Dwight Eagan
Dwight Eagan
OPHS, Class of 2015
Rugby, Soccer
Dream job: Lawyer
Favorite beverage: Iced tea
I want to visit: Dublin, Ireland
I cannot live without:
Tim Horton’s Iced Cappuccino
My vanity license plate would be: CRUZNM8
Favorite pro sports team:
Leinster (Irish rugby team)
Favorite movie: Walk the Line
I want to have dinner with: Johnny Cash
Favorite OP hangout: The OPHS Turf
Favorite school subject: U.S. History
Sean Conway
Sean Conway, junior starting goalkeeper for the Rochester Institute Technology men’s soccer team, helped the Tigers to a 9-7-1 record this fall.
A 2009 Orchard Park High School graduate, Conway started 15 of 17 games. His 1.09 goals against average and three shutouts earned him an 8-6-1 when in net.
In three seasons at RIT, Conway has compiled a 28-18-6 record and allowed less than a goal per game (44 goals allowed in 54 games), with an impressive 76.4 save percentage.
At Orchard Park, Conway was a two-year starter and team captain, and named an All-ECIC First Team selection his senior season. Conway’s 215 saves his senior season set a school record.
Conway, the son of Claudia and Mike Conway, is studying civil engineering.
Kayla Hartnett
Kayla Hartnett (OP ’11), a sophomore on the D’Youville College women’s soccer team, has earned Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Second Team honors.
A defensive midfielder, Hartnett helped lead a defensive effort that recorded a team record seven shutouts and saw a team-record shutout streak reach 437:49 from Oct. 13 – Oct. 31, and allow a paltry 1.06 goals against (second lowest in the AMCC).
Hartnett, daughter of Renee and Gerald Hartnett, played in 16 of 18 games – starting 15 – and scored a pair of goals on the season for the 11-6-1 Spartans.
Mike Reilly
Mike Reilly is a senior defenseman for the Orchard Park varsity soccer team and has blogged throughout the season to provide an inside look at the team. This is his final installment.
To wrap up the boys varsity soccer season, I have to go back well into the season. We had an up-and-down year. In the middle of our season, after our 4–0 win over West Seneca West, we hit a slump. We lost to Clarence in a close 1-0 game, and then tied in double overtime to St. Francis, 0-0, in a non-league game and again with Willie North in an important league game.
Following that was a home loss to Lancaster, 1-0. In order to remain second in our division after that loss, we needed to win the rest of our games in our regular season. We did just that. In the rescheduled game at Jamestown (after the long bus ride down) we were very successful offensively and were able to put nine balls in the back of the net to win, 9-1. Next our team faced Frontier, who put up a good fight until Connor Saeli was able to put in a penalty kick in overtime (after Kurt Siegner was tripped in the box) to win, 1-0. For the final regular season game, we defeated West Seneca West, 2-0.
We then looked to playoffs. Because of our seeding, we earned a first round bye. Our opponent in the quarterfinals would be Willie North, who we had our struggles with. We knew we had to come out strong against the Spartans. In the second half of the game, our offense came alive. Goals came from Matt Roder, Ryan McMaster, and Matt Currey to put the Spartans away, 3-0.
Mike Reilly battles a Lockport opponent during Orchard Park’s 1-0 loss in the Section VI Class AA semifinal. Photo / James Goller
We made it to the semifinals! We were up against Lockport. We had never played them and didn’t know their style of play. It was 0-0 at halftime and the seniors told each other to play like it was our last game ever. It ended up being that way. Lockport scored an early goal in the second half that we could not answer. Our season came to an end after a tough couple months.
I am so proud of our team and what we were able to accomplish. Special thanks goes out to Brian Arcara. We could not have asked for a better goalkeeper and he was the reason we made it that far. Thanks Brian, for saving us so many times!
Another thanks goes out to Coach Dannecker. Thanks for a great season with the team! Thanks to all who have supported us and to all my fellow teammates for giving us a great year of soccer.
Let’s go girls varsity soccer as they move forward in the state tournament.
