The HSMSE Girls basketball team made it to the first round of the 2020 PSAL “B” Division Playoffs after finishing second place in their division. The Dragons maintained a 9-3 record, all while losing two valuable players during the season.
The Dragons were a resilient team, so giving up was not an option. Losing players due to injury did not demoralize the team, in fact, it boosted team morale. They had to play harder in support of their sidelined teammates.
“It gave everyone an opportunity to step up and support their teammates,” coach David Scheiman said.
Before a pre-season scrimmage, starting center Nicole Ogen broke a finger during warm-ups. The Dragons lost another starter midway through the season when shooting guard Barbara Ceci broke her ankle during the first quarter of a league game. Less experienced players stepped up and helped the Dragons take victory.
“[The injuries] makes everyone work harder because everyone wants to come through for that person and win,” junior point guard Agnes Heffner said.
Following the injuries, sophomores Sandy Liang and Taylor Jeffrey filled starting positions, while freshmen Sherry Li and Lily Yan earned more playing time. The Dragons’ ability to deal with adversity sets them up for a strong upcoming season, as their younger players gained valuable experience that will help the team in the future.
- Siddhaarta Venkatesh also contributed to this story.
Showing posts with label HSMSE Dragons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HSMSE Dragons. Show all posts
Monday, March 30, 2020
HSMSE Girls' Basketball Finds Victory Within Defeat
The HSMSE's Girls Basketball season ended early after losing to the 35th seeded Clinton School Hawks in the first round of the PSAL Class B playoffs at the Nat Holman Gymnasium. To an outsider, this may seem like a failure; however, the 2019-20 season was a great improvement for the Dragons. Last season, HSMSE lost a majority of their games, completely missing the playoffs.
The Dragons were able to advance farther this year, largely due to alterations in their practice style and to changes within their division. Coach David Scheiman had the team practice more often, and introduced rigorous versions of previously used drills.
“[There were] a lot more practices, a lot more dedication, a lot more leadership,” Scheiman said. “[We had] more intensity, more in-game drills, more practices, and a lot more conditioning in there.”
HSMSE benefited from changes in the PSAL’s division alignment. They avoided playing seven of the eight teams they lost to last season.
“We’re in a division in which I think we could be more competitive than we were in the past,” he said. “Some of the other teams that got out of our division [were] notoriously some of the best teams in the B division.”
The team’s newfound resolve and motivation has them eager for the upcoming season. The girls have high hopes, believing they can go much farther with their new players.
"We still have many of our starting players and many new players that can help us achieve more than we did this season," sophomore guard Taylor Jeffery said.
The team’s aspirations of a winning season will not be easily achieved, but with the Dragons continuous hard work, dedication, and practice, their ambitions could very well become a reality.
- William Reusing also contributed to this story.
The Dragons were able to advance farther this year, largely due to alterations in their practice style and to changes within their division. Coach David Scheiman had the team practice more often, and introduced rigorous versions of previously used drills.
“[There were] a lot more practices, a lot more dedication, a lot more leadership,” Scheiman said. “[We had] more intensity, more in-game drills, more practices, and a lot more conditioning in there.”
HSMSE benefited from changes in the PSAL’s division alignment. They avoided playing seven of the eight teams they lost to last season.
“We’re in a division in which I think we could be more competitive than we were in the past,” he said. “Some of the other teams that got out of our division [were] notoriously some of the best teams in the B division.”
The team’s newfound resolve and motivation has them eager for the upcoming season. The girls have high hopes, believing they can go much farther with their new players.
"We still have many of our starting players and many new players that can help us achieve more than we did this season," sophomore guard Taylor Jeffery said.
The team’s aspirations of a winning season will not be easily achieved, but with the Dragons continuous hard work, dedication, and practice, their ambitions could very well become a reality.
- William Reusing also contributed to this story.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
HSMSE boys’ baseball team flourishing without star pitcher
Injuries are an unfortunate, yet common part of athletics. Sports teams constantly presented with injuries are forced to adjust without their key players. The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ baseball team was not excused from the proverbial injury bug this year. Their top pitcher, junior JJ Katzman, went down with a right arm injury; however, with the pitching of veteran seniors and rising freshman, the team rallied to win its first playoff game in school history.
Katzman’s injury was a result of fatigue and arm discomfort that prohibited him from taking the mound for the majority of the season. Coach David Schieman was forced to place him in centerfield for the rest of the season, as he was unable to pitch.
“My arm isn’t fully strained so I can play most games,” Katzman said. “However, I still cannot throw at full strength. It can be frustrating sometimes, but I’m working through it.”
In addition to his fielding, Katzman was also limited in the batter’s box. Prior to the injury, he had the one of the highest batting averages on the team. Due to the injury, his bat speed became much slower than normal.
“My swing is a bit weaker than usual because I'm not able to use all of my muscles as some tendons are stressed,” Katzman admitted. “But, I'm still able to make solid contact and get on base, so I tend not to worry about it.”
In Katzman’s absence on the mound, the rest of the team’s pitchers have carried the load. Coach Schieman is very impressed at how the team has performed without Katzman pitching. He credits the team for not missing a beat and playing hard throughout every game.
