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Lakeland soccer players cool down after practice Aug. 23, 2016 in Shrub Oak.

Lakeland soccer coach Tim Hourahan during practice Aug. 23, 2016 in Shrub Oak.

Lakeland senior and co-captain Nick Foci handles the ball during soccer practice Aug. 23, 2016 in Shrub Oak.

Lakeland senior and co-captain Jordan Fein handles the ball during soccer practice Aug. 23, 2016 in Shrub Oak.

Lakeland senior and co-captain Jordan Fein calls out to teammates during soccer practice Aug. 23, 2016 in Shrub Oak.

SHRUB OAK — On a picturesque Tuesday afternoon at Lakeland High, an outside observer would have no indication of the trauma that the Hornets’ boys soccer team endured less than one year ago.

Matias Prando, Nick Foci and Jordan Fein — Lakeland’s three senior captains who were involved in a shocking car accident on Oct. 16 — were running around with their teammates, smiling and scoring goals. But despite their ordinary demeanor, there’s little doubt that the chilling incident turned these teenage boys into young men with a new outlook on life.

“Our first thought was: ‘When can we go back to our team?’ ” Fein said. “But looking back, it was more serious. This is our life. … It definitely put a deeper meaning on it and showed us that things can be taken away immediately.”

Just days before the Section 1 playoffs began, while leaving a McDonald’s parking lot on their way to go play video games, all three suffered serious injuries. Foci’s were the most severe, which included two contusions and bleeding from the brain. Fein had a concussion and Prando a badly bruised knee, and both required stitches.

They were forced to miss the Hornets’ first-round game against Nyack, and only Prando was able to return for their loss to Eastchester in the quarterfinals, just hours after having stitches removed from his head. They’ve all expressed misguided but admirable feelings of guilt to their coaches and teammates, who have noticed the remarkable changes in their three captains.

“It’s weird to talk about it today because we’ve seen them 150 times since the accident, and everyone is all better,” Lakeland coach Tim Hourahan said. “But going back to it and talking about it now, being in the moment, Nicky was in an ICU unit and we tried to play a game, not knowing if the kid was going to talk again. Thinking about that and how we talk about life as a game of inches, the way that these guys have transformed — the maturity and the leadership — it’s great to watch as a coach.”

Lakeland senior and co-captain Matias Prando passes the ball during a game at soccer practice Aug. 23, 2016 in Shrub Oak.

A new season brings a fresh start for the entire Lakeland team, which returns eight of 11 starters from last year and added a former U.S. Academy player in Luka Rudovic, who is expected to contribute right away.

It has extra meaning for Prando, Foci and Fein, who feel they have been given a second chance after a heartbreaking end to the 2015 season.

“It was killing us to watch from the sidelines, but it feels great to be back,” Foci said. “We’re so motivated, but it’s not just us. We have a whole team here. We all work together, and if we keep working together, then watch us in the 20th game.”

The regular season is only 16 games, but it would take 20 to reach the sectional final. That fact has not escaped the Hornets, who have “XX” stitched into their warm-up T-shirts.

And with this year’s championship games scheduled to be played at Lakeland’s home field on Oct. 29, there should be no lack of motivation to turn last season’s disappointment into a story of hardship and triumph.

“We have to prove ourselves to the section, that we can make a playoff run,” Hourahan said. “We’ve been really successful. We’ve won 12 games or more in 10 of my 11 years, but the last three seasons, regardless of injuries, we’ve been getting tripped up in the playoffs. I think we’re trying to make it a special year. We understand where the sectional finals are going to be played this year, and I think it would be a killer to watch two other teams play that day.”

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Fullback Hannes Boehning and quarterback Evander Jackson run plays during football practice at Rye Country Day School Aug. 23, 2016.

Quarterback Evander Jackson looks to pass during football practice at Rye Country Day School Aug. 23, 2016.

Quarterback Evander Jackson, left, fullback Hannes Boehning and running back Jared Jones during football practice at Rye Country Day School Aug. 23, 2016.

Fullback Hannes Boehning during football practice at Rye Country Day School Aug. 23, 2016.

After five seasons with one of the area’s healthiest and most successful football programs, Simon Berk became the new head coach at Hackley. The former Rye assistant started really working with his new team in June and embraced a new culture, one where participation levels are modest and school tradition doesn’t revolve around an annual rivalry week.

But Berk’s education also included learning about Winston Britton, Will Cotter and some of their teammates — players who matched or surpassed those he had coached or faced at Rye.

Take Britton, for example.

Quarterback Evander Jackson looks to pass during football practice at Rye Country Day School Aug. 23, 2016.

“In my years of coaching at Rye and against other teams in Section 1, there was a lot of talent, but Winston is a special talent,” Berk said. “He’s pulling away from guys in the open field, but he’s also smart. You tell him to do something once and he goes and does it.”

Between them, Hackley and Rye Country Day routinely produce standout talents like Britton. The area’s two top private-school programs have just 70 players between them, but they boast some of the area’s most talented. Several of their seniors appear earmarked to play collegiately in the Ivy League or at top academic Division III schools.

Rye Country Day hopes for one more upset

Super 11: Elijah Ngbokoli, Hackley

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“I think it’s the attitude this program has about how we rebuild every year,” said Hackley senior quarterback Cotter, a 1,000-yard passer almost certain to land at one of the competitive programs in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, highlighted by the likes of Williams and Amherst. “A lot of the same kids who are academically driven are also athletically driven. I think we get a lot of great student-athletes coming into the school every year.”

Running back Jared Jones during football practice at Rye Country Day School Aug. 23, 2016.

In truth, there may not always be many, but the quality often trumps quantity. Britton holds four Division I offers, including Yale and Columbia, and linebacker Jordan Patrick’s name has buzzed among the Ivys as well.

Rye Country Day’s senior class has four players almost certain to continue their careers collegiately: Hannes Boehning, a linebacker who has Ivy offers from Columbia and Cornell and interest from Harvard, Yale and Penn; Jared Jones, who was clocked at 4.45 in the 40-yard dash; James Nash, a linebacker who has bench-pressed over 300 pounds; and Evander Jackson, a rangy wide receiver garnering Ivy interest.

Jones and Nash, the halfbacks, will flank Boehning, the fullback, and Jackson could even split time at quarterback.

“I think the sky is the limit for us,” Jones said. “Our backfield can be amazing.”

The production both teams expect from their stars this season is hardly unique. Since 2011, Hackley has landed four players on The Journal News’ Super 11. Rye Country Day has blossomed into a consistent contender in the Fairchester Athletic Association during the 10-year tenure of coach John Calandros, whose team has reached three New England prep-school bowl games.

Calandros said the Wildcats have sent at least a dozen players on to play in college, including Raishaun McGhee, a cornerback at Harvard.

“Ask anyone what football program in Westchester has the most college players,” Calandros said. “I don’t know how many of them would say Rye Country Day, but we’re up there.”

