Penfield Hoping Hard Work Pays Off

March 30, 2022 -

Penfield 2022

Class B - Monroe County League

Penfield feels like a Class A team, but they are actually a Class B team, and last year, at 12-4, the only games that they lost were to Victor, Thomas and Canandaigua, which finished right above them in the Class B Tournament. They had memorable games, beating West Genesee, Fairport and Pittsford.

The Patriot offense scored 254 points last year and two-thirds came from the senior class. Gone are Sam Cummings (47g-10a), Jake Fox (4g-13a), Jackson Saulpaugh (28g-27a-Mercyhurst), and Chris Smith (18g-7a). Also lost is face off specialists John Richiusa who won 195 (76%) of his draws and led the team in ground ball production with 134 and Sam Schlifke who won 53 (69%) draws.

That's a great deal to lose, but there is still talent returning this year. Senior attackman Alec Constable (34g-9a) has worked hard in the off-season, was a member of the gold medal Western Lacrosse Team last summer and will be playing at Le Moyne next year. Also playing on the gold medal team was senior Sean Smith (11g-7a), a lock-down defensive midfielder who will play at RPI next year. He was the Class A player of the year, all-state and AGR player of the year in ice hockey.

Elijah Utz is another two-sport athlete (football) who played on the gold medal team last summer. A midfielder (6g-9a), he has also worked hard in the off-season and will play at Coker University (Division II in South Carolina). Joining Elijah in the midfield is junior Sam Lublin, also a two-sport athlete (football) who has had "an impressive off-season in the weight room".

At the defensive end of the field, Oswego bound senior goalie Seamus Hand returns after making 143 saves (56%).  In front of him will be Jackson Barrese, who lost a season to COVID and another to a knee injury, but he is back for his senior year and coach Schembri says Jackson is eager to make up for lost time and ready to show everyone what he has in 2022."

Coach Schembri knows that playing a challenging schedule helps to develop a better team and so, in addition to a competitive MC-D2 schedule that includes Thomas, Victor and Canandaigua, be has scheduled West Genesee, Pittsford, Fairport, and on a spring trip, Comsewogue (Long Island).

As he starts his fourteenth year at the helm, Coach Schembri says, "I am always proud to have the opportunity to coach lacrosse in a program and a section with such a high level of investment by players and coaches helping to make Section 5 one of the premier sections for lacrosse in New York."

Head Coach

John Schembri 14th year 139-82

Assisted by - Jerry Dawes - Cory Holbrough

Some Key Players

Jackson Saulpaugh (12-A/M), John Richiusa (12-FO/M), Alec Constable (11-A), Jackson Barrese (11-D), Sam Cummings (12-A), Will Hand (12-A/M)

Key Games

Coach Schembri says, Class B is a tough class. Every game will be a big matchup."

See other stories as they are posted: Class A  -  Class B  -  Class C  -  Class D