Spencerport Sends Schmeer to Roberts
January 18, 2019 - Spencerport defensive/midfielder Riley Schmeer signed with Roberts Wesleyan on January 14th with family, friends, and coaches in attendance.
Riley plays defense and also plays midfield and is a face-off specialist for the Rangers. In college he hopes to major in Forensic Science.
Before choosing Roberts he also considered Nazareth and Alfred.
In the off-season Riley has played for the FCA Lacrosse team.
"I chose Roberts because of the great academic opportunities available to me. I knew I wanted to go to a small school, and the community feeling at Roberts is phenomenal."
Job Openings at a Number of Schools
January 16, 2019 - 
Updated: Greece is looking for a new Junior Varsity coach. For more information contact Head Coach Andy Hilton at andyhilton21@gmail.com.
Churchville-Chili Central School District is looking for a Boys Varsity Head Coach for their Lacrosse program.
If interested contact Michael Murray, Director of Health, PE and Athletics at MMurray@cccsd.org or (585) 293-1800, x3110.
The Brighton Central School District is looking for a Varsity Head Coach for their Boys Lacrosse program. The district is looking for someone that has a variety of coaching experiences, including varsity level or higher.
Interested applicants should contact Nate Merritt, district Athletic Director at nate_merritt@bcsd.org. Please forward a resume and letter of intent.
The Newark Central School District is looking for a Junior Varsity Coach for their Boys Lacrosse program.
If interested or for questions, contact Chris Corey, Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics, at Chris.Corey@NewarkCSD.org.
Livonia-Avon is looking for JV and Modified coaches for their program. If interested, send resumes to Mark Kress at MKress@Livoniacsd.org and Don Manard Varsity Head Coach @ Dmanard25@gmail.com.
Sammy Thomolaris Signs NLI for Limestone
January 14, 2019 - Updated: Pittsford midfielder Sammy Thomolaris signed his National Letter of Intent for Linestone this afternoon with family and teammates in attendance.
Livonia-Avon Get New Head Coach
January 13, 2019 - 
The Livonia-Avon Lakers have a new Head Coach as Don Manard moves up from the Junior Varsity team.
A graduate of Irondequoit High School in 1999, Don was a four-year letter winner at Widener University as a goalie.
After graduation he played multiple seasons in the MLL, for the New Jersey Pride and San Francisco Dragons. He also played in the NALL for the Jacksonville Bullies and Baltimore Bombers.
His coaching positions have included: Assistant Coach and program goalie coach at Irondequoit, Junior Varsity coach and later, Varsity Assistant at Parkville High School (Maryland) and most recently as the Junior Varsity Head Coach at Livonia-Avon. In addition, he has coached for the Harvest Lacrosse Club.
A search is underway for Junior Varsity and Modified coaches. Interested applicants should contact Athletic Director Mark Kress at MKress@Livoniacsd.org or Coach Manard at Dmanard25@gmail.com
Billy Thomson Signs with Le Moyne
January 8, 2019 - 
Wayne senior offensiveman, Billy Thomson recently signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his studies and play lacrosse at Le Moyne after graduation in June.
Billy has been a two-year first team all-Finger Lakes pick who will start his fourth year on the Eagle Varsity with 42g-34a. In the off season he has played for the Blaze Lacrosse Club.
A three-sport athlete, he also plays football, where he rushed for 945 yards this year, and basketball, where he helped Wayne win back-to-back Sectional titles and was named to the All-Tournament twice.
After considering St. Bonaventure, Billy made his choice, he says, because "Le Moyne has a great tradition and is always competing for a National Championship. The coaching staff is the top of D-2. This will help me improve and learn".
Churchville-Chili Looking for Games
January 4, 2019 - 
D.T. Benedict at Churchville-Chili is looking for two Varsity games. If interested contact him or Athletic Director, Mike Murray as follows:
Coach D.T. Benedict
donaldbenedict@cccsd.org
or
AD Mike Murray
MMurray@cccsd.org
Gilliard and Forte Choose Alfred
January 2, 2019 - 
The Greece Storm will be sending two attackmen to Alfred University next fall. Trevor Gilliard and Paul Forte both announced their decision to attend and play for the Saxons after their graduate this spring.