“I think the team has performed very well considering the circumstances,” Schieman said. "The injury to JJ was a tough blow. He’s got a great arm and great understanding of the game. Adam [Greenberg] and Maxwell [Hines] picked up the pitching load along with Tej [Telymonde]. It was great to see us still win games.”
Coach’s decision to spread out the pitching rotation paid imminent dividends. Four-year veteran Hines has a 1.16 ERA in over 12 innings pitched this season. Greenberg, another four-year veteran, has a perfect 7-0 record with an ERA below 1.00.
The freshman Telymonde has not given up a run in his nine innings on the mound, and his play has given the team optimism about next year. Katzman will also be able to return to the mound next season, as a rising senior. He is focused on getting his arm back to full strength and dedicating his free time to making a full recovery.
“I plan to strengthen my arm's injured area as well as my shoulder and tricep over the summer so I can make up for my current weakness,” Katzman said. “Currently I continue to ice after every game and rest my arm as much as possible when I'm not playing in a game.”
While Katzman will be ready to pitch next spring, he still has high expectations for the team this year. Along with Coach Schieman, he is confident in his teammates’ ability to produce on the field and on the scoreboard.
“Baseball is a team sport so if one man goes down everyone else will fill the void.” Katzman said. “I am extremely satisfied in how the team has played with and without me. It shows how deep we are as a ballclub.”
The team finished with a 10-6 record, four of those wins coming with Katzman on the mound. With the 12th seed, they defeated Ice High School 3-1 at Randall’s Island, with Greenberg pitching another great game. Nevertheless, Katzman is certain that a second round berth is not the ceiling for this team.
“I think this team is capable of winning it all,” Katzman declared. “We just need to be intense from the first pitch to the last pitch of the playoffs, My injury shouldn't be an reason for our great team to lose. We are a championship team, regardless of whether or not I’m pitching.”
Katzman’s injury was a result of fatigue and arm discomfort that prohibited him from taking the mound for the majority of the season. Coach David Schieman was forced to place him in centerfield for the rest of the season, as he was unable to pitch.
“My arm isn’t fully strained so I can play most games,” Katzman said. “However, I still cannot throw at full strength. It can be frustrating sometimes, but I’m working through it.”
In addition to his fielding, Katzman was also limited in the batter’s box. Prior to the injury, he had the one of the highest batting averages on the team. Due to the injury, his bat speed became much slower than normal.
“My swing is a bit weaker than usual because I'm not able to use all of my muscles as some tendons are stressed,” Katzman admitted. “But, I'm still able to make solid contact and get on base, so I tend not to worry about it.”
In Katzman’s absence on the mound, the rest of the team’s pitchers have carried the load. Coach Schieman is very impressed at how the team has performed without Katzman pitching. He credits the team for not missing a beat and playing hard throughout every game.
“I think the team has performed very well considering the circumstances,” Schieman said. "The injury to JJ was a tough blow. He’s got a great arm and great understanding of the game. Adam [Greenberg] and Maxwell [Hines] picked up the pitching load along with Tej [Telymonde]. It was great to see us still win games.”
Coach’s decision to spread out the pitching rotation paid imminent dividends. Four-year veteran Hines has a 1.16 ERA in over 12 innings pitched this season. Greenberg, another four-year veteran, has a perfect 7-0 record with an ERA below 1.00.
The freshman Telymonde has not given up a run in his nine innings on the mound, and his play has given the team optimism about next year. Katzman will also be able to return to the mound next season, as a rising senior. He is focused on getting his arm back to full strength and dedicating his free time to making a full recovery.
“I plan to strengthen my arm's injured area as well as my shoulder and tricep over the summer so I can make up for my current weakness,” Katzman said. “Currently I continue to ice after every game and rest my arm as much as possible when I'm not playing in a game.”
While Katzman will be ready to pitch next spring, he still has high expectations for the team this year. Along with Coach Schieman, he is confident in his teammates’ ability to produce on the field and on the scoreboard.
“Baseball is a team sport so if one man goes down everyone else will fill the void.” Katzman said. “I am extremely satisfied in how the team has played with and without me. It shows how deep we are as a ballclub.”
The team finished with a 10-6 record, four of those wins coming with Katzman on the mound. With the 12th seed, they defeated Ice High School 3-1 at Randall’s Island, with Greenberg pitching another great game. Nevertheless, Katzman is certain that a second round berth is not the ceiling for this team.
“I think this team is capable of winning it all,” Katzman declared. “We just need to be intense from the first pitch to the last pitch of the playoffs, My injury shouldn't be an reason for our great team to lose. We are a championship team, regardless of whether or not I’m pitching.”
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The new faces of the HSMSE Dragons
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| Evan Heus / T. Henning |
“Coming to high school I had no clue what was going to happen and what the team was going to be like,” said Herman. “I just wanted to make the team; I wasn't sure if I would.” Both athletes had experience prior to high school since they played basketball for their middle school teams.
