The LoHud Girls Lacrosse Blog

One of the most promising young players in the section is relocating. Brewster’s Lindsay Biondi (an All-American in just her sophomore year) is moving to Ithaca after a superb season. She led Brewster to the Class B semifinals, where the Bears came within one goal of overtaking Fox Lane. She finished the season with 61 goals and 29 assists, and will surely be a Division 1 recruit.

CORRECTION: Biondi actually finished with 76 goals and 30 assists. We have the correct stats for most players, but apparently we didn’t receive all of Brewster’s games.

I’ll have more on that in a story which should be in the paper sometime in the next week…

Biondi’s departure got me thinking about players who other team’s are losing, and which teams have the most coming back. In an end-of-the-season exercise, I’ve sorted through all of the major teams in each class to give you an idea of which teams are best positioned to compete for section titles next season. I’ve also included an early edition all-star team, filled with the best returning players in the section.

Here’s what I came up with:

(For those who missed it, here is the link to my full 2011 all-star teams.)

Class A

1. Lakeland/Panas

Key returning players: Emma Bozek, Chyna Hill, Alexa Bonnes, Allie O’Mara, Megan Bradbury.

Key losses: Anna Jeszeck, Melissa Hanson.

Notes: As usual, the Rebels are losing a couple of D1-bound players in Jeszeck and Hanson. But as usual, there’s plenty left in the cupboard for coach Sharon Sarsen to work with. Bozek and Bonnes should provide a dynamic one-two scoring punch. Bozek in particular showed the ability to carry a team in the postseason. The defense also learned to play without its leader in Hanson when she was shifted to midfield. The return of Hill, O’Mara and Rachel Bard should ensure that the defensive unit doesn’t miss a beat. L/P is in good shape for its sixth straight section title.

2. North Rockland

Key returning players: Kaitlyn Rau, Katie Lonergan, Tara Monaghan, Erin Dowd, Jeanie Peluso.

Key losses: Taylor Moore, Brenna Priest.

Notes: Some thought that this past season would be the one in which the Red Raiders finally got past Suffern, but that turned out not to be the case. North Rockland went 0-3 against its chief rival this season, but the games were close enough to provide a glimmer of hope. Coach Greg Borchers is losing the best pure scorer in the county (Moore) and his best defensive player (Priest), but that’s about it. With a full season under her belt, Lonergan should be one of the top goalies in the section next season. And while Rau — who had a major coming out party this season — will have to get used to playing without Moore drawing so much attention, she has the skills to emerge as a go-to player.

3. Suffern

Key returning players: Lely DeSimone, Bailey Parrott.

Key losses: Lindsey Walker, Allie Califano, Emily Mulligan, Meg McNally, Danielle Ruthberg.

Notes: It would be foolish to count out the Mounties after they have continuously proven themselves to be Lakeland/Panas’ biggest threat, year in and year out. But the losses from last season’s team are significant, which will force Suffern to rely on its young core of incoming freshman. DeSimone (who is entering her senior season) is an early favorite for Rockland player of the year, and she’s going to need to provide even more of a scoring punch as the obvious go-to player. A John Callanan coached team should always be counted on for solid defense, but freshmen such as Parrott and Regina Sharp are going to need to help ease the burden on DeSimone.

Not far behind…: Clarkstown South, Mahopac, Mamaroneck

Class B

1. Fox Lane

Key returning players: Sammy Jo Tracy, Sydney Stern, Kendall Marianacci, Kailey O’Hagan, Kate Burbank, Lexi Cannon.

Key losses: Lindsay Toppe, Aly Dowey.

Notes: It was a very tough call to move the Foxes ahead of the defending champions from Yorktown, but there’s a couple of reasons why I think this may be the case. The only significant losses for coach Bill Broggy are Toppe and Dowey; other than those two, they return just about everyone from a team which was probably the second best in the section. Toppe’s scoring ability will be missed, but I believe that Tracy is the undisputed top player in the section heading into next season. Her drive to win alone should get this team back to the finals. Mix in dynamic offensive players such as Stern and O’Hagan, and the Foxes should remain very tough to beat. The defense will be a question mark, but Marianacci flashed some big time ability in net.

2. Yorktown

Key returning players: Katie Frederick, Stefanie Ranagan, Gaby Berne, Bianca & Heather Raniolo.

Key losses: Lindsay & Sarah Scott, Katy Cartelli, Marissa Makar, Nikki Fioretti, Aileen Kurpis, Lisa Littleton.

Notes: The losses for the ‘Huskers are difficult to overlook. Coach Ellen Mager will have to find ways to replace the Westchester/Putnam player of the year, another first-team all-star, and two second-teamers. That’s a tall task for any program. But if there’s one that we have come to expect to remain in contention every year, it’s Yorktown. The town boasts one of the best youth programs of any in the section, and the ‘Huskers are also bringing back arguably the top returning goalie in the section in Frederick. Ranagan, (Bianca) Raniolo and Berne will be largely responsible for picking up the scoring load if Yorktown wants to repeat.

3. Brewster

Key returning players: Kristen Ohberg, Megan Yarusso, Liz & Lily Lleshaj, Rori Stark.

Key losses: Lindsay Biondi (moving).

Notes: Many may find it surprising to see Brewster here at No. 3 in light of the news regarding Biondi’s move, but I had considered putting the Bears as high as No. 1 if they were going to be bringing back their star. This team had only one senior last season, and took Fox Lane down to the wire in a one-goal loss in the section semifinals. Biondi’s loss will be very difficult to overcome, but I think coach Gerry Walsh will have his team prepared given a full offseason to adjust. Many coaches speak highly of both Ohberg and Yarusso, and now they’ll have a chance to see how far they can take this team.

Not far behind…: Nyack, John Jay, Rye

Class C

1. Bronxville

Key returning players: Taylor Reynolds, Brooke Bonifiglio, Margaret Pascale, Jess Tarangioli, Madison Campbell.

Key losses: Megan Murray, Julia Bruton, Lara Florek.

Notes: In my opinion, the Broncos were the second-best team in Class C last season. While the defending champs (Pearl River) will be decimated by graduation, Bronxville returns a very good core, along with its best player in Reynolds. The junior got better as the year wore on, and should be a top player next season. Losses such as Murray, Bruton and goalie Florek will be tough to overcome, but coach Sharon Robinson seems to be building up a program which should contend for the next few seasons.

2. Pearl River

Key returning players: Kiera McMullan, Delia White, Allison Cook.

Key losses: Maddie Wilson, Lauren Cook, Colleen Clarke, Sam Payne.

Notes: The Pirates will remain one of the top teams in Class C as long as McMullan and White continue to play the way that they did in the postseason. McMullan in particular proved herself to be a lethal player in transition, with tremendous speed and the ability to finish. White should provide consistency in goal. Wilson and (Lauren) Cook provided major leadership offensively, while Clarke and Payne anchored the defense. If coach Laurie Mayernik wants to see her team repeat, they’re going to need to find players to fill those shoes.

3. Edgemont

Key returning players: Carly Citron, Gabby Suzz, Julie Concolino.

Key losses: Emily Heineman, Rachel Mowrer, Alexa Schweitzer.

Notes: Similar to Bronxville, the Panthers are losing key players, but returning their best player and a solid core around her. Citron caught fire at the end of the season with a couple of eight-goal efforts in big games. I’d anticipate a big year out of her. Coach Robert Breitenboch loses his three senior captains, but he has proven that this is a team with staying power with to back-to-back semifinals appearances.

