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Senior defenseman-turned middie T.J. Tynan scored three goals today to help Fox Lane open its season with a 10-5 over Section 2’s Ballston Spa. Elsewhere, Hen Hud beat Mamaroneck 12-9 and Manhasset handled South Side 13-3. (Jim Stout/MaxPreps.com)

Scrimmages. Shootouts. Season openers.

This Saturday has it all, my friends.

• Get live updates on today’s action throughout the region here. •

We will be posting updates throughout the day. Please pass along any info on events you may be at  as well.

HAND TOURNAMENT:

11:35 a.m. — UPDATE 1: Hey guys, it’s Syracuse here. We will be putting up updates throughout the day. Joe is in New Fairfield, Conn., checking out a bunch of Section 1 teams, including Horace Greeley, as well as quite a few teams from Connecticut.. I hope to be going to Hen Hud’s season opener vs. Mamaroneck.

On to the early Hand Tournament updates.

I don’t have specifics, but Ridgefield assistant coach Don Connolly texted me a few minutes ago to tell me — and get this — Ridgefield beat Yorktown 9-7 in his group’s first scrimmage up in Hamden. I have no idea how many or how much each side’s starters played, but I asked Connolly how impressed he was with his guys’ early showing and he said:

“Considering it was really only our second day of playing together, I’m very excited,” Connolly said, adding, as a possible hint that the score is not indicative of how the play went when both team’s regulars were in, “Yorktown is loaded.”

So I wouldn’t read into this too much, save to say there is a ton of optimism at Ridgefield and Yorktown looks to be right on course to start the season. When I get the actual breakdown of when the goals were scored, I will post …

2 p.m. — UPDATE 2: Yorktown leads Duxbury 9-3 at the half.

Ridgefield lost to Ridgewood by a goal.

NEW FAIRFIELD SHOOTOUT:

Noon — UPDATE 1: Hey everybody, as advertised by ‘Cuse, this is Joe at the New Fairfield Shootout.

Right now I’m watching Simsbury vs. Greeley. Simsbury has scored three straight goals and leads 5-2 with five minutes to go.

3 p.m. — UPDATE 2:

Here’s a smattering of scores:

New Fairfield 6, Put Valley 3

Somers 10, New Milford 3

Simsbury 6, Horace Greeley 2

Somers 8, Put Valley 5

Simbury 4, Somers 3

I’ll post more thoughts later in a separate post focusing on a pair of first-year head coaches: Lew Janavey (Somers) and Vin DeGregorio (Horace Greeley). 

SOUTH SIDE AT MANHASSET

Final: Manhasset 13, South Side 3 — Connor English has five goals and one assist for the Indians, who sure looked like the top team in Nassau.

DARIEN ROUND-ROBIN SCRIMMAGE

UPDATE: In the day’s marquee matchup, Darien and West Islip played pretty evenly overall after West Islip built a 5-2 halftime lead when both teams’ starters were in. Of note, the Galasso vs Gorski matchup as Gorski held Galasso in check.

Darien got the better of Fairfield Prep 5-1 in first half with starters in. The second half was pretty even.

Darien led Shoreham-Wading River 5-1 with starters in. Some strong midfield play kept SWR in it.

SMITHTOWN WEST AT FARMINGDALE

Final: Smithtown West 9, Farmingdale 8 — James Pannell scores the winner with one second remaining.

FOX LANE vs BALLSTON SPA

UPDATE 1: Fox Lane leads 3-2 at the half.

UPDATE 2: Fox Lane wins 10-5

Here’s a report from Jim Stout of MaxPreps.com:

Colin Dowey, T.J. Tynan and Chase Beitzel scored goals within a two-minute span early in the fourth quarter today, lifting Fox Lane to a 10-5 win against Section 2 Class A member Ballston Spa in the 2009 season opener for both teams in Bedford.

 Fox Lane, which is coming off a 4-14 season, was leading by only 5-4 when Dowey, Tynan and Beitzel errupted and provided their team with an 8-4 cushion. Tynan finished with three goals for the Foxes while Conor Morris registered two and three assists.

Ballston Spa was 11-8 a year ago. The Scotties had battled back from a 5-2 deficit in the third quarter to draw within 5-4 before Fox Lane put its fourth-quarter surge together. The game was scoreless after the first period; Fox Lane led by 3-2 at the break.

The strong start to the season was something  Fox Lane desperately needed. Last season, coach Chris Vazzano’s team lost its first five games and eight of its first nine.

“It feels great,” Vazzano said. “The seniors have worked their butts off for the moment right here. I couldn’t have asked for more from our seniors and the leadership they’ve provided.”

Vazzano liked the play of his midfield – anchored by Morris, Dowey and Tynan – as well as his team’s defensive intensity and its ability to push a high pace onto attack.  Senior Luke Robinson made 16 saves in goal for the Foxes. Seven different players scored.

“I expected a low-scoring game, for the game to be pretty tight at first,” Vazzano said. “Early on in the season, you have to expect low-scoring games. Hats off to our defense. They came out and really played and put the presssure on and executed.  Offensively we had the scoring divvied up among a number of players, so that was good. Our motto this year is that we have to keep focused and be able to finish games. Today we did that.”

HEN HUD vs. MAMARONECK

Hey guys, Syracuse here.

I just got back and I gotta say both teams did a lot of really nice things, but also both have a lot to work on. Hen Hud won 12-9, but Mamaroneck hung in there until the final few minutes.

The Sailors led 8-5 at the half  and 9-6 after three. Their lead ballooned up to 11-7 about four minutes into the fourth, but the Tigers got it back to 11-9. Jake Green then tacked on an insurance goal with 6:05 to play and Hen Hud played keepaway for the final few minutes.

For my money, Hen Hud’s Cole D’Addario and Collin Parkhurst, as well as Mamaroneck’s Alex Bodor, were the best players on the field. D’Addario finished with six goals and two assists, while Parkhurst had a pair of goals and three helpers. Green(2, 1), Alex Kaufman (1, 2) and Matt McDermott (1, 2) rounded out the scoring for the Sailors, who next up have Lakeland/Panas on Thursday and Somers on Saturday.

“We did what we needed to do, but we left a lot of opportunities on the field,” Hen Hud coach Craig Solomon said. “Against the upper echelon teams the mistakes we made will turn into goals. But wins are wins.”

D’Addario did most of his damage early.

“On game days he really raises his level of play,” Solomon said. “He’s a great competitor and does a great job of finishing shots.”

Parkhurst, who will attend Siena next season, looked right at home in his first game at midfield after playing attack last season.

“Collin will do whatever is necessary to make our team better,” Solomon said of the position switch. “He’s a great kid and is always our hardest worker.”

Mamaroneck, which will be a work in progress this season due to a serious lack of depth, was led by Bodor’s three goals and four assists. Alex Denhoff went 2, 1, Mark Lanni scored twice and Mark Gardiner had a goal and an assist.

Bobby Sincero made made seven saves and fueled the break effectively for Hen Hud with some crisp outlet passes. Matt Weiner made nine saves and did a nice job keeping Mamaroneck in the game during the second half.

That’s it for now … I’ll try to put up more Hand updates as I get them.