When it comes to Section II boys lacrosse, no league is better than the Suburban Council.
From the minefield that is the Blue Division with such powers as Niskayuna, Shenendehowa and Guilderland to the upstart Gold Division, the Suburban Council is loaded with talent.
`All of the Suburban Council is strong, and Section II is getting stronger,` said Ballston Spa coach Kevin Dayton.
Both divisions will be up for grabs this year, as last year’s winners ` Niskayuna (Blue) and Columbia (Gold) ` deal with the graduation of key players and opponents loaded with veteran talent.
`I think all of the Blue Division teams are going to be strong this year,` said Niskayuna coach Mike Vorgang. `Shenendehowa has a lot of three-year players on its roster, so it should be very good. Shaker, Guilderland and Saratoga should also be very good.`
`I think the Gold Division will be an exciting division. The games should all be close and a lot of fun,` said Columbia coach Kyle Randall.
Here is a look at the 10 Suburban Council teams.
Blue Division
Guilderland Dutchmen
Head coach: Sean McConaghy
Key veterans: Kip Stillman (long-stick midfielder), Jordan Dubose (midfielder), Ron Buck (attack), Uriah Myrie (attack), Aaron Cahill (midfielder), Chris Conway (midfielder), Matt Stillman (midfielder), Scott Raffensperger (defenseman)
Key newcomers: Rory Nunamacher (midfielder), Brian Linehan (attack), Quinn Connell (attack)
Outlook: The Dutchmen ` last year’s class A runners-up ` should score a lot of goals with the return of Buck, Myrie, Cahill and Dubose. Preventing teams from scoring goals will be a challenge, though.
`We’ve got all junior defensemen who played JV last year, so we don’t know yet,` said McConaghy.
McConaghy added that this year’s team is the least lacrosse-savvy group he’s had in his three years at the helm.
`We’re a better athletic team than any team since I’ve been here, but we don’t have a lot of true lacrosse players,` he said.
Guilderland opens its season March 29 against Bethlehem and then faces Niskayuna April 3 in a rematch of last year’s class A final.
`That will be a great test for us,` said McConaghy of the April 3 showdown. `The last two years, we’ve faced Niskayuna in the middle of the season and then again at the end. This year, we’re getting them at the beginning.`
Niskayuna Silver Warriors
Head coach: Mike Vorgang
Key veterans: Jack Leary (attack), Steve D’Amario (attack), Nick DiSarro (midfielder), Matt Levine (midfielder), Steve Lefebvre (midfielder), Rob Pendergast (midfielder), Dan McKinney (midfielder), Wade Lupe (defenseman), Adam Pardi (defenseman), Derek Gavin (long-stick midfielder)
Key newcomers: Gary Chrys (goaltender), James Manchester (goaltender), Taylor Pierce (defenseman)
Outlook: The three-time defending Sectional champions will have a different look to them this year after the graduation of several key players, including midfielder Phil Rollins, defenseman Dan Halayko and five-year starting goaltender Noah Fossner.
`We do have a lot of returning players, so we do have experience as far as playing at the varsity level,` said Vorgang. `But they don’t have the field experience that previous teams have had.`
Replacing Fossner is vital to Niskayuna’s hopes of another class A title. Vorgang said he has two solid candidates in Chrys and Manchester, but he doesn’t know who will be his starter yet.
`It’s going to take a little time, and because of the weather, we haven’t had a lot of time outside on a full field so they can see some shots,` he said. `It will come down to putting the person who’s playing the best on the field.`
Saratoga Blue Streaks
Head coach: Jon Coons
Key veterans: Ryan Ivory (midfielder), Vonzel Legall (midfielder), Jon Ims (attack), Josh Knight (midfielder), Sean Behan (midfielder), Glen Scully (defenseman), Jon Boucher (goaltender)
Key newcomers: Will Roberts (long-stick midfielder), J.C. Morency (defenseman)
Outlook: Disciplined play will be the key for the Blue Streaks as they try once again to move up the Blue Division standings.
