Garden City (N.Y.) is the Class B girls lacrosse champion in New York for the sixth straight season and the top team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 20 National Girls Lacrosse Rankings.
Photo by Jim Stout
When it comes to lacrosse in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tri-state area, Garden City is now the team,
whether it be boys or girls.
The Trojans beat Brighton 12-6 on Saturday at Cortland State University to win their sixth straight New York State Class B championship. No boys or girls team has ever won six straight state titles in Empire State history. Tournament MVP
Kelly Weis finished with 10 saves to go along with three pass interceptions.
Despite Garden City's dynastic accomplishment, the Class A championship in New York proved to be the most memorable of the three title games. A goal by
Cortney Fortunato off a free position with 1 second remaining lifted Northport to an 11-10, double-overtime triumph over Pittsford.
Christian Brothers Academy of Syracuse took the Class C state title in New York by edging Mount Sinai 9-8 on a goal by
Sophie Racciatti with 58 seconds remaining. It was CBA's first state title.
In Connecticut,
Emily Johnson scored three times as Greenwich defeated Glastonbury 12-10 to take the Division L championship for the first time in six years.
Dillon Schoen, a freshman, finished with five goals as Darien downed Daniel Hand 15-5 to take the Division M title. In Division S, Weston's
Catie Ledwick's goal with just more than a minute remaining was the game-winner in an 8-7 victory over Granby. Ledwick had four goals and an assist for Weston, which won a state title for the first time.
Ridgewood scored three unanswered goals to end the game and pull out a 10-9 win against Moorestown in the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title game at Rutgers University this past Saturday. Ridgewood's only loss this season came against four-time New York CHSAA champion St. Anthony's.
Londonderry won its third straight New Hampshire state title by edging Concord 10-9 in the title game.
In Pennsylvania, Garnet Valley won a state championship for the first time by beating Downingtown East 17-14 in the championship game at Hershey Park Stadium.
AnnaElise Morello had three goals and seven assists for the Jaguars, who have just one senior starter.
MAXPREPS XCELLENT 20 NATIONAL GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS
1. Garden City (N.Y.), 21-0: Catherine Dickinson and
Mikaela Rix each had three goals and
Caroline Tarzian had two goals and two assists in the previously mentioned state title game win against Brighton. (Last week's ranking: No. 1)
2. McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.), 19-0: Taylor Cummings scored five goals, helping the Eagles prevail over Roland Country School (Md.) 18-17 in the IAA A Conference title game for their 51st straight win. (Last week's ranking: No. 2)
3. Vero Beach (Fla.), 22-0: The Fighting Indians wrapped up a 22-0 campaign by beating Winter Springs, 20-3, in the FHSAA championship game to extend their winning streak to 60 games. (Last week's ranking: No. 3)
4. St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.), 16-2: The top-seeded Friars won their fourth straight CHSAA championship by rolling to a 20-5 win over No. 2 Sacred Heart (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: No. 5)
5. Ridgewood (N.J.), 23-1: Kelci Smesko had four goals and two assists and
Sally Jentis had three goals and an assist in the previously mentioned Tournament of Champions title-game win over Moorestown. (Last week's ranking: No. 8)
6. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.), 31-2: Katie Wiseman made 13 saves in an 8-5 victory over Georgetown Visitation (D.C.) in the ISL AA title game. (Last week's ranking: No. 6)
7. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 19-2: Kelly Lechner finished with 98 goals for the Falcons, who won their eighth straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title and extended their conference win streak to 80 games. (Last week's ranking: No. 7)
8. Northport (N.Y.), 20-2: Shannon Gilroy scored four times in the previously mentioned win over Pittsford in the Class A state title game. (Last week's ranking: No. 9)
9. Westwood (Mass.), 22-0-1: The Wolverines downed Needham 14-8 to win their fifth consecutive Division 1 South Sectional title. (Last week's ranking: No. 10)
10. West Genesee (Camillus, N.Y.), 19-1: The Wildcats fell to Pittsford 9-7 in the Class A state semifinals. (Last week's ranking: No. 4)
11. Farmingdale (N.Y.), 16-2: Alexandra Gurecki made 12 saves in a 14-7 loss to Northport in the Long Island Class A title game. (Last week's ranking: No.11)
12. Alta (Sandy, Utah), 20-0: The Hawks defended their state championship and extended their win streak to 48 games by beating Bingham 12-6 in the title game. (Last week's ranking: No. 12)
13. Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.), 21-2: The Ramblers easily won their third straight state championship by beating Hinsdale 15-3. (Last week's ranking: No. 13)
14. Hauppauge (N.Y.), 19-1: The Eagles suffered their first loss in their last game, falling to Garden City 13-7 in the Long Island Class B championship game. (Last week's ranking: No. 14)
15. Garnet Valley (Glen Mills, Pa.), 24-3: Halley Barnes had four goals and four assists and
Ally Heavens netted five goals in the previously mentioned state-title game win over Downingtown East. (Last week's ranking: Not ranked)
16. Moorestown (N.J.), 21-3: Lindsay Goldblatt,
Nikki McMonigle and
Carly Taglienti each had two goals in the previously mentioned Tournament of Champions title-game loss to Ridgewood. (Last week's ranking: No. 15)
17. Londonderry (N.H.), 19-1: The Lancers have now won 53 straight in-state games. (Last week's ranking: No. 19)
18. Downingtown East (Exton, Pa.), 25-2: Ashley Poli had four goals in the previously mentioned loss to Garnet Valley in the state title game. (Last week's ranking: Not ranked)
19. Milton (Ga.), 19-1-1: Lydia Cassada scored three goals in the first three minutes of a 25-6 state title victory over Roswell (Ga.). (Last week's ranking: No. 16)
20. Carondelet (Concord, Calif.), 21-2: Cali Castagnola and
Kerianne Hunt each had four goals in a 15-9 win over Foothill (Pleasanton, Calif.), in the NCS Division I championship game. (Last week's ranking: No. 20)
Dropped out: Wilton (Conn.), No. 17; Manhasset (N.Y.), No. 18.
Joe Lombardi, the author of the "Lax with Joe" blog at LaxLessons.com, is also an analyst for the MSG Varsity television network and is the primary author of the new edition of "Lacrosse for Dummies," which was released last year. Follow Joe Lombardi on Twitter.
