Jun. 4, 2014:  Saturday was a big day for the varsity Bronxville lacrosse teams. Both the boys' and girls' teams won their respective regional championships and are headed to the state semifinal games. The boys will play Babylon High School at Hofstra University on Wednesday at 8:00 pm, and the girls will go up against Cold Spring Harbor at SUNY Cortland on Friday at noon.

Girls' Lacrosse

In the Class C regional final against Albany Academy for Girls on Saturday, it took Gretchen Richter only 17 seconds to start the scoring for the Broncos, and she did not stop there. Just three and half minutes into the game, Richter had a hat trick and then went on to score two more times in the 14-4 win over Albany Academy. With this win, the girls' team will be playing in the state semifinals for the first time in Bronxville history.

Bronxville scoring was fast and furious, with four goals scored in the first five minutes of the game. Albany Academy made some defensive adjustments, but the Broncos prevailed, and by the end of the first half, the Broncos had a solid 7-2 lead.

Nine different players scored points for the Broncos:  Richter (5 goals, 2 assists), Grace O'Toole (2/1), Ellie Walsh (2/1), Mason Warble (2/1), Caroline Cahaney (1/1), Charlotte Reynolds (1/1), and Lily Grass (1/1). Caroline Cory and Helen Wood each had an assist.

First-year goalie Chase Judkins, along with defensive players Maddie Campbell, Taylor Sears, and Blake Brashear and middies Caroline Cory and Charlotte Reynolds, held the Bears to just four goals. The girls' team seems to be peaking at the perfect time, with crisp coordinated play.

The Broncos (12-7-2) have had an outstanding run in the playoffs, beating Albertus Magnus and Edgemont in the sectional quarter and semifinals and defeating Pearl River 16-10 to win the Class C Section 1 Championship. Bronxville is seeded 16th in the state in the New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) rankings.

SUNY Cortland will host the girls' semifinals on Friday and the state finals on Saturday. In the east semifinals, Bronxville takes on Cold Spring Harbor, and in the west semifinals, No. 2 Skaneateles will play No. 5 Honeoye Falls-Lima.

Boys' Lacrosse

The Bronxville boys' lacrosse team is headed to the state semifinals for the second year in a row after hammering Section 2's Greenwich in the Class C regional finals. The Witches did not scare the Broncos, who scored 19 goals in the first half of the game. In the second half of the game, most of the starting lineup was given a rest, giving the entire roster a chance to play. By the end of the game, the Broncos had crushed Greenwich 21-3, giving the Bronxville a chance to compete in the state semifinals.

During the regional final against Greenwich, the Bronco offense showed its depth, with 15 different players putting points on the board. Top scorers for the Broncos included All-American honoree Henry Grass (5 goals, 1 assist), Matt Behrens (4/4), Michael Crawford (2/0), R.J. Ambrose (2/1), and Ara Atayan (2/2). Ted Forst, Stephen Walsh, Liam Lynch, Will Duncan, Tucker Duncan, and Matt McCloskey each scored one goal, and Aidan Walsh, Henry Lilly, Preston Klimley, and Robbie Westerfield had one assist apiece. Grass, A. Walsh, Forst, and W. Duncan were honored with All-Section recognition last week.

In his first year as goalie, sophomore Andrew Harwood has shown great poise in the goal and is backed by a great defensive unit including Declan Borcich, Charlie Tarry, Jack Gelinas, and Brendan Carty and defensive middies James McDermott, Henry Lilly, Will Hutchinson, and Brendan Walsh. Borcich and Tarry, both All-Section honorees, have been playing together for three years and communicate well on the field. Bronxville gained possession on 20 out of 28 face-offs thanks to Owen Jones, Liam Lynch, Stephen Walsh, and Ralph Chrappa.

During the playoffs, the Broncos outscored their opponents 81-16. They easily defeated Nanuet and Briarcliff in sectional play and rolled over Rondout Valley in the first game of regionals, winning by a score of 19-1. Bronxville's toughest game this playoff season was against Pleasantville during the Class C sectional finals. The Broncos were losing to the Panthers 3-2 at halftime but were able to make adjustments in the second half to secure a 9-7 win.

The Bronxville team, seeded sixth by NYSSWA, is likely to face stiffer competition in Wednesday's match against Long Island's Babylon High School. Long Island lacrosse is historically strong, and the Babylon Panthers are expected to be very physical. The Panthers, unseeded in the NYSSWA rankings, defeated No. 5 Locust Valley 11-7 to make it to the east semifinals. In the west semifinals, No. 1 seed and defending state champion Cazenovia will take on No. 3 Penn Yan. The state finals will be held at Hofstra on Saturday, June 7, at 4:00 pm.

Go Broncos.

Pictured here (rotating):  The girls' lacrosse team after winning the Class C Regional Championship (photo by J. Murrer); the boys' lacrosse team before heading to the Class C Regional Finals (photo by M. Behrens).