A fast-paced tournament is nearing its conclusion as we’ve reached the semifinals of Section 1 girls lacrosse bracket. The final four teams in their respective classes will square off on Friday and Saturday, vying for a berth in the finals on June 2 and 3 at Nyack High School.
Take a look back at our first round and quarterfinal coverage to see how the teams advanced. Here was our tournament analysis and predictions before the playoffs got underway.
Follow along and check back here for our continued coverage of the tournament.
Yorktown tops Fox Lane, earning another trip to Class B final
BEDFORD – There was a mirthful smile beneath that helmet as Julia Fitzsimons looked on from the distance. Because she anticipated it.
Fitzsimons stopped a free-position shot with 8:08 remaining and the ball was quickly cleared, creating a fast break opportunity for Yorktown. As her teammates raced up field, the goalkeeper read the defense and the circumstances, and she was confident in the result.
“I’m thinking, ‘I have a really good team and they’re really good in transition,'” the Yorktown goalkeeper said. “‘They’re gonna make this happen.'”
Sure enough, within 15 seconds of that save, Annie Cunneen scored off a pass from Ella Robustelli. That sequence gave the Huskers a four-goal lead, breathing room in what eventually became a 15-8 win over second-seeded Fox Lane in a Section 1 Class B girls lacrosse semifinal.
Yorktown had four goals during a four-minute spurt down the stretch, turning a relatively tense game into a comfortable victory and continuing the pursuit of a section title repeat.
“This is what we work for, striving to put ourselves in position to win big games,” coach Heather Raniolo said. “You go into it with a goal of getting to the final and having a chance to be a champion.”
Fox Lane came within a narrow upset of completing an undefeated regular season and then dominated their quarterfinal. But, for the second straight year, Yorktown eliminated the Foxes en route to the final.
The Huskers spent the better part of this spring steel-sharpening, testing themselves against a surfeit of stellar opponents in hopeful preparation for another playoff run.
“It’s my third year on the team and it’ll be my third time going to the final,” said Ava Ryan, a sophomore who notched her 100th career goal in the first quarter. “Playing in the final, competing for a championship, there’s a different energy than in any other game. We’re excited.”
What’s next
Standing in the way of another sectional triumph will be Nyack, the top-ranked team in Section 1 for whom an enrollment spike caused a shift up to Class B. Third-seeded Yorktown will face the RedHawks in the final on Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. at Nyack High School.
“Nyack is awesome, and we knew that if we got this far we would have to overcome a great team,” Raniolo said. “That’s why we play such a challenging schedule. We want that (championship) again and we’re ready to compete. We have all the faith in this team to play at a high level.”
Turning point
Ryan scored twice early, helping stake Yorktown to a 3-2 lead in the first quarter. She also whipped a pass to Cunneen for a one-timer that put the Huskers up 5-2 in the second.
Fox Lane answered enough times to keep the score within reach in the second half, though. Michaela Kaltsas scored to pull them within 10-7, firing up the Foxes bench and home crowd, and sparking the idea of a rally in the final 10 minutes.
Some of that steam was vacuumed out when Robustelli scored on a bouncer off a cross from Lily Diaz with 8:55 remaining. And that preceded the sequence in which Fitzsimons made the point-blank save that led to Cunneen’s transition goal, pushing the lead to 12-7 and squelching any concern of a late-game collapse.
“It gave us momentum and we started building on the lead,” said Ryan, who scored twice in a minute after that. “That was definitely a turning point for us because our energy and confidence was up, and we finished strong.”
Players of the game
Diaz had an excellent all-around game, contributing in all facets, which has become expected of her. The midfielder had three goals, three assists, three caused turnovers, three groundballs and five draw controls.
Fitzsimons made nine saves, including three on free-positions and a point-blank liner with 9:20 left in the second quarter.
“Julia has been working tremendously hard and she’s improved,” Raniolo said of the sophomore. “She comes up with huge saves, which gives us that momentum. We’re really proud of her.”
Box score
Yorktown (13-4) —Sydney Sateriale 4g, 2a, 7dc; Cunneen 2g, 2a, 8dc, 1CTO; Megan Durante 1g, 1a, 1CTO, 4gb; Robustelli 1g, 1a; Isabelle Wilson 1CTO; Addison Schluter 2gb; Khloe Clarkin 1CTO
Fox Lane (16-2) — Dylan New 4g; Kaltsas 1g, 2a; Cora Moore 1g, 5dc; Phoebe Skinner 1g; Taylor Webb 1g; Molly Rodriguez 8 saves
They said it
“It means a lot to us to have a chance to win a title,” Fitzsimons said. “Nyack is a strong team, but we’re gonna go in focused and have confidence.”
Stephen Has covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
Friday, May 29
Class B
Semifinals
No. 1 Nyack 21, No. 5 Mahopac 10
Class C
Semifinals
No. 2 Pelham 18, No. 3 Eastchester 4
Parker Koupal had five goals and three assists to lead Pelham. Brooke Green added four goals and an assist, Kate McGovern scored twice, Hannah Kindig had a goal and two assists, and Arden Keough had a goal, an assist and five draw controls. Colleen Sheehy had a goal, an assist and three draw controls, Ava Orlando had a goal and five draw controls, and Alex Dolen, Ella Klossner and Lily Roberts each scored once, Gianna Navarrete had an assist, and Scarlett Gristina made three saves. Eastchester’s Noelle Giaquinto and Maddy Murray each scored twice. Pelham will face Rye in the final on June 3, 7 p.m. at Nyack High School.
No. 1 Rye 14, No. 4 John Jay-Cross River 1
Saturday, May 30
Class A
Semifinals
No. 5 Mamaroneck at No. 1 Suffern, 11 a.m.
No. 6 North Rockland at No. 2 Wappingers, 12 p.m.
Class D
Semifinals
No. 5 North Salem at No. 1 Pleasantville, 11 a.m.
No. 11 Pawling at No. 7 Bronxville, 12 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Diaz leads Yorktown to ‘B’ final, Section 1 girls lacrosse semifinal scoreboard
Reporting by Stephen Haynes, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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