Field Hockey Summer League Ends a Successful Season

Players from the Lakeland and Yorktown field hockey squads got a chance to improve on their games this summer playing in the Hudson Valley Summer Field Hockey League.

The league played its games on Monday and Thursday evenings at Putnam Valley High School. The local teams were part of a league that included squads from Mamaroneck, Putnam Valley, Hendrick Hudson, Mahopac, John Jay-Cross River, John Jay East-Fishkill, Briarcliff, Pawling, North Salem, Walter Panas, Carmel, Rye, Pleasantville and Harrison

Running the league is Lakeland High School coach Sharon Sarsen, whose players are very appreciative of what she does for them.

"I know that us as players wouldn't be where we are today without coach Sarsen's help," Lakeland's Emma Bozek said. "She coaches Empires, she does summer league, she really gets involved and helps us out a lot."

For Bozek, it was a dream summer. She was named to the 17-and-under junior national team, played on the Hudson Valley's gold-medal winning squad in the Empire State Games, where she was the best player in the games according to Sarsen and was a member of the Lakeland Gold team that won the summer league championship with a 9-6 triumph against Lakeland Green in the championship game.

Bozek attributed her success to hard work both on and off the field.

"The highlight of the summer league was just getting the chance to click with some of my teammates that I will be playing with in the fall," Bozek said. "That and I have to say, me and a few of my teammates, especially Shannon Scavelli, the way we were able to take control of that championship game."

Bozek and Scavelli were joined on the Lakeland Gold team by Megan Bradbury, Krista Servideo, Allie O'Mara, Emily Alicea, Marissa DeSisto, Rebecca Bard, Gianna Bensaia, Kim Monteferante, Stephanie Scala, Gabby Celentano, Kate Weldon and Felicia Constanzo.

Nikki Schultz, Leanne Goldblatt, Amanda DiDomzio, Chelsea Remling, Colleen Murray, Kayla Schmidt, Kara Massotti, Brooke Semenza, Katie Brown, Kristen Conroy, Allie Malzo and Elizabeth Bell made up the Lakeland Green squad.

"Both teams have the same work ethic," Bozek said. "We were just split up in a random order to try to keep the teams equal. Our team was just as successful as theirs. Both teams played with an equal amount of intensity. The title game really could've gone either way."

Yorktown's Sarah Scott, who will be a senior on this year's Husker squad in the fall, was happy to have the opportunity to play in the summer league. She said the best part of the experience was getting the chance to develop a rapport with her teammates.

"I just liked getting to know the new team and getting a chance to play together and start meshing before the high-school season, that was my favorite part," Scott said.

Joining Scott on the Yorktown team were Allie O'Connell, Gaby Berne, Kara Starkey, Nicole Palmadesso, Lindsay Fedro, Nicole Quigley, Aileen Kurpis, Amanda Cesario, Dominique Farda, Lauren Keenaghan, Lisa Littleton, Stef Ranagan, Jackie Simpson, Marissa Tranchese, Katie Frederick, Chelsea Difini, Dara Lillis and Melissa Levin.