Not far behind…: Pleasantville, Byram Hills, Albertus Magnus

2012 Early Edition All-Star team

A — Carly Citron, Edgemont

A — Kaitlyn Rau, North Rockland

A — Taylor Reynolds, Bronxville

A — Sydney Stern, Fox Lane

M — Emma Bozek, Lakeland/Panas

M — Kiera McMullan, Pearl River

M — Sammy Jo Tracy, Fox Lane

D — Terese Buechli, Clarkstown South

D — Lely DeSimone, Suffern

D — Chyna Hill, Lakeland/Panas

D — Kristen Ohberg, Brewster

G — Katie Frederick, Yorktown

After a long period of debate — both internally and amongst coaches from all over Section 1 — we finally released my 2011 Journal News All-Star teams in today’s paper.

For those who missed it, here is the complete Westchester/Putnam team. And here is the complete Rockland team. You can find my player of the year stories there, as well.

Each all-star spread features first-team, second-team and honorable mention selections. It also includes a player of the year and a coach of the year for each county. Any player who made all-section automatically was named honorable mention at the minimum, and then I placed players where I thought they were most deserving based on my own observations and conversations with many, many coaches.

In Westchester/Putnam, the choice for player of the year was Yorktown senior Lindsay Scott. The left-handed midfielder was in contention all season long, but basically locked up the award with her incredible individual effort against Fox Lane in the Class B section final. The Foxes had just about all of their key players back from last year’s championship team, but Scott willed her team to a victory (in large part because of her outstanding effort against the ever-dangerous Sammy Jo Tracy on the draw).

The other players who were mentioned most often in conversations with coaches were Tracy and her teammate Lindsay Toppe, but the consensus was that Scott deserved the award for leading the ‘Huskers to the promised land.

In Rockland, the decision was a bit more difficult. After many conversations with Rockland coaches, it came down to Pearl River senior Maddie Wilson and North Rockland senior Taylor Moore. Wilson led her team to its first ever section title in Class C, while also breaking the school’s single season scoring record (69 goals, 30 assists). Moore is widely regarded as the most explosive scorer in the county, and remained a dominant force despite undergoing offseason ACL surgery.

The argument that continuously came up was the ever-present small school v. big school debate. Wilson’s team went further, but Moore’s team was up against tougher competition in Class A. Usually, I would side with the large school player in these situations, but the good thing about Rockland is that everybody plays everybody. Suffern was clearly the best team in the county with an 11-0 record against Rockland opponents (which resulted in more Suffern first-teamers than any other school), but after the Mounties there is no clear-cut No. 2. I would argue that distinction could easily go to the Pirates, who tied with North Rockland in the beginning of the season and split with Nyack (winning the second meeting). Pearl River played its best at the end of the season, which resulted in a trip to state final four.

The other factor that I considered was Wilson’s ability affect the game in multiple ways. Just about every coach referred to her as one of the best draw players in the county, and as a former defender, she is also one of the best defensive midfielders in the area. When you consider that her and Moore scored the exact same amount of goals (although Wilson did so in three more games) and Wilson had more assists, I felt like she was the right choice to make.

Obviously, all of these choices were difficult to make. That’s the one downside to choosing these teams. But it’s also very interesting (and kind of fun) to try and sort everything out. Here’s what I came up with for first and second team all-stars in Westchester/Putnam and Rockland. (Just to note, in order to get the most deserving players recognized, in a few instances I might have switched a player’s position. If you see a midfielder listed as a defender, don’t be alarmed.)

Westchester/Putnam all-stars

First-team

A — Casey Bocket, Sr., John Jay

A — Kristina Howe, Sr., Pleasantville

A — Lindsay Toppe, Sr., Fox Lane

M — Lindsay Biondi, Soph., Brewster

M — Anna Jeszeck, Sr., Lakeland/Panas

M — Lindsay Scott, Sr., Yorktown

M — Sammy Jo Tracy, Jr., Fox Lane

D — Aly Dowey, Sr., Fox Lane

D — Melissa Hanson, Sr., Lakeland/Panas

D — Chyna Hill, Jr., Lakeland/Panas

D — Sarah Scott, Sr., Yorktown

G — Rachel Vallarelli, Sr., Holy Child

Second-team

A — Katy Cartelli, Sr., Yorktown

A — Carly Citron, Jr., Edgemont

A — Caitlin Hynes, Sr., Mahopac

A — Sydney Stern, Jr., Fox Lane

M — Emma Bozek, Jr., Lakeland/Panas

M — Meghan Reda, Sr., Pleasantville

M — Taylor Reynolds, Jr., Bronxville

D — Jess Gardiner, Sr., Mamaroneck

D — Laurel Kennedy, Sr., Rye

D — Marissa Makar, Sr., Yorktown

D — Kristen Ohberg, Jr., Brewster

G — Katie Frederick, Jr., Yorktown

Coach of the year — Allison Steinberg, Pleasantville

Rockland all-stars

First-team

A — Allie Califano, Sr., Suffern

A — Sam Lowney, Sr., Albertus Magnus

A — Erin McCabe, Sr., Nyack

A — Taylor Moore, Sr., North Rockland

M — Kiera McMullan, Jr., Pearl River

M — Erin Riley, Sr., Clarkstown South

M — Lindsey Walker, Sr., Suffern

M — Maddie Wilson, Sr., Pearl River

D — Terese Buechli, Jr., Clarkstown South

D — Lely DeSimone, Jr., Suffern

D — Evie Toland, Sr., Nyack

G — Katie Lonergan, Jr., North Rockland

Second-team

A — Shannon Carey, Sr., Tappan Zee

A — Lauren Cook, Sr., Pearl River

A — Emily Mulligan, Sr., Suffern

A — Kaitlyn Rau, Fr., North Rockland

M — Meg McNally, Sr., Suffern

M — Casey Silverstri, Jr., Albertus Magnus

M — Karly Walborn, Sr., Nyack

D — Colleen Clarke, Sr., Pearl River

D — Diedre O’Neill, Sr., Clarkstown South

D — Brenna Priest, Sr., North Rockland

D — Danielle Ruthberg, Sr., Suffern

G — Delia White, Jr., Pearl River

Coach of the year — Laurie Mayernik, Pearl River

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Pearl River’s Maddie Wilson was your selection for Rockland player of the year, as the GW-bound senior came away with an even 50 percent of the vote. There’s only one award we haven’t polled yet, and it’s for Westchester/Putnam player of year.

Just a reminder, the full Journal News All-Star teams for both Westchester/Putnam and Rockland will be officially released in Monday’s (the 4th of July) paper.

Here are your candidates in Westchester/Putnam:

Should it be Fox Lane’s Lindsay Toppe? The reigning POY once again led the section in goals and total points, finishing with 111 goals and 34 assists. She is one of the most prolific scorers in recent memory.

Should it be Yorktown’s Lindsay Scott? The senior had the second most goals in the section with 97, despite facing constant double teams. She also led her team all the way to the Class B state semifinals, and had an outstanding performance to lead the ‘Huskers past the Foxes in the section final.

Should it be Lakeland/Panas’ Anna Jeszeck? The senior finished with 76 goals and 40 assists, leading the Rebels to their fifth straight Class A section title. Jeszeck was the go-to player on a loaded team that went all the way to the state semis.

Or should it be Fox Lane’s Sammy Jo Tracy? Many coaches would argue that the junior is the best all-around player in the section. Tracy excels on the draw, flashes outstanding speed in transition, and chipped in 71 goals.

We’re a week away from the release of my 2011 all-star teams and most of the decisions have been made, but I still want to know who you all think is most deserving.

Yorktown coach Ellen Mager was your pick for Westchester/Putnam coach of the year, receiving 38 percent of the vote. Now I’m asking who would you pick as the Rockland player of the year?

I’ve listed four candidates who I think you can make an argument for, but please drop any names in the comments section who you feel should be included.

