Staten Island Rebels Athletic Association
Rebels in the News

Click here for results from the tournaments

Check out what the Staten Island Advance is writing about the Rebels players !!
(Rebel Players in Bold)

Look for Rebels currently playing in college during the 2005-2006 season ....

Jennifer Bender (MSIT) - Monmouth University
Elizabeth Gruber (Notre Dame Academy) - Sacred Heart University
Rachel Hudec (St. John Villa) - Sacred Heart University
Kristy McLean (Poly Prep) - Bentley College
Helen Swartley (St. Joseph Hill) - Wagner College
Christine Trezza (Notre Dame Academy) - Notre Dame University

Congratulations to this year's senior scholarship winners (basketball and academic)...
Laura Mooney (St, John Villa) - Pace University
Christie Tomasino (St. John Villa) - Pace University
Elizabeth Siller (St. Joseph Hill) - Catholic University
Kristen Caban (St. Joseph Hill) - SUNY New Paltz
Nicole Sarcone (Notre Dame Academy) - SUNY New Paltz
Carolyn Suarez (St. Joseph Hill) - Mt. St. Vincent
Allyson Carroccia (St. Joseph Hill) - Steven Institute of Technology
Monica Morales (St. John Villa) - Marist College
 

Congratulations to this year's Rebel freshman competing in college...
Jennifer Bender (MSIT) - Monmouth University
Melanie D'Ambrosi - College of Staten Island
Elizabeth Gruber (Notre Dame Academy) - Sacred Heart University
Rachel Hudec (St. John Villa) - Sacred Heart University
Kristy McLean (Poly Prep) - Bentley College
Helen Swartley (St. Joseph Hill) - Wagner College
Christine Trezza (Notre Dame Academy) - Notre Dame University

Winners of the 2005-2006 Raffle Announced

1st Place:  Rose Tasca
2nd Place: Tony Romeo
3rd Place: Kristine Pariseau

For information on purchasing raffle tickets for the 2006-2007 season talk to any Rebel player or contact sirebels1@aol.com

Staten Island Rebels Summer Camp Registration
 

Tuesday June 6th 7:15 to 8:15 at OLSS
for more information contact bmat96@email.msn.com

Staten Island Rebels Summer Camp 2006 Info
When:August 7-11
Where: OLSS, air conditioned facility
Age: entering 4th, 5th, or 6th grade in September 2006
Instructors: Rebel coaches
Admission: LIMITED admission
Fee: Rebels Players $50  Non Rebel Players $100

Staten Island Rebels College Showcase
Free to to all Eligible High School Players

March 15  5:30 PM to 9 PM. FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORES only
March 16 5:30 PM to 9 PM JUNIORS and eligible SENIORS only
at Petredes High School Gym
for more information contact Frank Siller at FCSiller@aol.com

As a part of the Rebels Program Community Assistance Program the Rebels will sponsor two free College Evaluation nights which are open to all High School level girls players and the event will be right here on Staten Island... and, as its sponsored by the REBELS PROGRAM, there is no entry fee.  Players will be evaluated by representatives from the Women's National Recruiting Report  a Nationally recognized recruiting report which is reviewed by over 400 colleges coaches at the Division I, II and II levels. 

Lead evaluators for this program are:
Vinnie Cannizzaro, the president of the National Recruiting Report. Coach Cannizzaro, served as the Coach at Christ The King for 19 years 1980-1999  (Record of 475-56) has won 3 USA Today National Championships, 12 Catholic State Championships, 10 consecutive NYS Championships, (National Record) and was recognized as the National Coach of the Year twice, he was 7 Times NYC Coach of the Year and served as  Assistant Coach at Stony Brook University for 4 years..

Gerry Mosley (SI Rebels HS Coach): College of Staten Island Women's Head Basketball Coach 1986 to 1996, NCAA City University of New York Athletic Conference Championship Senior Division 1991, 138 Wins over 10 years; Currently Coaching for the past 4 years with the Staten Island Rebels High School Program.  Penn State invitational 1st Place, 2005, 4th Place 2004, United States Junior Nationals Championship , United States Junior Nationals Championship , 1st Place,  Basketball Instructor

Frank Siller (SI Rebels HS Coach):  Former High School Boys and girls Varsity Coach, St. Mary's, Perth Amboy, Basketball and baseball.  Coaching basketball since 1973.  Currently coaching Staten Island Rebels age group ,17 and under.  Coaching for the past 8 years with the Staten Island Rebels.  Penn State invitational 1st Place, 2005, 4th Place 2004, United States Junior Nationals Championship , 1st Place, 2003, NIC National Championship 4th Place, 2002.  United States Junior Nationals Championship, 5th Place, 2001,United States Junior Nationals Championship,3rd Place, 2000, AAU National Championships, 13th Place, 1999.

Rebels Annual Liberty Night Announced

Join the Staten Island Rebels on August 2nd as we watch the New York Liberty battle former Staten Islander Jenn Derevjanik and the Connecticut Sun at Madison Square Garden.
Tickets are $22 per person and the deadline for tickets is July 25th.

Each ticket includes: admission to the Garden prior to the general public to watch the teams warm up,
player's will receive a Rebels' raffle and a chance to win an autographed jersey.
The first one hundred tickets that are sold will receive autogaphs after the game. 
If one hundred tickets are sold, there will be a raffle for twenty winner to take part in an event on the Garden floor that night.

Contact: Steve Spinelli at SpinelliLawFirm@aol.com for further details.
Make checks payable to Staten Island Rebels, send to Stephen Spinelli 1861 86th Street, Brklyn, NY 11214

Last year's event was sold out, so get your tickets early !!

Rebels 16 and under team wins Blue Chip Championship

The Rebels 16 and under team finished 7-0 winning the Blue Chip Division I Championship at Penn State University. 
Congratulations to Coach Frank Siller and the girls !
Rebels 53 - Jersey Suns 38
Rebels 51-DelMont Blaze 27
Rebels 39 - CT Starters 37
Rebels 64 - Elmire Express 37
Rebels 54 - Queen City Classics 22
Rebels 61 - WNY Lakers 39
Rebels 55 - SMAC Bring It 28

Congratulations to the Rebels Teams at the AAU Nationals !

The 11 year old Rebels defended their AAU National Ranking this week in Springfield Mo. 
Although the competition was better than last year, the Rebels were able to stay strong and finished in 9th Place with a record of 5-2.
The Rebels defeated the Motor City Suns, Matthew-Dickiy Hoops, West Virginia Lady Warriors, Mid Atlantic Elite, and the Roanoke Lady Hawks
before losing to the Air OK Stars (who finished in 2nd place) and the Carolina Angels (who finished in 5th place). 
Congratulations to coaches Tom Cavanagh, Joe Coscia and Bill Tursi and all the girls !

The 10 year old Rebels competed in their first AAU Championships in Orlando Florida.
The Rebels had a rough beginning playing with the eventual champion GBL LadyRebels in their pool, but finished with a 5-4 record.
Congratulations to coaches Mike Tursi and Kristen Tursi and all the girls.

Pictures taken at the AAU Championships from www.aaugirlsbasketball.org

Kym Hampton receives Rebels Role Model Award

Kym Hampton, a former player of the WNBA's New York Liberty, was selected to receive the 2005 Rebels Role Model Award.  Before her retirement from the Liberty, Hampton led the team to the 1999 WNBA Championship series against the Houston Comets, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star Team.  Since her retirement, she has continued to maintain her status as a spokesperson for the the Liberty and the WNBA.  Hampton is widely recognized for her community involvement and was awarded the 2002 Yolanda Jackson Giveback Award by the Women's Sports Foundation

The Rebels presented the Role Model Award to Ms. Hampton at the Annual Dinner Dance held at the Staaten.

Congratulations to the Rebel teams competing in the Regional AAU 10-11-12-13 Year Old Championships

Megan Mahoney named Staten Island Player of the Year by NY Daily News
All-Borough Team 'Rebel' full

Daily News announced the Staten Island Player of the Year is St. Peter's sophomore Megan Mahoney.

First Team:
Tara Driscoll (Sr) St. Peters
Jennifer Bender (Sr) McKee-Staten Island Tech
Liz Gruber (Sr) Notre Dame Academy
Helen Swartley (Sr) St. Joseph Hill
Christine Trezza (Sr) Notre Dame Academy

Honorable Mention:
Candice Bellocchio (So) St. Peters
Ashley Olsen (So) Notre Dame

Rebel players sweep post-season awards !

Rebel High School players completed a sweep of post-season awards celebrating their high school seasons.  In March, Jennifer Bender (MSIT)was awarded the Warren Jacques Award given annually to Staten Island's best High School player.  Since that day, Bender, Megan Mahoney (St. Peters), Liz Gruber (Notre Dame) and Kristy McLean (Poly Prep) have been named to the New York All-State Basketball Team.    In the Class AA, Megan Mahoney was selected to the Class AA Seventh Team, while Jen Bender was selected to the Tenth Team.  In Class A Liz Gruber was selected to the Fifth Team, and Kristy McLean was selected to the Second Team in Class C.

Most recently, 4 Rebel players were selected to be Staten Island Advance All-Stars Jennifer Bender (MSIT), Liz Gruber (Notre Dame) were selected for the second year in a row, while Megan Mahoney (St. Peters) and Candace Bellocchio (St. Peters) were first time selctions.

Click here to read about the selections for Advance All- Stars

UPDATES !!

Jennifer Bender wins the Jacques Award given annually to Staten Island's best High School Player.  Bender not only attained a personal milestone when she surpassed 1000 points this year, but she also led her team to a perfect 12-0 in the PSAL.  Bender becomes only the 4th player from the Public School system to win the award.
Click here for the full story.

Check out the alumni section to see how which Rebel players were selected to their all-conference teams.

Staten Island's Best

Staten Island High School's top teams battled for the Archdiocesan Championship at the College of Staten Island.  The Rebels were represented by 17 players between the two teams.  To find out how the game ended, Click here

Helen Swartley becomes the 15th Rebel to reach 1,000 points !

