Sports section of The Smithtown News from May 14, 2015.

1. The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015 ~ Page 27
SportsThursday, May 14, 2015 Page 27
BASEBALL: SUFFOLK LEAGUE III
R H E
SMITHTOWN WEST 020 010 3 6 9 3
SMITHTOWN EAST 050 030 X 8 5 3
WinoverWesthelpsEastclinchanother
leaguetitle,spotinquarterfinalsMay21;
West to open playoffs Saturday, May 16
Fourthesixthtime
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
For each of the past six years,
it wasn’t a question of whether
Smithtown would win the Suffolk
LeagueIIIbaseballchampionship,
but whether Smithtown East or
West would win it.
The latest chapter of the
Battle of the Bulls diamondmen
Thursday, May 7 was filled with
drama. For host Smithtown
East, it was the crowning
achievement of another League
III championship. For visiting
Smithtown West, it was a heroic
last hurrah in the seventh inning
anyone if we play as well as we
can.”
East’s win over West was not
so easy. Although West trailed
8-3 heading into the top of the
seventh inning, it would not
go down without a fight. With
two out, West centerfielder Nick
Attardi took second and third
base on defensive indifference
after drawing a walk to lead off the
inning and scored on a single by
senior starting pitcher Brandon
LaManna.
LaManna’s hit was the first
of four consecutive singles, as
senior shortstop Nick Grande,
that featured three runs scored and the final putout
being made with the potential tying runs in scoring
position.
In the end, East bested West, 8-6, and with its May
8 win over Bay Shore clinched its fourth league title
in six years. West has won the other two.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have great kids and
stability in our coaching staff,” Smithtown East coach
Ken Klee said. “We’ve had the same coaches from
middle school, to junior varsity and varsity, and every
single person is buying into the system.”
Although last year’s champion, Smithtown West,
could not repeat, West will join East in the Suffolk
County Class AA playoffs beginning Saturday, May
16. East will host a Suffolk Class AA quarterfinals
contest Thursday, May 21. Both teams’ opponents
will be determined once the regular season concludes
later this week.
“I like where we’re at,” Smithtown West coach Al
Nucci said of his squad, which improved to 14-5 with
a 1-0 win over Walt Whitman
Tuesday, May 12. “Over the
last four weeks, we’re 12-1, so
we’re playing good baseball.”
“We deserve this league
c h a m p i o n s h i p , ” s a i d
Smithtown East closer/
shortstop Pat Lagravinese, who not only drove in
the go-ahead run but also closed out the win on the
mound for East (16-2). “No one on this team takes
anything for granted, but we know we can beat
senior designated hitter Vin Tulley and senior third
baseman Joe Craft helped put two more runs on
the board, load the bases and put the tying run on
second base.
“They showed their heart and character, and I
appreciate that,” Nucci said. “The game is never over
for them, and that last out can be the hardest to get.”
With the game in the balance, Smithtown
East coach Ken Klee went to the mound to visit
Lagravinese. But rather than go to the bullpen and
bring in another pitcher, Klee decided to stay with
his closer.
“He told me to keep being a pitcher,” Lagravinese
said, “just keep finding the strike zone and settle
down. I love that [he had faith in me]. His trust in
me in key situations is something I’m grateful for.”
It only took Lagravinese one pitch to get out of the
jam, as sophomore catcher Paul Dolan hit a sharp
chopper back to the mound in the first pitch of the
at-bat, which Lagravinese fielded and threw to first
for the final out.
“All I wanted to do [in that at-bat] was keep feeding
the strike zone because I knew they would eventually
find an out,” Lagravinese said. “They connected on
some balls but we never lost our composure.”
Lagravinese also was front and center of East’s
five-run rally in the bottom of the second inning.
With the score tied at 2, Lagravinese’s single to right
scored junior third baseman John Marti, giving East
the lead for good at 3-2.
(Continued on page 21)
SIDEARM SPECIAL: Led by senior pitcher Dom Savino (below, #29), the Smithtown East baseball team
(above) beat Smithtown West, Thursday, May 7 to help secure its fourth league title in six years.
-Anthony Lifrieri photos

2. Page 26 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015
Sports
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Guttingitout
D’Orazio fights off cramps to
finish as division’s runner-up
Smithtown East senior
Joe D’Orazio didn’t win
the Division I boys’ tennis
tournament, but he still played
with the impassioned heart—
and cool head—of a champion
in the Suffolk Division I
championship tournament
Monday, May 11 at Smithtown
High School East.
D’Orazio staved off a
stomach ailment and an ill-
behaved opponent to win his
semifinal match, then hung
tough with highly regarded
Cannon Kingsley of Northport
in the title match before being
forced to withdraw due to
strong cramps.
The Smithtown East senior
quickly found himself trailing
2-0 in the first set of the
semifinal match with Half
Hollow Hills West’s Aziz
Rashidzada but rallied to win
the first set, 7-5. “I relied on
my fitness because I put more
hours in the gym,” D’Orazio
said. “I knew I was more
physically fit than him and
exploited it.”