Should it be North Rockland’s Taylor Moore? The senior is probably the most explosive offensive player in the county, and certainly one of the most feared. She finished the season with 69 goals and 17 assists.

Should it be Suffern’s Lely DeSimone? The junior helped lead the Mounties to an undefeated record in the county, and as a former defender who now plays midfield, might very well be the best two-way player in the county.

Should it be Pearl River’s Maddie Wilson? The senior led the Pirates to new heights this year, as Pearl River won its first section title in school history and made it to the state final four. She was the team’s leading scorer with 69 goals and 30 assists, and is one of the best in the county on the draw.

Or should it be Clarkstown South’s Erin Riley? The senior was the top scorer in the county with a whopping 87 goals and 22 assists.

Well, the Rockland coach of the year vote was pretty much a landslide. Pearl River coach Laurie Mayernik won with 74 percent of the vote. I want to stress again that the winner of these polls isn’t necessarily going to be the pick, but in most cases it should be a good indication.

For our next question, I’m asking which coach is most deserving in Westchester/Putnam? Feel free to drop any names which aren’t mentioned in the poll question.

Laxpower.com has released its final national power rankings of 2011. The highest ranked team from Section 1 is Class B champ Yorktown, which came in at No. 73. Class B runner-up Fox Lane is close behind at No. 83, while Class A champ Lakeland/Panas finished ranked at No. 126. Oddly, Niskayuna, the team that the Rebels beat in the Class A regional final, is ranked 16 spots ahead of them.

The McDonogh school in Maryland is ranked as the No. 1 team in the country, while Long Island’s Garden City comes in at No. 2 after beating Yorktown en route to a state title.

Click here for the full rankings.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be putting together full all-star teams for both Westchester/Putnam and Rockland. For the big awards (coach of year, player of the year) I want all of your opinions.

For starters, let me know who you think deserves to be the coach of the year in Rockland?

First off, I would like to congratulate Lakeland/Panas, Yorktown and Pearl River on an incredible run through the 2011 postseason. Each team represented Section 1 with class, and each team displayed the high skill level of this area by advancing to the state final four.

Unfortunately, the way that the draw worked this year, all of our local teams were matched up with the Long Island powerhouses in the semifinals — not the finals. Of the three teams that knocked out the Section 1 teams, two went on to win state titles.

Northport defeated Pittsford in the Class A final, 11-10. Here is the story from the Brighton-Pittsford Post.

Garden City defeated Brighton in the Class B final, 12-6. Here is the story from the Democrat and Chronicle.

And Mount Sinai lost to Christian Brothers Academy of Syracuse, 9-8. Here is the story from the North Shore Sun.

Of all of those teams, Garden City was the most impressive to me. After Brighton lost to the Trojans, coach Rich Curtis said, “This is probably one of their better teams that I’ve seen in the past 10 years. They’ve got lefties and righties and their goalie was talented.”

They simply blew Yorktown away to start the game with an 11-0 run. A few players stood out as big-time talents, particularly Mikaela Rix, but it was obvious that this team was absolutely loaded with Division 1-type talent. In my opinion, the ‘Huskers were the strongest team from Section 1, but GC was just on another level. Many fellow reporters told me that they believe GC is the best team in the country.

Pearl River appeared as though they might be able to pull off the upset early, taking a 3-2 lead at one point before going into the half down only 6-4. The Pirates have relied on speed and defense all year, but Mount Sinai was able to match that. Coach Laurie Mayernik talked about how Mount Sinai was able to hurt them in transition.

“Their speed was tough to handle,” she said. “I knew they were fast. I didn’t realize they were that fast. It was the ability to transition the ball. They didn’t drop the ball… The fact that we weren’t getting the draw was what killed us. They were so fast off the draw. I think that was the difference in the game.”

The biggest difference in Lakeland/Panas’ loss to Northport was the inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. The Rebels didn’t get killed on the draw, and took their fair share of shots, but a combination of inefficient shots and outstanding play from the Northport goalie led to a lopsided score. Cortney Fortunato (nine goals) and goalie Michaela Aymong might have been the two most impressive players I saw all weekend.

It’s really incredible to think that L/P even made it this far after losing all of the talent that it did from last season’s team. Give credit to Anna Jeszeck, Melissa Hanson, Emma Bozek, Alexa Bonnes, Chyna Hill, Allie O’Mara, Rachel Bard and the rest of the Rebels for exceeding expectations to reach this point.

The same goes for all of the key contributors from each team. For Yorktown, kudos to Lindsay Scott, Sarah Scott, Katy Cartelli, Katie Frederick, Marissa Makar, Bianca Raniolo, Stefanie Ranagan, Aileen Kurpis and the rest of the ‘Huskers. And for Pearl River, congrats to Maddie Wilson, Lauren Cook, Allison Cook, Kiera McMullan, Colleen Clarke, Sam Payne, Delia White and all of the Pirates who contributed to the program’s first ever section title. (I’m sorry if I missed anyone, but those are the names who came to mind in terms of having big playoff runs. Every member of each team deserves some credit.)

We’re obviously done with any game coverage, but that doesn’t mean that the coverage stops. I’ll be back in the coming days with a look ahead to next season, which will detail which teams have the best chance of representing Section 1 from each class in 2012. I’ll also have new poll questions coming as I continue to gather information in order to make my postseason award decisions. I’ll be announcing my own full all-star teams for both Westchester/Putnam and Rockland, along with player of the year and coach of the year awards, in the beginning of July.

Be sure to check back soon!

Yorktown’s Gabby Berne and Garden City’s Elizabeth Furman battle for the loose ball during the Class B girls lacrosse state championship semifinal game at SUNY Cortland earlier today. Photo by Seth Harrison

Northport’s Cortney Fortunato scores on Lakeland/Panas goalie Amanda Didomizio during the Class A girls lacrosse state championship semifinal game at SUNY Cortland today.  Photo by Seth Harrison

Garden City defeated Yorktown 15-6 and Northport defeated Lakeland/Panas 18-5. Look for coverage and a gallery of photos from the games at Lohud.com. Also read about the games in tomorrow’s edition of The Journal News.

Mount Sinai’s Sydney Pirreca is squeezed by Pearl River’s Breanna Relahan and Meghan McBrien during the Class C girls lacrosse state championship semifinal game at SUNY Cortland today. Photo by Seth Harrison

Mount Sinai defeated Pearl River 16-7 to advance to tomorrow’s championship final. Look for coverage and a gallery of photos at Lohud.com. Also read about the game in tomorrow’s edition of The Journal News.

We’re about 20 minutes away from the start of the Class A semifinal, where Lakeland/Panas will look to salvage some glory for Section 1 on a day which has been dominated by Long Island teams.

2:44PM: L/P won the opening draw, getting off two shot attempts, but to no avail. Anna Jeszeck had what looked like a sure goal, but goalie Michaela Aymong made a great high save. Since then, Cortney Fortunato has scored three times for the Tigers, who hold a 3-0 lead with 20:33 to go.

2:50PM: Aymong has been huge so far, with three saves just six minutes in.

2:51PM: Make that five saves in seven minutes. Fortunato just added her fourth goal, prompting a L/P timeout. The Rebels have outshot the Tigers, 6-4, but haven’t been able to put one home. It’s 4-0 with 17:55 to play in the half.

2:59PM: We just had three goals in 30 seconds. Kiera McNally made it 5-0 NP, before Jeszeck got L/P on the board on an assist from Amanda Vasta. Northport quickly responded with a goal from Shannon Gilroy off of the draw. It’s 6-1 Northport with 13:03 to go.

