Canton Fire and Rescue and Village Police ensured the Canton girls varsity lacrosse team left town in style Friday morning, as they escorted the team bus from the school on its road to the New York State Final Four.
The Golden Bears play Penn Yan Academy in the Class D state semifinal on Friday at 4:30.
The second consecutive trip to the Final Four comes on the heels of a season where the girls lost just one game while posting 18 wins. They outscored their opponents this season 258 to 78.
While Canton always was expected to be a competitive team this season, expectations of a return to the Final Four was not a foregone conclusion. After losing a trove of talented seniors after the 2025 campaign, the path ahead seemed a bit less clear for the 2026 season.
Head Coach Murphy Liggio, now in her tenth season at the helm, and Rachel Holz, in her sixth season, credit the culture that has been built within the program for its recent success. The coaches ask their players to step outside their comfort zone, try new things, and contribute in whatever way they can. The players have responded, showing a level of effort that has elevated the team beyond its previous successes.
The results speak for themselves.
While Canton’s path through sectionals was relatively smooth—defeating Saranac Lake Placid 11-3 in the Section X Class D Final and Potsdam 12-3 in the overall Final—their first state playoff game of the year took some grit.
Last weekend, the girls defeated Schuylerville 9-6 despite a 5-3 deficit to begin the second half. The Bears were able to shut out their opponents in the fourth quarter, overcoming the fact that they played one player down for the last eight minutes of the game.
The Golden Bears scored two goals in that timeframe to push themselves past Schuylerville and on to the Final Four.
“These girls don’t give up. That’s the big thing about this team,” noted Gail Abplanalp, a grandparent to two of the Golden Bear lacrosse players, while waiting to see the girls off on Friday morning at the school.
“In the halls today, a teacher said ‘to have such a small team and make it so far is amazing,’ and I think that says a lot about our team and the work the girls have put in,” said Coach Liggio.
Penn Yan is a perennial contender in New York State lacrosse. While Canton has not seen them in action this season, the coaching staff anticipates their team will be of a similar composition to the Golden Bears, relying on a few top-end talents, their small town pride, and some determination from their depth players.
Friday’s state semifinal game will be broadcast live on NFHSNetwork. Click here to watch.
