SHS Volleyballers Are Game Ready

Volleyballers Lauren Wise and Tori Grossi are working hard during a blocking drill.

Photo By John Perkins

Their Sticks Are Sharp

Alex Tsekaris and Kelly Casper sharpen their stick skills as they work the ball along the sideline.

Photo By John Perkins

Prepping For The Season

SHS soccer player Lauren Notofranceso works out the kinks out as she works on booting the ball down field.

Photo By John Perkins

Soccer Team Gets Ready

Springfield’s boys’ soccer team limbers up their muscles before practice on Aug. 21 in the scorching heat.

Photo by John Perkins

Top slugger in finals at Phillies Home Run Derby

Patrick Stroup, 8, of Media won first place in the 7-8 year-old boys' division at the Philadelphia Phillies Home Run Derby regional finals in Sharon Hill recently. Patrick outslugged about 25 other winners from various competitions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to take top honors. He will compete in the finals at Citizens Bank Park prior to the Phillies game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, Sept. 5.

All Star Baseball Academy hosting fall showcase at Glen Mills

All Star Baseball Academy of West Chester is hosting a top-rated Fall Showcase Event at Glen Mills School on October 2-3. College coaches and recruiting coordinators from seven colleges will run the Showcase event, with Penn State, Temple, Pitt and West Chester University all represented. Coastal Carolina, Millersville, and Brown University will also participate.

This Showcase is for serious baseball players, ages 15 to 18, who hope to develop their skills and play college baseball, from Division I to III programs.

Area players are invited to register at www.allstarbaseballacademy.com. Players are also invited to call the helpful All Star staff at 610-399-9356 for information and full details on the Showcase at Glen Mills. Cost of the comprehensive, two-day Showcase is $350 per player.

"This is a super way to get better and get noticed, too," noted Ken Leidheiser of All Star Baseball. "The seven college coaches and recruiting coordinators will run the Showcase. This makes it a great opportunity for area players to get visibility and exposure to multiple programs, all at one convenient location."

In the photo above, players sprint to the finish at the recent All Star Baseball Mid-Atlantic Showcase, held at Blue Rocks Stadium in July. A total of 12 college coaches ran the Showcase event and evaluated the skills of 95 top players from the tri-state area.

And The Girls Diving Champs Are...

Delaware County Swim Clubs recently held a diving meet and the female champions are l-r Third Place, Allison Cardow, Ridley Park; Second Place, Melissa Taziole, Prospect Park Swim Club; and First Place, Rachel Cotton, Knowlton Swim Club.

Top Delco Divers

Local divers who recently won in an end-of-season meet are First Place Mike Proietto, Knowlton Swim Club; Second Place Nick Schill, Prospect Park Swim Club; and Third Place, Brandon Davis, Knowlton Swim Club

Ridley United U9 Champions

The Ridley United Rolling Thurnder U9 Team won first place in the Ridley Invitation Soccer Tournament on August 16. Team members and coaches include Jesse Robinson, Hunter Koch, Robbie Geddes, Jack Higgins, Alex Boeckx, Jake Hall, Caden Ranelli, Shawn Sweeney, Erik Christensen, Zach Geary, Justis Greto, Mike Sfida, Jack Killet, Patrick Rudy, Greg Christensen, Mich Boeckx and Cliff Kellett

U11 Gold wins BYC Tournament

On July 29, Springfield's U11 Gold team ended its season with a Championship victory over Marple 13-0 in the BYC Tournament. Trevor Robinson and Brandon DiChiacchio pitched three innings each for a combined no hitter in the game. Springfield ended its season with a 13-2 record and two tournament wins. Team members are Will Messick, Michael Psenicska, Joey Radico, Joey Kennedy, Coach Ed Kelly, Andrew Paulus, Jimmy Clark, Kevin McKeon, Tanner Robinson, Coach Joe Radico, Brandon DiChiacchio, Coach Tom McKeon, Jerry Curran, Trevor Robinson and Coach Kevin Robinson. Not shown are Nick Matty, Patrick McCarry and Andrew Pickett.

Springfield U11 Blue wins again

The state champion Springfield Boys’ 11 U team Blue team won the Llanerch Hills Tournament, going 5-0, to capture another Championship. Teammates are (front row) Michael Smith, Connor Ringwalt, Giuliano Ciancaglini, Kyle Long, Greg Manning, John Militello, Nick Gorman, (middle row) Tom Quinn, Greg Tamaccio, Tommy Toal, David Strawley, (back row) coaches Rob Militello, Greg Tamaccio, Rich Smith, Rich Toal, and (missing from photo) Andrew Todaro.

Springfield team wins tournament

On April 25, at the Thunderbird Lanes in the greater northeast Philadelphia, the team of Mike Pickard, Brad Ernest, Mike Fiorelli and Team Captain Cliff Cohen, representing the Springfield Men’s Bowling league, won the Delaware Valley Men’s bowling tourney. Their first-place finish netted the team $1,500. This is the second time a team from this league won the tournament. The league is seeking additional new members to help fill out the team roster.Teams bowl Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. at Sproul Lanes and the league currently has 12 teams. The 51st season begins Sept. 9.

