Dominance and Disappointment

First up this week we take you to Haldane where the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team hosted Keio Academy on April 20th.  Haldane's offense ignited right of the gate and by the time the first three minutes of play were over, they had succeeded in scoring a goal for each minute of play.  This game featured a dazzling display of athleticism as Haldane executed some artful mastery with some tremendous shots on goal.  They dominated the entire duration of the game and handily won 19-8.  Haldane has only three losses this season.

Next we travel to Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor where they faced off against Mamaroneck.  The last time that these two teams played one another was last year in the Section 1 Class A championship.  In that game, Panas easily cruised to victory with a score of 13-3.  However, things were different this time around. Determined to emerge victorious, Mamaroneck held Panas to a single goal.  Their offense won 85% of all the faceoffs while their defense got to all loose balls and effectively limited Panas' shots on goal.  The final score was 17-1. 

We end the week with Briarcliff at Pleasantville on April 23rd.  Briarcliff was off kilter this game, missing many shots and playing very loose defensively.  Within seconds, Pleasantville took the lead but Briarcliff came clawing back to the top with a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.  The second quarter brought much of the same but by halftime Briarcliff was trailing by one goal.  There was no question that the second half belonged to Pleasantville.  The goalie for Briarcliff was often alone as many offensive members of Pleasantville's team converged upon him.  Without assistance, he fell prey to many successful shots on goal by Pleasantville.  This game ended in a frustrating 12-6 loss for the Briarcliff Bears.

Keio Academy vs. Haldane

 Mamaroneck vs. Panas

Briarcliff vs. Pleasantville

Pride and Patriotism

As much as I enjoy covering high school lacrosse, nothing gives me more pride and joy than being able to watch and film my own two children playing this wonderful sport.  My son and daughter play for the Phillipstown Highlanders and I happily film their games whenever I am able.   This past Friday, April 17th, they were presented with an incredible opportunity...to play their game vs. Somers, at West Point!  It was incredible experience for not just the players but the parents as well.

After the conclusion of their own game, the Highlanders were invited to stay to watch Army's Black Knights Men's Lacrosse team host Colgate under the lights at Michie Stadium. The Highlanders were escorted to the field to line the runway and exchange high-five's with the Black Knights as they took to the field.  Having been given permission to enter the field, Video Ventures was presented with an up close and personal chance to capture the looks on the children's faces as they were surprised and dazzled by five Army parachute jumpers landing in the stadium.  The kids squealed with delight as an Army helicopter came whirling past once all the parachuters landed safely to the ground. 

This is certain to be an everlasting memory for all in attendance.  For footage of this once in a lifetime privilege, please follow the link below.

Highlanders Visit Army's Black Knights Lacrosse Team

All Hands On Deck

To say it was a busy week for us is an underestimate.  We covered a whopping 17 games this week and were shuffling back and forth from Westchester and Rockland Counties and even headed to Connecticut twice!  In some instances we were even covering three to four games a day.

Let's begin with our first look at a Rockland County team.  Rye faced off against North Rockland on April 13th.  These two teams see-sawed back and forth throughout the majority of the game.  Heading into the fourth quarter, the score was tied.   Both teams went into the fourth quarter with their sights on taking the win.  In the end it was Rye, with their speed and strong defense that spiraled them straight to the top with a 13-8 triumph over North Rockland. 

Next we catch up with Briarcliff as they visit Walter Panas, the 2014 Section 1 Class A Champions.  Going into this game Briarcliff had only one loss.  Both teams volleyed goals back and forth throughout the game.  As it looked like Briarcliff was set to walk away with the win, with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, Panas tied the game at 10.  This didn't deter the momentum of the Bears.  They came fighting back and within two and a half minutes of overtime play, Briarcliff scored. 

We wrap up the week with Croton vs Irvington at Fox Lane High School on April 15th.  This is our first glimpse at the Irvington Varisty Boys in the 2015 season.  Thus far they have been playing their home games at Fox Lane as their field is not yet ready.  If you were looking for some intense play and drama this was not the game for you.  There were very few goals and minimal  penalties.  The game got off to a very slow start with only three goals scored in the first half of play.  After halftime, the Irvington offense began to come alive.  They rallied and were able to walk off with a 7-2 victory. 

To see highlights from the above games, please click the links below.
 Rye vs. North Rockland

Briarcliff vs. Walter Panas


Croton vs. Irvington

Ups and Downs

It was another busy week in High School Varsity lacrosse action.  This week we spotlight Mamaroneck, Pearl River and Rye.

We begin with Mamaroneck vs. Sachem North, a strong team from Long Island. This match-up exhibited a stellar offensive battle with the goalie from Sachem North giving a spectacular performance.  As the players dueled on the field, a record twenty-five goals were scored. In the end, Sachem North edged out a win by scoring three goals in the last three minutes of play, resulting in a final score of 13-12. 

Next up, we bring you to Pearl River who visited Rye on April 11th.  If you are trying to locate the ball, you can easily find it on the Pearl River end for most of the game.  Rye easily dominated and sailed to victory with a score of 14-3.

Lastly, we take you to Edgemont where they were visited by Briarcliff.  Despite home-field advantage, Edgemont was unsuccessful in their quest for not only victory but also a goal.  They lost by a score of 14-0.  Briarcliff has suffered only one loss and this was their goalie's second shutout of the year. 

Stay tuned next week as we continue to spotlight our local athletes hard at play.

 Mamaroneck vs. Sachem North

Pearl River vs. Rye

Briarcliff vs. Edgemont

Puddles and Penalties

The Haldane Varsity Boys' Lacrosse season got off to a wet start yesterday as they hosted Ossining High School.  The rain certainly didn't dampen the intensity and vigor of the players as they took to the field.

At times the competitive pairing of these two teams was overshadowed by the slew of penalties that rained down from the referees almost as quickly as the raindrops fell from the sky.  The whistle blew so often that Haldane was down three men on the field at one point. To say the referees had their hands full is an understatement.

The culmination occurred when an Ossining player was ejected from the game for poor sportsmenship. Unfortunately, matters were made worse when the ejected player's father became enraged and consequently ignited the tempers of many spectators in the stands.

In spite of this, Haldane fought valiently against Ossining's five goal lead and at one point came within two goals.  Despite their best efforts, Haldane came up short and lost 13-8.

To view highlights of the game, please follow the link below.
Ossining vs. Haldane

Down To The Wire

It's time for your weekly highlights and it has been quite the nail-biting week in high school lacrosse.

First we take you to Saturday, March 28, where Wantagh faced off against Mamaroneck at Mamaroneck High School.   Despite the snowy playing conditions, it was an extremely tight offensive game, in fact there was no point in time when either team led by more than two goals.  In the end, Wantagh was able to hang on and walk away with an 11-10 win.

Next up we bring you some girls lacrosse action.  As the snow was falling on the last Saturday in March, the Briarcliff Varsity girls team was visited by Westlake.  Briarcliff started the game out at a steady pace and at one point led by five goals.  Westlake came charging back with a lot of momentum to try to even the playing field, but in the end fell short.  Victory went to Briarcliff with a score of 13-12 in this nail-biting game.

To round out this week's spotlight games, we take you to Rye High School where the Varsity boys hosted Somers.  It was a grueling physical match-up between these two teams.  Rye was off and running with a five-goal lead and it seemed clear that they would dominate throughout the duration of the game.  However, Somers struck back with a vengeance and came back to within one goal.  Unfortunately they fell short and the win went to Rye.  The final score was 10-7.

For highlights of all three games, please follow the links below.

Wantagh vs, Mamaroneck

Westlake vs. Briarcliff

Somers vs. Rye