3:04PM: Fortunato scores twice more, her fifth and sixth of the game. It’s 8-1 Northport and L/P goalie Amanda DiDomizio has been pulled for Amelia Lopez.

3:07PM: Three saves already for Lopez.

3:08PM: Fortunato gets goal #7. She’s been unstoppable. It’s 9-1 Northport with 8:30 to go in the half. Timeout L/P.

3:12PM: Alexa Bonnes off the post at 6:15, then Aymong stonewalls Jeszeck and Melissa Hanson. She’s got eight saves already.

3:15PM: Bonnes scores dodging from the top. 9-2 with 3:18 to go in the half.

3:16PM: Northport comes right back with a goal from Gilroy off of the draw. 10-2 with 3:04 to go.

3:17PM: And another one for Fortunato a mere 12 seconds later. 11-2 NP.

3:22PM: Fittingly, Aymong stops a Jeszeck 8-meter attempt to end the half. She’s been the best player on the field in the first half, which is difficult to say with the way Fortunato has been playing. Shot totals, draws and turnovers have been about even, but those two have been the difference in the game. The 11-2 halftime score is the exact same score that we had in the Yorktown-Garden City game. Here’s the halftime stats:

Draws: Np — 8; L/P — 6.

Shots: Np — 17; L/P — 15.

Turnovers: Np — 6; L/P — 6.

Northport: Goals — Fortunato 8, Gilroy 2, McNally. Assists — Gilroy, Bonomi, Breitfeller, Patrone. Saves — Aymong 9.

Lakeland/Panas: Goals — Jeszeck, Bonnes. Assists — Vasta. Saves — DiDomizio 0, Lopez 4.

3:33PM: Jeszeck scores within the first 30 seconds of the half. It’s 11-3. On a side note, DiDomizio is back in the game. And she just picked up her first save of the game.

3:38PM: Aymong stops Emma Bozek on an 8-meter attempt. She’s up to 11 saves.

3:40PM: Allie O’Mara is shadowing Fortunato, with help coming to double as soon as she touches the ball. That could open things up for other players, as Ali Pavinelli just scored at 19:22. It’s 12-3.

3:42PM: Fortunato does it again. Her ninth goal extends the lead to 13-3, before she scores her tenth to make it 14-3 with 16 minutes left.

3:45PM: Bonnes scores to make it 14-4 with 14:18 to go.

3:48PM: Two more goals from Northport and it’s 16-4 with 11 minutes to go. I think it’s safe to say that this one is over.

3:57PM: Dorrien Van Dyke scores for Northport to make it 17-4 with three minutes to play. Starters have been out for 5-10 minutes for the Tigers.

3:59PM: Hanson scores for L/P. 17-5 Northport with 1:24 to play.

4:02PM: 18-5 is your final. I’m going down for interviews.

Final stats:

Draws: Np — 14; L/P — 11.

Shots: Np — 29; L/P — 23.

Turnovers: Np — 12; L/P — 13.

Northport: Goals — Fortunato 9, Gilroy 2, McNally 2, Allie Breitfeller, Pavinelli, Marinelli, Van Dyke, Nelson. Assists — Gilroy, McNally, Bonomi, Breitfeller, Patrone, Marinelli. Saves — Aymong 11.

Lakeland/Panas: Goals — Jeszeck 2, Bonnes 2, Hanson. Assists — Vasta, Hanson. Saves — Lopez 5, DiDomizio 2.

Hello Pearl River. Brian Heyman here for this Class C state semifinal at SUNY Cortland. Like the Pirates, Mount Sinai has never been this far before. The winner plays for the title here tomorrow at noon. We’re about to get started.

Update, 12:05: A couple of early saves for Pearl River’s Delia White, including one on an 8-meter try.

Update, 12:08: The Mustangs take the lead with 19:45 left in the first half on a goal by Shayna Pirreca from about 8 yards away in the middle.

Update, 12:11: Not going well for Pearl River so far. Sydney Pirreca just scored unassisted from about 5 yards. It’s 2-0 with 18:21 left. Mount Sinai has dominated the possession time. Pearl River coach Laurie Mayernik called a timeout as soon as the second goal was scored.

Update, 12:15: Pirates score, 2-1. Maddie Wilson from Kaity Creagh.

Update, 12:17: Pirates score, 2-2. Kiera McMullan from Kaity Creagh.

Update, 12:23: The momentum has swung, 3-2 Pearl River. Wilson just scored with a high rocket off an 8-meter play. Mount Sinai coach Courtney Leonard has called for time. There’s 12:01 to go in the first half.

Update, 12:28: Tied at 3-3.

Update, 12:30: The momentum has swung the other way, 4-3 Mustangs. Eighth-grader Kasey Mitchell cut into the middle for an easy goal.

Update, 12:34: Three straight goals for Mount Sinai. Carolina Fitzgerald scores, wheeling into the middle from the left side, and it’s 5-3, 5:45 to go until the break.

Update, 12:36: Four straight goals. Six different players have scored for the Mustangs. It’s 6-3.

Update, 12:38: Pearl River’s Lauren Cook stops the run, scores on an 8-meter try. It’s 6-4, 3:31 left till halftime.

Update, 12:40: The other semifinal here is at halftime, CBA 7-4 over Marcus Whitman.

Update, 12:42: Halftime, 6-4 Mount Sinai.

Update, 12:55: That didn’t take long. Twenty-nine seconds in, and the Mustangs score. It’s 7-4. Rachel Dillon becomes their first player to score twice.

Update, 12:59: Pearl River’s Meghan McBrien is shaken up, but she has walked off to the sideline.

Update, 1:02: Two straight saves by White to keep the Pirates in the game.

Update, 1:03: Wilson scores from in close, so it’s down to 7-5, 20:25 left in regulation.

Update, 1:05: Not looking good for the Pirates. Carolina Fitzgerald scores off an 8-meter attempt. Then off the draw control, Kasey Mitchell makes a long run and it’s 9-5 with 18:21 left.

Update, 1:08: The season is slipping away for Pearl River. Mitchell scores again, and it’s 10-5, 17:16 left. Mayernik has called for time. CBA is leading the other game 11-5 with less than 10 minutes left.

Update, 1:12: McMullan makes a long run and bounces it in to cut it to 10-6.

Update, 1:14: It’s 11-6, Mitchell scores again.

Update, 1:18: Lauren Cook scores off an 8-meter try, straight on. So it’s 11-7 with 12:32 to go.

Update, 1:22: The eighth-grader Mitchell scores her fourth of the half and fifth of the game. So Mount Sinai leads 12-7 with 9:59 to go.

Update, 1:26: It’s 13-7, 6:41 left. Sydney Pirreca, another eighth-grader, scores on an 8-meter attempt. This is a young team, but a good one.

Update, 1:30: Mitchell has just tied her career high with six goals. It’s 14-7 with 4:39 left. Pearl River, though, can take much solace in its first sectional and regional titles.

Update, 1:32: CBA wins the other semi, 13-9.

Update, 1:36: It’s 15-7, final minute.

Update, 1:39: Pearl River loses, 16-7.

Final stats:

Mount Sinai: Goals — Mitchell 6, Sy. Pirreca 2, Sh. Pirreca 2, Fitzgerald 2, Dillon 2, Burns, VanMiddelem. Assists — Sy. Pirreca, Carron, Rocca. Saves — Michaels 8.

Pearl River: Goals — Wilson 3, L. Cook 2, A. Cook, McMullan. Assists — Creagh 2. Saves — White 7.

9:39AM: Garden City wins the opening draw, and Alexandra Bruno scores on an 8-meter attempt at 23:47. 1-0 GC.

9:41AM: Following a Yorktown turnover, Mikaela Rix scores for the Trojans on a fast break at 22:44. 2-0 GC.

