High School Notes: Division I look for Warriors' lacrosse attack

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

The Niskayuna boys’ lacrosse team will have a trio of Division I-bound players among its offensive cast next spring, including two Penn State University-bound marksmen.

Junior Lucas Maloney recently made a verbal commitment to play for the Nittany Lions, and fellow 11th-grader Luke Goldstock said he’ll play for the University of North Carolina, a 26-time NCAA Division I tournament participant.

Senior Matt Sexton picked Penn State as his future destination before last season, and the trio will serve significant offensive roles as Niskayuna makes a bid to move up after placing second in both the Suburban Council North Division and Section II Class A tournament.

“At times, you’ll see all three of them playing attack togther, but we also have a real good sophomore [Mike D’Amario] that we want to get in there,” said Niskayuna coach Mike Vorgang. “Matt will play both attack and midfield, and one of the other guys could come out, too. We’ll do some mixing with them.”

Maloney scored a team-high 52 goals to go along with nine assists last season, when Niskayuna won 15 of 19 games and Goldstock produced 28 goals and 19 assists.

Vorgang said collegiate interest in the juniors increased over the summer after Maloney competed at the Nike Blue Chip Camp in Maryland and Goldstock competed at the Maverik Showtime Camp in Connecticut. Goldstock scored the game-winning goal in the championship game at his camp.

“They both played a ton as sophomores, and we were able to get them invited to the two of the best lacrosse camps in the nation,” Vorgang said. “They played well when a lot of eyes were on them. A lot of [college] coaches took notice.”

Niskayuna midfielder Tanner MacIvor will continue his lacrosse career at Division III Williams College.

MacIvor (specialist), Sexton (attack) and Maloney (attack) made the Suburban Council all-star second team last season.

williamson to bowl

Albany High School senior Hezekiah Williamson has been selected to compete in the third annual Offense-Defense Youth All-American Bowl in Cowboys Stadium.

The 17-year-old running back and linebacker was among 80 football players from across the nation tabbed to play in the East-West game, which will be part of a series of events scheduled for

Dec. 26-31 in Arlington, Texas.

Williamson’s selection was based on his outstanding speed and agility results at an August Offfense-Defense camp held in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Williamson scored a touchdown in each of Albany’s games this season, on a run against Saratoga Springs and a pass reception against Christian Brothers Academy.

shenendehowa hof

Coaches Ken Strube and Mike Campisi, each with over 500 wins and a combined 10 state titles, lead the newest Shenendehowa Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Football standout Mike Peacock, wrestling champion Matt Stein, multi-sport star Theresa Ann Mackinnon, prolific gymnast Dawn Quinn and Campisi’s unbeaten 1988 boys’ soccer team will also be inducted on Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Hall of Springs restaurant in Saratoga Springs.

Tickets for the event are available to the public and can be purchased on the hall of fame link at www.shenet.org.

Strube and Campisi both began coaching at Shenendehowa in 1980, with Strube’s girls’ basketball teams putting together a 571-153 record and Campisi’s soccer teams forging a 515-89-60 mark before this season.

Strube’s teams have won 21 Suburban Council, 10 Section II, nine regional and four state championships. Section II’s all-time basketball victory leader was inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of New York Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Capital District Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Campisi’s teams have won 22 Suburban Council, 16 Section II, 13 regional and six state championships. His 1988 team went 23-0-0, outscored opponents, 81-7, and was named national champion by USA Today.

Peacock was the featured running back for Shenendehowa’s Section II title teams in 1981 and 1982, and was tabbed the state’s top player as a senior. Stein also excelled in football, yet left an even greater mark as a wrestler with four Section II Class A championships and a state title as a senior in 1993. Mackinnon played basketball, volleyball and softball, and was named Shenendehowa’s top senior athlete in 1983. Quinn helped Shenendehowa win five league and four section championships in her six varsity seasons (1980-85), and was the area’s best all-around performer two times.

shaker hof

Field hockey standout Meredith Wolanin will be inducted into the Shaker High School Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Century House in Latham.

Wolanin and fellow inductee Roger Bell, who coached swimming and diving at the school from 1959-66, will be honored at a noon luncheon. Reservations can be made through the Shaker athletic department before Wednesday.

Wolanin made 700 saves as Shaker’s starting goalkeeper in a four-year span through 2005, including 33 stops in a game against Queensbury that year. As a senior she was selected Shaker’s most valuable player, a Suburban Council first-team all-star and a New York all-star.