Valley Laxmen Push Yorktown to Brink

PUTNAM VALLEY—Every team has at least two personalities, and every coach knows that it’s part of the job – and not one of the easier parts - to bring the right one into game situations.

Putnam Valley’s Ryan Fitzgerald launches a shot at Lakeland keeper Rob Becoer in Rebels win last week. SKIP PEARLMAN The Putnam Valley Tigers proved that they have the talent and the focus to play with anyone in the section last week, when PV nearly upended perennial Section 1 champion Yorktown, before the Cornhuskers escaped with a 10-9 verdict.

But those same Tigers also showed that they are capable of looking past a team they believe they should beat, and can walk right into the trap of playing down to the level of inferior competition.

How else do you explain PV sleepwalking its way to a 5-4 loss to Fox Lane Saturday – in overtime, no less? Sandwiched in between was an 11-6 loss to the Rebels of Lakeland Panas last Thursday on the road.

Saturday at Putnam Valley (3-3), Fox Lane got the host’s attention by grabbing a 2-0 lead after one quarter. The Tigers tried to awake from their slumber in the second, but again got skunked, 2-1, and trailed 3-2 at halftime.

PV picked up the only goal of the third period to even the game at 3-3, and each team hit once in the fourth, sending it into overtime.

That’s where Joe Corsi delivered the fatal blow for the Foxes (4-2), putting PV out of its misery with a shot that found the back of the net with 1:27 left in OT.

“From the second quarter on, we decided to shut off their middies, and let our long sticks go against their attack,” Tigers coach Kevin Kuczma explained. “Corsi made a good move, we were slow to slide, and he got off a good shot.”

Kuczma had more difficulty explaining his team’s flat performance. But he did offer this; “I think we came in and grossly underestimated Fox Lane,” he said. “It’s a lesson learned – from the coaching staff on down… we had some key turnovers in overtime, made some mental errors. And that gave them second and third chances to score in OT.”

Left, from top: PV’s Shane Kelly (12) had four goals and one assist in loss to Yorktown. • Da n O’Go rma n winds up for a shot. • John McLean (42) moves ball as defender pursues. Photos by SKIP PEARLMAN. Ryan Fitzgerald had a goal and an assist for PV, Dan O’Gorman, Kevin Christopher and Robert Pasquale each delivered a score, and Shane Kelly dished out an assist.

Brendan McCrudden deflected 12 shots on cage for the Tigers, while Cameron Stephens stopped 12 shots on net for FL.

George Lodge led the Foxes with a hat-trick.

Last Thursday at Lakeland High School, the Tigers got off to a slow start against a strong Rebels squad, and it cost them, as Lakeland/Panas (6-2) jumped to a 2-0 lead after one, and led 5-2 at the half.

The Rebels controlled play, and never let the Tigers get anything consistent going.

Three more L/P goals in the third put the Valley in a tough spot in the fourth – trailing 8-3.

“We may have had a little bit of a hangover from Yorktown,” Kuczma said. “Lakeland is probably the most talented team we’ve played so far. They were a half step ahead of us… they moved the ball very well, and their goalie made some huge saves. We never got any momentum.”

Fitzgerald finished with a hat-trick, Christopher added two goals and an assist, Evan Kneuer handed out two assists and Kelly had one.

Rob Caffrey led the Rebels with four goals and an assist, and Carl Prunte had two goals and three assists.

Evan Kneuer had two assists in loss to L/P. SKIP PEARLMAN McCrudden had 10 saves for the Valley, and Rob Becoer stopped 16 shots on goal for L/P.

Two days earlier at Putnam Valley, the Tigers were poised to grab their first-ever win over Section 1’s most storied team – but it wasn’t to be.

PV held a tenuous 7-6 lead over the Cornhuskers after three quarters, thanks to a goal from Johnny van de Veerdonk with 24 seconds left in the third.

But the ‘Huskers slipped it into another gear, and cranked off three consecutive goals in the fourth period – the third coming from Conor Gately with 3:20 remaining.

Now trailing 9-7, PV went to work. Fitzgerald came up big with 1:24 remaining to make it a 9-8 game. But Yorktown again drew blood – and came up with the eventual game-winner - when freshman Nick Mariano (in for top scorer Kevin Interlicchio, who tweaked a knee) found the back of the net with 1:15 on the clock, good for a 10-8 lead.

PV keeper Brendan McCrudden makes a save on a shot at Lakeland last week. SKIP PEARLMAN Kelly gave the Valley life when he delivered a score with 48 seconds left, but the equalizer never came.

Kuczma sounded like it was just about what he expected.

“We expected to be right there with them,” he said. “We felt that in terms of speed we were right with them. They got a couple of fast breaks late that ended up being a difference-maker. We believe in ourselves… unfortunately, you give Yorktown an inch, and they take a mile.”

But the Tigers took something from that meeting. “That showed us we have the talent to play with anyone in the area,” Kuczma said. “But we’ve got to be able to execute all the time, and play with each other. We saw at Fox Lane that it doesn’t always work.”

PV was scheduled to host Ossining today (Thursday) at 4:30, and the Tigers host Byram Hills Saturday at 7 p.m.