Friday, May 26, 2017: Guilderland girls win final in overtime

   Leading off today: Kadi Futia connected with 21.7 seconds left in overtime to give Guilderland the Section 2 girls Class A lacrosse championship with a 9-8 win over Shenendehowa on Thursday.

   Guilderland took an 8-5 lead with 15:13 left in regulation only to see Shenendehowa rally and send the contest to extra time. Nicole Picchi tied the game at 8-8 with 4:57 left before Futia drove home her second goal of the game and 39th of the season.

   The Plainsmen had defeated Guilderland 11-8 during the regular season.

   "We showed how much we have improved during the season," Hayley Kmack said after chipping in with a goal and an assist. "On offense, we started getting nervous and we didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had. But that was the best way to win it."

   More overtime: Jamesville-DeWitt avoided becoming the third No. 1 seed in four classes to fall in the Section 3 girls lacrosse semifinals by edging Whitesboro 10-9 in overtime in Class C.

   J-D broke to a 5-0 lead before Whitesboro scored four of the next five goals.

   The lead with 9-7 with 3:13 remaining in regulation before scores by Stephanie Husnay and Sam DeCondo sent it to overtime, where J-D won on a free-position shot after just 14 seconds.

    • Baldwinsville scored the only five goals of the second half and defeated West Genesee 6-5 in the Class A semifinals.

   Hannah Johnson tied the score with 3:52 left and Peyton Fleming put the Bees ahead with 1:04 to play with her third goal of the game.

   West Genesee won both regular-season games between the teams.

   "I basically just said that we have nothing to lose today," Baldwinsville coach Megan Collins said of her halftime talk. "They just had to go out there and give everything they had."

   And still more overtime: Lily Avazis scored with :02 left of the third overtime, leading Port Washington over Syosset 11-10 in the Section 8 Class A semifinals.

   Syosset trailed 10-7 before scoring three straight goals in the final 3:30. Kendall Halpern and Katelyn Igneri both scored man-up goals, tying the score at 10.

   Rachel Rosen had one goal and four assists, and her sister Rebecca had three goals for Port Washington.

   Baseball: Poly Prep captured its sixth NYSAIS championship in the last seven years by means of a 6-3 victory over Horace Mann.

   Matt Santamauro came on for the save in relief of Poly starter and Louisiana State recruit Nick Storz, who tossed six shutout innings.

   Boys lacrosse: Ryan Sposito had five goals and an assist to carry Ithaca to a 10-5 victory over Corning in the Section 4 Class A championship game.

   The Little Red's last three seasons had ended at the hands of the Hawks in the sectional final.

   "It definitely was on our mind coming into this game," Sposito said. "We have quite a few seniors who have lost to Corning in the sectional final the past two or three years. They were pumped up, firing out of the gates. I know they

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wanted it bad for the senior class of Ithaca lacrosse."

   Rob DiNota finished with three goals, three assists and 25 faceoff wins as Westlake downed Bronxville 20-12 in the Class D final for its first Section 1 championship.

   "I'm just in complete shock right now," the Wildcats' Kyle Donnery said. "I can't believe what happened. This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid playing lacrosse in youth league."

   Westlake scored the first four goals of the third quarter to break open what had been a 7-6 halftime lead.

   F-M coach retires: Chris Kenneally, who went 396-122 in 18 seasons as the boys lacrosse coach at Fayetteville-Manlius, told his players Thursday that he is retiring as head coach.

   Kenneally, 65, spent 15 years as an assistant with Tom Hall, who established the lacrosse program at F-M in 1964. The Hornets have won two of the last four Section 3 Class A championships. They lost in overtime on Tuesday in the semifinals to eventual sectional champion Baldwinsville.

   Kenneally retired as a chemistry teacher four years ago.

   "It's time," he told Syracuse.com. "I've done so much time with lacrosse and it's time I start looking at time with my own family. I think we need new leadership and new ideas and new energies at F-M. They are good kids. It's time for somebody else to have a turn. Tommy Hall told me years ago to make sure you're ready and not pushed out the door. It's time."

   Kenneally said he felt "a little empty" after the loss to Baldwinsville knowing it was his final game. But then he was quickly reminded about why it was time: His grandchildren kept asking, when was Papa going to open his swimming pool?

   "You go from who's who to who's he to who cares in a flash," Kenneally said, repeating something former Hobart coach Dave Urick had said. "It helps keep yourself in perspective ... makes you humble. The game is going forward."