`We have the talent,` said Coons. `We have to get them to play disciplined so they don’t take penalties that hurt the team.`
Ims, Legall and Ivory form a potent attack. Ims led Saratoga with 31 goals last year, while Legall and Ivory each recorded 22 goals. Ivory also had 19 assists, and Legall contributed 18 assists and 101 ground balls.
Defensively, the Blue Streaks will need Roberts and Morency to step up right away and help Scully and Boucher.
`Those two coming in look really promising,` said Coons.
Saratoga opens its season March 31 with a non-league game against Suffern at Kingston’s Dietz Stadium. Its first league game is April 5 against Shaker.
Shaker Blue Bison
Head coach: Shawn Hennessey
Key veterans: Sam Cuddleback (attack), Brian Tourtellott (defenseman), A.J. Battaglia (goaltender), Michael Bette (midfielder), Ryan Gifford (midfielder), Alex Bendon (long-stick midfielder), Nick DeFrancesco (attack)
Key newcomers: Michael Battaglia (attack), Michael Gifford (midfielder), Luke Walsh (midfielder), Brian Zimmer (attack), Stefan Debkowski (midfielder/attack)
Outlook: The Blue Bison suffered the most off-season upheaval in the league after long-time coach Joe Bennett was fired March 2 ` three days before the start of practice ` while the North Colonie Central School District conducted a disciplinary hearing on an insubordination claim surrounding his role as the district’s teachers aide union president.
`With the unfortunate situation that we’ve had, the kids have really responded well,` said Hennessey, who had been Bennett’s assistant coach the last several seasons. `They really want to play lacrosse.`
Shaker graduated several key players from last year’s team, but Hennessey said he is confident that veterans such as Cuddleback, Bette, Gifford and DeFrancesco will help groom the next group of offensive players.
`We graduated all of our big people from last year, but the thing we have this year is we have kids who want to put their feet on the field and give it their all,` said Hennessey.
Shaker starts its season March 31 with a game against in-town rival Christian Brothers Academy.
Shenendehowa Plainsmen
Head coach: Mark McQuade
Key veterans: Greg Hitchko (attack), Kevin Lee (defenseman), Nick Sansone (defenseman), Mitch DeWein (mid-fielder), John Olson (attack), Kevin Bloss (attack)
Key newcomers: Jesse Elliott (attack), Mike Asterino (midfielder), Anthony Zappone (midfielder)
Outlook: After two down years, the Plainsmen are hoping to make another division and Sectional title push.
`We’re cautiously optimistic,` said McQuade. `We’ve got a lot of young kids who haven’t played a second of varsity lacrosse. I like what I’ve seen so far, but we haven’t done a whole lot on the field yet.`
Shen should score some goals with the return of Hitchko, DeWein and Bloss. Who will be stopping other teams’ shots is up in the air, though. McQuade has three candidates for starting goaltender ` varsity veteran T.J. Costigan, junior varsity call-up Justin Anderson and eighth-grader Bob Wardwell.
The Plainsmen open their season March 28 at Queensbury. They then play Section I power Yorktown Heights March 31 at the University at Albany.
Gold Division
Ballston Spa Scotties
Head coach: Kevin Dayton
Key veterans: Matt Leslie (attack), Corey Nowak (midfielder), Jeff Seager (midfielder), Jason Ohnsman (defenseman), Kevin DeCelle (goaltender)
Key newcomers: Kevin Adams (defenseman), Van Huiben (midfielder), Derek Croote (midfielder), Mike Boisvert (attack), Greg Dunleavy (attack)
Outlook: After being competitive the past two years, the Scotties are looking to take another step and win the Gold Division title. Leslie, Nowak and Seager give Ballston Spa veteran leadership up front, while DeCelle provides a steadying presence in goal.
`We have high expectations,` said Dayton. `We have a hard-working team, and we have a lot of work to do.`
Ballston Spa starts its league season by hosting Colonie April 3.