Twitter: @lohudinsider

Albertus Magnus girls soccer during practice at the high school in Bardonia on Aug. 23, 2016.

Head Coach Dan Samimi of Albertus Magnus talks to his players during girls soccer practice at the high school in Bardonia on Aug. 23, 2016.

BARDONIA – Most teams will tip-toe around the question when asked what their season goals entail, particularly if they have high ambitions.

The most popular responses include some variation of, “We’re just taking it one game at a time,” or, “We’re going day by day,” in hopes of flying under the radar during the season or avoiding an egg on the face at the end of the season.

Albertus Magnus didn’t tip-toe around the question; the Falcons kicked it square in the teeth.

“Win the section,” first-year head coach Dan Samimi said during Tuesday’s afternoon practice. “They won it last year, so that’s where the bar is set.”

The Falcons took home the Class B crown last year, ending Bronxville’s run of five consecutive championships in the semifinals and beating top-seeded Irvington in the final.

PLAYOFFS: Fourth time’s a charm for Albertus Magnus

CHAMPIONS: Kehoe’s late PK goal gives Albertus Magnus the Class B title

CAMP STOP: Day 1 anything but the beginning for Scarsdale

CAMP STOP: Bronxville already a step up on first day of practices

Albertus Magnus’ returning players already have their eyes set on topping last year’s performance.

“I feel like beating the teams we beat last year, we really do have a lot more confidence coming in this year,” senior forward Mazie Stiles said. “I want to see us go farther this year. We were really upset when we lost in the regional finals, but I think we can get it this year.”

Falcons players made it clear that defending their section title is a goal, and not an expectation.

“It gives us a point to try and reach again this year,” said senior left midfielder Val Monaco, who is committed to play for Moravian College next year. “Knowing that we’ve been there before, it makes us want to match it and not be like a one-year thing.”

Fourth-year varsity player Victoria McNamara said last year’s title was the culmination of three years’ work.

“We’ve come together more as a team over the years,” she said, noting the hunger is still there among the team. “We want to capture that section title again.”

Samimi said former head coach Tim Gavan, who is now the athletic director at Albertus Magnus, passed along some advice to him in his rookie varsity coaching season.

“He said they pretty much know the game and what to do,” said Samimi, who has a background in coaching travel soccer. “Just show them that you want it and they’ll do anything for you,”

Twitter: @Zacchio_Lohud

With five of his top runners returning, Coach Brian Diglio has high expectations for the last year’s Rockland County Girls Cross Country champions. (Video by Seth Harrison/The Journal News)

Suffern senior Alyssa Sanchez photographed during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.

Suffern senior Kaity Gannon fields a pass during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.

Suffern senior Alyssa Sanchez works the net during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.

Suffern senior Sophie Jay fields a pass during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.

Suffern sophmore Kate Lenihan fields a pass during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.

Suffern senior Meghan McCarren fields a pass during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.

Suffern sophmore Kate Lenihan fields a pass during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday, August 24, 2016.

SUFFERN – Look at last year’s schedule, then this year’s and it’s clear the Suffern field hockey team has been dealt a tougher hand.

Gone is the all-Rockland league.

Enter a league that includes Class A state champion Mamaroneck, Arlington and White Plains.

Suffern coach Gaby Somma is one of many – perhaps all – Section 1 field hockey coaches unhappy with the new league structure.

But it’s not that she fears playing teams on the eastern side of the Hudson; she fears the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Since the junior varsity plays after the varsity and everyone travels together, she’s envisioning kids landing at school two hours after they did last year after games.

Suffern senior Alyssa Sanchez works the net during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday.

“Travel is going to be a huge issue,” Somma said, “especially the bridge. Some days, instead of getting back at 8, we may not get back to upwards of 10.”

Then there are the lost local rivalries.

But one, prime rivalry remains: Mamaroneck.

The Mounties and Tigers used to play each other. But that was non-league competition. Now they’ll be league opponents.

Suffern’s season ended last year in a section semifinal loss to the Tigers.

“Mamaroneck is one of those perennial powerhouses,” Somma said. “I love to play against them. They’re such a great team. We have a lot of respect for them and we go out and give everything we have.”

Suffern senior Kaity Gannon unleashes a pass during field hockey practice at Suffern Middle School in Suffern on Wednesday.

This year she’ll be doing that with a slightly retooled lineup that, during this first week of high school practice, hasn’t been completely determined.

But among the names written in indelible ink are Alyssa Sanchez, senior goalie; Meghan McCarren, senior forward; Kate Lenihan, sophomore defenseman; Kaity Gannon, senior forward/middie; Sophie Jay, senior forward; Alexa Ferris, junior defenseman; and Kathleen Geary, senior defenseman.

Jay attracted attention last season by netting four goals in a win against a strong Scarsdale team.

Gannon is known for her field vision and good stick work.

And McCarren is known for what Somma simply calls “The McCarren shot,” a weak-side, quasi backhand that often finds the net.

They all will have to be strong again after Suffern graduated two of its best offensive players in Liz Trojan and Alyssa Conklin.

McCarren believes the team’s summer play in the Sound Shore League, including a week of 5-on-5 work, should help, not to mention many years of play before that.

“We’re really close,” she said. “It’s really like a sisterhood. We’ve been playing since middle school and there’s really good chemistry. I think we’re very solid all around and with Alyssa in net, I think we can really break out this season.”

Lenihan, who referred to this week’s up-with-the-birds practice schedule, saying, “We always have a very good time. Even when we’re here at 6 in the morning, we have a very good time,” said she thinks her team will do well, in part because its defense is going to step up.

Sanchez is a big part of that defense, of course. A four-year varsity member, who’s actually bypassing field hockey to play lacrosse (as a defenseman) for Binghamton, she was a first-team All-County field hockey player last year.

While her first love may be lacrosse, she wants her final field hockey days to be good ones.

“Since I was a freshman, I really wanted to get back to the section finals,” Sanchez said, noting she was in middle school when that last occurred. “That’s a goal I’ve been chasing for four years.”

“We have a lot of young talent, and as long as we all work together I think we’ll do well,” she said.

And doing well means one thing in particular.

“We all really want to beat Mamaroneck,” Sanchez said.

Somma isn’t ready to predict a win against the Tigers or any other school, but she did say, “I’m always optimistic.”

“I think every year you wonder how we’ll be and every year the girls give you what you need,” said Somma, who is predicting a fun season.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Irvington senior Natalie Aronson, co-captain of the girls soccer team, runs through drills during practice Aug. 24, 2016 at Memorial Field in Irvington.

Irvington senior Leia Correa runs through drills during soccer practice Aug. 24, 2016 at Memorial Field in Irvington.

Irvington senior Natalie Aronson, co-captain of the girls soccer team, runs through drills during practice Aug. 24, 2016 at Memorial Field in Irvington.

Irvington soccer co-captain Maxine Bell, left, runs through drills with the team during practice Aug. 24, 2016 at Memorial Field in Irvington.

