Weekend Recap: 10/25 - 10/28

Girls Volleyball:

Pascack Valley falls to Pascack Hills (Friday)

Record: 14-7

Next Game: State Tournament Game (TBD)

Girls Soccer: 

Mahwah 1, Pascack Valley 0 (Thursday)

Record: 10-5-2

Next Game: Wednesday, October 31st at 2 PM against Paramus (Away)

Boys Soccer:

Pascack Valley 2, Demarest 1 (Saturday)

Record: 9-4-1

Next Game: State Tournament Game against Northern Highlands (TBD)

Girls Tennis:

The girls fell to Demarest on Friday afternoon in their last match of the season. It was a successful season for the girls and they should be very proud of what they have accomplished. 

Football: 

Pascack Valley 35, Ramapo 32 (Friday)

After defeating Wayne Hills just two weeks prior, the torch of Group 4 had been passed from the Patriots to the Indians. However, Ramapo, who was also undefeated at 7-0, was looking to crash the party and take the Big North League Title for themselves. 

In the end, Pascack Valley proved to be too much for the Green Raiders to handle. They were able to hold on for the 35-32 victory, improve to 8-0 on the season, and earn at least a share of the Big North League Title. 

Ramapo got out to an early 10-0 lead, but the Indians never panicked. They continued to play their game and cut the Raider's lead to 10-7 at half time. 

When Senior Quarterback Kyle Schneider hit Kevin Illian in the back of the endzone, the Indians had taken their first lead of the game at 14-10. Ramapo came right back and punched the Indians in the mouth, scoring on a 15 yard pass from Quarterback Anthony Lovecchio to Skyler Amador.

The next two scores belonged to the Indians. Senior Kyle Zenk scored on a 15 yard touchdown run and on the ensuing Ramapo possession, Senior Nick Soravilla intercepted Lovecchio and took it back 44 yard to give Pascack Valley a 28-17 cushion.

Many thought Ramapo would have quit. Many thought Ramapo would have just laid down and let Pascack Valley continue their undefeated season. Instead, the Green Raiders shocked everyone in Hillsdale on Friday Night by scoring two fourth quarter touchdowns to regain the lead 32-28.

Now it was crunch time for the Indians. With 6 minutes to go in the game, they needed to score and knew exactly who to go to. Senior Kyle Zenk seemed unstoppable on the final drive, capping it off with a 7 yard touchdown run and giving the Indians a lead they would never relinquish.

However, the game was still not over. Ramapo had a fourth down play with 30 seconds to go on the Indians 33 yard line. Instead of bringing the field goal unit on to attempt to push the contest into overtime, Lovecchio dropped back and lobbed a pass that was batted down by Nick Soravilla to end the game.

After a thriller of ups and downs, it was Pascack Valley who came out victorious. The only thing that separates them from a league title is West Milford, who the Indians will play Friday in their last regular season game.

With the league title now at least partially in their hands, the Indians have their eye on another prize.

A State Title.

Record: 8-0

Next Game: Friday, November 2nd at 6 PM against West Milford (Home)

Daily Recap: Tuesday, October 23rd

Tuesday marked Senior Day in the Valley. Girls Volleyball played home against Paramus while Boys Soccer played under the lights against Demarest. Along with Girls Soccer, lets see how each team fared.

Girls Volleyball:

Pascack Valley is defeated by Paramus 25-21, 19-25, 23-25

Whenever a volleyball player steps on the court for a game, there is always that small feeling of nervousness and large feeling of excitement. For the Seniors of the Pascack Valley Volleyball team, they would only experience this feeling a few more times before ending their careers.

Anyway, it was a special moment for the Seniors, who have worked so hard to achieve a 14-5 record. They have put the program in the right direction and have shown the underclassman what it takes to win at the varsity level.

In terms of the match, Valley's Seniors carried their adrenaline into the first game and defeated Paramus 25-21.

That same energy seemed to disappear in the second set, causing the Indians to fall by 6 points and have to play a third and deciding set.

The third set was a dandy. There are no two ways around it. Both teams went back and forth but in the end, Paramus came out on top and spoiled what would have been the icing on the cake for the Indians.

Despite the loss, the Seniors can keep their heads held high knowing they have contributed so much to the school and community as a whole.

