Brian Heyman

New York

Contributor at Newsday

Sports Writer at Freelance

Award-winning sportswriter in the New York area. Covers professional, college and high school topics.

Articles

Liberty prove too much for expansion Golden State

1 week ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

This was a sight Tuesday night that had never been seen before inside Barclays Center. The Golden State Valkyries were here to play the Liberty. The expansion team brought along a popular piece of the Liberty’s fabric from the past two years in Kayla Thornton. Oftentimes, “not good” is a good way to describe a first-year team. But the Valkyries were off to a good start, winning two of their first three, although those victories weren’t against the league’s elite. The Liberty are in that upper class.
Chris Desiderio, Garden City sweep their way into championship series

1 week ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

Walk, single, single — bases loaded, nobody out for East Meadow. Chris Desiderio had an early problem to try and solve on the mound for Garden City. The Trojans were trying to complete a two-game sweep in the Nassau Class AA semis and move on to the championship series. The teams were scoreless in the second Saturday at East Meadow. “I just knew I had to bear down, pitch to contact, throw strikes,” Desiderio said. “Got the bottom of the order up.
Freshman Chase Eichele's OT goal gives Holy Trinity lacrosse the state CHSAA Class B intersectional title

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

Matt Mullin gathered his players on their Kutner Field turf before the start of the fourth quarter. The Holy Trinity coach laid out the situation in this boys lacrosse championship game against Archbishop Molloy — 12 minutes left in the season, down a goal. “How are you going to respond?” Mullin asked them. As it turned out, there were more than 12 minutes left. And these Titans will be remembered for responding again and again and again.
Keaveney leads Plainedge boys lax to nail-biting win

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

Plainedge led by three at halftime. Lynbrook rallied to tie it. Plainedge led by four in the fourth. Lynbrook rallied to almost tie it. These boys lacrosse teams desperately wanted a ticket to Hofstra, craved that berth in the Nassau Class C semis. But it was the third-seeded Red Devils who managed to hold off No. 6 Lynbrook, 12-11, in Thursday’s quarterfinal on their home turf. “As much as we didn’t play well, we still won,” coach Dan Achatz said. “And in the end, nobody cares about the score.
John Kesler ushers in a family feel for the Long Island Ducks

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

Sports Jobs: One in a series exploring jobs Long Islanders have in the world of sports. John Kesler was wiping down two rain-soaked field box seats for James Alessi and his 3-year-old, Sofia. Dad and daughter were at Fairfield Properties Ballpark to catch the Ducks-Gastonia Ghost Peppers game from the second row of Section 104, looking out at home plate. Alessi wore a Mets cap and he stopped to admire the ink work on Kesler’s Mets-related tattoo.
Liberty celebrate championship with opening win

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

The people who made it happen walked out one by one to slip on their XL-sized championship rings. The seafoam banner emblazoned with “WNBA CHAMPIONS” then headed up on a flight from the court as the music played and the fan appreciation poured inside Barclays Center. And then the ball rose and dropped on a new year of Liberty basketball.
Liberty's Natasha Cloud a ball of fire on court, in locker room

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

This is Natasha Cloud, regularly trying to slash to the basket and score or find an open friend: “If I’m not being aggressive at the rim, if I’m not putting pressure on defenses to commit to me, then I’m doing a disservice to all my teammates around me.” And this is Natasha Cloud, always trying to bring those teammates together, a ball of energy rolling into the locker room: “Whether that’s me walking in and yelling every morning, whether I have it or not, ‘Good morning!’ You try and...
Half Hollow Hills boys lacrosse tops Huntington

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

Connor Hagans mentioned before the season that there was “unfinished business” for his Half Hollow Hills team after falling in the Long Island Class A title game last May. The coach has a prolific UNC-bound senior who knows what finished lacrosse business would look like. “Going all the way and winning the state championship,” Anthony Raio said.
Adelphi women's lax moves on in NCAA D-II tournament

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

Marielle Colalillo scored the tiebreaking goal from in close with 30.2 seconds left in regulation, and Adelphi had the perfect prospective ending against New Haven:Former New Haven player beats her old team, sending Adelphi to the NCAA Division II women’s lacrosse quarterfinals. One problem — the 30.2 seconds left. It wasn’t the end yet in this second-round thriller Saturday at Motamed Field in Garden City. The Chargers tied it with 17.5 seconds left. But the Panthers didn’t blink.
Liberty relish being defending WNBA champs, but spice up preseason by thinking 'repeat'

4 weeks ago | newsday.com | Brian Heyman

The confetti was falling and the joy was rising inside Barclays Center. This was the night of Oct. 20, 2024, a night like no other in Liberty history. They worked an overtime shift and won Game 5 of the WNBA Finals against Minnesota to claim the franchise’s first championship in season No. 28. “It was incredible,” Sabrina Ionescu said, flashing back after a training camp practice this week at Barclays.