Even though they didn’t have Rease, the Riverhead Blue Waves didn’t fall into pieces.

The Riverhead field hockey team learned how to play without midfielder Rease Coleman last season after she sustained a season-ending injury just several games into the campaign. Despite the considerable loss of sidelined talent, the Blue Waves still managed to extend their playoff run to eight straight years. They went two rounds deep into the postseason before bowing out to Ward Melville.

Now, the Blue Waves (9-7 last year) will once again have to play without Coleman. The junior midfielder, who was considered a potential All-State player, has transferred to an out-of-state prep school.

Ouch!

That isn’t all. Riverhead graduated nine seniors and has only eight upperclassmen, four of whom are new to the varsity scene.

Ouch again!

Having said that, Riverhead has some nice talent returning, most notably Katie Goodale, an All-County senior center midfielder, and All-Division senior forward Kristy Troyan.

Riverhead finished in fifth place in Suffolk County Division I and is seeded eighth in the division this year.

“I still think they have the capability of doing really well and making the playoffs,” said Cheryl Walsh-Edwards, who is in her 19th year as the team’s coach. “I look at it almost like a rebuilding year because I lost those nine seniors. Yet, when you look at the crew we’re putting out there, some really, really good athletes.”

Athletes like senior forward Kayla Monticiollo, senior midfielder Lauren Kenny and eighth-grade midfielder Peyton Choma. They all had starting experience last year.

Goodale, who was moved from the forward line to center midfield after Coleman went down, figures prominently in the team’s plans this season. “She’s just a phenomenal athlete,” Walsh-Edwards said. “She’s incredibly, incredibly quick, and she’s just an all-around great athlete. A tremendous work ethic, the energizer bunny, really.”

Troyan, like Goodale, has good stick skills and is quick, said Walsh-Edwards.

Two sophomores, defender Rachel Rempe and forward Ava Lily Sumwalt, bring limited varsity experience. Four juniors — goalkeeper Isabella Williams, forward Jessica Columbus and defenders Brianna Talhares and Lauren Kruger — are new to the team.

“It’s really a completely new lineup,” said Walsh-Edwards.

Walsh-Edwards said Riverhead has only 26 players — at least 10-12 below normal — between its varsity and junior varsity teams. “That’s the lowest we ever had in Riverhead,” she said. “I think [player numbers at] the East End schools [have] always been a bit of a trouble … Our focus is we have to start rebuilding and get the interest up in the sport again.”

Reaching the playoffs last year for the first time in at least five years was a big step for Shoreham-Wading River (9-6). “I expect to keep that momentum going and hope for even greater things this year,” said third-year coach Jenna Stevenson.

It was a teary-eyed ending for the Wildcats, who lost, 1-0, to Bayport-Blue Point in a Suffolk Class B outbracket game. SWR had defeated Bayport twice during the regular season in sudden-victory overtime, 2-1 and 3-2.

As painful as the playoff loss was, that postseason experience will benefit the Wildcats, said Stevenson. One of those benefits is the No. 4 seed in Suffolk Division II, which can be seen as a token of respect for what the Wildcats have and what they have done.

With that high seed comes a schedule befitting it. SWR will play all of the other top five seeded teams: Rocky Point, Miller Place, Bayport and Harborfields.

“Honestly, it’s just going to be about those big games,” said Stevenson.

SWR has some major players on its side in All-State senior midfielder Summer Steimel, All-County junior defender Chiara Hodun and All-County honorable mention senior goalkeeper Ashley Luppens.

Stevenson, who likes Steimel’s competitiveness, dedication and unselfishness, said Steimel is “a standout because she has the field vision. She’s able to feed passes and run to open space. I’m just so impressed. Every year she has just gotten better and is always a notable player on the field.”

Hodun, Stevenson said, is “honestly one of the fastest and most explosive players on the field.”

Meanwhile, Luppens is coming off what Stevenson called “an incredible year last year. She saved a lot of games for us that went into overtime.”

SWR has four other returning starters in forward Madeline Rutkowsky, midfielder Abigail Korzekwinski and defenders Destiny Keshner and Gabriella Meli. They’re all seniors except for Keshner, a junior. Also back are junior forward Samantha Sicoli and freshman midfielder Brooke Meltcher.

New to the team are defenders Gianna Ferraro and Madison DeGroot and forwards Genna Baudo and Kaitlyn Mudzinski. Another newcomer is Abigail Wing, who is in her first year of field hockey. Her position was undetermined.

“What I like best about the team is I think over the years their chemistry has gotten better,” Stevenson said. “I think their confidence has really grown.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: All-County senior center midfielder Katie Goodale will play an even bigger role for Riverhead with Rease Coleman’s departure. (Credit: Bob Liepa, file)

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Fall is right around the corner. One can sense it. Temperatures are getting a little cooler, the air has a crispness to it and the sounds of football can be heard.

“It’s a great time of the year,” Aden Smith said. “It’s fall. The season’s changing. It’s cooling down a little bit. It’s just a great time.”

That’s just what Smith’s Shoreham-Wading River High School football team is counting on — another great time.

SWR (10-2 last year) has had its share of good times over the years, winning three successive Long Island Class IV championships from 2014-16. Last year the Wildcats picked up their fourth Suffolk County Division IV title in five years before falling to Cold Spring Harbor in the Long Island final.

SWR, ranked No. 1 in Division IV, is once again led by the fleet-footed Xavier Arline. The senior quarterback/cornerback made Newsday’s All-Long Island second team. He accounted for over 3,100 yards of offense himself (2,300-plus on the ground), with 43 touchdowns, 33 rushing.

What does Smith find most impressive about Arline?

“That a kid that has that type of athletic ability is also one of the hardest workers on your team,” the second-year coach answered. “He works in the offseason on his own. He stays after practice … and that has a positive impact on everybody on the team. That’s pretty good. That’s pretty amazing.”

The ball-hawking Johnny Schwarz, an All-Division junior who plays wide receiver and strong safety, offers some amazing qualities of his own. In the win over Mount Sinai in the county final, Schwarz had a 71-yard TD reception, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

“He pays attention to details and he’s got great instincts,” Smith said. “He’s just got a nose for the ball.”

Matt Zahn, a 6-4, 270-pound senior, leads the line along with juniors Jeff Lachenmeyer and Dylan Blanco. Other upperclassmen who had starting roles last year are fullback/linebacker Mike Casazza, offensive lineman/H-back Jake Wilson, guard/linebacker Jake Ekert and wide receiver/outside linebacker Tyler Schwarz, Johnny’s brother.

Looking for more varsity experience? Look no further than wide receiver/cornerback Kenny DeTiberiis, wide receiver/outside linebacker Chris Baumeister, quarterback/safety Chris Visintin and safety/running back David Tedesco, who was injured for most of last season.

Max Barone could be a starter as a defensive back or running back. He was promoted from the junior varsity team as was outside linebacker/quarterback/running back Sean Miller. They should contribute along with fullback/linebacker Anthony Giordano and defensive back/wide receiver Rath Roa.

“This team’s going to have a different personality than the team we had last year,” said Smith.

He hopes it will be a winning one.

It will not be easy, though, with the tough schedule SWR has.

“We’re going to get everybody’s best shot,” Smith said. “We’re not going to sneak up on anybody. Our job is to make sure we don’t let anybody sneak up on us.”

Leif Shay is about as thoughtful as football coaches come, yet he was taken for a loss when asked what to expect from the jump from Division II to Division I, which his Riverhead team will play in this year.

“I really can’t comment,” he said.

For good reason. Riverhead (2-6) has never competed in Division I before, according to Newsday’s Andy Slawson.

Now, it’s close to getting real as the team’s Sept. 14 opener at Central Islip nears.

“The problem with being in [Division] I … is everything is going to be a bit of a learning experience because we’re new to the league,” said Shay.

For whatever it’s worth, a scan of Slawson’s records shows Riverhead, seeded 12th in the 12-team division, has a winning career record against five of its eight Division I opponents and a losing record against only one of them.

Shay, however, isn’t likely to dwell on such things. “The only thing we can control is how we prepare and what we do,” he said.

This is the 22nd year for Riverhead’s longest-serving and winningest coach, who takes a career 112-77 record into the season. Mike McKillop is next on the all-time list with an 86-37-7 record over 17 years, from 1952-68, according to Slawson.

Albert Daniels, an All-Division senior running back/linebacker, will be an impact player along with senior wide receiver/linebacker Isaiah Barbieri, senior tight end/linebacker Steven McDonald, senior wide receiver/defensive end Tyreek Parker and junior offensive lineman/linebacker Jack Qualey.

“He’s taken on a leadership role,” Shay said of Daniels, adding: “We’re going to have to rely on him a little bit. He brings a lot of experience. He’s been playing running back for a long time, and on the defensive side of the ball he can play any position. He’s a phenomenal athlete.”

The starting quarterback position remained unsettled as of Tuesday, with seniors David Squires and Ethan Aube and junior C.J. Dorr in competition for the job.

A key to how Riverhead fares is how well the line does. Linemen Christopher Harris, Angel Reyes, James Foster and Lamarion Hopkins will have a say in that, blocking for people like tight end/defensive end Deontae Sykes and running back/outside linebacker Aaron Gaines-Bullock. Recep Kocan will handle the kicking.

Speaking of the line, Shay said: “We’re going to be better than last year. We still have some young kids up there. We’re going to make some mistakes.”