Check out what's being written about Rebel players in the Staten Island Advance:
in the News Section 

and check out more of the High School Hoops section of SI Live to keep up with the other players

The Staten Island Rebels would like to thank Becky Hammon and Sue Wicks for their time in providing the clinic participants with a great day of fun.
Autographed T-Shirts are currently being sold.  Email sirebels@aol.com for more information.
Check out Pictures Page to see how it went !!

Click here!  For pictures from the previous clinic with Teresa Weatherspoon (Feb 2004)

11 Select Rebels to receive ball during pre-game ceremony

Rebels finish AAU nationals in 7th place !!

Rebels Annual Liberty Night Announced

Join the Staten Island Rebels on August 2nd as we watch the New York Liberty battle former Staten Islander Jenn Derevjanik and the Connecticut Sun at Madison Square Garden.
Tickets are $22 per person and the deadline for tickets is July 25th.

Each ticket includes: admission to the Garden prior to the general public to watch the teams warm up,
player's will receive a Rebels' raffle and a chance to win an autographed jersey.
The first one hundred tickets that are sold will receive autogaphs after the game. 
If one hundred tickets are sold, there will be a raffle for twenty winner to take part in an event on the Garden floor that night.

Contact: Steve Spinelli at SpinelliLawFirm@aol.com for further details.
Make checks payable to Staten Island Rebels, send to Stephen Spinelli 1861 86th Street, Brklyn, NY 11214

Last year's event was sold out, so get your tickets early !!

Rebels 16 and under team wins Blue Chip Championship

The Rebels 16 and under team finished 7-0 winning the Blue Chip Division I Championship at Penn State University. 
Congratulations to Coach Frank Siller and the girls !
Rebels 53 - Jersey Suns 38
Rebels 51-DelMont Blaze 27
Rebels 39 - CT Starters 37
Rebels 64 - Elmire Express 37
Rebels 54 - Queen City Classics 22
Rebels 61 - WNY Lakers 39
Rebels 55 - SMAC Bring It 28

Congratulations to the Rebels Teams at the AAU Nationals !

The 11 year old Rebels defended their AAU National Ranking this week in Springfield Mo. 
Although the competition was better than last year, the Rebels were able to stay strong and finished in 9th Place with a record of 5-2.
The Rebels defeated the Motor City Suns, Matthew-Dickiy Hoops, West Virginia Lady Warriors, Mid Atlantic Elite, and the Roanoke Lady Hawks
before losing to the Air OK Stars (who finished in 2nd place) and the Carolina Angels (who finished in 5th place). 
Congratulations to coaches Tom Cavanagh, Joe Coscia and Bill Tursi and all the girls !

The 10 year old Rebels competed in their first AAU Championships in Orlando Florida.
The Rebels had a rough beginning playing with the eventual champion GBL LadyRebels in their pool, but finished with a 5-4 record.
Congratulations to coaches Mike Tursi and Kristen Tursi and all the girls.

Pictures taken at the AAU Championships from www.aaugirlsbasketball.org

Kym Hampton receives Rebels Role Model Award

Kym Hampton, a former player of the WNBA's New York Liberty, was selected to receive the 2005 Rebels Role Model Award.  Before her retirement from the Liberty, Hampton led the team to the 1999 WNBA Championship series against the Houston Comets, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star Team.  Since her retirement, she has continued to maintain her status as a spokesperson for the the Liberty and the WNBA.  Hampton is widely recognized for her community involvement and was awarded the 2002 Yolanda Jackson Giveback Award by the Women's Sports Foundation

The Rebels presented the Role Model Award to Ms. Hampton at the Annual Dinner Dance held at the Staaten.

Congratulations to the Rebel teams competing in the Regional AAU 10-11-12-13 Year Old Championships

Megan Mahoney named Staten Island Player of the Year by NY Daily News
All-Borough Team 'Rebel' full

Daily News announced the Staten Island Player of the Year is St. Peter's sophomore Megan Mahoney.

First Team:
Tara Driscoll (Sr) St. Peters
Jennifer Bender (Sr) McKee-Staten Island Tech
Liz Gruber (Sr) Notre Dame Academy
Helen Swartley (Sr) St. Joseph Hill
Christine Trezza (Sr) Notre Dame Academy

Honorable Mention:
Candice Bellocchio (So) St. Peters
Ashley Olsen (So) Notre Dame

Rebel players sweep post-season awards !

Rebel High School players completed a sweep of post-season awards celebrating their high school seasons.  In March, Jennifer Bender (MSIT)was awarded the Warren Jacques Award given annually to Staten Island's best High School player.  Since that day, Bender, Megan Mahoney (St. Peters), Liz Gruber (Notre Dame) and Kristy McLean (Poly Prep) have been named to the New York All-State Basketball Team.    In the Class AA, Megan Mahoney was selected to the Class AA Seventh Team, while Jen Bender was selected to the Tenth Team.  In Class A Liz Gruber was selected to the Fifth Team, and Kristy McLean was selected to the Second Team in Class C.

Most recently, 4 Rebel players were selected to be Staten Island Advance All-Stars Jennifer Bender (MSIT), Liz Gruber (Notre Dame) were selected for the second year in a row, while Megan Mahoney (St. Peters) and Candace Bellocchio (St. Peters) were first time selctions.

Click here to read about the selections for Advance All- Stars

UPDATES !!

Jennifer Bender wins the Jacques Award given annually to Staten Island's best High School Player.  Bender not only attained a personal milestone when she surpassed 1000 points this year, but she also led her team to a perfect 12-0 in the PSAL.  Bender becomes only the 4th player from the Public School system to win the award.
Click here for the full story.

Check out the alumni section to see how which Rebel players were selected to their all-conference teams.

Staten Island's Best

Staten Island High School's top teams battled for the Archdiocesan Championship at the College of Staten Island.  The Rebels were represented by 17 players between the two teams.  To find out how the game ended, Click here

Helen Swartley becomes the 15th Rebel to reach 1,000 points !

Check out what's being written about Rebel players in the Staten Island Advance:
in the News Section 

and check out more of the High School Hoops section of SI Live to keep up with the other players

The Staten Island Rebels would like to thank Becky Hammon and Sue Wicks for their time in providing the clinic participants with a great day of fun.
Autographed T-Shirts are currently being sold.  Email sirebels@aol.com for more information.
Check out Pictures Page to see how it went !!

Click here!  For pictures from the previous clinic with Teresa Weatherspoon (Feb 2004)

11 Select Rebels to receive ball during pre-game ceremony

Rebels finish AAU nationals in 7th place !!

News from the Staten Island Advance ...

Consistency defined these stars
Foursome of girls' basketball All Stars were rocks their teams relied on
Monday, April 11, 2005

Models of consistency.

If nothing else, that's the most obvious trait that separates the four Advance All Stars selected in girls' basketball from the rest of the crop.

The All Stars, St. Peter's Candice Bellocchio and Megan Mahoney; McKee/Staten Island Tech's Jennifer Bender and Notre Dame Academy's Liz Gruber, not only performed well, but did it on a regular basis.

The girls' basketball All Stars, as well as the other All Stars selected in winter and spring sports, will be honored at the Advance All-Star Dinner on June 23 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield.

The honorees were chosen by Advance Advisory Board members Gerry Mosley and Bill Sheridan, as well as Advance staff writers Alexandria Alejandro, Jason Bock, Charlie DeBiase Jr., Kevin Flood, Dan O'Leary, Jamie Lee and Bob Wietecha Jr.

Bender and Gruber are both two-time selections.

St. Peter's enjoyed another highly successful season, capturing its 10th consecutive CHSAA Staten Island regular-season crown, its second straight Archdiocesan title and another trip to the combined AA Catholic state/CHSAA city title game against Christ the King.

Bellocchio, a point guard, and Mahoney, a shooting forward, played pivotal roles in the Eagles' success, which included a 22-5 finish.

Bellocchio epitomized the role of a point guard, not only running St. Peter's offense efficiently, but scoring when the opportunity presented itself. Not only did the 5-foot-6 Bellocchio consistently dish out assists, but she also averaged 8.5 points per game, drained 25 three-pointers and did a solid job rebounding despite her size.

But most importantly, the sophomore was a tenacious defender who not only played a pivotal role in St. Peter's trademark full-court pressure, but individually as well.

Fellow sophomore Mahoney, meanwhile, made the most of her first season on varsity, averaging 12.8 points per game while hitting for double digits in 20 of the Eagles' 27 contests. She had 15 three-pointers.

Scoring, however, wasn't the only thing the 5-foot-7 Mahoney could do. In addition, she also did an exceptional job rebounding, played solid defense and handled the ball crisply when needed.

Mahoney's signature performance took place in the CHSAA Archdiocesan championship game against Notre Dame Academy when she led the Eagles to the title with a career-high 27 points.

Bender, who led the Island in scoring with an 18.7 average (507 total points), made a name for herself inside the paint. Not only did she score consistently inside, but she also had a nice touch from the perimeter and ran the floor well.

The 6-1 Bender scored in double digits in 26 of MSIT's 27 contests -- including a season-high 32 points in a win over Tottenville -- and connected for 20 or more points on 10 occasions.

Bender, a solid rebounder and interior defender, averaged 16.4 points per game in seven contests against the Island's CHSAA division.

Gruber once again established herself as one of the Island's top scorers. The senior finished fifth with a 14.9 average (403 total points), hitting for double digits in 24 of NDA's 27 contests with a season-high 23 markers twice.

Although the 5-foot-7 Gruber was best going to the basket, she also possessed a nice touch from the perimeter (23 treys) and made frequent trips to the free-throw line. She often did a good job penetrating and kicking the ball out to teammates.

Gruber continued her solid play during the playoffs, averaging 14.6 points in five contests, including a post-season high 19 markers during a victory over Mount St. Ursula.

Jennifer Bender wins girls Jacques Award for Islands best player
Senior center is first girls' winner from MSIT and first PSAL player honored since 1993
March 17, 2005

McKee/Staten Island Tech senior Jennifer Bender was recognized for her season-long steadiness last night when she was named the winner of the 2005 girls' Jaques Award, given annually to the Island's most outstanding player.