IRVINGTON – As the wins kept piling up for the Irvington girls soccer team in what turned out to be an unforgettable 2015 season, the Lady Bulldogs were so caught up in enjoying the moment that the gravity of the situation took some time to set in.

Before they knew it, they were 15-0 heading into the final game of the regular season.

“Our last (regular) season game, we won against Briarcliff, which is a really strong team,” junior Zoe Maxwell said. “Originally, we weren’t expected to win. But I think after that game, we all grew more confident and really started to believe that we could be something special.”

Briarcliff has been perhaps the most consistent Class B team in Section 1 in recent years, but Irvington’s statement win made it clear that this once-middling program was now a viable contender.

The Lady Bulldogs took their unblemished record all the way to the section final, where they suffered a stinging 1-0 loss to Albertus Magnus on a penalty kick in the 77th minute. But even with the title slipping through their fingers, the program is clearly trending upward.

“I think a big part of it was our team unity, and our trust in general,” senior Maxine Bell said. “I feel like before we had individuals and we weren’t working too much as a team, but last year we definitely worked more as a huge unit.”

Irvington girls soccer team practice at Memorial Field Aug. 24, 2016 in Irvington.

The change of culture started when coach Patrick DiBenedetto came over from coaching the boys at Irvington prior to the ’15 season.

“Since I was brand new, I really didn’t know the other teams — which was nice in a way, but kind of bad in a way, too,” he said. “But I saw the talent that was here. The first few days of preseason, you could see the dynamic of the team developing. It was a surprise to see them keep pushing through. We’d come to an obstacle in the season, and we’d be like, ‘OK, we have to tighten up,’ and they’d rise to the occasion with another victory. Slowly, we were building.”

CAMP STOP: Day 1 anything but the beginning for Scarsdale

CAMP STOP: Albertus Magnus hungry for repeat Class B title

CAMP STOP: Bronxville already a step up on first day of practices

CAMP STOP: North Rockland eager to return to the field

The Lady Bulldogs had a small roster of 17, seven of whom have since graduated. But they do return their most prolific offensive players in Maxwell and sophomore Miranda Farman.

Maxwell netted an astonishing 32 goals in 19 games as a sophomore, while Farman led the team with 18 assists.

“My freshman year, I held back,” Maxwell said. “I guess I was a little timid, but after a few games when I started to score, I just felt like I could actually keep doing it and make our team more successful.”

Juniors Okna Freeman, left, and Olivia Valdes run through drills during soccer practice Aug. 24, 2016 at Memorial Field in Irvington.

DiBenedetto also noted Allie Pollack, Jess Greene, Natalie Aronson and Mel Geller as returners who played significant minutes during last season’s memorable run, which gives him the confidence that his team should once again be competitive.

An undefeated regular season is nice, but this year the Lady Bulldogs would like to finish the job.

“We just had our preseason talk about what did they gain from last season,” DiBenedetto said. “It was nice for them to have a reality check of, ‘Listen, last season was last season.’ We had some accomplishments, we were a fun-spirited team, and that was something that really got us through last season and made us as successful as we were.

“Hey, we were there, and we can be there again. It’s going to come down to our ability to play together as a team.”

Twitter: @vzmercagliano

Irvington girls soccer coach Patrick DiBenedetto sets up a station for drills during practice Aug. 24, 2016 in Irvington.

Coach Sharon Sarsen talks to her team at the Lakeland field hockey team at practice at the school in Shrub Oak on Aug. 24, 2016.

Lakeland High School’s Julia Wanamaker, senior, practices with her team at the school in Shrub Oak on Aug. 24, 2016.

Coach Sharon Sarsen talks to her team at the Lakeland field hockey team at practice at the school in Shrub Oak on Aug. 24, 2016.

SHRUB OAK – For any other team that lost so much, 2016 might be a wash.

Consider who is gone:

Lakeland has lost six players to graduation, four of whom – Dana Bozek, Briana Munoz, Valerie Perkins and Julia Kim – were All-State honorees and now playing in college.

But Lakeland isn’t thinking about what was, nor thinking ahead to 2017 or 2018.

Lakeland is different.

Last November, Lakeland won its seventh straight state field hockey title.

And Lakeland isn’t conceding anything.

“What do we do to counter the loss? That job started November 17,” coach Sharon Sarsen said. “We’ve been trying to put in time individually and working hard since that day.”

Lakeland’s core is solid. Last year’s All-State sweeper, Mia Lennon, will move up to center back this season.

Lakeland senior Julia Wanamaker practices with her team at Lakeland High in Shrub Oak on Wednesday.

Also returning from last year’s 22-0 team are senior center forward Meghan Fahey, who gained All-Section honors.

All-Section honorable-mention player Kelsey McCrudden, a junior, is moving from left back to center mid.

All-League forward Cali Cortese and All-League midfielder/back Julia Wanamaker also return. Both are seniors.

Junior Caroline Cahill, a midfielder/forward whom Sarsen characterized as last season’s “Super Sub,” will get a starting role this year.

Starting goalie Madison Beames, who gained All-Tournament honors at States last year, has graduated. But her replacement is seasoned. Junior Cassie Halpin played parts of a dozen games last season.

Sarsen said the goal is for Lakeland’s very talented players to make those around them better.

The Lakeland High field hockey team works during practice at the school in Shrub Oak on Wednesday.

“They’re hard workers, good athletes. We have depth at all positions,” she said.

“We know it’s going to be different but we’re all working hard,” said Halpin.

Lennon, who said the group bonded by playing club field hockey together during the summer, characterized McCrudden and Cahill as “up-and-coming players” who work together well and should put the ball in the net.

“I’m actually very excited about this year, even though we’ve lost so many (players),” Lennon said. “I’m just as confident.”

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Josh Thomson gets ready to announce lohud’s Super 11 high school football players for 2016.

Fiona Grant of Horace Greeley takes a shot during field hockey practice Aug. 24, 2016.

CHAPPAQUA – Twenty-six players are trying out for field hockey at Horace Greeley and not one is a senior. As currently envisioned, the varsity is all juniors.

That bodes well for next year, but what about this one?

Last year, the Quakers made the Section 1 Class A final, breaking a tie with Scarsdale on penalty strokes.

Then they ran into a roadblock in Mamaroneck, the eventual state champion.

They’ve lost eight players to graduation from last year’s team, including four starters.

But Greeley should be strong, according to Sukhi Singh Sandhu, who’s beginning his eighth year as Quakers varsity coach.

“We definitely want to be in the section final,” Singh Sandhu said.

The Quakers got to the final last year despite one of their strongest players, then-senior Olivia Greene, exiting mid-season with a torn ACL.

On Wednesday 2015 All-State center mid Fiona Grant was hobbling around but her prognosis is good. Her hamstring strain, suffered a couple of weeks ago at a field hockey camp, is expected to be healed before Horace Greeley opens its season Sept. 7 against Byram Hills.

