assists, and Lois Ezi notched 6 kills, 4 aces, and 2 blocks.
The victory improved the Bears’ record to 8-0 and set up a Monday afternoon showdown with one-loss Pierson that could give the team its first League Championship in history.
_____________________________________________________________
Bears Top SCS to Roar into Playoffs
On Friday afternoon the girls’ soccer team got Homecoming Weekend started on the right foot with a 3-0 win over Smithtown Christian, their 13th straight win in the Holy War series. The victory clinched the Bears’ first playoff berth since 2013, a year in which they won a six Suffolk County Championship in seven years.
The Bears dominated possession in the first half but had little to show for it as they went into the half knotted at 0-0. Beth Felix was an offensive catalyst in the opening 40 minutes and barely missed putting the Bears on the board after striking the cross bar from 30 yards and drilling another shot off the left post.
The match remained tied until 26 minutes left when Donna Sanders corralled a failed clear off her chest before drilling a laser from 35 yards into the top left corner to finally break the seal for the Bears. 15 minutes later Jessica Nwachukwu struck gold from deep, striking her own shot from 35 yards that bounced in the six-yard box and skipped over the head of Long Island’s saves leader for a 2-0 lead. Leka Lee-Maeba capped the victory with 2:38 left, taking a pass from Beth Felix, weaving through multiple defenders, and hitting a low skipper into the right side netting. Sophia DiLavore recorded two saves in her second shutout of the season.
The Bears close the regular season tomorrow in their Senior Day match-up with Port Jeff.
_____________________________________________________________
Liotine Named CAA Special Teams Player of Week
After leading Stony Brook University to an upset win Saturday night, Don Liotine ’13 was named the Colonial Athletic Association Special Teams Player of the Week. This is Liotine’s 3rd weekly CAA honor along with two Rookie of the Week nods in 2015. The following is the press release from Stony Brook University.
_____________________________________________________________
Stony Brook junior RB/KR Donald Liotine was named the CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.
Liotine averaged 31.0 yards on four kickoff returns to help the Seawolves (5-2, 4-1 CAA Football) knock off No. 12 New Hampshire, 38-24 on Saturday night. He had a long return of 42 yards and helped put Stony Brook in good field position all night. Liotine also contributed offensively, rushing for 63 yards with a pair of touchdowns on 18 carries.
Liotine is the fourth Seawolf to receive the conference’s weekly accolades this season and the third special teamer.
_____________________________________________________________
Liotine’s Two TDs Power SBU to Upset
On Saturday night the largest crowd in Stony Brook University Football history witnessed the Seawolves earn a 38-24 comeback victory over the University of New Hampshire, the #12 ranked team in last week’s FCS rankings.
Don Liotine’s ’13 two rushing touchdowns and outstanding kick return work helped the Brook upset the visiting Wildcats on Homecoming Weekend.
The Seawolves fell behind 16-24 just before halftime, but a defensive shutout in the second half paved the way for the offense to make up ground. With 6:42 left in the 3rd quarter, Liotine punched it into the end zone from 1-yard out to puntucate a 14-play, 83-yard drive. The Seawolves would miss the two-point conversion, but Liotine’s score brought them within 22-24. Then, with 8:42 remaining in the game, Liotine’s 8-yard scamper pushed the Stony Brook lead to 35-24 after the PAT.
Liotine finished with 63 rushing yards on 18 carries with a long run of 21 yards. Additionally, the former Bears racked up 124 yards on four kickoff returns, including a return of 42 yards early in the first quarter that set up an SBU field goal. His second career multi-touchdown game gave him the 10th and 11th scores of his college career.
With the win the Seawolves improve to 5-2 on the season and 4-1 in the CAA. They return to the field on October 28th at Richmond (2-1 in CAA).
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Boys’ Soccer Crushes Royals to Clinch Playoff Berth
Narain vs. Smithtown Christian earlier this year (PC: Nkenna Ezeano)
This afternoon the boys’ soccer team completed the season sweep of Port Jefferson in a dominant 6-2 victory, securing a postseason berth for the third straight year. The Bears have won their last 8 games vs. the Royals by an aggregate score of 39-10.
In the first match-up of the season, the Bears prevailed in a taut, 3-1 affair under the home lights. Today’s game appeared to be following a similar script until the Bears unleashed a second half cannonade that buried Port Jeff beneath an avalanche of offense.