Bender is the 22nd girl to receive the award since its inception in 1985 (there were dual winners in 1992) and is only the fourth player from a public school team to receive the honor

Bender's selection broke a string of nine consecutive years in which the Jaques went to a St. Peter's player, and the 6-foot-1 center became the first PSAL winner since current Curtis coach Dot Guerriero won in 1993. Bender's coach, Clare Guerriero-Mitchell, was the first Jaques winner from a PSAL program, winning the award as a Curtis senior in 1988.

"This year was a tough choice, but the bottom line came down to consistency," said committee member Fran Mitilieri of the unanimous selection made with committee members George Bartell and Mike Reardon.

"Jen scored in double digits in 26 of MSIT's 27 games, averaged 11 rebounds per game and was a force at both ends of the court. She runs the floor and handles the ball extremely well for a big girl.

"Bender was the main reason the Sea Gulls finished the PSAL schedule with a perfect 12-0 record, but it wasn't just league play that impressed the panel.

"No other girls' player on the Island drew the type of double-team attention Jen did," Reardon explained. "And I'm not just talking about PSAL games. MSIT played a non-league schedule that included St. Peter's, St. John Villa, St. Joseph by-the Sea and Moore Catholic. And there was no drop off in her production when competing against the Catholic schools. Plus, she had some of her best games against good PSAL city teams like Banneker and Grand Street."

Bender averaged four blocked shots and three assists to complement her impressive scoring and rebounding numbers.

"Jen has a tremendous touch around the basket and she moves like a guard," Bartell explained. "She has skills you don't normally associate with a player that tall.

"As productive as Bender was come game time, the highest praise came from the woman who most closely watched her progress as a three-year starter.

"I couldn't be more proud of Jen," beamed Guerriero-Mitchell. "She is a pleasure to coach and one of the sweetest girls you'll ever meet. I told her before the season started that I thought a goal of hers should be to realize her full potential, and now she's accomplished that.  When coaches talk about players that lead by example, they're describing Jen. I think she won every sprint at every practice, and I had to slow her down at times because she loves playing the game so much."

Bender is MSIT's first girls' Jaques recipient. She will be honored along with boys' winner Kyle McAlarney of Moore Catholic and all of this year's 1,000-point career scorers.

Daggett likes glimpse of future
March 14, 2005

With one quarter remaining in last night's CHSAA Class AA title game at St. John's University, Christ the King coach Bob Mackey still had all five starters on the floor even though his squad, ranked No. 1 in the country, held a commanding 48-28 lead over St. Peter's.

To the untrained eye, the situation may have appeared to be a clear-cut case of overkill, and at the least, an example of poor sportsmanship.

"Absolutely not!" said St. Peter's coach Bob Daggett when asked about the last-period mismatch. "I explained to my girls before the game that they should expect no leniency from Christ the King, no matter what the score. Not at this level. Not when you're playing against a team that has a chance to finish the season No. 1 in the country."

There may have been another reason coach Daggett was so good-natured about the final eight minutes of last night's contest.

It was during that fourth quarter that the veteran coach got a quick glimpse into the future

Point guard Candice Bellocchio and forward/guard Megan Mahoney were working the ball in the backcourt, and Kristin Connolly, Danielle DiChiaro, Lisa Welsome and Jessica Mastrangelo were taking turns in the forecourt.

Six sophomores were battling against the best team in the country -- and holding their own rather nicely.

Mahoney, who has been the Eagles' most consistent scorer all season, was finally away from the boards and out at her natural position.

"Megan has done an unbelievable job this year playing under the boards against girls much taller than her," Daggett said of his 5-foot-6 star who was matched against CTK's 6-2 Carrem Gay last night. "Ultimately, I'd love to see her in the backcourt. She's explosive to the basket, handles the ball terrific and can really shoot the ball from the perimeter. We were just so small this year that we had to put her inside because she plays much bigger than she is."

Bellocchio, the indefatigable point guard who didn't get a breather until the 6:15 mark of the fourth stanza, got right into a rhythm with Mahoney.

They were doing what came naturally. All six girls play together during the summer for the Staten Island Rebels.

Two of the players who helped lead the Eagles to the Archdiocesan championship were finally where they belonged -- next to each other.

"There's no way of telling what will happen a year from now," Daggett said. "Of course, we have Megan and Candice, and it's nice to know that the other four will be with us for another two years.

DiChiaro, Connolly and Welsome, a trio of 5-8 stringbeans, knocked heads with the Royals' front line for most of the fourth stanza while Mastrangelo worked her way free for a pair of outside jumpers.

None showed the slightest bit of fear in going down the lane, they scrambled for every loose ball, and the game became no less physical with them on the floor.

"All of those girls can play the game, but because of our tough schedule and the stamina of our starters, they didn't get as much playing time as I would have liked," Daggett added. "They're all very athletic and getting better every day."

For the seniors, the final minutes of a terrific tenure playing for the Island's most prolific team were ticking down.

But for Daggett and his six sophomores, it was just a glimpse into the near future. One that is bound to involve playoff games -- and tournaments -- for at least another two years.

Eagle bench provides a big lift
March 12, 2005

They might not have gotten many minutes during St. Peter's 52-51 Catholic State Class AA semifinal win over St. John the Baptist on Thursday, but that doesn't mean reserves like Danielle DiChiaro and Kristen Connolly didn't contribute.

In fact, DiChiaro scored four points, including a bucket off an offensive rebound and a pair of free throws, and Connolly added two markers on a left-wing jumper. The sophomore also combined for two rebounds.

All of DiChiaro and Connolly's contributions came during a nip-and-tuck second half and it didn't go unnoticed by SP coach Bob Daggett.

"They gave us some big baskets when we needed them," said Daggett, whose team scored 36 second-half points after scoring only 16 at intermission. "Both gave us big minutes at an important part of the game. "

After St. John the Baptist's Danielle Wilson scored eight points during a second-quarter run that saw the West Islip, L.I., school build a nine-point halftime lead over St. Peter's, defensive adjustments had to be made and the Eagles did their best to contain the 6-foot-3 junior.

"No question, it was tough, but we tried to do all we could to deny the post, especially after the second quarter," said Daggett, whose team pressed and more-often-than not settled into a man-to-man, halfcourt defense. "I wanted the guards to drop back and help out.

"Obviously, we had to box out and grab the ball."

During the pivotal third quarter, in which the Eagles outscored the Cougars 16-7 to make it a 32-32 game entering the final period, St. Peter's held Wilson to just one point.

In addition, the Eagles outrebounded the Baptist 12-10 in the third stanza and 19-15 in the second half. Jen Danio and Tara Driscoll led the Eagles with eight and seven rebounds, respectively.

MOLLOY SPOILS JV TEAM

St. Peter's, which captured the Archdiocesan JV title last week with a victory over Notre Dame Academy, dropped a 50-38 decision to Archbishop Molloy yesterday in the city championship game at St. John's Prep in Queens.

"We gave a terrific effort today but we were up against a very talented team," said Eagle coach April Owen. "The girls had a great season."

Noelle Pawlicki led the Eagles with 15 points and Kerri Salisbury led the Eagle defense.

Sophomore scores 27 as St. Peter's pull away in fourth to cop Archdiocesan AA-A crown
Monday, March 07, 2005

It's not often that a showdown lives up to the pre-game hype.

But last night's Archdiocesan championship game at the College of Staten Island between St. Peter's and Notre Dame Academy was everything a local basketball fan could want -- and more.

"I'll bet it was a terrific game to sit back and watch," smiled St. Peter's coach Bob Daggett following his team's 66-58 victory and second-straight Archdiocesan AA-A division title. "Two good teams going at it for 32 minutes is about as exciting as this game gets, and that's what we had here tonight."

It would be tough for anyone in the overflow crowd to argue with Daggett's assessment of the action, as the rubber match between the Island's top teams bore no resemblance to the previous two meetings.

NDA simply didn't show up in a January contest that the Eagles won by 20 points, and neither squad played particularly well three weeks ago when the Gators broke St. Peter's 101-game win streak by a 48-45 score.

But last night, both squads were on top of their game, and neither was going to give the title away: St. Peter's had to go out and take it.

With 1:37 remaining in regulation and the Eagles holding a tenuous 55-51 lead, Megan Mahoney drove the left lane and was confronted by NDA forward Ashley Olsen who stepped in front of Mahoney just as she left the floor.

Mahoney made the basket, drew the foul and converted the free throw to give St. Peter's a 58-51 advantage.

"I honestly wasn't sure which way the call was going to go," said Mahoney who scored a game-high 27 points and pulled down eight rebounds. "I thought I got fouled, but it wouldn't have surprised me if they called a charge."

The three-point play loomed even larger seconds later when the Gators' Bridget Spillane drilled a trey from the top of the key to once again cut the deficit to four points, but Tara Driscoll and Candice Bellocchio combined to hit four straight free throws to give the Eagles some much-needed breathing room.

"I wasn't comfortable until the final seconds," Daggett explained. "Every time we tried to pull away, they'd come right back."

That was the theme throughout the entire first half. There were seven ties, 11 lead changes and neither team led by more than three points until Mahoney's half-court heave at the buzzer banked in to give the Eagles a 32-26 halftime advantage.

NDA's Christine Trezza and Mahoney dominated play in the opening stanza, and Samantha Salvatore came off the Gators' bench in the second quarter and combined with Liz Gruber for eight points to offset another nine by Mahoney.

NDA pulled to within four points (45-41) in the final seconds of the third quarter, but the Gators caught a bad break when Gruber had her front tooth knocked out and had to return to the locker room to stop the bleeding. With the NDA floor leader out of commission, St. Peter's reeled off six straight points to start the fourth period and had a 10-point bulge when Gruber returned with 5:35 remaining.