Throughout the match,
R a s h i d z a d a d i s p l a y e d
flamboyant tactics uncommon
to most tennis players. He
constantly grunted, yelled
and would shout ‘What!’
when he made a big point,
perhaps intending to get into
D’Orazio’s head. But D’Orazio
was unfazed by Rashidzada’s
antics, even when Rashidzada
flung his racket against the
court’s cage after losing the
match.
“I’ve played him before so
I was expecting things to go
down like that,” D’Orazio said.
“I kind of fed off that.”
But Rashidzada was just
part of the battle for D’Orazio,
who battled a stomach illness
throughout the match and
had to take an extended break
between the first and second
sets to vomit. “I knew it was
bound to happen, so I wanted
to get it over with,” he said. “I
like the perseverance I showed.
No pain, no gain.”
The turning point in the
match came when Rashidzada
was attempting to mount a
comeback in the second set
and took a 2-1 lead. He called
a ball hit by D’Orazio out when
it should have been called in.
This caused D’Orazio to call
for line judges to supervise
the rest of the match, which
also shook the psyche of his
opponent.
“He made a really bad call,”
D’Orazio said. “He made a few
questionable calls in the first
set, but the one in the second
set was blatant. It was so
terrible, I fed off of it and used
it as motivation.”
D’Orazio never looked back
from there, winning the next
three games to take a 4-2 lead
en route to closing out the
straight-set win, 6-3.
“I knew it was going to be
worse for him. As soon as he
came out he started playing
differently,” D’Orazio said.
In the championship match,
D’Orazio had his work cut out
for him. He not only had to
fight through cramps caused
from the humidity but also
had to tangle with Kingsley,
considered by many to be one
of the nation’s top players.
The two split the first two
games, but the cramps and
Kingsley’s skill caught up with
D’Orazio, and the Northport
eighth-grader won the next
eight games to win the first
set, 6-1, and take a 2-0 lead in
the second before the cramps
became too unbearable for
D’Orazio to continue.
Although D’Orazio was
forced to retire, Kingsley still
had a great deal of respect for
the amount of fight he put into
the match.
“He showed a lot of heart,”
Kingsley said. “He tried his
best and is a good player. It’s
too bad he wasn’t feeling his
best today, and I hope he feels
better for counties.”
D’Orazio entered the
tournament as the No. 3 seed,
and won his first two matches
(6-1, 6-2), (6-1, 6-0) to earn
All-Conference honors and
earn a berth in the county
tournament at William Floyd
High School, Saturday, May
16 at 9 a.m. and Monday, May
18 at 2 p.m. The two wins also
moved him into the division
semifinal against Rashidzada.
In the doubles bracket,
Smithtown West sophomores
Alex Amadio and Nick Gajda
also earned All-Conference
honors to advance to the
Suffolk County tournament.
“We’re excited about it because
we’ve never done it before,”
Amadio said. “We’re going to
try to make it to states next
year, which is our big goal, but
we’re also excited to see what
we can do at counties.”
“This was an important
accomplishment for us
because no one has done it in
a few years,” Gajda said. “It’s
nice to bring [Smithtown] West
back to where it belongs, and
we’re curious to see what the
other divisions are like.”
Amadio and Gajda won
their first match, 6-0, 6-1,
their second match, 6-4, 6-0,
and a three-set thriller in the
quarterfinals, 6-0, 6-7, 6-2,
to advance to the semifinals
against top seeded Dylan
Davis and Duane Davis of Half
Hollow Hills West.
Although the Bulls’ duo held
their own, the Davises proved
too much, prevailing 6-2,
6-2. Amadio and Gajda then
lost the consolation match
against Tyler London and Ross
Reiffman of Half Hollow Hills
East, 6-1, 6-0.
S T R O K E S O F S U C C E S S :
Smithtown East senior Joe
D’Orazio returns shots during
his match against Cannon
K i n g s l e y, o f N o r t h p o r t ,
using forehand (above) and
backhand (right) shots during
the championship match of
the Division I Tournament at
Smithtown High School East,
Monday, May 11.
-Anthony Lifrieri photos

3. Page 24 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015
Sports
Dave Cummings
How many hall of famers are inducted
by their coaching rival and assistant
coach?
Only Dave Cummings.
The 1984 Smithtown East graduate
was introduced with humorous stories
by Smithtown West wrestling coach Ken
Leverich of the two growing up together
plus heartfelt, emotional stories from
Smithtown East assistant wrestling
coach Steve Jenkins, both Smithtown
graduates.
One of those stories included
Cummings’ desire to meet Jenkins’
father, who was battling cancer. “Dave
asked if he could come to the hospital
to meet him, and I remember telling my
father he wished he had a whole team
of athletes like me,” Jenkins said. “That
moment meant so much to me…
“He has helped so many people reach
their goal and become the best they can
be, and I’m proud to say that I’m one
of them.”
