ARLINGTON, N.Y.—It was truly a battle of the best when Section 1 champion Lakeland, winners of 12 in a row and listed at No. 13 in the Max Field Hockey Northeast Region High School rankings, took on Section 2 champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, which was 20-0 and ranked No. 4, in the state Class B title game Nov. 17 at Arlington High School.
Lakeland had outscored its opponents 119-4 while Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake outscored its opposition 117-4.
The Hornets were looking for their 14th state title and first since 2019, when they defeated Section 8 champion Garden City 2-0 in the championship game at Williamsville North High School. That was their 10th state Class B title in 11 years, nine of those came consecutively from 2009-2017.
Lakeland also won three Class A state titles in 1990, 2003, and 2006.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake was looking for its first state crown since 2021, when it beat Section 8 champion Garden City 2-1 in the Class B state title game at Centereach High School.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake got off to a 2-0 halftime lead against Lakeland, propelling it to a 3-0 victory and its second state title in four years.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake scored on a corner with 7:05 remaining in first quarter to go up 1-0. Lily Mastrella, committed to play at Quinnipiac, scored with 7:45 left in the second quarter, giving the Section 2 champions their 2-0 halftime advantage.
Lakeland junior goalie Jenna Yazzetti, who was named to the all-tournament team, did her best to keep the game close, making seven saves in the opening half.
“Making those saves felt amazing and knowing my whole team was supporting me and backing me up was what enabled me to make them,” Yazzetti said. “The experience almost didn’t feel real. I am so proud of all of us for getting this far, although it’s not the outcome we wanted, we gained a lot of experience from this.”
Experience that will benefit those Hornets returning.
“We are graduating many talented seniors, but if anything, it motivates me more,” Yazzetti said. “We are going to have to work harder than ever to keep this legacy going and I can’t wait for next year.”
Mastrella scored to seal the game with 2:09 to go in the third quarter.
Lakeland (20-3) earned the right to play in the state championship game when it defeated Section 5 champion Pittsford Mendon 3-0 on Nov. 16 in a state semifinal contest, also at Arlington.
Senior Emily Daniel scored the first goal of the game about five minutes into it.
“It was during a corner and the ball bounced up off a defender’s stick, so I received and pushed it just past the goalie,” Daniel said. “It felt incredible to score in a game that means so much to the team.”
Sophomore Gianna Santini, who earned the sportsmanship award, increased the Hornets’ advantage to 2-0 with a goal in the second quarter.
“We got a corner that Gabby Santini hit from the top of the circle,” Gianna Santini said. “At first it hit the goalie but my stick was down and I was able to put the ball into the back of the net. It felt amazing to score because it was the goal to put us up (by two) and we were able to use more dangerous balls that allowed us that 3-0 win.”
Senior captain Gabby Santini, an all-tournament selection, said that in the beginning of the game, Lakeland was able to connect really well on their passes and finish in the goal.
“We never gave up on a play even when we were tired,” Gabby Santini said. “It was really important for us to score early to set the tone of the game.”
Gabby Santini (1G, 2A) scored the final goal of the game.
“In the third quarter we got an offensive corner and Gianna Santini inserted me the ball, I shot it from the top of the circle, and it went right into the goal,” Gabby Santini said.
Freshman Gabby Goldstein (1A) and Yazzetti (1 save) also contributed to the semifinal victory.
Senior captains Keira Gallagher and Anna Lemma, junior Brianna Heyde, sophomore Riley Waters, junior Winter Willbright, eighth grader Kendal Williams, junior Victoria Myniv, freshman Aditi Parambath, freshman Meaghan Heyde, senior Antonia Supino, junior Shannon Quaile, junior Madison Wohlberg, sophomore Olivia O’Connor, sophomore Aria Supino, seventh grader Allie Waters, Sharon Sarsen (head coach), and Alyssa Stockinger (assistant coach) also make up the Hornets’ state finalist squad.
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