Featured Story
Week of September 10-16
Storm-Chaser Highlights Are Provided by St. Luke’s Parents...
Girls Soccer
The SLS Girls Varsity Soccer team kicked off the 2018 season with a 5-1 victory over Hopkins on Wednesday, September 12. The team was dominant on both offense and defense and was led by Lea Panagiotidis ‘20 who delivered a first-half “hat trick” scoring three goals, two of which were from long distance. SLS added two more goals by Caroline Lau ‘22 in the second half to account for the teams five. It was great seeing Lilly Tencic ‘20 back on the field after missing the entire season last year due to injury. GO STORM!
Field Hockey
Varsity Field Hockey won all three games this week. On Wednesday, September 12, the team squared up against Kennedy Catholic. The rain didn’t stop Lili Messina ‘22 (x2), Andrea DiTeodoro ‘22, Abby O’Meara ‘20, and Lucy Ehlers ‘21 (x2) to give the Storm a 6-0 win against the Crusaders.
On Friday, September 14 the girls played their first home game on the new turf, a much-anticipated bonus of the addition. The Master’s team didn’t prove a challenging opponent to the Storm, earning another five goals for the team. Messina, Kendall Boege ‘19, Madden Hart ‘22, DiTeodoro, and Lucy Ehlers all contributed to the count.
While the game highlights are usually celebrating our players, Friday’s game was a celebration of our fans. A record number of students, players, and parents, came out to cheer on VFH and our biggest fan Mrs. Loralyn Cropper. It was a reminder to us all who attended that the St. Luke’s Community is really special.
On Saturday, September 15 the girls faced a much tougher opponent in The Hopkins School on our home field. It was an intense game until finally the end of the second half when Boege slapped the ball into the circle and Lucy Ehlers smacked it into the goal. Minutes later, Mia Mitchell ‘20 passed the ball in the middle and DiTeodoro scored leading the Storm to a 2-0 win.
Goalie Cropper had some amazing saves that had parents exclaiming “She’s just incredible!”
Next week, VFH play Rye Country Day School away on Thursday, September 20.
Football
St. Luke’s made the long trek north to Albany (NY) Academy and came away with a nail-biting 27-25 victory on a blisteringly hot day to spoil Albany’s Homecoming festivities.
The Storm defense held the Cadets on their first possession, but Albany’s punt was downed at the St. Luke’s one-yard line. With their backs against the wall, the Storm looked to its offensive line to open holes for the running backs. A 17-yard scamper by Senior Chandler Greene was the first of 11 consecutive running plays as Greene, Shamond Moore ‘20, Kenny Soares ‘21, Juan Rosario ‘19 and Austin Andersen ‘21, behind the blocking of Frank Intrieri ‘21, Noah Bailey ‘19, Dylan Johnson ‘20, Jordan Robinson ‘20 and Christian Haas ‘20, ground down the Albany defense. Then on first and goal from the nine-yard line Freshman quarterback Everett Andersen hit a wide open Soares with a pass for the touchdown. Andrew Lau ‘20 added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Already flagging from the 87-degree heat, the Storm defense struggled to stop the Albany attack, resulting in a 60-yard touchdown drive.
After fumbling the ball away to the Cadets, the Storm responded when Austin Andersen forced a fumble that was recovered by Hayden Critchell ‘21 near midfield. Four plays later Rosario broke off a 49-yard run through the middle of the Albany defense. In what would turn out to be a critical play in the game, Lau drilled another extra point for a 14-7 lead.
The Cadets responded with a touchdown shortly before the half but missed the extra point making the score 14-13 Storm.
The Storm drove all the way to the Cadets 10 shortly before halftime, but the Albany defense turned the Storm away by forcing a fumble at the three-yard line.
The seesaw battle continued in the second half with Albany striking first to take a 19-14 lead. Their two-point conversion pass attempt was stopped by a furious pass rush by Greene, Michael Thompson ‘20 and Soares and great coverage in the end zone by Rosario.
Undaunted, the Storm replied with a 65-yard drive highlighted by long runs by Koy Price ‘21 and Soares and a 15-yard diving pass reception by Senior Seth Kim to the five-yard line. Two plays later Price ran for a touchdown and a 20-19 lead. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
The Storm defense came up big midway through the fourth quarter when a tackle for loss by Austin Andersen and a sack by Senior J.D. Burnaman forced the Cadets to punt, setting up the Storm’s final drive.
Taking to the ground again, Moore and Greene handled the bulk of the running as the Storm pounded the ball at the Cadets defense.
With 1:34 to play Greene scored from the 10 and Lau converted to give the Storm an eight-point lead, 27-19.
A questionable 15-yard facemask penalty on the kickoff gave the Cadets incredible field position on the Storm 35 with time waning in the game.
With 16 seconds to play the Cadets scored from the two setting up a critical two-point conversion attempt and a tie. But the Storm defense rose to the challenge with Price, Andersen, and Burnaman stepping up to stuff the Cadets runner, preserving the 27-25 victory.
The next two-point conversion attempt
Volleyball
Girls Varsity Volleyball fell to Hopkins in its first home game of the season on Wednesday, September 12. Solid blocking from Sydney Cummings ‘19, serving from Riley Page ‘19 and setting from Ashley Kelley ‘20 kept the score close against a talented Hopkins team.
The Storm then traveled to Hamden Hall Saturday, September 14 and responded well. It took five sets to finish it off and everyone contributed to the hard-fought win. With strong serving from Elyse Kim ‘21 and Karey Balkind ‘22 and key hits from Tierney Schiff ‘19, the Storm won 3-2.
Cross Country
The St. Luke's Varsity Cross Country team competed in its first race of the season on Saturday, September 15 at the 30th Annual Wilton Invitational. In some very hot conditions, the boys' team finished 12th out of 19 teams in the JV Boys 5000-meter run.
Jackson Hart '21 finished in first place for St. Luke's with a time of 20:47.07 followed closely by Jamie Ullman '20 who finished in 20:54.08
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