Note: The Lady Quakers play in the Far West regional in Rochester on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
Click here to view photos of the OP boys soccer team
Orchard Park Girls Soccer – New York State Section VI Class AA Champions
Orchard Park has had its issues versus Williamsville North in girls soccer over the past few seasons, but the Quakers knocked off the Spartans for third time this season with a 4-1 Saturday at Amherst High School to win the Section VI Class AA championship.
In the previous three seasons combined the Quakers went 0-6-1 against Will North, but a pair of 1-0 wins in the regular season and Saturday’s win for sectional title provided proof that OP was the better team this season.
“I’m very proud our team,” senior defender Chelsea Lepore said after the game. “We know how to work well together and we’ve had a great season. We knew we had to come out and come hard. We knew we had to finish every shot.”
Kristen Young scored just over a minute into the contest. Cassidy Kozub and Courtney Hartnett scored to give OP a 3-0 lead by halftime. North scored to pulled within two goals, but Kozub’s second goal of the game stretched the lead back to three and gave the Quakers the eventual win.
“They wanted North and wanted the challenge,” said Orchard Park coach Mike Graffeo. “This year, they knew they were better and wanted to prove it. Three times in one season is proof in my mind.”
Orchard Park advances to the New York State Far West Regional on Saturday, Nov 10 at Webster Schroeder at 7 p.m.
View the entire photo gallery for the sectional title game
Emma Saul (right) celebrates a goal during OP’s 2-0 victory over Clarence in the Class AA semifinal in girls soccer Wednesday. The Quakers will play Williamsville North for the championship today at Amherst at 1:30 p.m. Photo / James Goller
Three Orchard Park teams will compete in playoff games today, including two participating in sectional title games.
The day starts off with the girls soccer team travelling to Amherst to play Williamsville North in the Class AA championship at 1:30 p.m.
Boys volleyball will host West Seneca West in the Division I semifinals at 2 p.m.
And finally… the Quakers will take on Jamestown for the Class AA football championship at Ralph Wilson Stadium at 7 p.m.
For updates on girls soccer and football, follow @OrchParkSports on Twitter or the feed on this site.
Three Orchard Park teammates are asked to answer five questions about their team.
Ed Morawski
John Wellington
Dan Makowski
| Ed Morawski | John Wellington | Dan Makowski | |
| Who of your teammates: | |||
| Would win an eating contest? | Dillon Farrell | Charles Sanfilippo | Jack Wuerfel |
| Would be a stand-up comedian? | Tim Connelly | Tim Connelly | Tim Connelly |
| Has the best laugh? | John Wellington | Charles Kritkausky | Mike Loughran |
| Would be a politician? | Charles Sanfilippo | Alex Freedenberg | Ben Frappa |
| Leaves games with the dirtiest jersey? | Bobby Mahany | Bobby Mahany | Bobby Mahany |
Sophomore Ryan McMaster celebrates his first varsity goal during Orchard Park’s 3-0 win over Will North in the Class AA quarterfinal soccer playoffs Thursday. Photo / James Goller
Three second-half goals yielded a 3-0 victory for the Orchard Park boys soccer team (11-4-2) over Williamsville North. The quarterfinal win advances to the Quakers to the semifinals to be played against undefeated Lockport (17-0) at Hamburg on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m.
Matt Roder scored Orchard Park’s first goal just over ten minutes into the second half. Ryan McMaster, a sophomore recently pulled up to varsity, scored his first varsity goal. Matt Currey scored the third and final goal. Senior goalkeeper made seven saves to earn his ninth shutout of the season.
Senior Dan Makowski has helped lead a strong OP defense. Photo / James Goller
Stiff competition awaits the Orchard Park boys soccer team as the Quakers look to capture a sectional title when it begins playoff play on the OP stadium turf Thursday.
Orchard Park (10-4-2, 8-3-1 in ECIC I), ranked third in the playoff bracket behind #1 Clarence (16-0, 12-0) and #2 Lockport (16-0, 14-0 in NFL), will host #6 Williamsville North (9-7-1, 5-6-1) on Thursday at 6 p.m.
