Canandaigua wins their 28th game in a row after beating Penn Yan 9-6

Colin Peck, Canandaigua Super Middy

Canandaigua dominated play in the second half, scoring five goals while holding Penn Yan to only one and as a result, the Braves continue their 28 game winning streak with a 9-6 win over the Mustangs. The Braves took nearly twice as many shots as Penn Yan (with as many on cage as the Mustangs took in total). Sophomore goalie Cody Richardson was a major player in keeping Penn Yan close with 11 saves.

Penn Yan opened the scoring with the first two goals of the game, both unassisted. The first goal, scored by Jordan Owen, was scored with an inside dodge which deflected off the stick of Canandaigua goalie Nick King and into the cage. Two minutes later Adam Stork came down the left side of the cage with his own dodge and once again the ball deflected off King’s stick and into the cage.

Defensively, the Braves seemed flat; however the Mustangs could not seem to capitalize on their attempts. The Mustangs were patient, however their patience at times cost them productivity as they too often lost possession without a shot on cage. The Braves came down for the first serious offensive opportunity and Brandon Thompson put the ball on the cage, but Richardson came up with his first save of the game.

On their second attempt, the Braves’ Adam Knapton scored on a Deven Alves feed after being left alone on the crease and after a miscommunication by the Mustang defense. Only 0:39 later, the Braves scored their first extra-man goal. Knapton looked across the crease and found Thomson open.

The Braves took their first lead when Tom LaCrosse scored an unassisted goal after subbing into play and driving straight to the cage. The first quarter finished with the Braves leading 3-2.

Penn Yan came back in the second quarter with their strongest quarter, scoring three goals and holding Canandaigua to only one. The Mustangs scored the first two goals. Eighth grader Bradley Voigt scored the tying goal when he drove from behind the cage at the same time as Nate Nichols drove with the ball from the top and hit him as he passed goal-line extended. The Mustangs took their second lead of the game after Voigt passed the ball from behind the cage and, after missing his target, Preston Maciejewski scooped the ball out of the air and scored with a hard outside shot.

Gannon Osborn scored unassisted with a hard outside shot to tie the game one more time with 2:37 remaining in the first half. The final goal of the first half was scored when Adam Trombley took the ball behind the cage and waited patiently for the right opportunity. He found what he was waiting for and scored with a high bounce into the upper corner. The Mustangs held a 5-4 lead going into the second half.

The second half was all Canandaigua.
The Braves held Penn Yan scoreless for the entire third quarter, and held them to only three shots (one on cage). Canandaigua scored their first goal just 0:44 into the third quarter when LaCrosse scored on a straight dodge from the top of the box that bounced in off the far pipe. LaCrosse came back with his third goal of the game during another extra-man opportunity with an assist from Osborn. Less than two minutes later the Braves scored their third and final goal of the third quarter when Thomson drove from behind the cage and found Alves open in front of the crease. The Braves led 7-5 after three quarters.

Thomson scored the first goal of the fourth quarter with LaCrosse assisting only 0:36 into the quarter. The Braves had scored four unanswered goals and held the Mustangs scoreless for 15:14 before Penn Yan got on the board with their final goal of the game. During an extra-man situation Owen passed the ball to Trombley on the outside and he finished into the back of the net. The Braves added the final goal of the game with Alves finding Jordan Reals cutting on the inside during yet another extra-man goal. The Braves got the ball back to their offensive end of the field with 3:00 remaining and after two time-outs they ran out the remaining clock.

Overall, Penn Yan had key players that kept them in the game; however the Braves were too much to control. Canandaigua kept control of the ball for a majority of the game, not allowing Penn Yan’s offensive to find their groove. Conversely, when the Mustangs did have the ball on their offensive side, they were patient and more than half of their on-cage shots resulted in goals. The Braves also led in the ground ball battle 31-22. Face-off man Parker Weeks led with six ground balls and finished 10/19 at the draw (10/16 on non-technical face-offs). Midfielder Adam Stork led in ground balls for Penn Yan with five.

