Garden City falls to Lakeland in state Class B field hockey championship game
Garden City's Devon Heaney moves the ball past Lakeland's Kelsey McCrudden during the NYSPHSAA Class B field hockey finals at Maine-Endwell High School on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. Credit: Nick Serrata
Usually dominant Garden City was in uncharted territory after Lakeland's Dana Bozek scored eight minutes into the second half.
Bozek picked up the ball at the 35, ran it up the left wing, cut across the circle and let a big shot fly to put her team up by three. It was Lakeland's second goal in four minutes.
Bozek had two goals as Lakeland beat the previously undefeated Trojans, 4-1, to win its seventh consecutive state Class B field hockey championship Sunday at Maine-Endwell High School.
"I thought we played tough, but Lakeland pulled it out with the shots," Garden City captain Michaela Bruno said. "We came together as a team in the end, but it was really more of who could finish it today."
The Trojans (17-1) started well, but Bozek pulled past two defenders and around goalie Sabrina Milone to give Lakeland (22-0) the lead about seven minutes in.
Garden City was quick to the ball and made timely cuts to generate a strong attack, but the Trojans ran up against an impregnable, layered defense led by Julia Kim.
Lakeland goalie Madison Beames made two big saves about 12 minutes before halftime.
The momentum went back and forth for most of the first half, but that flow changed when Meghan Fahey cashed in a rebound on a penalty corner to put Lakeland up 2-0 two minutes into the second half.
Bozek scored next, and Brianna Muniz made it 4-0 with a low ball from up the right wing with 17 minutes left.
Garden City's Kelly Aneser scored off a rush five minutes later, but the Trojans couldn't solve Lakeland's defense again.
"Lakeland got a lot of corners and did an excellent job capitalizing on those, which we needed to do but didn't," Aneser said. "It just didn't come out the way we expected.
"I think we can still be proud. Second is not first, but it's still amazing. We had an awesome season and we showed up for this game, but the outcome was unfortunate."
