Field Hockey: Lakeland Goes Back to Final Four

When playing in a State quarterfinal game, it helps to ease the pressure of it if you can get off to a great start. That's what Lakeland (19-0-1) did when it went against Red Hook in an state Class B quarterfinal contest at White Plains High School Saturday, Nov. 13.

Lakeland scored four first-half goals to get off to a 4-0 halftime lead and that ignited the Hornets to a 5-0 triumph and a berth in the state final four for the second consecutive year.

"It's a great feeling," Lakeland junior Emma Bozek said. "In the game of field hockey, anything can happen. You can never underestimate your opponent. No matter how good the players we have on our team are, you have to come out and play hard every game."

By doing that, the Hornets have given themselves a chance to repeat as state champs. Lakeland will now play Section 2 champ Glens Falls in the State final four at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19 at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.

Should the Hornets win their semifinal contest, they would play for their second consecutive state title at the same location at the semifinals  Saturday, Nov. 20 at noon.

"It's awesome to be able to have a chance to do this again," Lakeland senior Leanne Goldblatt said. "Don't get me wrong, last year was great but being one of four senior captains, this is supposed to be our year."

Chelsea Remling, Amanda DiDomizio and Nikki Schultz are the Hornets' other three senior co-captains.

Lakeland registered its first goal against Red Hook when Gianna Bensaia scored off an assist from Bozek.

Bozek said teamwork was the key to the hot start the Hornets got off to in the opening half.

"We were playing really well as a team," Bozek said. "The passing was pretty great in the first half. In the first half, we really connected on the field. We had a good idea what their tendencies were because we played them in the previous year in the regionals."

That familiarity gained by playing Red Hook last year led to a better knowledge of Red Hook's defense, which led to goal-scoring opportunities, and goals.

Another of those goals came when Rebecca Bard scored, off an assist from Goldblatt, which put the Hornets up 2-0. For Goldblatt, it was the first of her three assists.

"I knew if I could put the ball in the right spot, I knew that [my teammates] were going to come through and they did," Goldblatt said.

Lakeland continued to put the pressure on when Goldblatt assisted on a goal by Shannon Scavelli, which put Lakeland up 3-0. The Hornets then went up 4-0 at the half when Bozek scored off an assist from Goldblatt off a corner.

Bozek said the credit on that goal goes to Goldblatt.

"She was able to get it to me right in front of the cage and she couldn't have made my job any easier," Bozek said. "All I had to do was one-time it into an open net."

With Bozek's goal, the Hornets were up 4-0 at the half and it felt great.

"It was definitely a comforting feeling to be leading 4-0 at halftime," Bozek said. "Even if we didn't score, which we put one in in the second half as it turned out, we knew with our defense we could feel secure with that lead."

Scoring in the second half for Lakeland was Scavelli with Bozek assisting.