Bethlehem Eagles
Head coach: Dave Rounds
Key veterans: Matt Johnson (attack), Matt DiFrancesco (attack), Carlos Mancilla (attack), Terry Daley (midfielder), Sam Boochever (midfielder), David Amiri (midfielder), Ryan Wall (midfielder), Dylan Eder (midfielder), Andrew Vincent (defenseman), Gary Bedrosian (defenseman)
Key newcomers: Chris Riccio (defenseman), Adam Nye (goaltender)
Outlook: The Eagles also anticipate a good 2007 season, thanks to a veteran-laden attack.
`I think we can finish in the top three of Section II,` said Rounds. `We have a lot of experience coming back.`
Johnson, DiFrancesco and Mancilla should lead the way for Bethlehem once again. Johnson is one of the top goal scorers in the league, and DiFrancesco and Mancilla are both capable of putting up big numbers.
`Combined, they probably had over 200 points (last year),` said Rounds.
If Bethlehem’s defense comes together following the graduation of two starters, the Eagles could be in good shape to win their second division title in the last three years.
`Our biggest challenge will be putting our defense together because we have some new players, but I think our offense will keep us in games,` said Rounds.
Following its March 29 opener against Guilderland, Bethlehem gets its first shot at defending division champion Columbia April 3 in East Greenbush.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Spartans
Head coach: Paul Fedoroff
Key players: Bryan Ellison (defenseman), Collin Whiteford (goaltender), Craig MacDerment (midfielder)
Outlook: The Spartans are entering the league after playing for two years at the junior varsity level, and Fedoroff is hoping his team will be competitive.
`I would expect a similar outcome to how our JV team performed last year. We were in every game. Some games ended up with a win, and some did not,` said Fedoroff. `But as long as we show up, we should be competitive.`
Fedoroff said the Spartans will take a team approach to its offense. `We’re going to try not to concentrate on any one player,` he said. `It will be six guys working as one.`
The Spartans open the season April 3 with a non-league game against Glens Falls. Their first-ever Suburban Council varsity game is April 5 against Columbia.
`I think we’ll take it one game at a time and try to play each game better than the one before,` said Fedoroff.
Colonie Garnet Raiders
Head coach: Michael Joyce
Key veterans: P.J. Nicsevic (goaltender), D.J. O’Connell (midfielder), Brian Sleasman (midfielder), Nick Shaker (midfielder), Packy Dollard (attack)
Key newcomers: Chris Logan (defenseman), Danny Sofia (attack), Blake DiPace (defenseman)
Outlook: Joyce said that the Garnet Raiders are looking to be more competitive in the Gold Division this season.
`I think we’ll probably be in the middle of the pack,` he said. `We’ve got three returning midfielders, so that helps.`
Having a solid goaltender in Nicsevic will also help Colonie, though the Garnet Raiders will have to break in a new defense around him. Still, Joyce likes how things are coming together.
`I think we can be very competitive fighting for that Gold Division title,` he said.
Colonie gets an early start to its season, as the Garnet Raiders visit Kingston Sunday.
Columbia Blue Devils
Head coach: Kyle Randall
Key veterans: Corey Heck (midfielder), Casey Balzer (midfielder), Jake Hutchins (attack), Jesse Pavlick (attack), Tim Daigle (attack), Dan Smith (goaltender), John Mascola (defenseman), Chris Gavitt (defenseman), Dan Gifford (defenseman)
Key newcomers: Brett Sarubbi (midfielder), Andrew Carroll (defenseman), Miles Kerbien (attack), Matt Tonkin (defenseman), Rob Law (midfielder)
Outlook: Randall said his Blue Devils are aware of the teams chasing them for the division title and are ready for a battle.
`I know those guys are excited to go after the title again,` he said.
Columbia graduated several players from last year’s team, but it should have a potent attack again with veterans such as Balzer, Daigle and Hutchins.
`We have good speed, and they’re a fun, positive group to work with,` said Randall.“