Santini Sisters Net 6 Goals in Lakeland’s NYS Class B Win

Class C Put Valley Falls in Regional Final

By Tony Pinciaro & Ray Gallagher

That’s just the way it is, some things will never change… Following a one-goal first half, LAKELAND erupted in the second half led by the Santini sisters – Gabby and Gianna. Gabby had four goals and two assists and Gianna added two goals and one helper as the Hornets dominated Section 9 champion Our Lady of Lourdes, 9-0, in a New York State Class B regional final at Arlington High School.

The Hornets return to the final four for the first time since winning the 2019 New York State Class B championship. That was Lakeland’s 10th state title in 11 years and 12th of this century.

Lakeland was also the state Class A champion in 2003 (led by Andi Coiro and Danielle Fiore) and 2006 (led by Melissa Gonzalez, Kara Connolly, Rebecca DiSisto and Amy Voelkel, also members of the ‘03 team).

Lakeland will play Mendon (Section 5) in one semifinal, 10 a.m., Saturday, 11/16, at Arlington High School. The other semifinal is Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Section 2)-Garden City (Section 8). The semifinal winners will play for the state title, 10 a.m., Sunday, 11/17.

During Lakeland’s unprecedented nine consecutive New York State Class B championships (2009-2017), the Hornets beat Garden City five times in the final.

The Santini sisters went off on Lourdes; Gabby (4G, 2A) and Gianna (2G, 1A) were unstoppable, poking holes throughout the Warrior defense in the second half. The duo went back-to-back with 9:58 left in third for a 3-0 cushion, which they padded regularly.

Anna Lemma and Aditi Parambath each had one goal and one assist, providing a 5-0 lead before seventh-grader Allie Waters added the final margin goal.

Lakeland managed to have its cake and eat it, too, but, for lack of focus, the Hornets allowed the Warriors to hang around, despite the forewarnings from veteran Coach Sharon Sarsen, the Westchester County Hall of Famer.

“After 43 years of coaching Lakeland field hockey, I am still unsure of how to get high school athletes prepared to play every day,” Sars admitted. “I could tell during the practice on Friday, that we were not mentally ready to play a regional game. Despite my request to step things up, the girls were not focused or ready.”

An introspective look and a choicely-worded halftime chat went a long way toward shifting focus.

“I’m not sure what changed exactly,” Sarsen said. “I did make some personnel changes, and I think they finally realized they needed a different mindset.”

The Hornets were finally focused in the second half, playing, for lack of a better term: Lakeland Field Hockey.

“I was hoping things would get better in the second half,” Sars said. “Usually, when a team is so bad in the first half, it does not completely turn it around. They often improve but still struggle. I was relieved and impressed with their response in the second half.”

Lakeland, the 16-time reigning Section 1 champion, cannot go to the NYS Final 4 with a similar lackluster attitude and a poor week of preparation. These days, the Hornets can’t simply slip into the green and gold and expect Sarsen’s magical wand to produce a semifinal win, much less Lakeland’s 14th state title.

“Winning a game in the state tournament requires a different level of intensity, both physically and mentally,” Sarsen said. “I hope they now get it. We have some “really nice” seniors, but sometimes they need to challenge their teammates. They are learning. Our second half was more like “Lakeland Field Hockey”. We were passing the ball, communicating to our teammates, winning the 50/50 balls and executing our corners. Hopefully that will carry over to this upcoming weekend.”

If it doesn’t, it could be a long one for some “really nice seniors”, who need to challenge and prepare the underclassmen for the rigors of playoff hockey. Lakeland will also look to atone for three consecutive losses in regional play the last three years. The loss in 2021 snapped a string of 11 straight years in the state final four, but here they are: Back where they belong.

CLASS C

Trips to the Section 1 Class C Field Hockey Championship title game in 2022 and 2023 did not conclude with the result PUTNAM VALLEY desired. However, that was not the case this year as the Tigers defeated Pleasantville, 2-0, to win the third sectional title in program history. Putnam Valley was hoping to carry that momentum into the Class C regional final against Rondout Valley, but the 14-time reigning Section 9 champion dashed such hopes with a 6-0 Gander victory. The Tigers finished with a 15-4-1 record.

“They had a lot of synchronicity and were able to work as a unit to move the ball up the field,” senior and captain Julia Toth said. “There were a lot of one-touch passes and plays that seemed planned out already.”

The season included a seven-game win streak, a sweep of Pleasantville and a thrilling 2-1 double-overtime victory over Bronxville in a semifinal courtesy of sophomore Lilly Cottrell’s goal. It has been quite a run for Toth and her classmates with three championship-game appearances, including a sectional title.

“The season meant that we could accomplish winning the section and be able to have such a great season, despite graduating a lot of girls last June,” Toth said. “The seniors love the sport so much so we were just grateful to play together, no matter the score.”

While Toth and her classmates stepped up this year and were instrumental in the title, the juniors now move into the leadership role and Toth believes success will continue.

“I am extremely confident in Coach Parchen and her ability to build off the success from this year with the underclassmen on the team,” Toth said. “She is beyond capable and has such a great relationship with the girls on and off the field that I know this will motivate the girls in 2025!”

 

TONY HUMBERTO PHOTOS