Penn Yan plays McQuaid, Aquinas and Somers (Section I) next week. Canandaigua takes most of next week off and will prepare to host Fairport on Saturday. Fairport plays Jamesville-DeWitt tomorrow and Webster Schroeder on Tuesday. If they win those two games, Saturday’s game with Canandaigua will end one team’s winning streak.

Kyle Stanney Leads The Defense In Win Over Schroeder (click the pic)

Canandaigua Academy won its seventh consecutive game this season, and 27th overall, on Tuesday afternoon with a 9-4 victory over Webster Schroeder at McAvoy Park.

“We don’t pay any attention to (the winning streak), but that’s the nature of the beast,” said CA coach Ed Mulheron. “Other people do and I understand that.”
The Braves utilized balanced scoring to break open a tight game in the second quarter.

“Our defense played well, holding them to nine goals, and with the amount of possessions they had,” said Schroeder coach Matt Petz.
“They were such a great riding team, we had a tough time clearing the ball. Give a great team like that lots of opportunities and they’re going to capitalize. They’re very athletic and they run hard.”

The Warriors (3-5) opened the scoring when senior Pete Noto controlled the faceoff and broke in to score 40 seconds into the action.
“Pete has always been a main catalyst in how our offense works,” Petz said. “He’s probably one of the faster kids around, and he’s the kind of kid who is going to go to the goal when he gets a chance.”

CA knotted the count about four minutes later on a goal by senior Deven Alves.
Schroeder regained the lead 2:05 into the second quarter on a shot by senior Alex Powell.

The Braves shut down the Warriors for nearly 24 minutes while scoring seven unanswered goals.
“I thought we played real good team defense,” Mulheron said. “Nick King really played well in the goal.

“They’re a good quality team so anytime you can come up here and get a win we’re really happy.”
Senior Tom LaCrosse tied the score 24 seconds after Schroeder had regained the lead. The Braves added a man-up goal by senior Brandon Thomson and one by senior Adam Knapton with 5.5 seconds left for a 5-2 halftime advantage.

Only two goals were netted in the third stanza as Thomson scored man-up, off an assist from LaCrosse, and senior Gannon Osborn scored even-strength.
The Braves for several turnovers, plus the Warriors had a few unforced turnovers as well.

“We spend a lot of time and take a great deal of effort in our ride,” Mulheron said. “I think today it paid off for us as they struggled to get the ball out. Consequently, we got a few more opportunities and it paid off.”
CA junior Evan Helming put home a rebound shot in the fourth quarter.

Noto controlled the ensuing faceoff and scored Schroeder’s third goal just six seconds later.
Knapton tallied his second marker of the match with 4:11 to play.

“We had a lot of kids contribute, we traditionally do,” said Mulheron. “It’s harder to defend us because of that. This year it is a group mentality and any one of them can be the star on that day.”
The Braves kept applying pressure and attacking the ball.

“If we just coming at people over the course of 48 minutes, we’re hoping to break you down and cause some havoc,” said Mulheron.
Schroeder closed the scoring as Cody Consul dove for the goal while being pushed from behind and the Warriors playing short-handed in the final minute of the game.

“He’s a hard-nosed kid who is going to be going to the cage,” said Petz. “He’s going to finish it all the time.
“We’ve got some kids who are going to do that. We just need everybody else going to the goal as hard as that.”

CA goalie senior Nick King made seven saves as Schroeder senior keeper Scott Tota had nine saves.

Canandaigua wins 26 games in a row with big win over Corning at home.

Exactly one year ago, the Trojan of Corning East beat Canandaigua, but that was the last game the Braves lost all season and their winning streak. They have won ever since and preserved their twenty-six game winning streak today with an 11-9 win at Evans Field. Last year’s game, played in Corning, was highlighted by the goalie play of Nicky King (CA) and Tyler White (CE) and they were both back to play the return game today. King (11s/9ga) made some wonderful saves but lost on a number of bounce shots, while White (12s/11ga) also made some spectacular saves, but suffered from high corner shots by a number of Canandaigua players.

