The postseason is officially underway. Earlier this week, Section 1 Athletics released playoff brackets for girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse, and softball. Combined with flag football, which had its postseason schedule announced last week, it’s shaping to be one of the busiest – and most exciting – weeks of the spring for the Hen Hud sports community.
Here’s a look at every playoff game happening this weekend.
Flag Football
Hen Hud’s flag football team will host Westlake/Briarcliff for the Class C sectional semifinals on Wednesday, May 20, at 5 p.m. After a dominant regular season, the top-seeded Sailors have their sights firmly set on a championship run.
Hen Hud enters the postseason riding high, after closing out the regular season with a commanding 30-0 away victory over Woodlands on May 9. The Sailors finished with a 12-3 overall record, which earned them a first-round bye and a valuable week of rest and preparation.
The team is led by head coach Craig Solomon, who expressed confidence in his group when reached by the Herald.
“We are very excited about the opportunity ahead of us. I feel like we have improved throughout the season and we should expect to play our best now that the playoffs are here,” said Solomon.
“We have played Westlake/Briarcliff two times, so we really need to play our game and try to limit the things we know they do well. Over the past week, we have spent a lot of time self scouting and working on doing the little things better,” he added.
Hen Hud has had the upper hand in both previous encounters with Westlake/Briarcliff this season – 30-15 win on April 23, followed by a dominant 38-6 victory on May 5.
Two key players who have powered the Sailors’ success all season are quarterback Lucy Mager and the teams lead receiver Kaitlyn Raguso.
Mager has been the engine of Hen Hud’s high-scoring offense all season. She’s posted multiple five-touchdown games this season and has thrown three or more touchdowns in 10 games (out of 13). Mager’s standout performances earned her Con Edison Athlete of the Week honors and a nomination for Lohud’s Player of the Week earlier this season.
Raguso has emerged as one of the team’s most dependable playmakers, consistently leading the team in receptions. Raguso has recorded eight multi-touchdown games and topped 80 receiving yards in six matchups, including a season-high 143-yard and three touchdowns against Westlake/Briarcliff on May 5. Raguso earned a nomination for Lohud’s Player of the Week during the season.
While Hen Hud enters the semifinal as the favorite, the stakes are higher than ever. A third win over Westlake/Briarcliff won’t come easy, and the Sailors know they’ll need to be at their best to advance.
The winner of Wednesday’s clash will face either No. 2 Ardsley or No.3 Bronxville in the Class C championship game on Saturday, May 24, at Lakeland High School.
Boys Lacrosse
No. 8 seed Hen Hud (8-8) is set to open its postseason campaign with a first round match against No. 9 John Jay Cross River at home on Thursday, May 22. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m.
The Sailors are riding a wave of success, coming off a three game win-streak. Their latest results include: 12-10 win over Putnam Valley on May 13, 7-6 overtime win over Mahopac on May 15, and a 9-4 win over Brewster in their final game of the regular season on May 17.
Head coach Troy Lepore’s squad is anchored by standout senior goalkeeper Aidan Mazzoni. This season, the 5’10” shot-stopper reached the milestones of 400 and 500 career saves and, with a playoff run, has a shot at hitting 600 before his time as a Sailor is over.
Offensively, the Sailors will look to Drew Hiltsley to stay hot. In his last five games, Hiltsley tallied 17 goals.
Should Hen Hud advance, they’ll face No. 1 Rye on the road on Tuesday, May 27, for the quarterfinals of the Class C Championship.
Girls Lacrosse
Hen Hud’s varsity girls lacrosse team finished the regular season on Monday, May 19, losing 17-13 to Mahopac. The result dropped the Sailors to the No. 10 seed in the Class C bracket. Hen Hud finished the regular season with a 5-11 record.
They’ll now hit the road for a first-round sectional matchup against No. 7 seed Eastchester on Friday, May 23, scheduled for 5 p.m.
While the Sailors have shown flashes of potential throughout the season, consistency has been a challenge. Still, a strong group of standout players – Paige Montgomery, Kayla McCarthy, Gianna Gagliardi, and Carleigh Ortiz – have each reached personal milestones this year and will be key to Hen Hud’s hopes of advancing.
The winner of this game will have a tough challenge ahead of them: No. 2 Rye in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, May 28.
Softball
Earlier this season, Hen Hud Softball looked unstoppable. The Sailors opened the spring season with a six games unbeaten streak and didn’t suffer their first loss until April 19 against Yorktown. Now, after some midseason hiccups, the race for the Section 1 Class A title is wide open.
Hen Hud finished the regular season on Saturday, May 17, with a narrow 3-2 loss to Ardsley. The girls finished with an overall record of 13-6.
Despite finishing the season with back-to-back losses, the Sailors earned enough wins to secure a first round bye. They’ll return to action in the quarterfinals on Saturday, May 24, where they’ll host the winner of No.6 Nanuet versus No.11 Westlake. That game is scheduled for Thursday.
