Photo by Ray Nelson
Mercyhurst picked up a 14-4 win over defending national champion C.W. Post on Saturday in the Division II semifinals. Today, in the D-I quarterfinals, Syracuse hosts Maryland and Notre Dame plays Duke in a rematch of last year’s national title game, won by Duke.
So far, at least, when it comes to the playoffs in the nation’s No. 1 lacrosse hotbed, the Hudson Valley/Long Island/Connecticut region, the main story seems to be the fact that, for the most part, the games have been played at all in between all the rain — and sometimes torrential downpours.
There will undoubtedly be some memorable battles in the days to come as this week, the playoffs pick up in earnest on Long Island and sectional champions will be crowned in the Hudson Valley and the FCIAC championship will be decided in Connecticut.
Those were among the topics we discussed in our latest InsideLacrosse.com weekly rundown for the region. Be sure to check it out by clicking here.
Back to the rainy weather we endured last week.
It’s the reason the Section 1 Class C quarterfinals are being played today — not yesterday. More on that in a moment.
First, Monday’s Section 1 semis are set in classes A and B as a result of games played in yesterday. Ditto for Tuesday’s FCIAC semis.
So before we get to today’s slate, let’s check out what’s in store on Monday and Tuesday:
Monday’s Section 1 semifinals
Class A
No. 5 Lakeland/Panas at No. 1 Suffern, Tentative time 4:30 p.m., but subject to change
No. 6 White Plains at No. 2 Mahopac, Tentative time 4:30 p.m., but subject to change
Winners meet for the Class A title on Thursday at 3 p.m. at Suffern Middle School
Class B
No. 4 John Jay-Cross River at No. 1 Somers, 6 p.m.
No. 6 Tappan Zee at No. 2 Yorktown, 7 p.m.
Winners meet for the Class B title on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Suffern Middle School
Don’t forget, you can check out the entire downstate New York sectional schedule by clicking here. For the brackets for the state tournament, click here.
Tuesday’s FCIAC semifinals
at Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk
Games at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
No. 3 Ridgefield vs. No. 2 Greenwich
No. 5 Wilton vs. No. 1 Darien
Now, here’s the rundown of today’s games, with the winners advancing to Tuesday’s Section 1 Class C semifinals at the home fields of the higher seeds.
Today’s Section 1 Class C quarterfinals
No. 9 Croton at No. 1 Pleasantville, 11 a.m.
No. 5 Byram Hills at No. 4 Sleepy Hollow, 1 p.m.
No. 6 Irvington vs. No. 3 Dobbs Ferry at Springhurst Elementary School in Dobbs Ferry, 1 p.m.
No. 7 Pelham at No. 2 Bronxville, 2 p.m.
After today, we’ll also know what teams are heading to the Final Four in college lacrosse. In D-I games today (both on ESPNU), Maryland faces Syracuse at noon, followed by the quarterfinal between Notre Dame and Duke, a rematch of last year’s national title games. To check scores from yesterday and the entire men’s and women’s brackets, click here.
Finally, be sure to weigh in by voting in our latest poll, which will be rotating questions on the upcoming playoff matchups.
To vote, go to the right panel of this page. Then, just scroll past the “New Comments” and “Popular” tabs and click on “Poll,” and then cast your vote from the choices available, or write in your choice if it’s not listed.
You can reach us by email at info@laxlessons.com.
Weather Forecast
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NCAA tournament schedule
For a rundown of scores and schedules for the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments, click here.
Put those cell phones to good use
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LAXLESSONS Links
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Lombardi on Lacrosse, 5/17 segment: Playoff preview: teams, players to watch
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Posted In: Fairfield lacrosse, fciac, Gameday, Section 1, Section 11, Section 8, Section 9, SWC lacrosse
For anyone who cares, both D1 qtr games were BAD yesterday. I got to the Cornell game @ half & big red had let up 10 goals already. I didn’t need to ask what went down. Cornell didn’t look like a team that wanted it for the half I was there. Bad real bad. The Hop Denver game was more of the same. Hops’ goalie was BAD their D was BAD. Game over. Again, Denver wanted it more & their Lil goalie from Lakeville, Ct played GOOD. Hop should of replaced their goalie from Arizona in the 1st half. What’s up w/ that Petro? If goalie’s & D can win games.. Today’s D1 action showed they certainly can lose them. Really disappointing, but I’ll be back, cause lax is a great sport to watch!!!
there’s no way he’s pulling the goalie (although I agree, not his best game)..that’s the kid that got him there…backup maybe played a half…but Tierney was more prepared than petro appeared to be, D was a step slow all day…I think they overplayed the big canadian kid (matthews) and the other DU players really took advanatge…
Questionns: do any of the top 4 actually make it to Memorial Day?
