CORTLAND - 2005 may have been the perfect season, but 2006 had the perfect finish.
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Libby Johnson, right, and Stephanie Rice embrace while leaving the field after winning the Class C state championship Saturday morning at SUNY Cortland. Johnson scored the winning goal and Rice was named the tournament's most valuable player.
Libby Johnson, right, and Stephanie Rice embrace while leaving the field after winning the Class C state championship Saturday morning at SUNY Cortland. Johnson scored the winning goal and Rice was named the tournament's most valuable player.
Junior Libby Johnson scored the game-winning goal with 12.2 seconds remaining and the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team captured its second consecutive Class C state championship at SUNY Cortland Saturday.
While they won a no-doubter against Manhasset in the 2005 title game, the Lakers decided to make things more dramatic this year, having to battle back from a three-goal halftime deficit toany better than this'
finally top Penn Yan, 6-5, in the game's final seconds.
Much like their season, the Lakers froze in the headlights early but upgraded their play down the stretch.
“Of all the teams I've had, this team has come the farthest,” Skaneateles coach Bridget Marquardt said. “If you could have seen our first game, I think we dropped about 10 of 15 passes. Just the amount of progress we've made since then, it's mind-boggling. Losing so many girls (from last season), we knew it was going to be an uphill battle but the girls embraced it. It's amazing to see the growth. I'm so proud of them.”
This year's version of the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team may have been a bit younger than past ones, but the naivete of youth might just have paid off. Trailing 4-1 and having been dominated by Penn Yan for one half, the pressure of a state title game never caught up with the Lakers, who could just as easily have tapped out and ended the fight early.
“We knew we weren't done,” junior attack Stephanie Rice said. “It was a tough (first) half but I don't think anybody thought it was over. We knew we put too much into this to give up now.”
The 2005 Lakers went undefeated on the path to a state title, winning 24 straight games. This year's bunch had three losses, all outside their division, but the close-game experience was a big help in the postseason.
“We've been in this position before,” Marquardt said of the early-game deficit. “This isn't the first game we've fallen behind. We were down to Bethlehem and West Genny and F-M. We knew we just had to keep playing tough. Those early games prepared us for today - it gave us the confidence to battle back.”
Rice and Johnson, the high-performance oil fueling the Laker machine, were held silent for most of the title game but each sprang to life in critical moments.
Johnson ignited Skaneateles' final charge with a goal from the free position with 5:15 remaining. Trailing by one, 5-4, Jenna Lotkowictz won a pivotal draw, one of many won by the sophomore middie, giving the Lakers possession and, more importantly, time to make something happen.
“I knew the draws would decide the game,” Lotkowictz said. “That's what coach told us all game - you can't score without possession.”
The Lakers absorbed some mighty hits throughout the contest, but none harder than the one planted on Rice with four minutes left. Rice, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, spun around a defender in front of the net and was leveled by another Mustang. Rice's 5-2 frame fell to the turf hard but not before she buried an off-balance shot in the bottom right corner of the net, tying the game 5-5.
“Steph played with so much fire today,” Johnson said. “To get decked like she did and still find the net, that tells you something about her. That was such a big play for us. She took us on her shoulders for a bit there and really gave us a push in the right direction.”
Penn Yan won the ensuing draw, but a strong save from goalie Whitney Johnson shifted play to the Lakers. The Mustangs regained possession one more time but Rice deliverd a check that forced the ball free and into the stick of Skaneateles defender Abby Duggan.
“Most people look at Stephanie and Libby and see scorers,” Marquardt said. “But they do so much more than rack up the points. They played tremendous defense today and Stephanie had some big checks for us. Their all-around game is so much more important to us than their scoring.”
Skaneateles slowed the game to run some clock and hopefully take the final shot. In the game's final three minutes, the Lakers didn't forfeit possession once, missing three shots but capitalizing with ground balls on all three misses. The final ground ball was scooped up by Johnson who tossed a low liner past the goalie.
“I think our patience really paid off,” Marquardt said. “We didn't settle for any bad shots. We missed a few, but they were all good shots.”
The Lakers won the draws, 9-4, but never led until the game's final 12 seconds. Maggie Tierney, Kelsey Nangle and Shannon Tierney each scored for Skaneateles; Libby Johnson had two goals and Rice chipped in with one. Whitney Johnson finished with five saves.