In the two regular season meetings between the clubs, the Quakers captured a 2-0 win on Sept. 14 and tied the Spartans 1-1 on Oct. 9.
“We’re all pretty equal teams,” senior Tim Connelly recently said of the tough Class AA competition. “Anyone that comes out of this group as the winner is going to have a really good chance to keep going throughout the state. We just have to keep fighting. We have a good chance of beating any team in the area I think.”
Senior goalkeeper Brian Arcara has earned an impressive 8 shutouts this season with the help of a strong defensive effort, but the Quakers will need to score to advance.
“We’re in a pretty good spot,” said junior midfielder Charles Kritkausky, who scored both goals in Orchard Park’s 2-0 win in the regular season finale at West Seneca West. “We’re in a good position to make a good run. We just need to work on finishing our chances. The whole season we’ve struggled to put our chances in the back of the net. We could have a lot higher goal total if we could finish them.”
Orchard Park has scored 37 goals this season, but 23 of the goals came in two games versus Jamestown and one game against Timon.
Coach Josh Dannecker made some mid-season adjustments to procure more offense. With the Quaker defense playing so well, Dannecker pushed senior defender Bobby Mahany up to the center midfield from his post at stopper. Senior defenseman Mike Reilly has played well, which allowed senior Ed Morawski to move from his spot on left defense up to the Mahany’s position at stopper. Ben Frappa (sweeper) and Dan Makowski (right defense) continue to provide ample support for Arcara.
Dannecker is hoping the moves can help the team score early goals to set the Quakers up with better options.
“We know that we’re a defensive team first,” Dannecker said recently. “If we can squeak that goal in early that tends to open things up for us, because that team has to come at us. We would like to score a bit earlier and then play that defensive game. Right now, we’re playing the defensive game all game and not pushing to get our opportunities.”
View photos of the OP boys soccer team
Senior Courtney Adamczak scored a second-half goal to help the Quakers to a 4-2 win at West Seneca Thursday. Photo / James Goller
Four different players scored in the Orchard Park girls soccer team’s 4-2 win over West Seneca West to close out the regular season at the West Seneca Soccer Complex Thursday.
Allie Metzger, Kristen Young, and Kiley Ransbury scored in the first half to give OP a 3-0 lead at the break. Courtney Adamczak scored the team’s second-half goal.
The Quakers finished the regular season with an 11-1 record in ECIC I and a 13-1 mark overall.
Click here to view photos from the game
Cassidy Kozub
Cassidy Kozub is a senior forward for the Orchard Park varsity soccer team and will blog throughout the season to provide an inside look at the team. This is her second installment.
Although it feels like our tryouts were only a week ago, our regular season is quickly coming to an end. Our team is right where we have been working to be – on top. Our record is starting to reflect the hard work we have put into our so-far successful season this year. The sweat, turf burn, and bruises have all became worth it with every victory we share. Our shy underclassmen aren’t so shy anymore, and everyone has gotten back on the field. Grade levels and injuries are no longer holding us back. With each victory comes the understanding that we need to work that much harder to get the next win. But, with all our hard work has come some team fun.
One of the best parts of the fall is Homecoming. Besides the dressing up and trying not to re-sprain our ankles in heels, the soccer team has some pretty fun traditions. The Friday before Homecoming we attend the pep rally and walk in as a team to make sure we draw everyone’s attention to how good looking our team really is. We also march in the parade with the JV girls soccer team and throw out candy to the parade-goers.
This year, Homecoming week also included another team tradition: The Spaghetti Dinner. Family, friends, and other teams come to support our team in our annual fundraiser. Thank you to everyone who came out to the dinner to support the team!
Come on out to cheer us on for the rest of the season!
Madison Hornung (right) was back on the field for the first time this season during OP’s 4-1 win over Lancaster Saturday. Photo / James Goller
Senior Courtney Hartnett scored two goals and senior Kiley Ransbury added two assists in a 4-1 win over Lancaster for the Orchard Park girls soccer team Saturday morning.
The Lady Quakers scored all four goals in the first half.
