Top 10 Pascack Valley sports stories of 2016-17
Number 10: Lewis steps down as volleyball coach
After 21 seasons, head coach Andrew Lewis an- nounced that this past volley- ball season would be his last. During Lewis’s tenure, he led the Indians to a Bergen County title in 2003 and finished runner-up in the county tour- nament in 2005. Lewis will be replaced by PV alum, former All-County selection, and junior varsity coach Kate Lewis.
Number 9: Matt Urrea accounts for 7 TD’s, 300 yards
Matt Urrea, a senior running back, played the game of his life against Demarest this past season as he rushed for 6 touchdowns and 312 yards in a 48-42 PV win. He also threw a touchdown pass and kicked 4 extra points to contribute 46 of PV’s 48 points. His efforts contributed to head coach Len Cusumano’s first career win.
Number 8: Boys Bowling captures County title
Pascack Valley won the Bergen County title for Group 3 and 4 schools with a total of 5,930 total pins. The Indi- ans (2,857 total pins) also finished runner up to Indian Hills for the Section 1A title, despite posting the section’s best record at 6-0.
Number 7: A season of milestones
Victoria Donofrio
Junior Jenny LaRocca scored her 100th career goal in girls lacrosse during PV’s state tournament game against Wayne Valley, and helped give PV its first ever tournament win. Another lacrosse milestone, senior Conor Kim- ball recorded his 100th point of his career against St. Joe’s in the opening round of the Bergen County Tournament, becoming the program’s seventh player to reach the mark. Senior shooting guard Matt Vasel became the boys basketball program’s fifth ever player to record 1,000 career points after scoring 23 against Tenafly. He finished the season as the program’s fourth leading scorer all-time. The final milestone comes from senior hockey player Trent Shanley, who recorded his 100th career point in only three sea- sons and was one of only two Bergen County hockey players to score 30 goals this year.
Number 6: Resurgence of wrestling team
For the first time in 11 seasons, the Indians qualified for the team state playoffs, capturing the fifth seed after missing out by 0.6 points last season. In addition to qualifying for the team state playoffs, PV also sent Matt Beyer, District 1 champion at 132 pounds, to the state tournament.
Number 5: Nygren earns 400th win in memorable soccer season
PV boys soccer coach Roy Nygren won his 400th career game in a 4-1 win against St. Joe’s. He has spent 9 years as the head man at PV and also spent time coaching at Northern Highlands and Don Bosco. The Indi- ans went 16-2-1 and fell to Ramapo by a score of 2-1 in the North 1 Group 3 semifinal. PV’s other loss also came at the hands of Ramapo, and PV never allowed an opponent to score more than two goals in any game.
Number 4: Baseball wins first state sectionals in 51 years
Seven RBI from first baseman Carson Weis and a complete game from pitcher Jordan Issackedes helped the PV baseball team top Morris Hills 14-4 and capture the North 1, Group 3 baseball title, the program’s first state sectional championship since 1966. The team finished with a record of 21-5 for the season. Other highlights include a no-hitter tossed by Issackedes, who struck out eight in the process, and a win against consensus state No. 1 St. Joseph’s Regional High School, in a game which PV won 6-1. The team eventually fell to Cranford in the Group 3 semifinals.
Number 3: Purcell wins Group 3 Pole Vault crown
Patricia Ocelotl
Melissa Purcell, a junior, placed first in Group 3 in pole vault in 2017 with a height of 12-0 and as a result was Pascack Valley’s only track and field athlete headed to the State Meet of Champions. Purcell will look to improve at the state Meet of Champions after taking fourth in the state in pole vault last year.
Number 2: Freeman swims to Meet of Champions
The Smoke Signal’s Athlete of the Year, senior Cassidy Freeman, a Boston University commit, wound up taking third in the state in the 100 butterfly at the state Tournament of Champions, posting a time of 55.67 seconds and took second in the county at the Bergen County Meet of Champions with a time of 56.36 seconds. Freeman’s third place finish in the state is the best of any PV athlete competing in an individual sport.
Number 1: Girls Hoops captures its sixth state title
The Indians finished the season at 30-2 en route to their first Tournament of Champions berth since 2008 after winning the Group 3 title 48-45 over Ocean City. PV began the season 16-0 before ultimately falling to Old Tappan in the first round of the Ber- gen County Tournament, but then rebounded and won 14 in a row before its 70-50 loss to Franklin in round one of the Tournament of Champions.