Record: 14-6

Next Match: Friday, October 26th at 5:30 PM against Pascack Hills (Away)

Girls Tennis:

The girls were cancelled today because of inclement weather.

Next Match: Wednesday, October 24th at 4:15 PM against Demarest (Away)

Girls Soccer:

Ramapo 3, Pascack Valley 2

Although the Indians played well with one of the powers of Girls Soccer in Ramapo, they were defeated 3-2 on Tuesday afternoon.

For Pascack Valley, it was the juniors who stole the show. Rachel Kearney and Shannon Evans scored the goals with Amelia Della Pesca accounting for both assists.

With the season coming to an end, it is important that these Juniors realize that it is almost their time. Their development will determine if they can sustain the high expectations set by this year's Senior Class.

Record: 10-4-2

Next Game: Thursday, October 25th at 4:15 PM against Mahwah (Away)

Boys Soccer:

Pascack Valley 3, Demarest 2

Senior Night was a special moment for players like Nick Sunseri and Kieran Walsh. They have been a part of  the Pascack Valley program for four years and have worked hard to be where they are now.

It was only fitting that on Tuesday Night, these players showed the hometown crowd what they are going to miss next fall.

Sunseri netted two goals for the Indians while Walsh put one in on a penalty kick.

Senior Goalie Blake Ruzich also deserves credit for his solid play not only in this game, but throughout the season.

After weeks and years of hardwork, the Pascack Valley Seniors showed how important and great it is to be a part of the Indian family.

Record: 8-4-1

Next Game: Saturday, October 27th at 12 PM against Demarest (Away)

Daily Recap: Monday, October 22nd

Sorry for no weekend recap. Wasn't feeling well and needed some time to rest. Here is a brief summary of how PV sports did this weekend.

Football:

Pascack Valley 52, Demarest 13 (Friday)

Record: 7-0

Next Game: Friday. October 26th at 6 PM against Ramapo (Home)

Girls Volleyball

Pascack Valley falls to Northern Highlands 25-19, 16-25, 21-25 (Thursday)

Pascack Valley defeats Ridgewood in three sets (Friday)

Pascack Valley falls to Fair Lawn 21-25, 25-19, 18-25 (Saturday)

Record: 14-5

Next Match: Tuesday, October 23rd at 4:15 PM against Paramus (Home)

Girls Soccer: 

Pascack Valley 2, Bergenfield 0 (Thursday)

Goals scored by Junior Amelia Della Pesca and Senior Dara Liebeskind

Pascack Valley 3, Demarest 2 (Saturday)

Goals scored by Juniors Amelia Della Pesca and Rachel Kearney and Senior Kelsey Witt

Record: 10-3-2

Next Match: Tuesday, October 23rd at 4:15 PM against Ramapo (Home)

Girls Tennis: 

Pascack Valley falls to Tenafly 4-1 (Thursday)

Pascack Valley defeats Park Ridge 4-1 (Monday)

Next Match: Tuesday, October 23rd at 4:15 against Paramus (Home)

Boys Cross Country:

Without star runner Ben Malone, Pascack Valley finished 10th and had an average run time of 18:15. (Saturday)

Girls Cross Country:

Bessie Zavidow and Madison Weis qualified for the Bergen County Meet of Champions and as a team, Pascack Valley finished in 6th place. (Saturday)

Daily Recap: Tuesday, October 16th

Boys Soccer:

Old Tappan 7, Pascack Valley 1

The Indians had a rough game on Tuesday night against one of the best teams in the league in Old Tappan.

The game was 2-1 when Old Tappan was able to score 5 second half goals and blow the game wide open.

Simply put, Pascack Valley needs to forget about this game and move on to the next one.

Record: 7-4-1

Next Game: Friday, October 19th at 4:15 PM against Bergenfield (Away)

Girls Soccer:

Old Tappan 1, Pascack Valley 0

Girls Soccer lost a heart breaker against Old Tappan on Tuesday night, falling to the Golden Knights 1-0.

Despite playing solid defense, the Indian offense could never seem to get into a rhythm. If Pascack Valley wants to contend later in the season, their offense needs to come alive.

