This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Veteran Lacrosse Players and the Penn Invitational

The latest on college sports in the area

The 'College Sports Notebook' is published each Friday. Please send items of interest—including local athletes competing at out-of-town colleges—to marcmaturo@aol.com.

--

Matt Brancaccio, the men’s lacrosse coach at Dominican College, hopes that the Chargers’ recent surge in scoring portends well for the future.

Find out what's happening in Nyack-Piermontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dominican is 2-6 going into Saturday’s home game against Molloy, also 2-6, in an East Coast Conference game set for 1 p.m.

Brancaccio, a four-year starter at DeSales in Allentown, PA, and a two-time all-conference selection at attack, was putting the team through a two-hour-plus practice and film session on Friday.

Find out what's happening in Nyack-Piermontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We could be doing a lot better,” said Brancaccio, who holds the Bulldogs’ single-season and all-time assist record. “We’ve been having trouble finishing the ball, you know, putting the ball in the back of the net. We’ve also had some trouble communicating on defense, not playing team defense. That’s most of our problem.”

However, Dominican has begun to show signs of some offensive firepower, winning two of its last three games while scoring 38 goals—one more than in their first five games combined.

Brancaccio has several standouts on attack, including Canadians Chris Delaney, a freshman, and seniors Alex Jones and Jesse Peterson.

Another promising newcomer is Nanuet High graduate T.J. Dertinger, who is playing first-line midfield with Jones and Peterson.

“He’d doing well,” observed Brancaccio. “He’s really got a good career ahead of him. He’s very poised, and has a good knowledge of the game.”

In a 14-6 loss to once-beaten Adelphi that stopped the Chargers’ two-game winning streak, Dertinger scored his fourth goal of the season, assisted by Peterson.

Sophomore defenseman Michael Accardi of Valley Cottage and Nyack High is filling a substitute role right now, and junior Matt Brown of Sparkill, a one-time team captain at Tappan Zee, is playing regularly at midfield.

Molloy, which usually has a solid program, noted Brancaccio, should present a good barometer for just where Dominican is headed.

“We’re definitely optimistic,” Brancaccio said. “We have a bunch of good athletes. I think at one point we have to put it together, and play well.”

The game against Molloy is Dominican’s third in conference play, which continues on Wednesday at NYIT at 4 p.m., and with a home game on April 11 at 4 p.m. against Mercy College of Dobbs Ferry.

Gearing up for Penn Invitational

Fresh off a decent showing at the season-opening Dick Shea Invitational at West Point, the St. Thomas Aquinas College track and field team is sending a full complement of 15 men and four women to Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday for the annual Penn Invitational.

Among the women, Pearl River’s Keeley Bateman continues to show good form in the 1,500-meter run. Bateman, a freshman, nearly matched her lifetime best in the event at West Point, clocking 5:07.20, but will compete in her specialty, the 800, in Philadelphia.

She’ll be joined by freshman Caroline Bjorkman, in the 400; junior Sarah Callagy, in the 5,000; and junior Chelsea Klinger, in the 1,500.

The men’s team is led by sophomore Mike Abelard of Spring Valley in the 200, and freshman Frankie Colon of Suffern, who will start his 800 career.

On the distance side, Mike Galonski will return in the steeplechase. Galonski made his collegiate debut in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at West Point, with 10:10.20.

“That’s very good for his first time,” said Coach Lou Maturo. “It gives me hope of course, that he could do well. Once he learns the event, his times will drop, and it will be a lot easier for him. Right now it’s a grueling event (for him), but it’s always a grueling event.”

STAC will also enter relay teams in the 4x100, and the 4x400 meters. Abelard, Rich Ricca of Pearl River, George Erazo of North Babylon, Vinny Modafferi of New City, and Colon will combine to form the relay teams.

Lady Spartans on mini-slide

The women’s lacrosse team at St. Thomas Aquinas College goes to work next Saturday with a road game at Lake Erie College in Painesville, OH, hoping to stop a three-game losing streak.