"Losing Liz hurt, but that's part of the game," said NDA coach Maureen Hannafin. "My girls know that I'm proud of the way they played tonight. One call, or one basket the other way and it's a different outcome. What we saw tonight was two excellent teams in a great game. You can't ask for more than that."

The St. Peter's defense, led by Mallory Ameneiros, shut out NDA for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter to build the 10-point lead, but Olsen and Spillane led the Gators back one last time until Mahoney's three-point play finally decided the title.

NOTES: Both St. Peter's (AA) and NDA will compete in the state semifinals back at the CSI gym on Thursday evening. The Eagles will face St. John the Baptist of Long Island and the Gators will go against Bishop Loughlin. "Both teams are playing again, and deservedly so," said Daggett ... NDA's Trezza finished with a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with her 13 points ... Eagle sixth-man Heather Anderson didn't score, but played a solid defensive game and hauled in five boards ... The Eagles converted 10-straight free throws in the fourth quarter, with Bellocchio making six and Driscoll four ... Mahoney barely acknowledged her outstanding performance following the contest."This is for the seniors," the sophomore star said. "They're the ones that put us here."

Eagles, Gators ready to end the confusion
A crazy-quilt Archdiocesan playoff system produces an exciting ending -- St. Peter's vs. NDA tomorrow at CSI
Saturday, March 05, 2005

The current CHSAA girls' basketball playoff system is enough to confuse a mathematics genius, but all the twists and turns in the AA-A alignment go out the window tomorrow evening when St. Peter's and Notre Dame Academy meet for one undisputable title -- the Archdiocesan championship.

Although NDA is competing in the A division, and Peter's in the AA, the Gators' stunning upset of AA St. Michael's on Thursday night has turned tomorrow night's 5:45 contest at the College of Staten Island into an all-Island affair.

"It's great for Island girls' basketball," said SP coach Bob Daggett, whose squad upended Aquinas HS 71-56 in the semifinals on Thursday. "There's always more excitement when two Island teams are competing in the final, and there should be a terrific crowd on hand."

NDA and St. Peter's split two games this season (both played at CSI), with the Eagles coming out on top 67-48 on Jan. 12 before the Gators broke St. Peter's 101-game regular-season CHSAA Island win streak with a 48-45 victory on Feb. 12.

St. Peter's owns some impressive wins this season, most notably a 68-54 victory over Long Island powerhouse Holy Trinity on Feb. 6.

In that contest, Mallory Ameneiros, Tara Driscoll, Megan Mahoney and Jen Danio all scored in double figures, and point guard Candice Bellocchio had nine points.

"One thing we can't do is get involved in another game in the 40s," Daggett explained. "We need to score in the 60s, and we need four or five girls to get involved in the scoring.

"In order to do that, we'll have to run. On the defensive end, NDA is bigger than us inside, and we'll have to shut down (Christine) Trezza and (Ashley) Olsen inside."

While the Eagles' starting five has been solid all season, the 20-4 squad is thin off the bench and the lack of depth has cost them a few times this year.

"It's important that we keep Tara and Megan out of foul trouble," Daggett added. "We're just not nearly as effective with those two off the floor."

Daggett's club will need to contend with an NDA team that is currently playing its best ball. The Gators were anything but the picture of consistency during the regular season, at one time dropping six of seven.

However, the improved health of Trezza (ACL injury), the steady offensive output of guard Liz Gruber and a late-season resurgence by point guard Bridget Spillane have the deeper Gators hitting on all cylinders. NDA can go to forward Samantha Salvatore and guards Nicole Sarcone, and Brittany Zinke without missing a beat, a luxury St. Peter's does not enjoy.

"I feel comfortable going into the game because of my seniors," said NDA coach Maureen Hannafin. "I know I don't have to motivate them. In the St. Michael's game they were coaching themselves. On the floor and in the huddles, they were talking about what had to be done."

While the Gators have quite a few offensive weapons, Hannafin admits Gruber is the key.

"I know I've been hard on her all year, but that's only because I feel she's the most talented offensive player on the Island," the veteran coach admitted. "I've felt all along that she had the ability to make everyone else on the floor better, and now she's doing exactly that."

HS GIRLS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Saturday, February 26, 2005

The last time the McKee/Staten Island Tech girls' basketball team played was Feb. 7 when it knocked off Tottenville for the PSAL borough championship.

The long delay not withstanding, Sea Gull coach Clare Guerriero-Mitchell feels her squad will be able to dust off the rust 23 days of gameless inactivity brings for Thursday's citywide playoff game against Lincoln (5 p.m. at Lehman College).

The long stretch of practice-only time has actually allowed the Gulls to adjust the starting lineup now that senior forward Jessica Gaffney has left the team.

Thanks to a group of freshmen who have progressed rapidly during the Sea Gulls' (No. 9) undefeated season, the match-up against the No. 8 Lady Railsplitters should be a good one.

"Team unity is excellent, Catrina (Cropano) is not playing like a freshman, and the other girls are giving their all to gain playing time," Guerriero-Mitchell explained. "We still worked out on our regular schedule (six days) during the layoff, and we even managed to get in a team dinner. We'll be ready."

EAGLES 'D' STAYS STRONG

With a 17-3 lead after the first quarter and the Eagles trotting off the court following Mallory Ameneiros' banked-in, three-pointer at the buzzer, things looked pretty much in hand for St. Peter's Wednesday night against St. John Villa.

The Bears had no quit, however, and after St. Peter's allowed a 21-point second quarter, the defense needed to come alive.

"At halftime we were up by 11 and the first thing coach (Bob) Daggett told us was it wasn't over yet," said SP senior Heather Anderson. "We knew (Villa wasn't) going to go away.

"That was what happened against Notre Dame. We were up by 11 and we let them right back in it. We didn't want that to happen again."

While the Eagle offense struggled with five missed layups during the third quarter and just two points outside of Tara Driscoll's seven, their defense held Villa to 10 points and 3 of 14 shooting from the field.

"Defense is what our team is all about," noted Anderson, who had three steals and five rebounds in the game. "Our offense has been up and down this year, and it's our defense that has kept us in every game.

Our defense is the heart and soul of this team."

CHSAA AA-A Archdiocesan playoffs start tomorrow
Villa faces Hill, while NDA battles St. Ursula
Friday, February 25, 2005

The CHSAA AA-A New York Archdiocesan girls' basketball playoffs will open with a triple-header tomorrow at St. John Villa in Arrochar.

In varsity action, fifth-seeded Notre Dame Academy will take on No. 8 Mount St. Ursula at 5:15 p.m. No. 6 Villa hosts No. 7 St. Joseph Hill at 7.

Preceding the varsity games will be a JV first-place tie-breaker between Notre Dame and St. Peter's at 3:30 p.m.

On Sunday, Moore Catholic, the Island's lone varsity class C team, will host St. Jean Baptiste at 2 p.m.

The AA-A playoffs resume play on Tuesday with two games.

The Villa-Hill winner will travel to Preston Academy in the Bronx to face No. 4-seeded Aquinas at 6 p.m. The NDA-MSU victor takes on third-seeded St. Joseph by-the-Sea in Huguenot at 7.

The AA-A semifinals are slated for Thursday at Petrides HS in Sunnyside with the championship scheduled for next Saturday at the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook.

Villa vs. Hill

The Bears get the home game by virtue of a better regular-season record, but the Hilltoppers won both regular-season meetings, 50-49 and 62-61.

Tomorrow's contest figures to be a barn-burner too, and Villa coach James Martinos is hoping the presence of junior guard Laura Mooney will push the Bears over the hump.

"She didn't play in either regular-season game and I think she'll make a difference," said Martinos, who also played without guard Rachel Hudec for most of the first game because of an injury. "But the bottom line is we have to play good basketball for 32 minutes.

"They played harder than we did the last time we played. We need to do a good job on the defensive boards and limit our turnovers.

"(If we do that), we're confident we can beat anyone," added Martinos. "But we have to play consistent all the time."

Hill coach Mike O'Connor acknowledged the axiom about the difficulty of beating a team three times, but took an optimistic approach.

"The fact is, we beat a quality team twice," said O'Connor, whose leading scorers include Helen Swartley (13.4 ppg.) and Kristin Caban (10.7 ppg.). "It gives the girls confidence that we can do it again, but we have to stay out of foul trouble and play 32 minutes of tenacious defense and run an offense where everybody touches the ball."

Villa's outside shooting concerns O'Connor. Hudec, Christie Tomasino and Lyndsay Edwards have all made double digits in treys this season.

"Our ability to control their three-point shooting is important," said O'Connor, "and offensively, we have to work on getting our forwards involved early on and must handle their pressure."

NDA vs. St. Ursula

The Gators must be leery of Mount's inside-outside tandem of Damisi Adewumi and Kendra Williams, who experienced some success in non-league tilts against Sea (49-41 loss), Hill (59-47 loss) and Moore (70-55 win) earlier this season.

But overall, NDA has more weapons as evidenced by their balance in scoring, which includes Liz Gruber (14.6 ppg., 16 treys), Christine Trezza (9.9 ppg.) and Ashley Olsen (8.7 ppg.). Senior Bridget Spillane has canned 30 treys this season.

MAZZARELLA HELPS HILL OFF THE BENCH
Saturday, February 19, 2005

If the Staten Island CHSAA had a sixth girl award, Hill coach Michael O'Connor would cast his vote for Ashley Mazzarella.

The Hilltoppers first forward off the bench has improved with each game this season, recently scoring in double figures for the seventh time this year and hauling in 10 rebounds in a 60-54 loss to Sea.

"That's been Ashley all year for us," O'Connor said after the game. "She's our first forward off the bench and she has improved steadily throughout the season."

The 5-foot-10 junior forward managed just five points against NDA Thursday night, snapping a streak of three straight games scoring in double figures.

"We're very confident in playing Ashley the whole game if we need to," O'Connor said. "She has all the fundamentals down. She's a smart, intelligent player. She plays within herself, and as a coach, you can't ask for much more than that."

