Final girls lacrosse rankings: Who ends the season in top spot, top 10?
A girls lacrosse season that started in March with every team allowed to dream of a championship, came to a quiet end over the weekend with Rye closing its memorable season with a loss in the state Class C final.
Rye Country Day won the New York State Association of Independent Schools championship.
But no Section 1 school was fortunate enough to claim a New York State Public High School Athletic Association crown, although teams from all four enrollment classes made it through two rounds of regional play to the state semifinals.
Below are The Journal News/lohud final girls lacrosse rankings of the season. Records reflect both regular- and post-season play.
10. North Rockland (13-5) and Ursuline (10-6) — Neither team came close to realizing their goals this season but both North Rockland and Ursuline played well against many of the area's best teams. Ursuline's season ended in a one-goal loss to Section 1 Class B No .1 seed Yorktown. North Rockland, which fell by a couple of goals early in the season to Ursuline, fell by one goal to Class A runner-up Wappingers. North Rockland previously 9, Ursuline previously 8
9. Rye Country Day (14-1) — The Wildcats completed a near-perfect season by beating Hackley for the NYSAIS championship. Ideally, this team would play one or two local public schools, fostering a greater community feel. But even without that measuring strick, it's clear this is a very good team and very good program. Previously: Not ranked
8. Wappingers (15-3) ) — A one-goal win over North Rockland in a Section 1 Class A semifinal and a one-goal loss to eventual state semifinalist in the section final said more about this team than its previous 16 games said. Maybe Wappingers wasn't elite, but it was close to being that. Previously: Not ranked
7. Bronxville (14-7) — The Broncos were a young team, which might help explain their blowout loss in a state Class D semifinals. But for a young team that began the season 1-3 to win the section and advance to the state semifinals speaks of a huge ceiling. This is a team on the rise — one that will take on anyone to improve. And it will probably use an embarrassing 18-4 states loss as nothing but motivation to ensure it's even better. Previously: 8
6. John Jay-Cross River (15-4) — The Wolves, who beat Bronxville during the regular season, were in almost every game, even against the toughest teams. They fell to Yorktown by two and Suffern by two and lost to Class C state finalist Rye by three in the section semifinals, where they were generally considered a big underdog. They're always there, right with the best, because they are one of the best. Previously: 5
5. Yorktown (14-5) — The top seed in the Section 1 Class B playoffs fell by two goals to a hot Horace Greeley squad that would come within a goal of making the state Class B championship game. Not a lot of shame there. The Huskers were also one of the few Section 1 teams to give Nyack a game before Nyack was upset by Rye in the Class C final for its first Section 1 loss. All this adds up to a top-five team. Previously: 4
4. Suffern (17-4) — The Mounties dropped only one game to a Section 1 team (Rye) and made it to a Class A state semifinal. Suffern's one-goal win over Wappingers for the title angered some (the Mounties killed 10-plus minutes in the fourth quarter without shooting), but its strategy was within the rules and, irritating or not, illustrated just how good Suffern's passing and speed were. Previously: 3
3. Horace Greeley (15-7) — The old saying goes, 'It's not how you start but how you finish.' That applies to Greeley. After back-to-back losses to Somers and Pleasantville, the Quakers dropped only one more game (by a goal to Class C state runner-up Rye) before making an unpredicted run that ended in the state Class B semifinal with a one-goal loss. A No. 3 seed in the sectional playoffs, it upset No. 1 Yorktown by two goals, then got even better. Its ability to come back from the brink is one big thing for which this team will be fondly remembered. Previously: Not ranked
2. Nyack (17-2) — No, the Redhawks didn't win a section title, a major disappointment because, through most of the season, they seemed like not only the best local team, but also a team on track to win a state championship. But Nyack's record speaks for itself, as does the fact the only local team it lost to was Rye by one goal and Rye finished a few goals shy of winning a state title. This is also a young team, so watch out next year. Previously: 1
1. Rye (19-4) — The only Section 1 team to beat Nyack (and, in a timely way in the Section 1 Class C championship game), Rye was also the only Section 1 team to advance to a state championship game. Rye has always been good but now has fully earned elite status. Despite some looming tough graduations, don't expect the Garnets to give that up easily. Previously: 2
2024 girls lacrosse: The Journal News/lohud Section 1 playoff scoreboard keeps you up to date
On the bubble: Albertus Magnus (14-3), Holy Child (11-5), Pleasantville (14-4)
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Final lohud girls lacrosse rankings: Who's in top spot and top 10?
