SECTION 4 GIRLS' LACROSSE: HORSEHEADS CAPTURES SECTIONAL CROWN ON THEIR HOME FIELD (24 PHOTOS) (May 29, 2026)

BY BRIAN FEES
Southern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS — For the Horseheads girls’ lacrosse team it was an opportunity of a lifetime.

The Blue Raiders squared off with Vestal in the Section IV, Class B final and the game came on their home turf. 

For the Horseheads players they took advantage of this special moment, coming away with the sectional title as they won 19-4.

“We have been working so hard,” CarLynn Sindlinger said “I really feel like we deserve it.”

“This was the ultimate goal we worked all season for and it paid off,” Lexi Lese said. “Yesterday I was like, we are going to bring home the sectional champioship, and then I was like, we don’t even have to, we are already home. It feels so good to win it at home with all our best friends. Like a dream come true. This was the ultimate goal we worked all season for and it paid off.”

The sectional title has been a goal for the Blue Raiders all year.

“We wrote this down day one when we came into the season,” Lauren Kozemko said. “It’s written overhead right in our locker room so it’s been on all our minds all year long.”

The last time the Blue Raiders played was over three weeks ago. 

“It’s super crazy to think our last game was against Corning and that was almost three or four weeks ago,” Kozemko said. “The day after that Corning game we came in and had a meeting and we wrote a list of goals of what we wanted and what we were going to see in practice and it definitely paid off.”

“These past couple of weeks we have worked very hard,” Lese said. “We have been preparing every single day for sectionals and beyond, regionals. We were just super prepared and ready to be here.”

The Blue Raiders jumped out to a fast start in the game, and that helped settle the Blue Raiders in after the long layoff.

“Settled us right in,” Kozemko said.

“Big game, but I think a lot of us were really just excited,” Sindlinger said. “No nervous to protect our home turf.”

Getting the win at home just made things so much more special.

“It’s so much sweeter in front of our home crowd,” Kozemko said. 

Sindlinger had a career-high eight goals, along with three assists for a career-best 11 points in the game.

“I was just trying to help my team any way possible,” Sindlinger said. “We really deserve this. We worked so hard so it feels great to bring hoe the win.”

Kozemko had four goals in the game, and her first goal was her 200th career point. Kozemko was part of the Horseheads college signing the previous day, signing with Division I Albany. 

Lese, who signed with D1 Niagara on Thursday, had six assists, with a goal.

Ellie Jankowski had wo goals and an assist and Hannah Sydlansky had two goals.

Emmie Fowler had a goal and two assists and Harley Ackerman had a goal, while Emma Guzylak and Braelyn Brozovic had assists in the game.

Kate Rought had five saves in goal and Laura Cummings had a save. Rought got her 300th career save in the game. 

Jankowski had nine draw controls in the win. 

Alley Crowley had two goals for Vestal and Claudia Fundis and Ella Sholett both had goals for Vestal and Tessa DiRenzo had two assists.

Makayla Paige had two saves for Vestal. 

For the senior Thursday was a bittersweet night. It was a chance to win a sectional title on their home turf, but it was also their last home game.

“It’s bittersweet,” Lese said. “This is what you look up to as a little girl, seeing the varsity athletes playing out here at the stadium. It just feels awesome to be in their shoes now.”

Horseheads plays in a subregional game at 7:15 p.m. on June 4 at Chenango Valley against the Section III champion.

“Anytime you get a chance to play outside your section, it’s really special,” Kozemko said. “It’s like a whole new world.”

The Blue Raiders are excited for the chance to try and keep this season going.

“We are super excited,” Lese said. “Not just sectionals, we are striving to achieve, we want to do more, we want to get further. That’s the goal.”
————
PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:

Print Friendly Version