Raiders Field Hockey Team Routs Ossining in First Round of Playoffs and White Plains in Second Round
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- Written by Ray Cooper
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Sophia Franco, Sophie Carroll, and Haley Matusz surround the Pride's goal early. The “second season” for Scarsdale’s field hockey team began in splendid fashion as the Raiders took on the Ossining Pride on October 23rd in a first round conference sectional under the lights at Butler Field. Donning its home white uniform on a brisk autumn night, the Raiders controlled the tempo and the ball for almost all of the contest. The Raiders came prepared as coach Lauren Barton said, “we worked on every aspect of our game as our record is 0-0 going into the playoffs”. This was evident as Scarsdale featured an all-around effort against the Pride as both the offense and defense looked strong and dominated the Pride 6-1.
Scarsdale entered the match with an 11-3-2 overall record and a conference record of 3-1 – which earned them the 3 seed in the playoffs, while Ossining was 6-8-1 overall during the regular season and 0-3-1 in conference play.
The Raiders began the affair with the ball and immediately went to work moving the ball down field. With only 1:30 gone in the contest, Scarsdale was awarded a corner. The ball remained deep in Ossining territory for the next few minutes. At the five minute mark of the half, co-captain Liz Scarcella sent a cross by the Ossining goal that nearly led to an early score. 30 seconds and 2 corners later, the Raiders commenced their scoring parade with Haley Matusz banging in a rebound off an assist by Sophie Carroll.
Raider defense patrolling midfield.Scarsdale took control of the ball quickly after the goal and Emily Felder drove with the ball down the field. One minute later, co-captains Sophie Carroll and Sophia Franco connected for the Raiders second goal as Franco lifted the ball beautifully over the leaping Pride goalie and Carroll had her second assist of the game. Scarsdale stood with a 2-0 lead with only seven minutes elapsed in the affair. Of note, the Raiders were quite sharp on corners all night – turning an early season area of concern into a strength. Coach Barton commented that “this game gave us an opportunity to try out our corners – it was very helpful.”
The assault on the Pride’s defense and goal continued, and a short minute plus later Scarsdale struck again – making the score 3-0 - with another corner leading to Matusz’s second goal of the match off an assist from Andie Novenstein.
The Raiders continued to control the action for the next few minutes. After a nice stop by a Pride defenseman with 18 minutes left in the half, Ossining had its sole offensive moment of the evening – penetrating the Scarsdale half of the field and earning its first corner. The Corner went to Ossining’s Lily Barossi at very edge of the circle – who took a very long shot that beat Scarsdale goalie Angela Hoey.
The Raiders then controlled the ball for the remainder of the half. Several great saves by Ossining goalie Kylee Taxiera, held the swarm of Scarsdale players at bay for several more minutes. The Scarsdale offense was relentless while the midfielders did not allow the ball onto the Raider side of the field. At last, Taxiera could not contain the Raiders anymore and with five minutes left, Carroll scored with an assist from Scarcella. After several more Scarsdale drives, the half ended with the Raiders firmly in control 4-1.
The second half featured more of the same – as the Raiders were in complete control. Novenstein, Felder, Olivia Franco, Scarcella, and Defensemen Victoria Wilson, Maeve Jacobson, and MJ Callahan were solid in keeping the ball in the Pride’s half of the field. Coach Barton inserted Freshmen Riley Iasiello and Mackenzie Mauro – giving them valuable playoff experience.
Matusz finalizing her hat trick.With just under seven minutes left Matusz, off Scarcella’s second assist of the night, found the back of the Pride goal again – knotting a hat trick for the Attacker – and putting a bow on top of an enormous effort. Matusz is coming off a very strong sophomore season and has provided an important presence on offense all year. When asked about the team’s intensity during the playoffs she said, “we play every playoff game like it’s against (archrival) Mamaroneck.” The remainder of the game saw Scarsdale control the ball, and, with 35 seconds left in the game, Scarcella raced with the ball down the field and joined the goal party with only ten seconds remaining – ending the scoring and the contest with Scarsdale on top with a convincing 6-1 victory.
Scarsdale vs. White Plains
Scarsdale moved to the second round of the playoffs – defending its home field against White Plains on Saturday, October 26 at 2 pm. When asked about the White Plains team, Coach Barton said, “they are a strong team with a handful of strong players and goalie who played very well against us last year. The Raiders will enter the game with much momentum as Carroll added, “we are very confident in how we are playing.”