The Indians are still in the hunt for a league title, but Tuesday's game certainly did not help their chances.

Record: 8-4-2

Next Game: Thursday, October 18th against Bergenfield at 4:15 PM (Away)

Girls Tennis:

Girls Tennis lost the majority of their matches against Ramapo on Tuesday afternoon.

Next Match: Friday, October 19th at 4:15 PM against Hackensack (Home)

Girls Volleyball: 

Pascack Valley defeats Ramapo 17-25, 25-17, 25-19

After an opening round victory in the Bergen County tournament, Pascack Valley followed it up with a win against Ramapo on Tuesday afternoon.

The Indians did not come out ready to play. As a result, they lost the first set 25-17 and were already in a hole against a team they are supposed to be.

Pascack Valley picked it up in the second set, winning 25-17. As all good teams do, Valley closed out the match by winning the third set 25-19.

It would be easy for Valley to look ahead to their second round county game against Fairlawn on Sunday. The Indians need to take it one game at a time, which will prevent them from losing focus and falling to a team they would usually beat.

Record: 13-3

Next Game: Thursday, October 18th at 4:15 PM against Northern Highlands (Home)

Weekend Recap: 10/12-10/14

This weekend was a great weekend in the Valley, highlighted by Pascack Valley football defeating Wayne Hills and becoming the team to beat in Group 4 going forward. Girls Volleyball also had a big win, defeating Bergen County Tech in the first round of the Bergen County Tournament.

Girls Volleyball

Pascack Valley defeats Bergenfield 27-25, 25-15 (Friday)

With a county game awaiting on Sunday, it would have been easy for the Indians to overlook Bergenfield. Instead, Pascack Valley came out focused and took care of business, beating Bergenfield in straight sets.

The first set was a struggle for the Indians, but they found a way to survive 27-25. Valley had no problem after that, dominating the second set and taking the match in convincing fashion.

With this game now behind them, the Indians focused on their next test: The Bergen County Tournament.

Pascack Valley defeats Bergen County Tech 25-10, 25-16 (Sunday)

Pascack Valley, the nine seed in the Bergen County Tournament, had no problem handling Bergen Tech in the first round.

They cruised to a straight set victory, advancing to the second round which will take place next Sunday at 3:30 PM at Old Tappan.

Their opponent will be Fairlawn, who earned the 8 seed. They advanced by beating 25th seed Westwood 25-23, 25-21 on Sunday afternoon.

The Indians should not look past Fairlawn, but there is a tempting match up with 1st seeded IHA down the road.

Either way, this is the first step of what Pascack Valley hopes to be a great run through the Bergen County Tournament

Record: 12-3

Next Game: Tuesday, October 16th at 4:15 PM against Ramapo (Home)

Girls Tennis:

Next Game: Monday, October 15th at 4:15 PM against Mahwah (Home)

Girls Soccer:

Pascack Valley 1, Tenafly 1 (Friday)

Record: 8-3-2

Next Game: Tuesday, October 16th at 7 PM against Old Tappan (Home)

 Football:

Pascack Valley 35, Wayne Hills 21 (Friday)

In the past, Group 4 has always went to Wayne Hills. They have won the last two state titles over Old Tappan and are looking to contend for their third straight.

Unfortunately for them, there is a new team ready to take over the reins for the best team in Group 4: Pascack Valley.

On Friday Night, the Indians showed the rest of the state that they are a force to reckoned with, defeating Wayne Hills 35-21.

The first half went back and fourth with each teams scoring two touchdowns. At the break, the game was tied 14-14.

The Indians scored on the first possession of the second half, taking the 21-14 lead. After a muffed punt by the Indians, Wayne Hills tied up the score on a short touchdown pass. Going into the fourth quarter, the game was still tied.

The fourth quarter was dominated by the Indians, who were able to run all over the Patriots and score two fourth quarter touchdowns. Wayne Hills could not keep up with Valley's physicality  causing them to suffer because of it.

In the end, when people think of North 1 Group 4 football, it is time they start thinking of Pascack Valley instead of Wayne Hills.

Record: 6-0

Next Game: Friday, October 19th at 7 PM against Demarest (Away)

Boys Cross Country:

In the Boys Varsity Invitational, Senior standout Ben Malone limped to the finish line because of an injured hamstring. He hopes to run in the Bergen Meet of Champions, where he is the favorite to win this year's title.