HILL SENIORS HAD SPECIAL IMPACT

St. Joseph Hill's Senior Night may have been spoiled by Notre Dame Academy's 66-54 win on Thursday night, but for Hilltoppers coach Mike O'Connor, nothing could spoil the careers of seniors Helen Swartley, Samantha Smith, Melanie D'Ambrosi, and Brittany Vogel.

"All four of them are great kids," said O'Connor. "All four are wonderful young women that have great attitudes in their approach to the game. Swartley, a 1,000-point scorer, and Smith have been four-year varsity players while D'Ambrosi came up halfway through her sophomore season. Vogel has played two varsity seasons."

The quartet, along with Carolyn Suarez, spearheaded a near fourth-quarter comeback that cut a once 16-point NDA lead down to eight on Vogel's three-pointer.

"The four of them were in there at the end," said O'Connor. "They stayed poised and actually brought us right back in the game."

All four of them have never ever given up on a game, the coach added. So, how are the Hilltoppers to replace them?

NDA end 'The Streak'
Olsen scores final four points as Gators rally in fourth quarter to top St. Peter's 48-45
Monday, February 14, 2005

Notre Dame Academy might not have lived up to its lofty pre-season goals so far this season, but the Gators were able to do something no other Staten Island team has done in over 10 years last night.

They beat St. Peter's in a regular-season game.

NDA put an end to the Eagles' 101-game winning streak in dramatic fashion, riding sophomore Ashley Olsen's late basket and one last defensive stand to a dramatic 48-45 CHSAA decision at the College of Staten Island's Sports and Recreation Center in Willowbrook.

Not only did NDA hand St. Peter's its first regular-season loss since Feb. 2, 1995 (a 55-50 loss to St. Joseph Hill), but it also ended the Eagles string of undefeated regular seasons (nine) while denying the New Brighton school an opportunity to lock up its 10th straight Island division title outright.

The 13-8 Gators (5-3 CHSAA), now winners of three straight after losing six of seven contests, turned up their intensity a notch over the final eight minutes to overcame a dismal shooting performance from the field over the first three periods.

In fact, after connecting on only 11 of 40 shots (27.5 percent) after three quarters, NDA hit on 7 of 13 attempts (53.8 percent) -- burying its only four three-pointers of the game -- while holding the Eagles without a point over the final 4:15 of the contest.

"I think the best thing about this win is we did it as a team," said NDA senior Bridget Spillane, who buried two huge threes in the final quarter. "Hats off to St. Peter's. They put together a great streak, but we came together (in the fourth quarter) and I couldn't be happier to be a part of such a great win."

"The girls really showed me something tonight. They kept their composure despite (falling behind by double digits in the fourth quarter)," said elated NDA co-coach Maureen Hannafin, whose team outrebounded SP 40-30 and committed just two turnovers in the decisive final period. "We never panicked. We kept chipping away and chipping away until we finally caught them."

St. Peter's, meanwhile, overcame foul trouble for starters Megan Mahoney and Tara Driscoll and was able to build a 37-28 lead entering the final quarter. Less than two minutes into the fourth, Mallory Ameneiros' driving layup gave the Eagles (16-4, 7-1) a 42-31 lead with 6:21 to go.

And when Mahoney converted an inbounds play into a basket with 4:15 on the clock, St. Peter's held a 45-39 lead, but Erin Alesi buried the fourth and final NDA trey of the quarter 16 seconds later to cut the lead to three.

"We were playing a more deliberate game in our half-court offense. Everyone was touching the ball and we were working for the best shot," said Hannafin, whose team hit five of its first seven shots in the fourth. "We were moving the ball well and found (Spillane and Alesi) for good shots that they hit."

To boot, not only did St. Peter's lose Driscoll and leading scorer Mahoney (12 points) to five fouls 28 seconds apart in the waning moments, but they uncharacteristically missed three free throws in the final 3:47 that proved costly.

"They were making shots and we weren't," said SP coach Bob Daggett, whose team was 6 for 16 from the charity stripe, including 3 for 11 after halftime. "We went a long stretch without scoring and they were outhustling us on the boards, which is something we usually don't let teams do."

With SP still clinging to a 45-42 lead, Samantha Salvatore cut NDA's deficit to one by converting an offensive rebound into a basket with 1:19 to go and nearly a minute later, Salvatore found herself with the ball and the shot clock down to one before putting up a foul-line jumper.

Salvatore's jumper missed the mark as the shot-clock buzzer sounded, but Olsen grabbed the carom and put back the go-ahead basket with 22 ticks left.

"I knew there was a second left when (Salvatore) shot it and I grabbed the ball with all my might and immediately went back up," said Olsen, who finished with a team-high 16 points and 16 rebounds. "But there was still about 20 seconds to play and my first reaction was to get back on defense and be ready."

And, after SP's Candace Bellocchio's foul-line jumper was off the mark, Olsen grabbed the long rebound and was fouled immediately with 3.2 seconds to play.

Olsen then drained both ends of the one-on-one to make it 48-45.

"I can't even explain how it feels (to make a big contribution)," Olsen said. "There are so many talented girls on this team that anybody could have came through at the end. I didn't think it'd be me, but I'm glad it was."

The Eagles rushed the ball inbounds and got it to senior Ameneiros, who was just over the half-court line. But her desperation attempt at the game-tying trey missed as time expired.

Last night's 48-45 loss by St. Peter's to Notre Dame Academy was the Eagle's first loss to an Island CHSAA opponent during the regular season in over 10 years.

No Anosike, no problem for Daggett, St. Peter's
Eagles on verge of 11th straight CHSAA Island title and 102nd straight regular-season win
Saturday, February 12, 2005

It's 5 p.m. on a Wednesday evening and the St. Peter's girls' basketball team starts filing onto the gym floor as soon as the boys' freshman team heads for the lockers.

The players enter the gym already wearing the black knee guards along with their street clothes, and some walk onto the floor without bothering to take off their heavy, hooded sweatshirts.

Coach Bob Daggett has yet to address the squad when the girls congregate at center court to begin stretching exercises, then it's immediately into a 10-minute jump roping session.

The team already has it's sites set on tomorrow's match against Notre Dame Academy in which a victory would give the Eagles their 11th straight CHSAA Island title and 102nd straight regular-season win, but this workout is no different than any other. However, even Daggett is quick to admit that this particular group is unique from any since the unprecedented Island streak began over 10 years ago.

"It's the first time in those 10 years that we're playing without a center," the veteran coach smiled. "But we make up for it in different ways. One thing that is definitely unique about this team is we play with two point guards. That in itself is an advantage."

It was still the middle of the high school football season when the rumors started circulating.

WHISPERS OF DEMISE

In grammar school gyms, at PTA meetings, in any number of bars and restaurants, fans of Staten Island girls' basketball were buzzing about the end of the St. Peter's reign.

Nkolika Anosike, the Eagles' all-everything center, had graduated and was already pounding the hardwood at Tennessee.

For the first time since the St. Peter's regular-season, CHSAA win streak began midway through the 1994-95 season, coach Bob Daggett was coaching a team without a center -- and just four seniors on the roster.

The impressive string of post players that includes Keisha Elliott, Ayanna Phillip, Tifini Rodgers and Anosike had finally come to a halt, so what better time for another Island team to step forward and claim dominance.

Well, the whispers have long since faded away, and tomorrow evening at the College of Staten Island the 7-0 Eagles have an opportunity to wrap up yet another Island title -- minus the imposing figure in the paint.

"We heard all the talk before the season began," smiled senior Mallory Ameneiros, who shares the dual point position with sophomore Candice Bellocchio.

"But we also knew what kind of team we had. There are five girls on the floor that all do just about anything. Score; handle the ball; rebound -- and especially play defense."

TRADEMARK DEFENSE

Defense has always been the hallmark of the St. Peter's program, but the 2005 version may take it one step further.

"We play as good team defense as any group I've ever coached here," Daggett beamed.

Even though there are only four seniors on the squad, this team has evolved into a diverse unit that shares the wealth.

Gone are the overpowering center, the ball-handling point-guard and the designated three-point shooter -- replaced by players that do all of the above.

"Height is a big part of the game, but it's not everything," explained senior Tara Driscoll, the 5-10 forward who has made the transition from rebounder/defender to all-around contributor. "When you have four other girls hitting the boards with you, and the opposition is forced to cover all five girls, it makes things a little easier."

Jen Danio has transformed from a three-point specialist to a triple threat that can beat a team from the perimeter, or in the paint.

"Bob kept yelling at me to get under the boards and pull down some rebounds," Danio smiled. "It was easier to adjust than keep listening to him."

Ameneiros, Driscoll and Danio start with sophomores Megan Mahoney and Bellocchio to form an all-for-one quintet that seems to produce a different leading scorer -- or rebounder -- each game.

And Daggett has one more weapon in his diverse arsenal.

"Heather (Anderson) could start for any team on Staten Island, but she's our first player off the bench," Daggett said of his fourth senior. "That's a nice luxury to have. Especially when you have a team that goes full speed for four quarters. And that's what these girls do."

Villa's Mooney expected to return
Saturday, February 12, 2005

St. John Villa coach James Martinos said junior guard Laura Mooney (torn meniscus) was recently cleared to return to practice and is hopeful to join the Bears when they square off against St. Joseph by-the-Sea on Wednesday.

For Villa, which has had a constant bout with the injury bug this season, the return of sparkplug Mooney will help offset the recent loss of sophomore starter Allie Shanahan, who was lost for the season after breaking her wrist.

Mooney, who is averaging 7.5 ppg. with five three-pointers in six contests this season, had surgery over a month ago to repair the injury.

"When she was injured, Laura was our leading rebounder, third leading scorer, leading three-throw shooter and leader in assists and steals," said Martinos, noting his team was 5-1 when she went down. "But what we've missed most is her leadership skills.

"We're glad she's probably going to get some games in before the playoffs begin."

Martinos pointed out that Mooney and Rachel Hudec (knee), who have missed a combination of 17 games this year, have played in one contest together all season.

"Originally, after all the players we lost to graduation last year, I still believed we'd have one of the best guard combinations in the city with Hudec and Mooney, but they've both missed significant time with injuries.