Cummings himself summed up his
trip to the Smithtown Hall of Fame
as one of luck, crediting his parents,
siblings, his time at Smithtown East,
and his opportunities coaching the
soccer and football teams. He also
considered himself lucky to have grown
up in Smithtown.
“It’s not the smallest town, but it has
a small-town feel,” Cummings said. “I
had a great group of friends where all
we did was ride our bikes around and
play sports. Now all of those people are
outstanding individuals doing great
things.”
A history teacher in the school
district, Cummings closed his speech
by quoting Founding Father Thomas
Jefferson and former New York Yankee
Lefty Gomez. “I don’t want everyone to
think it’s all luck. I have an old quote
I use, ‘The harder I work, the luckier I
get,’” Cummings said. “And I’d rather
be lucky than good every day, and I’ve
been extremely lucky.”
Drew Duff
The greatest accomplishments of
1979 Smithtown High School West
graduate Drew Duff came not in the
classroom or on the athletic fields
but around the world, as Duff spent
the last 30 years serving in the Navy,
Department of Homeland Security and
as a United States Embassy Diplomat.
“The last time I was here was May
of 1979,” Duff said. “The next month,
I graduated Smithtown West and that
chapter of my life ended. I was going
into the military and I wanted to serve.”
Although Duff’s travels have taken
him all over the world, he never
forgot Smithtown. “I’ve spent time in
45 countries and 38 states in three
awesome careers,” Duff said. “I’ve
raised four children, been in 29 years
Thecelebration&
Smithtown Hall of Fame inductions
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
The Booster Club of Smithtown held its annual Hall of Fame ceremony for its
newest six individual members, family and honorary team at the Hyatt Regency,
Saturday, May 9. This year’s inductees included Lou Gambeski, Jen Maget, Scott
Perri, Kristofer Xippolitos, Drew Duff, Dave Cummings, the Eagan Family and
the 2003 Suffolk County champion Smithtown boys’ lacrosse team.
of marriage and nine family moves, with
18 years of coaching multiple sports
along the way. Through it all, I still
consider myself a Smithtown kid.”
He also credited the people of
Smithtown and his friends and family
for the position he is in today. “All the
people sitting here have a piece of me,
a piece of this plaque and a piece of this
town,” Duff said. “The United States and
Smithtown is a wonderful place to grow
up, and that’s something we can’t take
for granted.”
Lou Gambeski
It was one last Smithtown adventure
for Lou Gambeski and his famous red
blazer.
Introduced by inductors, former
Athletic Director Nick Schroeder and
former Superintendent Ed Ehmann,
Gambeski donned the blazer one
last time before his retirement and
impending relocation to North Carolina.
Wearing the blazer, which will stay in
thedistrictandbewornbythenextcoach
at the Smithtown East boys’ basketball
team’s annual Dellecave Tournament,
Gambeski told the story of how he and
his family came to Smithtown before
graduating Smithtown High School in
1968.
“My father died on August 13, 1957,”
Gambeski said. “It was bad news, good
news, because in three years we were in
Smithtown, and that’s a hell of a place
to be for two kids and their single mom.
It’s provided opportunities to me that
were simply off the scale. As all the other
inductees articulated, I’m very lucky to
be here.”
After thanking all the people in his
life, Gambeski mentioned the good work
Smithtown Athletics does. “I would like
to thank everyone for their appreciation
over the years,” Gambeski said. “I was
never the most accomplished athlete,
but I remember after the playoffs we
would have championship dinners, and
at each one they would talk about me.
I thought I was lucky to help a little
bit, but as they continued to talk about
me, I realized I was pretty good. That’s
what the Booster Club does—provides
support for young athletes to start their
adult life and go on to success.”
Jen Maget
Few athletes have the respect of
esteemedcoacheslikegirls’soccercoach
Bill Hamilton and girls’ lacrosse coach
Ann Naughton, but 2001 Smithtown
High School graduate Jen Maget does.
“She was a tremendous competitor,”
Hamilton said. “She always brought
that one speed that was all-out or don’t
bother… Opponents looked at her and
said, ‘I got this kid,’ but that never
happened. She could beat you with her
speed, skill and intelligence. I always
knew the middle of the field was secure
with her there.”
Smithtown Hall of Famer and former wrestling coach Dave Cummings hugs his
former student and assistant coach Steve Jenkins.
Drew Duff Lou Gambeski
Jen Maget Dave Cummings
The Eagan Family (from left) Kelly, Kathy and Sean are introduced
by Smithtown girls’ soccer coach Bill Hamilton.

4. The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015 ~ Page 25
Sports
traditioncontinue
is labor of love for Booster Club
“One fact that amazes people is that
Jen didn’t start playing lacrosse until
her freshman year,” Naughton said.
“She had so many qualities as an athlete
that we had to take her on the team.
When I look back at it, we had our
strongest run as a program during the
years she was here.”
After thanking friends and family,
Maget spoke of her philosophy on life.
