Lakeland/Panas Making Strides; Briarcliff Leading Class B

By Tony Pinciaro

One thing LAKELAND/PANAS opponents need to be aware of is the Rebels’ high-powered offense. The Rebels regularly score in double digits with little trouble and do so with numerous players.

Lakeland/Panas added two more wins to its ledger, improving to 7-3 on the season for the coaching DiSisto sisters – Leah and Marissa.

The Rebels beat Carmel, 12-11, and Pearl River, 16-10 before concluding their week with a loss to 2022 Section 1 Class B champion John Jay-Cross River.

The seven wins, to date, equal the 2022 total.

Celeste Pagliaroli knows full well how dangerous Lakeland/Panas’ attack, Pagliaroli, who plays defense, goes against her offensive teammates daily in practice.

“Our whole team is young, especially our attack,” said Pagliaroli, who will attend Long Island University in September and play field hockey. “One thing that has made us so successful is everyone being able to be part of the attack. Every single person on our attack can score a goal.”

Having a balanced offense has made it difficult for opponents to focus on shutting down one player.

Freshman Brooke Pizzarello took center stage against Carmel with a team-high six goals, including the decisive goal to break an 11-11 tie in the final minute. Even though junior Isabel Kocaj, among the team’s top-two goalscorers, was held to one score, Maddie DiMirco and Clare Warren asserted themselves with two goals apiece and Anna Lemma collected two assists.
Pizzarello erupted for seven goals against Pearl River and Kocaj was back with six goals. Katelyn Kuney added two goals and Kaitlyn Wilkowski set up three goals.

The 7-3 start is no surprise to Pagliaroli and her fellow veteran returnees. It began in preseason.

“We have a great mixture between our returners and all the great, young talent we received this year,” Pagliaroli said. “I am very pleased with how our team came out to work this season.”

Kocaj (all-league honorable mention last year) and Pizzarello are two of these impact players.

“Isabel is a phenomenal player and I think the people around her are making her even more successful, knowing when to feed her the ball and set her up for success,” Pagliaroli said. “Brooke is unreal between her dodging people, her shooting and her defending. But, the craziest part is she’s only a freshman!

“Brooke is beyond talented for such a young age and stays humble while doing it. She is such a hard worker on and off the field. She is trying to be the best student of the game she can be and will only grow from here.”

Even though the Rebels have three losses, Pagliaroli said the team has learned and improved from each one, especially the Pelham and John Jay-Cross River games.

“Pelham is such a great team and we competed the whole time, only losing by two, despite us thinking we were going to lose badly,” Pagliaroli said. “John Jay is also a great team and such a respected team. Playing them and Pelham made us realize what the competition we will be receiving this season.”

While Lakeland/Panas has been enjoying this season, Pagliaroli said the team misses one person.

“I can definitely speak on behalf of the team by saying we definitely miss Chrissy,” said Pagliaroli of coach Chrissy Hart, who is out on maternity. “But being coached by Leah and Marissa is so great. Leah started to coach me when I was in middle school, so I love that I am finishing off my senior season with her!”

Leah DiSisto and Marissa DiSisto, both Lakeland graduates, played lacrosse for Lakeland/Panas for former coach Sharon Sarsen. Their older sister, Rebecca, also played for Sarsen and coached Lakeland/Panas before Hart.

BRIARCLIFF continued its excellent play in the first half of the season, winning three more games and improving to 9-1 this season.

The Bears began play with a 9-8 triumph of Fox Lane as Nicky Einhorn, Adrianna Scanga and Ava Swidler each registered hat tricks and Diana Jones collected two assists.

The Bears outlasted Byram Hills in a shootout, 16-14, as Scanga and Jones each finished with a team-high five goals.

Einhorn added two goals and two assists and Swidler contributed a goal and three helpers.

Stasia Byrnes scored a game-best seven goals for BYRAM HILLS. Jojo Wolf added three goals and Keira Eckhardt scored twice.

Einhorn led the way against Valhalla with three goals and three assists. Margot Flores had a hat trick, Riley Hite chipped in two goals and two assists and Scanga and Swidler netted two goals apiece.

Morgan Kruger supplied VALHALLA with its goals.

WESTLAKE swept the week – Valhalla, Sleepy Hollow and New Rochelle – improving to 6-4 on the season.

The Wildcats defeated their Mount Pleasant rivals, Valhalla, 15-5, as Fran DeMartino scored four goals.

Jessica Borducci, Maeve Walsh and Lily Wurster scored twice apiece and Shaina Picucci added one goal and three assists.

Emma Grioli and Juliana Conley each had one goal and one assist for VALHALLA and Isabella Cordoso made 11 saves.

DeMartino had a hand in seven Westlake goals (four goals, three assists) in the 12-5 win over New Rochelle.

Maeve Walsh also scored four goals and Lia Prosperino finished with two.

HORACE GREELEY rang up a season-high in goals in a 19-13 victory over Class A power Scarsdale.

Junior Bae Bounds finished with four goals, including her 100th varsity goal. Logan Skuro also had four goals and assisted on seven other scores.

