Quick start propels Corning boys lacrosse team to fifth consecutive Section 4 title
After two down-to-the-wire battles with Elmira during the regular season, the Corning boys lacrosse team came storming out Thursday night against the Express in the Section 4 Class A championship game at Elmira's Thomas J. Hurley Athletic Complex.
The Hawks scored seven of the game's first eight goals and kept Elmira at bay the rest of the night in a 13-8 victory that brought with it the program's fifth consecutive sectional championship.
"I think we controlled faceoffs early on really well to get us possession and when they did get it our defense and our goalie came up big early to really give us that first-half momentum and jump up 7-1," Corning coach Chris Hogue said.
"We’ve battled (Elmira) for four years now. Some of their kids are seniors who have been around for so long and they’re a great group this year. Give them all the credit in the world."
Elmira opened the season with a 10-8 victory over Corning, the first time the Express beat the Hawks in a series that dates back to 2012. Corning came back with a 9-8 overtime triumph in the teams' second meeting of 2024.
"The first time we came here it honestly felt like a punch in the mouth for our team," Corning's Tully Fratarcangelo said. "Now we came back and we kicked them out on their own turf."
Stars of the Game
Fratarcangelo led the Hawks with five goals and Kohl Hogue scored four. Other Hawks goal-scorers were Dom DiNardo with two, plus one each from Clayton Smith and Joe Fucito. DiNardo and Fucito had two assists each and goalie Ian Harpster notched nine saves.
"We played as a team. That’s all we’ve got to do, it’s how we win, how we’ve been playing all season, the last few games," Fratarcangelo said.
Ryan Stukey paced Elmira (11-5) with four goals. Landon Cook, Kaiden Green and Cooper Taft had one goal each. Evan Garvin contributed two assists and Creed Hackett one.
Hawks on the rise
Corning opened the season with a 1-4 record but has surged when it matters most. The Hawks have a 6-2 mark in their last eight games, with both losses coming to Section 5 foes.
Chris Hogue said his team has been resilient, understanding the journey of the season outweighs one or two games.
"They stuck with it, they stuck working hard in practice every single day," he said. "Coming into this game they were energized, they were excited and they knew they were playing at their best right now. ... I love working with them and they did a great job."
More: Boys Lacrosse: All-Americans from Vestal, Elmira lead Section 4 all-stars
Game within the game
Saturday was the final high school game for Express goalie Sam Brenen-Buseck, who was recently named a USA Lacrosse All-American to go with twice earning Under Armour All-America recognition. Brenen-Buseck was also a standout goalie for Elmira's boys soccer team. He has committed to play lacrosse at Le Moyne College.
He stopped 11 shots on a busy night.
"I think offensively we moved the ball really well and placed our shots incredibly well," Chris Hogue said. "You’re talking about one of the best goalies in the area and we were putting them just inside pipe."
Added Fratarcangelo of facing Brenen-Buseck: "We were taking good shots, not rushing anything. Moving the ball well, dodging well, just overall doing what we could."
Up Next
Corning (10-7) will face the Section 3 champion in a regional final/state quarterfinal at 4 p.m. June 1 at Vestal High School.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Corning beat Elmira in the Section 4 Class A boys lacrosse title game