Gilliard was named to the Monroe County D3 second team last year after posting 38g-19a and scoring in seventeen games in his junior year. He will start his senior year with a career record of 60g-33a.
Forte received first team honors in Monroe County D3 last year after posting s 34g-31a record. He scored in all eighteen games this season and will start his senior year with a record of 71g-48a.
The two will expect to play with a number of Section Five and Greece Alumni including Dalton McCumber (Greece), Zack Gibaud (Greece), Trevor Ess (Geneva), Joey Carra III (Schroeder), Jeremiah Kinner (Bath), Zach Landrigan (Canandaigua), Ben Cafolla (Mynderse), Ben Yonko (Thomas), Joe Fornataro (Greece) and Kyle Landrigan (Canandaigua).
Coaching Clinic in Section Five
December 18, 2018 - 
Fairport High School will host this year's Upstate Lacrosse Coaches Clinic, which will be held on Sunday, January 27th. The clinic, sponsored by Graph-Tex, will feature four local standouts as speakers. This clinic should be of interest to any men's lacrosse coaches.
St. John Fisher Head Coach Dave Dobbins will start off the speakers with his talk on Zone Offense. RIT Head Coach Jake Coon will speak on Rides and Clears. Geneseo Head Coach Nick Fiorentino will talk about zone defense and Dallas Rattlers/Nazareth graduate Drew Simoneau will speak about face offs.
More information is available on the event flyer. Pre-registration is requested.
Endres Commits to Albany
December 18, 2018 - 
Victor junior face off midfielder Regan Endres has announced his commitment to play lacrosse at SUNY Albany after his graduation in 2020.
Last year, as a sophomore, the face off midfielder won 90 of 137 draws (66%) including going 7 of 7 in the NYS quarter finals.
In the off-season Regan plays club lacrosse for Sweetlax Upstate and has been a two-time member of the Under Armour Upstate team. He also played in the Inside Lacrosse Midnight Mania tournament in September.
He currently plans to study criminal justice and psychology at Albany where he may play with Section Five alumni including Corey Yunker (Churchville-Chili), Peter Schwab (Penfield) and Tanner Hay (Victor).
The Ivy League Gets DiGiovanni
November 27, 2018 - 
Pittsford junior midfielder Ben DiGiovanni has announced his commitment continue to study and to play lacrosse at Dartmouth College after his graduation in 2020.
Last year, as a sophomore, the lock-down midfielder gave the Panthers twenty-six points in fifteen games and was named to the MC-D2 honorable mention list.
In the off-season Ben plays club lacrosse for Sweetlax Upstate and is also a member of the Sweetlax National program. He attended the Maverik Showtime in both 2016 and 2018, was named to the All-Star Game at the 2017 Sweetlax Summer Invitational and was previewed as a top player to watch at the NLF Power 18 Event, featuring some of the best players in the class of 2020.
Ben has been with the Sweetlax program since the 6th grade and has been a member of the 2020 team from its inception.
He plans to study either medicine or economics at Dartmouth.
Emmick Signs for St. Bonaventure
November 20, 2018 - 
Jacob Emmick signed his national letter of intent to study and play lacrosse at St. Bonaventure University in a signing event at Penfield High School yesterday.
The senior attackman scored fifty-seven points (27g-30a) last season, his second on the Varsity, as he helped the Patriots to their first Section V Championship since 2012. Highlights from his junior year must include his team leading 2g-3a performance in a 9-7 win against West Islip early in the season. He was one of six Patriots earning over thirty points last year. For his efforts, Jake won second team All-League honors (MC-d1).
St. Bonaventure is adding an NCAA Division I team this season after playing intercollegiate lacrosse form 1989-1993 when they moved to club status. Coach Randy Mearns was appointed as Head Coach in 2017 and spent a year pulling together a team for the 2019 season. Jake will be joining Austin Blumbergs (Penn Yan) who is a freshman on the 2019 team.