“Life,likesports,isgivenasachallenge,”
Maget said. “It’s not easy to meet that
challenge, and you only have one shot to
do it right. You need to take it with both
hands and squeeze every drop out of it
because you don’t know how many key
moments you’re going to get.”
Scott Perri
Although four-sport athletes are rare,
it didn’t take the re-opened Smithtown
High School West long to find its first one
thanks to 2007 graduate Scott Perri.
Already a star in soccer, basketball and
lacrosse, Perri was asked to kick for
the football team his senior season and
made a 43-yard field goal in his first
game, also a program record.
Perri set numerous team records in
his tenure at Smithtown but learned
life was more than what happens on the
field. “Being part of Smithtown Athletics
is about more than wins and losses,”
Perri said. “It’s about the bond you
have with teammates, learning to face
adversity and understanding the hard
work it takes to succeed.”
Perri’s athletic success continued in
lacrosse at Drexel University, where he
led the nation in points per game before
playing in Major League Lacrosse. But
through it all, Perri never forgot his
roots.
“Smithtown will always be a part of
me,” Perri said. “Through Smithtown, I
developed a strong sense of pride, self-
confidence and strength of character. I
will always have a strong sense of pride
being from Smithtown, and will always
call myself a Smithtown Bull.”
Kristopher Xippolitos
Kristopher Xippolitos’ road to the
Smithtown Hall of Fame was one of
pure will. The 1991 Smithtown East
graduate was on pace for an average
career but through his tenacity became
the star of the 1991 boys’ basketball
team and led it to the county semifinals
played at Stony Brook University under
coach and fellow 2015 inductee Lou
Gambeski.
“He was one of the most improved
players I’ve ever had over one year
and had a tremendous effect on the
basketball program at East,” Gambeski
said. “He brought the team together
with his leadership, focus and talent… It
was fun for the players to play with him
and fun for me to coach him. He made
everyone around him better.”
In his speech, Xippolitos showed
the selfless attitude he had on the
hardwood.
“I’m very overwhelmed right now,” he
said. “I didn’t care about the accolades,
I just wanted to play sports. Smithtown
sports is one of the most important
things in my life. It shaped me positively
as a person, and most importantly, it
introduced me to some very important
people who I still keep in touch with…
“I never anticipated my senior season,
but I don’t think anyone did. All I
wanted to do was play, but it turned
into an incredible ride. It proved that if
you work hard, try to learn from your
coaches and improve every day, you can
do something special.”
The Eagan Family
There are five very good reasons the
Eagan Family was picked as this year’s
HallofFameFamily:Craig,Kathy,Sean,
Kelly and Kyle. Each member of the
family helped make the people, school
and community better.
Craig contributed for numerous
years to the St. James/Smithtown
Little League, while Kathy coached
the Smithtown gymnastics team for
27 years. Sean, a 2004 Smithtown
graduate, excelled at gymnastics
and wrestling, while Kelly, a 2006
Smithtown High School graduate,
was considered by longtime coach Bill
Hamilton to be the best player in the
history of Smithtown girls’ soccer. Kyle,
the youngest and a 2010 Smithtown
East graduate, starred on the wrestling
mat and on the East football team.
“We’ve been lucky enough to be
involved in Smithtown Athletics for
almost three decades,” Sean said.
“My mother led the gymnastics team
to numerous top-five county finishes
and numerous all-state honors for its
athletes. She proved that she is a Hall
of Famer for both Hauppauge [of which
she is a member of its original class]
as well as Smithtown, while my father
has been involved in the St. James
Little League for many years. We’d like
to thank everybody for honoring our
family, and this is truly a family award.”
2003 Boys’ Lacrosse Team
Current Smithtown East boys’
lacrosse coach Jason Lambert, an
assistant on the coaching staff of the
2003 Suffolk County champion boys’
lacrosse team, best summed up the
newest Hall of Fame team:
“The 2003 team will live on forever
in Smithtown lacrosse lore,” Lambert
said. “They helped elevate the program
and set the bar for all programs to
come. The manner of how they carried
themselves is a testament to the
game. There were no superstars, no
egos and no selfish attitude. It was all
about teamwork, sharing the ball and
unselfish play.”
For Kevin Huff, himself a Smithtown
alum and longtime head coach of
the Smithtown teams of the 1990s
through the mid-2000s, it was his
crowning achievement. “This truly was
a team in every sense of the word,”
Huff said. “We had starters, we had
bench guys, but everyone had a role
on the team.
“One of the biggest parts of the
season came after we won counties.
Mike Valez, a guy who didn’t play a lot
during the season but contributed a
lot to our success in practice, was in
tears, thanking me for that game. It was
typical of all those guys. They naturally
had all the things coaches push for.”
-Anthony Lifrieri photosThe 2003 Suffolk County Champion Boys Lacrosse team
Kristopher Xippolitos (with former
teammate Gary Cucchi)
Smithtown stalwarts (from left) Nick Schroeder, Lou Gambeski and Ed Ehmann
during Gambeski’s induction into the Smithtown Hall of Fame.