Does KI get time next year? Can Daniello find a spot as the dodging attack man that Hop sorely missed yesterday?
Dont forget about the FO kid from Denver who took it to the Hop kid. That was gonna be one of the keys to Hop in terms of getting possess and keeping it away from the potent D offense.
well…he actually did win the majority of the draws..problem was when he lost them, DU took full advantage of him being a defensive liabity…
and if anyone likes defensive lax, turn on the cuse MD game…
I bet in 100 years you’d never thought you’d hear yourself say “..if anyone likes defensive lax, turn on the cuse MD game..” lol
nope…the game is changing…
Hop never took their goalie out #33 played the complete game. Petro was losing it on his close D & goalie the 2nd half. Goalie should of come out. I wanted to see Schneider from ‘pequa in their. I started watching FO’s closely in the 2nd half & Hop’s kid was dominant in the 2nd half. They had some chances w/6-7 mins left to make it a game & failed. It was a disappointment. I’m not a fan of the older Tierney. I watched him lose to SB last yr in the 1st round & I was very happy. All he does all game is BERATE the officials. He’s not working them, he’s cursing them out all game. He sets a bad example, especially when ESPN zooms in on his foul mouth. His son & the other head assistant coach the team in the two playoff games I’ve attended. All Tierney does is scream @ refs. I’ve lost respect for him. He’s not a CLASS ACT @ all in my book. He should take his act to the MLL w/ his Canadians! Not one NYer on his roster. Hope DU gets stomped, but they probably won’t. Times they are a changing
Interesting that in Sec1 A & B the 1 seeds end up playing higher better seeded teams. Suffern gets L/P & Somers gets JJ. A 1 seed vs a 5 in A & a 1 seed vs a 4 in B. Both Pac & Town are 2 seeds & they get 6 seeds. WP for Pac & TZ for Town. Is it just me that thinks that’s strange. The high seeds should get the low seeds. The same will happen in C today if Irvington beats Dobbs. Just shining the light on a poor seeding system. Suffern, Somers & Pville all lose w/ this seeding job…just saying
Pac and Yorktown should have gotten the first seeds in their respected classes anyways. The fact that Suffern and Somers got the 1 seeds makes no sense in the first place. So pretty much all is right in the world, except Suffern shouldnt have a home game in my mind over LP.
Agreed 100%
Yup..town, PAC & bville all get the easier routes to the finals & All 3 are the stronger teams. Somers might not agree though
I think we can all agree the seeding process is a flawed system. That being said no teams seed is going to give them a section title. It is all about winning games now.
Any scores? I’m doing a boat delivery from RI to Mtk & can’t get it on Sirius
4-2 maryland, 6 mins. left in the 3rd.
Md over Cuse 4-2 with 7 left in the 3rd
MD 5-3 after 3 – what a pass that was with 1 sec left
Relax it is OBVIOUS not only do you not know Coach Tierney. You also have never met him or spent any time with him. He is a very classy guy, and one of the greatest minds this game has ever had.
“LAX A HOL” these have been my observations from two playoff games. Again, vs SB last yr & yesterday. Both times, other fans in attendance commented on his behavior as well. I also saw him scream BS right into the camera earlier this playoff season. I’m sure he’s a friend of yours & you want me to believe otherwise, but he’s showed me nothing. Seems like a mean old man. Certainly, he’s not Bob Hurley so ReLAX
Cuse/Md game:
GOT TO BRING THE SHOT CLOCK INTO THE GAME!!
Agreed – these stall warnings seem so arbitrary
I hope not…ok, if Duke wins now, none of the top four seeded teams will have made it….when’s the last time that happened?
Halftime – Duke 3, ND 3
Even though Maryland stalled, I actually found their offensive scheme/rhythm interesting to watch. This is the first time I’ve enjoyed watching a slowdown style game.