Led by its trio of Senior Captains, Scarsdale dominated its second round playoff game against neighboring White Plains 5-1.
Liz Scarcella and Sophia Franco tallied two goals apiece and Sophie Carroll added one while Carroll had two assists and Scarcella notched one.
The Raiders were in charge for the entire contest - defensemen Emily Felder, Olivia Franco, and Maeve Jacobson held the Tigers away from Scarsdale’s goal and helped keep the pressure on White Plains.
Scarcella noted the teams improvement over the season to this point by saying “ we play better and better in every practice and every game through our hard work.” Carroll expressed the urgency with the teams pace of play when she said that the team “didn’t want our season to end.”
Goalie Angela Hoey dives for a save.Carroll also gave a perspective on the team’s approach by saying “ we play smart and move the ball around quickly”.
Coach Lauren Barton reflected on the season to date and her feelings - “ I feel so proud of this team .... the captains really unified us and they all look out for one another.
Scarsdale takes on its perennial arch-rival Mamaroneck in the Semi-finals on Wednesday October 30 on the road. The teams each took a one goal victory at their home fields during the regular season - with the Raiders prevailing in the last contest.
The team’s success was reflected in Barton’s post game comments regarding her teams chances vs. the Tigers exhibited confidence in her team by saying “when we play our game we will be successful .... we tend to play up to the level of our competition.”
Franco scores one of her two goals.
Scarsdale Soccer Stuns Archrival Mamaroneck
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- Written by Ray Cooper
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Raiders celebrate Tirabassi's goal.In a game that had broad playoff implications for both squads, the Scarsdale Raiders boy’s soccer team upset its rival Mamaroneck on Saturday October 19. Playing under the lights at its home field, the Raiders concluded its regular season with a spectacular performance against the highly touted Tigers. After battling for 80 minutes with Mamaroneck, Scarsdale pulled out a thrilling 1-0 victory.
The Tigers had recorded a 14-1 overall record going into the affair, along with a 5-0 record within the conference. A win would have sealed the number 1 playoff seed for Mamaroneck. Scarsdale’s record was 6-5-2 overall and an even 2-2-1 conference performance, and was fighting for the number 9 seed in the Conference playoffs.
The match marked the end of homecoming week at Scarsdale and was played in front of a fairly large crowd during a pleasant fall night. The teams had played at Mamaroneck on October 3, where the Tigers held on to an early 2 goal lead and escaped with a 2-1 victory.
The Raiders came out full of energy – as Head Coach Marcos Monteagudo said, “The boys came out ready and prepared.” After an early corner kick six minutes into the game, senior Patrick Artes had a nice early chance for a goal. The teams battled within the middle of the field for the next four minutes with fellow senior Estaban Rudloff controlling the ball for a fair amount of that time period. The Tigers had a tough time moving the ball early. Co-Captain Ben Rubin and Sophomore Luke Peltz helped keep the Tigers at bay.
With 11 minutes gone in the first half, Mamaroneck began an offensive of its own and controlled the ball for most of the next six minutes. Near the halfway mark of the first half, Middie Liam O’reilly took a shot that forward Matt Giraldo headed over the top of the Raider goal. Rubin then cleared the ball and the Raiders began its own possession for Scarsdale. The Raiders Alfred Mrijaj worked hard against the Tigers and Adrian Lim had a very nice dribble down the field. With nine minutes left in the half, the Tigers stole the ball and moved down the field but Peltz stopped the drive and the Raiders regained the ball. After a number of swapped possessions, the Raiders had their first great chance to score as a pass from co-captain Zachary Medvinsky to fellow senior John Dowd almost found the mark with just under five minutes to play in the half. The last three minutes of the half saw Mamaroneck almost score the first goal of the game. The first attempt saw Scarsdale Goalie Luca Schettino make a save and the rebound bounced harmlessly away from Mamaroneck. With a little over a minute to play, Mamaroneck shot a corner kick over the Scarsdale goal. The half ended in a scoreless deadlock and both teams went to their benches.
Raiders Boys Soccer team senior class and parents after ceremony.
