BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. (WWNY) – The boys Section 3 lacrosse semifinals took place Saturday with four Frontier League teams hoping to earn a spot in the finals.
In Class B, Watertown took on East Syracuse Minoa in Baldwinsville.
Watertown was down 5-4 in the second quarter, but Nico Spaziani scored one of his four points to tie the game.
With the score at 6-5 for ESM, Antonio Martunao received a pass up front and passed it from behind, making it 6-6 at the end of the first half.
The score was tied at 7-7 in the third, but Owen O’Donnell beat the goalie with a solo shot to give the Cyclones an 8-7 lead.
Jack Converse then scored on a top shelf run to give Watertown a 9-7 lead.
Jack Rathbun breaks through the defender and scores with a low shot to give Watertown a 10-7 win.
The Cyclones didn’t stop there as Cage Loftus charged in and cracked the goal: 11-7 Watertown.
Watertown was leading 11-10 in the fourth, but Loftus scored his third run to put the Cyclones up 12-10.
Here’s the final: Watertown advances to the Class B final and will face West Genesee at Fayetteville-Manlius on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
In the boys Class D semifinals, General Brown faced off against top-seeded Marcellus at Chittenango.
Donavan Fraher beat Luke Secreti in the top shelf, and it was all thanks to Marcellus.
And Nick Layfield scored one of his five goals on the day with a spin move.
Chris Doshna dribbled past a defender and scored one of his four goals in the game.
Ryan Chamberlain fought back for the Lions, but Marcellus was too strong.
The Mustangs defeated General Brown 22-6 to end the Lions’ season.
In the Section 3 Class C semifinals, Carthage faced top-seeded Jamesville DeWitt at Fayetteville-Manlius.
The Red Rams were dominating the game, with Sam Brazell picking up a loose ball and putting it in the back of the net.
Then Alex Carolin received the pass up front and found his marker.
Graeme Kesselring broke a double team, ripped the strings, and then Brazel unleashed a laser that was too hot to handle.
The Comets had no answers in the game, losing 15-4 to Jamesville-DeWitt.
On the softball field, Sackets Harbor faced off against Stockbridge Valley in the Section 3 Class D semifinals.
Natalie Gibbons held the no-hitter through the seventh inning and recorded seven strikeouts.
Payton Britton had the Patriots’ only hit, and Sackets Harbor scored one run each in the sixth and seventh innings.
Sackets Harbor defeated Stockbridge Valley, 2-1, and will advance to the Class D final at Carrier Park on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
On the second day of the Section 10 Golf Championships in Tupper Lake, combined scores from the two days will determine the nine competitors for the New York State Tournament.
Canton’s Ryan Jones shot a 73 to take the lead with 152. He was followed by Massena’s Collin Patterson at 155, Tupper Lake’s Ashton Clark at 158, Potsdam’s Ian Van Wagner at 159, Salmon River’s Cahontio Lazore at 160, Ogdensburg’s Ethan Bouchard at 160, Clifton Fine’s Matthew Daniels at 161, Gouverneur’s Rain Rumble at 169 and Salmon River’s Carter Johnson at 170.
On the girls side, Gouverneur’s Kaitlyn Story and Canton’s Eliza Kruller are both state tournament competitors this year in Section X. Eliza totaled 185 points over the two days, while Kaitlyn had 212 points.
Kruller received her Mary Lawrence Championship plaque from Section Coordinator Joey Reome.
Two Frontier League girls lacrosse teams will be looking to clinch the Section 3 title on Tuesday night.
One of those teams is the Indian River Warriors, a team looking to win back-to-back state championships but with Fulton preventing them from making it to the state tournament.
The Warriors made consecutive appearances in the Section 3 Class C championship game on Thursday, defeating Frontier League rival Carthage, 13-3, in the semifinals.
With the win, Indian River improved to 16-2 on the season, with its only loss coming to South Jeff in Frontier League play.
Having a chance to defend their division title accomplished one of the goals the Warriors set at the start of the season, but it was never going to be easy.
“It’s 10 times harder than last year. We have the bar on our backs and we’re the No. 1 seed again. Carthage won today. Every team we play has to know they’re going to be at their best,” Indian River girls lacrosse coach Victoria Fusco said.
“There’s definitely a lot of pressure on us, but I think we rise to the challenge every day and lift each other up,” Breelyn Lalonde said.
Indian River plays Fulton on Tuesday at SUNY Cortland with a chance to qualify for the state tournament and win back-to-back district lacrosse titles on the line.
What do the Warriors have to do to win?
The players say they are sticking to the game plan that has got them this far this season.
“We definitely work harder than other teams. We stay focused in everything we do. It’s all about mental strength. If we think we can, we can definitely go far,” Micaela Deres said.
For the seven Indian River seniors who have been with the team the past few years and helped turn a struggling squad into a Section 3 lacrosse powerhouse, the desire to win back-to-back championships is building for the first time in Indian River girls lacrosse history.
“Yeah, for sure. This is my last time. My last sport before I graduate. I really want to win and have no regrets, just have fun.”
Lavan Marcel said.
The girls’ Section 3 Class C lacrosse championship will be played between Indian River and Fulton at 7pm on Tuesday night at SUNY Cortland.
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