Nikki Potter of Horace Greeley controls the ball during field hockey practice on Wednesday.

Grant is one of six or seven Greeley players to also play outside of the school, which she and Singh Sandu believe is a big positive. She plays for his Rye Academy Field Hockey Club, which is based in Westchester, Rockland and Dutchess.

Grant, who’s quick and has a hard shot, is expected to be the Quakers’ main scoring threat off corners.

“She can hit like you couldn’t believe,” Singh Sandhu said.

Grant, who followed her sisters, Maura and Bernie, onto the Greeley team, believes her team’s experience together should pay off this season.

“I feel like we’re grown up together,” Grant said. “We’ve been learning each other’s styles and each other’s strengths.

“We’re like a community. As long as we know and play with each other, I think that will carry us a long way,” Grant added, noting some of the team had been together since middle school to form a “really solid foundation.”

Sophie Berkowitz of Horace Greeley shoots on goalie Willa Khun during field hockey practice Wednesday.

Another veteran is Nikki Potter, a right mid whose fitness allows her to be everywhere, according to Singh Sandhu, who characterized her as a key player who can control the ball.

Katie Graham, who has good stick work and a “strong push,” gives Singh Sandhu some options, since she is targeted for left mid but can also play defense.

That defense is anchored by Isabella Kuhn, who’s beginning her third year in net and second starting.

“She knows how to shift and keeps an eye on the corner player at the same time,” Singh Sandhu said. “She clears (the ball) into open space and not into a dangerous place.”

Defense doesn’t seem to be a problem. Graham referred to Greeley’s problem finishing its shots.

But Potter thinks the offense will pick up behind Grant and forwards Sophie Berkowitz and Lauren Neff.

Much, Graham indicated, will depend on Greeley’s approach.

As a sophomore last year, she was pretty quiet. But she plans to change that this year to “pick everyone up” and emphasize no one should back down after losing a ball.

“I think, individually, I’m not only going to make myself try harder but push everyone else,” Graham said.

“I just want to motivate everyone and push them not to give up. I think if we try real hard we have a chance to make the section finals,” Graham said.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

YORKTOWN – When the Yorktown field hockey team was last heard from it was walking off the field at Mahopac with an “almost.”

Cornhuskers coach Bernadette Gannon still thinks about that first-round game – her No. 10-seeded team vs. No. 7 Mahopac.

A one-goal loss.

“If we had only 10 more minutes of the game …,” she said, ending her thought there.

While she talked Wednesday, this year’s Cornhuskers crop and hopeful Cornhuskers, all adorned in neon colors, worked on their mandatory 15-minute runs with a partner, which included 10 sprints and the requirement that each girl learn 10 things about their running buddy.

“Neon Wednesday” followed “Tie-dye Tuesday” and “America Monday,” in which red, white and blue were the order of the day.

“It makes for a little camaraderie during tryouts because tryouts are not always easy,” said Gannon, who pointed out her glowing yellow socks met Wednesday’s requirement.

Tryouts may be harder in a sense this year because more kids have a shot at making the varsity roster. Thirty-six are trying out.

Ten players have graduated from last year’s squad, including All-Section forward Catherine Calidonna and All-Section honorable-mention forward Stephanie Ragusa.

Yorktown players practice Wednesday night. Yorktown has been hit hard by graduation, with only five starters returning. But it hopes to return to sectionals and surpass last year’s performance.

That leaves a huge hole but Gannon, a former longtime Suffern coach (and still resident) who’s in her second year at Yorktown, doesn’t like the words “rebuilding year.”

“I’d say we’re building upon (last year),” she said. “The seniors from last year took it upon themselves to help train replacements. They made sure they worked hard with them. They were aware of what we were going to face this year. Luckily, their good will helped.”

Yorktown may share the same town with Lakeland but, unlike its Class B neighbor, which has won the state championship seven consecutive years, Class A Yorktown doesn’t have a stockpile of year-round players – at least not year-round field hockey players.

“Two play club with me,” Gannon said, referring to junior defenseman Julie Wurzel and senior goalie Olivia Sanchez, who play on Gannon’s Rockland Tsunami team.

But despite Gannon’s troops lollygagging a bit near the end of their 15 minutes of running, most are in good shape thanks to club play in lacrosse, the game that’s pretty much Yorktown’s unofficial official sport.

Yorktown’s uphill battle involves not just the lack of year-round field hockey players but the fact only seven players are back from last year. Five were starters, including Wurzel and Sanchez.

Sanchez is a co-captain, along with 16-year-old senior twins Lauren (a defenseman) and Natalie (a forward) Gammer. Junior midfielder Caroline Garti also started multiple games.

But Gannon, who expects to divide players into JV and varsity later this week and who was emphasizing the rudimentary Wednesday night, reminding all, “People are not doughnuts or bagels. You can’t go through them. You have to go around them,” preaches year-by-year improvement, no matter how her team has previously placed. So she believes Yorktown can be better.

Natalie Gammer said her team has “really great potential” and can build up to where it was last year.

Her sister Lauren, though, has bigger plans.

She noted their older sister, Jenna, played four years of Yorktown field hockey without any kind of championship.

In fact, Yorktown has no field hockey championships, she said, something that’s emphasized in the school gym, where each sport has a championship board and where field hockey’s is blank.

With the Gammers graduating in the spring, this is the last chance for them to help put something on that board.

“I’m really hoping for a league or section championship,” Lauren said.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Bronxville Kate Ryan trains with the Cross Country team at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Members of the Bronxville Cross Country team train at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Bronxville’s Kate Ryan trains with the Cross Country team at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Members of the Bronxville Cross Country Track Cross Country team train at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Members of the Bronxville Cross Country team train at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Bronxville Kate Ryan trains with the Cross Country team at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Members of the Bronxville Cross Country Track Cross Country team train at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Bronxville Kate Ryan trains with the Cross Country team at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Members of the Bronxville Cross Country team train at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Bronxville’s Kate Ryan trains with the Cross Country team at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

Members of the Bronxville Cross Country team train at Scout Field in Bronxville on Aug. 23, 2016.

They’re the little school that not only could but always does.

Bronxville may be Class C in size, but in girls cross country and track the only grade it gets is an A.

The Broncos will open the 2016 cross-country season as the defending Section 1 Class C champion and state Class C runner-up. Last fall, they finished fourth at the county cross-country meet, running against schools with significantly more students.

Little has changed this year for the Broncos.

Yes, they’ve lost one of their top competitors, Hilary Rizzo, to graduation.

But they’ve got their No. 1 girl, senior Kaitlin Ryan, back.

Ryan, who won gold at the State Championships last spring at 1,000 meters, was eighth at States last fall in cross country. And the highly recruited Ryan is looking stronger after a good summer of training.

Longtime coach Jim Mitchell, who’s someone not known for superlatives, said, “Kaitlin is tremendous. The next four or five are very good.”

