Top Bellmore Sports Stories of 2012

It's been a year of accomplishments for the athletes of Bellmore. 

Here's a look at some of the top sports stories that were featured on Bellmore Patch in 2012.

11. Yankees GM Visits 'Bald Vinny' for Roll Call: "Bald" Vinny Milano, a Bellmore resident and chief "Bleacher Creature" for the New York Yankees, got a visit from Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman during a game against the Detroit Tigers.

10. Bellmore United U-11 Soccer team defeats Utica to go to State Finals: The Bellmore United, a U-11 boys travel soccer team from the Bellmore P.A.L. went to up to Utica and defeated the Utica Coliseum 3-2 in the Eastern NY Challenge Cup semifinals.

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9. North Bellmore-North Merrick Little League Team to Play in State Final: The North Bellmore-North Merrick Rebels U-12 baseball team defeated Commack 6-1 to move one win away from the New York State championship. 

8. Pirates Top Cougars in Homecoming Showdown: With the bleachers packed as a part of Mepham High School's homecoming celebration, the Pirates (1-1-0) rose to the challenge and defeated visiting Kennedy (0-2-0) 27-7.

7. Bellmore Native Signs with Rangers' AHL Affiliate: Matt Gilroy, the Bellmore native who played two seasons as a part of the New York Rangers, signed with the team's AHL affiliate, the Connecticut Whale.

6. Bellmore Cancer Survivor Honored at Hofstra: An Ovarian Cancer survivor from Bellmore was recently honored at a Hofstra sporting event aimed at raising awareness about the deadly disease.

5. Kennedy Graduate Takes Top Honors in Tennis Tournament: Scott Lipsky, a Merrick native, and his tennis partner, Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico, recently took home the championship title at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in the men's doubles finals.

4. Judith Salerno Inducted into Hall of Fame: Judith Salerno, an administrator in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, was inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

3. Buckets for Breast Cancer Fundraising Team Hits Their Stride: Buckets for Breast Cancer is a double-elimination three-on-three basketball tournament that kicked off its third year. 

2. Mepham Kickline Continues its Winning Ways: In local competitions, the team has earned Long Island Championship titles in lyrical and in pom for four consecutive years. 

1. Kennedy Boys Volleyball Wins State Title: The Cougars clinched the title with three straight wins against Lake Shore at Westhampton Middle School. The scores of the games were 25-17, 25-20 and 25-16.