During halftime, Scarsdale honored the Seniors on the team and their families with a ceremony near midfield. The following Seniors were noted:
Patrick Artes
Cameron Davis
John Dowd
Lukas Forsingdal
Calvin Lee
Aidan McKenna
Zachary Medvinsky
Benjamin Rubin
Esteban Rudloff
Joshua Strassberg
The second half saw the game open up – as both sides had multiple opportunities to score. With only a minute gone, the Tigers Joey Dos Santos took a shot that went over Scarsdale’s goal. The Raiders Adam Wasserman and Ben Rubin moved the ball down the field rapidly. With five minutes elapsed in the second half, The game took on a fair amount of physicality – as is common in contests between these two teams and noted by Roman Tirabassi: “anytime its Scarsdale/Mamaroneck it’s going to be a fight to the end.” Rubin was fouled quite hard by the Tigers Kevin Vasquez –who received a yellow card-- leading to a Scarsdale indirect free kick. The Raiders had the ball near the Tiger goal for the next three minutes and only a great save by Mamaroneck goalie Niclas Andersen avoided a Raider goal off of a Rubin throw in.
With slightly over ten minutes elapsed in the second half Medvinsky was creamed by the opponents, which led to a Scarsdale direct free kick. This time the Raiders converted as Tirabassi found an opportune time to notch his first goal of the season and booted a rebound past Andersen. With 11:30 gone in the half, the home crowd erupted in a roar as the Raiders found itself with a 1-0 lead.
Scarsdale's Roman Tirabassi scores the sole goal of the match.
The Tigers were far from done and attempted to penetrate the Raider defense. They continued to apply pressure and with 18 minutes left in the game almost converted a cross in front of the Scarsdale goal. This was followed by a direct free kick that missed the mark and led to a Tiger corner – which was cleared by Rubin. With 16:40 left a controversial call by a flustered referee led to another direct free kick – and Schettino made another save. The referee continued his frequent whistle blowing and gave Scarsdale’s Josh Strassberg a yellow card. The ensuing Tiger direct kick represented Mamaroneck’s best chance to score all evening and was just wide of the Raider goal. Scarsdale was left clinging to its lead with 15 minutes left in the game.
Scarsdale then took possession of the ball and Medvinsky nearly scored with a long shot that hit the post with just over ten minutes to play. The Tigers continued their assault and with 7:30 left forward Marco Kecman stole a Scarsdale pass, drove down the field, and put a beautiful cross past the Raiders goal – but no one was there for the Tigers to convert the kick.
The tension was palpable in the final minutes. With 4:30 left, Mamaroneck Kecman had a nice drive down the field – but the Raiders Mrijaj made a fabulous and clean tackle on him. With 2:30 left, Medvinsky cleared a Tiger corner – but the ball went to a Tiger player down the field. Mamaroneck, playing with urgency, had its final chance to knot the score. With 1:30 left they narrowly missed a shot to the left of the Scarsdale net. The Raiders then kept possession and cleared the ball – sealing the upset and a huge Raider win.
The timing of the win was excellent and should clearly boost the Raider confidence as the playoffs begin Thursday. Medvinsky remarked: “this felt like a playoff game,” and Monteagudo said: “this propels us and we feel good about ourselves…anytime you can beat a team of their caliber it’s great.” Tirabassi added: “this gives us momentum and shows we can compete with any team in the section.”
Photos by Pam Rubin and Ray Cooper.
Team captains Calvin Lee, Ben Rubin and Zach Medvinsky
Spooky!
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Scarsdale residents are at the height of their creativity this month, with enchanting Halloween decorations in their front yards. We've spotted skeletons, ghosts, witches, spider webs and of course pumpkins. Here are just a few of the scenes from the 'Dale. If you see any notable displays, take photos and email them to [email protected] and we'll add them to our gallery.
Happy Halloween!
Photos by Midori Im and Joanne Wallenstein
Scarsdale 2, New Rochelle, 3 in Tight Soccer Match on October 11
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- Written by Anna Cho
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Sophomore Cian Battiwalla playing against adversaries from New Rochelle. The Raiders Boys Varsity Soccer team lost 2-3 in a very tight match on Friday October 11 against New Rochelle High School. Scarsdale was tied 2-2, until a score was kicked by New Rochelle during overtime. Going into the game, the players though about “which players were good and which ones to mark, and their tendencies so we can work around what we know about them,” said junior Cooper Cohen since Scarsdale played New Rochelle earlier in the season. Unfortunately, the boys struggled to, “score and to put them away which allowed New Rochelle to stay in the game,” said senior Captain Zach Medvinsky.
