Raiders Down Tigers In Field Hockey Rematch Thriller
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- Written by Ray Cooper
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On a cloudy morning on Saturday October 12, the Scarsdale Raiders Field Hockey looked to defend their home turf against their eternal antagonists, the Mamaroneck Tigers. The teams had battled earlier in the season with the Tigers coming out on top 3-2. In another tightly contested affair, marked by stingy defenses on both sides, the Raiders won what was probably their best game of the season and earned an exciting 1-0 victory. Coach Lauren Barton remarked: “The guys were fired up for this one…. We had prepared for a competitive and intense game.”
Sophie Carroll blows by the Tigers defense.Both teams sat atop their conference 1 and 2 with the Tigers boasting an 8-1-1 record and Scarsdale at 9-3-1. The Raiders were coming off a tough week marked by a 3-0 loss to the number 1 rated Lakeland and a 3-3 tie against unheralded John Jay. The Raiders were sporting their home “pink” uniforms (marking Breast Cancer Awareness) and showed no ill effects from the tough week.
Andie Novenstein and Haley Matusz trying to knock this ball home in the first half.The first six minutes of the match had most of the action in the mid-field with the teams alternating possessions and looking for an early advantage. At this point in the game Scarsdale had its first opportunity as attacker co-captain Sophia Franco sent a ball toward the Tigers goal that the Raiders couldn’t convert to a score. Mamaroneck then took the ball down the field – only to be repelled by Sophia’s sister – defensemen Olivia. Olivia made multiple key stops all morning long and, combined with Emily Felder, kept the Tigers away from the Raider’s cage. Fellow co-captain Liz Scarcella also made strong contributions to the defense from her middie position, as well as Andie Novenstein from her attack position early in the first half and throughout the match.
The next 10 minutes saw much of the same with the teams moving the ball largely in the middle of the field. The Tigers Ava Gristina, who scored twice in the first game between the teams, almost teamed up with fellow Sophomore Laine Pearson for a quality drive, but they were stopped by Scarsdale Freshmen defender MJ Callahan.
GOAL!! Raiders celebrate what proved to be the game winner.At the 13 minute mark, the Raiders were awarded their first corner. After a flurry in front of the Tiger’s goal off the corner – Mamaroneck goalie Samantha Maresca had to come way out of her cage to clear the ball. At that point controversy struck. Scarsdale appeared to have scored a fantastic goal to break the deadlock off a long pass from the Raiders to a teammate who converted the ball into what would have been a beautiful goal. However, after much cajoling from Mamaroneck Coach John Savage the referee ruled that the goal came from a shot that took place outside of the circle – and disallowed the goal. Scarsdale kept the pressure on the rest of the half – with co-captain Sophie Carroll’s shot stopped by Maresca, but with Novenstein nearly knocking in the rebound with five minutes left in half. The last two minutes of the half saw a lot of action as Scarsdale’s second corner of the game almost led to fantastic scoring opportunity if not for the stop by the Tigers Sophie Showers with 1:30 left. The half ended with the Tigers first corner being easily stopped by Scarsdale and the contest deadlocked in a scoreless tie. The half saw a sharp reversal in what has been Scarsdale’s biggest problem – giving up corners which have led to several goals throughout the season. In fact, the Tigers did not have a shot on goal off a corner (or any other reason) all half.
Coach Barton exhorted her team during the halftime break and the Raiders took the field for the second half with much enthusiasm. With only 2:30 gone in the second half, Carroll passed the ball near the Tiger goal and the Raiders almost had their first tally of the game. Carroll continued to put pressure on, leading to another Scarsdale Corner with four minutes gone. Two minutes later, Scarcella led a corner that presented a golden opportunity but Maresca came way out of the goal to clear the ball.
Raiders celebrate their victory.Scarsdale controlled much of the tempo for the next six minutes of the match – with a few chances causing Maresca to make multiple saves. At around the midpoint of second half, Novenstein had a shot that just missed the goal. Mamaroneck had its best chance to score a few minutes later – with eight minutes left in the game – but Scarsdale goalie Angela Hoey made a kick save, preserving the scoreless tie.