That includes junior Olivia Scotti. She and Ryan were on Bronxville’s girls 4×800 relay that finished third among all private and public schools in New York last spring. Scotti also finished 24th out of 129 at cross-country States last fall.

Mitchell is also excited about sophomore Gigi Chrappa and senior Sydney Coddington.

He also expects a boost from transfer student Patty Haggerty, a sophomore.

Members of the Bronxville cross-country team train at Scout Field in Bronxville on Tuesday.

“She’s looking very, very good this week,” he said. “She’ll make a very significant impact on our top five.”

The sixth of seven top spots is expected to be won by eighth-grader Avery Widen. She ran freshman cross-country races last fall but was 11th in the Section 1 State Qualifier at 1,500 meters last spring.

The last spot is up for grabs, but Mitchell doesn’t appear worried about his team.

Bronxville’s Kaitlin Ryan trains with the cross-country team at Scout Field in Bronxville on Tuesday.

“Pretty much everyone is coming along as I hoped,” Mitchell said. “They look like they’re in good shape and look better than last year at this time.”

Noting the State Championships will be held in upstate Chenango Valley, where Bronxville won the State Championship in 2004, Mitchell quipped, “Maybe that’s a good sign.”

Broncos boys

Second place is great. But the Bronxville boys cross-country team is a little tired of it.

Last year, the boys again finished as Section 1 Class C runner-up to Pleasantville, the team Bronxville coach Jim Agnello characterizes as their friendly rivals. The Panthers also edged them out in 2014 and ’13. Before that, Bronxville finished second for three consecutive years to Pawling.

A new year, though, brings new hope.

“We’re very excited,” Agnello said. “We have a lot of good returning athletes.”

The top two are seniors Joe Dougherty and Henry Vollmer.

Agnello is also “really hoping for big things” from three sophomores – Tim McGrath and twins Alex and Matt Rizzo.

“Those guys really look big,” he said.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Melina Couzis, a player on the Somers High School girls soccer team, photographed Aug. 26, 2016.

Ciara Ostrander, a player on the Somers High School girls soccer team, photographed Aug. 26, 2016.

Paul Saia, the head coach for the Somers High School girls soccer team, photographed Aug. 26, 2016.

Jenna Menta, a player on the Somers High School girls soccer team, photographed Aug. 26, 2016.

Melina Couzis, Ciara Ostrander and Jenna Menta, co-captains on the Somers High School girls soccer team, photographed Aug. 26, 2016. Not pictured is co-captain Mary Murphy.

Ciara Ostrander, left, and Melina Couzis, center, lead the Somers High School girls soccer team in a workout, Aug. 26, 2016.

SOMERS – It would be easy for the Somers girls soccer team to be less than humble.

In 2014, it went undefeated, capping the season with the Class A state championship

Last year, it repeated as Section 1 champion and upped its winning streak to 42 before a regional tie against Goshen ended in a penalty-kick loss.

The good news to come out of that game was it was the last in a Tuskers uniform for only three players.

Of course, one of those players was two-time all-American Hannon Eberts, who scored 35 goals last season and now plays for Vanderbilt.

But coach Paul Saia, who has been with the program for 15 years, the last three as its official head coach, still has many weapons at his disposal.

“I’m very confident our players will step up,” Saia said. “The beauty of our team is anybody can score.”

Saia wants his team to forget past titles and defeats, saying, “What we’ve done in the past has no bearing on today and tomorrow. That’s my philosophy.”

The here and now includes preparing to play teams like Pearl River, Byram Hills and Harrison, the last of which played Somers tough in last year’s sectional semifinal.

Somers is deep. UConn-bound senior Melina Couzis will play center mid. She received All-State honors last year, as did classmate Ciara Ostrander, another four-year team member who’s a forward.

Ciara Ostrander, a player on the Somers High School girls soccer team, works out with the team on Friday.

They’ll captain the team along with four-year veteran and All-Section senior Mary Murphy and All-Section center mid Jenna Menta, another player starting her fourth season.

Menta spent most of Friday’s practice in a wide-brimmed hat and winter gloves to protect against sunburn due to Lyme disease medication.

But Menta will be back soon.

The Tuskers should also benefit from the return of two big players. Amanda Brugger, a junior who’ll play defense or midfield, was having a good season last year before being sidelined by a concussion. And Hannah Tiso, a senior who’ll play defense and midfield, is back after an ACL tear.

Other key players include senior defenseman Brianna Penzo and junior sweeper Claire Mensi, a sophomore sweeper who Saia said improved a lot last year.

Senior Laura Chiriboga and junior Lauren Jockimo will vie for the starting goalie job.

Menta expects big things from her team. She said last year’s regional loss hurt at the time but is now motivational.

“When you win 42 straight it’s hard to picture yourself losing. … Now we realize any team can beat us,” Menta said.

While Eberts’ contribution can’t be overstated, Menta figures many opponents will mistakenly believe Somers’ offense left with her.

Somers High School girls soccer co-captain Melina Couzis practices with the team on Friday.

She and Couzis expect many to contribute to the offense.

Referring to last year, Couzis said, “Everyone had a lot of chances within 18 (yards). We’ve got to put the ball away.”

“I feel we have a solid, experienced team,” Saia said. “It we play up to our ability, we should do well.”

Ostrander, who’ll play for Yale next year, indicated her team had bought into their coach’s humble-is-better approach.

“Saia emphasizes we should be confident, not cocky. It can end poorly,” she said.

But Ostrander doesn’t intend for that to happen.

“We just want to have fun our senior year and end it on a high note,” she said.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Clarkstown South, Nyack, Pearl River and Fox Lane competed in a four-way football scrimmage at Clarkstown South High School on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016.

Nanuet’s Corrine Berkery takes a shot on goal during field hockey practice at Nanuet High School in Nanuet on Thursday, August 25, 2016.

Nanuet goalie Jenn Franchino makes a save during field hockey practice at Nanuet High School in Nanuet on Thursday, August 25, 2016.

NANUET – It’s hard to look at a team that won just three games last year and has graduated four starters, three of whom had played for three seasons, and think this year could be a good one.

It’s hard, but not impossible with Nanuet.

The Golden Knights, after all, are bringing up reinforcements from a 10-win junior varsity team, and that includes the JV’s leading scorer from last year, junior Jess Kleber.

She just has a knack, varsity coach Jackie Cross said, of always having a “very good angle on the ball” and being in the right spot to tip shots in.

While Nanuet’s varsity did certainly struggle to a 3-12-3 mark that ended in a 9-0 drubbing by Rye in the first round of sectional, Cross said, “We said all year that our record didn’t show how we played.”

Cross expects better things from her players and said she’s more confident now, entering her second year at the helm.

“A whole group of 10 seniors is back. Last year we were often lacking the teamwork dynamic. I think we have that this year,” said Cross, a former Nanuet player who graduated in 2005 and now teaches Spanish at the high school.

Shauna McNamara, a senior and three-year varsity player, likes her team’s chemistry.