It’s that time of year again. Football’s back.

“The fall season,” Smith said. “It’s pretty special.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Senior quarterback Xavier Arline accounted for over 3,100 yards of offense and 43 touchdowns (33 rushing) last season for Shoreham-Wading River. (Credit: Daniel De Mato, file)

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Adrian Gilmore has some lofty goals for the Shoreham-Wading River girls soccer team.

Not only does that include winning the Suffolk County Class A title, but the Long Island one as well. That LI championship has been an elusive target for the Wildcats, who have never won one.

“That’s always high on my radar, to get that Long Island championship,” Gilmore said. “I would love to see myself there and hopefully go upstate and represent Suffolk County and Long Island at the state championships.”

Given the impressive roster SWR has returning this season, that certainly is not out of the question. Plus, the Wildcats are coming off an impressive title run in the Town of Brookhaven Summer Soccer League.

So, where do you begin with the Wildcats?

Let’s start with the defense — the goalkeeper, Alison Devall, and the back line, where everyone returns from a team that was stingy giving up goals last year. Devall saved two penalty kicks in a shootout to boost SWR (11-5-2) to a 3-2 county quarterfinal win over Babylon last year.

“It’s always nice when you have a strong goalie coming back who really knows the game,” Gilmore said.

That also goes for the Wildcats’ back line, which includes senior captains Sara Hobbes and Maddy Joannou, senior Maura Ginley, junior Brooke Langella and sophomore Alex Constant.

“When you don’t allow a lot of goals in and your goalie has a lot of shutouts the year before, coming back with a strong seasoned defense is always important,” Gilmore said.

The midfield is just as impressive behind senior captains Lakin Ciampo and Gianna Cacciola. “I couldn’t ask for two better kids to be central midfielders,” Gilmore said, noting that both players have started since their freshman year and have celebrated two county titles. “They really understand the game and what it takes to win.”

They will be complemented by Lydia Radonavitch and Jillian Hobbes, who was one of the Wildcats’ leading scorers in the Brookhaven League.

The big question mark is who will replace the graduated dynamic duo of Nicky Constant (13 goals, 10 assists) and Emma Kirkpatrick (10 goals, four assists) up front.

Gilmore felt that she might have found an answer in freshman Graceann Leonard, who played some (two goals) as an eighth-grader last year before leading the Brookhaven League in goal scoring this summer.

“She didn’t play much but we knew that she would get her time,” Gilmore said. “When she got in, made the most of it. But watching her play over the summer, I knew it was the right decision. She looked so good.”

Ashley Borriello, an outside midfielder, was moved up to partner with Leonard. “She and Grace are a great combination together,” the coach said. “They have speed, they have skill.”

The Wildcats were No. 3 in the Suffolk Division II preseason power rankings.

“So, we draw a tough schedule, which makes it a little challenging when you’re trying to get everyone in the game and sub,” Gilmore said. “But I also think it’s nice that we do have that schedule. So, come playoff time we’re ready. We’ve played the best teams and we’re ready to go. In years past, we had some easy, 6-0, 7-0 games and then you get a little false self-confidence about how good you truly are.”

And before we forget, Gilmore has some more goals as well, although they might not come this year. One’s for the team, the other personal.

“I want to build the younger kids up,” she said. “Next year is going to very important because we have seven seniors. So, with so many seniors, it’s really important to bridge that gap between the lower and upperclassmen.”

“For the girls, I just want them to be successful, to have fun and stay healthy.”

Gilmore enters her ninth season three wins shy of 100 career wins (97-26-9). She has taken her team to the playoffs every year except for 2012.

Riverhead coach Samba Traore’s goals are much more down to earth. There are no county titles or even the playoffs in sight. He just wants to see the Blue Waves improve.

While they finished with a sub-par record (4-11-1), those numbers meant great progress over 2017 (1-13).

“Last year was one of the biggest improvements because we came out of a really bad season.” Traore said. “Last season was one of the biggest improvements. We couldn’t win the league games [before]. We won three league games last year.

“Small steps in the right direction. That’s what I like about it. Hopefully, we just go a step above again. I like the way we’re progressing.”

Traore’s goals would be finishing among the top 17 teams among the 29 large school teams.

“I know we’re not going to make the playoffs because we’re still in a building process,” he said. “Our goal this year is at least between the top 15 to 20. Last year we finished 23rd, so that was a big improvement.”

Riverhead’s strength is its back line where senior Megan McIntosh, junior Rebecca Cohen and sophomore Marina Ronzoni are deployed. “Those three players are the good graces from last year,” Traore said. “I am happy for them.”

Senior forward Krista Romer is expected to provide the scoring punch.

Asked what made McIntosh and Romer special, Traore replied: “I’ve had them from the seventh grade. They have been with me through the ups and downs. When they’re on the field, they’re always battling, always willing to win. Even sometimes when it doesn’t go our way, they’re always ready to play. That’s what I like about them.”

Traore knows it will be a difficult climb to reach the playoffs. Many, if not all, of his foes have feeder problems from local youth soccer clubs. The Blue Waves don’t.

“Those club teams, they just feed the schools,” he said. “We are in a difficult position because most of the girls don’t play organized soccer. They only play for fun. I have them do winter training, summer training to get better and get ready for the fall season. This year we played in the Brookhaven Summer League and it wasn’t that bad … We’re not going to stop training until we get better.”

Photo caption: Goalkeeper Alison Devall was part of a Shoreham-Wading River defense that wasn’t easy to score against last year. (Credit: Bob Liepa, file)

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Riverhead boys soccer coach Evan Philcox has a simple goal this season in Suffolk County League I. It isn’t necessary qualifying for the Class AA playoffs, but worrying about what is in front of his squad.

“I just want to be focused on one possession, one half, one game, one day at time,” he said. “Hopefully, we can look up in the end and find ourselves in a position that we’ve never been in before.”

A reasonable goal for a team that finished 2-13-1 overall and in the league last year.

Philcox has three seniors in their third year of varsity duty that he will rely on — central midfielder Ian Lull and left back Danny Arias, who are co-captains, and center back Erick Valladares.

Lull was the leading goal scorer the past two years.

“He has flexibility to be creative and go where he’s needed,” Philcox said. “He’s dangerous from anywhere in the attacking half of the field. He scored on a direct kick against Northport 10 yards in front of our bench. He put it upper 90. He’s outrageous. When he has a ball against another defender, he is almost impossible to cover and he also [has] a great ability to distribute the ball.”

Arias can play across the back line.

“He’s quick, he’s explosive. He runs track, also,” Philcox said. “We’re looking for him to be more of a vocal leader this year. His play usually speaks for itself. We know exactly what we’re getting out of him every day. He’s maybe our most consistent player.”

Valladares will anchor the defense. “He has an imposing presence in the back,” Philcox said. “He just gives us a monster physical presence.”

Others Philcox is counting on include forward Davit Kebadze, midfielders Alex Garcia, Rudy Samayoa, Cesar Garcia, David Razana and Pablo Chacon. Junior Josue Razana is slated to tend goal.

Philcox has been impressed with the team’s discipline and focus.

“I want to be much more workmanlike,” he said. “So far this is the most disciplined and focused [team] that we’ve had. We’ve had the fewest off-field distractions. Definitely the deepest team that we’ve had in three years in terms of talent. Everybody seems focused on the job and we just need to keep that focus on every single thing that we do, every drill, every touch, every time we lose the ball. One foot in front of the other.”

Shoreham Wading-River (9-7) will compete in League VI. Coach Russ Mitchinson could not be reached for comment about his team’s prospects this season.

Photo caption: Riverhead left back Danny Arias is in his third varsity season. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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For the past four years, the Shoreham-Wading River High School girls volleyball team was all set at setter. With the graduation of All-Conference setter Katlynn McGivney, a four-year varsity starter, that has changed, though.

Sam Rutkowsky, a senior, is SWR’s only setter with any real varsity experience. Junior setter Tesia Roth was brought up from the junior varsity team for the playoffs last year and setter Kamryn Osik played in middle school last fall along with two other freshmen, middle hitter/right-side hitter Kelsey Hughes and outside hitter Dayna Napolitano.

Coach Megan Johnson wasn’t sure whether she would go with a 5-1 system (which employs five hitters and one setter for all six rotations) or a 6-2 (which uses a total of six hitters and two setters, depending on their place in the rotation). She said she would probably alternate between both the two.

As for Rutkowsky, Johnson said: “Sam is the type of kid that every coach would want on their team. She has such a positive outlook on things. She works super hard.”

SWR (7-9) returns five of its top seven players from last year’s team, which lost to Elwood/John Glenn in the Suffolk County Class B semifinals. Among them are a pair of All-League players: senior outside hitter Alyson Mallon and sophomore libero Lauren Halloran.

Mallon has played for an 18-year-old club team as a 16-year-old. “She is a really good outside [hitter],” Johnson said. “She played club for a number of years now. This past year, I feel like her passing has definitely gotten a lot better. She’s an explosive hitter and she just leads the team with a calm, quiet type of energy.”

Halloran, meanwhile, has a knack for making amazing plays, the sort that cause Johnson’s jaw to drop. “Her athleticism baffles me,” Johnson said. “She’s just a super athletic player.”

For more veteran know-how, SWR has senior middle hitter Anna Baumeister, junior middle hitters Kaila Teodoro and Maya Manesis, sophomore outside hitter Paige Alessi and senior outside hitter/right-side hitter Maya Klatsky. Two sophomores, libero Nikki Christine and right-side hitter Ashley Delumen, are new to the team.

