Portledge girls soccer advances to its first NYSAIS semifinal in program history

When a championship becomes an expectation, it’s time to strive for more. The Portledge girls soccer team is seeking a new level of greatness.

The Panthers have already advanced further than any team in program history after winning two games in the NYSAIS tournament last week. Portledge, the sixth seed in the tournament, advances to its first NYSAIS semifinal in program history and will play at second-seeded Poly Prep at 2:30 p.m. on Monday.

Portledge also won its fifth straight girls soccer PSAA championship with a 2-0 victory over Stony Brook on October 22.

“At the beginning of the season, obviously, we wanted to win PSAA,” senior goalkeeper Maddy Jelloe said. “That was a part of the process, but states are really what we want to win. We have a will to win states this year. We really want to continue building the program and that’s why we want a state championship this year.”

Jelloe, who is committed to play at Colgate, enters her fourth varsity season at Portledge. She could quickly tell this year’s team, which is currently 18-1-1, was different from other league championship teams.

“This year we are really resilient,” Jelloe said.

Melina VonToussaint has nine goals and six assists, Stephanie Ahee has nine goals and three assists and Everleigh Daniels has six goals and 13 assists to pace the offense.

Coach Phil Hills said the program has scheduled tougher non-league games over the past few seasons to be at their best for the NYSAIS tournament.

“In the past when we play good (teams), all we wanted to do was be in the game and hang on,” Hills said. “We’re athletic, aggressive, we have some good skill players but we’re a tough team.”

Hills credited the graduated players and older players on the team for changing the culture. He’s thrilled with the young talent that he thinks will continue the program’s upward trajectory.

“We want to make history for the school,” Jelloe said.

That’s already been accomplished. And on Monday, Portledge looks to make even more.

— Owen O’Brien

Ward Melville boys volleyball's Fagan has grand feat

Kyle Fagan already had a long list of accomplishments on the volleyball court.

He added to it on Oct. 24 when he became the first Ward Melville player to reach 1,000 career kills in a 3-1 win over Bay Shore.

The Penn State commit entered the match 26 kills away from the milestone and reached that mark in the Patriots’ 32-30 win in the third set. Fagan totaled 34 kills.

“He’s easily at the top of the program,” coach Brian O’Shaughnessy said. “We haven’t had many kids play at a Division I school, so just the fact that he’s going to a reputable school in volleyball is huge. Penn State is like going to Duke or UNC for basketball.”

Fagan joins Eastport-South Manor’s Ayden DesLauriers, a Loyola Chicago commit, who reached 1,000 kills in September.

“1,000 kills on the boys side isn’t very common,” O’Shaughnessy said. “There aren’t many that are at the level of Kyle of Ayden.”

After leading the Patriots to their first Long Island title last season, Fagan and top-seeded Ward Melville have their sights set on another appearance in the state tournament.

— Matt Lindsay

Northport boys, girls cross country continuing strong runs 

Northport is a runners factory. Since 2009, its girls cross country team has won seven Suffolk team championships, while the boys have won six, with both winning it the same year in 2012, 2013, 2021 and 2022. The girls are currently on a three-peat, while the boys just had their streak of four in a row snapped last year.

The programs’ winning ways continued this past regular season, as both squads finished 5-0 to win Suffolk League IV. On Saturday, Oct. 26, both teams won their respective Suffolk division championships, as well. With the county championships and state qualifier meet set for this Wednesday, both squads will look to continue Northport tradition and run their way to a county title as well as clinch a berth to the state championships.

The girls are coached by Gregg Cantwell and the boys follow Jason Strom’s lead. Constructing a powerhouse of runners together has helped them form a close bond.

“Jason’s one of my good friends, and we’ve got similar training ideas on how to get the kids ready,” Cantwell said. “It’s just nice that the 14 kids that we see work hard every day get on the bus with us and go upstate to compete at states. We’ve done it a couple of times together.”

Strom attributes the school’s history of success in cross country to the entire community.

“Like they say in many things, it takes a village to raise a child, or in this case, grow a team,” Strom said. “It starts in the youth running programs that Northport has. The kids run in the Cow Harbor Race. When they get into the high school system, the athletic department does a good job taking care of them.”

— Michael Anderson