Stanners Cheer for Varsity Boys on Alumni Night

On Friday, January 24th, alumni and friends gathered for a special Alumni Night celebration, which featured a buffet of food and beverages, good company, and plenty of opportunities to catch up with other Stanners. With many alumni still home for college break, and others eager to start 2014 on the right foot, this chilly January night proved to be the perfect time to bring our community together. Highlighting the evening was a matchup between Molloy’s boys Varsity basketball team and rival Holy Cross HS. As our guests took their seats in the VIP section on the stage, the boys hit the hardwood under the direction of Coach Mike McCleary. To this point in the 2013-14 campaign the boys had been playing aggressive, smart ball, but they would need to continue that trend to top Holy Cross, who are right on their heels in the league standings. The Stanners were behind in the opening minutes, but quickly regained the lead by the end of the first quarter. At the conclusion of the first half the Stanners were up by four, leaving alumni on the edge of their seats before they would make their way to the Capt. Marsloe Gym for refreshments. Members of Molloy’s faculty, including John Diorio, Rich Rodgers ’65, Ed Shannon ’84, and Chris DeSarno also took this opportunity to mingle with alumni, which always makes for great conversations.

As the second half tipped off our Varsity boys were confident they would maintain the lead through the night. Star guard CJ Davis ‘ 14 was again on top of his game, putting up double digits in points and displaying his leadership up and down the court. A few impressive threes, however, allowed Holy Cross to jump back into the game. While the score remained tight until the final seconds, Molloy would ultimately drop the decision 72-67. Despite the loss, alumni were treated to an exciting game featuring some of Molloy’s best athletes. “It was an electric Friday night at the Jack Curran Gymnasium because it was packed with students, faculty and alumni representing the past five decades,” said President Richard Karsten ’81. Among those in attendance included Bob Corrigan ’63, Jim Kiernan ’63 and Tom Sarosy ’63, who are frequent spectators at Molloy basketball games throughout the year. In addition, Sean McHugh ’93 saw this event as the perfect opportunity to further introduce his son Jack McHugh to the school. Jack was recently accepted into Molloy and will begin his Stanner career in September as a member of the Class of 2018. Thank you to everyone who made it out for this event. We hope to host more alumni nights coinciding with our teams’ schedules in the future, so keep reading The Beehive for more info as it becomes available. In the meantime, browse our photo gallery below and see if you recognize a classmate or two! (Pictured above: President Karsten welcomes Fordham’s Coach Tom Pecora)

CLICK HERE to browse the full photo gallery from Alumni Night.

Classes of ’64 & ’74 Get Early Start on Reunion Plans

Following the success of last year’s Stanner Alumni Reunion, the classes of 1964 and 1974 are hoping to break records of their own as they look toward their 50th and 40th anniversary reunions this coming November 1st, 2014. Greg Spano, ’64, Tom Kraemer ’64, and other dedicated class officers have already been reaching out to other members of the Class of 1964 for the better part of a year now. Why such an early start? The Class of 1964 just happens to be the largest class of graduates in Stanner history. It’s a great claim to fame, but when it comes time to reunite there’s a lot more legwork involved! Luckily the Class of 1964 is passionate about Molloy, and many remain close to the school and each other. As for the Class of 1974, Paul Galbraith ’74, Daniel Rizzi ’74, Tom Lynch ’74, and other alumni are working hard to recruit their classmates to attend the reunion as well. Of course after 40 years it’s easy for many of our alumni to find themselves living and working all across the globe, but with the seamless integration of social media in our daily lives, it has become easier than ever to stay in touch with friends both old and new no matter where they are. With this in mind, the Class of 1974 has taken to Facebook to plan and coordinate outreach, meetings, travel arrangements, and other finite details regarding the November reunion.

“It seems like it was just yesterday that we were standing together eating lunch in Molloy’s cafeteria,” said Rizzi in an email sent to dozens of alumni. “The Class of 1974 was very special – with excellent people, superior academic accomplishments and unsurpassed athletic achievements, including NYC Championships in virtually every sport in which we competed. Our 40th anniversary reunion is a milestone that warrants as big a celebration and gathering of classmates as possible.” Rizzi has invited anyone from Molloy’s Class of 1974 to join this Facebook group page, which will help each member to stay well informed about all aspects of reunion planning throughout the year.

