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Blue Devils Come Up Run Short in Class C Title Game
Worthy Haldane loses in softball final for 2nd year in row
by Ray Gallagher
 | | In Denial - Haldane catcher Cassie Barcacavge has a lockdown on home plate in the Blue Devils' 4-3 loss at the Section 1 championship game last Saturday at North Rockland High School. |
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Chances are pretty good that Haldane High will be back in this very same spot next year; poised to sink its teeth into the Section 1 Class C softball championship yet again.
After falling in the Section 1 title game for a second year in a row during Saturday's 4-3 loss to No.2 Dobbs Ferry, fourth-seeded Haldane (11-7) will have as good a shot as anyone in Class C at getting back in the spring of 2008. With a slew of underclassmen expected to return for Coach Brian Ogden, including eighth-grade windmiller Chelsea Lisikatos, the Blue Devils figure on a return trip back to the campus of North Rockland next June.
But looking back to last Saturday, the Blue Devil bats picked a bad time to go flat. Stymied by Dobbs Ferry freshman chucker Jacqueline Crews, the Blue Devils could only crack a measly four singles off the Eagles righthander, who whiffed eight and stranded nine runners to out-duel Lisikatos. The tenacious Haldane righthander allowed a pair of runs to score on wild pitches while surrendering five hits, four walks and a pair of earned runs during a game that had a one-hour rain/lightning delay. Lisikatos struck out seven and battled some atypical control issues at times, and the bats were unable to bail her out. These are the kinds of things Ogden's troops will be expected to work on in earnest over the course of the summer season, much like the volleyball and basketball teams at Haldane will do in their off-season regimen.
You see, Haldane, despite losing two Section 1 championships in girl's basketball and softball, had a pretty slick year; thanks to the gals. A frenzied appearance in the state volleyball finals, a mind-boggling loss to Blind Brook in the sectional basketball championship and a one-run loss to Dobbs on the diamond is nothing to sneeze at. Yeah, they got some pretty dang good female athletes just off the Hudson River in the tiny townships of Cold Spring, Garrison, Philipstown and Nelsonville… enough to make its namesake, James H. Haldane, proud.
With the exception of shortstop Missy Gannon, the core of this softball unit should return intact next season, including young gun Lisikatos, OF Jade Lyons, 2B Rachel Flaherty, 3B Jen Lombardo, OF Meghan Spratt, 1B Irina Impellittiere, C Cassie Barcavage, OF Lily Rubino and a host of non-starters poised to make an impression next season, not that they haven't already.
Coach Brian Ogden said, "Next year we'll have six seniors going in which means our window of opportunity is closing. They know this could be their last shot. Our goal this year from day one was to win the section, no question, but we had some uncharacteristic missed opportunities in those clutch situations where we needed big hits."
Several of these girls are also fantastic volleyball players, meaning they'll have to split time this off-season to hone their skills in both sports, but seriously, folks; this was a vintage year for the Haldane girls. The recent move from Class D to Class C has taken some time to adjust to a higher level of competition, but it's clear that the Blue Devils will be a continued force in Section 1 and an eventual factor in the state tournament in at least these three sports.
From the great, record-setting Brittany Shields on the basketball court, to spike-happy Megan Lyons on the volleyball court, to the wunderkind that is Lisikatos; Haldane is one small marvel: From Lombardo to Flaherty to the McConville sisters and much, much more. I've been closely following the local sports beat for a number of years now, having covered some very worthy female sports programs, including anything coached at Lakeland High by Putnam Valley resident Sharon Sarsen… one of the best in the business. But I've got to say that my first year covering the Haldane girls has been something else. You can always count on the Lady Blue Devils, as measures are always taken to ensure a solid product is put forth. I knew this going in, but the proof was right there in front of my face; from November's powerful volleyball run north to Glens Falls, to basketball's Mecca - the Westchester County Center - in March, right through Ogden/Lisikatos-led diamond spree in June. These were three impressive championship runs, and I fully suspect that I'll be clearing my schedule again next year.
The question put directly to Athletic Director Susan Reid is a simple one (yeah, right): How and why are the young ladies of Haldane able to put forth such a wonderful athletic product year after year?
"As an outsider coming in here a few years ago I wondered the same thing," she said Tuesday morning, sitting alongside Joanne Nastasi, a Teacher's Aide at Haldane who has provided the district with a ton of athleticism herself in the form of various recordsetting student athletes. "I wondered if they had some sort of secret or something here, but it's no secret. It's a different mix of chemistry in all three sports that you mentioned, but in each one it's a group of some of the hardest working athletes I've been around. Our kids are dedicated during the season and they work just as hard in the off-season to improve."
If it were that simple, everyone would be doing it; though it is vital to their success. As another outsider looking in; it would appear the district is both opportunistic and blessed with good fortune.
Visit www.printroom.com/pro/yourdirectrays or www.yourdirectrays.com for photo galleries pertaining to Section 1 & Haldane sports, including the sectional championship game.
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