Farmingdale thankful for Gurecki's clutch goalie play
New York State Public High School Girls Lacrosse state Finals. Class A: 9:30 am, Farmingdale vs. Lakeland: Farmingdale's Alyssa Cardillo, Melanie Raso and Kelly McPartland with the 1st place award. Credit: Photo by Patrick E. McCarthy
The 2010 NHL playoffs began April 14, three days before the Farmingdale girls lacrosse team lost for the first time in 22 months. The Chicago Blackhawks raised the Stanley Cup on June 9, three days before Farmingdale claimed its second straight state Class A title.
Coincidence? Undoubtedly. But the Dalers took some lessons from hockey's endless second season. Mainly, previous games mean nothing come playoff time and there's no substitute for a hot goalie.
Farmingdale defeated Lakeland/Panas, 6-5, in the state championship, a fitting end to a season full of surprises.
It wasn't a shock that the Dalers repeated. The shock was they won by scoring their fewest goals in a game since 2007. Farmingdale had been subscribing to the idea of the best defense being a good offense.
Anyone on the field could be considered a No. 1 scoring option with offensive talent such as Melanie Raso, Kelly McPartland, Alyssa Cardillo, Jamie Leone, Maegan Meritz or Kyra Ochwat, and Farmingdale tried to turn every game into a track meet.
Leone laughed when asked if the final outcome was a surprise. She didn't see it coming, but easily summed up the reason.
"Alex Gurecki is amazing now," Leone said.
Gurecki had big shoes to fill, stepping in for three-time All-American Lauren Maksym. After some early bumps in the road, Gurecki and the defense in front of her stepped up on the biggest stage.
Beginning with the Nassau semifinals, when the Dalers routed undefeated Port Washington, Gurecki went on a five-game playoff roll, with 40 saves and 33 goals against.
It was a far cry from the 23-15 beating Wantagh put on Farmingdale in late April, a game that coach Shari Campbell said served as a wake-up call.
"They realized that we couldn't just rest on our laurels anymore," Campbell said.
It was Farmingdale's third loss in six games and put the Dalers back in a familiar role. The target that came with being the reigning national champions was removed. Scrappy underdogs once again, the Dalers won seven of their final eight games.
Standing on the field in Cortland, doused with Poland Spring, assistant coach Tracy Wiener, who founded the program two decades ago, had to smile.
"It's just great to win this for Melanie [Raso]," Wiener said. "She deserves this."
Few had been more central to Farmingdale's recent success than Raso, the redeemed star, who as a junior scored the tying goals in the semifinals and championship and put to rest the memories of 2008 when the state final ended in a one-goal defeat and the ball in her stick. As a senior, she reinvented herself as a captain and leader of another championship squad.
Raso led the team in goals (68) and points (103), but leaves the team in good hands. 2011's senior class led by Leone (47 goals, 20 assists), McPartland (42 goals, 20 assists) and Ochwat (39 goals, 17 assists) has the rest of the state trembling.
And of course, there is another member of that class who will have the Dalers favored for a three-peat: Alex Gurecki, the hot goalie who made it all possible.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
