MAHOPAC — The Niskayuna boys’ lacrosse team is headed back to the NYSPHSAA final four for the first time since 2018.
On Saturday, the Silver Warriors won their Class B regional championship game with a 7-4 victory over Section 1’s Yorktown.
“The past couple years we’ve been getting to this game and last year we ran into powerhouse like Rye,” said Niskayuna standout Greyson Vorgang. “This year we all believed that we were better than them and we believed that we could make it to the state final four.”
Vorgang got the scoring started in the first quarter, but Yorktown promptly responded with two straight goal, to gain an early lead.
Niskayuna’s Tanner Williams struck the equalizer, as the Silver Warriors and Huskers ended the first period knotted 2-2.
The back-and-forth continued into the second quarter, as Vorgang tacked on another goal for Niskayuna.
Davey Carroll then scored two straight goals, breaking a 3-3 tie, providing some separation for the Silver Warriors with a 5-3 lead.
“He’s a really good player,” Niskayuna coach Mike Vorgang said of Carroll. “That’s why he’s going to play at Rutgers. He’s one of our top scorers and he played really well today. He played smart; he went when he should go and he put it out when he should. He just played a really intelligent game.”
Carroll tacked on another goal, his third of the game, in the third quarter, providing Niskayuna a 6-3 advantage.
The Rutgers-commit did depart the contest early, after going down late in the game. The Silver Warriors expect Carroll to be back by Wednesday.
Connor Fastiggi got a goal back for Yorktown early in the fourth quarter, but Greyson Vorgang found the cage for a third time as well, adding some extra insurance to Niskayuna’s lead.
“I honestly thought we could have played better, but their defense is great over there,” Greyson Vorgang said. “Our offense had a huge test today, probably our biggest test all year. There’s some good players over there and a good, young goalkeeper. I think we just stayed with our game plan and played a little slower at the end, because they’re a good team.”
The 18-2 Silver Warriors move on to the NYSPHSAA Class B semifinals, where they will face Section 8’s Garden City at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at UAlbany’s Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
“It’s right around the corner,” said Mike Vorgang on playing at UAlbany. “It’s an awesome venue, so for us to be able to get on the bus for 20 minutes, it’s great for us. We’re going to play against the Long Island champion, who’s going to be really, really good. It’s a great opportunity and I’m glad we’re doing it at home.”
Niskayuna advanced to Saturday’s regional championship after defeating Section 9’s Warwick in a sub-regional last Wednesday, 21-5.
The last time Niskayuna played in the state semifinals was in 2018, as a Class A team, when it fell to Ward Melville. The Silver Warriors won the Class A state championship in 2015.
“Every year, there’s only going to be one team in your class that doesn’t end with a loss,” Mike Vorgang added. “The fact that we’re able to move on and get another chance at it is really a great opportunity for all of us.”
Niskayuna 2 3 1 1 — 7
Yorktown 2 1 0 1 — 4
Niskayuna scoring: Vorgang 3-1, Williams 1-1, Carroll 3-0, Klokiw 0-1. Yorktown scoring: Duncan 1-0, Vogel 1-0, Weissmann 1-1, Fastiggi 1-0.
Categories: High School Sports, Sports, Your Niskayuna
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Why isn’t Niskayuna in Class A? 1300 students in the high school.