Corning started the scoring at 9:46 when Matt Nehring scored with a bounce shot that landed over Kings shoulder. Both teams spent a great deal of time on each offensive set moving the ball around the outside, not always testing match ups, but feeling players out.

Tommy Lacrosse Sorres 2 Goals In Win Over Corning East

Senior midfielder Tom LaCrosse started the Canandaigua scoring with a drive from the top of the box to the left, scoring on a medium range shot, high into the net.

Twenty second later, after a pushing call that gave the Braves a man up opportunity, senior attackman Deven Alves fed the ball to Adam Knapton on the low post. The Braves scored two more before the end of the quarter. The first, at 3:53, saw a short pass from Knapton to senior middie Gannon Osborn, open right on the crease. The second, at 1:27, was on an end-to-end clear when Osborn took the ball deep in his defensive end, dodged three riding Trojans and then dodged one more on the offensive end before finishing with the ball in the net.

With 0:14 left, Jordan Frysinger fed Ryan Schwartz, cutting to the crease for the last goal of the quarter for Corning as the Braves led 4-2.

The Canandaigua defense was deliberate and thoughtful and produced a good number of take-aways and the vast amount of their clears.

An off sides call at the end of the quarter gave the Braves the ball to start the second stanza and they scored in their man up set; LaCrosse from the top of the box on a feed from Knapton.

On their next offensive set, Canandaigua scored again, this time on a beautiful touch feed from Alves to Jordan Reals on to the right of the goalie, playing the left post. For most of the rest of the half, it was a back and forth scoring game.

Deven Alves Scores 2 goals & 3 assists against Corning East

A few minutes later Deven Alves scored on a crease drive from behind the net at 6:38. Corning was back at 5:09 when Ryan Schwartz made many switchback, before he positioned himself in front of the net for a wrist shot past King.

At 4:16, Knapton received the ball from Alves from back right and dodged an inside defender, finishing with a wrist shot past White. The Trojans scored the last two goals, in a flurry of activity, both by Ben Dunlavey and just thirteen seconds apart. The first was scored with 0:32 left in the half when he picked up a blocked shot that came of King’s chest and, after scooping up the ground ball, popped it into the net. The second, 0:19 was scored with a quick turn back and shot into the upper corner. Although the Braves controlled much of the first half, they ca-ceallowed the Trojans, in the last minute to bring the score to 8-6.

The third quarter saw relatively little scoring with CA adding one and East adding two, bringing them to within one goal by the end of the quarter. Osborn scored the lone goal for the Braves with a ground ball to a medium range shot on the high crease. Dunlavey received the ball from Devin Grimaldi (behind the net) as he cut to the crease and Frysinger added an unassisted goal (at 4:37) when he drove from behind the net, looking for a feed, and finding none, turned hard inside for the score. The Corning offense was deliberate and patient throughout the game, moving the ball well on the outside and constantly looking for cutters, who sometimes were missing. The third quarter ended with Canandaigua up 9-8.

Canandaigua seemed to rush their offense at times, particularly in the last quarter and although it paid off with two goals it lost them possession at a number of key moment s. The Peck boys gave the Braves a two point lead with Collin feeding Bryan at 7:03. Alves scored the last goal of the game for Canandaigua at 5:22 when he dodged from the right and scored with an outside shot. Corning had plenty of ball time in the last half of the fourth quarter and scored a single goal at 4:45, when after a time out, Grimaldi ran behind the goal, then cut tight around the crease and scored with an underhand shot that rose to the top left corner. Each team called time outs in the last two minutes of the game; East trying to set up scoring plays, and the Braves trying to keep possession away from the Trojan. A critical save by King in the last minute of the game ensured that the game did not go to overtime.

The book for Canandaigua:   Jordan Reals (1g),  Adam Knapton (2g-2a),  Deven Alves (2g-3a),  Tom LaCrosse (2g),  Gannon Osborn (3g),  Bryan Peck (1g),  Collin Peck (1a), Goaltending:  Nick King 11s/9ga = 55% (48 mins)

The book for Corning East: Ben Dunlavey (3g), Matt Nehring (2g), Devin Grimaldi (1g-1a), Ryan Schwartz (2g), Jordan Frysinger (1g-1a) Goaltending: Tyler White 12s/11ga 48 mins.

