North field hockey avenges loss, wins fourth Class A title in five years
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter
payback as a motivating factor in Williamsville North's 2-0 Section VI Class A final win over Sweet Home last Thursday at Amherst High School's Dimp Wagner Field but she played like she was on a mission.

Williamsville North's Emily Curry, left, eyes possession of the ball while Sweet Home's Katie Mazuchowski tries to get in on the action. North beat Sweet Home, 2-0, in the Section VI Class A final last Thursday at Amherst High School's Dimp Wagner Field. It was North's fourth section crown in five years. Sweet Home beat North in last year's section final. Photo by Joe Eberle. Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

The Williamsville North senior midfielder helped the Lady Spartans control ball possession for several minutes and had a goal and assist to help her team avenge last year's 2-1 finals loss to Sweet Home in penalty strokes. North won Class A section titles from 2003 through 2005.

"I don't consider it payback," said Miller. "Last year was disappointing but this is a new year and a new team. The goal this year is to be state champions and we're not letting anything get in our way."

Sweet Home's Katie Mazuchowski races past Williamsville North's Holly Flanigan during the Lady Panthers' 2-0 loss in the Section VI Class A final last Thursday at Amherst High School. Mazuchowski is one of 10 seniors on Sweet Home. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

"I have two new starters, everyone else returns, but they were really upset about losing the title last year," said North coach Kris Lapaglia. "Their main focus was bringing it back to North. They worked hard for it all season. There weren't too many games where I wasn't happy with their play."

North got a goal in the first and second halves to beat Sweet Home.

Junior attacker Emily O'Gorman deflected a shot from Miller with 2:47 left in the first half. Senior defender Trish Kennery sent a flat pass through the circle to set up the play.

Miller scored on a scramble in front of the Sweet Home goal with 20:05 left in the second half. It was her 37th goal of the season. She scored 35 times in 2005.

"The goalie cleared it and their defense was trying to take it out and I blocked it and pushed my way through," said Miller, who will graduate from North in January to start classes at Division I Michigan State University. "I was determined to get it in. Nothing was going to stop me."

Miller is the only high school player to have over 100 goals and 100 assists in a career. She has 144 goals and 128 assists. She's also the nation's all-time assist leader.

It was an easy night for North goalie Nicole Lewis. The senior All-Western New York player didn't have to make a save because their weren't any shots on goal from Sweet Home.

"Once we push teams back in their defensive ends, we don't let them out," said Lapaglia. "They're constantly supporting each other. If somebody on the other team beats them, another one of our players is right there to help."

"We had trouble putting pressure on offense," said Sweet Home coach Dawn Kauderer-Kromer. "That was clear. But the kids came out and played tough. They refused to back down. I couldn't be more proud of them."

To get to the Class A final, North and Sweet Home won semifinal games last Wednesday at Dimp Wagner. North shut out Hamburg, 5-0, and Sweet Home beat Lancaster, 2-1, in sudden death penalty strokes.

The Lady Spartans built a 3-0 halftime lead over Hamburg. Junior midfielder Leslie Ahern got the scoring going two minutes in on a hard shot from the top of the circle that hit the far corner of the net. Miller assisted.

Miller added two straight goals. Her first tally was a reverse stick sweep from freshman attacker Allie Ahern with 15 minutes left in the first half; her second goal was a straight up shot that was assisted by Kennery with two minutes remaining.

Junior attacker Caitlin Butler tipped in a shot from O'Gorman into the far post seven minutes into the second half. Miller started the play with a pass to O'Gorman.

Miller scored on a reverse chip shot with 15 minutes left in the game. Leslie Ahern assisted.

Lewis made three saves to earn the shutout.

"Hamburg played a decent first half against us but eventually my kids accelerated their level of play," said Lapaglia. "By the start of the second half, we pretty much dominated the game and were in their end for a while."

North (19-0) will face Section V's Penfield (13-4-1) at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Dimp Wagner in the Class A Far West Regional. The winner plays in the state quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Saturday at Oneonta State College.

"We're definitely improving," said Miller. "Most teams should be at the end of the season. We have a great team. It's the most talent I've been around in my six years of playing for North."

"Sometimes teams start to nose dive at this point, but I've seen a steady improvement from the first game of the season to now," added Lapaglia. "A lot of that comes from playing together for the last few years and having a good foundation from modified and JV. It makes the transition to varsity a lot easier."

Sweet Home and Lancaster were tied at 1-1 after regulation, two 10-minute overtimes and penalty stokes. Senior defender Betsy Forster scored in sudden death penalty strokes and goalie Leann Stiver made a save to lift the Lady Panthers to victory. Forster also scored in the first round of penalty strokes, but Lancaster tied the game.

Lancaster scored first in regulation only for junior attacker Heather Kolbas to tie the game with 19:47 left in the first half.

"It was a classic Lancaster Sweet Home matchup," said Kauderer- Kromer.

Sweet Home finishes 10-7-2 and loses 10 seniors - Katie Mazuchowski, Allison Feger, Emily Tolnay, Melissa Stroka, Forster, Chrissy Strom, Rebecca Humbert, Danielle Gangi, Lauren West and Nichole Giselman.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com