When Julia Lennon notched the deciding goal in Shaker’s 8-7 Section II Class A title-game win over Guilderland Wednesday night, it wasn’t the first time the lacrosse star had stung the Lady Dutch.
It wasn’t the second time, either.
“I guess it’s a combination of things,” Lennon said after tying and then winning the large-school final. “I get really pumped up when we play them, and I do well under pressure.”
Lennon scored with 50.7 seconds left, hitting the upper right corner, to give Shaker its second title-game win over Guilderland.
“Time was running out. I saw an opportunity, and I ripped it,” the Harvard-bound team captain said of her fourth goal. “Luckily, it went in.”
Lennon scored the tie-breaking goal on a free position with 3:05 left when Shaker edged Guilderland for the 2012 area championship, 9-8. Guilderland beat Shaker in the 2013 final, 15-8.
“Our motto was, remember last year,” said Lennon. “Remember how it felt.”
When Shaker beat Guilderland in a Suburban Council game last month, 12-11, Lennon scored two goals inside the last 40 seconds of regulation to tie it, and tallied the game-winner with 38 seconds left in overtime.
MARR ON MARK
Shenendehowa senior Kyle Marr tied the school one-game assist record with eight in Friday’s 16-8 Section II Class A semifinal lacrosse win at Ballston Spa.
Marr collected six assists three times before, and nearly matched that in the first half with five.
“He’s getting people involved,” Shenendehowa coach Jason Gifford said of the area’s assist leader. “He trusts his teammates, and he’s getting them the ball.”
Marr had assists on Owen Putman’s three goals, all of them coming in a seven-minute stretch in the second quarter. The Hill School (Ontario) and Johns Hopkins-bound attackman also set up four of Pat Coll’s six goals, and notched two himself.
“He knows where to go. He’s only a sophomore, but I know he’ll get open,” Marr said of Putman’s outburst. “I’m always looking for him.”
Shenendehowa’s Ryan Weiss had eight assists twice in 1991, in a 16-5 win over Schenectady and in a 23-2 win over Colonie. Weiss scored five goals in the Colonie game to set the Shenendehowa points record with 13.
Marr is second on the Shenendehowa list with 12 points, with six goals and six assists in an early-season 20-14 win over Ballston Spa.
“The difference between good and great is the good do their thing. The great make others better,” said Gifford.
BIG SEASON
Shenendehowa was the better team Friday, but earlier this month, Ballston Spa was superior for the first time against the Plainsmen. That 10-9 victory was part of a breakthrough season for the Scotties.
“Our seniors set the bar pretty high,” said Ballston Spa coach Joe Pollicino. “They’ve done some things that can be goals for our future teams.”
Ballston Spa never had a better Suburban Council run, with a 10-3 record and second-place tie with Shenendehowa in the North Division. The Scotties went undefeated (5-0) against the South Division for the first time. They went 13-5 overall with a seven-game win streak, which included that thriller against the state-ranked Plainsmen.
Ballston Spa rallied from an 8-2 halftime deficit and prevailed on Coltin Moseman’s goal as time expired.
“When we beat Shenendehowa, I got a lot of e-mails. Phone calls. Text messages,” said Pollicino. “That might be one of the biggest wins in Section II history.”
Ballston Spa stayed with Niskayuna in a game that followed, but succumbed late in a 12-8 setback.
“The Niskayuna game was tied with six minutes left,” said Pollicino. “Our kids realize they can play with these kids.”
Ballston Spa will graduate its senior captains in Kyle Abdellatif, Sam Groves, John McDonald, Moseman and Carter Richardson, and goalkeeper Jon Blake.
“Great group of seniors,” said Pollicino. “They’ll be a big loss, but we’ve got 15 juniors coming back. We’ll have six midfielders back. We’ll be right in the mix.”
Ballston Spa has made steady progress with Pollicino since 2010, showing five, nine, 10, 11 and this season’s 13 wins. The 2013 edition reached the Section II Class B final before a loss to Niskayuna.
Ballston Spa won a program-record 14 games and the Foothills Council title in 2004, and joined the Suburban Council in 2005.
“It’s fun to see something like this,” said Kevin Dayton, who coached the Scotties in their club and early varsity years. “When we played Shenendehowa in the 2004 sectionals, they beat us, 18-2, and the only goals we scored were man-up. It’s not like that anymore.”
SECTIONAL GEMS
Nick Chiseri tossed his second no-hitter in as many starts Saturday as Voorheesville beat Chatham in a Section II Class B semifinal, 5-2.
Here’s the twist. Greg Musk of Schalmont pitched a no-hitter against Chatham in last year’s Class B semis, in a 6-0 win.
The Section II tournament’s previous no-hit effort was by Jaime Schultz of Maple Hill, who blanked Voorheesville in a 2009 Class CC quarterfinal, 6-0.
The year before, Dustin Baker of Fort Plain no-hit Salem in a Class C quarter, and no-hit Ticonderoga in a regional contest.
Championship game no-hitters include Keith Lansley’s perfect performance when Shenendehowa beat Schenectady in 1994, and Mike Gipson’s gem when Lake George topped Salem in 2001.
DORMAN, STARS HONORED
Walter Dorman of Hoosic Valley has been named Class C girls’ basketball co-Coach of the Year by the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports.
Dorman’s final edition won 19 games and reached the state title game. Dorman stepped down in March after 14 years with the Indians. His teams won nine Section II titles and the 2012 state championship.
First-team all-state honors for small-school athletes went to Lauren Madigan of Hoosic Valley and Alexis Case of Greenwich (Class C), and Erin Langworthy of Warrensburg and Brittni Sardina of Fort Edward (Class D).
The Class B stars include Hope Cerasualo of Johnstown (fifth), Teagan Clough of Watervliet (seventh), Emily Parslow of Fonda-Fultonville (eighth) and Hailee Metzold of Schalmont (ninth). …
The Basketball Coaches Association of New York has Jamil Hood of Green Tech (Class AA), Jim Giammattei of Scotia-Glenville (Class A), David Burch of Voorheesville (Class B), Dan Calhoun of Hoosic Valley (Class C) and Jack Sherwin of Argyle (Class D) on its Boys Coaches of the Year list.
Hood, Giammattei and Calhoun led their teams to New York State Public High School Athletic Association titles. Scotia-Glenville followed with a Federation title to cap a 27-0 season.
Categories: High School Sports