9:43AM: Rix scores again on an assist from Caroline Tarzian. 3-0 GC at 21:31.

9:44AM: Yet another goal from Rix puts GC up 4-0 before five minutes have elapsed. The ‘Huskers have been aggressive on defense, knocking the ball out of the GC sticks a few times already, but they have yet to cause a turnover. GC has taken advantage by finding some open cutters.

9:51AM: The ‘Huskers have settled down a bit (there was a five minute period with no goals), but the GC just got back on the board to make it 5-0 on a goal from Catherine Dickinson. The GC goalies has been outstanding. She does a great job of coming out of the cage to block passing lanes. Yorktown already has four turnovers.

9:56AM: Two more goals within 30 seconds give GC a 7-0 lead at 13:16.

9:57AM: GC has scored four goals in less than a minute, thanks to three straight draw wins. They’ve been winning the draw and immediately pushing the pace, resulting in some fast break goals. Yorktown needs to get back quicker. It’s 9-0 with 12:48 to go in the half. The ‘Huskers have been outshot, 11-2.

10:04AM: It’s getting out of hand now. 11-0 GC with 7:30 to go in the half.

10:09AM: Yorktown showing signs of life. Stefanie Ranagan got the ‘Huskers on the board at 2:38 after a five-minute scoreless period, and then Lindsay Scott scored off of the ensuing draw. It’s 11-2 with 1:50 to go in the half.

10:13AM: 11-2 GC at the half. As someone in the press box remarked, “If there’s a better team out there, I’d love to see it.” The Trojans are easily the most potent team I’ve seen. Absolutely lethal on both ends. Here’s the stats breakdown:

Draws: GC — 8; Yk — 6.

Shots: GC — 16; Yk — 6.

Turnovers: GC — 4; Yk — 9.

Garden City: Goals — Bruno 3, Rix 3, Tarzian 2, Dickinson, Fuchs, Sullivan. Assists — Rix 2, Tarzian, Fuchs, Bruno. Saves — Weis 2.

Yorktown: Goals — Ranagan, L. Scott. Assists — Fioretti. Saves — Frederick 4.

10:28AM: L. Scott to Ranagan to start the half. 11-3 at 21:12.

10:30AM: Bruno scores again for GC. This team is so good at dodging from the top. Yorktown has not been able to defend them one-on-one. 12-3 at 20:22.

10:40AM: Things still aren’t looking good for Yorktown (it’s 14-5 with 11:00 to go), but goalie Katie Frederick deserves a lot of credit. She’s made some great saves under tremendous pressure. She’s got nine saves at this point.

10:51AM: L. Scott just scored on an 8-meter attempt to make it 15-6 with 3:39 to go.

10:55AM: Final score — Garden City 15, Yorktown 6.

Final stats:

Draws: GC — 14; Yk — 9.

Shots: GC — 29; Yk — 12.

Turnovers: GC — 11; Yk — 16.

Garden City: Goals — Bruno 4, Rix 4, Tarzian 4, Dickinson, Fuchs, Sullivan. Assists — Rix 3, Bruno, Tarzian, Fuchs. Saves — Weis 2, Mullins.

Yorktown: Goals — L. Scott 3, Ranagan 2, Cartelli. Assists — L. Scott, Fioretti. Saves — Frederick 11.

Good morning everyone! I’m here in the press box at SUNY Cortland and we’re about 10-15 minutes from the Class B state semifinal between Yorktown and Garden City. I’ll be live blogging for all three games today, so be sure to refresh the page as often as possible for updates.

I also wanted to share a story that I wrote from today’s paper which details Yorktown and Lakeland/Panas’ newfound working relationship.

Be back shortly…

As I did for regionals, I wanted to preview this weekend’s state semifinals in Cortland. We know plenty about Lakeland/Panas, Yorktown and Pearl River at this point, but what should we expect from their opponents?

But before I tell you what I know about those teams, I wanted to touch on a subject that seems to have sparked quite a bit of debate in the past 24 hours. There’s been a lot of talk regarding the girls that were recently named to the All-American team from Section 1. Many seem to feel that deserving players were left out, and that’s fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I always encourage comments. That’s the appeal of this type of forum.

With that said, let’s try to keep everything respectful. None of the girls who were selected should be portrayed in a negative light because they’re all great players. If I’m being completely honest, my picks for All-American status might have been a bit different, but that shouldn’t take anything away from the success of the eight who were chosen. I’ve seen all eight play, and I’ve seen all eight play at a very high level. My biggest beef would be with the fact that only eight were selected, because there are so many great players in this area.

The bottom line is this: Please keep the comments coming, and you have the right to be critical. But above all else, please keep it respectful. For the most, I think everyone has done a great job of that.

Now, onto the fun stuff. Undoubtedly, the semis will be the most difficult round for all three Section 1 teams. Each team is facing the regional champ from Long Island, and we all know that LI has a very strong lacrosse reputation. It’s probably safe to say that whoever wins these games on Friday will be an overwhelming favorite to win a state title.

It will be an uphill climb for Section 1, though. Yorktown has the toughest road in Class B, as the ‘Huskers will match up with Section 8’s Garden City. The Trojans are ranked first in the state among teams from all classes, and third in the country (comparatively, Yorktown is ranked 12th in the state and 81st nationally). In Class A, Lakeland/Panas gets Section 11’s Northport, which is ranked third in the state and 16th nationally (although the Tigers lost to Garden City, 17-7, which should give you a good idea of how good GC is). Finally, Pearl River will play Section 11’s Mount Sinai — a strong team, but not one of the same caliber as Northport or Garden City.

• Yorktown v. Garden City, 9:30 p.m.: As coach Ellen Mager stressed to me after the ‘Huskers 18-8 win over Burnt Hills in Saturday’s regional final, Yorktown is going to have play a flawless game to knock of the five-time defending state champs. The Trojans have played a hellish schedule, and did so without dropping a single game. Mager said that when they played each other in 2009, she thought that their two best players were sophomores who would be seniors today. GC has a bevy of D1 players, and an outstanding goalie. It should be very fun to watch when the ‘Huskers have the ball. The strongest offense in Section 1 against one of the strongest defenses in the country. Possession is going to be huge for Yorktown, and I know Mager is stressing the importance of quality shots over quantity. They don’t want to throw any balls away against this team. Holding the ball is much better than putting it into the potent sticks of the Trojans.


• Pearl River v. Mount Sinai, noon: Of all of the Section 1 teams, the Pirates might have the best chance of advancing to the state finals. The Mustangs are a very young team, with an equal number of seniors and eighth-graders (four and four). This is the first time they’ve ever made it this far, so they’re entering unchartered territory. The same can be said for Pearl River, but the Pirates have played like a battle-tested team throughout the playoffs. Their 15-9 win over Albany Academy in the regional finals was perhaps their strongest performance of the year, so things are certainly clicking right now. This game can be had if they put forth a similar effort.


• Lakeland/Panas v. Northport, 2:30 p.m.: At 19-2, the Tigers only two losses came to teams that were ranked in the top seven in the country. They just knocked off the two-time defending state champs (Farmingdale) in impressive fashion, 14-7. The Rebels lost to Farmingdale by one in last season’s state title game. Similar to Yorktown, L/P is going to need an essentially flawless effort. The Rebels have a bit more wiggle room than the ‘Huskers, but still face unfavorable odds. Northport has only allowed double digit goal totals four times all season, while scoring at least 14 in each contest. L/P is going to have to grind them out and control possession, because their best bet to win is going to be if they keep it relatively low scoring. They can’t let the Tigers break this game open, because they don’t have the type of offense that is going to put up goals in bunches against a team like Northport.