Swimmers Join 1,000 Lap Club

Swimmers (from left) Emily Hess, Mya McGann, Hailey Bierling, Hannah Bierling and Frankie McGann were recently inducted to the 1,000 Lap Club Hall of Fame at Springfield Country Club Pool. They had until Labor Day to complete the challenge. Here they stand next to their names, which are listed for all members to see.

McCloskey sends SAA U12 to World Series

As the No. 3 batter in Springfield’s lineup, Brian McCloskey has delivered his share of big hits. None, though, had more significance than the three-run home run McCloskey belted in the fifth inning of Springfield’s 4-1 victory over Milburn-Short Hills (N.J.) in the Cal Ripken 12-year-old Major/60 Middle Atlantic Regional championship game on Aug.1 at Netherwood Park. It was a blast of historic proportions. With the win, this group of all-stars became the first team in the history of the Springfield Athletic Association to qualify for a World Series, according to Goose Gosselin, one of the committee members for the Middle Atlantic Regional.“I’m speechless,” McCloskey said. Right fielder Matt Conran, whose RBI single set the stage for McCloskey’s home run, did not have trouble putting the historic victory into words. “It’s really exciting,” he said. “Winning the regional is something we’ve talked about all year. It’s been our goal, and it feels great to be the first team to get to a World Series.”Reaching the World Series, which will be held in Wilson County, N.C., Aug. 11-19, was a bit of redemption for 10 of the 13 players on the Springfield roster. That core group failed to win a game at the 11-year-old Major/60 Middle Atlantic Regional a year ago in Tuckahoe, N.Y. “That was really disappointing,” said Springfield coach Joe Johnson, who was the coach of that team a year ago. “We went 0-4 and lost three of those games by one run. We wanted to show that we were better than that.” Springfield showed its mettle when it rallied from a 6-0 deficit for an 8-7 victory over Mount Hope, the Metro New York champion, in Saturday’s semifinals. Springfield scored all of its runs in the last four innings. It would take more late-game heroics to win the regional title. Springfield and Milburn-Short Hills were locked in a scoreless duel thanks to superb pitching performances from Springfield’s Nick O’Shea, and Charlie Carbin and Zack Hersh of Milburn-Short Hills. O’Shea and Carbin combined on a five-hitter. O’Shea went the first three innings before giving way to Carbin. He came back to get the final out after Milburn-Short Hills scored its only run and loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. O’Shea, who fanned five and surrendered two hits, got leadoff man Nick Minter to bounce out to Jim Murray at third base to end the threat and touch off a championship-caliber celebration. Carbin retired six of the first seven batters he faced before running into two-out trouble in the sixth inning. “I can’t say enough about those two guys,” Johnson said. “They were terrific. I knew I had O’Shea for four innings, but the plan wasn’t to go with him for three and Charlie for three. It was pitch-by-pitch the whole way. Charlie pitched two great innings and when he got in trouble I decided to come back with Nick.” Hersh was equally as effective. He had a four-hit shutout going until Springfield finally got to him in the fifth inning. Carbin beat out a one-out single to start the rally. Seamus McCaffrey reached base on an error and Conlan followed with an RBI single to right field to break the scoreless deadlock and bring McCloskey to the plate. One historic swing later, Springfield was on its way to the World Series. “It feels great,” said McCloskey, who also had a single in the first inning and was hit by a pitch. “To be the first team to win the regional championship and go to World Series, and do it in your hometown is unbelievable.”
SP-McClosk#2 8-4.jpgThe team hoist the Ripken Mid Atlantic Regional trophy and celebrates its upcoming trip to the World Series.

Springfield 11U baseball wins Cal Ripken tournament

Springfield 11U baseball team won the Cal Ripken SE Pennsylvania State Tournament on July 28 by beating Nether Providence 9-3. In the tournament, which was hosted by Chichester, the Springfield team scored a total of 50 runs, while giving up only nine. With the state title, the team has earned a spot in the Cal Ripken Mid Atlantic Regional Tournament, which will be held in Severn, Md. Team members are (kneeling) Kyle Long, Nick Gorman, (standing) Tom Quinn, Connor Ringwalt, Greg Tamaccio, Michael Smith, Tom Toal, Greg Manning, Giuliano Ciancaglini, David Strawley, Johnny Militello, (back row) coaches Rob Militello, Rich Smith, Rich Toal, Greg Tamaccio. Andrew Todaro is missing from photo