Rochester Chapter Sponsors Level 1 Training
December 23, 2018 - 
The Greater Rochester Chapter of US Lacrosse is, once again, offering Level I training. This time, the Level ONE Clinic will be held on March 10th at the Total Sports Experience facility (880 Elmgrove Road, Rochester, NY 14624) from 9:00 AM to Noon. The cost is $50.00 and you must be a member of US Lacrosse to register.
LEVEL 1
"The Level 1 clinic brings the Level 1 online course to life through hands-on training facilitated by US Lacrosse-certified trainers. The curriculum is designed to introduce coaches to the responsibilities and philosophies of coaching and how to provide a safe and athlete-centered environment that emphasizes positive growth and sportsmanship. You will acquire the tools to teach rules, basic individual skills and basic team concepts to beginning players of all ages. This baseline training is relevant for all lacrosse coaches, regardless of experience. Coaches must attend a Level 1 clinic to attain Level 1 certification."
More information and registration links for the Coaches Development Program can be found at the US Lacrosse web site.
Sonny Imburgia signs Binghamton NLI
November 20, 2018 - 
Sonny Imburgia signed a national letter of intent for Binghamton University at a signing event at Pittsford yesterday.
The senior attackman will start his fourth year on Varsity with a record of 59g-29a. In in sophomore year he was named to the All Tournament team in Class A and he was named to the second team All-League in 2018.
Among his junior year highlights: A 2g-2a game in the Panthers 8-7 win over Schroeder, a four goal game against Canandaigua and a five goal game against Hilton.
He will join Pittsford Alum Jon Perotto on the Bearcat roster with Head Coach Kevin McKeown.
Jon Gaglio Signs for Wheeling Jesuit
November 20, 2018 - 
Jon Gaglio signed a national letter of intent as he plans to study and play at Wheeling Jesuit (West Virginia).
The McQuaid Jesuit senior goalie has a two-year record of 231 saves (51%) after posting a 53% season last year with 664 minutes in the goal. He was a first team All-League (GRALL) goalie in 2018.
Highlights for last season certainly must include a 71% save day in the Knights' win over Penn Yan, his 62% day in their win against Canandaigua and his 59% day in McQuaid's win against Archbishop Curley in April.
Wheeling Jesuit Head Coach Landon Delprince will start his fourth year at the helm after a four-year stint as a player for the Cardinals where he was one of the top scorers in program history. The Cardinals are a Division II team playing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Stevie Katz Signs for Hurst
November 20, 2018 - 
Stevie Katz signed his national letter of intent to study and play lacrosse at Mercyhurst University after graduation next spring.
The senior defenseman/long stick midfielder scored five goals and two assists last season. He won second team All-League honors (MC-d2) as an LSM. The Titans were 16-3 last year behind strong defensive play that allowed only 133 goals against.
Mercyhurst University is a magnet for Section Five players. Head Coach Chris Ryan (Irondequoit) has eight current alum: Ben Smith-Wilcox (Canandaigua), Justin Sale (Irondequoit), Mike Coholan (Irondequoit), Justin Sale (Irondequoit), Matt Sherman (Irondequoit), Jarrett Cook (McQuaid), Nicholas Mabe (Thomas) and Ryan TerHaar (Churchville-Chili).
Fingar and Petersen Sign for Albany
November 20, 2018 - 
Jack Peterson and Conner Fingar signed national letters of intent to study and play lacrosse at SUNY Albany after graduation next spring.
Peterson is a defenseman with the Mustangs and has been playing on the Varsity for four years. Penn Yan is an independent team, so awards are limited, but Peterson was named to the D&C All Greater Rochester Honorable Mention list last year. He is using the winter to get ready for lacrosse after a successful senior season in football where he was named Finger Lakes East All Star and Lineman of the Year. He hopes to study business at Albany.