Scott Perri

5. The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015 ~ Page 23
Sports
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Most players dream of playing well on senior day,
so for Hauppauge senior attackers Sydney Nino
and Carly Tellekamp, it could not have gone any
better, as the dynamic duo totaled 12 goals during
the Hauppauge girls’ lacrosse team’s 19-8 win over
Babylon, Wednesday, May 6.
Nino logged seven goals in the game, including
five in the first half to stake her team to a 9-4 lead
while Tellekamp logged five, four of which came in
the second half.
“They work well together,” Hauppauge coach Diana
Lopez said. “Sydney is always a finisher that finds the
back of the net. She has a great spot-shot and she’s
able to find the ball and finish.”
“Carly has been playing well since she came back
from her injury that kept her out the first six or seven
games this season,” Lopez continued. “She works
hard and is a
great feeder as
well. We always
look for her in
the middle.”
It was the first
time all season
that Lopez used an exclusively senior lineup, and
those seniors made Babylon pay. Senior midfielder
Kerri McCarthy assisted the game’s first two goals
by Nino and senior attacker Catherine Goodfellow,
respectively, in the game’s first 10 minutes. The
Eagles closed out the first half strongly, logging five
more goals, including three by Nino, in the final 11
minutes.Mostofthegoalswereunassisted,butsenior
midfielder Casey Cummo assisted Nino’s second goal
with 10:52, and sophomore Katie Murphy assisted
Tellekamp’s first score with 2:02 remaining.
Hauppauge continued its dominance in the second
half, as Tellekamp’s four second-half goals took over
the game, complimented by scores from Cummo
(22:31), senior attacker Gab Savino (19:43) and two
goals from Nino (24:07 and 10:51).
“Everyone worked as a team and contributed,”
Lopez said. “I think they played well. At times this
season, we haven’t played to our potential, but as we
close out the season and get to the playoffs, they’re
Easydozen
Dynamic duo of Nino &
Tellekamp net 12 goals
in senior-game blowout
DATE OPPONENT RESULT DEC IP H R ER HR BB SO
5/11 @ West Babylon W (6-0) W 7 3 0 0 0 3 7
5/4 Kings Park W (6-0) W 7 2 0 0 0 3 14
4/27 @ Eastport-South Manor W (8-0) W 6 3 0 0 0 1 7
4/20 Bellport W (13-3) W 5 2 3 3 0 5 9
4/13 vs. Huntington (@Ducks Stadium) W (6-0) W 7 0 0 0 0 1 16
4/6 @ John Glenn (non-league) W (7-0) W 7 0 0 0 0 1 11
3/30 Deer Park W (9-2) W 5 2 2 2 0 4 11
TOTALS: 7-0 record, 0.80 ERA, 0.66 WHIP 44 12 5 5 0 17 75
WEEKLY FANTI-SY UPDATEWEEKLY FANTI-SY UPDATE
Another start, another complete game-
shutout for Nick Fanti.
The Hauppauge senior left-handed
ace led the Eagles to a 6-0 win at West
Babylon, Monday, May 11, going the
distance and allowing three hits while
striking out seven.
“Nick’s not just getting by with his
fastball anymore—he’s starting to work
in his breaking ball and his changeup,”
Hauppauge coach Josh Gutes said.
“He’s locating all three pitches now and
is really becoming a complete pitcher in
every sense of the word.”
The win also allows Fanti to tie the
program record for career wins with 18,
set by current Hauppauge girls’volleyball
coach Eric Ericksen in 2000.
“The school record has been in play for
15 years now, and nobody has ever been
as dominating as Nick,” Gutes said. “He’s
already set the career strikeout record
[190] in addition to the single-season
strikeout record [75] as well… and he’s
hitting .555 and leading our team and
runs, RBI hits and doubles.”
Fanti’s next start will most likely be in
the Eagles’ playoff opener in the Suffolk
Class AA quarterfinals Thursday, May
21 at Hauppauge. The Eagles earned a
bye to the quarterfinals by virtue of their
league championship.
GIRLS LAX: SUFFOLK DIV. II
1 2 final
Babylon 4 5 9
HAUPPAUGE 9 9 18
playing harder and more as a team.”
Lopez is also grateful for the team’s 15 seniors. “They
make up our whole team,” Lopez said. “We have 15 of
them, but they’re all great people and great players.
I’m very lucky to coach a great group of kids like this.”
After the Eagles’ 16-6 win at Westhampton, Saturday,
May 9, Hauppauge finished the regular season at 11-3
in Suffolk Division II and 12-4 overall. As of press time,
(Continued on page 21)
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Hauppauge senior attackers Sydney Nino
(above, #7) and Carly Tellekamp (left, #13) dodge defenders
during the Eagles’ senior game victory over Babylon,
Wednesday, May 6. -Richard Valeo photos

6. Page 22 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015
Sports
Nervousstart
Laxsters’ late surge isn’t
enoughtoerase7-0hole
vs. unbeaten Mad Dogs
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
If the Smithtown West girls’ lacrosse team started
the way it finished its game against undefeated, first
place Middle Country Friday, May 8 the host Bulls
just may have scored an upset victory.
