VARSITY HOCKEY CONTINUES THEIR DOMINANCE AFTER BEATING MTA 6-1

Varsity Hockey defeated MTA 6-1 last Monday night in Washington Heights. MTA, playing for their postseason lives, came out firing, dominating puck possession in the 1st period. Despite that, a Gordie Kolb power play goal gave SAR an early 1-0 lead. MTA quickly responded, however,  tying it at 1 moments later. The game was tied heading into the second.

       Early in the second period, off a faceoff, Ephraim Herstic made a beautiful pass to Joey Mogilner, who backhanded the puck into the net, giving SAR a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish. Kolb then took over, scoring twice within a five minute span, and then assisting Judah Fortgang's second goal of the year. Jason Burian added a third period goal to finalize the score at 6-1, and the Sting improved to 9-0.

Their biggest challenge lies, as they will welcome in the DRS Wildcats, who are 7-0 and yet to be scored upon this season. The game will be live streamed on the Sting Sports Broadcasting Club.

VARSITY BALL PULLS OUT 11 POINT COMEBACK TO MOVE TO 7-1

On Monday night December 19th, the Sar boys varsity basketball team faced off against the TABC Storm. The game started off with sloppy plays from both teams. After trading baskets throughout the quarter, the Sting led 13-11. However, the lead didn't last long. The Storm outscored SAR 12-9 and finished the quarter up by two. From there, it was all Storm. After a number of jump shots from forward Mo Proctor and two key threes from guard Ranaan Kimmel, the Sting found themselves in a an 11 point hole. Though their margin grew larger, the Sting never gave up. With phenomenal play and leadership from Captain Daniel Wisotsky, the Sting were able to cut the TABC lead to a mere four points. Although the Sting were in the midst of a soon to be unbelievable comeback, the Storm were not going to give in that easy. With 1:15 left in the 4th quarter, the Sting were down 50-45. After a quick Wisotsky layup, the Sting found themselves down only three. Moments later, the Captain hit an and- one, but failed to convert the three point play. A timeout was called with 26.2 seconds remaining. Luckily for the Sting, guard/forward Andrew Haberman was called for a five second violation: Sar had them right where they wanted. As the clock ticked down, the Sting found no open looks. With seven seconds left, forward Dovie Marcus flashed to the foul line and received a quick double team: that's where center Adam Weiss came in. After drawing the double, Marcus found Weiss for an easy layup. The Sting were now up 51-50. After inbounding the ball, forward Adam Duitz tipped the pass away from star forward Mo Proctor right into Marcus' hands. With 1.4 seconds left in the game, Marcus hit both free throws, putting the Sting up by three. The rest was history. Proctor's half court heave came up short and the Sting pulled out the impossible. The Sting were led by another brilliant performance from guard Daniel Wisotsky, who finished the game with 20 points. Now 7-1, Sar looks to better themselves when they take on the Frisch Cougars Wednesday night in Paramus. 

BOYS VARSITY BALL MOVES TO 6-1 ON THE SEASON WITH BLOWOUT WIN VS KUSHNER

On Tuesday December 13th, the SAR boys varsity basketball team defeated Kushner 58-26. The game went at an easy pace for the Sting. Before the game, coach Halpert emphasized that this game was built to be a "trap" game and after hearing this, the Sting knew what had to be done. Defensively, SAR held Kushner's leading scorers Sam Bernstein and Sam Raab to 9 points each. Offensively, the Sting were always in rhythm. Behind Marcus' 18 and Wisotsky's 11, the Sting cruised to victory. The Sting look to improve their regular season record Monday night when they face off in a double header game in the Weather Center of the TABC Storm. 

GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL IMPROVES TO 4-0 WITH 3 KEY WINS

Maayanot Game-
Girls Varsity Volleyball beat the Maayanot Rapids in 5 dramatic games on Thursday night. SAR easily beat Maayanot in the first 2 games, but the Rapids' strong spot serving caused SAR to lose games 3 and 4. The table was set for an intense game 5. Team member Liana Lapp ('18) said, "Game 5 was the scariest game of my life". Both teams desperately wanted the win, and the gym practically shook with cheers and energy. SAR, reinvigorated by Coach Gryzlo's inspiring pep talk, improved communication and defense for game 5, ultimately achieving victory in a close match up! The team is excited to play Frisch @ Home on December 5 and hopes that this exciting win is indicative of a great season ahead of them!

Frisch Game-
SAR Varsity Volleyball beat Frisch in 5 intense games. The night started off grimly: Frisch crushed SAR in the first 2 games. Yet, as game 3 began, there was an undeniable shift in momentum. SAR Varsity came alive with strong receiving, blocking, setting, hitting and serving. Particularly notable was the playing of Rebecca Spitzer, a formidable blocker and spiker who has really come into her own this season. Equally impressive was the consistency of Captain Ariel Katz who ruled the court with her confident serves. SAR is glowing with pride from their admirable teamwork and incredibly excited for the rest of the season! 

