HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' LACROSSE: ELMIRA PICKS UP PROGRAMS FIRST EVER WIN OVER CORNING (24 PHOTOS) (2024-03-27)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA — A 6-2 lead was gone and suddenly the idea of Elmira picking up their first ever win over Corning in boys’ lacrosse was slipping away.

But, Elmira was not about to back down. They were ready for the pressure. The Express re-took the lead and from there on the Express were able to close out the programs first ever win over the Hawks.

“I am beyond excited,” Elmira goalie Sam Brenen-Buseck said. “I love these guys. It’s just the best feeling. We finally got to take on our rival in the first game of the season.

“This is awesome to be able to win with the guys we started with,” Evan Garvin said. “Just a great feeling to be able to get it done.”

This group of Elmira players has been together a long time, and it was special to achieve such a big moment together.

“I have been playing with these guys since kindergarten,” Kaiden Green said. “We have won many big tournaments, and now just to win this at home is unreal.”

The Express showed early that they wouldn’t be intimidated by the Hawks as they jumped out to a 6-2 lead at the half, with Green scoring a first-half hat trick.

For Brenen-Buseck seeing the offense score early made things easier for him in net.

“It was just incredible,” he said. “I knew they were going to come through and that was a momentum starter.”

The Express were ready from the start on Wednesday.

“The bench was just buzzing,” Green said. “We were all ready to go. Words cannot even describe how I feel right now.”

Getting a win like this is something the Express know can help them as the season goes on.

“Just to be able to start the season opener against Corning and be able to get a win is a huge momentum builder to carry on for the rest of the season for us,” Garvin said. “It’s huge. It’s huge. Through the roof, we are going to go back to practice and we are going to keep rolling.”

It was Corning who scored first in the game as Joe Fucito started things off in the first period, but Green answered right back and it was Elmira who controlled most of the rest of the half.

In the third quarter the Hawks started their way back and by the fourth quarter they had tied the game at six.

Elmira led 9-7 in the fourth when Corning scored with 1:50 left to get within 9-8.

The Hawks had the ball back with a chance to tie things, but Elmira made a defensive stand and re-took possession.

With a man advantage in the final minute Ryan Stukey cut in front of the net and fired home a shot to seal the Express win.

When the game was tied the Elmira players knew they had to keep working to retake control of the game.

“I think we have a good core group of guys,” Brenen-Buseck said. “We had a good core group of seniors and we were just able to keep the young guys heads up and we told them we were good, it’s a long game. There are four quarters to be played and we knew we were going to be able to get it done in the long run.”

As the game got tied up there were some concerns for Elmira, but the leaders on the team made sure to keep the energy up.

“I was on the bench and all the guys, it was quiet back there,” Green said. “I told them keep their chin up. We put one on the board and we started rolling again.”

There were some nervous moments in goal in the second half, but Brenen-Buseck believed in the team’s ability to close out the win.

“Got to keep the energy up,” Brenen-Buseck said. “But, I was definitely a little nervous for sure.”

 For Elmira’s players the confidence was there right from the start that they cud get a win against the Hawks.

“Since the beginning, you have to have confidence going into the game,” Brenen-Buseck said. “You have got to have faith in the people you are playing with. I definitely knew we were going to come out tonight with the win. I was confident.”

Brenen-Buseck had 13 saves in net, but he knew that the Express defense played a big role in keeping the Hawks shooting from distance.

“We have been working on it a lot,” Brenen-Buseck said. “I’m glad the guys did their job and we got the W.”

Green finished the night with four goals for Elmira and Stukey had three goals and two assists in the game.

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