Nanuet’s Jes Klebek fires a shot on goal during field hockey practice at Nanuet High School in Nanuet on Thursday.

She plays club field hockey for the New Jersey-based Rapid Fire Elite. That’s a higher-level team from her high school squad. But McNamara still gets a lot out of playing for Nanuet, saying, “Being on a high school team is not something you can replicate. High school sports are so different.”

She’s certainly invested in the Golden Knights. She referred to the team’s 1-0 loss to highly favored Pearl River two years ago at sectionals as “devastating,” and said it proved to be a double blow when then-longtime coach Karen Leitner told the team afterward that she wouldn’t return for 2015.

McNamara said she has friends who have won huge titles with their New Jersey private schools but added, “I don’t think they have the connection we do (with each other).”

Fellow senior Corinne Berkery, who has played four years on varsity but wants to pursue softball in college, played in Nanuet field hockey’s only sectional-game win in its history. But that one made it “such a special year,” she said.

Nanuet’s Vianne Palad works out during field hockey practice at Nanuet High School in Nanuet on Thursday.

Berkery indicated last season was difficult due to the coaching change and a hard schedule.

“This year I think we’ll be better. I’m hoping for better,” she said. “I think with older players and everyone more experienced learning to look for other girls (to pass to), we will get more shots on goal. This year, we’re going to focus on finishing and using our passes.”

Berkery is the team’s top free-hit player and its go-to person off corners, since she can absolutely rocket the ball.

During Thursday morning’s practice, many of her shots ended up flying over the shoulders of sophomore goalie Jenna Franchino. Franchino probably has an edge in the competition for the No. 1 one goalie spot over junior Erin Ierace, since Franchino played at the end of the season when Nanuet’s then-starter went down with an injury.

Some of Nanuet’s strongest players will be on defense, including seniors Shauna McNamara and Caeleigh Ryan. Senior Jess Haney, a strong midfielder, returns to that position.

Cross, who’s being assisted by 2010 Nanuet grad Christine Stokes, is hoping for solid offense from two returning junior wings, Vianne Palad and Taylor Rosenfeld.

Of last year’s team, she said. “I think they pushed through to the end. If we were down three goals, they played like it was 0-0.”

Cross isn’t making promises but said fans could “expect a lot of effort and commitment and endurance, explaining some of that was “emotional endurance,” being willing to fight through the season.

Still, she left the door open to even better things.

This year, in a small league without the likes of North Rockland, Suffern and Clarkstown South but with Nyack, Pearl River and Sleep Hollow as the Golden Knights’ opponents, she said winning the league is “definitely in the realm of possibility.

“I think it will fall into place,” McNamara added. “I think we have a strong chance to have over a .500 record. I think the drive is there.”

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Lakeland and Hendrick Hudson play during a multi-team football scrimmage at Brewster High School Aug. 27, 2016. Several area teams took part in the scrimmage in advance of next weekend’s season opening games.

Hendrick Hudson quarterback Manny Carbone evades a Nanuet defender is brought down by a Hendrick Hudson defender during a multi-team football scrimmage at Brewster High School Aug. 27, 2016. Several area teams took part in the scrimmage in advance of next weekend’s season opening games.

Nanuet’s Mike Zaro catches a touchdown pass over a New Fairfield. Conn. defender during a multi-team football scrimmage at Brewster High School Aug. 27, 2016. Several area teams took part in the scrimmage in advance of next weekend’s season opening games.

Lakeland’s Sean Maker is brought down by a Putnam Valley defender during a multi-team football scrimmage at Brewster High School Aug. 27, 2016. Several area teams took part in the scrimmage in advance of next weekend’s season opening games.

BREWSTER – There was a little bit of sideline buzz after Hen Hud quarterback Nicholas Cunningham made a string of connections in live action.

It was a nice change.

After months of conditioning and two weeks of preseason camp, it really began to feel like football season on Saturday with eight local teams going full speed in full pads during controlled scrimmages at Brewster High School.

The season officially kicks off this week.

“We’ve been waiting for this after 11 days of doubles,” Cunningham said. “We’ve been waiting to hit somebody in a different uniform, not me of course, but all of the other guys.”

The great expectations remained intact for all involved, but two hours on the steamy turf provided some needed perspective.

“I thought we looked great,” Cunningham added. “Our offensive line was really doing a good job and Jack Attinelly was making plays. The one-handed grab he made in the end zone was outstanding.”

Actually, it was pretty impressive.

Hen Hud and Nanuet played each other in a multi-teamscrimmage at Brewster High School Saturday. Area teams took part in the scrimmage in advance of next weekend’s season-opening games.

Brewster, Carmel, Lakeland, Nanuet, Putnam Valley, Yorktown and New Fairfield, Connecticut, also took part, emphasizing the basics and giving extra reps to the players who are still competing for starting jobs.

The new wrinkles are under wraps for at least another week.

“I thought our defense was pretty vanilla,” Yorktown coach Mike Rescigno said. “We did well against the run, but we got picked on in the air. I saw what I needed to see. I saw what I expected to see. There’s a lot I’m happy with, but we have some work to do.”

Getting ready for opening night against John Jay is now the priority.

“It’s the best time of the year,” Yorktown quarterback Jose Boyer said. “We’ve been working the entire offseason for this game. They’re going to come out flying so we have to match that intensity.”

Nanuet’s Mike Zaro catches a touchdown pass over a New Fairfield. Conn., defender during a multi-teamscrimmage at Brewster High School Saturday.

Carmel appeared to have multiple threats in the backfield and was getting better with each series.

“I saw a bunch of guys today who love to play together,” Rams coach Todd Cayea said. “That has me really excited.”

Opening in stride has to be a priority. The first three weeks of the season include meetings with Arlington, John Jay-East Fishkill and Mahopac.

“We’re coming together,” Carmel defensive end and center Joey Kenna said. “It’s about the process. We have to focus game to game. We do have a tough schedule, but I think we have good skill players, a good offensive line. We just have to play the way that we play.”

Brewster is transitioning Jack Guida from running back to quarterback.

“It’s a big adjustment but my teammates have really helped make everything go smoothly,” he said. “Last year, I only had to worry about blocking on passing plays. Now I have to know what everyone is supposed to do and it’s helping me when I run the ball.”

The lessons are likely to continue beyond Week 1.

Hen Hud quarterback Manny Carbone evades a Nanuet defender during a multi-team scrimmage at Brewster High School Saturday.

“He’s still got work to do, but Jack’s ahead of where I thought he would be at this point,” Bears coach Ed Mulvihill said. “I thought our defense was very aggressive today and that’s a big plus for us. The offense is not there yet. We need the offensive line to play with the same aggression we show on defense.”

The regular weekly routine began shortly after the buses left the parking lot, with coaches planning to spend two days evaluating film and preparing Week 1 game plans.

“We’re very young and I loved how we came out and played with energy,” Lakeland coach Rob Capelli said. “We’ll get back, meet with the staff and upload the film. It’s going to be a late night.”