Instead, the visiting Mad Dogs took a 7-0 lead over
the opening 12:05 and a 10-goal lead by early in the
second half en route to a 17-13 victory Friday, May
8, rendering null West’s 7-1 rally over the game’s
final 16 minutes.
“When we came in for our talk at halftime, they said
they were terrified, and it showed the way they played
in the first half,” Smithtown West coach Carie Bodo
said. “So at halftime, we were losing by so much we
told them they had nothing to lose and to play like
they normally play, and from there we went back to
our normal fast-break game.”
After Middle Country (16-0 overall, 14-0 Division I)
took a 16-6 lead with 16 minutes to go in the second
half, the Bulls finally had enough. Smithtown West
answered back with a 5-0 run over the next 9:08 to
cut the deficit in half with 6:52 left in regulation. The
run consisted of two goals from sophomore midfielder
Kayla Kosubinsky (with 13:00 and 8:52 left), a goal
from sophomore attacker Chelsea Witteck (10:09),
a score from junior midfielder Mackenzie Heldberg
(7:33) and a
goal from junior
m i d f i e l d e r
Natalia Lynch
(6:53).
M i d d l e
Country ended
the run with a goal to extend its lead to 17-11, but
Witteck (three goals, two assists) scored a goal off an
assist from freshman attacker Grace Langella with
3:36 remaining and Lynch put a shot into the cage
after beating a slew of Middle Country defenders on
a fast break seven seconds later to cut the Bulls’
deficit to four goals.
Although West continued to put pressure on the
Mad Dogs, it could not put another ball into the cage
and fell short of the comeback. However, Bodo was
pleased with the way her team responded down the
stretch.
“We always knew it was there,” Bodo said. “I think
we got intimidated at first, then mad for not playing
the way we can play. We also had five girls come from
[having taken Advanced Placement] Tests, so they
were a little drained.”
West fought an uphill battle throughout the first
half due to the Mad Dogs’ seven-goal onslaught to
start the game. The Mad Dogs were carried in the run
by the sister duo of Jamie and Nikki Ortega. Jamie,
a sophomore, had three goals and an assist in the
run en route to a five-goal, four-assist performance,
while Nikki, a senior, had two goals and three assists
en route to a four-goal, five-assist showing.
Heldberg (two goals, one assist) got the Bulls on the
board with an unassisted score with 12:42 left in the
first half, while Langella (two goals, one assist) made
the score 9-2 with 8:27 remaining. Senior attacker
Kaitlin Unser (5:32), eighth-grade midfielder Taylor
Menella (3:17) and Langella (1:55) also added goals
to send West into halftime trailing 11-5.
Smithtown West (12-3, 11-3) completed its regular
season with a 20-6 home win over Lindenhurst,
Tuesday, May 12. The Bulls open the Suffolk Class
AA playoffs against crosstown rival Smithtown EWast
for the second year in a row Tuesday, May 19 at 4
p.m. East won last year 13-11 but West had the upper
hand during the regular season with a 15-14 win.
GIRLS LAX: SUFFOLK DIV. I
1 2 final
Middle Country 11 6 17
SMITHTOWN WEST 5 8 13
POLE POSITION: Freshman attacker Grace Langella
(above, #19) readies for a shot, sophomore attacker
Chelsea Witteck(left,#3)preparesforafree-position
opportunity and junior midfielder Natalia Lynch
(below, #16) leads a fast break during the Bulls’
17-13 home loss to Middle Country, Friday, May 8.
-Anthony Lifrieri photos

7. The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015 ~ Page 21
Sports
Hauppauge sits in second place in Division II
with an 11-3 record and 162.16 power points,
just ahead of Sayville (161.44), Eastport/
South manor (160.72) and Bayport-Blue Point
(159.31), all with matching 11-3 records.
The Eagles secured the top seed in the Suffolk
County Class B playoffs and will host number
eight Comsewogue Friday, May 15 at 4 p.m.
Last year, the Eagles made the Suffolk Class A
championship game before losing to West Islip,
so expectations in Class B are just as high.
“We went into this season with everyone
expecting us to be county champions,” Lopez
said. “That’s what everyone expects of us, and
that’s what this team is looking to accomplish.”
Lopez also said she feels last year’s experience
advancing to the final—and this year’s
experience against teams it may meet this
postseason—can help. “The kids know how it
feels to get there and lose, and they don’t want
it again,” Lopez said. “It’s been a struggle going
from Class A to Class B. A lot of people saw it
as an easier ride but it’s actually been more
difficult because we don’t know anything about
the teams we played this year.”
But now they do, so expect the Eagles to stake
their claim for the county crown once again.