Coach Richard Epstein recruited six freshmen, the most in the last three years. The large turnover of players greatly affected the team this season. “It was a huge loss,” said Epstein. “We lost 12 players to graduation last June, including our experienced players, our biggest players, our best guards and ball handlers.” The two promising freshmen, Heus and Herman, both stepped up and took the place of the seniors. They played in 11 out of the 12 games. “This year we each got a fair amount of playing time,” said Heus. “We were up there with the starters; next year at least one of us will start.”
Next season they will be losing one of the top players in HSMSE history, Kavan Edwards. “It is a tremendous loss. Kavan is one of the best, if not the best player to ever play at this school. His loss will be impossible to replace,” said Epstein. It is up to the underclassmen to step up and take his place. They need to work hard and gain more experience in order for them to have a good season next year.
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| William Herman / T. Henning |
The freshmen felt they improved immensely due to the intense practices. “Dribbling a basketball and shooting four days a week improves a player,” said Herman. If the players work on their basketball skills all year round they will improve emphatically. By doing so, it will determine who the top players will be next year. “The underclassmen need to work and get more experience. It is in the offseason that players improve,” said Epstein.
The Dragons are in for a huge transformation as a team. “We’ll see who steps up and becomes the new stars of the future,” said Epstein. The team needs several people to break through and step in for those who will be leaving. “Honestly I think losing the seniors will help because more people would get more shots,” said Heus. “Kavan was our go-to guy in tough situations; now several people will have to step up and take his place.”
Contributed by Kian Zadeh and Sahar Saedi
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
HSMSE boys soccer pulls through
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| The Dragons / Thomas Henning |
Being under .500 in their first six games was rough for the team. “The team wasn't taking losses well,” said team captain Harry Cummins. Players were taking their frustrations out on other teammates making teamwork a difficult task.
The team suffered a huge blow in their loss to Hunter after they blew a 2-0 lead. “It was hard to get back up,” Cummins said. He said the team played better after a speech from their coach. "[Coach] Diunte sat us down, and said that we are a team, we lose together and win together. I think we really took that talk to heart.”
The team made it to the playoffs, proving that the team could make it without their star players from last season, Julian Petrello and Kevin Chun. They showed they can work together and exemplify major teamwork. When asked about the growth of the team, senior Raven Roberson said, “It took some maturity time to get to that point."
Key players contributed to the team's ability to get to the playoffs. Cummins lead the team in scoring and Jeremy Wain Hirschberg was a force at goalie, making 69 saves throughout the season.
The team fell in the first round to the eventual 2012 champions, New Utrecht. Despite their loss, next season looks promising. "I see a lot of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. They are a lot better than me when I was that age," said Cummins.
Contributed by Dionys Gutierrez
Thursday, March 22, 2012
HSMSE boys' volleyball outplays Bronx Science "B" team
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| HSMSE player getting ready for the ball |
Chun used his quick hands in order to get great digs that kept easy spikes from scoring important points. He had digs that set up the setter which led to great spikes by the outside hitters. Chun was able to keep the game going when balls went out of bounds and when the team couldn’t get to the ball in time. Chun used his communication skills to call the ball in order to limit confusion. The lack of communication was eminent in the beginning of the game until Chun started calling his passes. He was also superb in serving. He had three aces and all of his serves were inbound. His accuracy was spot on and he visibly aimed for the center of the court, Bronx Science’s weakness.
Chun should be commended for his amazing hustle. When the team lost interest in a supposedly out of bounds ball, Chun would move quickly to the back court to save the ball. He gave hope to the team as he constantly kept the ball alive and gave the team more chances to score. “[My game play] will keep the game alive and give us more chances,” said Chun when asked about how his game play will affect the season.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Dragons need to step up
The HSMSE Dragons hoped to get more out of the game suffering a 43-7 loss against East Side Community. The team was struggling with their zone defense and could not keep a steady passing pattern for the reason that they simply could not maintain possession of the ball.
With only one player scoring, and no ball motion there was no way this team could win. They planned a decent defensive approach, but the girls could not follow through. Their offense was very well planned, but they just could not finish their shots.
Fortunately, head coach Mr. Diunte had actually seen improvement in some players such as Nancy Zhu. ”Nancy improved and was more energetic and was able to get a lot of loose balls and shot opportunities”, said Mr. Diunte.
With only one player scoring, and no ball motion there was no way this team could win. They planned a decent defensive approach, but the girls could not follow through. Their offense was very well planned, but they just could not finish their shots.
Fortunately, head coach Mr. Diunte had actually seen improvement in some players such as Nancy Zhu. ”Nancy improved and was more energetic and was able to get a lot of loose balls and shot opportunities”, said Mr. Diunte.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The HSMSE Dragons victory over Lab Museum Gators
The High School for Math Science and Engineering's basketball team, had a very interesting match against Lab Museum United's basketball team, on the 19th of December. HSMSE was able to pick up the victory which was a very easy win for them.
