The leadership for the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering Girls' Softball team

Team Photo/ HSMSE Yearbook

The High School for Math Science and Engineering girls' softball team improved from a 10-2 record last season, to a 13-1 record in 2015. While their 2014 season was stellar, the players have matured and managed to win all league games played this year, having only lost due to forfeit. The HSMSE softball team has found new leadership in team captains Taylor Faulds and Hillary Rodriguez during the 2015 season.

Faulds and Rodriguez have emerged as great leaders of the team. Both strived to create a drive within the team. The Dragons in years prior were somewhat indifferent to the outcome of the games. This season both captains found themselves evoking a stronger will in their teammates. Rodriguez has attributed the better play of the team to the increased desire of the team members.

Pre-Game Photo/ Hussien Hamade

“I feel like the team members have more ambition, they want to win," Rodriguez said. "Before it didn’t really affect them. I know I started to care for softball more than I did last year. I think it motivates people to do better.”

The HSMSE Dragons girls' softball team’s leadership is more vocal than it has been in years prior. The two team captains tend to be more stern with the players than past leaders. This tough love seemed to motivate the players to improve upon their skills . The players now have a sense of camaraderie. Players no longer play for themselves, rather they play as the Dragons.

“Even though me and Taylor are tough on the team, they’re now more motivated because they know they’re not trying for themselves, but for the team,” Rodriguez said.

Lone senior finishing high school baseball career

Geoffrey Nathan - N. Diunte

The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ baseball team has only one senior graduating this season. Senior second baseman Geoffrey Nathan grew from the only freshmen looking up to everyone, to being a friendly face on a tight-knit team. He concluded his fourth and final year with the Dragons, never having a teammate in his grade.

“I feel honored,” Nathan said. “I do wish I had other people [from my grade], but it’s kinda nice because I can chill with the underclassmen. It’s nice to be the one people can look up to.”

Nathan saw little playing time his freshman year, stepping up to the plate only six times. His role on the team jumped his sophomore year, where he had a .304 batting average in 23 at-bats. Nathan has made consistent contributions for the Dragons ever since.

"We depend more on him for hitting this year than other years," coach David Scheiman said. "He doesn't have to pitch as much."

The team experienced many league changes during Nathan’s tenure on the team. After their 2012 season, the Dragons were moved from the Developmental league to South Bronx B division. This 2015 season was played in the SSAL Developmental league.

“I wish we kept the same [league] the whole time,” Nathan said. “We worked our way up from development league, but then we ended up going back down. At least this year I can help the team get out of developmental.”

A common theme among the HSMSE teams is often the graduating seniors. The baseball team this year will not face this struggle next year; however, Nathan’s contributions and attitude will be missed.

"He's become more comical over the years," Scheiman said. "[He gives] a lot of comedy relief for the team."

HSMSE Lady Dragons earn first girls' basketball playoff victory in school history

Lady Dragons after their victory / HSMSE Sports

The Lady Dragons of the High School for Math, Science and Engineering felt right at home Thursday evening in their first round PSAL B Division girls’ basketball playoff game at South Bronx Prep. The Lady Dragons were unaffected by the rabid supporters of South Bronx Prep en route to a 56-35 victory.

The Lady Dragons, who were forced to play as the home team on the road due to a scheduling conflict with City College, came out with a furious full court press that put them up 6-0 after the first two minutes of the game. It was a lead they would never relinquish.

“I think they were zoned in more than anything,” said head coach David Scheiman. “They were just emotionally ready.”

Prep’s Cougars cut the Lady Dragons lead to five points one minute into the fourth quarter, narrowing the score to 36-31; however, they couldn’t get any closer due to the relentless pressure of HSMSE’s defense. With five minutes left in the game, sophomore Hillary Rodriguez hit a three pointer, stole the ensuing inbounds pass, and immediately scored on a lay-up to put the Lady Dragons ahead 43-31. Her five-second, five-point barrage, effectively secured the first playoff win in the Manhattan school’s history.

Hillary Rodriguez / HSMSE Sports

Standing in the way of the Lady Dragons playoff run are the third-seeded Phoenix of Millennium High School. The Phoenix posted a regular season record of 15-1, easily conquering the Manhattan South Division. The two teams will face off on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at John Jay Campus’ Gym in Brooklyn.

With the spring break approaching, Coach Scheiman will let the team enjoy a much needed vacation before focusing their energies on Millennium.

“When they get back to school,” Scheiman said, “it’s time to hit the ground running in preparation.”