"Fortunately," the coach added, "We received solid contributions from Joye Mercado, Christie Tomasino and Lorelle Ricco at point guard.

"Mercado, a freshman, and Tomasino, a junior, have gained valuable experience with their playing time and Ricco, a senior, has done a good job as well."

Despite Villa's rash of injuries in recent seasons, Martinos refuses to use it as an excuse for the team's record. The Bears are currently 10-9 overall.

"Due to hard work and dedication, we've continued to win," the coach added. "Injuries are a part of the game and I told the girls we will not use it as an excuse."

DEJA VU FOR HILLTOPPERS, BEARS

St. Joseph Hill and St. John Villa have each played their fair share of tight contests this season, but none closer than the matchups against each other.

The Hilltoppers took a 62-61 victory over the visiting Bears in Arrochar two nights ago after a Melanie D'Ambrosi 10-foot floater from the baseline with 48.3 seconds left.

That decision was Hill's second one-point win over Villa this season.

Earlier in the year, Helen Swartley gave the Hilltoppers a 50-49 win with buzzer-beating trey off of a lenght-of-the-court inbounds pass from Elizabeth Siller with 0.4 ticks remaining.

The two-game sweep marked the first time since the 1994-1995 season that Hill took both regular-season parochial tilts from rival Villa.

"This a really big win for our program," said Hill coach Mike O'Connor. "These girls have been playing together for a long time now and beating a quality team like Villa twice in one season is a great step for us."

The next step for the Hilltoppers, though, is tommorrow's meeting with St. Joseph by-the-Sea -- ironically, Hill's immediate opponent following its previous win over the Bears.

"The last time we beat Villa we followed it with a tough loss to Sea (53-42)," said D'Ambrosi. "This time, we need to keep focused and keep the energy up so that doesn't happen again."

THE WING SUITS D'AMBROSI JUST FINE

St. Joseph Hill struggled from behind the arc in the first half against Moore Catholic Tuesday with a 1-for-12 showing.

Point guard Melanie D'Ambrosi nailed the lone trey off a high screen at the top of the key from Helen Swartley. In the second half, Hill coach Mike O'Connor employed a switch to hopefully get his hot hand a few more looks at the basket.

"Coach changed it up and took me off the ball to put me at the '2' spot," explained D'Ambrosi, who nailed her first two threes of the third quarter to start a 16-0 Hill run and nailed her fourth bomb in the final quarter.

"I feel like when I do less work with the ball, my shot falls a lot nicer from the outside," explained D'Ambrosi, who finished with 16.

Elizabeth Siller primarily ran the point for the Hilltoppers in the second half.

FROSH FOURSOME SPARKING MSIT

Even McKee/Staten Island Tech coach Clare Guerriero-Mitchell is a bit surprised at how quickly her talented freshmen quartet of Christina Gargiso, Courtney Turner, Jessica D'Angelo and Catrina Cropano has adjusted to varsity play.

"Christina has started at the point all year and gone from a tentative player prone to turnovers, to a key ball-handler capable of scoring," Guerriero-Mitchell explained. "Courtney has been one of our hardest workers all season and perhaps our most improved."

"Jessica can come off the bench and score from the perimeter, or help off the boards, and Catrina plays much bigger than her 5-7 frame. She's become very important off the bench when one of our starters gets into foul trouble."

The four freshmen have steadily expanded their playing time during the season and should all see plenty of action in the upcoming playoffs.

Eagles come full circle
Saturday, February 05, 2005

It's been 10 long years and 100 wins in between since St. Peter's last lost a regular-season CHSAA contest to an Island opponent.

On the day of their last loss -- a 55-50 setback to St. Joseph Hill on Feb. 2, 1995 -- the notables in the Eagles' lineup were Jen Wells, Joette Fiorello, Lauren Elder, Jen Sgro and Keisha Elliott.

In fact, Wells came into the Hill game fresh off a 36-point outing in a 104-72 win over Notre Dame Academy.

While many faces and the style of play have changed over the last decade at the New Brighton school, this year's Eagle squad is comparable to the '95 team in that they rely heavily on three-point shooting and forcing turnovers off the press.

In the Eagles' latest win -- a 80-54 victory over St. Joseph Hill -- Jen Danio scored a season-high 26 points, including six of St. Peter's 12 three-pointers. Danio also led the Eagles with 13 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the defense, led by Candice Bellochio, Mallory Ameneiros and Megan Mahoney (12 boards) played a big hand in 30 Hill turnovers, including a bunch that went for easy baskets during a 25-10 fourth-quarter run that turned a tight game into a rout.

FRIENDLY FOES

Despite being their respective team leaders, St. Peter's Jen Danio and St. Joseph Hill's Helen Swartley have a lot more in common.

While very competitive on the court, the two have been best friends for years off the hardwood.

The seniors went head-to-head on several occasions in the Eagles' victory over the Hilltoppers Thursday with both players coming up with clutch shots in a tight first half.

While Swartley entered the game needing 18 points to reach the coveted 1,000-point mark, it was Danio that got the hot hand early by sinking three of her six three-pointers in the opening quarter.

Swartley, a 5-foot-11 forward, scored six of her team-high 20 points on a variety of jumpers in the paint to cut St. Peter's lead to 33-31 at the half.

St. Peter's eventually pulled away late in the third quarter before Swartley scored her 1,000th on a free throw with 3:19 remaining.

For Danio, watching Swartley reach the milestone was a thrill.

"She's a great friend and although she did it against us, I'm glad I got to see her do it," said Danio.

McDONNELL'S 1,000 CATCHES EVERYONE OFF GUARD

It wasn't that McKee/Staten Island coach Clare Guerriero didn't think guard Christina McDonnell had a 24-point day in her, it just wasn't the first thing on Guerriero's mind before the Sea Gulls PSAL Showcase matchup with Benjamin Banneker Sunday at Hostos Community College.

When the junior sank a fourth-quarter free throw to complete a three-point play and notch her 24th point of the afternoon there was no stoppage of play or the usual folderol that accompanies the achievement. McDonnell went on to tally a season-high 27 as MSIT was all business in the 59-51 win.

McDonnell received her moment at half court the next day, before the Sea Gulls squared off with the Falcons at Susan Wagner. Guerriero noted how special the achievement was, especially for McDonnell who notched the milestone in her junior year.

"It (1,000 points) was a goal I set for myself freshman year and it felt great to get it," McDonnell said after her game-high 18 points led MSIT to a 75-33 win over Susan Wagner. "I was thinking, now I may have a chance at the school record."

McDonnell currently has 1,029. The Sea Gull girls' all-time scoring leader is McDonnell's teammate Jen Bender.

"I was hoping my whole family could be there when it happened," McDonnell said with a little regret in her voice, "but (Monday) was nice because they could all come out and see me play. My parents were here, my brother and even my eighth-grade coach."

1,000-POINT UPDATE

While Swartley followed McDonnell as the newest member of the 1,000-point club, Notre Dame Academy's Liz Gruber and McKee/Staten Island Tech's Jennifer Bender have steadily moved up the Island career scoring list.

Gruber is currently tied for the 19th spot with Staten Island Academy's Julie Serrano with 1,331 points, while Bender is right behind with 1,310 points (No. 21).

BALANCE THE SECRET FOR ISLAND SQUADS

The high school scene isn't devoid of star-power this season, but without any Island CHSAA or PSAL girls averaging over 20 points per game, it would appear that something else may be the secret to winning.   That intangible -- balance.  This season has held just one 30-plus game (Jen Bender's 32-point night for MSIT against Tottenville) and only about a dozen 25-plus games. Therefore, it would appear to be a necessity to get more girls involved at the offensive end of the court.   And the numbers don't lie.

When at least three players score nine points or more in a game, all Island teams' winning percentages shoot up drastically.  CHSAA-wise, St. Peter's is an impressive 14-3 overall, but is 11-1 when accomplishing the feat.  Both NDA (10-7) and Hill (12-4) are 9-2, while 12-5 Sea is a perfect 4-0. Moore (6-11) and Villa (8-7) have only managed it once and are each 1-0.  On the PSAL side, MSIT, which boasts a 16-8 overall mark, is 10-3 when getting the needed balance. Tottenville (11-11) holds at 5-2, and 8-12 New Dorp sees a 3-1 record.  Curtis (9-11), Susan Wagner (10-13) and Port Richmond (4-11) all climb above the .500 mark with flawless 3-0 marks.  Petrides is the only team not to achieve the act this season, accounting for a 1-11 mark.

"The bottom line is if nobody else steps up, we're not going to win," said NDA coach John Hannafin, whose squad is 1-5 without the balance. "Obviously for us, (Liz) Gruber and (Christine) Trezza are going to get theirs. We're not looking for 15 points each from the other girls. All we want is about seven, eight or nine, and lately all we've been getting is two, one or zero. That doesn't win games."

HS GIRLS' BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Saturday, January 29, 2005

VILLA ROLLING WITH FRESHMEN IN LINEUP

Last Saturday's 55-43 win over visiting St. Joseph by-the-Sea was the third in a row for St. John Villa.

Coincidentally, it is also the third-straight game in which coach James Martinos started three freshmen: center Teresa Jackson-Henderson and guards Nicole Capurso and Joye Mercado.

"The last three games we've started the three freshmen and we've won all three," said Martinos. "Joye (against Sea) did a great job. A freshman in a league game, they were pressing us and I thought she did an outstanding job."

The Bears have adjusted without standouts Laura Mooney, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury and Rachel Hudec, who has been fighting back from a torn ACL and only played in seven of Villa's 14 games this year.

But in wins over Neptune, St. Francis Prep and, most recently, Sea, the neophyte trio has picked up the slack big time. Capurso led all scorers with 16 points while Mercado chipped in nine and helped gain control of the game again after Sea made a frantic third-quarter comeback.

"Teresa grabbed a ton of rebounds," said Martinos after the win on Saturday. "(Junior) Monica Morales played great too. She was boxing out, diving on the floor, made a couple of good defensive plays. She really sparked us."