“We have a lot of talent and we have a lot of young talent as well,” said Johnson, noting that there will be a transition phase with the setting changes.

Johnson said Alessi’s game had taken off during the club season. “She came back this year and was jumping through the roof, putting balls away,” she said.

It will be the job of the setters to get the ball to her, and McGivney will not be among them.

“It feels weird because she’s been [here] since freshman year so it does seem weird,” Johnson said, “but like I said, Sam is super talented and I’m excited to see her step up and shine.”

Riverhead coach Rose Horton put herself and her 15 players through an exercise. Each person was asked to pick a word to represent herself. Some of the responses: passion, spirit, dedication.

Horton’s word? Grit.

“I just think that’s something important to sports nowadays, not just volleyball,” she said.

If Riverhead (1-13) shows enough grit this season, who knows what it can do for the Blue Waves?

“With the right mindset, I think that this group of girls has the ability to go far,” said Horton.

All-League senior outside hitter Melanie Vail returns along with two other starters, junior libero Kaleigh Seal and junior outside hitter/middle hitter Tristin Jefferson.

Although Riverhead hadn’t named team captains by early Monday, Vail surely plays the part with natural leadership. “She’s always coming to practice on time, she always works hard,” Horton said. “She really sets a nice example.”

More varsity experience is offered by middle hitter/right-side hitter Ravyn Tolliver, outside hitter Elizabeth Dowd and middle hitter Rebecca Bassemir.

A good deal of responsibility, however, will be placed in the hands of a newcomer. Michaela Ligon, a freshman who sat out last season with an injury, will handle the setting along with sophomore Makayla Brown in Riverhead’s 6-2 setup.

“I’m super excited to see her shine on the court,” Horton said of Ligon. “I think she’s going to bring a whole new aspect to our Riverhead volleyball game. I think that if we are able to work with her and she is able to set the girls up the way they need to be set up, then Riverhead will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Also new to the team are: right-side hitter Kate Mowdy, outside hitters Avery Hillis, Salome Baez and Anna Crotty, utility player Sky Hanson, middle hitter/outside hitter Kellia Daniel and libero Jennifer Barrios de Leon.

Horton, entering her second season in charge of the team, said: “I feel a little more comfortable with the program and I think they feel more comfortable with me, which is what everyone wants. The girls are super positive and I feel that the heart is there.”

And perhaps some grit.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: All 15 Riverhead players displayed the word they picked to represent themselves. (Credit: Rose Horton courtesy photo)

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What position does Ian Lull play?

It’s a simple question that requires a bit of an involved answer.

On paper, Lull is a central attacking midfielder for the Riverhead High School boys soccer team. True enough, but he also has the freedom to go anywhere he wants on the field as he sees fit. It’s a testament to the trust and respect coach Evan Philcox has for the senior.

Lull cuts a smooth figure on the field, with his shock of flowing red hair shooting out from one direction to another as he suddenly shifts course, shaking off a defender or two in the process. He looks the part of a prototypical playmaking midfielder. His exceptional skill with the ball at his feet enables him to maintain possession and buy more time with his expert dribbling as he explores passing options. He is a creator, taking the team’s free kicks and corner kicks.

In addition to his ability to distribute, Lull is “basically unguardable one-on-one,” said Philcox.

Lull’s talent speaks for itself. And, not least of all, Lull knows what he’s doing on a soccer field. Thus the rare freedom he has been granted.

“Ian is awesome,” Philcox said. “We are trying to play the system to just kind of let Ian float wherever he wants to go and pick his spots, find his way to the ball when he sees a dangerous opportunity, get himself forward when he sees a dangerous opportunity … We have a shape and then Ian is just in orbit, using his high soccer IQ and his outrageous skills to fill in the gaps, so yes, it’s a lot of fun to watch him. We’re definitely happy to have him on our team.”

Lull helped Riverhead a good deal in its home opener Wednesday at Pulaski Sports Complex. Despite a fine effort, the Blue Waves lost the Suffolk County League II contest to Lindenhurst, 2-1, on junior defender Gerson Ososrio’s golden goal 4 minutes, 12 seconds into overtime. His shot found the lower left of the net. Devin Seara assisted, giving him two goals and three assists in Lindenhurst’s first four games.

“It’s the worst way to lose,” said Riverhead senior right wing Davit Kebadze.

As painful as it was for the Blue Waves (0-3-1, 0-1-1) to lose a game like that, there were encouraging signs and positives, even if they don’t show up in the win-loss column.

“In the big picture, there’s a lot to be happy about because now we’re playing close games against good teams in League II, a competitive league, so if you take a step back and look at the big picture, you can see where we’re going,” Philcox said. “Obviously today, it’s frustrating; it hurts.”

For the great majority of the 80 minutes of regulation time, the teams stubbornly refused to concede a goal. That changed when Riverhead broke the ice with 5:19 left in the second half. Following a headed flick by Kebadze, forward Wilfredo Munoz found himself alone against goalkeeper Ron Durante. The sophomore placed a firm shot inside the far left goalpost before jumping into the arms of joyous teammates.

“We thought the game was over,” said Lull.

It wasn’t.

The Riverhead joy lasted all of 51 seconds. It was only 51 seconds later when Riverhead goalkeeper Josue Razana (five saves) tipped a ball that bounced tantalizingly in front of an open section of the goal. Leo Cabrera was on the spot to gratefully slam the ball in from close range for the equalizer.

Lindenhurst (3-1, 1-0) had its chances earlier. With 61 seconds left in the first half, Seara laid off a pass for Julian Reyes, whose point-blank blast was blocked by Razana. Early in the second half, a pair of Lindenhurst shots found the side netting. Then, with a little over seven minutes to go in the second half, an Ososrio centering pass found an unguarded Rishav Dey on the doorstep of an unguarded goal. He slammed his first-time shot off the left post.

Lull, one of Riverhead’s third-year players along with defenders Danny Arias and Erick Valladares, took four shots; none of them were on target. An All-Conference player last season with seven goals and four assists, Lull has two assists through four games.

“He’s a weapon,” Kebadze said. “He creates more options, plays for us, and it’s just like we rely on Ian. We believe in him.”

Lull, who plays for the Barca New York club team, said his job is to be “as selfless as possible and just kind of help create opportunities for other people because a lot of times we play these teams, they mark a lot of guys on me, so it frees up a lot of space for other people. I have great teammates around me. I don’t have to score all the goals myself.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Ian Lull, a central attacking midfielder for Riverhead, has the freedom to go anywhere on the field where he thinks he can help. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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While most parents mingled around the start and finish lines during a cross country race, Debbie Riccio Giordano was always on the lookout for her father. As she navigated the middle of a 3.1-mile course as a student at Rocky Point High School, Thomas Riccio would pop out of the woods, seemingly out of nowhere, yelling words of encouragement to his daughter.

“My father would literally come out like a deer on the mile and a half mark,” she said. “People used to think he was out of his mind.”

Her father was born with that competitive spirit in athletics, which he passed on to his children and the many wrestlers he coached for nearly two decades at Riverhead High School. A standout wrestler at Hofstra University, Mr. Riccio remained active in the sport he loved for more than 60 years as a longtime referee and then coach, becoming an icon in the sport on Long Island along the way. In 2017, Mr. Riccio was formally inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

Mr. Riccio died Monday afternoon at his home in South Carolina surrounded by immediate family. He had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS, in 2018 shortly after retiring from coaching, his daughter said. He was 77.

“He was just a bigger than life guy,” she said. “I was so proud of him.”

Ms. Riccio Giordano, 53, said her father tried to keep the diagnosis mostly private. A neurologist at first thought he had foot drop, a gait abnormality, when he had started to struggle with things like getting out of the car. It took about six months to confirm the ALS diagnosis, she said.

Last September, Mr. Riccio and his wife Ann moved from Baiting Hollow to South Carolina where they planned to spend their retirement living in a home he had built on a golf course. The disease would soon force him into a wheelchair and in the last four months, he began to lose his speech, his daughter said.

“Because he had ALS and wasn’t diagnosed and nobody knew what was wrong, I think that’s why he retired,” she said. “He turned to me and said, ‘I’m just tired. I can’t do it anymore.’ He couldn’t get on the mat anymore, I remember.”

Mr. Riccio officiating a wrestling match in 1982. (Courtesy photo)

Riverhead athletic director Brian Sacks remembered Mr. Riccio as an old-school coach who was “phenomenal” with the kids and a caring person.

“He gave back all he could,” he said. “When he retired I think that was a sad day for him and us.”

His daughter said whenever she would see her father around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, he would always be talking about the kids he coached.

“He was so invested in these kids,” she said.

Mr. Riccio became the Riverhead varsity head coach in 2015 and held the position for three seasons. He had spent the previous 15 years as an assistant working alongside Wade Davey.

Even as his coaching career neared the end, he remained focused on promoting youth wrestling to help the sport grow in Riverhead.

“I want to bring the program back to where it used to be … and you’re not going to bring it back without kid wrestling,” he said in November 2016.

Mr. Sacks said once Mr. Riccio knew the program was in good hands, he decided to step back.

“He didn’t want to until he knew we had a solid foundation,” he said.

He described the decision as an emotional one for Mr. Riccio.

“He knew it was time just for him in his personal life,” Mr. Sacks said.