Around the School

GNYSAA to Honor Molloy Student Athletes

The Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance is set to honor two Stanners later this month for their outstanding performance on and off the field. John Young ’14 and Liam Slattery ’14 will be two of three honorees receiving a $1,000 grant for their college education. The GNYSAA has existed for 70 years as the umbrella organization for all of Sandlot Baseball in the five boroughs and outer counties. The organization represents over 25,000 children playing baseball in New York. Its affiliates are of elite stature including Major League Baseball, the Baseball Tomorrow’s Fund, and RBI Baseball (Rebuilding Baseball in Inner Cities). GNYSAA’s annual awards dinner celebrates its hard-working players with recognition for excellence in academics and athletics as well as involvement in the community. “John and Liam are two of three honorees representing Molloy this year, which is a rare accomplishment. They are both outstanding student athletes and pillars of their communities in Floral Park and New Hyde Park,” said Coach Lou Santos. Lou is intricately involved with the GNYSAA and was last year’s “Hero of the Sandlot” honoree for his 50 years of coaching baseball in New York, including several decades here at Molloy. A panel consisting of GNYSAA’s President Victor Feld and members of its scholarship committee worked together to select these two outstanding Stanners. The event will take place on Thursday, February 28th at Russo’s on the Bay. Visit http://www.gnysaa.org/ for more information on the GNYSAA and this event. (Pictured left to right: Varsity Baseball Coach Brad Lyons, John Young ’14, GNYSAA President Victor Feld, Liam Slattery ’14, and Coach Lou Santos)

Girls Team to be Featured on MSG Varsity

MSG Varsity will broadcast the Nazareth Vs. Molloy Varsity basketball game on February 12th. The game will be streamed live on www.msgvarsity.com and will re-air on channel 614 (only on Optimum) 48 hours after completion. Be sure to tune in and cheer for Molloy!

Robert Kissane ’74 was recently interviewed by Crain’s NY Business Magazine regarding his work with nonprofit organizations. Mr. Kissane currently serves on the boards for Human Rights Watch, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Poet’s House, and the CUNY School of Professional Studies Foundation. He brings 35 plus years of experience at CCS (an elite consulting and fundraising firm) to these organizations, demonstrating his leadership and keen insights into fundraising strategies as well as the influence of the stock market on these strategies. Mr. Kissane is also a dedicated Stanner as he has supported the mission of Archbishop Molloy High School for many years. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

Dennis O’Grady ’07, who pitched last year for the Class “A” team affiliate of the San Diego Padres, has received an official invite to Major League Spring Training camp this spring. Dennis will report to the Padres’ training complex in Peoria, Arizona in this month and hope to impress his coaches with a strong showing. Dennis compiled a 3.86 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 10 saves in 54 games during the 2013 season.

Matthew Zay ’09 is currently up for nomination for the Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the nation’s top college hockey player. The award, known to some as the “Heisman of Hockey”, is an online vote driven entirely by fans across the nation. Matt is a junior left wing representing the Mercyhurst Lakers out of Erie, PA. The is a 6’1″ 190lb star athlete was at one point this season tied for fourth in NCAA Division 1 scoring with 32 points. He earned the Atlantic Hockey Association’s Player of the Month in December and ranks seventh in the country in points per game  with 1.45. Matt is a leading scorer for the Lakers and ranks in the team’s top two for assists this season. He had a recent stretch of scoring in 19 of 22 games played, which included a career best 15 game point-scoring streak from October 12th through December 14th. He has a propensity for rising to the occasion in crunch time, ranking in the top five nationally for game-tying goals as well as goals scored in the third period. Matt is also ranked in the top five nationally for shorthanded points. If you would like to support Matt as he battles it out for this award, you can VOTE HERE. Voting will take place for the next several months and each voter can cast one vote every 24 hours. Good luck, Matt!

Arthur Tringali ’79 is proud to announce that his son Matthew was born on January 7th. Matthew entered the world at 8lb 12oz and 21″. Arthur’s daughter, Siobhan, was born on in August, 2011, and while she may have gotten a head start on her brother, they are very happy to have each other.

We are saddened to share the passing of Robert Brunetti, father of Anthony ’01. He is survived by his wife, two sons and loving granddaughter. Please pray for Robert and the Brunetti family during this difficult time.