BY THE NUMBERS

MSIT's Christina McDonnell and St. Joseph Hill's Helen Swartley are closing in on the 1,000-point mark. McDonnell is just 31 points shy and Swartley needs 37 to reach the coveted milestone.

Jennifer Bender of MSIT is the only Island girl to score over 30 points this season when she tallied 32 against PSAL rival Tottenville. The only other players to come close to 30 are New Dorp's Danielle Negron (29), Staten Island Academy's Alexa Milchman (29), Sea's Dana Rommel (28) and Montesano (27).

POLL WATCH

This week's New York State polls show three Island teams headed in three separate directions: St. Peter's maintained, Hill climbed and NDA fell.

The SCOGS/SWA top 10 for the AA division remained unchanged with the Eagles holding down the No. 10 position.

The Hilltoppers slipped into the A division rankings for the first time this year, grabbing the No. 11 spot.

That advance was partially at the expense of the Gators, who fell from No. 2 to No. 3 to No. 7 in three successive weeks before dropping completely off the map this week after losing five of their last six.

Additionally, Brooklyn's Poly Prep -- led by Islander Kristie McLean -- held at third in the C division for the fourth consecutive week.

St. Joseph Hill's D'Ambrosi has rebounding touch
January 15, 2005

She might be St. Joseph Hill's starting point guard, but Melanie D'Ambrosi has shown a nifty rebounding touch.

In victories over Cardinal Spellman and St. John Villa in the last week, the 5-foot-4 D'Ambrosi grabbed eight and seven rebounds, respectively. But most importantly, the senior has shown a willingness to mix it up inside with the big girls.

According to Hill coach Mike O'Connor, D'Ambrosi has done a solid job thus far this season.

"I think she's one of the best all-around players on Staten Island," said O'Connor of D'Ambrosi, who is currently averaging 11.0 ppg. in 10 games. "She handles the other team's pressure and she's an outstanding defensive player -- I have no problem putting her on the other team's hot player.

"As far as rebounding," the coach continued, "she's wiry and gets up. She seems to be all over the place."

O'Connor Praises Siller's Pass
January 15, 2005

There was a reason why Hill coach Mike O'Connor had junior Elizabeth Siller inbound the ball prior to Helen Swartley's game-winning three-pointer during a 50-49 win over St. John Villa Tuesday.

For starters, he felt she'd be able to deliver an accurate, length-of-the-court pass to an open teammate.

"I thought the pass was outstanding," said O'Connor of Siller, who lined up along the baseline under her own basket before throwing a baseball pass. "She did a great job putting it right where it had to be and she can be a quarterback on my team any day."

Mahoney keeps Eagles' streaking
Thursday, January 13, 2005

The lead was as big as it was going to get for Notre Dame Academy, coming up on the midpoint of the second quarter at the College of Staten Island, when Megan Mahoney scored her first basket of the night.

Not coincidentally, that's when things started to go right for St. Peter's in a game the Eagles won going away, 67-48.

Notre Dame had come out flying, with a 12-0 run in the first quarter, and was still up 20-11 in the early minutes of the second quarter.

"We were pumped up," said Gator senior guard Liz Gruber. "We were ready. In the first quarter we came out great."

And it was mostly because of Gruber. When the 5-foot-6 heartbeat of the Gators wasn't getting loose in transition, she was driving into traffic, and winning the battle. By the end of the opening quarter, she had 11 points.

"I wasn't real happy about that," said St. Peter's coach Bob Daggett. "We let her get away and they threw the long pass. You've got to be aware of where she is at all times. She's a scorer and finds a way to score."

Turns out Daggett's got one of those too.

Mahoney started out by finding some space inside and finishing. Gruber answered for a 22-13 Notre Dame lead before Mahoney put back an offensive rebound and Danielle DiChiaro -- in the game for a hot second -- drained a three.

Then Mahoney, her attacking style mirroring Gruber's, drove the lane to bring the Eagles within a basket. She put back another rebound to close the half, finishing the 12-4 run that brought St. Peter's within 26-25 at halftime and, as it turned out, changed the course of the game definitively.

"She's a tough kid," said Daggett. "A real competitor. She's a scorer for us, she rebounds the ball, she's not afraid to get on the floor. She's such a big part of what we do."

What the Eagles do is win, over and over and over again. By the time the buzzer sounded, the energy had long seeped out of the crowd of approximately 800, their compasses already set for the door.

They didn't need to look. They'd seen it before. With zeroes on the clock, the Eagles were all smiles, and somebody else wasn't, the way it's been now for 97 straight regular-season Island CHSAA games since 1995.

"If you guys didn't write about it, I wouldn't know," insisted Daggett. "I'm just happy we're still here, playing in a big game like this.

"It wouldn't be good for anybody if somebody's just going to steamroll the league."

Except that's what the Eagles have been doing for going on a decade, as they seek their 10th straight 10-0 league finish. Two weeks from today the Eagles are likely to push the streak into triple digits, and maybe that would be the better time to make a fuss about the whole thing.

But a look at the schedule showed the biggest obstacle between the Eagles and the big one-zero-zero was likely to be round one against Notre Dame.

The Gators are this year's contenders, creating enough buzz to move last night's game to CSI. It's a role played ably enough over the last few years by St. John Villa, which played a few barnburners with the Eagles and finally beat them in an Archdiocesan championship game two years ago.

But then the Bears graduated just about everybody and Notre Dame brought back four starters, including fourth-year varsity players Gruber, Christine Trezza and Bridget Spillane.

And the Eagles, after four years playing with perhaps the best girls' basketball player Staten Island's ever seen, were going to have to tune in to ESPN to see Nkolika Anosike grab her next rebound.

"We have to do more as a team," said Daggett. "They're tough kids and they're hungry and they want to win. I think they heard people talk that they might be down this year, they might be done and they didn't want that to happen while they're here."

The program that has boasted the last nine Jaques Award winners is doing it without a star on the floor, even if Mahoney is looking like she's on the way.

Notre Dame was still hanging in there at 36-31 late in the third when the 5-8 soph knifed through traffic for a layup, then followed up Jen Danio's rebound basket with a three from the right wing in transition.

That put the Eagles up 43-33, the game's first double digit lead. They had outscored the Gators 30-11 since Mahoney's first field goal, and Notre Dame wouldn't get closer than eight the rest of the way.

"It's definitely a tough team to come back against," said Gruber, who led the Gators with 23. "We tried to chip away, but they kept pulling away. They hit their shots.

"They outplayed and outran us."

Mahoney finished with a triple-double -- a career-high 22 points, 11 steals and 10 rebounds.

In a big game, the kind where experience, confidence and history are worth more than a few points, the best player on the floor was a sophomore who played junior varsity a year ago.

"She could have played on varsity last year, but there wasn't a lot of room," said Daggett, in a statement that told plenty about why the Eagles have won 97 straight. "She could have done this on varsity last year."

 Brittany Zinke

With four of five starters returning, it's not a surprise that Notre Dame Academy (7-1) is off to one of its best starts in years.

While Liz Gruber, Christine Trezza and Bridget Spillane -- all four-year starters -- have combined with junior Nicole Sarcone and sophomore Ashley Olsen to give the Gators perhaps the best starting five on the Island, NDA has also gotten solid contributions off the bench.

One of those key performers has been sophomore Brittany Zinke, a natural point guard with a passion to play defense.

"Brittany missed several games with an ankle injury and she's starting to get back in shape," said NDA assistant head coach John Hannafin. "She does a great job of backing up Sarcone at the point. She's smart with the ball and doesn't force anything."

In the Gators' 57-35 CHSAA win over St. John Villa, Zinke finished with three points, two rebounds, one steal and turned in her usual solid defensive effort.

No measuring Hudec's heart
January 05, 2005

So they say the first cut is the deepest.

Not a chance.

Not that it's all sunshine and cool breezes when you're 12 years old and you've just torn the anterior cruciate ligament in your left knee. 

The doctors take a look inside at the mess, notice the state of the growth plate and tell you that if you'd like both your legs to be the same length, you have to wait to have reconstructive surgery.

So Rachel Hudec waited, and sat out her eighth-grade season, and by the time she got on the court as a freshman at St. John Villa, she had gone almost two years between games.

So you have to ask yourself what's worse: The waiting, the uncertainty of what the rehabilitation process is like and what you'll be like when you get on the floor again, or the dread of knowing exactly what to expect and having to go through it all once more, all over again?

"You lose all the muscles in your leg," says Hudec. "Every muscle. You can't walk. When I started doing my leg raises, the therapist's office had a party. It's one of the hardest things I've ever been through.

"You have to retrain your leg to walk. Everything."

ACL EPIDEMIC

Tearing an ACL and coming back doesn't make Hudec a rarity. In women's basketball, some have called the number of torn ACLs an epidemic, to the point where if you get through eight years of high school and college ball without suffering the injury, maybe you've gotten off lucky.

But the first time around, Hudec had time on her side.

That wasn't so in July, when the Villa senior was wrapping up a summer tour of recruiting showcase camps at Penn State.

She had already been to the top camp in the country, the adidas Top Ten in Georgia. She was being courted by major college programs from the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference like Seton Hall and Georgia Tech, just the top of the list of suitors.

Then, two days before the end of the camp, Hudec tore the ACL in her right knee. The early-signing period was just four months away. Pretty soon, the phone wasn't ringing as much. The mail got a little lighter too.

"Those were my dream schools," says Hudec. "My dream was to go to a Big East school or a big ACC school and when I hurt my knee all that was over with."

NOT A HAPPY CAMPER

Her first response was about what you'd expect from a high school kid.

She sulked.

"I was absolutely devastated," she says. "I couldn't get over it. For a month I just sat there and didn't want to think about it. I couldn't get over that it was taken away from me from something that, it wasn't my grades. I didn't mess up. It was an injury that took everything away from me. It wasn't my fault. I felt like it was totally unfair."