Rowan Edson led the Quakers with five goals. Erica Rosendorf and Taylor Rice netted two apiece.

WHITE PLAINS rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Clarkstown South, 9-7, behind two goals apiece from Lizzy Armogida and Chloe Ryan.

Niki Snyder added one goal and three assists, Hailey Shannon registered three assists and Kelly Constantino scored her first varsity goal and point.

Brooke Siry made 10 saves for the Tigers.

MAHOPAC went 1-1 last week.

Mamaroneck rallied from a first-half deficit to hand the Indians a 10-7 loss.

Mahopac rebounded to beat Pearl River, 17-11, as junior Kayla Westcott made her first appearance in goal this season. Mahopac coach Christina D’Amore said Westcott was sidelined for medical reasons.

“We were all excited to have Kayla back and she was ready to have it be a win,” D’Amore said. “We were able to come back from a quick three goals scored by Pearl River within the first minute and a half!

“Against Mamaroneck, we had the lead at halftime, 6-4, but we just couldn’t get the ball moving on offense in the second half.”

Juliana Mangione led Mahopac with three goals against Mamaroneck and Erin Harney added two scores.

Senior Katie Watts scored a career-high six goals against Scarsdale. Mangione added five goals and Adrianna Pranzo scored twice and had an assist. Westcott handled six shots.

SOMERS made its Morgan’s Message game with Carmel a memorable one with a 15-3 victory.

According to the website, morgansmessage.org, Morgan’s Message strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics.

Lauren McCartin, Teagan Ryan and Sydney Ingraham each registered a hat trick.

Mia Parisi and Molly Fink added two goals apiece.

“Somers dedicated this game to Morgan’s Message,” Somers’ coach Deb Daly said. “We had a very nice team win against a well-coached Carmel team. We are very happy to share this special game with them.

“Our transition play was key in our win today with accurate passing and movement up the field. Carmel’s goalie did very well and made some great saves!”

Kayla Gard finished with two goals and three draw controls for Carmel.

PLEASANTVILLE had a thrilling victory over Harrison to open the week.

Eighth-grader Faith Brown scored her fifth and final goal of the game with 29 seconds remaining in the game, giving the Panthers a 13-12 triumph.

Erin Drillock added three goals and Ella McCourtney finished with two scores.

Pleasantville followed with losses to Nyack (17-10) and Pelham (14-10).

Drillock led the Panthers with five goals against Nyack and Kayla Collins and Brown had two goals apiece.

Brown finished with a team-leading four goals against Pelham. Cadence DeLuca and Collins each had a pair.

YORKTOWN opened its week on a high note with an 8-7 victory over Nyack as Bree Gaccino had a hat trick and Gianna Altimari scored twice.

Bronxville and Rye were not gracious opponents as Yorktown (7-2) lost to both, 14-12 and 12-8, respectively.

In the Rye game, Gaaccino had a game-high four goals and Clemson-bound Alex Scialdone finished with three goals. Altimari scored and had four draw controls.

PUTNAM VALLEY had a rough game against Pawling (17-8 loss), but came back and played well in losses to Haldane (12-11) and Blind Brook (12-10).

Bella Colletti and Ella Wendol scored three goals apiece against Pawling and Angie Moreno Sosa made 20 saves.

Ava Harman led the Tigers with five goals and Lilly Cottrell and Colletti each had two goals against Haldane. Moreno Sosa had another strong game with 12 saves.

Harman was the offense against Blind Brook with a game-high eight goals and Moreno Sosa registered her third consecutive game with double-digit saves with 11.

FOX LANE is now 4-4 this season after a win and two losses last week.

The Foxes dropped a 9-8 decision to Briarcliff despite a hat trick from Kami Boniello, two goals apiece from Michaela Kaltsas and Cora Moore and one goal and three assists from Zoe Stonecipher.

Fox Lane rebounded in a huge way with an 18-5 victory over Kennedy Catholic (Somers) as Kaltsas led the way with four goals.

Riley New and Moore each scored three goals and Maddie Broghammer and Stonecipher (three assists) added two goals apiece. Nora Dooley and Georgia Webb each scored their first varsity goals.

Fox Lane encountered a buzzsaw in nationally-ranked Northport (L.I.).

Northport is No. 7 in the country according to the Nike/USA Lacrosse High School Rankings.

Stonecipher had two goals and two assists and Kaltsas also had two scores.

CARMEL lost its first two games of the week – 12-11 to Lakeland/Panas and 15-3 to Somers, before closing with an 11-10 victory over Clarkstown South.

The Rams trailed Lakeland/Panas, 7-1, before tying the score at 11-11 late in the game.

Kayla Gard scored four goals and added two assists, Julia Lisi netted four goals and Faith Mahoskey had two goals and three assists.

Cat Tonchuck made nine saves, including her 300th varsity stop.

Brooke Peters led Carmel with four goals in an 11-10 victory over Clarkstown South.

Lisi chipped in three goals and three assists and Sophia King and Gard had two goals apiece.