Going 19-0 was wonderful – but for the Christian Brothers Academy girls lacrosse team, it meant little unless it added two more wins and a state Class A title to make the 2016 season perfect.
In Friday morning’s state semifinal at Tompkins County Community College, the Brothers took the penultimate step to that big prize, defeating Section I champion North Rockland 14-8.
It was a game where CBA used a quick early burst to take the lead and never relinquished it, despite the Raiders’ fierce efforts that once made it a one-goal margin in the second half before the Brothers got away for good with a closing 7-2 spurt.
Olivia Penoyer, whose two goals and four assists made her the game MVP, said her team’s best effort came after North Rockland would convert goals.
“After we get down, this fires us up to go right back at it,” said Penoyer. “We love games like this where it’s competitive and we have to work hard.”
Part of it could be credited to experience. Many of CBA’s 11 seniors were used to this, having gone to the state final four as freshmen and sophomores in 2013 and 2014.
By contrast, this was North Rockland’s first-ever appearance on the season’s final weekend. Also, the Raiders had a young roster – just five seniors, not even half the Brothers’ total.
Though it proved a quiet and nervous start for both teams, once Grace Hulslander scored 7:16 into the first half, CBA settled down – and took charge in a hurry.
Within a 91-second span, Hulslander had scored twice and Emily Ehle found the net, making it 3-0 and immediately sending North Rockland into a chase that would prove futile.
Even when the Raiders got on the board with Aleya Corretjer’s goal at the 11:07 mark, Meredith Strott answered less than two minutes later. And it was the same when Sam McKenna countered Phoebe Mullarkey’s goal and Strott conveted again to make it 6-2.
But North Rockland hung in there the rest of the half, using Elizabeth Fox’s goal to cut the Brothers’ advantage to 6-3 at the break. Then Fox and Kaitlyn Gutenberger added goals early in the second half and the Brothers’ margin was down to one.
CBA used a time-out, where head coach Doug Sedgwick said that nothing complicated was done.
“We just needed to take a break and get some composure,“ said Sedgwick. “And we needed to get the ball back.”
A wild exchange followed. McKenna netted her second and third goals in between Fox’s third tally. When Hulslander returned to complete her hat trick with 13:03 left, the Raiders took a timeout of its own – but McKenna scored again 17 seconds later, and it was 10-6.
This was more than the Raiders could overcome. Ehle and Maddie Cook both scored, and Penoyer, already with four assists on the ledger, would convert twice late in the second half, finally giving the Brothers the cushion it sought all game.
Meanwhile, CBA’s defense, led by seniors Kate Derrenbacker, Lexi Luthringer, Alexandra Fess and Amanda Fess, would wear North Rockland down. Also, goalie Sloane Nicoletti-Watson made timely stops whenever they were required, finishing with seven saves overall.
In Saturday’s state final at 9:30 a.m. at SUNY-Cortland, CBA will face Pittsford (Section V), who downed defending state champion West Islip 11-5 in the other semifinal.
CBA scrimmaged Pittsford late in March and won by a comfortable margin, but Sedwgick said the Panthers’ vast improvement since that game means the Brothers can’t take this task lightly.