“I thought we put in a good effort,” Hartnett said following the win. “We came out strong.”
Allie Metzger and Cassidy Kozub scored Orchard Park’s other two goals to improve the club’s record to 11 wins and one loss.
“We’re definitely improving as we go, and we need to keep improving,” Hartnett added. “I think we’re number one, so obviously that’s where you want to be going into the playoffs, so I think we’re in a good spot.”
Orchard Park’s win was a particularly big game for senior Madison Hornung, who played for the first time this season.
Hornung suffers from compartment syndrome, a condition that put tension and pressure on her lower legs. A procedure called bilateral fasciotomy was performed to relieve the pressure.
“It’s a condition I had to get fixed or I would have to give up on athletics,” Hornung said.
While Hornung has been happy to support her teammates from the sidelines, she was elated to be back on the field for the Quakers Saturday.
“It feels really good,” she said. “I’ve been out since July. It’s been hard just watching everyone play, especially being a senior. I wanted to get out there.”
Orchard Park is looking to advance to at least the sectional semifinals where the Quakers have fallen each of the last two seasons, and Hornung wants to help push the team further.
“I’m so glad our team is doing really well this year,” Hornung added. “Now that I can play it feels even better to fully contribute on the field and off.”
Sophomore Allie Metzger scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at Williamsville North Wednesday.
Allie Metzger scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory for the Orchard Park girls soccer team at Williamsville North on Wednesday.
The win improves the Quakers to a 10-1 record (8-1 in ECIC I) and gives the team a big win after losing its first game of the season versus Clarence last week.
Metzger’s game-winner was the sophomore’s fifth goal of the season to go with her team-leading 6 assists.
Orchard Park defeated Williamsville North earlier this season, 1-0, which gives the Quakers a regular season sweep over the Spartans. From 2009 to 2011, OP posted a 0-6-1 record versus Will North.
Orchard Park is scheduled to host Lancaster on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m.
Bobby Mahany gets his head on the ball during a battle versus Samuel Wasson of Clarence on Tuesday. Photo / James Goller
Orchard Park’s 1-0 loss in boys soccer at Clarence on Tuesday marked the Quakers’ second defeat to their division rival and the third time the team was held scoreless this season.
Nine of Orchard Park’s ten games have been shutouts. The Quakers have won six and lost three.
The Quakers allowed an early first-half goal, which turned out the be all Clarence needed to stay undefeated (10-0, 8-0 ECIC I). Orchard Park fell to 7-3 overall (5-2 ECIC I).
“We had some opportunities late,” said Orchard Park coach Josh Dannecker. “We ended up pushing to get pressure late in the last ten minutes, but couldn’t get it to fall.”
Scoring goals (2.4 goals per game) hasn’t been an overall issue for Orchard Park this season, but in games against top opponents such as Clarence, Lancaster, Canisius, and St. Joe’s, the Quakers have scored just two goals in five games combined versus those opponents.
The Quakers won two of those games by a 1-0 score (St. Joe’s and Lancaster) thanks to a collective defensive effort led by senior goalkeeper Brian Arcara, who has earned shutouts in 6 of Orchard Park’s seven wins.
“I think Brian played a great game again,” Dannecker said of Arcara’s play at Clarence. “He’s been a key reason why our defense is so good.”
Orchard Park continues to get strong support on the defensive end from Ben Frappa, Dan Makowski, Ed Morawski, and Mike Reilly. Bobby Mahany, a defenseman, moved up to midfield for the Clarence game and nearly netted a first-half goal on a header.
“Defensively, I think we are very strong,” Dannecker said of the unit.
While the defense leads Orchard Park, the Quakers need to score against tougher opponents to pull out wins. Arcara says it starts with intensity.
“We started out slow, didn’t win the ball enough, (and) should have played with the same intensity all game as we did in the last five minutes,” the goalkeeper said of the Clarence loss.
Orchard Park will travel to play St. Francis in a non-league contest on Monday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. After playing at Williamsville North the following day, the Quakers will host Lancaster on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 4:45 p.m. That game is scheduled to be played at the Milestrip Soccer Complex.