If you’re looking for predictions, I’d have to say that the outlook is rather bleak. The Long Island teams are the favorites in each game, but I think Pearl River is in the best position for an upset. I’ll go out on a limb and take them over Mount Sinai in Class C, but I think the incredible runs for Lakeland/Panas and Yorktown will come to an end.

I’ll be leaving for Cortland shortly, so I’ll have full coverage for as long as the Section 1 teams remain alive. I’ll be live blogging for each game, with Brian Heyman heading up to help out with the middle game. Check back early and often on Friday for news, notes and updates.

Best of luck to all of the local teams!

I received the list of Section 1 All-Americans this morning, which includes eight local players. It’s so tough to decide something like this with so few spots, because this section contains so many great players. It’s probably fair to say that each of these girls will receive consideration for our player of the year awards, but there are others who will be considered, as well.

The All-Americans are made up of one sophomore, two juniors and five seniors. (Four of which are named Lindsay, although they don’t all spell it the same.) It’s also quite clear that postseason performance matters, with each of these players having led their teams to at least the section semifinals.

Lindsay Biondi, Soph., Brewster

Sammy Jo Tracy, Jr., Fox Lane

Lely DeSimone, Jr., Suffern

Lindsay Toppe, Sr., Fox Lane

Lindsey Walker, Sr., Suffern

Melissa Hanson, Sr., Lakeland/Panas

Anna Jeszeck, Sr., Lakeland/Panas

Lindsay Scott, Sr., Yorktown

All-Section

Mahopac: Caitlin Hynes, Cat Lee

John Jay: Casey Bocklet, Lauren Murray, Darragh Evarts

Lakeland/Panas: Anna Jeszeck, Melissa Hanson, Emma Bozek, Chyna Hill, Alexa Bonnes

Yorktown: Lindsay Scott, Sarah Scott, Katy Cartelli, Marissa Makar, Aileen Kurpis, Nikki Fioretti, Katie Frederick

Brewster: Lindsay Biondi, Kristen Ohberg, Megan Yarusso

Somers: Emma Schurr

Hen Hud: Kelsey Rosenblum

White Plains: Julia Martino

Bronxville: Taylor Reynolds, Megan Murray

Edgemont: Carly Cintron

Mamaroneck: Abby Baigelman

Scarsdale: Kim Grinhaus

Pleasantville: Kristina Howe, Meghan Reda

Sleepy Hollow: Jennifer Angevine

Fox Lane: Sammy Jo Tracy, Lindsay Toppe, Aly Dowey

Rye: Emma Brinkman, Laurel Kennedy, Maddy Chabot

Byram Hills: Alex Fritz

Ossining: Molly Malone, Christina Rupp

Horace Greeley: Jess Kreisler

Suffern: Lindsey Walker, Lely DeSimone, Alli Califano

North Rockland: Taylor Moore, Kaitlyn Rau

Clarkstown South: Erin Riley, Terese Buechli

Pearl River: Lauren Cook, Kiera McMullan, Maddie Wilson

Albertus Magnus: Carly Cappello, Sam Lowney

Nyack: Erin McCabe, Karly Walborn, Evie Toland

Nanuet: Allison Pedro

Honorable Mention

Mahopac: Lianna Viaggo, Alyssa Corace

John Jay: Kelsey Davey

Lakeland/Panas: Allie O’Mara, Megan Bradbury

Yorktown: Stefanie Ranagan, Bianca Raniolo

Arlington: Brittany Tobin, Danielle Axelrod

Wappingers: Jade Bennett

Putnam Valley: Dana Tatnell

Brewster: Jesse Moore

Somers: Tara Schurr

Hen Hud: Kennedy Sherman

Carmel: Danielle Venturo

North Salem: Juila Kaiser

Kennedy: Daniella Torchia

Hastings: Maya Neria

Pelham: Izzy Laterzo

Bronxville: Lara Florek, Jessica Tarangioli

Edgemont: Emily Heineman

Mamaroneck: Jessica Gardiner

Scarsdale: Allie Grant

Dobbs Ferry: Midora Kihara

Irvington: Kristen Palese

New Rochelle: Misha Green

Pleasantville: Liz King, Jamie Figler

Sleepy Hollow: Gabby Celante

Briarcliff: Carly Dumas, Melissa Colton, Joanna Chalsen

Fox Lane: Sydney Stern, Kailey O’Hagan

Byram Hills: Claudia Hammerschmidtt, Katie Byrne

Horace Greeley: Issy Berkey

Suffern: Meg McNally, Emily Mulligan

North Rockland: Tara Monaghan, Brenna Priest, Katie Lonergan

Clarkstown South: Diedre O’Neill

Clarkstown North: Bridget Kunz

Pearl River: Colleen Clarke, Delia White

Albertus Magnus: Casey Silvestri

Nyack: Helen Rudolph-Shabinsky

Tappan Zee: Shannon Carey

Coaches of the year

Conference 1: Gerry Walsh, Brewster

Conference 2: Michael Eaton, White Plains

Conference 3: Allison Steinberg, Pleasantville

Conference 4: Laurie Mayernik, Pearl River

Saturday was a great day for Section 1, with both Yorktown and Pearl River cruising to states, while Lakeland/Panas provided us with a dramatic comeback.

The Rebels’ Class A game against Niskayuna was easily one of the wackiest games I’ve seen all season. I was shocked to see the Silver Warriors hit with their second and third yellow cards of the game within a matter of seconds at the end of the first half. The third card on the coach, which put Nisky in a man down situation for the remainder of the game, was really surprising. I don’t mean to be critical of the refs, but in a game of this magnitude that coach better really be out of line if you’re going to flag him in that spot. There’s just too much at stake. Perhaps the Nisky coach unleashed one of the few “off limits” words. Otherwise, you’re completely changing the game because a coach argued a call — something that happens all the time.

What may have been even more surprising is that the Silver Warriors seemed to rally when things weren’t going their way. I thought L/P might be able to pull ahead a bit given such an advantage for the entire second half. Alexa Bonnes gave the Rebels a 5-4 lead to end the half after the yellow cards had been issued, and momentum was on their side. But give Niskayuna credit. The Silver Warriors seemed to rally, beginning the half on a 7-3 run to take an 11-8 lead with 12:26 to go.

Emma Bozek was the biggest reason that L/P even kept it that close. For my money, she was the player of the game. Six goals and one assist tell part of the story, but it was really her ability to pick up the slack when the rest of the team seemed to be fumbling that stood out. Whenever things appeared to be slipping away, she would come up with a goal — usually on her own. Her ability to dodge from the top and find a way to get off a shot is uncanny. She was the only Rebel to score through the first 13 minutes of the half.

The rest of the team woke up in the final 12 minutes, rattling off four unanswered goals to finish the game and pick up the win. Melissa Hanson had the winner, which she scored with 4:04 remaining to make it 12-11. At the time, I didn’t think that would be the last goal of the game, but Nisky picked up three more yellow cards in the final 2:30. It was a bizarre ending to an exciting game.

Here is Matthew Brown’s photo gallery from that game.

The most dominating performance of the day came from Yorktown in the Class B matchup against Burnt Hills. The ‘Huskers routed the Spartans, 18-8, but it could have been even more lopsided than that. Yorktown was up 13-5 at the break, and came out smoking in the second half with five straight goals to take an 18-5 lead with 19:22 to go. At that point, the ‘Huskers took their foot off the gas a bit and began to pull their starters.