A few minutes later the tigers had a corner – but Carroll took the ball away and drove downfield – leading to a Scarsdale corner with just under four minutes left in the affair. At this point, the play of the game took place – as Sophie Carroll took a Scarcella pass and banged it home with 3:45 to play. The Raiders celebrated en mass – pouring onto the field – as they realized that this was probably the most important goal they have scored to date during the season. The series of events was recognized by Franco as she said, “I was very excited to score that goal. We’ve been working very hard all season to get better on offensive corners.” Both teams were mentally and physically spent from such a fast paced intense game at this point – but Scarsdale did not fall into a defensive posture - keeping the pressure on for the remainder of the game. Novenstein drove the ball down the field and the game ended with the ball on the Mamaroneck side of the field. The team exploded onto the field in celebration and the general feeling was summarized by Scarcella: “The last few weeks we put in a lot of time and the team is so happy to have won here.”
The win serves as a major message to the rest of the conference that the Raiders are a major threat going into the later part of the season and the playoffs. When asked the differences between Saturday’s and the previous game against the Tigers, Barton was quick to say: “We were much more patient on defense and more composed throughout the game. We gave up a lot fewer corners.” The Coach also praised her team’s ability to thrive against teams that may be over the line on physicality by saying: “I’m proud of how our team receives praise for our sportsmanship. The referees remarked to me about this after our game against Lakeland and it helped today. Our team plays the game the way it should be played.”
The win against Mamaroneck was the Raiders first against this foe since the 2016 conference championship team accomplished the feat. The Raiders hope to continue their winning ways as they take on Fox Lane on Monday Oc
Photos by Jon Thaler - see more and buy yours here:
This Fall, Mow, Don’t Blow, Your Leaves
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Mowing your leaves - also known as mulch mowing - into tiny pieces on your lawn, is healthier for your lawn and soil than piling or bagging them to be removed. As the shredded leaves settle between grass blades and decompose, their nutrients enhance the soil. Leaf-mulched lawns often need less fertilizer and water. Excess mulch can be blown into garden beds to help prevent weed growth, to conserve moisture and sprinkler usage, and to provide a protective layer in winter. The pollutants from leaf blowers and trucks that must haul away the leaves are avoided. And, leaves piled in the streets can be a thing of the past! Homeowners around Scarsdale have been mulch mowing leaves for many years with great results.
Mulch mowing can be done with any standard homeowner or commercial lawn mower. Simply mow over the fallen leaves. All types of leaves can be mulch mowed. (Pine needles, which are acidic, may change the ph balance of your lawn if mulch mowed in large quantities so consider using pine needles as a mulch around the base of pine trees.) To help shred the leaves into smaller pieces, it’s recommended that a mulching blade be used. This type of blade, which has grooves to shred the leaves, is inexpensive and available for any type of mower.
All landscapers have the equipment to mulch mow, and it is just as easy (or easier) to mulch mow than it is to blow the leaves to the curb. If you have a landscaper, ask them to mulch mow your leaves. Many, but not all, landscapers have experience mulch mowing leaves. If your landscaper is new to mulch mowing, the following are key points for them to know:
• Equipment: They should use a mulching blade at a minimum, but a mulching kit will provide even better results. Mulching kits, which include additional attachments beyond just a mulching blade, are available at any mower distributor and can be fitted to commercial mowers.
• Mulching Technique: Mowing the leaves in a circular pattern, rather than back and forth in lines, will result in smaller pieces of leaves which decompose more quickly and will avoid “striping lines.”
• Time: It should take your landscaper no additional time to mulch mow leaves rather than blowing them to the curb. In many cases it actually saves time.
• Cost: Mulch mowing leaves should not cost more than having leaves blown to the curb or bagged. There are many landscapers in Scarsdale who have been mulch mowing properties for years at no additional cost. If your landscaper claims it will be more time consuming, ask them to try it for a few weeks. They should see it takes no additional time.
If you mow your own lawn, use a mulching blade which you can install yourself or bring to any local mower shop (there is one in downtown Scarsdale) to install. Make sure to have the blade sharpened as needed. Try to mulch leaves once a week so the piles don’t build up too high for your mower, especially during the heavy drop of leaves. For larger amounts of leaves, you may want to raise the height of the mower deck.
