Daily Sports Digest: Sullivan Memorial Game Tonight at Clarkstown North

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Please remember that today is the Memorial Game for Carolyn Sullivan at Clarkstown North. The Rams will be hosting Nanuet tonight and there will be a ceremony held in between the JV and varsity game for Coach John Sullivan who passed away a year ago. If you can’t make it tonight and you would still like to donate for the cause then please visit the Carolyn Sullivan Memorial Foundation website.

Identical twin brothers Justin and Drew Daniels of Suffern are playing big-time hockey on the same team at Northeastern University while the sisters Josephine and Samantha Pucci of Pearl River are playing big-time women’s ice hockey at Harvard University and Utica College, respectively.

And now, getting ready already for another season on the lacrosse pitch are the identical twin sisters Ali and Jessi Steinberg of Suffern.

The Steinbergs, who were scholastic stars, and spent much time together on the same team, went their separate ways in college: Ali, a senior midfielder, to become a cog at Rutgers University; Jessi, a senior attack, to become a goal-scoring machine at Cornell University.

The identical twins are also captains on their respective teams: Ali in her first year in that role, with Jessi serving her second year in that capacity for the Big Red.

The twins have the chance to test their skills against one another each year when the Scarlet Knights and Big Red meet, but although they are competitive, “it’s always within reason,” Ali noted.

“I want to even the score,” replied Jessi, mentioning that Rutgers has won the last two encounters after Cornell pulled out an 8-7 overtime victory in the 2009 season (Rutgers rebounded to win 8-6 in 2010, and 11-7 much earlier this year).

Ali and Jessi first picked up the sticks as second-graders when their older sister Lindsay switched from softball to lacrosse in the ninth grade. (Lindsay, who also played the attack position, also attended Cornell).

Ali, who started all 16 games at midfield for Rutgers last season, ranking second on the team with 35 points on 28 goals and 77 shots, said her role as a team captain doesn’t change her approach.

“I’ll be doing the same as I’ve always been doing, and try to lead by example,” she said.

Ali is quite candidly more astounded by how fast her time has gone with the Scarlet Knights.

“It’s crazy, I can’t believe it, how fast it went,” she said. “I remember being a freshman … can’t believe I’m a senior.”

During her tenure, Ali feels she has grown into more of an accomplished midfielder, who led the team with 22 caused turnovers last season, adding 19 ground balls and ranking fourth in the Big East with 37 draw controls.

“I’ve become more a true midfielder,” Ali observes, doffing her scouting cap. “I’m more in the center of the field bringing the ball up, playing some defense, and not just scoring—a true midfielder.”

Coach Laura Brand-Sias, who has just received a contract extension through the 2015 season, is high on Steinberg, who shares the captaincy with Rebecca Alley of Tewksbury, NJ, on a vote by teammates.

“The team made great leadership choices,” offered Brand-Sias. “They have dedicated themselves to the academic and athletic values of this program and they truly lead by example.”

Meanwhile at Cornell, Jessi is looking to continue the success that earned her all-Ivy League recognition for two years running. Jessi--who expects to attend grad school in preparation for a career as a speech therapist--led the Big Red with 40 goals as a sophomore, and also led the team as a junior with 38 including three game-winning shots.

Jessi said her election as a team captain is “an awesome honor. I love it; if I could go back I’d do it again.”

During her captaincy, Jessi said she has learned how better to get along with teammates, and how to get everyone to rely on one another.

“As a captain, it’s not always about catering,” she said. “Sometimes you need to say something they might not want to hear, and to be an example by working hard. I always want to get the best out of everybody.”

Cornell's non-conference schedule gets under way with a pre-season scrimmage against Penn State in Ithaca on February 12 followed by the Big Red’s season opener at—you guessed it--Rutgers on Feb. 25 in Piscataway, NJ.  In addition to the Scarlet Knights, Cornell faces two more Big East powerhouses in Syracuse and Loyola. Colgate (March 7) is a familiar regional rival, while both Canisius (March 13) and Binghamton (April 24) are new match-ups for the Big Red in New York.

Rutgers, meanwhile, will host eight games this season and face off against three 2010 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.

“As always, we strive to play the best competition in our region,” said Brand-Sias. 

The Scarlet Knights open up the year playing host to Temple (Feb. 22) and Cornell (Feb. 25). The next two road tests will be difficult, as Rutgers takes on back-to-back 2010 NCAA Tournament participants Princeton (Feb. 29) and Penn (March 7). Rutgers wraps up its road trip against Hofstra on March 10.

Yesterday’s Results:

Sport: Boy’s Basketball

Game: Sleepy Hollow vs. Nanuet

Score: Nanuet Won 39-37

Highlights: Spencer Mayfield picked up 16 points and Turee Jackson had 11 as Nanuet squeaked passed Sleepy Hollow.

Today’s Schedule:

In Boy’s Basketball, Nanuet and Albertus Magnus head to Pearl River for a tournament beginning at 7 p.m.       

In Girl’s Basketball, Nanuet heads to Clarkstown North at 5:45 .