Well said, laxr. I agree. Most stall offenses are run very predictably, and frankly, take away from the game because as we all know, that is not the way the game is meant to be played. But John Tillman and Maryland executed it innovatively and perfectly.
Couple today’s performance with last week’s hidden-ball track, and you really have an example of what a difference strategic moves can make. In this case, it’s resulted in an unseeded team making the Final Four.
How’d you like to be Colgate sitting and watching Maryland go on this run? Is that an argument for expanding the number of teams in the tournament?
I don’t think the number of tournaments teams should expand unless the number of D-I teams as a whole increases at least somewhat significantly.
As for Colgate, Maryland was a great win, but in its case, I think what it should really be thinking about is losses to Binghamton and Vermont during the regular season.
No doubt about that. Colgate also had a chance to play their way in but lost the Patriot League final to Bucknell.
Any expansion of the D1 tournament would also certainly require mid-week games in the first round, even if it were 24 teams.
joe
more to the point, they should have been seeded
it was a little … nonintuitive ,,, that the only ACC team not to get a seed was… the league champ
What’s more interesting is whether UNC would have won the bracket that Denver did if they had been placed there instead of getting Maryland in the 1st round. You could have had a 2nd ACC tournament in the NCAAs.
1-0 Bronxville 9:20 #42
MD over Cuse 6-5 in OT
2-0 Ville #10
2-1 5:22
3-1 #10 2:48 left # 10 is All American!
He would start on any HS team in Country!
Charlie McCormick, a middie going to Gtown. He’s got a rifle. Loves to shoot on the run. Sounds like he had a good game. In the Greeley game, he struggled w/ penalties & got frustrated. Which makes me think he can be inconsistant. Jack Near is the star for the ville. He’s going to ND. He’s another middie & the O runs thru him. Surprised he didn’t catch your eye sec1 his number is 2 I believe. He’s a can’t miss player. But you’ve obviously caught a couple of good games by McCormick. The ville is very good. Only a great defensive effort like Mamaroneck had can stop them.
Anyone who has watched Bronxville for the season knows that McCormick and Near share top billing. McCormick had one sub-par game, Greeley. He gets less press than Near, but is athletic, strong, fast and has a devastating shot. Near is quick, has great field awareness and has a good shot and while he is not as physical as McCormick he has greater agility. Both are tremendous players and complement each other and their teammates very well.
You can’t judge based on one game ReLax-you are basically saying that based on McCormick’s performance in one game over a 16 game season that he is inconsistent and that if Sec1 saw him play and is impressed that it is because “he caught a couple of good games” by McCormick. Your analysis sounds like you are damning McCormack with faint praise. He is a strong, gifted player who has a cannon and while he did apparently have a bad game against Greeley, he is the real deal.
McCormick is the “real deal” when he’s on. Greeley is a 7-10 team that the ville beat 8-6. I saw the 2nd half & Charlie had back to back penalties & got very frustrated & took himself out of the game mentally. You could tell by his body language. In the other game I watched it was the loss to Mamaroneck when again it was Near’s play that kept the team in the game. Charlie is a run & shoot streaky player. Near is the QB of that team from the Midfield. That’s probably why the ND likes him. Near distributes the ball from midfield in the close games I’ve watched. He’s had assists & goals. He gets the attack involved drawing the action to himself & dumping it off. Bville unique in that respect because in the loss & close Greeley win the action flowed thru Near. Alot of teams start from behind. Bville is most dangerous heading toward the goal thru Near or w/ Charlie running & gunning when he’s on.
Really? You are in the middle of the best season ever for Bronxville and you are going to debate which kid is better? Enjoy them both, you are lucky to have them.
McCormick and Near are the real deal (Grass tough as well). I’ll be cheering for them assuming they get to White Plains which is a pretty good certainty (not to overlook IMO BH in particular).
Question is how Bville will do when their team faces their first high level challenge from a top LI team.
Hope they conquer it!
That’s why I kept my comments to performances vs Greeley & Mamaroneck. I’ve seen them play in some blowouts, but it’s how they play in close games that I’ve watched this yr that I commented on. Sec1’s comment about McCormick being an AA that would start on any HS team is why I commented. He’s watched the two playoff games that I haven’t seen. When McCormick’s on, he’s devastating. Looks like he had 6 goals vs PV. I just wanted to call attention to Near as well. In today’s blog someone picked AA’s & bubble AA’s & didn’t include Near, who IMHO is the more consistantly effective player
Interesting comment about McCormick/Near.
