Nachum Segal presents Elliot Weiselberg on JM in the AM to deliver the Yeshiva League Sports (YLS) Update. Tune in for the latest Yeshiva League hockey and basketball information, as well as, the occasional update on other sports happenings in the Jewish world. A transcript of this week's update is below.
Thanks Nachum!
Presidents Day provides a week short on games, but big on action as we work our way toward the Yeshiva League semifinals. Today on the Tuesday Morning JM in the AM Sports Update, Magen David and HANC play close contests in both varsity leagues, the battle of the Big Cats provides a shakeup in JV Hockey and a pair of first-time winners in Varsity Hockey completes a milestone for the league. All that and more straight ahead, good morning, I’m Elliot Weiselberg.
We start out in varsity hockey, where the first round was capped off by a pair of first-time winners. Out West, 5th seed Ohr Yisroel pulled off an upset, blanking Ramaz 4-0 for the school’s first-ever playoff victory. The Flames will now advance to play East top-seed, defending champion DRS in the Quarterfinal opener tonight on Long Island with the winner to face the winner of next Monday night’s matchup between West #2 Frisch and another first-time playoff winner, East 3rd seed YDE. The Thunder advance by knocking off 6th seed Rambam 8-0. With the wins, YDE and Ohr Yisroel make it official, all teams competing in the varsity league have earned at least one playoff win. The last matchup of the first round and the only first-round matchup to not end in a shutout, saw East 5 seed HANC upset 4th seed Magen David 3-1, to advance to take on West top- seed SAR next Monday night, as the Hurricanes look to work their way back to the finals.
In JV, Frisch pulled off the upset over 4th seed DRS 4-1, Gavi Lisker breaking a 1-1 tie with 29 seconds left in the 2nd period to avenge a regular season loss to the Wildcats in Frisch only a few weeks ago, and advance to the semifinals where the Cougars will take on their Route 4 rivals, top seed TABC. The regular season meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-1 tie, the only blemish on TABC’s perfect season.
In Varsity Basketball. The quarterfinal picture was completed Tuesday night with a nailbiter one floor up from the hockey matchup between HANC and Magen David, where the basketball squads were fighting for the same prize. This one, however, would belong to Magen David, but not without a fight as the 3rd seed Warriors escaped with a 4-point victory 62-58. Magen David will advance to take on West 2nd seed Ramaz on Thursday night. The last time these two teams met up in this same scenario was the 2021-2022 postseason, where Ramaz took the win and also went on to take the Yeshiva League title. The winner of that game will move on to face the winner of Saturday night’s matchup between Hillel and East #1 DRS, while on the other side of the bracket, West #1 Frisch will face North Shore tomorrow night and East #2 Flatbush will host SAR on Thursday.
JV Basketball will crowd their quarterfinals into this short week, as three games will take place tomorrow and one Thursday. Tomorrow night will see West #2 Frisch take on North Shore and East #1 Magen David meet up with JEC. The winners of those two will face in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Hillel makes the trek up to Brooklyn and #2 Flatbush tomorrow night and DRS will face West top seed TABC on Thursday.
As the action lessens, we can turn our focus to a few other leagues currently in playoffs. In Girls Varsity Basketball, Frisch and SKA are set to do battle in the semifinals tomorrow night. SKA, the East top seed defeated Wild Card qualifier HAFTR while Frisch knocked off East #3 Flatbush. On the other side of the bracket, North Shore, winners over West #3 Hillel will take on West Champion SAR next Monday night. SAR advancing easily over Ramaz in the quarterfinal round.
Finally, in Girls JV Basketball, the semifinals are an all-West affair, as 2nd seed SAR will face 3rd seed Maayanot next Monday night, and Frisch will take on Wild Card qualifier Hillel, who advanced into the round with a 4 point win over host 4th seed Flatbush.
And that was your Tuesday Morning JM in the AM Sports Update, I’m Elliot Weiselberg.