The Royals got on the board first, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the 3rd minute. Chris Swiatek equalized, courtesy of a David Wadding assist, to knot the score at 1-1 at the half. Jai Narain scored the first goal of what would become a hat trick, off of a cross from Ian Blunt, to give the Brook a 2-1 edge early in the second half. The lead was short-lived as Port Jeff quickly tied the game at 2-2.
At that point the game seemed destined for a tight finish; instead the Bears ripped off four straight goals to decisively finish off the Royals. Swiatek began the run off of an assist from Aidan Mega. Narain scored his second on another cross from Blunt to push the Bear edge to 4-2, then completed his hat trick on an assist from Mo Romeus. Owen Sobel capped the scoring off of a corner kick from 8th-grade sensation Tiger Winston.
The Bears return to the pitch on Saturday in a scrimmage with the Ross School.
_____________________________________________________________
Runners Trample Settlers
This afternoon the cross country teams continued their outstanding seasons with dominant victories over Southold on the 2.9 mile course at Catherdral Pines.
The girls improved to 3-0 on the season in a 19-44 win as Miranda Harrigan remained flawless in league races, leading the way in 20:40. Southold nabbed second place, but Bears took the next six slots to seal the victory. Sarah Wong (3rd place/22:35), Vivien Mimura (4th/22:37), Judy Tao (5th/24:08), and Erika Kady (6th/24:28) rounded out the scoring for the Brook.
The boys took care of the Settlers in their race, 18-45, grabbing nine of the first ten spots to improve to 3-1 on the season. Riley Corcoran led the way for the Bears, taking first place in 17:28. Louis Wang (2nd/17:40), Aidan Harrigan (4th/18:54), Clement Leung (5th/19:00), and Emmanuel Ajewole (6th/19:07) also scored for the Bears.
Both teams wrap up their regular seasons on Tuesday at Shelter Island. The girls’ race vs. the Indians will determine the League VIII champion.
_____________________________________________________________
Girls’ Soccer Exorcises Devils
Yesterday afternoon the girls’ soccer team took another huge step toward a playoff berth with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Center Moriches. With the win the Bears need just one victory in their final two games to secure a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2013. They topped both of their remaining opponents, Port Jeff and Smithtown Christian, by lopsided scores of 6-2 and 5-2, respectively. Yesterday’s win also ended a five-game losing streak to Center Moriches, a perennial Class B power, dating back to 2009.
In the first match-up of the season on Sept. 16th, the Bears fell to the Red Devils, who have been ranked as high as 19th in the New York State Sportswriters Association Class B rankings, in overtime by a score of 3-2. This time around the Bears came up with several key stops and big goals to keep the surging Devils at bay.
Leka Lee-Maeba opened the scoring for the Bears in the 11th minute by winning a ball on the right sideline, beating two defenders, and tucking a shot between the keeper and near-side post. Less than five minutes later Lee-Maeba struck again, this time with a beautiful cross that Jalana Cooks headed into the side netting for her first career goal to give the Bears an early 2-0 edge. The Devils halved their deficit with 12:58 remaining in the half on a strike from outside the box that was just out of the reach of Sophia DiLavore. Center had several chances to equalize in the waning moments, but DiLavore came up with two big stops to keep the Brook in the lead.
In the early moments of the second half the Devils continued to ramp up the offensive pressure. They nearly equalized on a high-arching 45-yard hit that rattled the cross bar, and it became clear that the one-goal margin would not stand. The Bears went to work and with 26 minutes remaining Beth Felix squeezed a shot between the near post and the keeper, courtesy of a great pass from Lee-Maeba, to extend the lead to 3-1. They did not have long to enjoy their breathing room as the Devils punched in a goal four minutes later on a brilliant snipe from 40 yards that found the top left corner.
DiLavore was once again called upon to preserve the lead and she did so, stoning a shot from just outside the six-yard box to maintain the 3-2 advantage. Then, with 10:42 remaining, the Bears sealed the win as Felix returned the favor to Lee-Maeba, serving a gorgeous free kick into the box where Lee-Maeba headed it home. DiLavore finished with 10 saves to anchor a defense that came up with some very big stops. Jessica Nwachukwu, Caroline Maglione, Alyssa Martinez, and Kira Brown all played key roles in holding the Devils to just two goals.
The Bears are back in action tomorrow afternoon in a home match-up with Smithtown Christian.
_____________________________________________________________
