I look forward to field hockey season each year when August rolls around because I am fortunate enough to see the best players in the BEST section in the state. No ifs, ands or buts about it, Section 1 is the best in the state and the state championships prove this. Section 1 leads New York in state titles, followed by Section 4 (which is aided greatly by Marathon’s nine). Ladies, coaches and parents, you should all take great pride in what Section 1 has accomplished.

This was another great field hockey season with so many outstanding highlights. And here are just a few:

Mamaroneck going undefeated and unscored upon to win the Section 1 Class A title, led by seniors Ellen Williams, Charlotte Gardiner, Cathleen Smith and Anna Reddicliffe.

Putnam Valley beating second-seeded and defending state champion Rye in the semis, then Lakeland in the final to take the Section 1 Class B crown, led by their talented seniors Ashley Morgan, Erica Fisher, Nicole Scott, Megan Warning, Caitlin White and Sara Kastuk.

A shout out to Bronxville and coaches Jackie Deppe Frawley and new mom, Courtnie Egan, as the Broncos won the Section 1 Class C title, regional crown and returned to the state final four for the first time since 2001. Bronxville’s only three seniors — Jessica Murrer, Caroline Harris and Anne Piper — were instrumental in this.

Congratulations to Mamaroneck, Putnam Valley and Bronxville for their outstanding seasons.

These were not the only highlights though. Here are some more noteables:

Suffern became the first Rockland County school to play for a sectional title when it faced Mamaroneck in the Class A final. Suffern coach Bernadette Gannon is one of the nicest and most respected coaches in Section 1 and she can boast of two of the finest players in Cara Eichenberger and Jenny Califano.

First year coach and former Lakeland all-state player Niki Berman guiding Rye Neck to the Section 1 Class C semifinals, a place the Panthers had not been in quite some time. Two of her impact players were senior midfielder Liz Tucci and goalie Amy Carelli. In only her first year, Berman has helped the girls restore the pride and tradition to this proud program which produced Holy Child coach Barbara Lorys, assistant coach Cheryl O’Shea, Mamaroneck assistant coach Tricia Miller and Ursuline coach April Clapp.

North Salem was seeded seventh in the Section 1 Class C sectional tournament, but consecutive wins in strokes over Hastings and Rye Neck propelled the Tigers to their first sectional final since 2003. Great job by coach Jen Frohman and assistant coach/former North Salem great Carly DeMartis.

Clarkstown North, which I don’t think had six wins this decade, won six games and qualified for sectionals under coach Danielle Trainor. The girls and Trainor also accomplished this without a Junior Varsity program. The Rams were led by seniors Abby Laffer, Alexis Kanter and Jen Reynolds.

In her first season at Fox Lane, former Somers standout Melissa Heyde guided the Foxes to 11 wins and a second seed in the Section 1 Class A tournament. She also had an all-state player in Lindsay Toppe. 

After graduating a large, talented senior class and welcoming Former Brewster great Emily Fitzgerald as its new coach, Rye was overlooked in some circles. However, behind the senior leadership of Courtney Burke, Juliana Kennedy and Mimi McCormick, and junior standouts Torie Stearns and Olivia Nabhan, the 2007 state Class B champions had 17 wins, including a 3-0 victory over Lakeland, and a played in the sectional semis. 

For the second consecutive year Lakeland graduated a stellar senior class, so what does coach Sharon Sarsen do with her young team, bring them to the sectional finals.

These are just some I thought of off the top of my clean-shaven dome. Congratulations to all of the Section 1 field hockey players, coaches and parents for making this sport such a pleasure to cover. Thank you for always being cooperative with me. Because of your cooperation, you made my job that much easier and that much more enjoyable.

To the seniors, your contributions to your programs and Section 1 field hockey will not be forgotten. It will not be the same without you next year, especially Mamaroneck’s Ellen Willams, Charlotte Gardiner and Cathleen Smith, Rye’s Courtney Burke, Julianna Kennedy and Mimi McCormick, Bronxville’s Jessica Murrer, Caroline Harris and Anne Piper, Suffern’s Cara Eichenberger and Jenny Califano, Putnam Valley’s Ashley Morgan, Erica Fisher, Nicole Scott, Megan Warning and Sara Kastuk. 

And, one more thing before I sign off for the season, all the best to the 4-time reigning Empire State Games gold medalists — the 2008 Hudson Valley Scholastic Women’s field hockey team as it travels to beautiful Palm Springs (Cal.) next week for Festival. The team includes, to name a few, Rye’s Courtney Burke, Olivia Nabhan and Torie Stearns, Mamaroneck’s Ellen Williams, Charlotte Gardiner and Cathleen Smith, Lakeland’s Megan Bozek, Jillian Caffrey and Liz Gonzalez and Putnam Valley’s Ashley Morgan and Erica Fisher. To say this team is loaded is an understatement. Best of luck ladies and to coach Sharon Sarsen and assistant coach Sara Gonzalez.

This is very surprising.

Ward Melville dethroned defending state champion Williamsville North, 2-0 in the Class A final. No word yet on the Class B final, but I’m sure Garden City won.

The teams traded goals during regulation with RCDS sophomore Christine Cunningham scoring in the first half, then Caroline Gray answered back in the second half for Holy Child.

Holy Child converted its first three strokes, with Charlotte Tierney clinching the state title on the third stroke.

Congratulations to Holy Child and RCDS for having excellent seasons. Both teams were hard-hit by graduation, but there they were, playing for the state title in what has become an annual event. Prior to the season, I’ve said it three straight years that Holy Child and RCDS will play for the state crown and I have actually been right.