Mr. Riccio pictured in 1993 with his children Debbie and Marc. (Courtesy photo)

Eddie Matyka won the 120-pound county championship for Riverhead in 2015. Mr. Matyka, 22, said his former coach had a big impact on him. He recalled how Mr. Riccio would pick him up at his home to drive him to Hauppauge for practices as he prepared for the state championship that season.

“He taught me a lot of stuff,” Mr. Matyka said. “He was a good coach.”

When Mr. Matyka was honored in 2015 with the county’s most inspirational award for his perseverance to come back from a back injury, Mr. Riccio delivered a speech about him, he said.

“That was very nice,” he said.

Mr. Riccio graduated from Walt Whitman High School in 1960, where he was also a standout football player. He went on to play five years of semipro football as a halfback and slot back with the Long Island Giants.

His wrestling career at Hofstra was cut short when he left the university after the first semester of his sophomore year for financial reasons. He became a skilled carpenter, the profession he maintained throughout his life. Two of the biggest projects he worked on through his union were Ward Melville High School and the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, which never became active. In his later years he worked on private construction projects, mainly building homes.

In 1968 he started officiating in wrestling and quickly became one of the top officials in Suffolk County. He worked in five state tournaments and was the No. 1 official in four of them, while sharing the top ranking with another official for the fifth time.

“In the eyes of many, he is the most respected and confident wrestling official in Suffolk County history,” a video montage at Mr. Riccio’s Hall of Fame induction noted.

Mr. Riccio (24) excelled in football as a youth in addition to wrestling. (Courtesy photo)

He married his wife Nancy in 1963 and they had two children. He remarried in 1992 to his second wife, Ann. His daughter said her father remained close with her mother.

Mr. Riccio is survived by his sisters Janet and Joy and brothers Danny and Marty. He was predeceased by his son Marc, who tragically died in a car accident on William Floyd Parkway in the morning on July 4, 2018. He was 47.

“He suffered that, which was awful, to the day he died,” Ms. Riccio Giordano said.

A viewing for Mr. Riccio will be held Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Burrough Funeral Home in Murrells Inlet, S.C. His daughter said a memorial celebration will be held in New York sometime in the upcoming weeks.

Top photo caption: Thomas Riccio in the Riverhead wrestling room in 2016. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

joew@timesreview.com

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A Greenport man who prosecutors said knowingly sold heroin laced with fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose in Riverhead was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter Thursday.

Suffolk County Court Judge Anthony Senft found Lashawn Lawrence guilty of a lesser fourth-degree conspiracy charge in the case that centered around a Riverhead man who died of an overdose in September 2018.

The fourth-degree conspiracy charge carried a maximum penalty of just four years, whereas the manslaughter charge brought penalties of up to 15 years.

Mr. Lawrence, who has had a prior violent felony conviction and other non-violent convictions, remains in jail on $200,000 cash bail or $400,000 bond, and will be sentenced Oct. 15.

The case was determined entirely by the judge, at Mr. Lawrence’s request, so there was no jury involved. The judge did not comment in court after reading the verdict.

The man who died was Lawrence Yaccarino of Riverhead, who had overdosed two other times that month, but was revived, according to testimony during the trial.

At least four other people who allegedly bought drugs from Mr. Lawrence also overdosed during the same time period as Mr. Yaccarino, but were revived, according to assistant district attorney Tanya Rickoff.

The case was only the third time that manslaughter charges were brought against alleged drug dealers in connection with a fatality, according to officials.

Mr. Lawrence, 35, was originally indicted in March along with two other men that prosecutors said were involved in a drug ring that sold heroin laced with fentanyl, a potentially deadly drug that is being used more frequently because it is cheaper and more potent.

His two co-conspirators, John Brophy, 49, of Riverhead, and Bryan Hale, 52, of Flanders, both pleaded guilty within the past month.

Mr. Hale pleaded guilty to a top charge of attempted third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, and Mr. Brophy pleaded guilty to a top charge of second-degree manslaughter as well as third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. He had been facing a 10-count indictment.

Ms. Rickoff said in court that Mr. Lawrence was the ring-leader, and Mr. Brophy and Mr. Hale sold drugs for him, often out of Mr. Hale’s auto repair shop on Lincoln Street in Riverhead.

But Carl Irace, the attorney for Mr. Lawrence, said that the prosecution’s case was built on text messages between Mr. Brophy, Mr. Lawrence and others regarding potential drug sales, and often the messages used nicknames for people and drugs.

In several instances, a drug officer on the witness stand would have to interpret for prosecutors what the text message meant.

“It’s all circumstantial evidence,” Mr. Irace said. He said none of the witnesses testified to actually seeing Mr. Lawrence making a drug deal.

In one case, an undercover officer attempted to buy drugs from Mr. Lawrence, but Mr. Lawrence declined.

Ms. Rickoff said that is because Mr. Lawrence is a “smart businessman” and tried to insulate himself.

She pointed out how some of the text messages between Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Brophy refer to “we” and not “I.”

In both her opening and closing statements, Mr. Rickoff pointed out that forensics experts found fentanyl in the heroin Mr. Lawrence sold. She said he knew that the heroin contained fentanyl and could kill people, but he sold it anyway.

Mr. Irace said Mr. Yaccarino had a history of overdoses and drug use, and also took medication for high blood pressure, bipolar disorder and other ailments and that he suffered from obesity.

In addition, Suffolk County Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Caplan testified that an amount of cocaine that could kill someone was found in Mr. Yaccarino’s body.

Mr. Irace said Mr. Lawrence was not charged with selling cocaine.

Following the verdict, Antoine Lawrence, Lashawn’s brother, offered condolences for Mr. Yaccarino’s family, but added, “I do respect the court system but I don’t think justice was done.”

He cited the prosecution’s initial claim that the case would center on purple bags the heroin was packaged in, but that by the end of the trial, Ms. Rickoff said it wasn’t about the purple envelopes.

He also pointed out that cocaine was found in Mr. Yaccarino’s system, although his brother was not accused of selling cocaine.

Joanne Needham of Shirley, herself a recovering drug user who lived with Mr. Yaccarino for 10 years, said of the ruling, “It is what it is. It’s a hard thing to prove. I think it was fair, they didn’t prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Correction: The top charge Mr. Brophy pleaded guilty to was second-degree manslaughter. 

tgannon@timesreview.com

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The coffin race is back!

A group of volunteers headed by Kevin Zaneski of Aquebogue has agreed to run the race in this year’s Halloween Festival organized by the Riverhead Business Improvement District.

Kristy Verity, the executive director of the BID’s management association, confirmed that and said a press release would be forthcoming.

The BID first held the coffin races in 2017. It had been planned for a Sunday on Griffing Avenue that year until a rain storm forced it to be moved up a day and to downtown.

Last year, it was again rained out, but there was no rain-out date.

This year, the BID is proposing to have the coffin races and the Halloween Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26, with a rain date of Oct. 27. The race will take place on Griffing Avenue, so there will be no flooding concerns, according to Diane Tucci, the BID’s former executive director, who brought the first coffin race to the town in 2017 and was determined to bring it back this year.

“I will be lead point person for the coffin race and the Halloween parade and I’ve found a crew of people who will make sure this thing happens,” Ms. Tucci said. “Kevin Zaneski and his group will act as lead for all the organizing of the race and executing it that day, as well as any kind of rain dates.”

“It’s good for the town,” said Mr. Zaneski, who was one of the founders of the popular cardboard boat race in downtown Riverhead. He said he only took over the role of leading the coffin races this week and that it’s in the early stages. He said his committee will probably have six to eight people in it.

Steve Shauger, the president of the BID management association, said last month that the Halloween Festival will have the parade, the trick-or-treating and the street light decorations but that they were looking for a group of volunteers to run the coffin race.

Ms. Tucci urged anyone interested in working on the race to call her office at 631-209-4244 or email her at dtuccimedia@gmail.com.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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On an historic day for the Riverhead High School football program, Albert Daniels showed his true colors: red, white and blue. Put the emphasis on blue.

Wearing his new, neat looking red, white and blue high-top cleats, replete with stars and stripes (and a red, white and blue mouthguard to match), Daniels left his cleat marks all over David J. Goldstein Field in Central Islip on an overcast Saturday afternoon.

After unveiling the snazzy footwear, Daniels ran for a career-high four touchdowns and 237 yards as the Blue Waves won their first ever Suffolk County Division I game, 39-14.

“There’s a lot of good teams in Division I, and we just came out here and made a statement win,” said Daniels.

Each of Daniels’ TD runs went for double-digit yards: 35, 12, 26 and 76.

Daniels cut through an opening up the middle for a score on Riverhead’s third play from scrimmage. He swept right for his second TD on the second play of Riverhead’s next series. For his third TD, he used a nifty jump cut to the left. And that 76-yarder on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter was a sight to behold. Daniels broke around the left end before turning on the jets.

“I was ready to play,” said the senior running back, who carried the ball 15 times.

No question about that.

“I thought he showed exceptional vision today, which he always does, but I also liked the burst of speed that he showed,” coach Leif Shay said. “He got a lot of yards today, but he’ll be the first one to tell you, the offensive line blocked.”

