Goldstein was supposed to have two PSAL Class B titles by now, earning the top seed in the playoffs two straight seasons. But the Dolphins were stunned twice in the semifinals by FDR and then Campus Magnet last year.
Maybe the secret is avoiding that No. 1 spot.
No. 4 Goldstein got over the hump Saturday, upsetting No. 1 Scholars Academy, 25-22, 26-24, in the PSAL Class B semifinals at York College. The Dolphins will meet division rival and No. 3 Fort Hamilton in the championship match 5:30 p.m. Monday at Hunter College.
“It feels good to actually advance and break the curse finally,” senior setter Rashelle Ripa said.
Goldstein (9-2) didn’t have the greatest regular season. The Dolphins dropped matches in Brooklyn B6 to Fort Hamilton and FDR. But since that loss to FDR on Oct. 17, they have been red hot. They beat Fort Hamilton on Oct. 25 in league play and beat them in the finals of two tournaments in one weekend, the PSAL ‘B’ tournament and at Seward Park.
When first-year coach Adrian Bucchalter was asked what the secret to the team’s recent success has been, he smiled and shook his head.
“The secret is Kristen Herchenroder,” said Bucchalter, who took over this year for program architect Tzion Halali. “She’s the secret. She can teach the whole city how to be a captain. She can mentor every captain of every sport how to be captain.”
Herchenroder, whose sister Catherine played Division I volleyball at Lafayette, had four kills, five digs and two aces against defending champion Scholars Academy (14-1). Nicole Maisonet had five kills and Ripa had nine assists.
Bucchalter said it was huge for Herchenroder and Ripa, the team’s two longest tenured seniors, to make the final. Ripa missed last season with a torn ACL and Herchenroder has been the team’s star since she was a sophomore.
They finally have a shot at that elusive championship in the year people didn’t expect them to do it.
“It feels even better than I thought it would,” Herchenroder said. “It’s just so nice to see us come together as a team. I think we can do it again and I hope we can go all the way.”
No. 3 Fort Hamilton 2, No. 2 Riverdale/Kingsbridge 1: Down 24-23 in the third set, Sarina Rozek had a kill and Brittany Minondo had back-to-back service aces to give Fort Hamilton a thrilling, 21-25, 25-17, 25-23 win. The Tigers meet No. 4 Goldstein in the final 5:30 p.m. Monday at York College.
It was experience against top-notch teams that gave Fort Hamilton (9-1) the advantage in such a tight battle, coach Richard Sherry said. The Tigers competed in as many tournaments and scrimmages as they possibly could, building for a moment like this.
“We faced everyone who would face us – from Wagner to Poly Prep,” Sherry said. “Anybody. All that preparation really came through today.”
Fort Hamilton beat Goldstein once in league play early in the season, but the Dolphins have beaten the Tigers the last three times – once in league play and twice in tournament finals.
“I told my girls, we want to face them because if you want to be city champions you gotta beat the best,” said Sherry, whose team actually won PSAL Brooklyn B6. “Goldstein is the best.”
Fort Hamilton has a chance to be just that Monday, though. It might not have been possible if the Tigers didn’t challenge themselves against ‘A’ teams, CHSAA teams and private school teams in the regular season. Riverdale/Kingsbridge finishes 12-1.
“We’ve become more confident in each other,” Rozek said. “In the beginning we’d always feel like we’re weaker. We’re scared. Now we’ve played and beaten many good teams. It brought us to where we are.”