SAA 10-Blue ends outstanding season

The Springfield AA 10-Blue team completed an amazing season on Aug. 2 in the Cal Ripken Mid-Atlantic Regional (MAR) tournament. After having gone 4-0 through Districts and 6-0 through States, 10-Blue posted an excellent 4-2 record at Regionals. Blue’s losses were by one run and one two runs. 10-Blue went through pool play with a 3-1 record, tied for first place in its bracket. The team won its quarterfinal game with an impressive 14-1 victory over the Delaware State Champion (Bear, Del.) to advance to the Regional semi-finals. Blue lost 4-2 in the semi-finals to Middletown, N.J., thus closing a successful season. In the MAR tournament, 10-Blue scored 67 runs (almost 20 more than the next closest team) and allowed only 28 (third fewest of the advancing teams). Team members are (front row) Justin Eckard, Cam Thorpe, Jeff Houtmann, Michael Conran, (back row) Cole Dumont, Chris DiRenzo, David Bingaman, Layne Kelly, Jason Estep, Jared Morris, Zach Chevalier and Nicky Kutufaris. SAA U11 Wins Ripken SE

All American scholar

Shannon Burns, who lead the Springfield High School girls’ lacrosse to the state championship game, was named the Carin E. Heller All American Scholar for 2010.Shannon was also named to the All American team and will play for the University of Delaware next year.Past winners were:Kristi Soroka, 2001Jenna Bratz, 2002Carolyn Power, 2003Kaitlin Keegan, 2004Jenna Werley, 2005Alyssa Bellano, 2006Sarah Geary, 2007Rebecca Hartrum, 2008Madison Poplawski, 2009

Hammerheads battle at soccer championship

Downingtown’s six-time US Youth Soccer Region I Champions FC Delco Hammerheads Under-19 Boys were finalists in the James P. McGuire Cup Championship game against the Crew Juniors (OH-S) who defeated the Hammerheads 1-0 with a 36th minute goal. The game was played at the US Youth Soccer National Championships in Overland Park, Kansas. The game was broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel.
The Hammerheads, based in Downingtown, have represented Region I at the US Youth Soccer National Championships four times now. In their three previous appearances, the Hammerheads reached the championship game once in their Under-15 year but lost. Besides their multiple Region I titles, the Hammerheads have also won seven Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer State Cup Championships. During the 2010 Regional Championships, the Hammerheads won every game and allowed only two goals, both in a 3-2 semifinal victory.
This was coach Alan Mezger’s first time at the helm for the Hammerheads but he has been down the national championship road before. Tonight’s win would have given Mezger his third James P. McGuire Cup win.
“I knew it would mean a lot for me to get the hat-trick but, to be honest, I wanted this more for the boys,” said Mezger. “I’ve enjoyed this championship series more than in years past because I wasn’t as nervous. I’ve been down this road before. This is a special group of boys. I wanted this for them. They worked hard and I just hope I matched their commitment with my own. This team has been around for a long time, some of them since they were eight years-old.”
“The Hammerheads were great representatives of the FC Delco Club,” said Mezger. “They have worn the logo with pride and have made the alumni proud. Not everyone gets to play on the national stage. It says something just to make it this far.”
“The Hammerheads did a phenomenal job in this tournament,” said Chris Branscome, CEO of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. “They fought hard throughout the entire US Youth Soccer National Championship series and you could see it in every kick of the ball and every move they made on the field. We could not be more proud of these boys.”
The Hammerheads won their first game of the championship series on Wednesday against the WSM Internationals of Oregon 1-0 thanks to a 42nd minute goal from Midfielder Jeffery Pio (La Salle University). Thursday’s lone goal came from Forward Christopher Harmon (Old Dominion University) in the first three minutes. On Friday, the last day of round robin play, the Hammerheads tied the Crew Juniors 1-1. The lone goal came from Forward Daniel DiLullo (James Madison University).
The US Youth Soccer National Championships kicked off on Wednesday, bringing a field of 60 teams together that comprise the nation’s top players in the Under-14 through Under-19 age groups for boys and girls. In all, twelve national titles were awarded this weekend.

The Hammerheads Are:

Travis Cantrell, Glenmoore, PA (Univ. of Pennsylvania)
Greg Cochrane, Holland, PA (Virginia Tech)
Micah Collins, Glen Rock, PA (Villanova University)
Danny DiLullo, Havertown, PA (James Madison University)
David Dubow, Bryn Mawr, PA (Princeton University)
Brian Forgue, Glenmoore, PA (Penn State University)
Chris Harmon, Downingtown, PA (Old Dominion University)
Tom Kalpokas, Philadelphia, PA (LaSalle University)
Jordan LeBlanc, Havertown, PA (Old Dominion University)
Wayne Maminski, Philadelphia, PA (Lafayette College)
Nick Matthews, Ambler, PA (St. John’s University)
George McFarland, Haverford, PA (Colgate University)
Jordan Obrant, Wynnewood, PA (Syracuse University)
Alex Ockford, Yardley, PA (Mount St. Mary’s University)
Sean Peckham, Doylestown, PA (Lafayette College)
Jeff Pio, Warminster, PA (LaSalle University)
Robert “Bobby” Rosato (Committed to UNC Wilmington)
Matt Sanner (Princeton University)
Kyle Soroka, Langhorne, PA (Villanova University)
Andrew Trainor, Wilmington, DE (Williams College)
Alec Weiss, Merion, PA (Villanova University)
Mike Whitaker, Doylestown, PA (Univ. of Pittsburgh)