Indeed it did. Assembling a new offensive line was a paramount concern during training camp. Left tackle James Foster, left guard Lamarion Hopkins, center William Berkowsky, right guard Jack Qualey and right tackle William Sellers-Beeker got the job done. They blocked well for Daniels, starting quarterback David Squires (who went back to pass, rolling right before taking off for a 21-yard TD run) and Aaron Gaines-Bullock (who powered his way into the end zone from 5 yards out, making it 39-14 in the fourth quarter). Riverhead rolled for 364 yards on offense, 321 of them on the ground.

“The O-line made it easy,” Daniels said. “All I had to do was run straight.”

And don’t forget the defense. Defensive coordinator Charles McMillen had to like what he saw from his defense.

That defense, led by Tyreek Earl Parker (seven solo tackles) and Isaiah Barbieri (six solo tackles, one assisted tackle), played well. Tylique Walker (26 carries, 115 yards) ran for TDs on successive plays from scrimmage in the third quarter. Parker pulled Walker down, but officials determined that Walker landed on Parker before rising and continuing his 11-yard TD run. Then, right after Riverhead fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, Walker took a shotgun snap from the Riverhead 33-yard line and darted forward for the score.

Central Islip ended up with 124 net yards.

Riverhead was seeded 12th in the 12-team division (Central Islip was ninth). The Blue Waves sounded as if they wanted to make a point that they can play in Division I after going 2-6 last year in Division II.

“We have a little chip on our shoulder,” Shay said. “We have to prove that we belong and we [can] bang at this level, but we haven’t seen the big boys yet, so let’s temper the expectations. It’s one win and next week is going to be a very different week. We’re excited about where we’re heading, but we got a long way to go.”

Asked if he noticed a difference between D-I and D-II, Daniels replied, “Football is football.”

Central Islip is the only team on Riverhead’s schedule this year that has a career winning record against the Blue Waves at 5-4. The previous meeting between the teams was a 48-8 Riverhead win in 2013. “I watched that film a couple of times over the past two or three weeks,” said Daniels.

Daniels said he picked out the patriotic cleats in honor of his grandfather, who was in the Air Force.

Was his great game the result of magic from the cleats?

“No, it’s just hard work,” he said.

All the same, Barbieri, staring down at Daniels’ cleats, said, “I think I need to get some cleats.”

Photo caption: Albert Daniels (15 carries, 237 yards) pulls away from the Central Islip defense for one of his four touchdown runs in Riverhead’s first ever Division I game. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Under ordinary circumstances, in another year, this Riverhead High School girls cross-country team would have been seen as a sure bet for a league championship. Coach Justin Cobis said it’s the best team he has had, hands down, with three returning All-County runners, nice depth and some good up-and-coming young runners.

The 6-0 Suffolk County League III champions from last year didn’t lose much and, in Cobis’ words, return “the heart and soul of our team.”

Sounds like championship stuff, no?

Well, maybe.

“You would think, yes, but … it’s just a very, very stacked league,” Cobis said of League II, where the Blue Waves have been placed. “It’s like a gauntlet.”

It’s a good thing Riverhead has all that talent. The Blue Waves are going to need it in League II, which Cobis said is “by far” the most competitive league on Long Island. It includes Ward Melville, which sent its team to the state meet last year, Sachem East and Bay Shore (6-0), the defending league champion.

“Really there isn’t one team in this league that couldn’t go upstate as the Class A representative,” said Cobis, who noted that five League II teams were ranked among the top 20 in New York State last year. “That shows you how ridiculous the league is.”

Not that Riverhead is a slouch. Far from it.

The Blue Waves have senior Megan Kielbasa, senior Christina Yakaboski and junior Linda Pomiranceva, all of whom were All-County selections last year. Kielbasa, in her sixth varsity season, made All-County five years in a row. “She’s kind of been the competitive heart of our program the last six years,” said Cobis.

Yakaboski missed qualifying for the state meet last year by one place and a mere 1.86 seconds. In the Section XI Championships at Sunken Meadow State Park, she finished seventh in Class A in 19 minutes, 57.47 seconds.

Kristina DeRaveniere, Emma Conroy and Natalia Ruszkowski are returning seniors and junior Madison Stromski is also back.

Riverhead has a future, too, with eighth-graders Jena Binkis and Megan Kenny and freshman Lauren Matyka. Senior Madison Kelly, a first-time cross-country runner, has been doing well, said Cobis.

“There are five, six, seven girls who are going to have an impact on some of these meets,” Cobis said. “We finally have a team that can compete with the best teams in the county.”

Shoreham-Wading River senior Nicole Garcia hardly has a typical background for a cross-country runner. She was a sprinter. Sprinters typically don’t gravitate to long-distance running, and vice versa, but Garcia has successfully made the conversion. She’s a two-time All-County runner and SWR’s best runner this year. She came in seventh at the Section XI Championships in 20:26.06.

“She’s got some ability,” coach Paul Koretzki said. “She’s a good worker. She works hard every day.”

Koretzki said SWR (5-1) essentially has the same team as it did last year, with the exception of the absence of Lexi Smith, who is now running for Suffolk County Community College.

Emily Cook, a sophomore who has been dealing with a nagging ankle problem, is among the team’s top runners along with junior Eleanora Undrus, junior India McKay, freshman Colleen Ohrtman and senior captain Isadora Petretti.

Koretzki, who is in his 39th year coaching the team, said, “If we get everybody on the field and we’re sort of healthy, we can win.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead senior Megan Kielbasa is a five-time All-County runner. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)

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Bob Szymanski remembers Adam Zelin as a youngster, participating in a Shoreham-Wading River youth track and field program. What Szymanski recalls is the evident enjoyment Zelin got out of it.

“He enjoyed running as a little kid,” Szymanski said. “… He’d show up all the time and he’d run the mile as an 8-year-old and he’d come back an hour later for the two-mile run. The thing was, he didn’t have great speed, but he was tenacious and would run long.”

Fast forward to the present …

Now Zelin is an All-County senior captain for Szymanski’s SWR boys cross-country team. He has competed in the state championships the last two years.

Last year, when the state meet was run at Sunken Meadow State Park’s five-kilometer course (a demanding course Zelin had described as “brutal”) for the first time in 10 years, he finished 81st among Class B runners in 18 minutes and 12.5 seconds.

At last year’s Section XI Championships, Zelin turned in his fastest time at Sunken Meadow: 17:49.19. That brought him seventh place in the Class B race.

“My job is now to make sure he makes the state team three years in a row,” said Szymanski, who expects Zelin to be among the top handful of runners in Suffolk County.

SWR (2-5 last year) also has Jacob Jablonski, a junior who missed the entire 2018 season with a knee injury. He was the team’s No. 3 runner as a freshman. The Wildcats’ other top runners are senior Camden Sisler, senior Gabriel Kent (his first year running cross country), sophomore Connor Blunnie, senior Ben Carrier and freshman Noah Parrinello.

“I think we’re going to get better as the season goes along,” said Szymanski, whose team will face tough competition in League VI from county champion Westhampton Beach and Miller Place. “I like the kids. They’re no problem and they work hard for me.”

The bulk of this year’s Riverhead team will be together for a while.

The makeup of the Blue Waves’ 33-member roster is interesting: two seniors (including one who is new to the sport), 10 juniors, nine sophomores and 12 freshmen.

“There’s a lot of upside,” coach Matt Yakaboski said. “We’re looking for big jumps from them individually.”

Three juniors were among Riverhead’s top seven last year: Gabe Burns, Ben Catanzaro and Matthew Yakaboski, the coach’s son. It looks as if junior Pedro Arruda, sophomore Patrick Rowland, freshman Graeme Olsen and first-year senior Brian Noone will be scorers. Olsen crushed the Riverhead freshman record for 1 1/2 miles at Sunken Meadow recently with a time of 7:41. Ryan Carrick held the old record of 8:02 that was set in 2015.

Riverhead (1-5) makes the jump from League III to League II, which Matt Yakaboski believes to be a tougher league with Bay Shore, Commack, Sachem East, Sachem North and Ward Melville. “That’s some of the top teams in the county,” he said.

As for his young runners, Matt Yakaboski said: “I like that they push each other, that they’re really sort of tight with times. They have good daily workouts because of that.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Shoreham-Wading River senior Adam Zelin has run in the last two state meets. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk, file)

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This could be the year.

The Riverhead High School gym doesn’t have a boys golf championship banner hanging from its walls. Maybe, just maybe, that can change this year.

That’s Steve Failla’s hope, anyway.

“Talent-wise, this is the strongest team that I’ve had,” said Failla, in his sixth year as Riverhead’s coach. “If we play to our potential this year, I think we can hang a banner.”

And he isn’t the only one.

Mattituck coach Paul Ellwood, whose team won the Suffolk County League VII championship for a fourth straight year in 2018 (one notch above second-place Riverhead), said this could be the first time in 20 years that the League VII champion will not be either Mattituck or Eastport-South Manor. More specifically, he declared Riverhead to be the league favorite.

Last year Mattituck defeated Riverhead twice, but they were close matches, decided by four and five strokes.

Riverhead finished in second place with a 7-3 record. (Mattituck defeated Riverhead, 7-2, on Tuesday.)

“We had a great year,” Failla said. “Last year I would say was the best team in school history.”

This year’s Blue Waves may want to attach an asterisk to that statement. Riverhead has five lineup players back, led by junior Anthony Caputo, who became the first Riverhead player to play in the state tournament in June. Caputo, who had a 40 average per nine holes, was cleared to play three days before the state tournament after breaking his thumb.