Haldane’s Brooke Vahos bumps the ball during Haldane’s two-game loss to Portville at the state volleyball championships on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Hen Hud’s Zoe Staats returns a shot to Owego during the Class B regional final between Hendrick Hudson and Owego at John Jay High School in Cross River, Nov. 14, 2015. Hen Hud lost to Owego in five games.

Ardsley plays in the NYSPHSAA volleyball pool play Class B semifinals at the Glens Falls Civic Center Nov. 15, 2014.

Ardsley’s Nicolina Chenard, left, Hayley Kmetz and Christina Chu celebrate winning the Class B Section 1 volleyball final with Nanuet at Croton-Harmon Nov. 1, 2014.

Panas’ Yvette Burcescu (5) slams a kill shot during the 11th Annual Panther Invitational Volleyball Tournament at Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor on Saturday, September 27, 2014.

North Rockland’s Madison Monahan (4) returns to New Rochelle during the game at North Rockland High School in Thiells on Sept. 2, 2014. New Rochelle won the first two sets.

They are seven of the top returning volleyball players in the Lower Hudson Valley, and they are the members of this year’s “Super 7” team:

Super 7

Kiara Adams, Peekskill — The 5-foot-10 sophomore can hit from either side, as well as set. If Peekskill ever fully turns around its program, Adams will be at the center of it all. Adams should be one to keep an eye on during her final two years with the Lady Red Devils.

Yvette Burcescu, Panas — The reigning Journal News/lohud.com Westchester/Putnam player of the year ended her recruitment over the summer by verbally committing to Tulane. The 6-foot-2 junior outside hitter was an All-American honorable mention last year and returns as one of the top talents in the country.

Christina Chu, Ardsley — The junior earned all-section honors as a setter last year after switching from libero, and should see similar success this year. Chu’s soft hands should make for a smooth transition as Ardsley adjusts to new offensive options.

Madison Monahan, North Rockland — The lone Rockland County representative, the 5-foot-10 outside hitter is the primary reason many are calling the Red Raiders a significant threat in Class AA this year. Monahan will easily be one of the most entertaining players to watch in the county this season.

Sabrina Patriciello, Panas — The junior libero garnered first-team all-state honors last year after anchoring Panas’ defense during its run to the Class A state finals. Everyone talks about Panas’ wealth of offensive talent, and deservedly so, but Patriciello is an eye-opening spectacle in the back row who shouldn’t be overlooked.

Zoe Staats, Hen Hud — One of the hardest hitters in the section, the junior southpaw was invited to the prestigious USA Volleyball Youth National A2 Invitational Camp in Colorado in July. Staats earned all-section honors last year after help anchor the Sailors to their 13th section title in 15 years.

Brooke Vahos, Haldane — The Blue Devils may be moving up to Class C this year after winning 13 consecutive Section 1 titles in Class D, but the senior’s all-around play and experience should keep the Blue Devils in a strong position to extend their streak. Vahos’ versatility to hit, set, and block gives first-year head coach Kelsey Flaherty plenty of options.

Second 7

Julianna Bottarini, Panas, Sr.

Lauren Feeley, Panas, Jr.

Toni Fiore, Yorktown, Sr.

Nicole Frascati, Yonkers, Sr.

Annemarie Horn, Scarsdale, Jr.

Kirstin Loh, Hen Hud, Sr.

Mychael Vernon, Ossining, Fr.

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

Alicia Murray, the volleyball coach at Yonkers Middle High School, Aug, 25, 2016. Murray was away from coaching for a while, but has now returned.

Nicole Frascati, left, a senior volleyball player at Yonkers Middle High School, Aug, 25, 2016.

Nicole Frascati, left, a senior volleyball player at Yonkers Middle High School, helps set up a net at the school, Aug, 25, 2016.

Mike Zacchio

Alicia Murray, second from left, greets returning volleyball players at Yonkers Middle High School, Aug, 25, 2016. Murray was away from coaching for a while, but has now returned.

YONKERS – It was bad enough that Yonkers volleyball captain Nicole Frascati was finding out the team was without a head coach less than a week before the preseason officially began. What made it worse was that this has become commonplace for the senior and her teammates.

For the third consecutive year, Yonkers was without a head coach just days before the preseason.

Alicia Murray left her post as head coach following the 2013 season, and said she informed the Yonkers athletic department she did not plan to return the following year before summer break. The last-minute hire of Christine Crowley delayed the Bulldogs’ 2014 season by two weeks.

Crowley informed players in an email on Aug. 10, 2015 that she would not return that fall, citing uncertainty about a teaching position at Yonkers for the school year and her commute from Long Island as the reasons for her resignation.

“I truly wish you all the best of luck,” Crowley said in the email, obtained by The Journal News/lohud. “Feel free to keep in touch as I would love to hear about how you all are.”

Players found out that Crowley would indeed return to the team four days after the email, and two days before the preseason opened. Yonkers players were informed that Crowley would not return this season last Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016, setting off confusion throughout the program.

“So many people were contacting me, telling me, ‘Is there going to be tryouts? I want to try out,’ and I had like no answer for them,” third-year varsity junior Amanda Marji said. “It was very frustrating.”

Players and parents put the pressure on athletic director Jim Rose for clarity surrounding the coaching situation, but struggled to get any concrete answers. Yonkers spokesperson Jeri Fierstein said Wednesday afternoon the school was “working diligently” to finalize a coach for this season.

“It’s just been a nightmare,” said Valerie Frascati, Nicole’s mother, who was in constant contact with Yonkers administration this week. “This is not my responsibility, or the responsibility of a kid that’s 15, 16 or 17.”

Murray stepped up to fill the coaching vacancy after receiving “quite a few phone calls” from Yonkers administration. The deal was finalized Wednesday evening, but an announcement was kept under wraps so that Murray could surprise the team at practice Thursday morning.

Players were on the verge of tears when Murray emerged through the gymnasium doors.

“It’s horrible for the girls,” Murray said of the emotional roller coaster the team has gone through the past three seasons. “Every year has been a different story. It’s not fair to them.”

Nicole Frascati said Murray is “perfect for this position,” and noted that a head coach is more than just a body on the sidelines.

“We need someone who wants to be here,” she said. “We can’t just get someone just because the athletics needs to hire them for the job. We need someone who is qualified and who really is dedicated to the sport and loves what they do.”

The irony surrounding this situation over the last three years is remarkable.

Students and children are taught to honor their commitments, yet the adults they are supposed to be learning from often do not seem to follow the same basic principle. Student-athletes are expected to have pride in their school, yet often it is the school’s administration that is letting them down.

The story may have a happy ending, but it doesn’t make up for the confusion and disappointment the girls had to put up with the last three years. They deserved better.

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

Lakeland goalie Cassie Halpin, a junior, at field hockey practice Aug. 25, 2016 in Shrub Oak.

The shoe covering, or kickers, couldn’t look clunkier. The leg pads, too.