Fingar, a midfielder, will start his fifth year with the Varsity with a record of 11g-60a after scoring sixty-eight points last year. He was named the MVP of the Class D tournament all-star team after posting fifteen points in the tournament. He was also named MVP, as a sophomore, in the 2017 tournament.
Great Dane Head Coach, Scott Marr, has done well with Section Five alums. Currently playing are Peter Schwab (Penfield), Pat Barrow (Victor) and Michael Kozar (Fairport).
Gananda Looking for Games
November 30, 2018 - 
The Gananda School District is looking for two varsity games for both the boys and the girls teams and two JV games for the girls team for this spring.
Contact John Tichacek, Director of Athletics, Health and Physical Education, at JTichacek@gananda.org if interested.
Victor Celebrates Four with NLIs
November 20, 2018 - There were ten student-athletes at the Victor national letter of intent signing today and four of them were defensemen on the boy's lacrosse team.
Sutton Boland honored his earlier verbal commitment to Penn State University when he signed his NLI. The senior defenseman is a two-time Section Five All-Tournament Team member in Class B. Last year he was honored with a first team All-League patch in Monroe Count (D-1). He also led the Blue Devils in both ground ball production with 87 and in take-aways with 17.
Riley Hauf signed his national letter of intent to study and play lacrosse at Mount St. Mary's University. (Maryland). Last year the defenseman picked up 19 ground balls and recorded seven take-aways. The Mountaineers are an NCAA Division I team playing in the Northeast Conference.
The University of Tampa picked up senior defenseman Ben Yacovonis. The Spartans are an NCAA Division II team playing in the Sunshine State Conference. Currently playing are: Jordan Bobbo (Fairport), Alex Starr (Pittsford), Joe Carey (Thomas) and Max Lambert (Victor).
Cameron Yost is a senior defenseman who signed his NLI for Canisius College in Buffalo. The Golden Griffins are an NCAA Division I team playing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Currently playing are Dylan Joy (Gananda), Brady D`Hont (Penfield), Jacob Buck (Churchville-Chili and Anthony Pezzimenti (Victor).
Rule Changes for 2019 Announced
September 27, 2018 - The NFHS Rules Committee has announced their list of rules changes for 2018 and have been approved by the FHHS Board of Directors. 
Over a dozen changes have been made starting with three in the equipment section, three in the play of the game section, six in the personal foul section and four in the technical foul section.
Some of the interesting changes include:
- Beginning in 2021 goalie chest protectors must meet NOCSAE safety standards.
- A new definition of a shot which states that it must be made when the ball is parallel to or above the goal line extended. It also states that the shot can be from a stick or can be kicked or otherwise physically propelled.
- A goal is not counted if, at the end of a period, under certain conditions.
- The "over and back" rules has new definitions about what can happen on the center line.
- There is a strengthening of the rules that relate to checking a player including the area of "blindsiding".
- Contact with the head or neck not incurs a three-minute non-releasable foul and could result in an ejection.
- A coach on the filed who obstructs play can receive an unsportsmanlike conduct foul.
- There are definitions for holding that state what is and is not permissible.
The full press release is available here. You can also see information on the NFHSA website.
Craig Lapiane New Coach at Hilton
August 25, 2018 - 
The first coaching change for 2019 has been made as Hilton Head Coach Sean Roche has been replaced with Craig Lepiane.
A graduate of Irondequoit High School in 2004 Craig received All-American honors at MCC, where he set scoring records. He then moved on to Ithaca College where he was named an All-American twice.
More recently he has been worked for the IMG Academy and in 2017 was named the Upstate region Manager for 3dlacrosse.
Coach Lepiane will be the sixth coach of the Cadets since their first year in 2003 under Pete Richie.
2018 Season Wrap Up
June 14, 2018 - Section Five lacrosse saw some changes in teams as Greece combined four schools into the Greece Storm and Livonia joined with Avon to form the Lakers. The Rochester city schools combined to form East United. With the changes and combinations, there were thirty-five teams and 942 players. Fairport carried the largest roster with forty players and Batavia had the smallest with sixteen.