Team	1	2	3	4				Total
HS For Math, Science and Engineering @ CCNY	15	9	12	20				56
South Bronx Preparatory	9	8	12	6				35

HS For Math, Science and Engineering @ CCNY
Player	Asst	Rebounds O-T	Fg2	Fg3	Ftm-Fta	Points
ALEX WEST	6	2-4	4	1	2-5	13
ANNABELLE SHULTZ	3	10-21	11	0	4-13	26
ANYA MARCHANT	0	4-12	2	0	0-2	4
GALIT WIENER	0	2-6	1	0	0-0	2
HILLARY RODRIGUEZ	0	4-10	3	1	0-0	9
JADE ARDINEZ	0	1-1	1	0	0-0	2
Total	9	23-54	22	2	6-20	56

South Bronx Preparatory
Player	Asst	Rebounds O-T	Fg2	Fg3	Ftm-Fta	Points
ANGIE ORTIZ ERAZO	6	0-0	2	0	0-1	4
BIANCA MONTANEZ	0	0-0	0	0	0-0	0
DAWN FRANKLIN	1	12-27	4	0	0-0	8
DEBBY SILVA	0	0-0	0	0	0-0	0
DIAMOND FULLARD	0	0-4	1	0	0-0	2
IVANA MONTANO	0	5-5	0	0	0-0	0
KATERA ROBINSON	1	1-7	7	0	0-2	14
SKYLAR HAWKINS	0	0-0	0	0	0-0	0
TAYLOR HAWKINS	0	0-0	1	1	0-0	5
ZAHRA MEDINA	0	0-0	1	0	0-0	2
Total	8	18-43	16	1	0-3	35

Why the HSMSE boys varsity soccer team fell short of the playoffs

HSMSE Boys' Soccer Team / Mateo Galeano

The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ varsity soccer team put up a great fight during the 2013 season, just missing the playoffs. Although the team faced many challenges, they had a successful season. A major hardship for the team was finding players to fill in for the seniors who graduated.

“We’ve lost a lot of spots like Raven [Roberson] and Harry [Cummins] and Jeremy [Hirschberg],” senior Kofi Kordie said.

Having to fill the positions of six starters, the team had to recover quickly for the season. The teams’ collaboration improved from last year, using more teamwork than in past years.

“I think as a team, they shared the ball a lot better,” said coach Nicholas Diunte.

 Replacing players was not the only struggle for the team, they were bit by the injury bug.

“We had a lot of difficulty replacing players that were injured throughout the season,” Diunte said.

Another challenge this season was having players at new positions. Many of the boys played in positions that they had never played before. Much of the defense was rearranged due to graduation. Kordie went from playing an offensive position to a defensive position. Sophomore, Alexei Ohotin, not having much previous experience in goal, pursued a new position as goalie.

"If the team needs me in goal because the loss of seniors, I’m happy to play that,” Ohotin said.

The team has also taken into consideration what is necessary to reach the playoffs next year. This season was a learning experience that will help strengthen the team for next years’ season.

“It’s better to lose trying than to lose giving up,” junior co-captain Steven Limeta said.

Written by: Asimina Hamakiotes & Harry Smith

Dragons' softball team step up to the plate

HSMSE Softball Team Photo/photo taken by: HSMSE PTA

For three years the High School for Math Science and Engineering softball team has been in the developmental league, but their recent and rapid improvement may be enough to promote them to the Manhattan B division in 2014. The Lady Dragons ended their regular season with a 5-0-1 record, a huge improvement from their 4-6 record in 2012.

Their coach brought out the potential that the players had. Coach Crystal Downey gave the team more time to play and get a feel for the game.

“The change in coaches was definitely positive, at the start we didn't really have real practices for fielding or hitting. Now Ms.Downey is a much more thorough with us; she is a lot more strict,” said senior outfielder Hannah Creutzfeldt.

“They were all very committed. We became more competitive,” said Coach Downey.

In addition to the increase of their overall skill level, freshman contributed a big part in the improvement of the Lady Dragons.One key freshmen that played an important role in the team’s success was Taylor Faulds. Her dominant pitching resulted in an average of one run per seven innings earning her 0.70 ERA.  

The High School for Math Science and Engineering softball team ranked at the top of the developmental league, finishing the season undefeated. Their play shows that they are ready for a higher division and Downey predicts that the team is prepared for the challenge.

“The team will do well, but will not be undefeated,” said Downey.

Contributed by: Alex Long

Dragons shutout in first season

Baseball / Wikimedia Commons

Moving up from the PSAL Developmental league to the Bronx South Division, the High School For Math Science and Engineering baseball team faced a rough 0-13 season. Elevating to a higher league did not play in the Dragons favor. This season there were several factors which affected the team’s performance, one being the change in division, which led the team to play twice as many games as last season. After the loss of last year's seniors the team acquired new players who had little to no previous experience in the sport.

This season the team had half the amount of seniors compared to last years roster. The seven seniors that played in the 2012 season had important positions on the field. The team lost most of their starting infield and outfield players. As a result they needed players to step up in order to have the necessary amount of athletes.

“Since we lost a lot of seniors last year, we had to get a lot of people who either haven't played baseball or weren't used to the game so getting to know each other and getting to work together with new players was pretty difficult,” said senior outfielder Kyle Grasing.

The baseball team also struggled this season because the players lacked motivation and the skills required at this level of competition. This was due to the fact that players found the early morning practices very inconvenient. These sessions affected the productivity level of the team and limited the team’s improvement to the few who dedicated their time.

“If someone really wants to play and if someone really wants to work hard, they’ll come no matter what time it is to improve himself,” said coach David Scheiman.