The Dragons started off strong. In the first quarter the HSMSE Dragons, had a lead of 10-0. They got the ball moving throughout the team and were exercising their advantage of height. The Gators, on the other hand, weren’t getting it together and they weren’t passing the ball properly. This left them with a weak offense and defense. The HSMSE Dragons got into the paint with the slightest of ease leading to a big advance in points. The Dragons were playing man to man defense allowing the Gators to only score a very limited amount of points.
In the second quarter the HSMSE Dragons showed they were tired. Their game got very sloppy in defense and they allowed points to slip. They also performed many fouls some of which were good and some that were unnecessary. The Dragons changed up their style of play to zone playing. This resulted to give up in points. In an interview with Coach Epstein, he said “We had a strong first half, but we had a bad second half… we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
Key players that had huge effects in this game were Kavan Edwards. Edwards, the key player of the game, had a total of six rebounds, and 25 points. He scored almost half of the points for the Dragons. Besides Edwards, Dylan Agyemang was another key player for Dragons. Agyemang had a total score of 12 points with two rebounds.
The Dragons and the Gators had a great match. The Dragons started off their games strong but as the game went on, they lost their power. At the end of the match the Dragons got a total of 51 points and the Gators a total of 40 points. Hopefully, the HSMSE Dragons will be able to fix their flaws and retaliate with even better performance.
The Dragons started off strong. In the first quarter the HSMSE Dragons, had a lead of 10-0. They got the ball moving throughout the team and were exercising their advantage of height. The Gators, on the other hand, weren’t getting it together and they weren’t passing the ball properly. This left them with a weak offense and defense. The HSMSE Dragons got into the paint with the slightest of ease leading to a big advance in points. The Dragons were playing man to man defense allowing the Gators to only score a very limited amount of points.
In the second quarter the HSMSE Dragons showed they were tired. Their game got very sloppy in defense and they allowed points to slip. They also performed many fouls some of which were good and some that were unnecessary. The Dragons changed up their style of play to zone playing. This resulted to give up in points. In an interview with Coach Epstein, he said “We had a strong first half, but we had a bad second half… we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
Key players that had huge effects in this game were Kavan Edwards. Edwards, the key player of the game, had a total of six rebounds, and 25 points. He scored almost half of the points for the Dragons. Besides Edwards, Dylan Agyemang was another key player for Dragons. Agyemang had a total score of 12 points with two rebounds.
The Dragons and the Gators had a great match. The Dragons started off their games strong but as the game went on, they lost their power. At the end of the match the Dragons got a total of 51 points and the Gators a total of 40 points. Hopefully, the HSMSE Dragons will be able to fix their flaws and retaliate with even better performance.
HSMSE Dragons dominate in a convincing win
On December 19th, the HSMSE Dragons played their fourth game of the season against the Lab Museum Gators in their City College gym. The Dragons entered the game as favorites with a 2-1 record, while the Gators were still in search of their first game of the season. They would not be able to find it however, as the Dragon’s dominated in a 51-40 victory.Overall the Dragon’s played entertaining basketball and were very efficient with their passing and shooting.Star player Kavan Edwards led the team in scoring with 25 points, one assist and six rebounds. Starting point guard and captain Eli Auslander also scored four points and had eleven assists. The Dragons showed superiority with their height advantage, the Gators had no relatively tall players to compete with the likes of Dylan Agyemang or Brandon Agyemang. The Dragons had no problem getting their plays going and scored most of the time they were on the opposing court. It should be said that the defense was far from impressive, and if not for the Gators horrible shooting then the outcome could have possibly been very different. Another problem was that the Dragons gave up nine fouls which gifted the Gators many valuable points.The Dragons played a dominating game of basketball and showed off their attacking prowess. Their should be improvement on defense and the amount of cheap fouls given away needs to be reduced. The Dragons now have a 3-1 record and are only three wins away from tying their record last year.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
HSMSE Dragons win against Lab Museum's Gators
On December 20th, the HSMSE Dragons faced off against the Lab Museum's Gators and produced a 51-40 victory over the Gators. The game seemed easy for the Dragons as they were constantly ahead throughout the entire game. The Dragons made great passes leading to beautifully executed assists.
The Dragons opened up the game strong, exercising their superior physical abilities in terms of height and speed. The Dragons were able to get down the court and execute their plays with ease. The Gators let them into the paint making scoring for the extremely tall Dragons a breeze. The Gators also let many of the players remain undefended allowing for easy three pointers. During the second quarter the Dragons lost their lead because of the sluggishness they showed on the court after seemingly tiring out from the first quarter.
Throughout the second half of the game the Dragons were able to rack up the points, but not without cost. The Dragons racked up nine fouls, giving the Gators the points that they needed. Eli Auslander of the Dragons said, “Fouls were our Achilles heel of the game and we gave up shots and without them we would have done much better.” That is the main thing that the Dragons needed to work on.
Overall the Dragons played excellently and have been doing very well this season in general standing 3-1. A much better position than they were last season and they have been improving over the past few years in general. It is still early in the season, but we are all hoping for a very successful for the Dragons.
The Dragons opened up the game strong, exercising their superior physical abilities in terms of height and speed. The Dragons were able to get down the court and execute their plays with ease. The Gators let them into the paint making scoring for the extremely tall Dragons a breeze. The Gators also let many of the players remain undefended allowing for easy three pointers. During the second quarter the Dragons lost their lead because of the sluggishness they showed on the court after seemingly tiring out from the first quarter.