The Canandaigua Braves could have scheduled a potential laugher among their current stretch of non-league boys lacrosse games.

Instead, the top-ranked Class B team in the state will risk its New York-best 25-game win streak when the Braves (5-0) host Corning East (3-0) of Section IV at noon Saturday at Evans Field.

“Any chance we have, we try to play the best competition possible,” Canandaigua coach Ed Mulheron said. “There’s not many teams a whole lot better than Corning East.”

The Trojans have won four state titles, and with more than 700 wins have been the marquee program in Section IV for decades. Winners of 25 sectionals titles, the Trojans are ranked fourth among Class C schools.

“They are really solid,” Mulheron said. “They are not going to beat themselves. They are going to get good goalie play and, overall, just fundamentally sound.”

Mulheron calls Corning East senior goalie Tyler White “one of the best goalies in the country.” White was a major factor in Corning East’s 9-6 win over Canandaigua last season, and has three of those defensemen in front of him again.

Canandaigua doesn’t seem to be in rebuild mode either.

Brandon Thomson (11 goals) and Tom LaCrosse (11) are the leading goal-scorers for Canandaigua, while four other Braves have at least five. Thomson is a game-time decision with an ankle injury.

The Braves edged a strong Pittsford team, 7-5, in their opener then handled Rush-Henrietta, Gates Chili and Penfield.

“We graduated a lot of players,” Mulheron said. “There’s a lot of room for growth.

“We are just trying to find out what we can be, where we all fit in the scheme.”

Top returnees:
Deven Alves (sr. attack); Adam Fingar (sr. defense); Tom LaCrosse (sr. midfield); Gannon Osborn (sr. midfield); Nick King (sr. goalie).

Key newcomers: Mark Greer (jr. midfield); Nick Smith (jr. defense); Matt Scharr (soph. midfield).

Outlook: The Braves return a bevy of talent at all positions from last year’s state championship team. Alves (University of Maryland Baltimore County), Fingar (Hartford), LaCrosse (Penn State), Osborn (Marist) and King (Penn State) have all committed to play at Division I college programs next year. Brandon Thomson (Mercyhurst), a senior attackman, scored 35 goals last season.

Mulheron also expects big things from Adam Knapton, who scored 20 goals in limited time. The Braves hope their depth will ease the loss of three starting defenders to graduation.

Deven Alves, Attack, Canandaigua Lacrosse (click the pic)

Deven Alves
Canandaigua lacrosse

Age: 18
Class: Senior
Position: Attack.
Academics: 88 average.

The scoop:
The third-year varsity player had three goals and four assists in a win over Gates Chili and four goals and four assists in a win over Penfield. He has 10 goals and 14 assists after a 1 goal and 3-assist effort at Hilton on Thursday.

Family: Parents, Cindy and Mike.

Honors:
Section V Tournament MVP with five goals and three assists in title-game win over Irondequoit, and Adidas high school All-American last spring with 47 goals and 20 assists.

College: Committed to (UMBC)
University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Did you know? His father played at Rush-Henrietta, Ithaca College and for semi-pro box lacrosse with the Rochester Greywolves;  Deven’s cousins, Gordy Mapes (Attack, Syracuse University) and Eddie Mapes (Attack, Naval Academy) also played in college.

Quotable:
“He’s a team player first,” coach Ed Mulheron said. “He’ll do anything for the betterment of the team,” coach Ed Mulheron said. “I think the kids know that and appreciate that. He treats people right.”

Quotable II: “When I was crawling I had a lacrosse stick in my hand,” Alves said.

Favorite athlete: NHL star Alexander Ovechkin.

Canandaigua Ranked #1 in First State Ranking For 2010

The first state poll is out today and eleven Section Five teams make the list sponsored by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

In Class A, Fairport is in the number 8 position while the Greece Thunder (Ath/Ody) and Pittsford make the Honorable Mention list.