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Tiesthatbond
Pannell joins uncle in Suffolk
Hall of Fame, has LI Lizards
at 5-0 as part of All-Star cast
The Suffolk Sports Hall of
Fame has become a family
affair for Rob Pannell.
The Smithtown native
and 2007 Smithtown High
School West graduate was
inducted into the hall of
fame at the Upsky Hotel in
Hauppauge, Friday, May 8.
“It was a tremendous
honor,” Pannell said. “I wish
I could have gone [to the
induction ceremony], but
unfortunately I had a game
[for the New York Lizards of
Major League Lacrosse]. I
was fortunate enough to see
my uncle [Jim Metzger] get
inducted last year. All the
people in this hall of fame are
among the greatest athletes,
and it was an honor to share
this with my uncle.”
Pannell’s uncle, Jim
Metzger, was a three-sport
star at Half Hollow Hills
East, helped Pannell realize
his potential back in his high
school and college days, and
serves as one of his greatest
confidantes.
“He’s been a huge influence
on my life and my success,”
Pannell said of his uncle.
“He’s also one of my best
friends, so to be able to
share this with him and be
in the same hall of fame is
something we’ll share for the
rest of our lives. It’s special.
We already have a special
bond, and this makes it even
stronger. It’s something he
was so excited about, and
so am I.”
Metzger accepted the
award on Pannell’s behalf,
but Pannell was able to give
his speech via a prepared
video, in which he thanked
hisfriendsandfamily,aswell
as the people in attendance.
“This award says a lot about
the great people around me
in my life, the great teams
I’ve been on and my family”
Pannell said. “The support
they gave me makes them
just as much a part of this
honor as anything.”
The 2015 Suffolk Hall of
Fame honor follows up his
induction into last year’s
Smithtown Hall of Fame, to
which Scott Perri—one of
Pannell’s best friends and
teammates at Smithtown
West and on the Lizards—
was inducted this year (see
story, pages 24 & 25).
“It’s crazy because I’d
still like to say I’m young
at 25-years-old,” Pannell
said. “These are tremendous
honors, and I appreciate all
of them. I’d like to think in
10 to 15 years from now, I’ll
appreciate them even more
but I’m still playing, and I
still have a lot of things I
want to accomplish.”
OneofthosethingsPannell
is continuing to build upon is
the success of the Lizards,
who are off to a 5-0 start this
season after finishing third
in the league last year and
acquiring All-Stars and All-
World players like Paul Rabil.
“We’re 5-0; it doesn’t
get any better than that,”
Pannell said. “The team is
doing a great job dealing with
the All-Star cast because
we’re all about winning,
which is our top priority.”
Pannell said the Lizards’
success this season stems
from their unselfishness.
“We want to achieve great
things so everyone is in a
little bit of a different role,
but that happens when you
have the top players in the
country at each position,”
he said. “Everyone is in a
different role because they’re
not the go-to guy anymore.
You adapt and learn from it.
That’s why we’re 5-0: we’re
all buying into the system
and doing it one game at
a time, which is extremely
important.”
Eaglescruise
intoplayoffs
(Continued from page 23)
Eastdiamondmentoastoftownagain
(Continued from page 27)
“I was thinking I would stay back and drive
it the other way, but I was able to pull the ball
with the first baseman [senior Rob Tammaro]
covering the bag and the second baseman
[junior Joe Iannuzzi] playing up the middle,”
Lagravinese said. “I just poked the ball right
between them.”
Lagravinese then stole second base during
the next at-bat, putting him into scoring
position along with junior leftfielder Nick Rizzo
before junior centerfielder Shawn Kelly stepped
to the plate. “Coach gave me the sign, I got
a good jump, and got in there standing up,”
Lagravinese said of the steal. “It was good to do
something good for the team.”
Kelly then hit a scorcher toward second
base that Iannuzzi attempted to field. But the
ball took a bad hop at the last second, hit off
Iannuzzi’s glove and rolled into the outfield,
scoring both runners to pull East ahead, 5-2.
The rally began when senior first baseman
Matt Milne led off the inning with a double and
scored on a single down the third-base line by
junior catcher Ryan Kuskowski. After a single
to right by Marti and a full-count walk by
junior right fielder Dylan Vetter, Rizzo scored
Kuskowski on a fielder’s choice to tie it, 2-2,
and bring Lagravinese to the plate.
Klee was pleased with his team’s offensive
output and that his players immediately
responded after West scored two runs in the
top half of the inning.
“That’s senior leadership,” Klee said. “We have
12 seniors on this team who all worked hard to
get here. They do everything it takes to win this
game and have leadership, which they continue
to show every day.”
West’s half of the inning began with a single to
left by Grande and an error by Smithtown East
senior second baseman James Myers on senior
rightfielder Mike Bugliarelli’s at-bat. East got
two quick outs on a pop-out, and Kuskowski
gunning down Grande trying to steal third, but
a throwing error on Marti allowed Bugliarelli to
reach third during Dolan’s at-bat. Marti then
scored on a single up the middle by sophomore
leftfielder Jake Torres to make it 1-0. A single
up the middle by Attardi scored Dolan to make
it 2-0.