Throughout the second half of the game the Dragons were able to rack up the points, but not without cost. The Dragons racked up nine fouls, giving the Gators the points that they needed. Eli Auslander of the Dragons said, “Fouls were our Achilles heel of the game and we gave up shots and without them we would have done much better.” That is the main thing that the Dragons needed to work on.
Overall the Dragons played excellently and have been doing very well this season in general standing 3-1. A much better position than they were last season and they have been improving over the past few years in general. It is still early in the season, but we are all hoping for a very successful for the Dragons.
HSMSE's big win
The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering varsity basketball team had their fourth game on Monday, December 19, 2011 against Lab Museum United and won 51-40. They started their game strong and were weak into the second half. With their star player Kavan Edwards scoring 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist he contributed to the Dragons' final score much more than his teammates.
Even though Edwards put up almost half of his team’s points, it was not a one man show. Dylan agyemang scored 12 points and got 2 rebounds, with the majority of his points scored by assists from Eli Auslander.
HSMSE started their first half with a lead of 10-0 and played good man to man defense on Lab Museum United. Then the half ended with HSMSE leading 28-18. When the second half started they switched up their defense and played zone for the rest of the game. As a result, during the second half the team’s defense did not play well and gave up points much more often than their first half. In an interview with the team’s coach Epstein said, “We had a strong first half, but in our second half we played bad…we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
The team’s weak points during the second half was mostly their defense. They were not able to block passes. With Lab Museum United getting their passes through, they scored a lot of points. Another obstacle for HSMSE was their fouls. They forced a lot of fouls, which added up to a large portion of the opponent’s score.
HSMSE started their game great and ended their first quarter with a decent lead. However, their flaws were increasing and their defense played poorly. If they focus on how they played today they can find out where they went wrong and improve in their future games.
Even though Edwards put up almost half of his team’s points, it was not a one man show. Dylan agyemang scored 12 points and got 2 rebounds, with the majority of his points scored by assists from Eli Auslander.
HSMSE started their first half with a lead of 10-0 and played good man to man defense on Lab Museum United. Then the half ended with HSMSE leading 28-18. When the second half started they switched up their defense and played zone for the rest of the game. As a result, during the second half the team’s defense did not play well and gave up points much more often than their first half. In an interview with the team’s coach Epstein said, “We had a strong first half, but in our second half we played bad…we allowed them to score easily and gave up too many free throws.”
The team’s weak points during the second half was mostly their defense. They were not able to block passes. With Lab Museum United getting their passes through, they scored a lot of points. Another obstacle for HSMSE was their fouls. They forced a lot of fouls, which added up to a large portion of the opponent’s score.
HSMSE started their game great and ended their first quarter with a decent lead. However, their flaws were increasing and their defense played poorly. If they focus on how they played today they can find out where they went wrong and improve in their future games.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Dragons come up short, but have reason to not hang their heads
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| Courtesy of Tom Henning |
An early problem for the HSMSE Dragons were that they were not passing the ball well in the 1st half which led to many turnovers. Larissa Wormsby, a senior for ICE, intercepted a pass during the second period and drove for a layup extending the lead for ICE. There also seemed to be a lot of miscommunication for the Dragons. One girl would constantly pass one way while the other girl would be running another. It looked like some sloppy basketball in the first half, putting the Dragons in an early 15-6 hole.
However the 2nd half looked like a bit of a re-energized offense and a hope for the future. Despite being completely outscored in the first half, the Dragons were only outscored by four in the 2nd half. Passing between the HSMSE Dragon offense was much more consistent and in the third period, the Dragons erupted for a total of eight points despite Donna Fintzi, a sophmore and one of the top HSMSE Dragon scorers, being double covered for the beginning of the half. Sophomore Mikaela Bloch, sunk a nice bank shot three pointer right before the sound of the buzzer to make it 25-11 at the end of third period. The Dragon offense would not show anymore fight after that, and despite signs of good effort and good passing, the Dragons were outscored in every period.
“We have had a lot of opportunities and we need to get the ball in the net,” said Donna Fintzi when spoken too after the game. Indeed, the Dragons missed a number of shots that they should have made. However they still set a record this year on offense scoring 16 points and it was mainly because of the improvement of the passing in the second half.
The Dragons defense played pretty well all game and did not allow ICE to get open shots. “I think the [defense] was able to stop a lot more shots [this game],” said coach Diunte. The defense made ICE earn the win and forced ICE to spread the ball around the court.
With a tough loss, the Dragons can at least reflect on some improved defense, but for the most part, the offense needs to be consistent for the entire game if the Dragons are going to win.
-contributed by Geoffrey Nathan
Monday, December 12, 2011
The Dragons lose with pride, but have high hopes for the future
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| Courtesy of Tom Henning |
Normally, 16 points would be a low score in basketball, but it is a good sign for the Dragons. In their previous two games, they only had six points each game and a combined total of six offensive rebounds. "I think it's a great improvement. I see a lot of us trying harder now and being more focused and putting in more energy and taking time to see what's happening," said Leah Cabrera. They made more shots with the opportunities that they had, including two three-pointers that helped boost their offense.
