Empire State Team Features Plenty of Local Flavor

You know how to get to Carnegie Hall? Practice.  

 The old, motivational maxim appears to have proven prophetic for the 2010 girls Hudson Valley lacrosse team.  

 The potent Hudson Valley conglomerate is loaded with players plucked from various venues throughout Section I.

They've already scrimmaged the likes of Rockland and Westchester County alumni Empire State teams.

 Having meshed together through various practices, games, and scrimmages, the team is anticipating the next stop.

That next stop, Buffalo, is also the most pivotal.  

Hudson Valley will take part in the prestigious Empire State Games at Canisius College.   Back after a one-year hiatus due to a paltry 2009 New York State budget, Empire State Games are the ultimate regional proving ground.

 The tournament gauges the talent of each region in a titanic competition.

Winners are rewarded with sought-after gold medals and of course yearly bragging rights.

  "They're playing at a college level," said Hudson Valley head coach John Callanan, who coaches at Suffern in Rockland County during the regular season.

 "It's the best players in the state," he said. "For pretty much all of these kids, it's their first time competing on this stage. I don't think there are any returning players. It's going to be an exciting experience for everybody, as well as a real learning experience. I think we're looking to  come back with some hardware."

Communication, the cornerstore for team success on any tier, has increasingly been the most vital factor for the squad.

Callanan has taken a hodgepodge of players from different systems and worked them into playing cohesively.    

 He's focused on creating an environment where ego is an afterthought. He wants his players committed to a mindful brand of lacrosse, one which emphasizes coexistence and the act of surrendering "me" for "we."

According to the coach, his players have bought into the old-school philosophy all the way.

"They are all very quick to put aside their differences and come together for the love of the game," said Callanan. "I think the sport draws great kids. A lot of these girls are naturally cut for a tournament team. We want to have fun with it and be successful."  

The workaday practices and hard labor under the scintillating summer sun has made the group tighter, allowing them to develop an understanding of each other's style of play.    

"As we come together more I think we're starting to recognize each other's strengths and each other's weaknesses," explained Hudson Valley's defensive stalwart Melissa Hanson, a rising senior at Lakeland-Panas High School.  

 "I think a lot of practices have been about everybody finding their role and recognizing who will do what. Who wants to hit around the crease, or who we want transitioning the ball. I'm proud to say that everybody is unselfish," said Hanson. 

"Everyone has started to adapt to new roles. I think everybody is working to represent Hudson Valley. I don't think anybody is trying to showcase themselves because I don't think that's what this tournament is about."  

Hanson knows plenty about adapting into a new role.

The rising senior was a dual threat for Lakeland-Panas this past season, starting on both sides of the ball as a middie and a defenseman.

Then, during Lakeland/Panas' win over Albany-based Guilderland in the New York State playoffs, Hanson and Rebels head coach Sharon Sarsen discussed the prospects of developing into a designated defender.  

 Hanson didn't flinch, using her sheer talent and athleticism to disrupt offenses and lock up scorers.  

A great deal of firepower comes from the Yorktown and Lakeland/Panas side of the roster. Hudson Valley boasts local players such as Yorktown's Aileen Kurpus, Yorktown's Marissa Makar, Alexa Bonnes of Lakeland/Panas and midfielder Anna Jeszeck of Lakeland/Panas.

"We're expecting big things from the Yorktown area," said Callanan. "How they fare will, in large part, determine how we fare. They're a large contingent of our team, they always have been. I will expect a lot from the Yorktown area kids. Coach Sarsen always does a great job with her girls. The kids are going to come prepared, no doubt."

 The team is dealing with a spate of injuries. Callanan is not sure whether or not Hudson Valley will have the services of All-American Lindsay Toppe (mononucleosis) during Empire State Games. The Fox Lane rising senior led the nation in goals two years ago.

Toppe, who is headed to Cornell, shattered the state's single-season record for goals this season, depositing 132.

Even without the top-tier talent, Hudson Valley knows there's only one way of getting to Carnegie Hall and bringing home a gold, shiny souvenir.

Practice, practice, practice.