NEXT STOP SECTION II FINALS FOR BLUE STREAKS
Saratoga takes second Shen meeting, 14-10
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Blue Streaks won the battle and then they won the war.
The Saratoga Springs girls lacrosse team proved that its late season 11-point win over rival Shenendehowa wasn’t a fluke. Meanwhile the Plainsmen did the same, making it the Section II semifinal that fans expected, a Blue Streak 14-10 win and a date Wednesday in the Class A final.
“I was surprised at the score the last time we played them and it was completely unexpected,” Saratoga Springs varsity coach Elaine Anton-Lotruglio said. “I just think it wasn’t their best game either, everybody has one of those and this was a better Shen team that showed up and you could tell they were on again.”
It was apparent as Shenendehowa changed its defensive setup, controlled the draw as the two sides matched each other goalfor-goal throughout the first half creating the 7-7 deadlock at the break.
“We dropped into the eight (yard-circle), we didn’t face guard because we were stronger as a unit, with all seven of them back in the eight,” Shenendehowa firstyear varsity co-coach Heidi Acker-
ley said. “It was going to be very hard for them to break through that, which it was.
“That was the part defensively that we stopped and made the change on that, prior we had face guarded two of their girls. We took that away today.”
Shen’s defensive change also included relying on the footwork of sophomore defender Sarah Monroe, keeping the score close in the first half.
“She’s our fastest kid defensively, so she was our runner, she was moving, she was sliding,” Ackerley said. “The biggest thing was the communication today, you had to be able to talk and be able to say you needed help, so she was going to be our slider.”
The Plainsmen’s success on the draw wasn’t lost on Anton-Lotruglio.
“They have this unbelievably adorable JV player (Sara Stellica) who came up and was phenomenal on the circle draws,” AntonLotruglio said. “She was awesome and from my perspective that was the most prominent change I saw.”
In the second half the Blue Streaks found ways to break through the defensive zone of Shenendehowa, pressuring the Plainsmen and reeling off three straight goals from Reilly Hogan, Sylive Waters and Sophia Burke with 10 minutes to go and a 13-7 lead.
Saratoga Spring was led by Lindsey Frank’s five goal day.
“I think that possession was key, once we had the ball we knew we could control the game,” Lindsey Frank. “Getting the draw is always a big deal, 5050 ground balls, following through and catching the balls on the inside and play a clean game, no fouls, and well minimal fouls.”
With the pre-game goals met and the semifinal victory Saratoga next draws Bethlehem 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mohonasen High School for the Class A final.
“It’s pretty big for us, we’ve been waiting for this moment for quite a while, since we were younger and always dreamt about it,” Frank said. “We really have to go out there and play our best on Wednesday and this win was great and all, but we just really have to key in on the next game.”
The Blue Streak seniors and their coach have been joined early on getting to this point of the season.
“I’m so excited for this group of girls, this group of seniors,” Anton-Lotruglio said. “I started coaching them in seventh grade at Maple Avenue Middle School and moved up along with them.
“They’re graduating and I couldn’t be happier for them to have this mark part of their senior year.”