The game also gave some hints on what to improve in the future. There was only two offensive rebounds, which obviously will not get them far. "A shot goes off and some people are just kinda watching the person shooting, which is typical of high school basketball, but I think it's a problem," said Nick Diunte, the coach of the Dragons. They also need to improve their passing game if they want to continue to improve. Their weak passing game has caused turnovers and has resulted in the ball being easily intercepted. "I feel like we just have to get stronger and more accurate passes and that'll help get the game flowing better," said Donna Fintzi.
Despite their loss, they have made vital improvements and now know what they need to do to progress further. The loss will also not have an impression on their future games. Donna said, "We're improving ... I think we tried our hardest."
Big improvement for a small team
With a small club, the HSMSE Girls Basketball team has been playing less than stellar. A record of 0-4 has haunted the struggling Dragons, they have been improving since their first few games.
Their game on December 9th, 2011 was exceptionally exciting for the girls. They put up a season record for points. With 16 against visiting Institute for Collaborative Education.
Donna Fintzi and Mikaela Bloch led the team with five points each. With the other players contributing six points, the team made major improvements that helped them rack up baskets. "I think it's a great improvement. I see a lot of us trying harder now and being more focused and putting in more energy and taking time to see what's happening," said Leah Cabrera.
They played exceptionally well on defense. Before this game, their opponents averaged 40 points. One visible improvement on defense was the ability to stop their opponents from scoring after turnovers. I.C.E managed to get multiple back to back steals in the first half. The Dragons managed to limit fast break points on the other end.
They struggled on passing, a problem they suffered from game one. "I feel like we just have to get stronger and [get] more accurate passes and that will help to get the game flowing better," said Donna Fintzi. They got over those passing troubles by dominating the paint. The Dragons saw a weakness in I.C.E's defense and started running to the basket. In the second half, they focused on their shooting and that helped later in the game. Another major problem was offensive rebounding. "I think it's the fact that we are undersized, and also that a lot of our players are standing around and watching. I think that is somewhat due to the inexperience. A shot goes off and some people are just kind of watching the person shooting which is typical of high school basketball," said coach Diunte.
Hoping that they can pull off a win, Head Coach Diunte said the team needs to practice on passing. "I feel that next practice we are probably going to take a step back and focus on like the mechanics of the pass a little bit more and then add passing under pressure a bit. So I think those things will help us play better if we can you know pass correctly and then also on the same time be able to pass under some pressure."
Their game on December 9th, 2011 was exceptionally exciting for the girls. They put up a season record for points. With 16 against visiting Institute for Collaborative Education.
Donna Fintzi and Mikaela Bloch led the team with five points each. With the other players contributing six points, the team made major improvements that helped them rack up baskets. "I think it's a great improvement. I see a lot of us trying harder now and being more focused and putting in more energy and taking time to see what's happening," said Leah Cabrera.
They played exceptionally well on defense. Before this game, their opponents averaged 40 points. One visible improvement on defense was the ability to stop their opponents from scoring after turnovers. I.C.E managed to get multiple back to back steals in the first half. The Dragons managed to limit fast break points on the other end.
They struggled on passing, a problem they suffered from game one. "I feel like we just have to get stronger and [get] more accurate passes and that will help to get the game flowing better," said Donna Fintzi. They got over those passing troubles by dominating the paint. The Dragons saw a weakness in I.C.E's defense and started running to the basket. In the second half, they focused on their shooting and that helped later in the game. Another major problem was offensive rebounding. "I think it's the fact that we are undersized, and also that a lot of our players are standing around and watching. I think that is somewhat due to the inexperience. A shot goes off and some people are just kind of watching the person shooting which is typical of high school basketball," said coach Diunte.
Hoping that they can pull off a win, Head Coach Diunte said the team needs to practice on passing. "I feel that next practice we are probably going to take a step back and focus on like the mechanics of the pass a little bit more and then add passing under pressure a bit. So I think those things will help us play better if we can you know pass correctly and then also on the same time be able to pass under some pressure."
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
HSMSE Boys Varsity Soccer Team
The High School for Math, Science and Engineering Boys Varsity Soccer team has seen the bottom of the Manhattan B league for a while now, but are slowly building themselves up.“Our team's goal is to make the playoffs,” Coach Nick Diunte said.
“we improve our record every season every since I started,” Diunte said when asked if he noticed any change. In Diunte’s first season coaching the team they were 0-7, but the following season they won 1/4 of their games. Four wins finally were recorded in the next season.
The team continues to improve this season. With four games left to play, the team is 5-4. Although 1st place in their division is mathematically impossible, 2nd place in the division is likely place for them. Their next two games are against the teams that are under them in the division giving HSMSE the chance to gain at least three more points on both.
Even though 5-4 is the best HSMSE has done in a long time, their expectations weren’t met. “We have a team that is more experienced as a core group as they have spent three years playing together, they're more confident and they expect to win every time they go on the field,” explained Diunte.
