When the Christian Brothers Academy girls lacrosse team returned to SUNY-Cortland on Friday afternoon for another state final four appearance, it found, on the other side, the same Pittsford side it defeated one year ago to clinch a state Class A championship.
This time, though, it was in the state semifinal round, and here the Brothers would not find the same happy ending against the Section V champion Panthers, unable to hold an early lead and then unable to rally late in Friday’s 9-7 defeat.
Having waited a year to get another shot at CBA, Pittsford did not get rattled when the Brothers grabbed a 4-2 first-half lead. Olivia Penoyer scored twice in that sequence, with Tessa Queri and Grace Hulslander also finding the net. Rachel Ziemba and Meredith Strott picked up assists.
Again, CBA was putting its balanced attack on display, but Pittsford was outrunning them to the ground balls, and the Brothers’ aggression produced a pair of yellow cards.
Things started to turn around late in the half when the Panthers displayed some of its own depth, getting four straight goals from four different players – Heather Higgins, Ellie Mooney, Jenna Doyle and Sarah Stark.
Even when Ziemba broke that string with a goal in the last minute of the half, Jillian Quevedo countered with a goal 14 seconds before intermission, and CBA trailed 7-5 at the break.
The game’s outcome would hinge on a strategic decision that Pittsford made early in the second half. Queri had scored to cut CBA’s deficit to one, 7-6, and the Panthers had thwarted numerous chances by the Brothers to pull even.
With 16 minutes left, Pittsford spread out its offense and, for several minutes, passed the ball around, protecting its slim lead. It lasted more than five minutes, and even when CBA forced a turnover, the Panthers got the ball back and called a time-out.
Instead of delaying things further, though, Pittsford pounced, forced a free-position chance and, with 9:15 left, made it 8-6 on Elizabeth Blanding’s goal. Needing to get draws and maintain possession, CBA kept making mistakes, from turnovers to a third yellow card, and Quevedo converted with 4:24 left.
Shut out for more than 21 minutes, the Brothers finally ended that drought on Penoyer’s goal with 1:14 to play, but one more turnover int he final minute allowed Pittsford to run out the remaining clock.
A day later, Pittsford won its first-ever state championship, prevailing 10-9 over Middle Country in double overtime.
