The Stars team not only shined Friday afternoon, they stomped the competition in Ward Melville’s 3rd annual handball tournament. The event, held every February, was hosted by the Ward Melville Girls Track Team and raised hundreds of dollars for both the Track team and Help Jules Walk Again, a campaign to raise money for surgeries for Juliana Marcucci, a wheelchair-bound Stony Brook student and former track star.

The event fielded ten teams, which each played four “regular season” games before the top four teams met in the playoffs. Everyone was excited coming out of the gate, making the regular season round, without a doubt, the most physical. On an entirely separate note, this was my favorite round. Goalies and team managers alike were flying across the court, and a few competitors dove into the crowd of volunteers on the sideline. “I think we’ve got a good chance at making the playoffs. There are a lot of good teams, but it’s a great event,” noted senior Connor Grippe of team Doli’s Disciples, “I love these tournaments. ‘Lot of school spirit, everyone is trying hard. It’s a good atmosphere.”

In the semifinals, #1 seed the Stars took on #4 seed DSWHP, while #2 seed No…The Front (I don’t get it either) matched up against #3 seed Doli’s Disciples. The lower seeds, Doli’s Disciples and DSWHP, both started hot, jumping out to 2-0 leads in their respective games. However, seniors John Day and Matt O’Hea turned the tide with late goals and tight defense to escape with a 3-2 victory and send No…The Front to the finals. Meanwhile, in the other semi-final, the Stars quickly erased their 2-0 deficit with a pair of goals from Wesley Manning and diving stops from goalie Andrew McCown before racing to a 5-2 win. In the finals, junior Troy Davern immediately scored from long range for the Stars before a barrage of teammates, including Dom Pryor and John Corpac, followed with goals of their own to stake the Stars to an insurmountable 5-0 lead. The Stars would cruise to a 6-2 win.