Minisink Valley nips Warwick for Section 9 Class B girls lacrosse championship
Sienna Roehrich is the emotional leader for the Minisink Valley girls lacrosse team, and she’s turned into quite a scorer as well.
For the second time during this postseason Roehrich garnered a handful of tallies to lift the Warriors to the Section 9 Class B championship. She had six goals in a semifinal win on Monday and her fifth goal on a dreadful Wednesday evening – weather-wise at least – came with nine seconds remaining as second-seeded Minisink prevailed 15-14 over top-seeded Warwick, at O’Neill High School in Highland Falls.
The deciding goal wasn’t a diagramed play, more a freelance effort by Roehrich. Warwick could not control the ensuing draw and the match was over.
Minisink Valley draws a first-round bye in the state tourney and will play a quarterfinal on June 3 against the winner of a May 31 playoff between the Section 1 (Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess) and Section 2 (Albany region) champions.
It was Warwick that handed Minisink its lone setback of the season, a 13-10 decision on April 11.
“The girls did a lot of work all season long … and they held it together,’’ said Minisink coach Chris Burger, whose team allowed a 10-3 lead turn into a 14-13 deficit in the final quarter.
A rainstorm turned torrential in the second half – Minisink lost a bit of momentum and Warwick surged, all this while the Wildcats played a player down due to fouls for the last 18 minutes.
“We had to literally kind of try to control the game and make sure everything counted in order to make sure we finished the game up,’’ Burger said.
Roehrich and Logan Barry – perhaps Minisink’s best player – each had five goals and Mia Abruzzese added two. Goalkeeper Isabella Odland – nicknamed “Moose” from her youth days – posted nine saves.
“Their best players stepped up,’’ said Warwick coach Denis O’Connor, whose team finished 16-2.
Warwick had early turnovers, leading to early deficit. O’Connor settled the team and the Wildcats started playing their unselfish game. Three goals came from Kiera Larney with two coming from Skyler Blanton, Steph Malota, Kelly Nevins and Maggie Nelsen. It was Blanton’s tally with 7:41 to play that staked Warwick to its first lead.
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Minisink Valley nips Warwick Section 9 Class B girls lacrosse title
