LEAGUE V

Three new teams – Southold, Mattituck and Patchogue-Medofrd – were placed in the new league, along with Longwood and Eastport, which will not be eligible for the playoffs. Longwood, and Eastport opted for League V for geographic considerations.

Girls Soccer

Longwood snapped a 15-game losing streak dating back to 1984 by defeating Islip, 3-1. Striker Christine Holmes scored two goals, including the game-winner, in the third quarter. Halfback Kyra Cattaneo tallied Longwood‘s first goal and assisted on the winning score.

Christine Holmes scored at 6:23 of the second overtime to give Longwood a 3-2 victory over Commack North. Commack No. 0 0 0 2 0 0 – 2 Longwood 0 0 1 1 1 0 – 3 Goals: CN – Shaffer 2; L – Holmes 2, Parisi. Saves: CN – Fitzpatrick 7; L – Johnson 8. Sept. 8

Goalie Audra Johnson recorded the first shutout in Longwood history in a 3-0 win over Ward Melville. Ward Melville 0 0 0 0 0 Longwood 1 0 1 1 3 Goals: L – Bendernagel, Parisi, Kelliher. Saves: WM – Sajnacki 13; L – Johnson 3. Sept. 9

Bellport Tournament, Round I Longwood 0 0 0 2 2 Bellport 0 1 0 2 3 Goals: L – Bendernagel, Parisi; B – Garcia, Collier, Devine. Saves: L – Johnson 19; B – Berrios 22. Sept. 12

Danielle Gabriel scored her eighth and ninth goals of the season yesterday, helping Middle Country win the Brookhaven Tournament championship with a 4-2 girls soccer victory over Bellport. Beth Keane had a goal and an assist as Longwood beat Center Moriches, 3-2, in the consolation. Goals: CM – Fialla, Henderson; L – Holmes 2, Bendernagel. Saves: CM – Moye 9; L – Johnson 16. Sept. 14

 Non-League Eastport 0 0 0 Longwood 5 3 8 Goals: L – Holmes 2, Parisi 2, Bendernagel, Muller, Morris, Chiampou. Saves: E – Wolfe 17; L – Johnson 0. Sept. 16

Three new teams – Southold, Mattituck and Patchogue-Medofrd – were placed in the new league, along with Longwood and Eastport, which will not be eligible for the playoffs. Longwood, and Eastport opted for League V for geographic considerations. Sept. 18

Longwood 1 1 2 Southold 1 0 1 Goals: L – Holmes 2; S – Utz. Saves: L – Johnson 16; Sept. 18

Center Moriches 2 2 4 Longwood 1 1 2 Goals: CM – Zlatniski, Kispert, Henderson, Russo; L – Bendernagel, Kelleher. Saves: CM – Moye 19; L – Johnson 21. Sept. 19

Christine Holmes contributed three goals and two assists for Longwood in a 6-0 win over Patchogue-Medford. Longwood 5 1 6 Patchogue-Medford 0 0 0 Goals: L – Holmes 3, Bendernagel, Chiampou, Muller. Saves: L – Johnson 10;  Sept. 24

Mattituck 1 0 1 Longwood 2 1 3 Goals: M – Charnews; L – Holmes, Bendernagel, Muller. Saves: M – Posteraro 11; L – Johnson 5.  Sept. 26

Longwood 7 3 10 Eastport 0 0 0 Goals: L – Holmes 4, Parisa 3, Bendernagel, Muller, Groskotf. Saves: L – Johnson 5; E – Heaney 33. Oct. 8

Greenport/Southold 0 0 0 Longwood 5 3 8 Goals: L – Parisi 3, Bandernagel 2, Holmes, Kelliher, Waldman. Saves: G/S – Malungahu 15; L – Johnson 5. Oct. 10

Longwood 0 1 1 Center Moriches 0 2 2 Goals: L – Holmes; CM – Henderson 2. Saves: L – Johnson 11, Kessell 3;. Oct. 12

Patchogue-Medford 0 1 0 0 1 Longwood 0 1 0 0 1 Goals: PM – Pellegrini; L – Waldman. Saves: PM – Antonio 19; L – Johnson 18. Oct. 16

Longwood 1 1 2 Mattituck 0 0 0 Goals: L – Bendernagel, Parisi. Saves: L – Johnson 9; M – Posteraro 14. Oct. 17

 

Longwood’s Jennifer Krucher has excelled at every sport she has tackled.