Maybe as you say McCormick “was not on” in the Mamo game I saw but I saw Connor Ferguson wreck havoc on him (and pretty much everyone else he came near) that game.
Shame, I seem to be one of the very few that puts Ferguson on or close to the AA list I assume because he plays for Mamo. IMO he would be an starting impact player for any top Section 1 team.
If ferguson is the LSM #24? He is awesome & probably suffers from being an LSM..AAwise. You don’t here about the quality LSM’s & he’s the best I’ve seen in the section. He was ON in the 2 games(bville & NR) I saw. Wow kid sends sticks flying. Reminded me of Stoney Brook’s LSM in the 2010 playoff games. He was fr LI & led the Seawolves D. Good one’s stick out & ur right ferguson’s a very good one
ReLax
To your follow-up comment to mine, yes Ferguson is #24. Also no swipe at McCormick meant. Every O player at one time or another faces a top pole or LSM who may get the better of him in a particular game.
Looks like fr your final count McCormick accounted for 6 goals & Grass had three w/ only one fr Near 9 of the 12 came from the big three on O. I bet Near had more than one. Anyhow it looks like Charlie went off. That’s some Potent & Dominant Midfield play to contend w/
I can’t add that’s 10 of 12 goals scored came fr those 3 players
4-1 # 22 1:10 eventhough it’s 4-1 much better game then PV
5-1 man dwn #2 4:53
6-1 #10 3:21
6-1 half, Pelham Goalie playing well.
7-1 #42 9:00
8-1 #42 7:20
9-1 #10 6:12
Final: Dobbs Ferry 7, Irvington 5
Wonder if a first-year varsity team has ever made the sectional semifinals before?
Put Valley did in 2003.
Right you are, laxfan. That started a streak of eight straight sectional semifinal appearances for Put Valley – and six title games during that span.
In 2003, Put Valley fell to Hen Hud 13-5 in the Section 1 Class C semis after edging Rye 10-9 in the quarterfinals.
Hen Hud then fell to Somers 8-7 in the title game at Mahopac. Somers went on to upset Manhasset 11-10 in the state semis at Hofstra to advance to the state finals for the first time in school history.
Joe, not quite six straight for PV…I believe PV title game streak was interrupted in 2008 when Byram Hills was in the sectional title game vs Rye
That’s correct. However, Rye had made six straight Class C sectional final appearances prior to this season. And you’re right about 2008. In the Class C sectional final that year, Rye beat Byram Hills 10-5 at John Jay High School.
9-1 end of 3
Byram 11
Sleepy 5
(final)
11-1 3:00 #10 with both
12-1 1:59
Final
Pville beat Croton 13-3
1 – 4 all out…can’t recall that in recent memory…(and we think we can’t seed in Section 1?)…does that make MD, as the only unseeded team, the favorite?
Here are Tuesday’s Section 1 Class C semifinal matchups:
No. 5 Byram Hills at No. 1 Pleasantville
No. 3 Dobbs Ferry at No. 2 Bronxville
Games are both set for 4:30 p.m.
DF is gonna get killed, IMHO. Pelham played Dobbs twice and won 10-5. Dobbs was not a very strong team and had an easy walk to meet Bronxville. I think they will end the season there, for sure.
@Laxidazical- DF probably will get beat by a lot but you are talking about a team that is made up of about 24 boys who NEVER picked up a lacrosse stick in their lives until a modified team was created 4 years ago. I think they did a fine job getting to where they are considering they have very little experience and are a first year varsity team. Give these boys the credit they deserve! They are a great bunch of kids with quite a few really good athletes. Bravo Dobbs Ferry for playing your hearts out and continuing to do so regardless of WHAT the bloggers said!
@Laxidazical- DF probably will get beat by a lot but you are talking about a team that is made up of about 24 boys who NEVER picked up a lacrosse stick in their lives until a modified team was created 4 years ago. I think they did a fine job getting to where they are considering they have very little experience and are a first year varsity team. Give these boys the credit they deserve! They are a great bunch of kids with quite a few really good athletes. Bravo Dobbs Ferry for playing your hearts out and continuing to do so regardless of WHAT the bloggers said!