2013-2014 was another great year in Stony Brook Athletics as two League Championship banners and four County Championship banners were added to the walls of Swanson Gymnasium. There were plenty of exceptional moments from a year full of athletic achievement. Here are the top ten from the 92nd year of Stony Brook Athletics.
#10 | Volleyball Makes Playoffs
The 2013 volleyball team will be remembered for their perseverance in the midst of difficult circumstances. Captain Sydney Braat sustained an early-season wrist injury, a blow that could have crippled the team, but co-captain Ali Rothaar stepped in to help steady the ship. After an opening loss to eventual League Champion, Shelter Island, the Brook rattled off five straight wins, three of them by a narrow 3-2 margin. Two losses followed, and with the possibility of making the playoffs still not assured, the girls’ resilience shone through as they won three in a row to secure second place in the league and their first trip to the postseason in four years. The All-League play of Braat, Rothaar, Rebecca Hollis, Marlee Painter, and Katie Dahlseide led the way, while Cordae Mattson, Hannah Abrahamsen, Tavia Jeffries, and Sammy Petersen added vital contributions.
The 2013 team was one of the strongest in SBS history.~ Coach Leslie Paige
#9 | Boys’ Soccer vs. Smithtown Christian | October 11
After suffering a 1-3 loss to Smithtown Christian on September 23, the boys were looking for some redemption under the lights on Homecoming Weekend. The result was a thrilling 2-0 win that saw the defense stymie the strong Knights offense, led by keeper Jonathan Chung. Goals were provided by Justin Shi and Sungyu Kim.
#8 | Palmer Places at Counties
The wrestling County Championships are one of the most difficult places to find individual glory. The depth of quality competition is almost unmatched in any other individual sport in Suffolk County. Kevin Palmer closed out a memorable career with a hard-fought, 4th place finish in the 152-lbs weight class that illustrated his grit and determination. After losing his opening match, he sustained a knee injury against an opponent from Bayport-Blue Point. Instead of succumbing to the pain, Palmer battled back and pinned the Phantom. In his next match he upset the #2 seeded Ryan Bergen of Mattituck to earn a 4th place finish.
#7 | Baseball vs. Southold | April 9
After darkness suspended an exciting 3-3 game in the 6th inning, the game was continued several days later. The Bears pulled out a win in walk-off fashion as Ben Walter scored on a sacrifice fly, getting in just under the tag by the Settlers’ catcher before being mobbed by his teammates at home plate. The boys leveraged that momentum into a 9-1 drubbing in the next game as they earned two victories over our East End rivals in one afternoon. Tyler Hoegsberg, who had a stellar senior campaign, got the rare double-win on the day.
#6 | Football vs. Southampton | October 4
Trailing 6-14 in the fourth quarter, Ben Walter put the team on his back for a wild come-from-behind win. First, he caught a tipped pass from Erik Holvik and took it 63 yards into the end zone. After a two-point conversion failed, the Bears still trailed 12-14. Then, with under five minutes left, Walter took the ball 85 yards for a touchdown to give the Brook a lead they would not relinquish. Holvik punched the ball into the end zone for a two-point conversion to provide the final margin.
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