And you couldn't really blame her. But in the middle of it all, Hudec started doing some math. With the surgery on Aug. 12 and the six months of rehab she went through the first time -- a process that couldn't start until a month after the surgery -- Hudec pictured her senior season at Villa going on without her while she spent afternoons in a therapist's office.

That wouldn't do.

"Something just ignited me," Hudec says.

She approached her doctors and physical therapist, Michael Marino, about setting up a four-month program to have her back in practice by December, and back in a game before New Year's.

"Unheard of," says her Villa coach James Martinos.

And, some would argue, too aggressive -- too risky -- for someone with plenty of basketball ahead of her.

But Hudec was insistent.

"I wanted to come back in four months," she says. "I said, 'What would it take for me to do that?' and my therapist said, 'A lot.' My doctor made a four-month schedule for me."

FOUR-MONTH REHAB

She went five days a week for four months, three and four hours at a time at first. Then she went to the gym and watched her teammates practice without her.

While she rehabbed, Hudec signed a letter of intent for a full scholarship to Division I Sacred Heart, a rising Northeast Conference program that also plucked Notre Dame Academy's Liz Gruber from the Staten Island CHSAA division.

Hudec was cleared to run on Dec. 1 and cleared to practice on Dec. 12.

Martinos was hesitant.

"I was holding her back," he says. "I didn't feel that comfortable."

"When I could run half speed, I needed a note from my doctor," says Hudec. "When I could run full speed I needed a note from my doctor. When I could start doing drills, I needed a note from my doctor with him. He wouldn't let me do anything without notes."

She made her season debut on her own schedule, scoring eight points off the bench against Moore Catholic on Dec. 20.

It's been mixed results since, as the senior point guard, the only top-of-the-rotation returner from last year's squad, works her way back in and increases her minutes.

She went scoreless against McKee/Staten Island Tech, and had only a first-quarter three-pointer in last night's 57-35 loss to Notre Dame that dropped the Bears to 5-2.

"I was ready," she says. "They didn't want me to get reinjured and I know everyone was just looking out for me, but I felt like I could play. I'm the last one who wanted to do this again. Once was enough. Two times wasn't cool. If I feel anything, I'm going to be the first one to get off the court because I'm the last person who wants to go through this again.

"They understood that and I understand they're just looking out for me, but I really wanted to play. I felt like I worked that hard and I deserved to be back out there."

Adversity nothing new to Spillane
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Written by-- Jamie Lee

Bridget Spillane could have come into her season opener a bit tentative.

The first game of her senior year -- with the added pressures of being Notre Dame's lone captain and switching from the point to the two guard -- would have been a daunting task regardless on a team with such high expectations.

But Spillane also had another pressing issue to deal with, the memory of her father.

Her father, Eugene, passed away in October of 2002 after a 16-month battle with brain cancer and Tuesday would have been his 46th birthday.

One would think that this could have taken Spillane's mind elsewhere.

Could have, but didn't.

The senior was the picture of poise, leading her team to a 75-62 victory over Brooklyn's Mary Louis squad with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists and a block.

"Over the last two years, basketball has helped a lot," said Spillane.

"When we come into the gym for practice or if we have a game, it's just our two to three hours where we can just focus on basketball and block everything else out."

And, all that time in the gym has yielded great dividends aside from peace of mind.

The improvement in her shooting touch has been more than noticeable as she followed her initial performance with 15 markers in the 2-0 Gators' 59-40 win over Island PSAL-power Mckee/Staten Island Tech on Wednesday.

Over the two-game span, the four-year starter hit her first six attempts from behind the arc before a pair of treys rimmed out late against the Sea Gulls.

Spillane attributed much of that progress to her new position.

"I feel much more comfortable with my shot. As the two, my role is to shoot. I have to produce," she said, adding that she had complete confidence in turning the reigns over to "a great point guard" like junior Nicole Sarcone.

Poly Prep hoop player McLean commits to Bentley College
Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Graniteville resident and Poly Prep basketball starter Kristy McLean has signed a national letter of intent to attend NCAA division II power Bentley College, the Advance has learned.

McLean, a four-year starter at Poly, returned her letter during the early-signing period last week, according to Bentley's long-time women's basketball coach Barbara Stevens.

The 17-year-old McLean, who has saw time at shooting guard and forward at Poly, averaged 12 ppg. as a junior and enters her senior year needing just 159 points to become a member of the 1,000-point club.

McLean is not only excited about her decision to attend the Waltham, Mass., school, but is relieved to get her choice made before the start of her season Dec. 3 against Port Richmond.

"When I went to visit, I just loved everything about it -- the school, coaches and players. It was for me," said McLean, who plays travel ball for the Staten Island Rebels. "I stayed and watched a practice (when I visited) and everybody was so focused and had total respect for the coaches.

"It really drew me in. They're a real good team and I think I'll fit right in."

Stevens, who enters her 19th season at Bentley, is thrilled to have McLean's commitment and believes she'll be a nice fit.

"What attracted us most was she can shoot it well and we needed a scoring guard," said Stevens, who has guided Bentley to two Final Fours and one division II championship appearance. Her squad was 23-8 a year ago. "But not only can she shoot (from the perimeter), but she can go inside too.

"She's just an aggressive player, whose a gym rat and we're glad to have her in our program."

Poly coach Mike Junsch said the 5-foot-10 McLean brings an even greater attribute to Bentley.

"She'll give them something that's difficult to teach -- she wants the ball during crunch time," said Junsch, noting McLean was a key cog in Poly's NYSAISAA B division state championship last season. "When we need a basket, she wants it and whether it goes in or not is irrelevant.

"She can shoot the three, penetrate or play with her back to the basket," added Junsch. "But not only is she a scorer, but she's also a terrific defensive player and has strong character."

McLean, meanwhile, said she's not intimidated about playing at such a tradition-rich program and is looking forward to contributing any way she can.

"When they recruited me, they said they liked the way I shot the ball and they needed a good shooter," said McLean, who plans to major in business marketing. "But I can play either inside or out and I like the fact that they play aggressively. They like to run up and down the floor, even the big girls, and I really like that."

Hill's Swartley signs with Wagner College
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Written By CHARLIE DeBIASE JR.

The 5-foot-10 Tottenville resident is first Hilltopper to play for Seahawk women's program since 1992

From the first time St. Joseph Hill's Helen Swartley saw Wagner College's Grymes Hill campus, the Tottenville resident had yearned to one day attend the school.

Yesterday, her dream came true.

Swartley signed a national letter of intent to attend Wagner on a full athletic scholarship for women's basketball, the Advance has learned.

The 5-foot-10 Swartley, a four-year starter at Hill who averaged 9.8 points, 12 rebounds and four steals per game as a junior, said she was sold on choosing Wagner after officially visiting the school last year.

"It has always been a goal of mine, probably since I was in intermediate school," said the soft-spoken Swartley, who will be the first Hill player to compete for Wagner since former shooting-star Chris Anderson graduated in 1992. "I really didn't want to go too far from home and after visiting, the coaches made me feel comfortable and I decided it was the place for me.

"I'm really looking forward to playing in front of my family and friends."

Wagner head coach Tara Gallagher said Swartley is a welcomed addition to the Northeast Conference school, which also signed 6-1 Olivia Nagle, a forward/center from Acton-Boxborough Regional HS (Mass.) last week.

"We're extremely happy that Helen will attend Wagner. We got to see her play a lot over the summer with the Staten Island Rebels (travel program) and she's someone who has improved quite a bit," said Gallagher. "Helen plays with a lot of heart and that's something you can't teach.

"She works hard and hustles. She goes after the ball with determination and that's the kind of player we want."

"She's playing division I ball and going to Wagner, which has always been her dream. It's great for Hill, Wagner and Staten Island," said Hill coach Mike O'Connor. "I think Helen has the capability to contribute on the division I level.

"She's still growing as a basketball player and I think her best days are in front of her."

Gallagher said she's initially planning for Swartley to play power forward.

"I think she can play the four. She can definitely defend someone in our league with her height," the Wagner coach said. "But I also think she has the potential down the road to face the basket and play either inside or out."

"Hopefully, the transition will come smoothly. I want to help out any way I can," said the 17-year-old Swartley, an undecided major who also credited Rebels' coach Frank Siller for giving her plenty of exposure on the AAU level. "(Wagner) told me to keep on working (on post moves), but to also work on ball-handling and shooting.

"I'm excited about playing on the next level," she concluded. "It will be a challenge, but I'm up for it."

2004 Rebels Travel Schedule

Click here for results from the tournaments

March 27-28 Fencor Invitational, Philadelphia, PA (9, 10K, 10M, 11, 12, 13)
April 7-10 Blue Chip Tournament (14C, 15, 16)
April 17-18 Staten Island Rebels, NY (9, 10K, 10M, 11, 12, 13, 14J, 14C, 15, 16)
April 24-25 Northeast Rockers, Philadelphia, PA (9, 10K, 10M, 11, 12, 13)
May 1-2 Lower Bucks, Bucks County, PA (9)
May 8-9 SUNY Albany, NY (14J)
May 1-16 NY Metropolitan Regionals, NY (10M, 11, 12, 13)
May 22-24 Virginia Cardinals, Alexandria, VA (10K, 14J)
May 22-23 Spring Fling, PA (14C)
May 22-23 Hoop Group (15, 16)
May 28-30 Central Jersey Hawks, NJ (9, 10K, 10M, 11, 12, 13, 14J)
June 4-6 Jersey Shore Wildcats, NJ (9, 10K, 10M, 11)
June 5-6 Philadelphia Belles, PA (15, 16)
June 4-6 Baltimore Cougars, Baltimore, MD (14J)
June 12-13 Tristate Blue Chip (14C, 15, 16)
June 25-27 Tri State Tarheels, Wildwood, NJ (9, 10K, 10M, 11, 12, 13, 14J)
June 26-27 Liberty Belles, Jersey City, NJ (15, 16)
July 14-17 Blue Chip @ Penn State, PA (14C, 15, 16)
July 23-26 US Junior Nationals, Washington, DC (15, 16)