Leading off today: Half Hollow Hills East surrendered its first goal of the season but went on to a
2-1 victory over Walt Whitman in a Suffolk County boys soccer game between state-ranked teams Monday.
HHHE is ranked 10th and Whitman 15th in Class AA by the New York State Sportswriters Association this week.
Sophomore Ethan Koval put the Thunderbirds ahead for good with a goal four minutes into the contest. Midway through the first half, Jared Breakstone booted a ball into the air from midfield that landed in the box, and Sebastian Matos ran onto it and netted the ball for a 2-0 lead.
Isaias Noel Reyes scored midway through the second half for defending state champ Whitman.
More boys soccer: Midfielder Max Montante of Canisius twice scored game-winning goals against rival St. Joe's last season, including in the Monsignor Martin playoffs.
He did it again Monday in a 1-0 win, scoring off a throw-in from John Uba.
"He's not scoring a ton, he has only three goals and five assists, but he is dominant," Canisius coach Chris Stuff told The Buffalo News. "I call him sneaky. He finds a way to get open behind the defense."
Streak extended: Vestal shut out its 26th straight Section 4 girls soccer opponent with a 4-0 win over Horseheads. Victoria McKnight scored the go-ahead goal six minutes into play and added two assists.
Golden Bears goalie Alyssa Warren stooped a penalty kick in the first half with Vestal leading 1-0. Vestal last allowed a goal to a Section 4 opponent in a 6-3 STAC semifinal victory over Seton Catholic on Oct. 17, 2014.
Impending milestone: Grand Island striker Madisyn Pezzino scored twice for the Vikings in a 6-0 girls soccer victory over visiting Kenmore East, bringing her to 198 career goals.
Pezzino, who has been on the varsity since seventh grade, added two assists in the win.
The Vikings next face Aquinas in a non-league home game on Tuesday.
Coach dismissed: If you followed the offseason drama, you knew Mario Torres' time as the Granville football coach was short. That time ended even sooner than predicted on Monday.
Torres was dismissed after an incident on Sept. 3, where four players were caught smoking marijuana on school grounds. The Post-Star reported. The school board made the decision in a unanimous vote following an executive session.
Board President Audrey Hicks confirmed the marijuana incident, but it's not clear how it specifically relates to Torres' status. Hicks said the interim coach for the 0-3 team has not been determined; Torres and Superintendent Mark Bessen could not be reached for comment.
Gananda pioneer dies: Mike Pane, the first boys lacrosse head coach at Gananda, died Monday at the age of 31. He had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010.
"Coaches always try to teach you through sports the lessons of life," Jason Shanley, who was a senior on Gananda's first varsity team in 2011, told the Democrat and Chronicle. "Coach Pane's battle with cancer really exemplified that never-give-up attitude.
