The Canton girls varsity lacrosse team’s momentum could not be stopped in the New York State Regionals this past weekend, as the girls turned in another dominant performance this time over Albany Academy.
The Golden Bears delivered another statement win in their first round state playoff game, defeating Albany Academy 18-3.
Canton now prepares for its first-ever trip to the New York State Final Four, where Section IV champion Windsor awaits after defeating Section IX Highland in their state regional.
The State Semifinal game, held at SUNY Cortland, will be played Friday at 9 a.m. The winner will face the victor of the other semifinal match between South Jeff and Cold Springs Harbor at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.
The usual suspects carried the team offensively against Albany Academy, as junior midfielder Saige Blevins doled out seven goals and six draw controls, junior midfielder Olivia Francey tallied five goals, two assists, and four draw controls, and senior attacker Vivian Coburn added three goals one assist, and six draw controls.
Sophomore attackers Madie Ayrassian and Elena Abplanalp, and eighth grade defender Lily Abplanalp all scored a lone goal to round out the scoring for the Bears.
“Our girls came out the hardest they’ve ever come out in the first quarter setting the tone quickly with four quick goals to set the tone,” said Coach Murphy Liggio. “We’ve seen our team put together our two best games of the season in the Section X championship game against Salmon, then this past weekend against Albany Academy.”
Windsor is a familiar foe for the Golden Bears. The girls eked out a 10-9 win in the sub-regional round against the Section IV powerhouse last spring to advance to the regional round of state play.
Liggio said that the team is well-prepared for the matchup, but will look to fine tune the offense and tighten up some defensive aspects in the week leading up to Friday. Getting hot early remains part of the game plan as well.
“We need to start strong off the first draw and continue on throughout the entire game like we have our last two games,” Liggio said. “Our communication is key and sometimes we struggle to keep that part going for all four quarters. When we get into state play that is really important to have down, especially in our defensive end with the set up we play in.”
The game will be available on the NFHSNetwork for those with a subscription to the live streaming platform. Radio broadcast of the game will be available on 100.1 FM, 1470 AM, and on wildcountry.fm.