Shenendehowa tops Niskayuna in boys' lacrosse

Shenendehowa's Colin Bullock leaps in front of Niskayuna's Gavin Pendergast at Frank Bailey Field Thursday, March 31, 2022.

SCHENECTADY — For the first game of the season, the conditions were unpleasant, the opponent — though shorthanded — was formidable. But the Shenendehowa boys’ lacrosse team wanted it enough to endure.

Trailing 2-0 at halftime on a rainy night, Shenendehowa rallied past Niskayuna 8-6 in the Suburban Council and season openers for both teams at Union College’s Frank Bailey Field.

The Plainsmen took their first lead at 10:56 of the fourth quarter, 5-4, and then added two more goals over the next four minutes and withstood Niskayuna’s rally to earn their first win over the Silver Warriors since 2016.

Niskayuna played the game without its All-American attackman from last season, Greyson Vorgang, who has a broken foot and will be out four-to-six weeks. But as Shenendehowa senior midfielder Colin Bullock said, “Nisky is Nisky.”

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So only trailing two goals at halftime wasn’t a bad spot for Shenendehowa to be in.

“We were right there, and from the start of the game, we talked about battling all game long. Just fight, stay together,” Shenendehowa coach Jason Gifford said.

Shenendehowa, starting the third quarter a man-up, scored 36 seconds into it with Bullock’s first of four goals as he was cutting across the middle. He added another goal on a crank shot off an isolation 41 seconds later.

“Got over the top, had a pick, and it was there all day,” Bullock said. “They were leaving the middle open.”

Niskayuna regained the lead, making it 4-2 on two goals by Davey Carroll, but Shenendehowa got goals from Mason Carroll and Bullock to tie it at 4 entering the final quarter.

Shenendehowa got a heads-up goal to take a 5-4 lead when Sam Lopresti scored on a rebound of a save, and then took a 6-4 lead on a fortuitous play. Niskayuna made a bad pass on a clear behind the goal, and the ball went right to Mason Carroll in front of the goal. He dodged a check and put the ball in the net as Niskayuna goalie Tyler Carroll scrambled to get back in position.

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Bullock scored on another isolation to make it 7-4 with 6:59 left. Niskayuna never got closer than two goals the rest of the way.

“We started off the game slow, for sure, but as the game went on, there was a snowball effect to putting the ball in the net,” Bullock said. “It’s the best feeling ever. Going into this game, we had a bunch of energy, and it all came together in the end.”

Gifford mentioned defensemen Calvin Hicks and Henry Picard as having especially strong games. Brandon Stocker made 10 saves for Shenendehowa.

“They are a well-coached team, they are a high-powered offensive team, and they can put goals together in bunches,” Gifford said of Niskayuna. “Our defense stood tall. Brandon Stocker came up with some saves when we needed him to.”

Niskayuna coach Mike Vorgang credited Shenendehowa for playing hard and making key plays when it needed to, something he said his team didn’t do.

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“We had chances early on that we didn’t challenge the goalie on. He made some good saves, too,” Vorgang said of Stocker.

Davey Carroll led Niskayuna with four goals and an assist. Tyler Carroll had a strong game in goal with 15 saves.

“I need to do a better job,” coach Vorgang said. “They’ve worked really hard in practice, they put in all their super hard work, so I need to do a better job.”

Shenendehowa 0 0 4 4 — 8

Niskayuna 0 2 2 2 — 6

Shenendehowa scoring: Bullock 4-0, M. Carroll 3-1, Lopresti 1-1, Canterbury 0-1, Wolfe 0-1. Niskayuna scoring: D. Carroll 4-1, Klokiw 1-0, Licht 1-0, Williams 0-1. Goalies: Shenendehowa, Stocker, 10 saves. Niskayuna, T. Carroll 15 saves.