Lets hope for a speedy recovery for the Villanova commit.


Next Meet: Saturday, October 20th (Darlington County Park)

Girls Cross Country:

In the Girls Varsity Invitational, Pascack Valley placed 19th out of 27 teams in the Varsity A race.

The race was only 4K (usually a 5K) and Bessie Zavidow finished 75th out of 186, earning a medal with a time of 17:28.

Next Meet: Saturday, October 20th (Darlington County Park)

Daily Recap : Thursday, October 11th

Girls Volleyball:

Old Tappan defeats Pascack Valley 25-18, 26-24

After falling to Old Tappan earlier in the season, Pascack Valley was hoping to get revenge on Thursday afternoon.

They put up a good fight but in the end, Old Tappan took the match in straight sets and kept their undefeated record alive.

The Indians were able to give Old Tappan a test, playing well in the first set before losing a couple of key points.

The second set closed the gap between Pascack Valley and Old Tappan even more. In the second set, the Indians were on point away from forcing a third. However, they could not finish and ended up losing 26-24 to end the match.

Their competitive games with a team like Old Tappan should only instill confidence into the Indians going forward.

Record: 10-3

Next Game: Friday, October 12th against Bergenfield at 4:15 (Away)

Boys Soccer

Pascack Valley 2, Tenafly 0

The Indians got their 7th win of the season Thursday night by defeating Tenafly 2-0.

Goals were scored by Senior Kieran Walsh and Junior Daulton Moro.

Senior Blake Ruzich was solid in goal, posting a shut out in front of the hometown crowd.

It seems as though this team is coming together and is ready to make a deep run into the state tournament down the road.

Record: 7-3-1

Next Game: Tuesday, October 16th at 7 PM against Old Tappan (Away)

Daily Recap: Tuesday, October 9th

Girls Volleyball:

Pascack Valley defeats Tenafly 25-18, 21-25, 25-13

In a game that was not seen as much of a threat, Girls Volleyball saw themselves in a dogfight against Tenafly on Tuesday afternoon.

After winning the opening set 25-18, Tenafly responded by winning the second 25-21 and taking the match to the third. 

The Indians did not mess around in the final set, easily winning 25-13 and taking the match 2 sets to 1.

This team has constantly improved throughout the season and seem to peaking at the right time. 

Record: 10-2

Next Game: Thursday, October 11th at 4:15 PM against Old Tappan (Home)

Girls Soccer:

Pascack Valley 7, Teaneck 0

The Indian offense exploded as Pascack Valley Girls Soccer rolled to a 7-0 victory over Teaneck on Tuesday night.

Morgan Bade led the scoring for the Indians with a hat trick. Sophomore Katie Gallagher, Senior Michelle Orden, and Junior Amelia Della Pesca each added a goal.

Even Senior Goalie Allison Waldman was a part of the scoring. She played the field during this game and ended up scoring her first goal of the season.

If the Indian offense can continue on this tear, they will hard to beat going forward.

Record: 8-3-1

Next Game: Friday, October 12th at 4:15 PM against Tenafly (Away)

Girls Tennis:

The Girls were cancelled because Tenafly was playing in states.

Next Game: Wednesday, October 10th at 4:15 PM against River Dell (Away)

Boys Cross Country:

In the Big North Championship, Pascack Valley was able to take 5th. 

Unsurprisingly, Senior Ben Malone was first by running a 16:03.

Another positive for the Indians was that all of their Varsity runners finished with a time under 19 minutes.

Girls Cross Country:

In the Big North Championship, the Girls team took 5th and looked like a dangerous squad.

Bessie Zavidow (14th) and Alice Urbiel both set personal bests by running 20:24 and 21:19 respectively. 

Kayla Begen took third with a time of 22:54, Caroline Morrow was fourth with 23:26, and Nicollete Lynch ran a 24:27, good for 5th on the team.

With one of their top runners injured, this has to be a positive result for the Indians. They had an average time of 22:30 and Senior Kayla Begen believes they are headed in the right direction.

"Hopefully we can come close to beating Demarest in the counties with our team 100%.