“I’m not surprised he made it” to the state tournament, Failla said. “I’m surprised he made it as a sophomore. I knew it was in his future.”

Caputo, who finished eighth in the county tournament, was one of only nine golfers from Suffolk County to make the 88-player field for the state tournament.

“Anthony’s a purist,” Failla said. “His approach to the game is the way the game was meant to be approached. He’s a young man with high character and lots of integrity and I feel like he competes not just with his opponent but against himself.”

The other returning lineup players are All-League senior Chris Timpone (41), junior Noah Strauss, junior C.J. Mauceri and senior Alex Meras. Junior J.D. Davide and senior Van Gatz also have previous varsity experience. The new additions are junior Evan Kappenberg, junior James Devaney and sophomore Matt Caputo, Anthony’s brother.

“Our top six, I feel like on any given day any of them could have the best score,” Failla said. “There’s nobody that needs to carry the team.”

And who knows how far that will carry them?

As promising as Riverhead looks, Failla understands that the competition in League VII will be stiff.

“On any given day, if we don’t take care of business, any of the teams could be our toughest competition, but Mattituck is a team that we’ve never beaten in a match, and they have been the perennial league champions,” he said. “They’re well-coached and I expect them to be formidable.”

Shoreham-Wading River coach Rich Muller did not respond to messages. The Wildcats went 4-6 last season.

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Peconic Bay Medical Center is seeking town approval to convert a portion of the old P.C. Richards appliance store on Route 58 into a cancer care center.

The Riverhead Planning Board reviewed a site-plan application during a work session Thursday afternoon and may consider the application an ‘administrative’ approval, meaning no public hearing would be required.

Under the proposal, PBMC would convert 7,740 square feet of existing vacant space into an oncology center.

Part of the 21,156 square-foot building is currently occupied by ProHealth, which runs a radiation oncology office there.

Andrew Mitchell, president and CEO of PBMC, said the plan would be a “joint-venture” with ProHealth and create a new realm of care for patients.

“They have the radiation oncology center that’s been there and we’ll be bringing in a major medical oncology infusion center and a comprehensive cancer program,” Mr. Mitchell said in an interview.

PBMC is currently leasing the site but Mr. Mitchell said the hospital would be willing to consider acquisition, should the owners decide to sell in the future.

Before those plans can materialize, PBMC must address a 23-space parking deficiency at the site, according to town planner Karin Gluth.

Though PBMC has proposed providing for those additional spaces at their current lot on Roanoke Avenue, Ms. Gluth said that town code requires parking to be located within 200 feet of walking distance to the premises.

“The plan lists that PBMC’s parking lot is 172 feet from the subject property, but when you actually go to the parking spaces, it’s significantly more,” Ms. Gluth said. She measured the distance to be well over 400 feet.

“The parking can be addressed,” Mr. Mitchell said, adding that there are several solutions that could resolve the issue.

Some of those solutions are dependent on whether the hospital pursues acquiring the neighboring Bishop McGann-Mercy High School property.

“I might be in negotiations, hopefully, with the Diocese [of Rockville Centre], to acquire the whole Mercy property,” Mr. Mitchell confirmed. “We’re trying to get discussions with the Diocese going.”

He declined to elaborate if any offers have been made, but noted that acquiring the property would be a game changer.

“If the Diocese would agree to sell Mercy to the hospital — so far they have not — everything changes,” he said.

Sean Dolan, director of communications for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday, but earlier this year he acknowledged that “several” entities have expressed interest in the property.

Citing growing enrollment, the Riverhead Central School District had also considered purchasing the Mercy property but announced earlier this month that they are no longer interested.

Mr. Mitchell also said PBMC is considering the purchase of “another large vacant property on [Route] 58,” to accommodate growing programs, but declined to provide specific details. “It’s very conceptual,” he said.

In the meantime, rather than require PBMC to seek a Zoning Board of Appeals variance, the Planning Board is considering measures to allow plans to continue while parking is addressed.

Planning Board attorney Richard Ehlers said one option is a covenant to require employees to park off-site for a set time frame while other ongoing issues are pending.

“Otherwise, they’d have to go to the ZBA at the end of that period,” he said.

According to Mr. Mitchell, off-campus employee parking is already in use at several locations in town, including Mercy, with a shuttle bus to transport employees.

Mr. Mitchell said they would be willing to cooperate with a timeline.

“Give me two years to work out the rest of it, because if we don’t get Mercy, we’re going to be back here talking [about parking] anyway,” he said.

“As soon as I can get clarity on whether the Diocese will sell Mercy to the hospital, everything else will fall into place.”

Planning Board member Ed Densieski said the Planning Board should do what they can to help the hospital move forward.

“The hospital is the anchor and cornerstone of the community. It would be awesome to have a timely cancer center put in,” he said.

Photo caption: The site where the oncology center would be located. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Continual pressure has a way of wearing down a defense, like water pounding against a dam wall. First small cracks begin to form, then bigger cracks and then, finally, the dam bursts.

And so it can be in soccer. The Walt Whitman-Riverhead high school girls game Thursday was a case in point.

It surely seemed only a matter of time before Whitman got the breakthrough it was looking for against a beleaguered Riverhead defense. Amazingly, the Blue Waves held off Whitman, keeping the game scoreless for nearly the entire first half.

Then the dam broke.

Ella Brower beat goalkeeper Crysten Apicello on a breakaway, set up by Kristen Finnerty at 34 minutes and 37 seconds. Whitman was off and running. The Wildcats then picked up a pair of well-deserved second-half goals from Sydney Khan for a 3-0 Suffolk County Division I win at Pulaski Sports Complex in Riverhead.

The thing is, the final score could have been worse, from Riverhead’s perspective. Much worse.

Part of that can be attributed to some bad finishing by Whitman, but Riverhead’s tireless defense, despite being under siege for practically the entire match, turned in a courageous effort. No one demonstrated that more than the busiest player on the field, Megan McIntosh. Who knows where Riverhead would be without the senior central defender?

“Amazing,” Apicello said. “She’s always amazing. I can never say a bad thing about this girl. She’s great. She does everything, basically.”

Indeed. Not only does McIntosh take most of the goal kicks and free kicks, but the Molloy College-commit is often the one cutting out trouble by reading developing plays, getting to the ball first and clearing it to safety.

Her value to the Blue Waves is unquestioned.

Riverhead coach Samba Traore said whenever McIntosh is on the field, “she’s one of the best out there.”

After the game, McIntosh was asked how she felt.

“Exhausted,” she said.

Was this a typical game for her?

“Yeah, it’s a typical game,” she said. “It’s always on our half [of the field] most of the time.”

One wondered how many goal kicks McIntosh had taken.

“Probably 30 or more,” she estimated.

That sounded about right. Whitman (2-2-2, 1-2-2) held a dominating 26-4 advantage in shots. Apicello was kept busy, making 10 saves. The defense of Marina Ronzoni, Malarie Diaz, Georgine Posillico and McIntosh was under a great deal of pressure.

“The second half we were tired because the defense was working hard,” Traore said. “Everything was on the defense.”

For all its dominance, Whitman didn’t score its second goal until 58:26 when Khan made no mistake in finding the low right corner after running onto a cutting through ball from Marissa Martino.

With 5:15 left to play, Khan struck again, sending a high shot just under the crossbar. Anna Cerrito assisted.

The game was less than three minutes old when Whitman had already taken three shots and Apicello had turned aside a header for a corner kick. It was a sign of things to come.

Riverhead (0-5, 0-5), which entered the game in last place in 28-team Division I, has been outscored, 18-1, in five games, the sole goal in its favor coming from Andrea Guerrera.

Last year the Blue Waves went 4-11-1, which was an improvement from 1-13 in 2017. “There’s always baby steps, so we just kept climbing up the ladder,” said Traore.

The Blue Waves saw Thursday’s game as a minor victory in that their defense hung tough against Whitman.

“In years past we used to lose really bad,” said McIntosh, the team’s longest-serving player, in her fifth year. “Now we’re only letting like two, three goals in a game instead of a half … I just hope that the rest of the season gets better and better.”

And the Blue Waves hope McIntosh keeps doing what she does.

Photo caption: Megan McIntosh, a senior central defender, may have been the busiest player on the field for Riverhead in its 3-0 loss to Walt Whitman. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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Riverhead High School athletic trainer Chris Hildebrandt had one final pickup to make after Saturday’s football game. As athletic director Brian Sacks climbed into Hildebrandt’s golf cart at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field, Sacks joked that he had a cramp.

The wisecrack drew some chuckles and smiles, but the issue of leg cramps was no laughing matter. Least of all to the Blue Waves.

Cramps are painful, and they were especially so in a marathon Suffolk County Division I game against Brentwood. No statistics were kept on the number of players who went down on the field and needed medical attention under the beating sun on a warm day (it was 78 degrees at kickoff time), but it was a lot. One after another.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Riverhead tight end/defensive end Deontae Sykes said after the game that took over four hours to complete.

It might have felt longer to the Blue Waves, who lost their home opener, 52-35, in the first ever meeting between the two teams.

“You saw the difference between a bigger, stronger team that has a little bit more depth and, you know, the weather wore us out, and then once guys started going down, our subs weren’t as good as the guys they were putting in,” Riverhead Coach Leif Shay said. “It was a war of attrition.

“A lot of cramps, things like that on both sides. When you have kids that are cramping up and they can’t go back out, you got to look to backups and sometimes the backups aren’t quite ready.”

