For the first time since 2008, West Genesee Girls lacrosse is in the New York State Champsionship game.
The Wildcats outlasted Bay Shore 10-9 in the Class A semifinal, punching its ticket to the state title game against Penfield.
West Genny featured a balanced attack, with no player scoring more than two goals in the contest. Erica Geremia, Emily Tripodi, and Alia Hidebrandt each tallied a pair of goals. The Wildcats raced to a 4-1 lead before Bay Shore rallied to tie the game at halftime.
In the 2nd half of course, Hildebrandt scored the Wildcats' final goal of the contest, spotting them a 10-8 lead they would never relinquish.
In Class C, The Christian Brothers Academy girls lacrosse team staged a valiant comeback after trailing 14-7, but fell 14-13 to Shoreham-Wading River in the state semifinal.
Marisa Romeo scored 5 goals in that furious comeback, which CBA played with down 4 players, but Shoreham-Wading River held off the rally in the game's final seconds.
To put it in prospective, for the final 4:44 of the game, CBA was playing with 3 players offensively against 7 defenders and a goalie for S-WR.
Despite the enormous obstacles, Romeo scored what looked to be the game-tying goal with 23 seconds left, but it was waved off because she was fouled before the shot. Her free position opportunity was stopped. Romeo finished with 7 goals on the day, giving her 87 for the season.
CBA Head Coach Doug Sedgwick gave all the credit in the world to his opposition, but made no secret about his displeasure with the officiating. He was emotional, fighting back tears as he talked about the pride in his team, almost completing a miraculous comeback playing basically 3-on-7 lacrosse.
CBA completes a fantastic season, having made the Final Four this season after winning the state title last year.
