After a slow start, things are beginning to come together for the Scotia-Glenville girls lacrosse team.
With victories over Glens Falls and Schenectady earlier this week, the Lady Tartans raised their record to 4-3.
With the spring break and the other school trips they had to go on, they’re slowly getting better, said Scotia-Glenville coach Mark Gatta. `They’re not where I’d like them to be yet, but they’re getting better.`
The Lady Tartans don’t have a lot of goal scorers, but the ones they have are good. Grace Coppola, Amy Kalinkiewicz, Hannah Carroll and Katie Litts have recorded several multi-goal games, with Coppola leading the way with 33 goals. Briana Crow and Katie DeVantier have also been consistent contributors over the last five games.
The defense has improved since Scotia-Glenville’s 0-2 start. After allowing 33 goals in losses to Holy Names and Glens Falls, the Lady Tartans have given up 10 or more goals only twice in their last five games ` a stretch in which they have gone 4-1.
Still, Gatta said he’d like to see more improvement in his team as it gears up for what could be a tough Section II, Class B playoff field ` one that will include Niskayuna, Ballston Spa and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake out of the Suburban Council.
`What they (the Section II girls lacrosse committee) wanted to do was balance out the divisions this year,` said Gatta. `So, they moved Holy Names, (Albany) Academy and Emma Willard into class C and moved Niskayuna, Ballston Spa and Burnt Hills into class B.`
Gatta added that Niskayuna’s move from class A to class B makes the Silver Warriors one of the favorites to win a Sectional title. Niskayuna improved its record to 6-5 with Tuesday’s 18-1 victory over Burnt Hills, and of its five losses, two have been to Suburban Council leader Guilderland.
`That will help them out because it will be like when Burnt Hills was in class B (for all sports). They were in a class A league, and when they dropped down to class B, they dominated,` said Gatta. `It’s going to be hard for any team in our (Capital District Women’s Lacrosse) league to compete with Niskayuna, but what will happen is if any team winds up winning three (Sectional titles) in a row, they’ll bump that team up a class.`
Following Wednesday’s game against Cohoes, Scotia-Glenville plays Albany Academy for Girls Thursday and Queensbury Saturday.
`The big test will be Queensbury,` said Gatta.“
