Bensaia, Lakeland Storm in to Class B Final 4, Rout Somers: Hornets to Face Put Valley in Semis; Mahopac Roars into Class A Final 4
The three-time reigning NYS Class B champion Lakeland Hornets showed no mercy in Sunday’s 8-0 win over visiting Somers in the quarterfinal round of the Section 1 Class B Field Hockey Tournament. It’s as if this program was built to represent Section 1.
Lakeland senior captain Gianna Bensaia is proving why she is widely considered among the top players in Section 1, providing the impetus for a strong first-half for the Hornets (16-1), who raced out to a 7-0 lead at the break.
The speedy Bensaia (11G, 15A on the year) scored four goals and dominated from start to finish.
“She stood out controlling the play and making great decisions with the ball,” Lakeland Coach Sharon Sarsen said. “She scored on a penalty corner, a penalty stroke, off a broken corner and on a long hit, Gianna had a great day.”
Lakeland’s Gabby Celantano (1G, 2A), who has 10 goals and 21 assists on the season, Molly Fitzpatrick (who now has 15 goals), Steph Scala and Abby Murdock each scored a goal while Felicia Costanzo and Dana Bozek each had an assist.
The Hornets will face No.4 Putnam Valley in Tuesday’s semifinals, setting up one of the regions premier rivalries.
Former Hornet Megan Bozek (2010) became the University of New Hampshire’s first ever American East Conference Defensive Player of the Year…
No.4 Putnam Valley 2, No.5 Harrison 0:
PV got goals from Stephanie Wagner and Annmarie Spica, plus an assist from Melissa Wagner to shut out the upstart Huskies behind goalie Tori Ferraro (4 saves).
“I am so proud of what we have accomplished thus far,” PV Coach Ashley Valentine said. “For such a diversified team in terms of experience, I can’t speak highly enough about the athleticism and heart that was used on the field to take the win over a competitive team like Harrison.”
No.5 Mahopac 4, No.4 Arlington 3
Indians Ally Jackson, Courtney Shea, Mikaela DiBello and Sarah Lilley each scored a goal for the tribe, which advanced to the Class A Final 4. Mahopac will face top-seeded Mamaroneck, a program second only to Lakeland in Section 1.
No.3 Scarsdale 4, No.6 Yorktown 0
The Section 1 finals will be held Thursday, Nov. 8th at Mamaroneck High. Class C will play at 3:00 p.m., Class A at 5:00 p.m. and Class B at 7:00 p.m.
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
Visit Ray’s author bio page for more details. Also read Ray’s archived work here and his Direct Rays column here.