If you think that there are too many leaves to mulch mow, shredding piles of leaves reduces the volume of leaves significantly! What looks like a huge leaf pile will shred into tiny pieces and quickly settle into your lawn. If you are concerned about the quantity of leaves, try mulch mowing for a few weeks when leaves first begin to fall and there is less leaf volume. Even if you need to put some leaves to the curb during the heavy leaf drop, any reduction in leaves put to the curb is a benefit.
Excess mulched leaves can be placed in your garden beds. They look great, are a healthy addition to your yard and will save you the cost of buying wood mulch. Remember, to avoid damaging trees and plants, never place mulch directly against a tree trunk or shrub and never pile mulch more than 2”- 3” high in a garden bed.
The shredded leaves resulting from mulch mowing will not harm your lawn. In fact, the shredded leaves are beneficial to your lawn. Decomposing leaves cover the soil between the individual blades of grass where weeds can germinate. Once the small bits of leaves settle in, microbes and worms start breaking them down. It is important that the leaves are shredded because whole leaves left on a lawn can smother the grass. The shredded leaves quickly settle into the lawn and your lawn should not look messy.
Leaf mulch mowing benefits our local landscape, reduces the number of truck trips in our community and gets large piles of leaves off our streets.
Scarsdale Field Hockey Team Beats the Heat and Carmel
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- Written by Ray Cooper
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Coach Lauren Barton Instructs the Team.While the calendar tells us that fall is upon us this week, the weather still felt like summer as the thermometer was bumping on 80 degrees as the Scarsdale Field Hockey team hosted Carmel on September 21. Scarsdale came into the game boasting a 5-1 record while the Rams were sporting a nearly as impressive record of 4-2-1. In a hard fought contest the Raiders came out on top 3-1.
Scarsdale displayed a balanced attack throughout the game – with the offense and defense contributing to the victory. The Raiders struck first within the first 4 minutes as Andie Novenstein scored off a corner. The Rams put a fair amount of pressure on Scarsdale throughout the first half. Carmel was aided by what has become a continuing thorn in Scarsdale’s side – corners. The Raiders were called for 22 corners – quite a large amount – that set up the opponent for a multiplayer advantage right in front of Scarsdale’s goal. Fortunately for the Raiders, sophomore and second year goalie Angela Hoey and defenders Victoria Wilson, Maeve Jacobson, Olivia Franco, and Emily Felder came up big the entire game in deterring these attacks on its goal. Coach Lauren Barton said: “we’ve been practicing defending and executing the corners a lot during our practices. It’s an area we’d still like to improve.”
In a sequence midway through the first half Felder stopped a sure goal during a corner. On the ensuing corner penalty Hoey stopped a point blank shot by Kylie Rosenquest - one of Carmel’s top scorers. With 5 minutes left in the half Hoey came way of out the cage she was defending and blocked a shot and made a sprawling save on the rebound – preserving the Raiders lead.
With about 3 minutes left in the half Scarsdale Co-Captain middie Senior Liz Scarcella notched the Raiders second goal as she beautifully lifted the ball over Ram’s goalie Deveney Howard after a hectic scrum that was created off a corner. Her fellow Co-Captain Sophia Franco assisted as Scarsdale increased its lead to 2-0 and the score remained that way until the first half ended.
Early in the second half Hoey robbed Kylie Rosenquest of a sure goal with a fabulous save and Maeve Jacobson made an excellent stop off of yet another Carmel corner. The next few minutes saw the Raiders control the ball with Scarcella displaying strong ball handling skills.
With four minutes gone in the second half, Scarsdale’s Haley Matusz banged in what appreared to be the Raider’s third goal. However the goal was disallowed and the ball went back to the Rams. On the ensuing possession, Carmel’s Laila Rosenquest drove down the field and fed her teammate Caitlin Tully who knocked in the Ram’s first goal with 15 minutes left in the contest. Suddenly Scarsdale looked to be in a fight – nursing a 2-1 lead.
The Raiders responded to the challenge quite nicely – controlling the ball for most of the next few minutes. Eventually this pressure led to Matusz scoring at the 8-minute mark (with this one counting) after a high level of pressure around the Rams goal. Scarsdale took a commanding 3-1 lead that they did not relinquish. However, the Rams did not give up attacking. Goalie Hoey came way out of her cage to defend – one of several such times to squelch a possible shot on goal by Carmel. After the game Hoey said: “I come out when I think I can stop or clear the ball quickly – I’m not afraid to do that.”