Riverhead (1-1) twice built 15-point leads in the second quarter, only to see Brentwood (1-1) close the game out with five unanswered touchdowns. The Blue Waves were shut out in the second half.

Sixth-seeded Brentwood, which has its top four receivers back from last year, can throw the ball. Dallas Crespo (20-for-45) passed for 413 yards and five TDs. The senior quarterback also ran for one. Kenny Lazo (five catches, 137 yards) caught two of those TD passes while Jean-Pierre Terrell, Jaylen Salgado and Jason Ortega each had a scoring grab as well. Also as part of the offensive explosion, Lazo (27 carries, 145 yards) ran for a pair of TDs.

Terrell had a tremendous game on the defensive side of the ball, too, with 11 tackles and a sack.

Riverhead’s Albert Daniels once again showed his quality. The senior running back/defensive back had an outstanding game in his own right, running for 181 yards and three TDs from 22 carries. One of those TDs was a 68-yarder down the left sideline in which he managed to stay inbounds despite an attempt to push him out. In addition, he was in on eight tackles and had one of Riverhead’s two interceptions (Isaiah Barbieri had the other). A week earlier, Daniels ran for a career-high four TDs and 237 yards in a season-opening win at Central Islip.

On Saturday, Aaron Gaines-Bullock bolted for a 60-yard Riverhead TD run down the sideline. Riverhead’s other TD was the result of some trickery, a flea flicker in which David Squires delivered a 26-yard TD pass to Barbieri.

“I felt like we had [the game] plenty of times, then the cramping just started,” said Sykes.

It was a l-o-o-o-ng game. A two-hour first half was followed by a third quarter that seemed to go on forever. The explanation: a lot of passing, penalties and play stoppages for injuries, namely cramping issues. It seemed as if just about every other play another player went down. After one play, two Blue Waves were down at the same time.

“The trainer said he wanted to put in for overtime because he might be paid by the cramp,” said Shay.

Riverhead received a scare when Daniels was lying on the field after Barbieri’s interception early in the third quarter. “My whole lower body cramped up,” he said.

Daniels wasn’t out of the game for long, though.

Daniels said cramps weren’t to blame for Riverhead’s defeat. “No,” he said. “I think it was just focus. You got to pay more attention to the little things, little details.”

Riverhead, seeded 12th in the 12-team division, is in its first year in Division I. “[Division] I is tough,” Shay said after the opener to a three-game home stand that will be followed by three games on the road. “Every game is going to be a battle for us.”

Sachem North (1-1) is up next.

“We got to have a better week, a better week of practice,” Daniels said. “We got to hydrate.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Deontae Sykes sacks Brentwood quarterback Dallas Crespo as Lamarion Hopkins, left, and Rayvon Moore (7) help out. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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Even now, five years later, when Riverhead coach Cheryl Walsh-Edwards looks at Katie Goodale, she still sees the face of the young blonde girl who tried out and made her field hockey team as an eighth-grader, the youngest player on the team. “I look at her now, she looks mature, but her face still looks the same,” said Walsh-Edwards.

Walsh-Edwards recalled talking to Goodale’s father back then and telling him, “She’s going to be on varsity and she’s going to play.”

Goodale hasn’t stopped playing since. The five-year varsity starter is the team’s longest-serving player. My how time flies.

“It went by really fast,” Goodale said of a sizable chunk of her 17-year life. “I can’t believe I’m a senior.”

Riverhead has gone from being a senior-rich team in 2018 to a relatively young side in 2019. Goodale, a center midfielder who earned All-County status last year, is one of the team’s four seniors. The other three — forward Kristy Troyan, midfielder Lauren Kenny and forward Kayla Monticiollo — are starters as well. The team’s four juniors are all first-year players and then there are eight sophomores and an eighth-grader, midfielder Peyton Choma.

“A lot of underclassmen,” Goodale said. She hastened to add: “There’s no reason for us to think that we shouldn’t be as good as last year. We can be just as good, and maybe even better than we were last year.”

Goodale has done her part, using her speed, stick skills and endurance to help feed balls to the forward line for people like Troyan, Ava Lily Sumwalt, Jessica Columbus and Monticiollo.

Goodale has a goal and a few assists this season, but then again, her game isn’t about the stats. She’s the sort of player who helps others pump up their numbers, such as Troyan (eight goals, one assist through eight games) and Sumwalt (seven goals, one assist).

“Katie is amazing at field hockey,” Troyan said. “She’s so good. I look up to her so much. She’s a really fast player. She’s a reason why a lot of us score all the time.”

Walsh-Edwards likes Goodale’s positivity and work ethic. “She really works hard,” the coach said. “I could never fault her work ethic. That’s something I always look for.”

Goodale and her teammates faced a tough test Wednesday against sixth-seeded Bay Shore at Pulaski Sports Complex in Riverhead. Claire McCarthy scored the go-ahead and tying goals as Bay Shore triumphed, 3-1.

Bay Shore (8-1, 7-1 Suffolk County Division I) shot out to an early lead when Zoe Hendricks, assisted by Megan Mattfeld, made it 1-0 a mere 2 minutes and 16 seconds into the contest.

But Riverhead (4-4, 4-4) drew even just 1:27 later. Troyan reached her stick forward amid a crowd of eight players in front of the Bay Shore goal and poked the ball past goalkeeper Avery Robinson-Becker. Some industrious work along the endline by Sumwalt set up the score. It was Riverhead’s only shot of the first half.

But McCarthy’s first goal, off a pass from Kaelyn Pellman, put Bay Shore ahead with 9:35 left in the first half. McCarthy’s second goal was a second-half breakaway in which she charged in alone on goalkeeper Isabella Williams.

“I think they’re doing really well,” Walsh-Edwards said of the eighth-seeded Blue Waves. “I couldn’t ask for more. They’re working hard and they’re in every game. They don’t give up. They go to the last minute.”

Troyan concurred. “Honestly, I personally think today was a good day for everyone,” she said. “I didn’t see anyone giving up. I thought everyone was running their hardest and trying their hardest.”

That, of course, includes the gritty Goodale (whose younger sister Alex is a sophomore defender on the team).

“Today I don’t think she shined as much and she was frustrated because she felt like she wasn’t touching the ball as much as she does other games,” Walsh-Edwards said. “I think the other team did a nice job on her. At times there were three people on her.”

What was Goodale’s impact on the team as an eighth-grader?

“I think she played every minute,” Walsh-Edwards recalled. “She’s the kind that doesn’t really come out unless she begs to or unless she gets hurt; otherwise, she’s in the whole time.”

That’s the way it has been for five years now.

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead center midfielder Katie Goodale awaits a pass during the second half of her team’s 3-1 loss to Bay Shore at Pulaski Sports Complex. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

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For the most part, you win some, you lose some in high school football. Riverhead experienced both a big win and a big loss on Saturday.

The win was a 21-0 shutout of Sachem North at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field in Riverhead. Riverhead’s defense excelled, holding the Flaming Arrows to 114 yards of offense and seven first downs.

Riverhead (2-1), seeded last in the 12-team division, has already equaled its win total from last year in this, its first season ever in Suffolk County Division I.

But this victory came at a price, a heavy price. Steven McDonald, a two-way senior starter at tight end and linebacker and one of the team captains, was carted off the field after going down with an apparent injury to his left leg late in the first quarter. He did not apply any pressure to the leg as he was helped onto the cart.

That hurts.

After the game Riverhead coach Leif Shay said he didn’t know the precise nature of the injury. “I’ll find out later,” he said. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to the trainer, but he’s a leader, you know. He’s a good football player. Hopefully he’s going to be healthy.”

Shay added: “You got to do next man up. We can’t bemoan what we don’t have; we got to worry about what we do have.”

Riverhead defensive tackle Lamarion Hopkins said losing McDonald is “really a blow, but we can always bounce back.”

The Blue Waves missed McDonald in the second half of their previous game after he was lost because of leg cramps. Their game proceeded to go south in a 52-35 loss to Brentwood.

This time was different, though. Riverhead’s defense remained stout.

“We were tough today,” Shay said. “We weren’t going to allow them to out-tough us.”

Despite three first-half turnovers by Sachem North (1-2), Riverhead held only a 7-0 lead by halftime, courtesy of Albert Daniels lunging over the goal line while defenders grabbed his legs at the conclusion of a 22-yard run. Two of those turnovers gave Riverhead the ball at the Sachem North 35- and 10-yard lines. Those two series ended with a punt and a blocked field-goal attempt. (It was the first of two field-goal attempts by Recep Kocan that Sachem North blocked).

The first half was such a defensive battle that Sachem North had only 67 yards by halftime and Riverhead mustered a mere 59.

“It was a war,” said Riverhead’s Tyreek Earl Parker (five tackles).

The score remained 7-0 for most of the rest of the way. Then Riverhead tacked on a pair of touchdowns within four scrimmage plays in the game’s final 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Daniels (27 carries, 143 yards) ran for his second TD of the game and ninth of the season. Then Riverhead’s defense supplied a TD. Rayvon Moore intercepted a pass, saw open space in front of him and returned it 38 yards for a score.

“Man, it was like we had to come back,” said Moore (six tackles, one forced fumble). “You know, last week we took a tough loss, so I was just playing my heart out on defense. When I [saw] the ball in the air, I did what I had to do and I scored.”