But those two runs and one more in the fifth
were all West could muster off Smithtown East
senior starting pitcher Dom Savino, who went
five innings and allowed two earned runs and
six hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
“In the beginning I was trying to get ahead
with my fastball, and they [West batters] were
jumping on them,” Savino said. “I had to make
adjustments and mix in my curve. That got
them off-balance while the defense went out
and made plays.”
One of those web gems was an over-the-
shoulder, Willie-Mays style catch on a fly ball
to deep center by Kelly to end the top of the
fourth. “He hit it deep but I got a good jump
and played it perfectly,” Kelly said. “I knew on
the first step there was no question that I was
going to get to it.”
Smithtown West lost to Half Hollow Hills East,
8-6, at home Saturday, May 6 but rebounded
with the 1-0 win over Walt Whitman, when
Tammaro pitched the final three innings of
a three-person shutout effort capped by two
straight strikeouts with the bases loaded to
end the game. Bugliarelli drove in the only run
of the game in the top of the third. LaManna
and sophomore Nick Trabacchi also pitched in
on the shutout. West completes its season at
home Wednesday, May 13 against Copiague,
the results of which were not available at press
time.
Smithtown East closed out the season with
a 6-5 extra-inning win at home against Half
Hollow Hills East, Tuesday, May 12 and another
home game against Walt Whitman, Wednesday,
May 13 the results of which were not available at
press time. Against Hills East, the Bulls ended
a nine-inning affair with a walk-off sacrifice fly
by senior catcher Jerry Ferguson that drove in
Kelly for the win.
Hauppauge
senior attacker
Gab Savino
THAT’S NOT HALL:
Former Smithtown
West and Cornell
lacrosse superstar
RobPannellwearing
his Team U.S.A.
jersey during the
World Lacrosse
Championships in
DenverthispastJuly,
where Team U.S.A.
finished second to
Canada in the Gold
Medal game.

8. Page 20 ~ The Smithtown News ~ May 14, 2015
Cougarcomeback
toolittle,toolate
By DAVID AMBRO
What could have been.
Aftera15-10losstoNorthportFriday,
May 8, Commack High School girls’
lacrosse coach Jill Okurowski stood on
her home turf for a post-game interview
and pointed out the obvious—had her
team played in the first half the way it
had in the second have the outcome
would have been different.
Commack came into the game in
eighth place, well positioned for one of
the 11 Suffolk County Division I playoff
spots. Okurowski said the Cougars
also came into the game against fifth-
place Northport after a strong showing
three days earlier in a loss to third-
place Smithtown East.
“We totally thought we could compete
and beat them. We felt like we could be
totally competitive,” Okurowski said
about her expectations coming into the
Northport game.
“We just started off flat,” Okurowski
said about her Cougar defense. “Our
attack was on, we just started a little
slow on defense in the beginning.”
Northport had an 11-4 lead before
Commack goalie, eighth grader Cat
Deutsch, made her first save of
the game with 6:24 left in the first
25-minute first half. The veteran
Northport attackers were shooting high
and exploiting Deutsch on her non-
stick side en route to a 13-4 half-time
lead. But after making her first save
late in the first half, Deutsch tightened
up the goal, allowing only two second-
half goals—her Cougars outscoring
Northport 6-2 in the second 25-minute
period for the 15-10 final.
“If we played both halves like we
played the second half we would have
won,” Okurowski said.
Northport scored first and never
trailed in the game. Commack tied
the score at 1-1 and 2-2 but then the
Tigers went on a 11-2 run for the 13-4
lead at the break. In the second half,
Commack was led on the attack by
Chelsea Schultz, who had a second-
half hat-trick. The Cougars scored
the first two goals of the half to cut
the Northport lead to 13-6. The Tigers
scored next, to extend the lead to 14-
6, but the Cougars struck right back
with three unanswered goals to close
the lead to 14-9. With 2:39 left to play,
Northport scored its second goal of the
half to open its lead to 15-9. Schultz
answered back six seconds later with
her third goal of the half to close the
lead to 15-10 with 2:25 left to play but
that’s how the game ended.
The loss to Northport dropped
Commack to 8-5 in Division I and 9-6
overall. The Cougars finish the season
May 12 against West Islip.
Commack finished the regular
season in eighth place and earned
a home game in the playoff opening
round Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m.
at Commack High School against
the nine seed Sachem East. If they
win Commack will travel to Middle
Country, the undefeated top seed,
Tuesday, May 19 at 4 p.m.
Sports
FALLING DOWN: Commack junior attacker (top-left, #20) controls the ball while she falls,
junior attacker Victoria Varone (above, #4) looks to make a pass and junior defender
Brianna Cook (below) leads a fast break in the Cougars’ 15-10 loss at home to Northport,
Friday, May 8. -Richard Valeo photos
Commackfinishesseasoneighthforplayoffberth