The Rams charged several additional times in the final five minutes – but were turned away by the Raider’s defenders and goalie repeatedly. With 3 minutes to play, the Rams nearly knotted its second goal as Kylie Rosenquest narrowly missed the mark. The teams traded possessions as the clock ran out and Scarsdale emerged with the solid 3-1 victory.
This win brings Scarsdale’s record to 6-1 and facing an always dangerous and loaded Bronxville squad at Bronxville on Monday. Coaches Barton and Martinez will look to keep Scarsdale’s winning streak alive.
Raiders Field Hockey Team Doesn’t Let the Rain Dampen Their Effort
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- Written by Ray Cooper
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Following an afternoon downpour on Thursday, the skies cleared up to greet the Scarsdale Raiders Field Hockey Team as they got off the bus at Mamaroneck High School to visit the Tigers. The 4th ranked Raiders were sporting a 7-1 record and coming off an exciting 1-0 takedown of Bronxville earlier in the week. The third ranked Tigers had six wins for the season against one loss and one tie (against the first and second ranked teams respectively). This rivalry has created some classic games in the past and this contest proved no different as the Tigers edged the Raiders 3-2.
The match started with most of the action taking place in the middle of the field. Scarsdale’s co-captain Sophie Carroll was a significant presence in controlling the ball early. At the nine minute mark the Tigers had the first scoring opportunity as attacker Caitlin Rogoff sent a cross towards the goal but Mamaroneck could not convert it. Moments later, the Raiders Emily Felder stopped a corner drive and began a charge down the field. Carroll then took a long shot towards the Tigers goal and Andie Novenstein deflected the ball into Mamaroneck’s goal – and the Raiders had a 1-0 lead with 11 minutes gone in the contest.
The Tigers responded a few minutes later – as their sophomore sensation Ava Gristina scored off a corner at the midway point of the first half. With the score knotted at 1-1 the teams traded drives back and forth. Carroll shot a ball high over the net with 11 minutes left in the half and Maeve Jacobson had a nice drive from her defense position. Fellow defensemen Olivia Franco stopped a threatening Tiger breakaway with just over 4 minutes left in the half. With two minutes left in the half the Tigers Laine Pearson had a nice drive that Scarsdale repelled. The teams ended the half tied at 1-1 and both looked exhausted as the buzzer sound.
Both teams took the field for the second half with a renewed energy and the action continued. Gristina scored again and gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead as she scored on a very long shot from the left side of the goal with three minutes gone in the half. Scarsdale then took the ball down the field and put pressure on Mamaroneck’s defense. Goalie Samantha Maresca was forced to come out of the goal with eight minutes gone to stop a shot by Scarsdale’s Haley Matusz.
The Tigers then took the ball down the field and put their own pressure on Scarsdale. Raider goalie Angela Hoey made a huge save off a Tiger corner. After a flurry of activity around the Raider goal, Mamaroneck’s Laine Pearson punched home a rebound that came off a corner, and the Tigers took which looked like a commanding lead 3-1 with 17 minutes left in the contest.
However, the Raiders were not done, and responded within a minute. On their ensuing drive Matusz plucked a Sophie Franco shot out of the air and struck home Scarsdale’s second goal. Both goalies made fabulous stops in the next few minutes. Hoey repelled an attempt with 13 minutes left and Maresca point blank robbed co-captain Sophia Franco’s attempt at the equalizer at the 12 minute mark. Scarsdale kept the pressure on and co-captain Liz Scarella steered a drive that nearly led to a goal. With just under four minutes left in the contest, the Raiders had their last great chance to score as Matusz made a nice play and almost tied the affair off a corner.
Scarsdale gave the Tigers all they could handle as coach Lauren Barton remarked: “it was a great game and the girls played their best hockey of the season. We capitalized on the opportunities we had and played our strongest field hockey. We were much more patient on defense and explosive on attack.” Coach Barton also noted the balanced team play as she said: “every single member of our team played an integral role in our performance today.” The Raiders will have another crack at the Tigers in a few weeks – as it will defend its home turf – in a game that will surely have playoff seeding implications.
