Farmingdale Boys Lacrosse Wins State Semifinal

The offense was as hot as the temperature was on the field Wednesday, getting off to a sizzling start and cruising to a 14-10 victory over Shenendehowa in the state Class A boys lacrosse semifinal at White Plains High School.

Farmingdale (16-4) tallied six goals in the first 8:52 of the game. Senior Greg Catalano got off to a fast start 1:04 into the game with a great feed from Hofstra-bound senior Sal Tuttle. Following an unassisted goal by senior Korey Hendrickson (also going to Hofstra in the fall) the Dalers stormed to a 3-0 lead 90 seconds later with a goal by senior Mike Perettine, who versus West Islip in the LI Class A Championship.

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The Dalers had five different players with two or more goals in the contest. They were led by Tuttle, with two goals and three assists and Hendrickson, who tallied three goals and an assist.

The key stats of the game, which were dominated by Farmingdale, were faceoffs, 20-7, and ground balls, 40-28.  Senior Patrick Starke won 11 of 15, had 10 ground balls and two assists. Sophomore John Ragno won 9 of 12 and scooped up 8 ground balls.

Shenendehowa got to within three goals on two separate occasions, but each time the Dalers would expand the lead less than a minute later. And with excellent goaltending by senior Mike Palmer (14 saves), Farmingdale stayed comfortably ahead.

Section II champ Shenendehowa (19-2) was led by Marist-bound senior Brett Bernardo, who carried the team on his back with five goals on 14 shots.

Farmingdale will be playing for its first state Class A championship. The Dalers lost in the title game in 2003. 

A Farmingdale win would be very significant for a few reasons.  One, it would be the final piece of the puzzle for long-time Dalers coach Bob Hartranft’s 43-year career, which consists of 653 wins, 13 Nassau County Championships and 3 Long Island titles.

It would also be the first time that a Nassau County (Section VIII) team won the Class A State Championship since Garden City did it in 1986, the first year the state tournament was broken down into class.

The Dalers will play Ithaca, who defeated Pittsford 6-5 in double overtime, for the title Saturday at 11 a.m. at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.

Goals – F: Hendrickson 3, Perettine 3, Catalano 3, Tuttle 2, Prendergast 2, Ostrander 1; S: Bernardo 5, Coll 2, Rogers 2, Powell 1. Saves – F: Palmer 14; S: Wardell 10.