The No More Mr. Nice Guy Look at Section 1 Lax

Legendary singer Alice Cooper may be the only guy around to appreciate this “No More Mr. Nice Guy” look at the Section 1 lacrosse campaign; because with the exception of power league champion Yorktown, just about every team out there in Class A, B and C have some warts with which to deal.

Class A looks wide open after a topsy-turvy week of action saw the likely top four seeds all fall over one another in their quest to establish street cred with the post season quickly approaching. Class A is a muddled conference this season but the Lakeland/Panas Rebels appear to be the slight favorites after Saturday’s 7-5 win over Class B Somers, despite a stunning loss to Class A Suffern, which went on to show its truer colors in a 9-2 loss to Class A Arlington. The Admirals might just be the third best team in Class A, a mere snippet behind L/P and defending Class A champion Mahopac, which did defeat Suffern, 6-5, last Thursday.

Even if you can follow that, you still have no idea what’s about to go down in Class A the next couple of weeks, but it should provide an amped up atmosphere for local lax junkies; at least until we stumble against Section 2’s Nisky in the regionals. Nobody in Section 1 Class A matches up against the Niskayuna midfield.

Class B is clearly Yorktown’s title to win or lose. If Yorktown brings its A-game, John Jay has very little chance and Somers has even less. Yorktown has laid few if any eggs this season, so the reigning champion Huskers are the clear-cut favorites and our most legitimate hope to produce the eight NYS championship in Section 1 history (Yorktown 6, Mahopac 1).

 

NWE/PUTNAM FAB FIVE LAX POLL (Post-Season Peak Edition)

No. 1 YORKTOWN – Coach Dave Marr’s state-ranked (No.8) Class B Huskers (12-3) have very few holes when it comes to matching up with Section 1 Class B foes, but the goalie situation (a rookie soph starting between the pipes) is something opponents will likely attack at every turn. Top-seeded Yorktown’s poles will have to protect and serve their crease, and when they do No.35 (sectional titles) is just a matter of time.

No. 2 JOHN JAY – Coach Tim Schurr’s Class B Indians (10-6) are the one team in Class B that might have the necessary “Shock-ability” to dethrone Yorktown, but these cats have lost three of the last six and only dispatched of Class C Hen Hud by four goals on Senior Night. What’s the deal with that, we ask?

No. 3 LAKELAND/PANAS – Coach Jim Lindsay’s Class A Rebels (10-6) had a clear path to the “favorites” label until they spit the bit against Suffern. I know young teams will do this, but youth has been served. You rookies aren’t rookies anymore and the first-year starters are running out of time to prove their worth, so now would be a good time to put the hiccups behind them. I’ll take a healthy A-A hopeful Chris Monteferante, his 100 career goals and the Rebels to win their second title in three years.

No. 4 SOMERS – Coach Lew Janavey’s Tuskers (9-6) are a vexing bunch after laying that egg in a 7-5 loss to Lakeland/Panas. How do you not come to play this late in the season?

“This was not a good performance, and we are definitely going to learn from it because these things can’t happen during the playoffs or else the season is over,” Somers goalie Chris Cousin said. “It’s almost good that this happened now rather than later.”

Laying eggs is never good, so Somers best snap out!

No. 5 MAHOPAC – Coach Mike Haddeland’s Indians (9-6) are the Class A wild card. The Indians lost by a goal to Lakeland/Panas in OT, but threw away (literally) a point-blank chance that probably gives them the win in regulation if they sink the layup. The Indians are going to need another performance or two from Captain Anthony Berardis like the one they got against Suffern when he went off for a season-high five points. If Berardis is ordinary, Mahopac has no chance because its best finisher has become LSM Brendan Hynes, who, if not this year, has A-A written all over him next year.

 

Honorable Mention

BREWSTER – Coach Honey’s Class B Bears (10-6) did in Putnam Valley 11-7 behind Shane Flattery (3G-1A) and Nick Dingee (2G-1A). If I’m Somers or John Jay, I’m not stoked about the prospect of seeing the Honey Bears in the semis.

PUTNAM VALLEY – Coach Kuczma’s Tigers (9-7) just might not have enough senior power to get the job done in Class C this season, though we believe they can be a force next year if the juniors take it as seriously as Ryan Fitzgerald’s class did their senior year.

 

Playoff Info:

May 16: Seeding meeting

May 18: Section 1 tournament – first round at higher seed

May 22: Section 1 tournament – quarterfinals at higher seed

May 24: Section 1 tournament – semifinals at higher seed

May 30: Section 1 championships at White Plains H.S.

Class C final, 3 p.m.

Class B final, 5:30 p.m.

Class A final, 8 p.m.

May 31: Rain date

(Section 1 has a bye into the regional final. Section 9 and Section 2 will meet on May 30 at Shenendehowa.)

June 2: Regional championships at Clarkstown South H.S.

Class C, 1 p.m.

Class B, 3:30 p.m.

Class A, 6 p.m.

June 6: NYSPHSAA semifinals at Stony Brook University

(Section 1-2-9 winner vs. Section 8-11 winner)

Class C, 3:30 p.m.

Class B, 5:30 p.m.

Class A, 8 p.m.

June 9: NYSPHSAA championships at Middletown H.S.

Class C, 11 a.m.

Class B, 1:30 p.m.

Class C, 4 p.m.