A Lion in Winter, Spring and Fall: [SUFFOLK Edition]

Herrmann, Mark. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 29 May 1986:

Jenny Krucher is an athlete for all seasons and an all-star inevery one of them. The Longwood High School student made the All-League II softballteam as a ninth-grader in the spring of 1983, and has not gone through a soccer, basketball or softball schedule since then without winning an all-league plaque.

Now, as the senior fullback/power forward/catcher approaches the end of her final season at Longwood, she is leading the first-place Lions into the softball playoffs, which begin tomorrow.

“She’s one terrific ballplayer. As an opposing coach, I can tell you that she’s always been a thorn in my side,” said Tom Ferrigno, who coaches girls basketball and softball at Floyd. “I’m going to be happy to see her graduate.

“She’s a terrific kid, aside from all her talents,” Ferrigno said.

Coaches and teammates acknowledge Krucher’s coordination, strength and aggressiveness. But just as prominent, they say, are her leadership skills. “She takes control of a game,” said Melissa Silberman, a softball teammate. “Even though I’m the pitcher, and a pitcher is supposed to control the game, she’s the one who sees everything.”

While many athletes were forsaking some sports to specialize in their best events, the 5-foot-9 Krucher was a triple-threat. She excelled at some unsavory chores: chasing speedy strikers, jostling tall players for rebounds, blocking pitches in the dirt.

“I never really considered it that way,” Krucher said. “I’ve always just enjoyed being in the middle of the action.”

This honor student – 22nd in a class of 497 – usually was in the middle of the action and at the top of team statistics sheets. She was one of the leading scorers on her soccer team, even though her position was defensive. During the 1985-86 basketball season, she was the third leading scorer in Suffolk. In softball, her .378 batting average and her strong throwing arm earned her a place on the all-Suffolk team last year.

Krucher is the only person to acheive this rare quinella: she once scored 20 points against Sue Wicks of Center Moriches, now a college basketball all-America; and she had two hits in a game against Vicki Kennedy, pitcher for the state softball champion Comsewogue team.

Performances like that require extensive rehearsal. “I’ve been taught that if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse,” she said. Two summers ago, she persuaded her parents to drive her to Nassau several times a week for high-caliber softball games. Last summer, she played on soccer, basketball and softball teams. “It was great. There was something to do every night,” she said.

Her athletic career at the University of Massachusetts will not be so diversified. She will play softball in the spring and practice for it during the fall and winter.

Softball scores highest on her own preference scale. Her brightest moment in high school sports, she said, came in 1983, when the Lions reached the county softball semifinals. Her worst memory dates back to 1984, when an injury kept her out of the softball playoffs.

Of course, Krucher is not the only standout in coach Kevin McCarthy’s successful lineup. Shortstop Jenny Cardone is a two-time all-Suffolk player who is bound for Adelphi’s nationally ranked team. Debbie Miley, Kristine Heller, Laura Chiampou and Chrissie Holmes all have won games for the Lions.

But Silberman is not uncertain about Krucher’s importance. “Without her,” the pitcher said of her batterymate, “I don’t think we could win.”

Although Longwood will be one of the most experienced playoff teams in its fourth straight appearance, it is not considered one of the tournament favorites by Suffolk coaches.

Many coaches think either Comsewogue and Connetquot will win the title, but they feel Bay Shore also has a chance. League VI champion Bellport is rated a possible contender.