Riverhead’s defense was fortified by Christian Doroski’s two interceptions. Aaron Gaines-Bullock (eight tackles, one sack, one pass defensed) recovered a fumble as did Parker. “We all played together and played smart, and it led us on top,” said Hopkins, who was in on eight tackles.

Shay said the Riverhead defense returned to fundamentals. “Our defense did a great job today,” he said. “They were a little embarrassed last week by giving up 52, and they didn’t want that to happen. So, to go from 52 to zero is a huge turnaround.”

Riverhead’s defensive line has three sophomores — James Foster Jr., Deontae Sykes and Hopkins — who don’t play like sophomores. “They’re good football players,” Shay said. “… They’re working hard and they believe in what we’re doing, and that’s going to help.”

When it was all over, the Blue Waves trotted to nearby Pulaski Street School to ring the victory bell.

“That sounds so sweet,” Hopkins said. “Ringing that bell, oh, it feels really good.”

bliepa@timesreview.com

Photo caption: Riverhead’s Lamarion Hopkins (75) and James Foster Jr. (65) bring down Sachem North’s Justin Wank for a two-yard loss. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

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Looking back, William Berkowsky said he wishes he had played football throughout his high school career. He grew up playing PAL with many of his current teammates on the Blue Waves.

But when an injury early in his youth forced him to undergo double knee surgery, he gave up football after seventh grade and opted to focus on lacrosse.

But that itch for football never went away. Now as a senior, with one final chance to suit up for the varsity, Berkowsky decided it was time to give football another go. He’s made the most of the opportunity.

“I wish I played all high school,” he said. “Definitely coming back senior year was the right choice.”

Berkowsky has made a big impact, anchoring the offensive line at center, a position that requires him to call out schemes and help direct his teammates. The play of the offensive line has helped the Blue Waves’ explosive running game and allowed their dynamic halfback Albert Daniels to dominate.

Daniels was outstanding again Saturday as the Blue Waves defeated Bay Shore, 30-12, at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field to improve to 3-1 at the halfway point of the Division I season.

“They were the big question mark,” coach Leif Shay said of the offensive line. “And I think they got tired of hearing it. They’ve really come along and done a nice job.”

Senior William Berkowsky (52) prepares to snap the ball. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

Daniels rushed for 228 yards on a bruising 33 carries and scored three touchdowns. After struggling at times against Bay Shore’s passing attack, the Blue Waves’ defense adjusted in the second half to shut out the Marauders. It was a crucial win for the Blue Waves ahead of an upcoming three-game road trip that starts at Ward Melville Friday night against one of the top teams in the division.

And now the team seeded last in Division I at the beginning of the year, the Blue Waves can view themselves as a legitimate playoff contender.

As the players huddled together on the field after the win, Shay posed a question: “What’s that thing we haven’t done in a while?”

The players all knew the answer: win consecutive games.

It was a small goal the Blue Waves set for themselves at the beginning of the year coming off last season’s 2-6 record. In fact, the Blue Waves hadn’t won consecutive games since Weeks 7 and 8 of the 2015 season. And they’re now one win away from matching their best single season since that 2015 year, which was the last time they made the playoffs.

“We haven’t gotten two wins in a row in a while so we wanted to make it known we got it,” said senior linebacker Isaiah Barbieri.

The offensive line anchored by Berkowsky has been a big reason for the success. He said it was a seamless transition for him back to football.

Isaiah Barbieri hauls in a pass along the right sideline, but the play was ruled incomplete as his left foot just grazed the white line. The Blue Waves scored a touchdown on the next play. (Credit: Joe Wermeister)

“It didn’t even feel like I left,” he said. “These are my boys. We just jelled so well right away.”

Berkowsky digs in the trenches alongside sophomores James Foster Jr. and Lamarion Hopkins, junior Jack Qualey and senior William Sellers-Beeker. Shay credited Berkowsky for his leadership.

“He’s a really smart kid,” he said. “He gives us the brains up front, calling out all the schemes.”

Berkowsky said the reward for the line’s work, seeing Daniels take off for big runs, makes it all worth it.

“For us to make that happen for him, it’s the best feeling,” he said.

Daniels’ first score came on a 1-yard run in the second quarter as the Blue Waves grabbed their first lead, 7-6. Bay Shore (0-4) answered back, going ahead 12-7 later in the second half. The Blue Waves countered with a quick five-play drive as Daniels scored on a 10-yard run. The extra point by sophomore Recep Kocan put the Blue Waves ahead 13-12 at halftime and they never trailed again.

Kocan later connected on a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that put the Blue Waves ahead by two scores, 23-12, and helped ice the game.

The Blue Waves took control in the second half, putting more pressure on Bay Shore quarterback Richie Arnett. The Blue Waves opened the third quarter with an 11-play drive, capped by a 31-yard touchdown run by Daniels. On Bay Shore’s next possession, sophomore Deontae Sykes and senior Tyreek Earl Parker got back-t0-back sacks.

Aaron Gaines-BUllock scores the Blue Waves’ final touchdown on a 9-yard run late in the fourth. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

Barbieri said in the second half the defense switched out of a Cover-2 to focus on covering the flats where Bay Shore’s receivers were finding space.

“The main part was the flats,” he said. “Once we contain the outside, we were good.”

Shay said they also adjusted to move Parker, their speed defender, on the left side to accommodate for where Bay Shore’s quarterback kept rolling.

Bay Shore was limited to just four first downs in the second half.

And now the Blue Waves will turn their attention to their toughest challenge so far against a Ward Melville team that will be eager to get back in the win column after a tough loss Friday night at Longwood.

Top photo caption: Albert Daniels celebrates one of his three touchdown runs Saturday. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)

joew@timesreview.com

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The smiles and laughs were as plentiful as the tennis balls on the Riverhead High School courts during Tuesday’s practice. Some players were even dancing and singing.

“That’s the way it is every day,” senior Gina Bassemir said. “We just enjoy being out there.”

Oh, there was something different with this picture. Something was missing.

“Usually I bring a speaker and we all just jam out to music,” said senior Leah Zenk.

It was a joyous scene, all the same, and for good reason. The Blue Waves were enjoying their first full day as Suffolk County League VIII champions, a title they share with Southold/Greenport.

Riverhead and Southold have been running neck and neck with each other for first place throughout the season, so Monday’s results didn’t come as a surprise. Both teams took care of business in their final regular-season matches, both 5-2 scores, with Riverhead (11-1, 9-1) beating Ross and Southold (9-4, 9-1) downing Mattituck.

That left them as co-league champions, facing a play-in match against each other Thursday in Southold. The winner advances to the Suffolk County Team Tournament.

This is all heady stuff for Riverhead. The only other league championship banner the team has hanging in its gym is for 1991, said first-year coach Vic Guadagnino. That’s 10 years before the oldest team members were born.

This was hardly something the Blue Waves expected during the preseason. “It’s really exciting for all of us, I think,” Bassemir said. “It’s just like because it’s the first time in so long, it’s kind of overwhelming.

“We didn’t even think about it the past few years. We were wondering who was top of the league, but we never thought that it would be us.”

With an infusion of players from Bishop McGann-Mercy last year, Riverhead showed vast improvement and went 8-4. This year the Blue Waves took things up a notch.

Sophomore Isabella Pagnozzi saw promising signs during tryouts. “I actually saw everyone playing and they were so strong and they played so well,” she said. “Then I knew that we were going to have a good team.”

And then the winning started.

“We don’t have one weak doubles player or a weak singles player,” said junior Joslyn Lessard, who played for two league champion Mercy teams and is one of three former Monarchs on the squad along with Lilly Kneidl and Jill Shackel. “We’re all pretty strong.”

That strength is reflected in Riverhead’s team points won (67) and lost (17). Meghan Carver, one of eight seniors among the 10 lineup players, returned at first singles. Bassemir is 11-1 at second singles, Pagnozzi is 12-0 at third singles and Lessard is 11-1 at fourth singles.

Has this league championship come out of the blue?

“Not really,” Guadagnino said. “They had a decent season last year. We had Meghan coming back in the number one spot and our singles were going to be very strong. It was just a matter of getting doubles teams to win matches and focus, play hard, and they did for the majority of the matches.”

Shackel and Zenk have been paired at first doubles, with Kneidl and Delu Rizzo at second doubles and Jordan Curran and Sofia Salgado forming the third team.

What makes Riverhead a champion team?

“Character,” Guadagnino said. “They are characters, yet they have character, and you need that in a sport where it can go your way one second and the next second it’s in the net and miserable, so you have to have character. You have to persevere.”

Thursday’s play-in match offers some great human interest. Carver’s father, Mike Carver, just happens to be the Southold coach. She has played against his teams eight times over the past four years, but No. 9 will be the biggest yet, with the most at stake.

An interesting tidbit: The two teams beat each other once this season — on the other team’s home courts. Riverhead won, 5-2, on Sept. 10 and Southold was a 4-3 winner on Sept. 25.

“Definitely a weird feeling, honestly,” Meghan Carver said of facing her father’s team with a playoff spot on the line.

Do father and daughter talk about this at home?

“We don’t talk about it much because he doesn’t want to talk about it and I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “It always starts a fight.”

Will they talk tennis at home after the match?

She said, “We might not.”

Photo caption: Riverhead first singles player Meghan Carver will face the Southold/Greenport team coached by her father, Mike Carver, Thursday in a play-in match for the Suffolk County Team Tournament. (Credit: Bob Liepa)

bliepa@timesreview.com

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