Sport Shorts

The Monroe U13 boys travel basketball team had a 2-1 week with big victories over Berkeley Township and Marlboro before losing to Hazlet in the semifinals of the Hazlet Tournament. The team was led by James Pellino, Joe Costa ,Mark Gulick and Colin Horsch, who all played well. Matt Troncone, Kevin Synarski, Vincent Mahmoud also played well in last week’s games. The team just ran out of gas against Hazlet on Saturday night, as they had to play back-to-back and only had eight players.

The Lady Shooting Starz Basketball Camp will take place July 7-10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sayreville War Memorial High School on Washington Road in Parlin. The camp is open to those girls entering the fourth grade through 12th grade in September, and will feature the Sayreville High School girls’ basketball coaching staff. The cost is $95 for four days of intense, but fun basketball. Costs include individual instruction and development, fundamental instruction and full-court games every day. A camp T-shirt will also be included in the cost of the camp. The camp will be a fun, enjoyable experience at one of the county’s upcoming girls’ basketball programs. Contact coach Carrie Corvino for registration information at (732) 432-9220 or e-mail ladystarzbasketball@yahoo.com.

The Rutgers University baseball team played three games at the Music City Classic over the weekend in Nashville, Tenn. The squad was able to go 1-2, gaining its first win of the season against Lipscomb on March 2, by the score of 6-1. In that game, Monroe’s Rich Canuso blasted a home run to left field in the third inning. Canuso had two hits on the day.

Freshman Lindsay Orosz, of Old Bridge (St. John Vianney High School), helped the Muhlenberg College women’s basketball team clinch the Centennial Conference East Division title. Orosz appeared in 15 games, starting in one, and averaged 2.7 points per game. She recorded a high of 14 points and tallied four assists and three steals for the season. The Mules finished the season 17-9, and 13-2 in the conference.

The West Windsor Wildcats 16U fastpitch softball team is seeking select players to complete its roster. A starting pitcher, catcher and infielder are needed. For more information, contact Fred at (609) 799-7020 or e-mail wildcats2003@comcast.net.

East Brunswick Jewish Center’s fifth- and sixth-grade basketball team won the state championship in the Northern JCC Basketball League. East Brunswick came away with a solid 30-1 win over Whippany in the semifinals. E.B. was matched against an undefeated Wayne team in the finals, where they played great team ball to come away with a convincing 48-32 win. Team members are Evan Freidman, Zack Kleinbart, Matt Koller, Zack Meller, Craig Pollack, Brett Scharf, David Swissman, Robby Tepper, David Weber, Mike Weber and Mike Zinberg. Team coaches are Steve Meller, Steve Swissman and Rich Weber. The team finished with a 15-4 mark.

Monroe’s 8-year-old travel basketball team defeated three tournament opponents this week. Victories over Westfield (22-15), Iselin (22-20) and Middletown (24-10) helped the boys end their season with a three-game winning streak. Chris Viani and Matt Siemons combined their offensive talents to score 14 points against Westfield, while Ryan Germano and Chris Laino contributed eight points to help balance Monroe’s offensive attack. Defensively, Chris Crocitto, Andy Dooley, Kyle Crothers, Brian Nale, Chris Brooks, Kevin Brix, Zach Gorham and Mike D’Ambrosio teamed up to swat down Westfield’s offensive efforts. Viani, Germano and Laino combined their shooting talents to tally 16 points in their victory over Iselin. Also contributing offensively were Gorham and Brix as the twosome collectively scored six points. Their victory over Middletown featured an 18-point scoring attack led by Germano, Brix, Siemons and Laino. Other offensive contributions came from Viani, Gorham and D’Ambrosio as they connected on an additional six points. Defensively, Dooley, Crothers, Nale, Brooks and D’Ambrosio teamed up to limit Middletown’s offensive chances.

Monroe’s 9-year-old travel basketball team swept through the semifinals and finals of the Hazlet All-Star Tournament to collect the 9-year-old Division Championship. Their semifinal victory over Immaculate Heart of Mary featured a second-half defensive stance that only allowed one field goal. Monroe’s offense was led by Danny Brix, Matt Gorham and Xavier Selby as they teamed-up to score 31 points in their 36-30 victory. Other offensive contributors included Nick Dini, Jimmy Small and Michael Walp as they collectively scored five points. The championship game against Hazlet featured another defensive standoff. Trailing 6-5 at halftime, Monroe turned once again to their team defense to change the complexion of the game. Monroe’s defense held Hazlet scoreless in the second half and walked away with a 25-6 victory. Defensively, the team was led by Alex Vizcaino, Small, Dini, Gorham, Selby, Genevieve, Brix, Walp, Clint Winter, Brian Spencer and Woo Joo Han as they collected 14 steals and 26 rebounds. Offensively the team was led by Victor Sorrento, Dini, Gorham, Selby and Small with a combined total of 17 points. Also contributing their offensive talents were Vizcaino, Walp, Brix and Han as they tallied eight points.

In other weekend action, the 9-year-olds advanced to the semifinal round of the North Brunswick March Madness Tournament with a 39-26 victory over South Brunswick. The team was led offensively by Danny Brix, Ryan Genevieve and Xavier Selby as they collectively scored 23 points. Also contributing a combined total of 16 points were Dini, Gorham, Vizcaino, Small, Walp, Winter and Han.

The Old Bridge Parks and Recreation Department will be sponsoring a Rutgers SAFETY (Sports Awareness For Educating Today’s Youth) Clinic. In order to be eligible for the civil immunity protections provided by the Little League law, volunteer coaches are required to attend a safety orientation and training skills program. The Rutgers SAFETY Clinic has been tested in court as having met the standards. The clinic for all sports will be held at the Old Bridge Civic Center on March 30 from 7-10 p.m. In-person registration will begin at 6:30 p.m. Twelve people are required in order to run the clinic. The cost is $30 (cash only). Registration will be taken at the door and will be limited to the first 100 people. Please bring a pen or pencil with you. You will receive a certification card and coaches book at the end of the clinic. Please call the Recreation Office at (732) 721-5600 ext. 4999 for further details.