With runners like Zavidow and Urbiel, the sky is the limit for the Girls Cross Country Team. 

Daily Recap: Monday, October 8th

Only two sports (Boys Soccer and Tennis) were in action on Monday afternoon. Let's see how the results played out.

Boys Soccer:

Pascack Valley 3, Teaneck 2

The Indians bounced back nicely from their opening round loss in the Bergen County Tournament against Paramus. On Monday, they defeated Teaneck 3-2 in what seemed like a close game throughout.

The goals were scored by Danny White, Dante Cassano, and Ryan Coyle.

The counties may be over, but Pascack Valley must still pursue their goal as league champions.

Record: 6-3-1

Next Game: Thursday, October 11th at 7 PM against Tenafly (Home)

Girls Tennis:

Monday afternoon wasn't the best for Pascack Valley on the tennis courts.Most of the varsity matches were won my Demarest.

Next Match: Tuesday, October 9th at 4:15 PM against Tenafly (Away)

Weekend Recap: 10/5 - 10/7

Girls Soccer:

Pascack Valley 1, Demarest 0 (Friday)

Pascack Valley Girls Soccer took the next step on Friday afternoon after defeating one of the best teams in the league in Demarest.

It was only a matter of time before this team began to show its true colors. The defense was solid once again and although only scoring one goal, the chemistry on offense was definitely apparent.

This is exactly the type of statement win the Indians needed to show the rest of the county that this win streak is not a fluke. 

IHA 1, Pascack Valley 0 (Sunday)

Sunday marked the second round of the Bergen County Tournament and Pascack Valley looked to continue their winning ways.

After defeating Dumont in the first round, the Indians took on IHA for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Defenses stole the show in this match as the game was scoreless going into double overtime.

In the end, Pascack Valley suffered a heart breaker. IHA scored in double overtime and sent Pascack Valley home by the score of 1-0  

With the state tournament still up for grabs, Pascack Valley must stay focused and look to accomplish the other goal they set during preseason.

A state championship.

Record: 7-3-1

Next Game: Tuesday, October 9th at 7 PM against Teaneck (Home)

Girls Tennis:

The Indians dominated Teaneck on Friday afternoon, winning all 10 matches between both the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels.

After a couple of rough matches, this should be what gets Pascack Valley back on track.

Next Match: Monday, October 8th at 4:15 PM against Demarest (Home)

Girls Volleyball:

Pascack Valley defeats Teaneck 25-15, 25-15 (Friday)

Pascack Valley bounced back nicely after losing to Demarest by handily defeating Teaneck in straight sets.

The Indians were able to overcome some adversity and get back to their winning ways.

Record: 9-2

Next Game: Tuesday, October 9th at 4:15 PM against Tenafly (Away)

Boys Cross Country:

In the Shore Coaches Invitational, Ben Malone came in first place for Pascack Valley and the Boys team finished 17th out of the 29 teams.

It was a solid all-around effort by the Indians.

Next Meet: The Big North Championship on Tuesday, October 9th at 2 PM (Darlington County Park)

Girls Cross Country:

Bessie Zavidow (22:57), Alice Urbiel (23:39), and Amanda Digiona (24:53) led the Indians at the Shore Coaches Invitational.

Everyone ran a strong race in what might be the toughest courses they will run on all year.

Next Meet: Saturday, October 20th at 12:15 PM (Darlington County Park)

Football:

Pascack Valley 32, Passaic Valley 0 (Saturday)

With a match up with Wayne Hills right around the corner, it could have been easy for Pascack Valley to overlook Passaic Valley, who is 2-2 on the season.

Although it wasn't the prettiest, the Indians took care of business and defeated the Green Hornets 32-0.

Offensively, receiver Billy Beattie caught a touchdown pass from Kyle Schneider.

The other touchdowns came by a fumble recovery in the end zone (Scott Culmone), a 35 yard run by Junior Jimmy Butle, and a touchdown run by Senior Chris Garcia.

The defense was stout once again, allowing no points and giving up few first downs.

The focus now turns to Wayne Hills, a team that has beaten Pascack Valley 6 straight times. That will change Friday night when the Indians show Bergen County that the Group 4 State Championship goes through Pascack Valley, not Wayne Hills.

