Student-athletes have reached the stretch run for the 2025-26 academic year, and with that comes the start of lacrosse season.
Time will tell whether the next 30 years of Section V girls lacrosse will be as impactful as the first 30. Regardless, this spring promises another competitive year from one of the country’s top lacrosse hotbeds.
Section V girls lacrosse classification breakdown
Class A: Fairport, Greece, Penfield, Rush-Henrietta
Class B: Brighton, Canandaigua, Churchville-Chili, Gates Chili, Hilton, Irondequoit, Our Lady of Mercy, Pittsford, Spencerport, Victor, Webster Schroeder, Webster Thomas
Class C: Brockport, Geneva, Honeoye Falls-Lima, Livonia-Avon-Geneseo, Newark/Midlakes, Waterloo/Mynderse/Romulus, Wayne
Class D: Aquinas, Gananda/Marion, Marcus Whitman, Palmyra-Macedon, Penn Yan
2025 Section V championship results
Here are five questions for the upcoming girls lacrosse season:
How will defending state champions Penfield, Victor fare this spring?
Spring 2025 marked the second time in three years that Section V exited the season with at least two NYSPHSAA titles across the four classifications.
One was a usual suspect, the other a newcomer to state glory. In Class B, Victor reeled off its fourth straight title, fending off perennial power Garden City-VII in the final. With another state title run, the Blue Devils would become only the second school in state history to win five straight (Garden City, which won seven consecutive titles from 2006 to 2012, stands alone in this respect).
Trips to Cortland for the state final haven’t been as frequent for Penfield, but the Patriots looked like regulars in capturing last season’s Class A championship. Led by its stingy defense, Penfield overwhelmed Suffern-I in the final for the program’s first state title.
Both teams should be in position to defend their titles, but there is some roster turnover to manage. Victor’s Maia Pronti and Brin Gotham, and Penfield’s Jenna Capozzi, are among the graduates from last year’s All-Greater Rochester team. Victor will also be without star junior midfielder Allie Pisano, a Boston College commit, due to injury.
Still, with machine-like programs like these, there’s plenty of talent to work with.
Who are the returning All-Greater Rochester selections?
As usual, Section V’s talent pool is deep. So much so, that the area returns nine first-team selections and 10 second-teamers from last season.
Chief among them is Penfield senior Peyton Rothfuss, last season’s player of the year and a Syracuse University commit. Penfield’s attack totaled 62 goals, 102 points and 166 draw controls, all of which were among the leaders in Section V.
Other first-team returners include:
Who are the new coaches around Section V?
While most area teams kept the status quo, there are five teams with new leadership on the sideline this spring: Kevin Callahan (Churchville-Chili), Todd Cunningham (Marcus Whitman), Debra Delfino (Aquinas), Madeline Fichera (Penfield) and Maggie Stoler (Mercy).
Delfino, a 2011 Aquinas graduate, was previously the women’s lacrosse head coach at Post University and Monroe Community College.
Fichera, a former Victor Central student, has been on Penfield’s staff the last four years as an assistant.
Callahan enters his sixth year with the Churchville program. His previous positions include modified coach, JV coach and program assistant last year.
Why are there fewer teams this spring?
Twenty-eight teams in total will compete around Section V this spring, down two from last season.
One of the departures is Waterloo, which joins the Mynderse-Romulus program. “We combined with cross town rivals and are trying to bring the two communities together,” coach Corey Foster said. “I think if we can put it all together we can look forward to a successful season.”
Eastridge/Bishop Kearney, despite an 11-win regular season in 2025, is not fielding a varsity team this spring.
Are there any major rule changes for this spring?
New York state’s implementation of the shot clock last year was relatively seamless, especially with the simple 90-second timer for the girls game (the boys’ 60-second version is more convoluted).
While NYSPHSAA’s rule is still considered “experimental,” other state associations are expected to follow suit in the coming years.
When NYSPHSAA’s executive committee meets this summer, the possession clock beyond 2026 will be one of the discussion points. Among the possible changes: Making the rule optional at the JV level, and leaving its usage up to individual coaches pre-game.
This season’s new rules are largely procedural. There are now specified times to call for a stick check, and on-field players are barred from wearing audio or video equipment.
Looking big picture, NYSPHSAA’s new three-region concept will affect state tournaments for the foreseeable future, as individual sections will be offered at-large bids on a rotating basis (Section V’s turn isn’t until 2031). This season, Section V will host sub-regional games against Section VI (western New York) in all four classifications.
— Justin Ritzel works as a sports reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on Section V athletics and high school trends.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Five questions shaping the Section V girls lacrosse season
Reporting by Justin Ritzel, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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