This team is an absolute offensive juggernaut. Yorktown has more weapons than any team in the section, and can put up goals in a hurry. Lindsay Scott did her usual thing with seven goals and an assist, while Bianca Raniolo (one goal, six assists) and Katy Cartelli (one goal, six assists) served as the main distributors. The ‘Huskers ball movement is outstanding, as evident by their 15 assists. Other weapons such as Stefanie Ranagan, Nikki Fioretti and Aileen Kurpis make this team virtually impossible to stop. Burnt Hills was clearly overmatched.

Here is the photo gallery from that game.

Jake Thomases covered Pearl River’s 15-9 Class C win over Albany Academy. These are his thoughts on the keys to the game:

• Kiera McMullan’s transition defense: Albany Academy coach Gregory Giombetti fawned over McMullan after the game. After praising every aspect of her game, he called her the best that his team has seen this year. She happened to score her 100th varsity goal as one of her four goals today, but it was her transition game that really stood out. She was excellent in the open field, leading a Pirate midfield that really hurt Albany in that area. Her speed was better than any Albany counterpart. They could not get around her, and ended up with 19 turnovers. “Our transition was just on today,” the junior said. “Our defense came up big. We were a little sloppy at the beginning but we got together, we said, ‘This can’t happen,’ and we just executed all over the field.”


• Shooting accuracy: The way Pearl River was limiting Albany’s possessions, the Bears had to get good shots when they got into the attack zone. Too often they did not. In the first 15 minutes, when play was fairly even, they shot into the body or stick of goaltender Delia White (nine saves). In the second half, when they got down, they got jittery and missed the cage entirely. Pearl River scored on 63% of its shots; Albany Academy 41%. Albany is young, with two 8th graders and two freshmen, including the keeper, on the field. Its defensive leader, Anna Bryce, was out with a concussion; a call-up from modified was her replacement. These young players had known nothing but success all season. When down several goals in the second half, they panicked a little, leading to the missed shots. “We’re used to facing teams with weaknesses,” Giombetti said. “That team had no weaknesses today.”


• Lack of intimidation: Albany had a banner year, going 19-1 before today while beating teams by an average of 11.5 goals per game. It was ranked 11th in the state among schools of any size. A nasty foe, to be sure. But the Pirates never blinked. From the beginning it was clear they could hang with these guys. Then they got up two, three, four goals, and you realized they were actually the better team. Never did they look scared, or like they wanted to play conservatively to limit the damage. “They’re a very good team,” Pirates coach Laurie Mayernik said of Albany Academy. “But I know that my defense is extremely good, extremely talented. We can shoot the ball. … Other people’s records don’t concern them because of the schedule that we had. Not a lot of people played the schedule that we played this year.” Pearl River has had uphill battles, and lost a few. But the knowledge of how to get it done is there.

Here is the photo gallery from that game.

I’ll be back tomorrow with thoughts on all of the Section 1 opponents on Friday…

We’re about 10 minutes away from the start of Lakeland/Panas’ regional final against Niskayuna. So far, it has been a dominating day for Section 1. We’ll see if L/P is going to join the party in Cortland. Because we’re getting so close to deadline with these late starts, I won’t be able to update as much as I would like (especially in the second half). But I will definitely post every 5-10 minutes with something new, so keep hitting that refresh button.

8:45PM: Erin Dowd scores for Niskayuna at 21:15, reaching as high as she could to catch a feed from Alyssa Treanor. 1-0.

8:48PM: Emma Bozek gets L/P on the board with a beautiful dodging goal from up top. 1-1 at 19:39.

8:52PM: Jeszeck dodges her way to a goal to give L/P a 2-1 lead at 15:38.

8:54PM: Niskayuna picks up its first yellow card of the evening. Caleigh O’Brien is the culprit.

8:56PM: Niskayuna’s Emily Ryan hits the post, but follows that shot with one that finds the back of the net. 2-2 at 11:00.

8:59PM: Bozek from Megan Bradbury at 9:54 makes it 3-2, but Niskayuna comes right back with a quick goal 13 seconds later. Kayla Treanor won the draw, and Alyssa Treanor took it on the fast break for a goal to tie it at 3-3. So far, Treanor has won 5 of 7 draws.

9:03PM: O’Brien scores dodging from the top to give Niskayuna its first lead. 4-3 with 7:13 to go.

9:05PM: Jeszeck to Bozek, who was somehow left wide open in front of the Niskayuna cage. It’s 4-4 at 6:24.

9:14PM: Niskayuna picks up its second yellow card, and immediately picks up its third as its coach argued the call. That puts the Silver Warriors at a severe disadvantage, having to play the entire second half man down. Alexa Bonnes capitalized right away, scoring with only five seconds remaining to give L/P a 5-4 halftime lead.

9:30PM: L/P came out blazing, getting off three shots in the first minute and a half. Melissa Hanson hit a post. But Niskayuna is hanging tough, as A. Treanor just tied the game at 5-5.

9:35PM: A miscommunication on defense leads to a goal from O’Brien. She was WIDE open in front of the cage. 6-5 Niskayuna at 19:50.

9:43PM: A lot of action. Bozek tied it at 6-6, then Nisky scored two straight to go up 8-6. Bozek did it again (she’s been awesome) to pull it to 8-7, but now Elizabeth Diefendorf scored on a fast break off a turnover to make it 9-7.

9:50PM: Bozek was at it again, scoring at 13:47 to make it 9-8. But Nisky has scored two in a row to make it 11-8 at 12:26. Timeout L/P. It’s really incredible to think that Nisky is having this much success while playing one player down. L/P needs someone other than Bozek to step up.

10:17PM: Sorry for the lack of updates (I’ve been furiously writing), but L/P pulled off a huge comeback for the win. Down 11-8 with 12:26 to go, the Rebels rattled off four straight goals, capped by Melissa Hanson’s at 4:04 to put them ahead 12-11. That would prove to be your final, as Nisky picked up three more yellow cards in the final two and a half minutes while trying to pressure the ball. They ended the game playing short four players. I’ve never seen anything like that. Congrats to Lakeland/Panas and all of the Section 1 schools who advanced to states!

I won’t be able to update as often as I did with the Yorktown game (Jake Thomases is covering this one), but I’ll post whenever I can as I try to write my story for the first game.

6:45PM: It’s 3-2 here with 16:27 to go in the half. Kiera McMullan started the Pirates off fast off of the draw, beautifully placing a shot in the top right corner. PR went up 2-0, before Albany Academy tied it up. Allison Cook just gave them back the lead.

6:54PM: PR up 4-3 with 10:30 to go. Maddie Wilson put the Pirates up 4-2, then Albany scored at 12:00.

7:02PM: McMullan just scored her 100th career goal to break a 4-4 tie. Wilson followed less than a minute later with another goal to make it 6-4 with 5:34 to go.

7:13PM: PR up 8-5 at the half. McMullan had three goals, while Wilson added two goals and an assist. PR has won 9 of 14 draws, with the rest of the stats being about even. Each of Albany Academy’s goals have come from a different scorer.

7:33PM: The Pirates are off to a rousing start in the second half with three unanswered goals. A. Cook has been outstanding so far, as she has added two more goals already in the half. McMullan scored the other goal. It’s 11-5 PR with 21 minutes to go.

7:40PM: Albany Academy’s Bridget Malicki got the Bears on the board with a goal at 20:19, but then PR responded with goals from Lauren Cook and Wilson. It’s 13-6 PR with 16:34 to go after an AA timeout. I’m really impressed with PR so far. Albany Academy is ranked 11th in the state, and while I don’t put too much stock into those rankings, I expected the game to be closer than this. Speed in transition has been the key so far.

7:47PM: The Pirates are up 14-7 with 15 minutes to go, certainly a comfortable lead, but they just picked up their third yellow card. They’ll have to play the rest of the way man down.

