The Liverpool lacrosse community can really shoot — and score!
In 2014, the Liverpool Youth Lacrosse Association (LYLA), along with the Liverpool High School boys and girls lacrosse programs, joined forces to raise money for a new box lacrosse arena at Willow Field Elementary.
Now three years later, construction is complete and local lacrosse players are ready for some competition.
The Liverpool Central School District and LYLA will celebrate its newest sports field with a ribbon cutting ceremony at WFE on Sunday, June 18, at noon. During the ceremony, the box lacrosse arena will be named the “Q Box” in honor of Kerry Quilty, who served as the LHS varsity lacrosse coach for more than 20 years. Once the ribbon is cut, current and former youth and high school lacrosse players will take the field for eight 30-minute games.
Long-time coach and Liverpool lacrosse supporter John Sardella said it took two days to complete construction of the box lacrosse arena.
“The LCSD Operations and Maintenance Department did an outstanding job,” he said, adding that finishing touches will be completed prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The box lacrosse arena will be used for a variety of activities both in the district and the community at large. The district will be able to create an in-house lacrosse program for students at all grade levels, while the community will use the box lacrosse arena for clinics, camps, local tournaments, festivals, alumni games, practices, pick-up lacrosse games and guest speakers. Sardella expects games to be played from May to November each year.
“This really was 20 years in the making,” Sardella said, noting that the inspiration for the box lacrosse arena came from former Liverpool lacrosse player and Le Moyne College Lacrosse Coach Shane Lynch, who passed away in 1998 after a short battle with cancer. Lynch’s passion for the game of lacrosse was — and still is — a constant presence at youth lacrosse games across Central New York.
Sardella said the construction of the new box lacrosse arena at WFE would not have been possible without the support of numerous sponsors — Edward Jones, Room to Smile, Paratore Signs, Graph-Tex & the Upstate New York Chapter of US Lacrosse — and supporters — the Liverpool Boys and Girls Lacrosse Booster Clubs, LHS Main Booster Club, LYLA, and Liverpool lacrosse alumni & coaches. Additional support was provided through grants from the Liverpool Turkey Trot, Price Chopper and the Central New York Community Foundation.
Willow Field Elementary is located at 3900 Route 31. The new box lacrosse arena was constructed behind the school (near the playground).
