Blue Streaks, Scotties rivalry is building
Saratoga edged Ballston Spa by a goal the last two years
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> The Saratoga Springs boys lacrosse team hasn’t forgotten the excitement and drama of the team’s Senior Night win from 2016.
It’s a good bet Ballston Spa, the visiting team that suffered the one-goal overtime loss, hasn’t either.
The neighboring lacrosse squads will play for the first time in 2017 Friday at the PBA fields in Saratoga Springs. First faceoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.
“We’ve had overtime wins against them the last two years,” senior captain Greg Polmatier said. “Last year it was one of the biggest upsets in the section.”
The Blue Streaks will start a number of returners in key positions on the field along with Polmatier, a four-year player who anchors the defense. Goalkeeper Griffin Ketcham, attackmen Dylan Honis and Griffin Taylor are each leaders at their position for Saratoga Springs.
“If those guys all have a good year we will have successful season,” head coach Joe Hayes said.
This will be Hayes’ first full year in charge of Saratoga Springs after stepping into the role midway through the 2016 season when former coach Jon Warner was suspended.
Hayes was on the sideline for the exciting win against the Scotties.
“The past two years it’s been one-goal games with them,” he said. “We’ve luckily gotten out with the win the last two times, last year on senior night. (Ballston Spa) got ahead by three or four and we were able to get out with the win.”
Overall, the Blue Streaks have a mix of experience and youth on the roster.
Honis and Polmatier are fourth-year players on one end of the spectrum and freshman Cam Stoyer and Justin Brooking. The difference in experience gives the seniors opportunities to pass down knowledge to the next generation.
“It’s like having a third coach,” Hayes said of Polmatier on the field. “(Cam Stoyer) who’s going
on the field. “(Cam Stoyer) who’s going to be getting some time on defense. Greg’s put his arm around him and taken him under his wing. He’s seeing a little bit of himself in Cam.”
Griffin Taylor and Tucker Pierce, the Blue Streaks’ other two captains, will work to make the attack as efficient as possible.
Taylor focused on his speed of play during the offseason.
“I’ve definitely worked on (playing with) a quicker pace, looking for different looks and getting faster passes in,” he said.
Pierce is enjoying his new responsibilities as captain in his final year of high school lacrosse.
“We have a lot of heart and passionm, we’re very much a family,” Pierce said. “We just need to be patient on offense.”
Like most springs sports teams the Blue Streaks’ preparation has been affected by the unfavorable weather. Saratoga Sprigns got onto the Skidmore turf fields a couple times then had its season opener, a 7-4 loss to Section III squad Cocoran in Syracuse.
Monday was the squad’s first practice on their grass field off of Weibel Ave. Once the team is in synch, however, they could be dangerous.
“We have a couple huge hitters on offense and if they figure it out, we’ll be able to score a ton of goals,” Polmatier said.