Senior Captain Zach Medvinsky kicking against New RochelleThroughout the ups and downs of the game the boys made sure to support one another. All of the players, “try and motivate each other on the field and during halftime. By working hard on the field, we help the other players around us play better,” explained Cohn. Despite this loss, these athletes have had a pretty good season, defeating Mount Vernon 4-0 the next day. Medvinsky believes, “We can beat anyone in the section.” The entire team has been building towards playoffs, and are ready to take on big rival, Mamaroneck, on Saturday October 19. Don’t miss their next game this Saturday against Mamaroneck at 6:00 pm at Scarsdale High School.
Patrick Artes, Cian Battiwalla, Cooper Cohen, Cameron Davis, John Dowd, Lukas Forsingdal, Eli Gledblum, Katcher Adam, Calvin Lee (Captain), Adrian Lim, Aidan McKenna, Zachary Medvinsky (Captain), Luke Peltz, Jack Porter, Benjamin Rubin (Captain), Estaban Rudolff, Luca Schettino, Joshua Stressberg, Rafael Tassari, Roamn Tirabassi, Adam Wasserman, and Michael Waxman
Junior Adam Wasserman playing against New Rochelle.
Photos and text by Anna Cho.
Think Snow!
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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With temperatures starting to drop and snow already falling around the country, it’s time to start getting psyched for the winter season. While western resorts and New England ski areas offer great vacations, Scarsdale residents also have plenty of local options for daily and weekend getaways on the slopes. In fact New York has more ski areas than any other state in the country! With almost 60 years in business just up the road in Armonk, the folks at Hickory & Tweed ski shop has had plenty of time to sample our local mountains over the years. We rounded up several of our favorites, suitable for all types of skiing abilities, for both individuals and families alike.
Thunder Ridge – the closest mountain for most of us here in Westchester (located in Patterson, NY). Thunder Ridge isn’t the largest ski area around but touts loyal and dedicated skiers and boarders. A great place to simply get the kids out on the hill for their first couple seasons, learning the fundamentals (while not having to travel too far).
Windham Mountain – A favorite of Hickory & Tweed. Windham Sports in Windham, NY is one of the more robust race programs and best ski schools in the area. Along with multiple high-speed lifts, Windham has also beefed up its amenities and on-hill lodging over the recent years, making it a great option for a weekend trip.
Mountain Creek – The largest ski area, located in Vernon, New Jersey. While largely known for its vast terrain park filled with multiple jump and rail features for shredders of all abilities – Mountain Creek also offers lots of beginner terrain, along with night skiing and snow tubing.
Catamount – A classic local ski area with retro vibes in HIllsdale, NY. The area features trails that straddle the Berkshire and Taconic ranges. Catamount offers a good variety of terrain and boasts the steepest trail in the Berkshires, aptly named, Catapult. It is also home to an impressive junior race program that is home to many Westchester racers.
What will you need to hit the slopes? Here is what Hickory and Tweed suggests:
Equipment Checklist
Equipment
• Skis/Snowboards (with bindings!) – a ski shop will be able to help determine the proper ski type and length, based on your ability and the desired terrain that you intend to ski
• Poles (if applicable, based on age and/or skiing ability)
• Ski Boots/Snowboard boots – Proper fitting ski boots are the most important piece of equipment. Ill-fitting boots are both uncomfortable and will hinder your skiing performance and control.
• Helmet – there’s no messing around with head injuries
• Goggles – if you can’t see, you can’t ski. Proper goggles are key for sun-protection and visibility.
Skiwear
• Baselayers (top and bottom) – for warmth and moisture wicking. Avoid cotton materials, as they are not very breathable or waterproof.
• Ski socks - for warmth, moisture wicking and additional padding in toes/heel/shin. They can also help promote blood flow to keep your feet warm.
• Midlayers – vest or fleece top to provide proper insulation and warmth
• Ski jacket or shell – we recommend that the jacket should have Gore-tex or similar technology, for proper wind & water proofing.
• Ski pants - we recommend that the ski pants should have Gore-tex or similar technology, for proper wind & water proofing.
• Gloves/Mittens – again, look for gloves with Gore-tex or similar technology. Wet gloves or mittens are no fun and will eventually freeze throughout the day. Its not a bad idea to invest in two pairs if you are skiing consecutive days.
• Neck Gaiter – for added warmth and insulation above the collar of your ski jacket.
We hope you find this list helpful for planning your winter ski season. Questions about a specific area? Feel free to email Hickory and Tweed at the shop ([email protected]). Having been named Best Ski Shop in the Country by Ski Magazine, we have plenty of experience and would be happy to share it with our fellow Westchester residents. Start thinkin’ snow, Winter is on its way!