In Class B, Canandaigua starts out in the Number one slot. Brighton is listed as Number 15 while Irondequoit, McQuaid Jesuit and Thomas make Honorable Mention.

In Class C, Penn Yan starts out in number 5 and Aquinas is in at number 11 while Palmyra-Macedon is on the Honorable Mention list.

The top spots in week one go to Ward Melville (Section 11) in Class A, Canandaigua in Class B and Manhasset (Section in Class C.

You can view all the NYS rankings here….

InsideLacrosse.com  Canandaigua Ranked #14 In The Nation

CA stickmen earn school record 23rd straight with win over Gates Chili

#7 Deven Alves Scores 4 goal and adds 4 assists As Canandaigua Sets New School Record With 23 Consecutive Wins

The players on the Canandaigua Academy lacrosse team didn’t even realize that they were, yet again, on the cusp of history. The Braves were unwittingly looking for their 23rd straight victory and got it, tying a school record for consecutive wins with a 21-5 domination of host Gates Chili on Tuesday.

Neither rain nor tenacious and athletic Gates defenders could stop CA attack Deven Alves who recorded four goals and four assists to pace his club. Taking it one game at a time might sound like a cliche, but it’s a way of life in the CA clubhouse.

“It all started with last year’s team and those kids went on to college,” said Alves, whose team is now 3-0. “We just took the torch.”

Gates hung with the perennial power early and only trailed 5-2 after the first quarter.

Just 1:48 in, Alves threw a pass from behind the net to an oncoming Gannon Osborn, who fired a shot past GC goalie Brian Lane for a 1-0 CA lead. Grant Ferguson answered for the Spartans with 8:46 to play in the first, driving in from behind the net and wrapping it past Braves goalie Nick King for the equalizer.

CA outscored the host 4-1 to close the stanza, however, and took the momentum into the second quarter, scoring six unanswered to open it.

“It’s a game of streaks and so far we’ve played such talented teams,” Gates head coach Mark Sweeney said. “These guys are state champions, not much you can do.”

With 10:43 left in the half, Gates sophomore midfielder Pete DiLaura got trapped in his own defensive third. The Braves recovered to their offensive end, Alves took the centering pass and dished off to Adam Knapton for the goal.

Knapton finished with a hat trick in the win.

“We get out of the gate nervous, but we start relaxing,” he said. “We start slowing it down and start playing better.”

The flurry continued when junior midfielder Mark Greer won the ensuing faceoff and Jake Smith threw a bomb to Alves breaking to the goal. Alves finished just 11 seconds after the previous goal and the lead was five.

Mark Greer Wins 11 of 14 Faceoff's In Canandaigua's Record Setting 23rd Straight Win

Greer was key to the rally, winning 11-of-14 faceoffs in the second quarter after CA was outperformed 2-8 in the first.

“We try to set a certain level and attitude to play with,” Braves coach Ed Mulheron said. “We try to play fast, we try to play hard. We’ve got kids that take a lot of pride in what they do and this is their reward.”

Alves scored two more goals and doled out another assist in the run. After CA had run the score to 11-2, Tyler Webb scored a goal with 6:30 remaining in the quarter to briefly stop the bleeding.

But the Braves closed the half on a 4-2 run to take a 15-5 lead into the half. Webb had two goals and DiLaura and Brian Eckham scored the other two Spartan goals.

“They had a lot of good athletes,” Mulheron said of the Spartans. “They were very physical and they have some talented kids.”

Jordan Reals netted a hat trick and Osborn and Collin Carson finished with two goals apiece for CA.

Brandon Thompson Leads Canandaigua In Scoring With 4 goals In 2010 Season Opener Aginst Pittsford

Despite facing a game opponent who nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback, the Canandaigua boys lacrosse team passed their first test of the 2010 season.

The Braves defeated Pittsford 7-5 Monday at Nazareth College in the season opener for both teams. After building a 6-0 lead into halftime Canandaigua held off the Panther comeback over the final 2:26 to secure the non-league win.

The Braves earned their 22nd consecutive victory.