8:00PM: It’s 15-8 with five minutes to go. PR is still controlling possession, despite being man down.

8:06PM: It’s final. 15-9 Pearl River. They’ll be joining Yorktown at Cortland. The Lakeland/Panas game should start around 8:45 p.m.

We’re all set and ready to go here at Fox Lane HS, but there’s going to be a bit of a delay to the start of the Yorktown-Burnt Hills Class B final. Burnt Hills just arrived at 3:50 p.m. due to some delays with its bus, and they haven’t even begun to warm up. They just put 30 minutes on the scoreboard, so I’m expecting a 4:20ish start time. The result should be late starts for all three games, which will make it that much more fun for me to try and get the Class A results in before deadline. I’ll be back once the game gets underway.

4:30PM: Scratch that 4:20 start. Lindsay Scott won the opening draw for the ‘Huskers, then received a pass from Katy Cartelli from behind the cage to score the first goal of the game at 24:29.

4:35PM: Three more goals from Yorktown over the course of two minutes. Scott has two, Nikki Fioretti has one and Stefanie Ranagan has one. Katy Cartelli and Bianca Raniolo each have two assists. Scott has won every draw so far, and Burnt Hills has yet to possess the ball. This could get ugly. Quick. 4-0 Y’town at 22:29.

4:40PM: After Ranagan made it 5-0 on an assist from Scott at 22:01, Burnt Hills finally won a draw, and it translated to a goal from Becky Guess. 5-1 at 21:20.

4:45PM: It’s 6-1 Yorktown after a goal from Aileen Kurpis, but Raniolo just picked up a yellow card. She took a close range shot that looked like it hit the BH goalie near the head.

4:48PM: Another goal from Scott on another assist from Cartelli at 17:28. Those two have a great connection on the field. In an interesting twist, Lindsay’s twin sister Sarah is on the offensive end playing some midfield. 7-1 Yorktown.

4:49PM: Speaking of the devil, Sarah just scored on an assist from Ranagan at 15:24. 8-1 Town.

4:51PM: On the rare occasion that Burnt Hills wins a draw, they’ve been able to capitalize. Another goal from Guess makes it 8-2, and Yorktown just picked up its second yellow card as a team. This one is on Ranagan.

4:54PM: Guess burns the ‘Huskers again. Playing man down, Yorktown gives up another goal to the senior at 12:37. Timeout Yorktown with the score 8-3.

5:00PM: Two straight goals from Yorktown (one from L. Scott and one from Lisa Littleton) restores order. 10-3 with 9:02 to go in the half.

5:03PM: The ‘Huskers, who are usually very efficient with their clears, just turned the ball over on two consecutive attempts. Luckily, Katie Frederick made two straight saves, and then L. Scott picked up a goal on the other end to put Town up 11-3 with 6:16 to go.

5:07PM: Jordyn Godfrey scores for Burnt Hills to make it 11-4 at 4:37. Shortly after, Amy LeBel comes limping off the field for the Spartans.

5:10PM: Nicole Beardsley comes dodging from behind the cage for another Burnt Hills goal. 11-5 with 3:27 to go in the half.

5:16PM: L. Scott finishes off the half with two straight goals to put Yorktown up 13-5 at the break.

Halftime stats:

Yorktown — Goals: L. Scott 7, Ranagan 2, Fioretti, Kurpis, S. Scott, Littleton. Assists: Cartelli 4, Raniolo 3, Ranagan 2, L. Scott. Saves: Frederick 2.

Burnt Hills — Goals: Guess 3, Godfrey, Beardsley. Assists: LeVan. Saves: McDonald 5.

Team stats — Draws: Yorktown 12, Burnt Hills 7. Shots: Town 19, BH 8. Turnovers: Town 4, BH 6.

5:28PM: Cartelli to Raniolo to start the half. 14-5 Town 50 seconds in.

5:30PM: Guess shot hits the post at 23:40, then Raniolo to Fioretti to give the ‘Huskers a 15-5 lead.

5:33PM: My head is spinning. Yorktown just scored three goals in about a minute and are now up 17-5 with 21:03 to go. Timeout Burnt Hills.

5:37PM: After notching seven assists up to this point, Cartelli gets her first goal of the game on an assist from Raniolo. Those two have been big today. 18-5 with 19:22 to go.

5:40PM: Beardsley scores for BH. 18-6 with 17:41 remaining.

5:43PM: With about 15 minutes to go, Yorktown coach Ellen Mager is beginning to pull her starters. Both Scotts, Cartelli, Raniolo and Kurpis are on the bench.

5:48PM: Beardsley scores again to make it 18-7 with 7:35 to go.

5:55PM: 18-8 final. Yorktown is heading to Cortland.

Good morning everyone! I wanted to give you all a heads up that I’ll be providing live updates during each of today’s regional finals at Fox Lane HS. It’s going to be a hectic afternoon in which I’m going to be doing a lot of writing, but I was able to snag a wireless card from the office with the hope of allowing people to follow the action from home. Since I’m going to be running close to our deadline for the paper tonight, the live blog will give me an opportunity to comment on each game. I’ll be back tomorrow with more quotes and such.

Once again, here is today’s schedule:

Class B

Yorktown v. Burnt Hills, 4 p.m.

Class C

Pearl River v. Albany Academy, 6 p.m.

Class A

Lakeland/Panas v. Niskayuna, 8 p.m.

With all three Section 1 teams receiving byes into the regional finals on Saturday at Fox Lane, it wasn’t until last night’s regional semis were played that Lakeland/Panas, Yorktown and Pearl River would find out who their next opponents will be.

Here are Wednesday’s results:

In Class A, Section 2’s Niskayuna defeated Section 9’s Kingston, 15-8.

In Class B, Section 2’s Burnt Hills defeated Section 9’s Saugerties, 14-8.

And in Class C, Section 2’s Albany Academy defeated Section 9’s Red Hook, 13-5.

For what it’s worth, here’s the little bit of information that I have on each of those teams:

• Niskayuna: The Silver Warriors (15-4) are ranked No. 18 in the most recent state poll. They’ve made it to the regional final three years in a row, with their season ending a game away from the state semifinals each of the past two seasons (both games by fewer than three goals). Niskayuna lost to Fox Lane on 04/09, 12-8 (Lakeland/Panas lost to the Foxes by one this season).


• Burnt Hills: The Spartans (9-10) are in just their fifth season with a varsity program. After winning their first section title, this is their first appearance in regional play. Burnt Hills is not ranked in the state, and has not played any Section 1 opponents this season.


• Albany Academy: The Bears (19-1) are ranked No. 11 in the most recent state poll. Their 19 wins have come by an average margin of 11.5 goals. They have not played any Section 1 opponents this season.

Thoughts: With the little bit that I know so far, it seems as though Yorktown will enter the weekend as the biggest favorite out of the local teams. Burnt Hills had to pull an upset or two to get to this point, and have still yet to garner much respect within the state. I would be shocked if the ‘Huskers don’t end up making the trip to Cortland for the state final four. Lakeland/Panas checks in as a slight favorite over Niskayuna. The Rebels played Fox Lane a bit closer than the Silver Warriors did, but this should still be a close game. Niskayuna has some D1 talent on its roster. As for Pearl River, the Pirates have a bit of an uphill climb. Albany Academy is considered to be one of the better teams in the state, regardless of class, so PR is going to have its hands full. The Bears are the favorite entering Saturday.

Here is the full schedule for Saturday at Fox Lane HS:

Class B: Yorktown v. Burnt Hills, 4 p.m.

Class C: Pearl River v. Albany Academy, 6 p.m.

Class A: Lakeland/Panas v. Niskayuna, 8 p.m.

Check out our new poll question…