Undefeated Canandaigua girls lacrosse setting high bar in Section V

Even for a program with six Section V titles to its credit, Canandaigua girls lacrosse is forging through new territory this spring.

Ten games down, all wins. The Gray Wolves are Section V's last undefeated team and currently rank third in the New York Sportswriters' Class B rankings. Only five other teams in New York state, according to the NYSSWA, have not suffered a loss so far.

"We had confidence in ourselves, but we knew we had to work hard," defender Rose Heagney said. "I believe we all thought we were going to do well, just not undefeated well."

Bookmark this: Section V girls lacrosse scores for 2024 season

That unblemished record will be put to the test in the final weeks of the regular season, as Section V matchups with Spencerport (8-3), Fairport (9-2) and Rush-Henrietta (7-2) await. There's also an upcoming tilt with perennial New York state power South Jefferson from Section III.

Still, under first-year varsity coach John Herriman, Canandaigua is as well-equipped as any to contend for a Section V title -- and beyond.

Canandaigua becomes first Section V team to reach 10 wins

The Gray Wolves returned a solid core from last year's group that went 13-5, including defensemen Heagney (second team all-league in Monroe County) and Caroline Lyttle (first team all-league). There's also senior attack Hanna Davis, a 2023 All-Greater Rochester selection.

Canandaigua pulled off impressive wins against Mercy and Pittsford in the early season. Then, in the last week, bolstered its resume with a 7-6 victory against Victor on April 22, followed by a 7-3 win against Penn Yan last Saturday,.

Victor is the defending Class B state champion, while Penn Yan claimed Section V's Class D title last spring.

"Part of it is scheme, part of it is our athletes, part of it is heart. These girls play with a lot of intensity and they play together. And not for nothing, they're very skilled too," Herriman said. "We've had some good goalie play, especially in the big moments. When those things come together, it springboards us. The offense can really feed off it."

Through Monday's games, Canandaigua ranks second in all of Section V in total goals (131; only Fairport has more) and first in goals per game (13.1). Most impressive, though, is that the Gray Wolves held Victor and Penn Yan to a combined nine goals.

"On the offensive side, we're really moving the ball around well and finishing our shots," sophomore Lola Schorr said. "It's boosting our confidence and feels really good."

Davis lives up to lofty standard

Fans of 1980s professional hockey should be familiar with "Wayne Gretzky's office", a term attributed to the Hall of Famer's habit of setting up behind the opposition's net, either to force a defender to chase which led to a shooting opportunity, or to scan the zone and find a teammate for an easy tap-in goal.

On several occasions against Penn Yan, Davis similarly stood stationary behind the Mustangs' cage, sometimes waiting as long as 10 seconds for a teammate to break open or an impatient defender to commit.

More often than not, a scoring chance followed in the ensuing seconds.

"The beauty is that her and a lot of our players are getting used to attacking from a lot of different spots on the field," Herriman said. "We do give a little bit of autonomy as far as where they feel most comfortable attacking. We like that look with the ball in her stick, and she was able to make a play, whether it was a pass or coming around to score."

Davis racked up 258 points in her first three varsity seasons, including 46 goals and 94 points as a junior in 2023.

This spring, Davis' scoring output has been more modest -- the Boston College commit has 46 points through 10 games, a slight downtick from last year's production. Statistics, though, don't mimic Davis' value to the team.

"There's some great talent in Section V and she belongs in the top of that conversation," Herriman said. "The thing about Hanna ... if we asked her to go out and score every goal for us, she could. But she doesn't. She's a great facilitator and makes everybody around her better. She does so many of the intangibles that helped this team have the start that it has."

Preparing for sectionals

May 16 is the final day of the regular season, and Section V's competition will then embark on postseason play.

Despite its superior win-loss record and head-to-head matchup, Canandaigua trails Victor in the overall Class B standings. Spencerport and Irondequoit are also within striking distance of the top seed.

While Canandaigua hopes to continue its winning ways, the players and coaching staff are also focused on the team's health and identifying miscues that can be corrected when the do-or-die situations arrive.

"It's about maintenance," goalie Meckenzie Taft said. "Just keeping your body healthy and your mind healthy. We're looking forward to it."

Could a rematch against nearby rival Victor be in the offing? While Herriman sees the possibility, the Gray Wolves experienced first hand in 2023 that each opponent requires attention.

"There are several teams right now that are very, very capable of making noise. With the rivalry and recent history between the two teams, that's an easy one to look to," Herriman said. "I can guarantee neither one of our programs is looking past the other teams that could be in the way. We don't forget about the fact that there was an early exit for this team last year."

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Undefeated Canandaigua girls lacrosse setting high bar in Section V