“we improve our record every season every since I started,” Diunte said when asked if he noticed any change. In Diunte’s first season coaching the team they were 0-7, but the following season they won 1/4 of their games. Four wins finally were recorded in the next season.
The team continues to improve this season. With four games left to play, the team is 5-4. Although 1st place in their division is mathematically impossible, 2nd place in the division is likely place for them. Their next two games are against the teams that are under them in the division giving HSMSE the chance to gain at least three more points on both.
Even though 5-4 is the best HSMSE has done in a long time, their expectations weren’t met. “We have a team that is more experienced as a core group as they have spent three years playing together, they're more confident and they expect to win every time they go on the field,” explained Diunte.
Monday, May 23, 2011
2011 HSMSE Boys Volleyball Season Recap
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| 2011 HSMSE Boys Varsity Volleyball Team |
After considerate thinking, players Leon Jon and Xinghai Zhang agreed that Thomas Kui is the team's most valuable player. The team plays considerably well when everyone on the team contributes and Kui greatly adds to the play on the court. Kui leads the team in multiple stats with 15 aces, 65 service points, and 33 kills. He especially provides support through his defense with 41 digs. When he returns spikes and makes plays, the whole team feels comfortable and encouraged.
Although there are no senior players, there are many players who now have a second year of competition under their belts. Everyone who was on the team last year greatly improved over this past season. Kenneth Hungria, a junior on the team, was one of the returning players from last season. His stats increased drastically this year. In the 2010 season, he had only 21 service points and 34 assists, which increased to 33 service points and 66 assists in the 2011 season. Many of the other players had similar increases. This shows how much better the team is getting and their ability to improve.
When asked about a memorable game for the team, coach Diunte reflected on their last of the season against Frederick Douglas Academy. He remembers having called a timeout at a pivotal point in the match and noticed a change in the team's attitude. “You could see after the timeout that they were determined not to lose that match,” said Diunte. The team’s evident determination drove them to push themselves in the game. Diunte remarked about their hustle during the game. “They dived for balls and saved plays [which] made for exciting game play.” This was the extra effort that gave them the 2-1 lead over FDA, which they were able to secure until the games end. The Dragons had encountered the team once before in early April but lost 2-1. This time around, Diunte noted that our own team, “Carried the momentum and easily won the game to avenge the loss against FDA.” In that game, Ardit Piroli made 9 kills while Thomas Kui had 18 service points and Kenneth Hungria led with 10 assists. With 20 assists overall, the boys volleyball team demonstrated that they are capable of working efficiently as a team when the circumstances are pressing.
Many of the players on the team see growth for next season. Freshmen player Spencer Sharp said, "We have a long way to go to reach the top because we are a young team. We are still growing. We can get a lot better over the year.” According to Sharp, the team played better as the season went along. “We got a feel of each person’s ability. Through playing together, we found out each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” Learning these strengths and weaknesses will allow the team to realize this improvement next season.
Contributed by: Marcelo Bravo, Daniel Lee, Haoli Mei and Ankhe Tomer
2011 Boys Varsity Volleyball Stats
| Player Name | Matches | Aces | ServicePts | Assists | Blocks | Digs | Kills |
| Ardit Piroli | 11 | 5 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 44 |
| Benjamin Moosher | 10 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Benny Yan | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Dionys Guiterrez | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Jeremy Wain Hirschberg | 12 | 10 | 53 | 68 | 0 | 19 | 17 |
| Joan Lee | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Hungria | 12 | 9 | 33 | 66 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| Kharizza A. Empedrado | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leon Jon | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rudy Outar | 12 | 7 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 24 |
| Spencer Sharp | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Thomas Kui | 11 | 15 | 65 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 33 |
| Xinghai Zhang | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yassine Khaliqui | 12 | 9 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 29 |
HSMSE Varsity Girls Softball team dusts off the bats and cleats
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| 2011 HSMSE Girls Varsity Softball / HSMSE PTA |
Unfortunately, weather and scheduling limited the amount of practice time that the girls were able to use, inhibiting them from getting into a solid rhythm. In addition, for many of the girls, this season was the first time they competed in organized sports of any kind.
In practice they worked hard on the fundamentals of fielding throwing and catching however coach Adam Kerzner quickly found out that, "good pitching was essential." The Dragons struggled throughout the season with pitching and fielding which made it difficult for the team to win games. Pitcher Diana Acosta said that they also needed to work on their talk on the field. "Our team work has always been good but we have to communicate where to throw the ball better."
The team did seem to improve over the course of the season. They lost consecutive games against East Harlem Pride; however, they only lost by 10 runs in the second of those games after losing by 15 in the first. This was the closest game of the year for the Dragons. In this game the Dragons showed a significant improvement in their pitching and fielding.
Looking forward to next season the Dragons have a huge opportunity to improve. "I hope we can win next year, we've only been getting better because we are attending practice and working hard," said Acosta. Coach Kerzner is excited about the prospects for next season. "Most are sophomores and have two years to get their game up."
