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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With 2017 upon us, and the start of a brand-new varsity season rapidly approaching, we thought the first day of the new year would be a perfect time to take a look back at the varsity boys lacrosse state championship teams in NY/NJ/CT.

New York state finals at Middletown High School

Class A, Victor 7, Ward Melville 5

Highlights: Fueled by wins in the faceoff X, Victor outscored Ward Melville 6-2 in the second half to pull out the win, take its second straight state title and extend its winning streak to 44 games. (Victor, which moved up to Class A, defeated Manhasset in last year’s Class B final.) Victor snapped a 5-5 tie with 2:32 remaining in regulation when Dan Barrow scored off a feed from Mike DeMarco. Max Lambert’s second goal of the game then made it a two-goal advantage. Connor Grippe had two goals for Melville and tied it at 4-4 late in the third quarter. The Patriots led 3-1 at the half behind the goaltending of DJ Kellerman and defense of John Day and Sean Thornton.

Class B, Jamesville-DeWitt 9, Yorktown 6 (pictured above)

Highlights: Jamesville-DeWitt pulled away in the fourth quarter of what had been a neck-and-neck game throughout in winning its fourth state title, with all coming since 2007. A goal by Ryan Archer with 1:12 left in the third quarter snapped a 4-4 tie and the Red Rams never tied or trailed the rest of the way. Archer and teammate Grayson Burns each had three goals. Burns scored with 3:47 left in the second quarter to give JD a 3-2 at the half. The game was tied 1-1 after one quarter with JD started the scoring six seconds in on a goal by Griffin Cook. Kyle Casey had three goals for Yorktown, which beat the Red Rams in the 2014 state final. Notre Dame-bound LSM/D Jose Boyer had 1o groundballs along with a goal and an assist.

Class C, Cold Spring Harbor 15, Penn Yan 4 (pictured above)

Highlights: The Seahawks reeled off four goals in the final two minutes of the first quarter to break a 1-1 tie, grab a 5-1 lead after one and take control of the game as CSH defended its state title. The faceoff work of Cornell-bound Matt Licciardi was a key both in the run and fueling the CSH offense. He finished with two goals and three assists. University of Virginia-bound junior attackman Ian Laviano had four goals and two assists and Kevin Winkoff three goals.

Connecticut state finals, at Brien McMahon HS, Norwalk

Class L, No. 1 Darien 18, No. 2 Simsbury 3

Highlights: Kevin Lindley scored off the opening faceoff and the Blue Wave rolled from there, building leads of 6-1 after the first quarter and 12-2 at halftime in taking their third straight state championship, extending their winning streak to 31 games and finishing unbeaten for the second time in the last three years. Colin Minicus had a goal and five assists, Jack Kniffin and Riley Stewart each had three goals.

Class M, No. 1 New Canaan 13, No. 6 Daniel Hand 2 

Highlights: Senior Clayton Burst triggered an offense that came alive after a low-scoring first quarter as the Rams pulled away to defeat Hand in the title game for the second straight year. Burt finished with a goal and seven assists as New Cannaan outscored Hand 4-0 in the second quarter to take a 5-1 halftime lead and 5-0 in the third quarter to go ahead 10-1. Matt Bisceglia had three goals for New Canaan. Kyle Smith and Jackson Appelt each had two goals and an assist. Peter Swindell also scored twice. It was the Rams’ fifth-ever state title in its 12th title-game appearances. Hand is now 0-3 in the state finals.

Class S, No. 1 Somers 14, No. 18 St. Joseph 8

Highlights: University of Hartford-bound junior attackman Christian Paley busted loose for eight goals and an assist as the Spartans rolled to their first state title since 2006 and fourth overall. Michael Munson, also a junior, added three goals and two assists for Somers, which trailed 3-2 after the first quarter before rallying to take a 6-4 halftime game. Somers then took control of the game with a 7-0 third-quarter run in denying St. Joe’s a third straight state title. Dante Ciachello had three goals and an assist for Somers. Jared Newell led the Cadets with four goals and an assist.

New Jersey Tournament of Champions final at Kean University

No. 2 Delbarton 13, No. 4 Pingry 4 (pictured above)

Highlights: The Green Wave on their fifth T of C championship against a Pingry team making its firs-ever appearance in the final. Keegan Khan had four goals and two assists for Delbarton (22-2), which outscored Pingry 4-2 in the second quarter to take a 6-3 lead. Michael Rutter had three goals, giving him 46 goals on the season, as well as one assist and Colin Crowley two goals and one assist for Delby. Senior midfielder Ben Shepard led Pingry with two goals. Austin Chang had one goal and one assist, finishing the season with 45 goals. Notre Dame-bound Jack Kielty led a strong close defensive effort and even got in on the scoring with a goal.

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