Bruriah Game-
SAR Varsity Volleyball crushed Bruriah in 3 speedy games, 21-0, 21-12, 21-6. Notably, Captain Ariel Katz served a shutout in game 1. The team is looking forward to Kushner @ SAR this Monday!

By Ayelet Kalfus

SAR TAKES DOWN KUSHNER IN EASY FASHION

In a hard fought game, SAR Varsity Hockey defeated the Kushner Cobras 8-2 Wednesday night in Livingston. Captain Gordie Kolb scored three times to pace the Sting, while Shua Friedman scored twice to continue his tear. In a game where there were double digit penalty calls, the Sting Power-play was able to capitalize twice, with Friedman and Solomon Freilich each putting home a Power-play goal. Joey Mogilner scored the Sting's third goal early in the second period, giving them a 3-0 lead. Kushner, however did not go down without a fight, scoring a key goal to cut SAR's lead to 3-1. That was the closest they got however, as Romi Harcsztark scored his first career Varsity goal to give the Sting a 4-1 lead heading into the third. In the bloodbath that was the third period, SAR tacked on 4 goals, two of them with a man advantage, as Kushner took 5 penalties in the third period alone. Kushner scored their second goal with 5 minutes to play. Henri Kolb, yet again, was fantastic in net, improving his record to 4-0 with a 1.50 goals against average.

                                                                                                                                                                   

The Sting have dominated early season competition, getting contributions from nearly every player en route to a 4-0 start in which they are out scoring opponents 34-6. This stretch of early domination will be tested next week at #1 ranked Frisch, followed by playing 5 more games in a 13 day span against some of the league's best teams.

VARSITY HOCKEY DESTORYS TABC IN 2ND REGULAR SEASON GAME

Last Monday night, the SAR varsity boys hockey team welcomed the defending champs, the TABC Storm, to Riverdale for amuch anticipated rivalry game. Upon arrival, the Storm were greeted with 6 goals as a result of their lackluster defensive effort in front of goaltender Solly Weiser. Offensviely, Gordie Kolb had a hat trick, while Joey Mogilner, Jason Burian, and Judah Fortgang all added goals, two of which came on powerplays. Defensively, Henri Kolb was fantastic in net, while his defense held TABC's excellent powerplay in check. The game against the Storm felt like a breeze for SAR, as they easily moved on to 2-0. SAR looks to move on to 3-0 when they play MTA tomorrow night @ home. 

By Joseph Mogilner

VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL PICKS UP EASY WIN @ HILLEL TO MOVE ON 3-0 ON THE REGULAR SEASON

After finishing runner up in The Steve Glouberman Tournament to Frisch two weekends ago, the Boys Varsity Basketball team was in need of a bounce back win: thats where Hillel came in. From the tip, the game was unbalanced. Sar jumped out to a 6-0 lead with back to back threes from Forward Dovie Marcus. Moments later, Center Sammy Sokol hit a layup, followed by a layup from Guard Daniel Wisotsky. Then, Marcus was found for another three, which ultimately forced Hillel to take their 1st timeout. From there, the rest was history. Sar closed out the quarter with a 27-7 lead. Although Hillel was with their premier scorer Isaac Beda, he was unable to take on the Sting alone. The pace remained the same with Sar coming out on top in each quarter. The final score was 84-55. Beda led Hillel with 36 points, while Marcus paced the Sting with 30 points. The Sting look to move to 4-0 Tuesday night when they take on the Heschel Heat. 

VARSITY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL DESTORYS BRURIAH IN STRAIGHT SETS

Last Monday night, the Varsity Volleyball Team crushed Bruriah in 3 speedy games.  With phenomenal serving by Keren Benillouche and tremendous defensive play by Liana Katz and Hayley Yurowitz, the Sting put out a dominant performance. Because of their elite style of play, the Sting were able to win in straight sets, 21-7, 21-9, 21-6. The Varsity girls look to continue their dominance when they face off @ Maayanot Dec. 1st.

By Ayelet Kalfus

BOYS VARSITY BALL PULLS OUT VICTORY IN CLOSE SEASON OPENER AGAINST FLATBUSH.

On Tuesday evening, Nov. 1st, the SAR boys Varsity basketball team played their season opener against the Flatbush Falcons. Coming off blowout preseason wins against YDH (won by 40) and DRS (won by 20), the Sting felt more than prepared to play against the Falcons. Little did they know, the night was going to be far from easy. From the tip, both teams traded baskets. The 1st quarter ended in a tie, as well as the 2nd. Flatbush couldn't stop the scoring from Forward Dovie Marcus and Center Sammy Sokol, and SAR couldn’t stop the scoring from talented Guard Kevin Haddad. Both teams knew the game was going to come down to the last basket. Going into the 4th quarter, SAR was down by a few baskets. Nonetheless, although faced with adversity, the Sting would not back down. Quickly, Sammy Sokol hit an and one layup, then captain Daniel Wisotsky did the same. With 3 minutes to go, Marcus drew a critical charge which altered the game’s momentum for good. As the game winded down, Point Guard Yair Slasky hit some critical free throws in order to ice the game. When the buzzer rang, SAR had won 68- 63. The Sting were led by Marcus’ 22 points and Sokol’s 14 points, while the Falcons were led by Haddad’s 32. The Sting look to face MAOR Sunday the 6th before taking off to LA for the annual Steve Glouberman Tournament. Be sure to like our page on Facebook -SAR Sting Sports Update- and follow us on Twitter @StingReport.