Heather Alico
Heather Alico, a 2009 graduate of Orchard Park graduate and senior forward/midfielder for the University of Rochester women’s soccer team, scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Nazareth College on Tuesday, Oct. 2.
Alico’s goal, her second of the season, came by way of a corner kick 3:58 into the match.
Read the game summary: Here
Brian Arcara earned his sixth shutout of the season Wednesday. Photo / James Goller
Goalkeeper Brian Arcara helped lead the Orchard Park boys soccer team to its fifth straight shutout with a 4-0 win over visiting West Seneca West on Wednesday.
Orchard Park goals were scored by Tim Connelly, Mat Currey, Kurt Siegner, and Matt Roder. Siegner added two assists.
The win improved the Quakers to an overall 7-2 record with a 5-1 mark in ECIC I.
The shutout marked the team’s sixth shutout of the season, and Arcara says he’s been getting great support from the Quaker defense.
“We have two returning defenders – Bobby (Mahany) and Ed (Morawski),” said Arcara. “Ben Frappa came out strong at tryouts doing very well playing in the back. Also, Dan Makowski and Mike Reilly have stepped up a lot. They’re all playing well this year.”
Orchard Park’s only divisional defeat came in a 2-0 home loss to Clarence on Sept. 7.
Arcara said it isn’t surprised by the Quakers’ strong start to the season.
“I’m not surprised,” Arcara said. “We have really good chemistry. Some of us have been playing together since seventh grade. We just need to work on a few dynamics then we could have a chance to beat Clarence.”
The Quakers have outscored opponents 24 to 5 this season.
Orchard Park will play at Clarence (8-0, 6-0 in ECIC I) on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m.
OP senior defenseman Mike Reilly
Mike Reilly is a senior defenseman for the Orchard Park varsity soccer team and will blog throughout the season to provide an inside look at the team. This is his second installment.
Well, it’s been a very busy and productive season since our home Clarence game on Sept 7. The day after our disappointing loss, the team played through hurricane-like conditions to defeat Timon 8-1 in the Canisius tournament on Sept. 8. The next day, we faced Canisius and found ourselves the runners-up of the tournament after a 2-0 loss. Finally, after four games in six days, our team got to rest. We had time to look back at our previous games and fix our mistakes.
On Sept. 14, our streak began. It started with Willie North. In yet other rainy game, our team came out on top. We received goals came from sophomore Connor Saeli and senior Matt Currey while goalkeeper Brian Arcara kept North from finding the back of the net.
Next was a thrilling game against last year’s defending sectional champs, Lancaster. We knew it would be a tough game and we couldn’t give Lancaster anything. Both teams had opportunities but after 90 minutes, the score was 0–0. I have to personally thank Brian for keeping us in that game. He played phenomenally and saved our backs more than once.
We had to go into overtime to settle the victor. As we ran back onto the field, we got in our huddle. We each got each other pumped up and encouraged each other to play fast but smart. It paid off. In the first thirty seconds, we jumped on it. The ball was no sooner from the kick-off to in the back of the net. Connor took a shot which the goalie bobbled and forward Jack Wuerfel was there to hit it home. It was a great win for the guys. Everyone was very excited about this one.
Our next two games were no different. Frontier turned out to be a tougher team than expected. However, our team managed two goals from Jack and senior Charles Sanfilippo to win, 2– 0. Against Jamestown on Monday, our team had a strong performance and gave the fans a show. In a 6-0 win, several players scored. Juniors John Wellington, Jack Wuerful, Charles Kritkausky, and Jacob Govenettio had goals as well as Connor Saeli and senior Bobby Mahany.
It has been a solid start for our team. Four wins in a row – all shutouts – and only 3 goals against us (two of which were penalty kicks) in the last six games. We’re looking toward that sectional title. To earn that, we need to keep doing what we’ve been doing, scoring goals and posting shutouts.
Sophomore Emma Saul scored two goals at Frontier Saturday. Photo / James Goller
Orchard Park’s 5-1 win at Frontier in girls soccer Saturday morning improved the Lady Quakers to a 7-0 mark and a 5-0 record in ECIC I.