- Contributed by: Kofi-Asiedu Kordie, Matthew Jospehs, Julian Molina-Goni and Hafizul Sarker.
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| Donna Fintzi batting / HSMSE PTA |
| Batting | Statistics | ||||||||||||
| Player Name | Games | Hits | Runs | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | K | SB | BA | OBP | SLG |
| Diana Acosta | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .250 | .500 | .250 |
| Sadichchha Adhikari | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maria Barinova | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leah Cabrera | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 |
| Hannah Creutzfeldt | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .555 | .000 |
| Donna Fintzi | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .571 | ,250 |
| Ashley Guthrie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .000 | .200 | .000 |
| Samantha Kombel | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .250 | .571 | .250 |
| Katherine Marlowe | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .250 | .400 | .250 |
| Christina Muñoz | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .600 | .500 |
| Janet Nelson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zainab Oketokoun | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Themla Perez | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .000 | .250 | .000 |
| Emily Sanchez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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| Diana Acosta pitching / HSMSE PTA |
| Pitching | Statistics | ||||||||||||
| Player Name | Games | Wins | Loss | Saves | ERA | Innings | H | R | ER | BB | HP | SO | #P |
| Diana Acosta | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10.50 | 4 | 11 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 97 |
Contributions by: Julian Molina-Goni, Matthew Josephs, Hafizul Sarker, and Kofi Asiedu
Friday, May 20, 2011
HSMSE baseball team finally takes the field
The HSMSE Dragons boys baseball team made their PSAL debut Tuesday at Randall's Island against the Campus Magnet Bulldogs after having their first two games postponed. The Dragons were anxious to get on the field and it was evident from the first inning of play. Coach David Scheiman said that it took the players a few innings to get over the shock of taking the field. "Initially they were nervous and didn't have the ability to get into game mode. After two innings they started to change."
The first two innings were marred with errors and wild pitching by the Dragons. Campus Magnet jumped out to a 9-0 lead after the second frame. Senior pitcher Daniel Perez admitted he was overcome by the pressure surrounding the first game. "I was nervous; I hurt my back the night before and was worried about it while I was pitching."
In the top of the third inning, the Dragons started to come to life with the help of relief pitcher, senior Matthew Josephs. Josephs started the game at second base and was summoned to the mound to relieve Perez. Josephs quickly cooled off the Bulldogs' bats, allowing only one unearned run for the next two innings.
"It was fun to be out there. I wasn't getting my fastball over so I switching to my change-up which they started swinging at and missing," Josephs said.
The Dragons bats heated up in the bottom of the third due to the timely hitting of Josephs and junior catcher Zach Elvove. After two walks, Elvove plated both runners with a double to left-center. Two batters later, Josephs scored Elvove with a single over the shortstop's head.
Unfortunately, this would be the end of the Dragons' scoring, as they could not muster a counter-attack late in the game. Their defense improved as they got deeper into the game, with junior shortstop Leo Pena making a nice play in the field and first baseman Harry Cummins making a diving stop to save an extra-base hit.
The final score was 14-3 after six innings. Even though the Dragons lost their first game, they felt a sense of accomplishment by getting on the field. "It felt good to be out there even though we lost," Perez said.
Josephs saw a spark in his teammates during the second half of the game that caused him to be optimistic about the remainder of the season. "We could win a couple of games if guys swing the bat and field better."
Coach Scheiman was proud of his charges after such a long wait. "This was four years in the making, the guys never gave up and had full support of each other."
The first two innings were marred with errors and wild pitching by the Dragons. Campus Magnet jumped out to a 9-0 lead after the second frame. Senior pitcher Daniel Perez admitted he was overcome by the pressure surrounding the first game. "I was nervous; I hurt my back the night before and was worried about it while I was pitching."
In the top of the third inning, the Dragons started to come to life with the help of relief pitcher, senior Matthew Josephs. Josephs started the game at second base and was summoned to the mound to relieve Perez. Josephs quickly cooled off the Bulldogs' bats, allowing only one unearned run for the next two innings.
"It was fun to be out there. I wasn't getting my fastball over so I switching to my change-up which they started swinging at and missing," Josephs said.
The Dragons bats heated up in the bottom of the third due to the timely hitting of Josephs and junior catcher Zach Elvove. After two walks, Elvove plated both runners with a double to left-center. Two batters later, Josephs scored Elvove with a single over the shortstop's head.
Unfortunately, this would be the end of the Dragons' scoring, as they could not muster a counter-attack late in the game. Their defense improved as they got deeper into the game, with junior shortstop Leo Pena making a nice play in the field and first baseman Harry Cummins making a diving stop to save an extra-base hit.
The final score was 14-3 after six innings. Even though the Dragons lost their first game, they felt a sense of accomplishment by getting on the field. "It felt good to be out there even though we lost," Perez said.
Josephs saw a spark in his teammates during the second half of the game that caused him to be optimistic about the remainder of the season. "We could win a couple of games if guys swing the bat and field better."
Coach Scheiman was proud of his charges after such a long wait. "This was four years in the making, the guys never gave up and had full support of each other."
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