St. William the Abbot Caps Championship Basketball Season at Hofstra

The girls basketball team recently capped its championship season by having the opportunity to play before a large crowd at Hofstra University’s Mack Sports Complex.

St. William the Abbot played a scrimmage at halftime of the Hofstra-George Mason women’s basketball game on Feb. 24 that was attended by 727 fans as part of “Family Fun Day.” The opportunity for the Seaford catholic school to take the court at the Mack Sports Complex was helped by St. William the Abbot assistant coach Meg Thieke, who played at Hofstra from 1992-1997 under her maiden name Meg O’Brien and is the program’s ninth leading scorer of all time.

In addition to playing at halftime of the Hofstra-George Mason contest, the St. William the Abbot players also had a chance to sit in the Pride locker room prior to the start of the game. The St. William the Abbot team also got to stand with the players as the starting lineups were announced. The team then cheered from the stands and watched Hofstra defeat Colonial Athletic Association rival George Mason 77-69.

“It was a great experience,” said St. William the Abbot head coach Jim Seidell “It was a lot of fun and a real good moment for them.”

 The experience playing on the Hofstra court came a week after St. William the Abbot captured the Nassau County Catholic Middle School Athletic Association league title over Our Lady of Peace in Lynbrook and completed the season 16-1. “It was a big culmination for us,” said Coach Seidell. “It was a very rewarding experience.”

Seidell said he is hopeful that his team can play again at Hofstra next year after having such an enjoyable experience. “I really appreciate what Hofstra has done for the outreaching to kids,” he said. “I really can’t thank them enough for what they did for us.”