Four different players netted hat tricks and Spencerport twice overcame opponent rallies in a 16-13 season opening girl’s lacrosse victory over visiting Corning.
After finishing last season with a 12-6 record and ranked 12th in New York State among Class B schools, the Rangers trailed early in this season lid-lifter 2-0 and rallied with four consecutive goals by junior Paige Pohleven (2) and seniors Camryn Sack and Natalie Choate before Corning tied the game at 4-4.
Spencerport’s offense then found their rhythm going on a 7-2 run as sophomore Lily DePalma scored three times with senior Erin Coykendall finding the back of the net twice along with single tallies from Choate and Sack to build a five-goal cushion.
The Hawks again battled back as they closed the first half with three unanswered goals to close to within 11-9 and opened the second half with two more to tie the game for a third time 11-11.
The two teams exchanged goals one minute apart before the Rangers scored four times over a 5:21 span over the final seven minutes to pull away. Choate teamed up with Coykendall twice in the late rally as the latter set up behind the net and fed a cutting Choate in the slot for the goals. The play worked four times during the contest.
“It’s always been our play – we’ve been playing together since second grade,” Choate said. “It really took off two years ago in the semis. She just gives me a look like ‘go’ and I wait for the defender covering me to turn their head and go to the net where she finds me. Or other players set picks. It always works.”
Sack also completed her hat trick during the rally as she crashed the net at 17:34 of the second half before Choate scored her fourth of the game with an assist from Pohleven, who finished with four points.
Coykendall had a team-high five assists to go with her two goals and Choate a pair of helpers with four tallies. DePalma also had four goals while Sack added an assist to her hat trick for the 1-0 Rangers.