There were, once again, four classes for the sectional and NYS tournaments. Three of the four top seeded won their championships. Victor (#1) beat Thomas (#2) in two overtimes in Class B. In Class C Geneva (#1) defeated Wayne (#2) and in Class D, Penn Yan (#1) won their twenty-third title as they had a victory over Aquinas (#6). The Little Irish beat both Pal-Mac (#3) and Gananda (#2) in dramatic fashion to make the finals. In Class A, Penfield (#2) beat Fairport (#1) by a single goal (9-8) to win their first championship since 2013.
The first game of the season was played on March 22nd, when Bath defeated Notre Dame 16-3. The last regular season game was played when Fairport beat Corning 6-4. The 308 regular season games were played and helped to determine the league championships. In Monroe County it was Victor (MC1), Webster Thomas (MC2) and HF-L (MC3). Gananda was the Finger Lakes Champion and McQuaid Jesuit won the GRALL title.
At the end of the year, the Section Five Head Coaches met to select post-season awards. The coaches selected their All League players. Then, after reviews of over thirty nominations, they selected six US Lacrosse All-Americans and six All-Academics. Named All-Americans were Reese Burek (Fairport), Trevor Ford (Thomas), Garrett Ruff (HF-L), Alexander Mabbett (Victor), Brady McDermott (Brighton) and Chayse Ierlan (Victor) who was named for the second time. Named US Lacrosse All-Academics were Jack Billitier (McQuaid), Mitchell Cain (Victor), Jacob Buck (Churchville-Chili), Austin Blumbergs (Penn Yan), Matt Hill (Thomas) and Erik Jakobsze (Schroeder).
The Monroe County Division 1 Player of the Year was Chayse Ierlan. Brady McDermott was the Division 2 Player of the Year. The Bob Scott nominees were Dan Taddeo (Penfield), Matt Hill (Thomas) and Garrett Ruff (HF-L). The Section Five and US Lacrosse Bob Scott Award winner was Dan Taddeo (Penfield).
The Finger Lakes Players of the Year were attackman Brett Cunningham (Gananda), midfielder Jake Gallina (Pal-Mac), defenseman Joe Camp (Wayne) and goalie Jake Drennen (Geneva). The Finger Lakes Player of the Year was defenseman Jake Drennen (Geneva).
The GRALL Player of the Year was attackman Jack Billitier (McQuaid).
East United (Class A), Canandaigua (Class B), Honeoye Falls-Lima (Class C) and Penn Yan (Class D) were awarded the Steve Morgan Sportsmanship Awards by the Genesee Valley Lacrosse Officials Association.
After the regular season, there are several championship opportunities for teams that qualify. Penfield (Class A), Victor (Class B), Geneva (Class C) and Penn Yan (Class D) were the Sectional Champions in 2018.
All Tournament teams were selected for each Class. The MVPs for A, B, C and D were Jack Cummings (Penfield), Sam Lambert (Victor), Sam Miller (Geneva) and Connor Fingar (Penn Yan).
The SportsFive Players of the Year were Trevor Ford (Thomas) in offense and Chayse Ierlan (Victor) in defense. The Sportsman of the Year was Corey Yunker (Churchville-Chili).
The final games of the year are the New York State Tournament. Section Five hosted two of the semifinals and all four Championship games at St. John Fisher College.
In Class A, Penfield lost to Lancaster (Section 6), 11-7. In Class B, Victor beat Hamburg (Section 6) 15-3 and East Syracuse-Minoa (Section 3) to make it to their fourth straight finals, where despite an exciting comeback, lost in the last eight seconds to Garden City. In Class C, Geneva lost to West Seneca East (Section 6), 8-6 and in Class D, Penn Yan beat Akron (Section 6) in overtime, 10-9. The Mustangs then defeated Chenango Forks (Section 4), 10-7, to make it to the championship round where they fell to an overpowering Pleasantville (Section 1).
At the end of the season sixty-four seniors have made college commitments. They will join the over three hundred and twenty players from Section Five who are currently playing at all college levels.
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