Horseheads is the last Section 4 boys lacrosse team standing following a victory Wednesday, June 3 that was dominant and historic.
The Blue Raiders handled Section 2 runner-up Ballston Spa, 13-4, in a New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B subregional at Ithaca High School. It was Horseheads’ first victory in the state tournament after losses in 1987, 1988, 1998, and 2016.
“This team just keeps doing it,” Horseheads senior Zack Bennett said. “We ended our regular season with a five-game win streak. To win the first state playoff game is just fantastic. I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
Horseheads, a 13-3 winner over Binghamton for its first Section 4 title since 2016, will meet Section 5’s Victor in a regional final Saturday, June 6 at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva. Victor, New York’s top-ranked Class B team, topped Orchard Park, 12-8, in their subregional Wednesday.
Ballston Spa finished with a 12-7 record.
“It’s something I’ve never dreamed of doing,” Bennett said. “I just couldn’t believe that I would be able to make the final four in states. Now we get the chance and I think this team is ready for it.”
It was a tough day of subregional results otherwise for Section 4 against foes from Section 3.
Blue Raiders in control from start
With seven different players finding the back of the net, Horseheads jumped out to a 7-0 advantage that became 9-2 at halftime.
“We just flew out of the gates. We came out flying,” Bennett said. “We were just making good feeds inside, good shots outside, and doing it as a team was just great.”
Bennett was top scorer for Horseheads with 4 goals and an assist. Seamus Lynch had 2 goals and an assist, and Brogan Sullivan contributed a goal and 3 assists.
Other goal scorers were Owen Johanson, Boe Briggs, Keenan McCarthy, Liam Kelly, Colin Philips, and Andrew Fedele. Johanson and Ethain Bailey had assists.
Horseheads goalie Ben Potter made 9 saves and Briggs was 11-for-21 on faceoffs with 13 ground balls.
“It’s awesome,” Horseheads head coach Jason Neubauer said of advancing in the state tournament. “These kids, they’ve been working so hard and they believed the whole day, throughout the game, leading into the game that it was going to happen, and that confidence that they have is just awesome to watch.
“If they come in with that attitude, with that work ethic, with that belief in each other, it makes coaching a lot easier and I’m proud of them.”
Neubauer said Horseheads shot exceptionally well, with the 13 goals coming on 21 shots. He also praised the defense, which he said has been the rock this season and played “phenomenally” Wednesday.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Horseheads wins, 3 Section 4 boys lacrosse teams fall in state tourney
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