Throw on padded pants, chest protector and helmet and there you have the second coming of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Or, in this case, Girl.

With soccer, cross country and volleyball vying for players, not every high school girl wants to play field hockey.

Fewer still want to be a field hockey goalie.

Those who do stand out. No skirt. Different jersey. Aforementioned clunky padding. And a role in which, unlike everyone else, mistakes often end up becoming unwelcome illuminated numbers on the scoreboard.

Cassie Halpin is willing to risk that humiliation.

Lakeland junior goalie Cassie Halpin works during field hockey practice Thursday in Shrub Oak.

She’s the goalie for Lakeland, a team that has won the state championship seven consecutive years. Her sister, Alex, was Lakeland’s goalie. Now she plays for one of the top college programs in the country, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Cassie would like to follow her into college field hockey.

“I like that it’s different from everyone else on the field,” the Lakeland junior said of being a goalie.

“t’s definitely like a rush when you see someone coming down the field like right at you. … I just think it’s great when a shot comes. … It’s like a rush. Like you know when you’re on a roller coaster and you like get the drop. It’s kind of like that but good.”

This is Alyssa Sanchez’s last year in net, or, in better field hockey lingo, in cage. Next year she’ll play lacrosse for SUNY-Binghamton as a defenseman.

But the Suffern High senior has a fondness for being the very last line of defense. She was a street hockey goalie before she started playing field hockey as a goalie. But the position can be mentally taxing.

“As a goalie, you kind of get in your head. The hardest thing is you don’t want to let your team down. You have to have a short-term memory,” she said.

Unlike their counterparts on ice who can cover the puck, goalies can’t cover the ball, so there’s a lot more scrambling and they have to be able to move in all that equipment, a talent that takes work to develop.

“For the most part, it’s hard to get up really quickly sometimes. Usually when adrenaline’s pumping it’s easier. But during a long practice sometimes it’s hard to get up,” Sanchez said.

Coach Gaby Somma, though, doesn’t see a lot of struggles in Sanchez. She views her as a “natural leader,” and “one of the most athletic kids I’ve ever coached.”

“Everybody wants her on their team,” Somma said, jokingly using the phrase that’s uttered around her team, “Chez for Prez.”

Sharon Sarsen, the longtime Lakeland coach, also values athletic goalies, although, with a traditionally high-powered offense and a team that excels at possession, she hasn’t always had to rely on them for wins.

She said she looks for “intelligence, competitiveness, dedication, mental toughness and athleticism” in her keepers.

“I believe goalies must believe they are one of the best athletes on the team and have the ability to influence the outcome of the game in a positive way,” Mamaroneck coach John Savage said.

Savage, whose Tigers have won two straight State Class A titles, said the main physical qualities he looks for are “strength, agility, quickness and eye-hand coordination.”

“Psychological qualities are courage, desire, poise, thick-skinned leadership, puts mistakes behind and the ability to communicate with teammates,” Savage added.

While he wants to be able to check off all these things, he added, “I can truly say in my 20 years of coaching the varsity program I never had two goalies that were the same.”

Getting kids to play the position isn’t always easy. Sanchez noted during her sophomore year she was the only Suffern varsity goalie and the junior varsity also had only one.

“Not many girls favor the position that much,” she said.

In Bronxville, varsity coach Jacqueline Frawley starts recruiting kids for the position when they’re on the modified and JV teams.

This season she’s lucky enough to have two varsity goalkeepers, juniors Catherine Wortel and Katie Gordon.

“An athlete stepping into goal must be dedicated to becoming a leader on the field through personality and skill,” Frawley said. “We do not always find it easy to have girls step up and give it a try, but, with my experience as a coach at Bronxville for 13 years and at the varsity level for seven, once they get in the goal they immediately get hooked. There have been years that we were in a bind and some of my best field players stepped into the goal and never left.”

Don’t count on that with Clarkstown South’s Miranda Linehan.

The junior played “D” as a freshman and moved to offense last year. But during last week’s opening practices she found herself doing something she never envisioned – subbing in for injured goalie Jackie McDonnell, a role that coach Jordan Turner said could last for the first couple of weeks of the season.

“It’s a little frustrating but I’m happy to do it for the team,” said Linehan, who added she’d never considered playing the position. “The very first day the equipment was very uncomfortable and I was nervous how it would turn out. It’s pretty difficult to move around in the equipment but I’m getting used to it.”

One thing that Linehan, who is also a dancer, likes is making split saves.

She has even made a stack save – diving sideways on one hip with her pads stacked one atop the other.

“I went and did it in a scrimmage and thought, ‘Wow, that really did work,’ “ she said.

While Sanchez said goalies frequently experience pain getting nailed with a shot either on the bottom of their feet or, after a kicker slips out of place, on the side of their foot or on a toe, Linehan has so far remained unscathed.

But despite that and the fun of making split and stack saves, she doesn’t plan on making the goal her permanent address.

“I’m not looking to stay as goalie,” she said with emphasis. “That’s Jackie’s spot.”

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Each year, The Journal News/lohud.com reveals its Super 11. This is a list of the best of the best, the top football players in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties. Many of the past honorees have gone on to have success at the high school, college and even professional levels.

All day today, Josh Thomson will unveil this year’s selections for the 2016 Super 11, lohud.com’s top preseason honor. Stay tuned on the website, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to hear the honorees in their own words as well as analysis of what makes them super.

Messiah Horne, a running back and strong safety with Somers High School, photographed Aug. 24, 2016.

Messiah Horne

School: Somers

Year: Senior

Positions: RB/S

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180

Fast facts: Horne is ready to shoulder an increased workload after rushing for a team-high 634 yards and eight scores in just seven games as a junior. Somers is expected to adjust its traditional Wing-T formations to feature the explosive back more on offense.

Messiah Horne, a running back and strong safety with Somers High School is pictured with a photo of New Rochelle’s Ray Rice, photographed Aug. 24, 2016.

The other 2016 lohud Super 11 Selections:

Spring Valley’s Devan Lawson

Stepinac’s Antonio Giannico

Brewster’s Jack Guida

Rye’s Mat Bruno

Rye Country Day’s Hannes Boehning

Iona Prep’s Rodney Samson Jr.

Spring Valley’s Ori Jean-Charles

Devan Lawson, a tight end and defensive end with the Spring Valley High School football team, photographed Aug. 19, 2016.

Devan Lawson

School: Spring Valley

Year: Senior

Positions: TE/WR/DE

Height: 6-4

Weight: 245

Fast facts: Lawson has been a two-sport star since returning from St. Joe’s of Montvale his sophomore year. The former Section 1 Class A basketball champ has developed into a highly coveted receiver and pass rusher who caught 38 passes for 522 yards and recorded 10 sacks and two forced fumbles as a junior. He committed to Boston College (then decommitted) and currently holds offers from BC, Buffalo, Army, William & Mary, Albany, Idaho and Stony Brook.