STAC rolled over SUNY Maritime 17-6 in its season opener as Anne Buttafuoco of Williston Park had six goals, and sophomore attack Johanna Mitchell of Pearl River scored four goals.

Mitchell added as assist, while Liz Gronwoldt of Valley Cottage, a junior midfielder out of Nyack High, had one goal.

The Lady Spartans are coming off a 19-5 loss to Mercy College. Mitchell had two goals, and Gronwoldt again added one.

On Coach Mike Looney’s defense, Jeanette Gibson of Stony Point guards the goal, helped by sophomore Becky Torres of Nanuet.

Play ball! Not so!

Inclement weather forced the postponement of the Dominican-Nyack baseball game, which has been re-scheduled for Thursday (April 7) at 7:15 p.m. at Nyack High School.

The Chargers are 10-7, with four wins by one run, and are unbeaten in four conference games. They are set to play non-conference foe Felician College on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Lyndhurst Recreation Complex in Lyndhurst, NY (892 Valley Brook Avenue).

Luis Vasquez of Pomona got his first save of the season for Dominican when he retired the side in order to preserve a 9-6 win over Felician College in a non-conference game.

The Warriors are winless in 13 attempts, but five defeats were by one run including two in extra innings.

In softball action, a scheduled Manhattan-Wagner softball doubleheader was limited to one game because of the cold and windy condition.

Before nature proved too much to overcome, the Lady Jaspers (10-14) notched a 9-7 victory over the Seahawks (1-17. They return to action Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at Stony Brook.

Mortarboard musings

  • Josephine Pucci of Pearl River, a sophomore defender on the Harvard University women’s hockey team, received New England Division I all-star recognition for her play this season. Also named on the blue line were Catherine Ward of Boston University, Courtney Birchard of New Hampshire, and Amber Young of Providence.
  • Gina Pittore of Valley Cottage, a Nyack High graduate, is playing at No. 4 singles for the Pace women’s tennis team. The Setters, who are off to a rocky 1-8 start, are scheduled to host St. Anselm on Sunday at 11 a.m.
  • Former Tappan Zee standout softball pitcher Talya Gardner (1-6, 4.06 ERA), is starting as a freshman at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. The Mavericks are set to play two games on Saturday at NYIT. First game is set for 3 p.m.
  • Sophomore attack Chris Tong of Nanuet is starting for the Pace men’s lacrosse team, which has started the season with a 4-2 record. Tong has won more than half of his face-offs (57 of 102) for the Setters, who visit Merrimack on Saturday at 3 p.m.
  • Michael Scrima of Pearl River, a freshman midfielder, broke into the lineup on the Wentworth College men’s lacrosse team in a loss to Roger Williams. Wentworth, which won its season opener, then dropped three straight, visits Wheelock College at noon on Saturday.
  • Led by Canadian Camden Lawrence, who tied for seventh, the Dominican College golf team placed second at the Goldey-Beacom Invitational at Deerfield GC in Newark, DE. Lawrence carded 80-76—156. The Chargers totaled 323 to finish behind Goldey-Beacom’s 311.
  • The Dominican College women’s lacrosse team scored seven goals in the second half to defeat the visiting Wildcats of Wilmington University, 12-6, in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) action at the Torne Valley Sports Complex in Hillburn. Dominican (3-2, 2-1 CACC) meets Wilmington again on Saturday at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, DE, at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Chargers visit Post on Tuesday.
  • St. Thomas Aquinas College golf team captured its Spring Invitational at Rum Pointe GC in Ocean City, MD. The Spartans were led by senior Mike Gunderson’s runner-up finish with a 72-71—143. Sophomore Nick Delango of Stony Point tied for 19th with 81-75—156. Freshman Keith Prokop of Ramsey, NJ, placed 10th for Dominican College. STAC won with a total of 590, followed by AIC (604), Dowling (608), Bentley (614), Goldey-Beacom (626), Nyack (629), College of St. Rose (651), Holy Family (668), Shepherd (669), Dominican (681)
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?