Story and photos by Brandon Lawson
GENEVA--The Penn Yan boys lacrosse team won the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D title at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Saturday, June 14.
The Mustangs were looking to take their second state championship in program history - the first was in 2001 with a win over Manhasset.
With a state bracket that has been a roller coaster ride for Penn Yan, Saturday was no different. The team found themselves down 5-2 at half and with the deficit continuing through most of the third quarter, it looked like Section IV’s Chenango Forks could spoil what was essentially a home game with a fan base four-to-one in the Mustang’s favor.
“We played about the worst first half we have in a long time,” said Head Coach Brian Hobart after the game. “I knew they were going to come back and battle...we weren’t going to give up and go softly away.”
There are momentum shifts in sports, and then there are drives that shake the entire stadium. The Mustangs not only proved why they were in the state finale, but they captured the title in decisive fashion, 11-8, all starting with a spectacular comeback in the third quarter.
Teagan Fingar having a nine-point day also didn’t hurt in Penn Yan’s quest for the ultimate prize.
“To put another year on that banner, the state championship banner at our school, is really just a dream come true,” said Fingar on the field after winning the championship. “It’s not every day you get to play a state championship 20 minutes away from your town...lacrosse is everything in our town. To do it for all those people behind us, it’s amazing.”
The stands were a sea of orange with family, friends, alumni and community members supporting a team that has captured 28 sectional titles in program history and made numerous appearances in the state championship. The countless former players who congratulated coaches Brian Hobart and Harry Queener after the win demonstrated the extended family the program has created in its excellence. Queener was the head coach of the 2001 team with Hobart as an assistant.
In Saturday’s game, the first quarter opened with Penn Yan seeing the strong defense of Chenango Forks, who downed perennial powerhouse Cold Spring Harbor in the semifinal round. Forks prevented any goals early and then got on the scoreboard first, midway through the quarter. They went up 2-0 with 2:30 to go.
In the second quarter, Chenango again found the back of the net first, extending their lead to three. But Penn Yan quickly responded with a pair of goals by Teagan Fingar. The Blue Devils stopped the Mustang drive with two goals to finish the first half and go up 5-2.
After intermission, Forks took their largest lead of the game bringing the score to 6-2, as the Mustangs looked for an opportunity to change the tide. That started with some seven minutes to go in the third as Tukker Fisher brought the game to 6-3. Eighteen seconds later Fingar answered again with his third goal of the game.
As the offense was coming alive, so was the defense, as they were holding the Blue Devils 10 to 20 yards off the goal and gained back possession for Penn Yan. That allowed a third-straight goal and number four for Fingar.
It was now 6-5 with 3:31 to go in the third. On the ensuing face-off, the Mustang’s Greyson Hathway was in a stalemate with a Chenango player and when the ball shot out, Braden Fingar picked it up and fed it to cousin Teagan who tied the game up, six-all. The crowd went wild, and with three minutes left in the third, it was a new ball game and Penn Yan had a freight train of momentum behind them. Fisher then put Penn Yan up for the first time in the game with an assist by Teagan Fingar. Chenango answered with one goal to bring the tally to 7-7 to end the third.
The Mustangs opened the fourth quarter with a quick goal by Teagan to go up 8-7. Penn Yan never gave back the lead. Braden Fingar scored next with 10:30 to go, 9-7, PY.
The Blue Devils scored their final goal of the game with 9:20 until the buzzer.
The next goal for Penn Yan was by Teagan, his seventh of the day. Braden found the back of the net with 2:48 in the game to bring it to 11-8, the eventual final. The Mustangs had possession for the final two minutes before the team charged goalie Will Thompson to celebrate their state title.
In total, Teagan Fingar had seven goals and two assists. Braden Fingar posted two goals and one assist, while Tukker Fisher added two goals. Goalie Will Thompson made 17 saves.
“Nothing was going to stop us,” added Hobart referencing the “NOTHING” shirts that the coaches and players wore this year. The saying was in reference to last year’s sectional loss to Aquinas. With nothing to defend at first and then nothing to lose by the end of the year, the Mustangs etched their 21-2 season in the history books. And those two losses? They were to Canandaigua who played in the Class B state championship later that afternoon and Class A Fairport.