With a higher level of competition, the baseball team had trouble adjusting to the difficulty of the B-Division. They weren’t able to hit against the better pitchers and they weren't able to field the ball well during important situations in the games.

“I think we can definitely improve in our fielding, situational hitting, and in general hitting,” said Scheiman.

The baseball team will need to continue to improve and develop their skills in order to elevate their performance level to meet the demands of their league. They will need to show their commitment and dedication towards the team and attend practices so that they can improve between games. Players should also take the initiative to practice on their own time and go above and beyond league requirements. They have to find a way to navigate through the upcoming season and motivate each other in order to do better next season.

Contributed By Anya Batista and Din Islam 

The replacements

Spencer Sharp / Sara Louie

The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ volleyball team is in a tough spot because of their top players graduating. The Dragons must now look to their current juniors to take their place next year and continue the teams’ success. Junior setter Spencer Sharp and junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Kofi Kordie are among these prospects.

Seniors Ardit Piroli and Jeremy Wain-Hirschberg led the team to a 7-5 season, taking them to the playoffs for the second straight year. This is the first time the Dragons have made the playoffs in back to back seasons in school history.

The Dragons’ hopes for a solid setter directed them toward Sharp. The accurate passes he contributed as the main setter were key to the team’s overall success.

“I think Spencer’s decision making as a setter will improve and that will come from more volleyball that he will play,” said coach Nick Diunte.

Kofi Kordie / Sara Louie

Kordie, a rookie to the team, will be a valuable asset next season. In his first game, he was thrust into a starting role due to complications with the availability of some of the starters.

“This was my first year playing and I had to learn very quickly,” said Kordie.

Improvement must not only come from these two if the Dragons want to enter the playoffs again next year. Other athletes who saw respectable playing time will have to harvest more of their abilities for their inevitable increased use.

“I think there is going to be more playing time for Austin Han as well and then we have to hope we get a few freshmen come in or maybe a sophomore that's in the school that wants to play that we can develop because we are losing four very talented and skilled seniors,” said Diunte.

These graduating seniors will create big gaps on the court for the athletes who will start next year. With prospects like Sharp and Kordie, the team has the capability to continue their playoff appearance streak; however, there still remains a need for a strong set of rookies.

Contributed by Velid Mulic and Kian Zadeh

Lady Dragons struggle through a tough season

Lady Dragons / Thomas Henning

The High School of Math Science and Engineering’s girls’ basketball team had a tough 2012 season. Even though the team was unable to win any games throughout the season, they were able to develop their skills and gain confidence in their capabilities.

The team compensated for their loss of seniors from last season by recruiting new players. Compared to last season, there were a record number of students trying out for the girls’ basketball team, “About 22 girls tried out for the team,” said the coach Nick Diunte.

Though vast in number, the players struggled with their positions on the court. “The team got nervous during games, dribbling, driving, and taking shots,” said team captain Leah Cabrera.

Towards the end of the season, the players showed that they were getting out of their shells and had increased their confidence. “They became more comfortable as the season went on because they had a greater idea of what to expect on the court,” said Diunte.

Despite their rough season, the players showed great promise. The team is developing chemistry; they cheer each other on and they are not afraid to make mistakes in order to improve and help each other grow. “The team needs to continue to improve their confidence and that will help with everything else,” said junior Mikaela Bloch.

Navigating their way through a losing season, the team was still able to further their skills, build strong bonds and gain confidence. Even though the girls did not win any games they created memorable moments and had fun playing. The team will need to continue to work on their skills and motivate each other in order to do better next season.

Contributed by : Dionys Gutierrez 

Well played Dragons!

HSMSE Volleyball Team

During the volleyball match between the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering, and Bronx Science's B- team on March 21, 2012, HSMSE came out on top winning all three sets. After being down by seven points at the start of the first set, the team picked it up and never looked back from that point.

Jeremy Wain-Hirschberg, setter of HSMSE, played a vital role in the victory. His athletic and acrobatic diving saves helped the team win all three sets. "I think our team played well, we had lots of mistakes we need to improve on, but it was a good game," said Wain-Hirschberg after the game. "No play is impossible on our team."

The HSMSE volleyball team's win

HSMSE Volleyball

On Wednesday afternoon, the High school for Math, Science, and Engineering’s volleyball team won their  exhibition match against Bronx High School of Science's "B" team. HSMSE had a victory with a well played three set sweep.

Bronx Science started the game with a seven point lead, and they quickly lost it as HSMSE fought back in the second half of their first set. Over the span of the match the scores were close but HSMSE managed to pull off the win for the set each time. These close matches led to the sweep, leaving Bronx Science without a win.

Rudy Outar, HSMSE’s outside hitter, had a great game, but he did not lead the team in kills. However, he played a significant role in their win. He had nine attacks, two kills, and two errors throughout the match, but the errors were minor mistakes he can prevent from happening next game. He said in an interview, "I need to improve on positioning the ball." Ending the game with only two errors had a positive impact on the team for the time he spent on the court. HSMSE should continue what they are doing and prepare for their next match this week.