“In the first half I thought we played pretty well because we battled through some penalties,” said Ed Mulheron, Canandaigua head coach. “In the second half we fought really hard, we just didn’t play smart. We just battled tonight.”

Pittsford presented a daunting challenge for the Braves as the Panthers only lost six players off a team that reached the Class A semifinals last year. Pittsford is similar to CA in that they have a strong defense featuring future Division I players Joe Dupra and Justin McLiverty.

Braves goalkeeper Nick King was the defensive star of the game stopping 12 shots. King’s biggest save came on Alex Kober to keep CA ahead by two with under one minute remaining.

King, who wears a Michael Jordan before and after every game, made some plays that would make even his airness wouldn’t believe. He stopped Thomas Rodenhouse 1:45 into the game then stopped two straight shots on a second quarter Canandaigua penalty.

“I felt very comfortable before the game, and I thought we looked great defensively tonight,” King said. “This was a great to team to start off with. They are a solid team, but we played great tonight.”

Tommy Lacrosse Caps 2 Goals Against Pittsford In 2010 Season Opener

Tom LaCrosse didn’t waste any time giving the Braves a 1-0 lead 34 seconds into the first quarter. Brandon Thomson scored twice in the quarter to put Canandaigua up 3-0.

LaCrosse tallied his second goal of the game 6:18 into the second quarter after eluding a Panther defender behind the net. Knapton and Thomson capped the first-half scoring.

“The first game of the season we wanted to start strong and you couldn’t have asked for something better,” said LaCrosse, who finished with two goals. “We proved to a lot of people we can put points on the board, and it feels great”

Pittsford had plenty of chances to come back in the first half but the Braves killed off the man-advantages.

Canandaigua was penalized for an illegal stick to start the second quarter and had to kill off a three-minute penalty. Less than six minutes into the second quarter the Braves already had killed off four penalties.

“In the first half we were just trying to get after ground balls and our defense played amazing especially because we were a man down for what felt like half the game,” Thomson said.

James Purpura scored Pittsford’s first goal 1:39 into the third quarter. Purpura’s second goal came a little over four minutes later but the Panthers still trailed 7-2 heading into the fourth.

James Burke and Matt Gold scored to cut the lead to 7-4 with 4:19 left. Kober brought Pittsford within two with 2:36 remaining but they could not get closer.

“We still have some work to do,” Mulheron said. “This is only our third time on the field, but I feel like we gave a good effort. I think we can be pleased to get this win.”

How can you possibly top what the Canandaigua Braves boys lacrosse team did last year? Here is a big clue: They don’t intend to.

Collin Carson and the Braves to open their season against Pittsford at Nazareth College

“I don’t know if it is ever possible to repeat previous seasons’ performances,” said CA head lacrosse coach Ed Mulheron, who over 26 years has been a CA lacrosse coach in one form or another at the Academy. “Last year might have been special because of the ‘In the Balance’ exposure and where we wound up, with a state title and all, but the year before that was special and we expect to make this year special too. All in it’s own way.”

While under the watchful Internet eye of the “In the Balance” spotlight that turned out to be around the world, the Braves, while going 22-2 on the season, won the Finger Lakes 1 league title, the Class B sectional title, Western Regional title and, their ultimate goal, a state title.  A tough act to follow indeed.

This year will be a bit different in that the Braves are moving to Monroe County II league play and, in what some outside observers look at as a reduction of the level in the Braves play, they have lost 14 seniors from last years ultra-successful team.

Well don’t count your chickens before they are hatched as this year’s team is as loaded as last year’s. The Braves will be returning a team that has seven players who have already signed letters of intent to play college lacrosse next fall. Their leading goal-scorer, senior Deven Alves, will be bringing a scoring attitude to the mix that got him 47 goals and 20 assists last season. Joining him in the attack will be returning senior attack men Brandon Thompson and Adam Knapton, who last year between the two of them scored 65 goals.

The Braves midfield is returning five solid and experienced players in Tom LaCrosse, Gannon Osborn, Colin Peck, Bryan Peck and Parker Weeks. LaCrosse looks to be the heart of the Braves midfield, coming off a 30-goal season last year.