GENEVA--The Penn Yan boys lacrosse team won the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D title at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Saturday, June 14.
The Mustangs were looking to take their second state championship in program history - the first was in 2001 with a win over Manhasset.
With a state bracket that has been a roller coaster ride for Penn Yan, Saturday was no different. The team found themselves down 5-2 at half and with the deficit continuing through most of the third quarter, it looked like Section IV’s Chenango Forks could spoil what was essentially a home game with a fan base four-to-one in the Mustang’s favor.
“We played about the worst first half we have in a long time,” said Head Coach Brian Hobart after the game. “I knew they were going to come back and battle...we weren’t going to give up and go softly away.”
There are momentum shifts in sports, and then there are drives that shake the entire stadium. The Mustangs not only proved why they were in the state finale, but they captured the title in decisive fashion, 11-8, all starting with a spectacular comeback in the third quarter.
Teagan Fingar having a nine-point day also didn’t hurt in Penn Yan’s quest for the ultimate prize.
“To put another year on that banner, the state championship banner at our school, is really just a dream come true,” said Fingar on the field after winning the championship. “It’s not every day you get to play a state championship 20 minutes away from your town...lacrosse is everything in our town. To do it for all those people behind us, it’s amazing.”
The stands were a sea of orange with family, friends, alumni and community members supporting a team that has captured 28 sectional titles in program history and made numerous appearances in the state championship. The countless former players who congratulated coaches Brian Hobart and Harry Queener after the win demonstrated the extended family the program has created in its excellence. Queener was the head coach of the 2001 team with Hobart as an assistant.
In Saturday’s game, the first quarter opened with Penn Yan seeing the strong defense of Chenango Forks, who downed perennial powerhouse Cold Spring Harbor in the semifinal round. Forks prevented any goals early and then got on the scoreboard first, midway through the quarter. They went up 2-0 with 2:30 to go.
In the second quarter, Chenango again found the back of the net first, extending their lead to three. But Penn Yan quickly responded with a pair of goals by Teagan Fingar. The Blue Devils stopped the Mustang drive with two goals to finish the first half and go up 5-2.
After intermission, Forks took their largest lead of the game bringing the score to 6-2, as the Mustangs looked for an opportunity to change the tide. That started with some seven minutes to go in the third as Tukker Fisher brought the game to 6-3. Eighteen seconds later Fingar answered again with his third goal of the game.
As the offense was coming alive, so was the defense, as they were holding the Blue Devils 10 to 20 yards off the goal and gained back possession for Penn Yan. That allowed a third-straight goal and number four for Fingar.
It was now 6-5 with 3:31 to go in the third. On the ensuing face-off, the Mustang’s Greyson Hathway was in a stalemate with a Chenango player and when the ball shot out, Braden Fingar picked it up and fed it to cousin Teagan who tied the game up, six-all. The crowd went wild, and with three minutes left in the third, it was a new ball game and Penn Yan had a freight train of momentum behind them. Fisher then put Penn Yan up for the first time in the game with an assist by Teagan Fingar. Chenango answered with one goal to bring the tally to 7-7 to end the third.
The Mustangs opened the fourth quarter with a quick goal by Teagan to go up 8-7. Penn Yan never gave back the lead. Braden Fingar scored next with 10:30 to go, 9-7, PY.
The Blue Devils scored their final goal of the game with 9:20 until the buzzer.
The next goal for Penn Yan was by Teagan, his seventh of the day. Braden found the back of the net with 2:48 in the game to bring it to 11-8, the eventual final. The Mustangs had possession for the final two minutes before the team charged goalie Will Thompson to celebrate their state title.
In total, Teagan Fingar had seven goals and two assists. Braden Fingar posted two goals and one assist, while Tukker Fisher added two goals. Goalie Will Thompson made 17 saves.
“Nothing was going to stop us,” added Hobart referencing the “NOTHING” shirts that the coaches and players wore this year. The saying was in reference to last year’s sectional loss to Aquinas. With nothing to defend at first and then nothing to lose by the end of the year, the Mustangs etched their 21-2 season in the history books. And those two losses? They were to Canandaigua who played in the Class B state championship later that afternoon and Class A Fairport.