Record: 5-0

Next Game: Friday, October 12th at 6 PM against Wayne Hills (Home)

Daily Recap: Thursday, October 4th

Thursday was a tough day for varsity sports. Volleyball and Soccer both suffered tough losses to a couple of the best teams in the county. Despite the losses, these experiences will help each team down the road.

Boys Soccer:

Paramus 3, Pascack Valley 1

In the first round of the Bergen County Tournament, Paramus was able to defeat Pascack Valley 3-1.

It was a tough game for the Indians, who seemed to be out of sync for most of the contest.

Part of that may have had to do with the weather. Lightning caused the match to be delayed an hour and a half, disrupting the flow of the game.

In the end, the Indians could not match the offensive firepower of Paramus and suffered because of it.

Record: 5-3-1

Next Game: Monday, October 8th at 4:15 PM against Teaneck (Away)

Girls Volleyball

Demarest defeats Pascack Valley 25-20, 25-11

The third time was not the charm for the Indians.

After defeating this team twice so far, Pascack Valley was unable to defeat Demarest on Thursday afternoon.

The first set went back and fourth, but Demarest was eventually able to gain control and take the set.

Although the second set did not seem as close, that certainly was not the case. There were many long volleys in the set and Demarest was fortunate enough to win the majority of them.

This was the first loss in a while for the Indians. They will realize what they need to improve on and hopefully come out better because of it.

Record: 8-2

Next Game: Friday, October 5th at 4:15 against Teaneck (Home)

***As a side note, I just wanted to wish my twin sister Corinne a Happy Birthday. Hope you had a great day***

Daily Recap: Tuesday, October 2nd

Although Girls Tennis was postponed on Tuesday, Girls Soccer and Volleyball still got the chance to play. Both teams extended their winning streaks and seem to be peaking at the right time.

Girls Volleyball:

Pascack Valley defeats Hackensack 25-9, 25-22

The Indians improved to 8-1 in league play after their straight set win against Hackensack on Monday afternoon.

The first game was dominated by Pascack Valley and Senior Julianna Tarasenko. She served 16 straight points for the Indians who went on to win the first set with ease.

The second set was more of a struggle, but the Indians were up for the challenge. In the end, Hackensack was the latest victim to fall to this exceptional Valley squad.

Record: 8-1

Next Game: Thursday, October 4th at 4:15 PM against Demarest (Away)

Girls Soccer:

Pascack Valley 3, Hackensack 0

The Pascack Valley Girls Soccer team continued their winning streak with a big 3-0 over Hackensack.

The offense was solid for the Indians, who received goals from Seniors Erin Smith and Michelle Orden along with Junior Amelia Della Pesca.

More importantly, the defense shined for the Indians. Kelsey Witt, Sara Petro, and Alexa McManus were stout and Kim Pane and Allison Waldman both played well in goal.

Record: 6-2-1

Next Game: Friday, October 5th at 4:15 PM against Demarest

Daily Recap: Monday, October 1st

Boys Soccer ruled the show on Monday night. After a tie with Paramus Catholic and a 2-0 loss to Ramapo, the Indians were determined to come out and put up a solid effort against a good Hackensack team.

Boys Soccer

Pascack Valley 5, Hackensack 3

Monday night was the coming out party for the Indian offense. There have been too many times this season where Senior Blake Ruzich would have to play tremendous just to keep the game close. In this game however, the offense carried the load, making it an easy night for Ruzich..

Hackensack took the early 1-0 lead, but Pascack Valley responded quickly with a goal from Junior Chris Jackson.

Kevin Shea then gave the Indians the lead, only to have Hackensack tie it up once again a few minutes later.

Right before the half, Senior Kieran Walsh scored on a free kick to give PV a 3-2 lead going into the break. 

Walsh continued his solid play into the second half, ripping a 35 yarder past the Hackensack goalie to extend the lead to 4-2.

Jackson made it 5-2 on his second goal of the game and at that point, the contest was out of reach.

Hackensack did add another goal before the end of the game, but it did not matter. In the end, Boys Soccer had gotten back to their winning ways with a 5-3 win.

Record: 5-2-1

Next Game: Thursday, October 4th at 4:15 PM against Demarest (Home)