By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer 

May 25, 2016:  The Bronxville boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams are headed to the sectional finals this week.  The boys’ team will play Pleasantville in its sixth straight sectional final appearance today at 5:30 pm at White Plains High School, and the top-seeded girls will face No. 6 Pearl River on Thursday at 7:00 pm at Mahopac High School. 

Boys’ Lacrosse

The fourth-seeded boys’ team was besieged with injuries during the regular season and lost three games in overtime to Class C opponents Westlake, Briarcliff, and Pleasantville. With many of the injured players returning in the post-season, the Bronxville team is back on track.  

The Broncos picked up three wins in post-season play to advance to the Sectional Championship. In the first round, they shut out Ardsley 19-0 and delivered again in the quarterfinals with a 15-2 win over No. 5 Irvington. In those two games, Ara Atayan scored 13 goals and had two assists and Alston Tarry scored six goals with eight assists. 

In the semifinal game against Briarcliff last Saturday, the Broncos were looking to avenge a heart-breaking triple overtime loss to the Bears during the regular season. Bronxville was down 2-1 at halftime but came out in the second half determined to win. Atayan, with an assist from Mac Crawford, tied the game; Zach Tucker scored the go-ahead goal; Alston Tarry scored the fourth goal for the Broncos; and Crawford, with an assist from Tarry, put one in to give the Broncos a 5-3 win. The Bronco defense was superb, holding the Bears scoreless for much of the second half. 

It will be the fourth Sectional Championship game featuring both Bronxville and Pleasantville. The Broncos won in 2013 and 2014, but last year the Panthers walked away with a 9-7 victory. 

Girls’ Lacrosse

The Bronco girls (15-3) have sailed through the sectional tournament with a decisive 15-0 win over Putnam Valley in the first round and a 17-5 win over Valhalla in the quarterfinals. In the sectional semifinals held at Chambers Field on Monday, the Broncos took a quick 3-0 lead before play was suspended for 30 minutes because of thunder. Once play was resumed, Bronxville easily defeated North Salem 15-4.  

In the semifinal game, the Broncos demonstrated their scoring depth; Lucy Hanrahan scored five goals, Beth Finley, three goals and one assist, Lilly Grass, two goals and two assists, Ellie Walsh, two goals and two assists, Mason Warble, two goals, and Olivia Jensen, one goal, and Allie Berkery had two assists.  Claire Kraemer had three saves. 

Pearl River made its way to the sectional final with a 4-3 win over Albertus Magnus. It is the third consecutive sectional final for the Pirates, who lost to the Broncos last year 17-10. 

Go Broncos. 

Pictured here:  Bronco girls defeat North Salem in the sectional semifinals (two photos by J. Murrer); boys’ lacrosse team in action against Yorktown earlier in the season (photo by S. Crawford).