Rice, Libby Johnson, Whitney Johnson and Lotkowictz were named to the all-tournament team.
“This is the best feeling in the world,” Lotkowictz said. “This is why you play - for this feeling right now. You can't end a season any better than this.”
While they won a no-doubter against Manhasset in the 2005 title game, the Lakers decided to make things more dramatic this year, having to battle back from a three-goal halftime deficit toany better than this'
finally top Penn Yan, 6-5, in the game's final seconds.
Much like their season, the Lakers froze in the headlights early but upgraded their play down the stretch.
“Of all the teams I've had, this team has come the farthest,” Skaneateles coach Bridget Marquardt said. “If you could have seen our first game, I think we dropped about 10 of 15 passes. Just the amount of progress we've made since then, it's mind-boggling. Losing so many girls (from last season), we knew it was going to be an uphill battle but the girls embraced it. It's amazing to see the growth. I'm so proud of them.”
This year's version of the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team may have been a bit younger than past ones, but the naivete of youth might just have paid off. Trailing 4-1 and having been dominated by Penn Yan for one half, the pressure of a state title game never caught up with the Lakers, who could just as easily have tapped out and ended the fight early.
“We knew we weren't done,” junior attack Stephanie Rice said. “It was a tough (first) half but I don't think anybody thought it was over. We knew we put too much into this to give up now.”
The 2005 Lakers went undefeated on the path to a state title, winning 24 straight games. This year's bunch had three losses, all outside their division, but the close-game experience was a big help in the postseason.
“We've been in this position before,” Marquardt said of the early-game deficit. “This isn't the first game we've fallen behind. We were down to Bethlehem and West Genny and F-M. We knew we just had to keep playing tough. Those early games prepared us for today - it gave us the confidence to battle back.”
Rice and Johnson, the high-performance oil fueling the Laker machine, were held silent for most of the title game but each sprang to life in critical moments.
Johnson ignited Skaneateles' final charge with a goal from the free position with 5:15 remaining. Trailing by one, 5-4, Jenna Lotkowictz won a pivotal draw, one of many won by the sophomore middie, giving the Lakers possession and, more importantly, time to make something happen.
“I knew the draws would decide the game,” Lotkowictz said. “That's what coach told us all game - you can't score without possession.”
The Lakers absorbed some mighty hits throughout the contest, but none harder than the one planted on Rice with four minutes left. Rice, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, spun around a defender in front of the net and was leveled by another Mustang. Rice's 5-2 frame fell to the turf hard but not before she buried an off-balance shot in the bottom right corner of the net, tying the game 5-5.
“Steph played with so much fire today,” Johnson said. “To get decked like she did and still find the net, that tells you something about her. That was such a big play for us. She took us on her shoulders for a bit there and really gave us a push in the right direction.”
Penn Yan won the ensuing draw, but a strong save from goalie Whitney Johnson shifted play to the Lakers. The Mustangs regained possession one more time but Rice deliverd a check that forced the ball free and into the stick of Skaneateles defender Abby Duggan.
“Most people look at Stephanie and Libby and see scorers,” Marquardt said. “But they do so much more than rack up the points. They played tremendous defense today and Stephanie had some big checks for us. Their all-around game is so much more important to us than their scoring.”
Skaneateles slowed the game to run some clock and hopefully take the final shot. In the game's final three minutes, the Lakers didn't forfeit possession once, missing three shots but capitalizing with ground balls on all three misses. The final ground ball was scooped up by Johnson who tossed a low liner past the goalie.
“I think our patience really paid off,” Marquardt said. “We didn't settle for any bad shots. We missed a few, but they were all good shots.”
The Lakers won the draws, 9-4, but never led until the game's final 12 seconds. Maggie Tierney, Kelsey Nangle and Shannon Tierney each scored for Skaneateles; Libby Johnson had two goals and Rice chipped in with one. Whitney Johnson finished with five saves.
Rice, Libby Johnson, Whitney Johnson and Lotkowictz were named to the all-tournament team.
“This is the best feeling in the world,” Lotkowictz said. “This is why you play - for this feeling right now. You can't end a season any better than this.”
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