CA’s defense is as staunch as last year’s also, returning three seniors in Adam Fingar, Kyle Stanney and Matt George, while being anchored by what will probably be one of the strongest goalies in Section 5 this season; Nick King.

And if that isn’t enough, here is more proof that the Braves are not to be trifled with this season; Of the 18 seniors on their team this year, 16 of them have been in the Braves lacrosse program since the third grade.

CA’s coaching staff has changed a bit too with long-time Mulheron assistant Mike Pane moving over to lead the new Gananda lacrosse program as their first-year JV coach, the Blue Panthers only team this first season.

“While we will miss Mike, that was a great move for him,” Mulheron recognized. “To replace him we have brought in Jeff Welch to help us out. Jeff played at Ithaca and his dad is the head football coach there. Jeff is an outstanding first-year teacher who we are real happy to have on board.”

Mulheron was asked about their being any change in his coaching philosophy to adapt to his new players this years.

“Each year you have to adjust a little bit to your personnel,” he continued. “But we feel that we have a certain philosophy that we don’t have to make much, if any, changes to. We believe in what we believe and we go from there.

We are hoping to contend this year while realizing that moving over to Monroe County will be a challenge. We are hoping to be in the fight for the league title and the sectional title and then from that point just take it one day at a time.”

At this point of the season that’s all a coach can do; Take it one day at a time.

The college ranks will be reaping the rewards of 16 Canandaigua Academy student-athletes converging on their campuses in a few months.

7 Canandaigua Lacroose Players Sign National Letters Of Intent For Division 1 Lacrosse

Depending on the relationship, 16 could be a pretty big number. When it represents the number of student-athletes from one senior class at one school going on to NCAA Division I collegiate programs, the number is downright huge.

Wednesday afternoon, Canandaigua Academy athletic director Jim Simmons and his staff trotted out 16 seniors who are going onto 13 different Division I colleges spread out all over the United States. All 16 were present to sign letters-of-intent.

“This is an exciting time not only for all of these student-athletes you see in front of you but for us and their parents,” Simmons said in front of a packed large meeting room at the Academy.

“I want to say how proud I am of not only what kind of athletic ability that they have but also about the kind of role models they are in this building and the things they do academically. We are very, very proud of these student-athletes.”

The list of signees, their sports and schools, looks like this:

Boys lacrosse
Tom LaCrosse, Penn State; Nick King, Penn State; Deven Alves, University of Maryland Baltimore County; Adam Finger, Hartford; Gannon Osborn, Marist; Brandon Thomas, Mercyhurst; Kyle Stanney, Mercyhurst.

Girls lacrosse
Haley Marafioti, Duquesne; Taylor D’Amore, Johns Hopkins; Abbey Friend, North Carolina; Bailey Knapton, Marist; Stacy Wade, Robert Morris.

Girls volleyball
Lindsey Hanggi, Canisius

Baseball
Justin D’Amato, Niagara; Cass Roberts, St. Bonaventure

Boys swimming
Will Brophy, Harvard

Lacrosse star Osborn, who also quarterbacked the CA football team this fall, pointed out how hard work can pay off.

Allstar Middy Gannon Osborn Signs National Letter Of Intent For Marist

“The number of people here is just a testament to what athletics and academics at our school means to all of us,” he said. “We have a lot of student-athletes that work hard to improve themselves in any way, every day that they can. At an event like this you really get to see how all that hard work has paid off for so many. Anything can happen if you just put your mind to it and work hard.”

Gannon, heading to Poughkeepsie, and D’Amore, who will be going to Baltimore, are both — sort of — looking to get out on their own.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Osborn said with a grin. “It should be a lot of fun. When I was looking at schools one of the things that I wanted to do was to stay close enough to home where I could still go home if I needed to but yet be far enough away where my parents won’t just drop by from time to time.”

So it was Wednesday afternoon. A packed house full of 16 sets of athletes and their parents, coaching staff, administrators and media gathering to witness something that hasn’t been seen before in the Finger Lakes.