Swastika Found at SHS Evokes Strong Reaction from School Principal and Local Rabbi
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Rabbi Jonathan BlakeThe discovery of a swastika in a bathroom at Scarsdale High School on Thursday September 12, has evoked strong condemnation from SHS Principal Ken Bonamo as well as the Chief Rabbi of Westchester Reform Temple, Rabbi Jonathan Blake. Both decry this act of hate and vow to take action to address Anti-Semitism in our community.
See their letters below:
(From Rabbi Blake at Westchester Reform Temple)
Yesterday afternoon, we learned through a letter (included below) sent by Kenneth Bonamo, Principal of Scarsdale High School, of an Anti-Semitic incident at Scarsdale High School in which a swastika was found engraved on a toilet paper dispenser in a school bathroom.
All of us commend Scarsdale High School’s leadership for their swift condemnation of this act of Anti-Semitism, hatred, and intolerance. In the year 2019, no person, young or old, in our community, or anywhere, should be subjected to the language or symbols that the Nazi regime used in the service of violence, terror, and mass murder.
We simply will not stand for it.
I have spoken with Mr. Bonamo to offer WRT’s partnership in responding to this hateful display, which he gratefully received. It is important for our community to know that our institutions stand shoulder-to-shoulder at this time.
Additionally, the clergy of the temple are available to meet with any students or families who would like to discuss the episode and how best to respond to your own questions and concerns, or your children’s questions and concerns. We are also reaching out to the Anti-Defamation League to alert them to the incident. The ADL is a trusted partner in WRT’s own efforts to confront and condemn Anti-Semitism and hate, and to continue to build a congregation and community established on principles of Jewish solidarity, universal human dignity, tolerance, respect, and inclusion.
When I was 16 years old, my family returned from a weekend at the Jersey shore to our home in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The chilling image that greeted us upon our return has never left my memory. As we pulled into the driveway, we saw swastikas painted all over our garage door. Our school district, synagogue, and the ADL collaborated effectively to identify the perpetrators (students in my sister’s eighth grade class), to provide sensitivity training in the school, and to discipline the offenders.
We all share the hope that similarly swift and effective measures will be taken in Scarsdale around this incident, and we stand at the ready to provide support in this shared effort.
During the High Holidays and throughout the year, we look forward to informing you about our ongoing efforts to educate our community about Anti-Semitism and to stand up against it, in all its many forms. Together, we will enter the forthcoming new year in a spirit of shared vigilance, resolve, and fortitude.
L’Shalom,
Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake
(From Scarsdale High School Principal Ken Bonamo)
Dear Members of the SHS Community:
I am writing to inform you of a recent event that warrants our attention as a community.
This afternoon, graffiti was discovered in a bathroom stall consisting of a swastika that had been etched into a toilet-paper dispenser. This symbol has significant historical and political significance as one of anti-Semitism, hatred, and intolerance. It is often used to express opposition to efforts to build an inclusive, tolerant, and safe society.
Because of the private location of where this was found, it will be nearly impossible to identify the individual(s) responsible for this action; it would be unfair to cast blame widely on the school community, as we know that most of us abhor and condemn acts of hatred. Yet the implications are serious enough that I felt obligated to inform you of this discovery, not to give attention to those who acted inappropriately, but to let them know that their actions have no place in our school community.
If even one member of our community feels unwelcome or distressed by this incident, that is one person too many. All students, families, and staff members must feel equally included and respected by each of us. Hate speech and scare tactics will not be tolerated and do not represent what we stand for. I ask each of you today to recommit to the belief that all of us deserve the opportunity to participate fully in our school community and our society at large and to join together in denouncing acts of hatred and bigotry.
Scarsdale High School’s Dignity, Inclusion, and Belonging Team will have its first meeting of the new school year in a few weeks. The team’s agenda this year includes creating and administering a climate survey and bringing programming to students to enhance our efforts in ensuring an inclusive school community where everyone of diverse backgrounds feels a genuine sense of belonging. This incident will be among the items that team discusses.
Students and families who would like to talk further about this incident should contact their deans or our youth outreach workers. If you have information about this incident, please contact me directly.
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Bonamo
Principal