Sophomore Emma Saul scored two goals while sophomore Allie Metzger, junior Kristen Young, and senior Courtney Hartnett each scored once to keep the Lady Quakers undefeated.
“I think we’re confident, but we still have a lot to work on,” said Hartnett, a midfielder. “I think we’re confident, but we can’t be too confident.”
The Lady Quakers have been able to keep their unblemished record intact due to a 1-0 overtime win versus Williamsville North, a team that has given Orchard Park a lot of trouble over the last few seasons. Prior to the victory on Sept. 13, Orchard Park posted a 0-6-1 record in seven games versus the Lady Spartans from 2009 to 2011.
“I don’t think we expected it (to be undefeated),” said senior defender Christine Breindel, a four-year varsity veteran. “I think we worked hard and now that we’re there, it feels really good.”
Orchard Park has now out-scored opponents, 19-3, leading the Quakers to believe they are the now the team to beat in Class AA.
“I think we’re number one,” Hartnett added. “I think we have a lot of talent and we work together well.”
View the entire photo gallery from the OP win at Frontier
Junior Jack Wuerfel scored the game-winning goal for Orchard Park in overtime at Lancaster Monday.
Orchard Park soccer showed no case of the Mondays with both the boys and girls varsity squads earning shutout victories over their respective opponents.
The boys traveled to Lancaster to play the Redskins in a hard-fought contest that ended in a 1-0 overtime win for the Quakers.
A shot by sophomore Connor Saeli was mishandled by Lancaster’s goalkeeper and junior Jack Wuerfel was there to send home the rebound roughly thirty seconds into the extra period.
“We came out fired up and jumped on it,” said senior defenseman Mike Reilly. “It’s definitely a confidence booster.”
The victory improved the Quakers to a 2-1 mark in ECIC I and 4-2 overall.
In a non-league game at home versus Ellicottville, the Orchard Park girls team captured a 4-0 win to remain undefeated on the season (5-0. 3-0 in ECIC I). Four different Quakers scored, including Courtney Hartnett, Cassidy Kozub, Marisa Szabada, and Hind Alamari.
Bernadette O’Connell and Sian Eisenhut combined for the shutout for Orchard Park.
Cassidy Kozub
Cassidy Kozub is a senior forward for the Orchard Park varsity soccer team and will blog throughout the season to provide an inside look at the team. This is her first installment.
We’re back! Orchard Park Girls Varsity Soccer is once again kicking it on the OP turf.
There is no doubt that this season will be an exciting year for everyone. The team is pumped and ready to do big things in what is the final year of soccer for our eleven seniors. Many of us have been on the team since freshman or sophomore year, but a new year brings new talent adding seven new players to our previous year’s team.
After a few weeks of summer training and tryouts, we started our season with some short scrimmages at Kenmore West by playing four other teams. Our chemistry on the field became quite apparent and prepared us for our season opener away at Jamestown. Yes, Jamestown is a very far ride on a bus, with two girls soccer teams, blasting “Call Me Maybe” and singing all the way there. (Our apologies to the coaches and bus driver).
The upside of this long trip, other than the victory of both teams, of course, was the Wendy’s on the way home. If you have any experience with eating dinner with a teenage girl, I can guarantee you it was much different from this fast food trip. Wendy’s probably questioned whether they were feeding two girls soccer teams or two small countries. We cancelled out all the calories we had just burned with french fries, burgers, and frostys, and made our way back to Orchard Park.
Back in Orchard Park we played a non-league game against Grand Island and won, 3-1. We then played at Clarence gaining a well-deserved 2-1 win, and earned a 1-0 shutout win over Williamsville North at home.
We have been practicing and encouraging Mr. Graffeo to finish our warm-up CD. A lot of planning and preparing has gone into the CD and there are still a few battles over what is considered warm-up CD worthy. I’m sure you’re all sitting there wondering what could be on that CD so come on out and have a listen! Oh yeah, and come cheer on the team to a victory!