Both defenses and the respective goalies, RCDS’ Kate Moelis and Holy Child’s Carrigan Henderson, were excellent. Whether in regulation or overtime, the goalies came up with the big saves and the respective defenses made excellent stops.

Congratulations to the coaching tandem of Holy Child head coach Barbara Lorys and assistant coach Cheryl O’Shea. The life-long friends and former Rye Neck standouts have been at Holy Child five years. During this time, the tandem has transformed a struggling program into an perennial elite among private and Catholic schools and won two state titles. Lorys and O’Shea work so well together and the players love them. They don’t yell or scream at their players should one make a mistake. Instead, either or both will take the player aside and explain what needs to be done.

Two other former Rye Neck players are the same way in regards to their respective players, Mamaroneck assistant coach Tricia Miller, O’Shea’s sister, and Ursuline’s April Clapp.

Section 4, based on Marathon’s numerous state titles, is second to Section 1 in state championships and final four appearances. In 2006, Maine-Endwell defeated Rye in a regional game and Marathon survived, in overtime, against Broxnville.

This season, Section 1 has to face the Section 8-Section 11 winner (Long Island) champion. If Mamaroneck, Bronxville and Putnam Valley should win, these teams will play the Section 3-Section 4 winner. Talk about a difficult task. This year, the Section 5 winner plays the Section 6 champ for a state final four berth while Section 2 and Section 9 face each other for the other state final four berth. Not to take anything away from these four sections, but it appears the Section 1 side of the bracket is much, much tougher.

I asked Section 1 field hockey coordinator Sue Hughes about this and she said the brackets are set up based on travel. I would think that Sections 3 and 4 are much closer to Sections 5 and 6 than Sections 2 and 9. It just seems that Section 1 gets the short end of the field hockey stick each year with the state brackets. Even with this though, Section 1 has had a state champion every year since 1999 as well as a state finalist.

Class A - Mamaroneck will face Section 11 champ Ward Melville after a 3-1 win over East Meadow. The Ward Melville coaches were scouting Mamaroneck in the Section 1 final. Even before I saw the coaches, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Ward Melville would meet Mamaroneck. Ward Melville is 19-1 on the season. The last time these teams met in the state playoffs, Mamaroneck prevailed 1-0 in a 2004 regional final at Putnam Valley HS as current Harvard sophomore K.J. Warren provided the goal on a penalty stroke. Mamaroneck captains Ellen Williams and Charlotte Gardiner told me, in a pre-season interview, that the Tigers beat Ward Melville on the Bermuda field hockey trip in August.

Class C - Bronxville will follow at 2 p.m. and play Port Jefferson, the Section 11 titlist, after its win over Friends Academy. Port Jefferson (9-10) upset top-seeded Pierson/Bridgehamton, 1-0 in the Section 11 Class C final.

Class B – Putnam Valley will close the day at 4 p.m. facing Garden City (Section 8, 17-0). SportsFan asked me about Garden City. The 2007 state Class B finalist is undefeated. A Garden City fan checks in once a week, obviously keeping tabs on Rye. I’m sure Garden City is disappointed it won’t face Rye and have an opportunity to exact revenge for last year’s double overtime 1-0 loss in the state final on Olivia Nabhan’s goal. Garden City will probably look past Putnam Valley, thinking it has an easy game now. If the Section 8 champion does this I think it will be a major mistake.

Update 6: Putnam Valley wins 3-2. It’s the Tigers first sectional championship since 2005, when they won the state tournament.

Update 5: Putnam Valley goes up 3-2. Megan Warning deflected in an Ashley Morgan pass for her second goal of the game at the 16:28 mark.

Update 4: Putnam Valley and Lakeland are tied 2-2 with 16:43 left. Megan Bozek returned seven minutes into the second half and converted a penalty corner at the 11:56 mark, assisted by Jilllian Caffrey.
Update 3: Putnam Valley leads 2-1 at the half. Lakeland’s leading scorer Megan Bozek left the game wiht 2:46 left in the half and her status for the second half is unclear right now.

Update 2: Putnam Valley leads 2-1 with 6:03 left in the first half. Erica Fisher scored on a rebound with 9:41 left in the first half.
Update 1: Game is tied 1-1. Lakeland took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Emma Bozek at the 9:30 mark. Putnam Valley tied it a minute later on a goal by Megan Warning.

5:54 – Bronxville extended its lead to 2-0 on a Jessica Murrer goal with two minutes remaining in the first half.

5:41 - Bronxville’s Brooke Gogel scored on a penalty corner with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, giving the Broncos a 1-0 lead.

FINAL – Mamaroneck 4, Suffern 0

Mamaroneck, playing in its fifth straight sectional final, won its third Section 1 championship since 2004.

Update 4: Mamaroneck leads 4-0 with 8:18 left. Williams scored her second goal off a rebound from Gardiner’s penalty corner.

Update: 3: Mamaroneck leads 3-0 with 22:45 left. Ellen Williams converted a penalty stroke.

Update 2: Still 2-0 at the half. Mamaroneck had four penalty corners and Suffern has one. Suffern does not have a shot on the goal.

Update 1: Mamaroneck leads 2-0 4:45 into the game. Cathleen Smith deflected a penalty corner from Anna Reddicliffe 1:57 in. Charlotte Gardiner scored unassisted at the 4:45 mark.

At Lakeland High School

Class A – No. 3 Suffern vs. No. 1 Mamaroneck, 3 p.m.

Class C – No. 7 North Salem vs. No. 1 Bronxville, 5 p.m.

Class B – No. 3 Putnam Valley vs. No. 1 Lakeland, 7 p.m.

This will be an excellent day of field hockey.