SAR VARSITY HOCKEY DESTROYS DRS, SETTING UP SEMIFINAL GAME @ HAFTR

Playing behind a massive crowd in Riverdale, the SAR Sting defended their home rink, defeating the DRS Wildcats 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Strong play by DRS goalie Gabriel Miller, and SAR goalie Jonah Amron kept the game scoreless until midway through the second period, when defenseman Eli Best put home a rebound to give the Sting an early 1-0 lead. Soon after, Gordie Kolb batted home a goal on his backhand out of midair, and the game stood at 2-0 SAR heading into the third. SAR came out flying and put this game away early in the 3rd period. Shua Friedman and Solomon Freilich combining for 3 goals in less than 2 minutes, 2 by the All-Star Freilich. Kolb would add a shorthanded goal on a ridiculous move through the legs of a DRS defensman to give SAR a commanding 6-0 lead. DRS would add 2 late goals but Sar was in full control of this game, defeating the Wildcats 6-2. The Sting will now travel to Haftr to take on the two-time defending champion Hawks in the Semi-Finals, in a rematch of last years thrilling 4-OT epic battle.

By Joseph Mogilner

JV BOYS DOMINATE HESCHEL BUT VARSITY SUFFERS ANOTHER TOUGH LOSS

The SAR JV Boys Basketball team beat the Heschel Heat 74-43, raising its record to 8-1 and clinching a first round bye. SAR pulled away in the 2nd quarter and dominated Heschel in the second half, switching to a press and scoring 22 points in the 3rd and 22 in the 4th. Scoring was evenly distributed with Noah Gurin 12, Eitan Karsch 10, Jake Schwalbe 10, Oshi Bloom 10, Nat Waxman 9, and David Lewis 8. Gurin and Waxman each drained 3 three-pointers. The Sting will finish off their season with a tough away game against Tabc Tuesday night.

Unlike JV, Sar's Varsity suffered a tough loss against Heschel, losing 38-22. Both teams struggled to get into some type of offensive groove as the 1st half closed with Heschel up only 11-8. However, the 2nd half proved to be significantly different. The Sting opened up the half with 6 straight turnover's which were all converted into points. The Heat's stifling defense really did prove to be the x- factor as they managed to go up 30-8 at the end of 3. While the Sting did have a 14 point 4th quarter, their comeback fell way short. Although SAR picked up their 7th loss of the season, they hope to bounce back in their final game against Tabc Tuesday night.

JV AND VARSITY STING SWEEP RAMAZ IN SEASON SERIES AND BOTH LOCK UP SPOTS IN THE PLAYOFFS

The Sting headed out to Manhattan to face the Ramaz Rams. Much was on the line for the JV team, as a win would provide them a spot in the playoffs. However, a loss would force them to play against an undefeated Frisch team. Once again, the Sting stroke first with a goal from Johnny Haims on their first shift. The energy level was low, and the game was moving slowly until late in the third period. The Rams poured on the pressure, and a scramble in front of the net resulted in a game tying goal. The Sting were back on their heels but with less than three minutes to go, a wraparound goal from Henri Kolb gave the sting a late lead to put them up 2-1. Immediately, they dropped back into a defensive style of play and held off the Rams until the final buzzer. The sting had locked themselves up a spot in the playoffs. 

Later on, the Varsity Sting clinched the 2nd seed in the Western Conference after beating Ramaz 5-1. Joey Mogilner, Gordie Kolb, and Eli Best all scored in the 1st period to give Sar a 3-1 lead and later on, Jason Burian and Jonah Halper added goals. The Varsity Sting will face either DRS or Flatbush in Riverdale in the playoffs.

Henri Kolb/ Joseph Mogilner

JV AND VARSITY BOTH PICK UP IMPORTANT WINS AGAINST RAMAZ

On Thursday night Januaray 7th, SAR and Ramaz played in a game to benefit the Alan T. Brown Foundation to help victims of paralysis. The Sting entered the game with a two game point-streak. Looking to add to the streak, the Sting shot out of the cannon and scored twice early to give the sting an early lead. The squad kept piling on the goals until later in the game. At 5-0, the Ramaz Rams got on the board. The Rams, looking to push for a late-game surge, were held off by the Sting and were shut down for the remainder of the game. Later, the Sting added another goal to seal the deal at 6-1 and extend their point streak to 2. The JV hockey team has suffered deeply this season, but this late season push may just squeeze them into the playoffs.

The Varsity Sting also hosted Ramaz Thursday night. In the nightcap, Gordie Kolb, making his varsity debut, scored 3 times, and SAR bested Ramaz 5-2. Captain Azi Lavi and Josh Rosenberg also scored for the Sting. 

To donate to the Alan T Brown foundation, go to http://www.atbf.org/

Henri Kolb/ Joseph Mogilner