The St. Tikhon’s pickup basketball team squared off against the formidable St. Vladimir’s again this past Friday afternoon.

The St. Tikhon’s team packed up after lunch and made the two and half hour drive to Yonkers. After a visit to the bookstore and some pre-game banter with the locals, they set off for Hooperstown, the basketball facility nearby, where they met their opponents sneaker to sneaker. Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Chancellor of St. Vladimir’s, opened the game with a prayer and encouraging words for both teams.

Despite an effort unmatched in recent Orthodox Theological Seminary basketball history, St. Tikhon’s lost to St. Vladimir’s by “a considerable amount,” one spectator recalled. “The boys from PA just couldn’t get their defense, or offense for that matter, together in time. St. Vlad’s came out strong and stayed strong.”

The evening was rounded out by a generous pizza dinner hosted by St. Vladimir’s in their own Germack Hall, where the Orthodox Inter-Seminary Movement (OISM) was also gathered. Seminarians from Holy Cross (Boston) and Holy Trinity (Jordanville) were also in attendance. After some encouraging fellowship, the St. Tikhon’s boys gathered in the van for the late night drive home. Their heads were held high as they strategized for next year; optimistically anticipating that the top four players from St. Vladimir’s would graduate in May.

If you would like to join the St. Tikhon’s basketball team (and attend seminary), be sure to attend the upcoming Vocations Retreat, titled: “The Priest: A Vessel of Clay in the Potter’s Hand.” For more information, click here. 

(Story written and edited by seminarians Dn. John Kennerk and Andrew Nelko)