Marathon will play East Rochester tomorrow for the state title. East Rochester beat Pine Plains 3-1 in the other semi.

Congratulations to Bronxville on an excellent season, especially its three seniors – captains Jessica Murrer, Caroline Harris and Anne Piper. Bronxville coaches Courtnie Egan, Jackie Deppe Frawley and Andy “Liebs” Liebman could not have asked for three finer captains and individuals. Bronxville will miss Murrer, Harris and Piper next year. 

Bronxville came out flying in the game, creating two penalty corners in the first four minutes, but Marathon was up to the challenge. Before Marathon scored goals on successive corners, the Broncos and Piper negated the Olympians’ first three penalty corners.

Bronxville played a much better second half. The Broncos were sustaining pressure and generated four penalty corners to just one for Marathon. However, once again, Marathon was there. The Broncos were awarded a penalty stroke as a result of one corner, but Marathon goalie Cigi Edwards made the save.

Bronxville will have to fill the wide gaps at center forward (Murrer), center midfield (Harris) and goalie (Piper) created by the rio’s graduation. Bronxville will return everybody else, led by its entire defense of Bizzie Howitt, Maggie Goff, Anne Longobardo and Lilly Santoro, midfielders Rachel Kim and Libby Goodell and high-flying wings Brooke Gogel and Alex Lynch.

This will be the first time since 1999 that Section 1 will not have state champion or a state finalist. In this decade alone, Section 1 leads all sections with 10 state champions. Section 4 is second with eight, five of which belong to Marathon.

I voiced my anger and displeasure to Section 1 coordinator/Pelham field hockey coach Sue Hughes about the state draw this year and two years ago. I can’t wait to see next year’s draw, as far as how can the state make it the toughest on Section 1 to get to a state final four while other sections annually breeze into the final four.

Hughes explained it to me that Sections 8 and 11 have to play each other while Sections 5 and 6 also have to play each other. Okay, that’s understood, but how about making the rotation Sections 5, 6, 3 and 4 and the other half being Sections 1, 2, 9, 8 and 11? Just a thought. 

Update 2: It’s halftime and Marathon leads 3-0. Tessa Knapp scored Marathon’s third goal with 9:42 left in the first half. Marathon has six penalty corners. Bronxville has three.

Update 1: Stephanie Fiske scored at the 10:31 mark on a penalty corner and Marta Malmberg scored on another penalty corner at the 18-minute mark to give Marathon a 2-0 lead. Bronxville just called for timeout after the second goal.

Beginning of day report

Tony Pinciaro is at Chittenango High School for today’s Class C state semifinal between Section 4’s Marathon and Bronxville and will be checking in with updates. Stay tuned.

There was a hugh crowd at the game which included the Mamaroneck and Putnam Valley field hockey teams. The concrete bleachers at Rye’s Nugent Stadium were full which was great to see.

Both teams entered the game undefeated. Lakeland, now 10-1, had allowed one goal entering the game and Rye, 9-0, has not surrendered a goal. Rye’s defense of Courtney Burke, Julianna Kennedy, Mimi McCormick and Rachel Chin were unyielding. Every time Lakeland advanced into Rye territory, one of the foursome was there to thwart the rush. Olivia Nabhan was also instrumental in this defensive effort. Lakeland had five penalty corners, but failed to generate a sht on goal on its corners or in the game.

Emma Tucci got Rye started, racing down the right wing and then drilling a centering pass into the circle. Lakeland goalie Liz Gonzalez came out to stop a Casey MacGuire deflection attempt, but Stearns poked the rebound in.

Nabhan added the second goal with 11 minutes remaining in the first half. She carried into the circle, dodged a defender and flipped a shot in. Nabhan assisted on Burke’s second-half goal on a beautifully executed penalty corner. After Burke inserted the ball, MacGuire sent a pass to Nabhan, who fed Burke and she swept it in the goal.

Don’t be surprised if these teams meet again in the Section 1 Class B tournament. Should Rye close out the season undefeated, the Garnets will get the No. 1 seed with Lakeland and Putnam Valley seeded second and third, not necessarily in that order. Lakeland will host Putnam Valley, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

Final: Rye 3, Lakeland 0. Tony P. will be back with more info/thoughts after he files his game story. Update 2: It’s now 3-0 as Courtney Bourke scores for the Garnets. Update 1: Tony P. just phoned in to report Rye leads previously unbeaten Lakeland 2-0 at halftime. Torie Stearns scored 1:20 into the game. Olivia Nabhan followed with 11 minutes left in the first half.