Hickey completed a hat trick in the third frame and added one more goal in the final period as the Panthers cruised to a 4-1 win over the Lady Bills at Centennial Field in Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
“We wanted to score as many goals as possible.” Hickey said after tying a career high with four points. “We didn’t want to give them a chance to come back.”
Top seed Hoosick Falls (18-0) went up 4-0 when eighth-grader Jenna Berju scored for third-seeded Johnstown (10-7) with 5:35 left. The Panthers shut out the Lady Bills 3-0 in last year’s Class C final when Hickey scored a goal and assisted on the other two goals.
“We played hard. “We fought until the end.” said first-year Johnstown coach Jeanine LoDestro. “We didn’t create enough scoring opportunities to get on the board.”
Hoosick Falls and Johnstown have met in the last four Class C title games, with the Panthers winning each time in five of the last six (there were no sectionals in 2020). Johnstown won its last Section 2 title in 2019, beating Schuylerville to advance to the state championship game.
“I have two seniors (Madi Kohler and Molly Wilcox) and four juniors. We are a very young team.” LoDestro said. “Now the kids know what it takes to get here, and they want it. They are our future.”
Berju, a late-season JV call-up, should be a big part of the future. Berju earned an overtime victory as Johnstown defeated second-seeded Schuylerville 2-1 in the semifinals. Junior Gabby Chase had another standout performance in the postseason, scoring three goals in a 4-0 semifinal win over Corinth and a win over Schuylerville.
“We didn’t play our best, but we came together to get the win,” LoDestro said of the semifinals.
Another upset wasn’t what happened Sunday against a Hoosick Falls team that has won eight Section 2 championships since 2013.
“We knew they would make a big splash and find some gaps,” Hickey said of Johnstown. “As soon as we saw them on the 25th, we wanted to stop them and our defense stepped up. “We have great confidence in our defense,” he said.
In the end, Hoosic Falls finished the game with an advantage in shots (17-2) and penalty corners (15-3), and Panthers netminder Bel Stefanovic made only one save.
“We had energy before the game,” Hickey said. “We wanted to impress the fans and coach (Dennis Campbell).”
Hickey scored Hoosick Falls’ only goal with 1:19 left in the second quarter and his second with 13.6 seconds left in the stanza.
“They took advantage of penalty corners and we didn’t,” LoDestro said.
Hoosick Falls will meet Section 4 champion and familiar state tournament foe Whitney Point (16-2) at Whitney Point Field in regional competition Saturday at 1 p.m. Whitney Point took first place last season after beating Hoosick Falls 4-0 in the state Class C semifinals. Panthers in the 2022 (6-0) and 2021 (6-1) state championship games.
- Johnstown 0 0 0 1 – 1
- Hoosick Falls 0 2 1 1 – 4
- Johnstown scores: Berge 1-0. Hoosick Falls scores: Hickey 4-0, Kasulinous 0-2, Case 0-1, Eaton 0-1. Goalie: Johnstown, Koller, 8 saves; Hoosick Falls, Stefanovich, 1 save.
Photos: Johnstown field hockey wins Class C title with Hoosick Falls.
Gabby Chase moves the ball for Johnstown during the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Hoosick Falls on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Gabby Chase moves the ball for Johnstown during the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Hoosick Falls on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Molly Wilcox moves the ball for Johnstown during the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Hoosick Falls on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Hoosick Falls celebrates after scoring a goal in the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Johnstown on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Addison Fazzio competes for Johnstown’s possession during the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Hoosick Falls, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Johnstown’s Addison Fazzio (right) competes for possession during Sunday’s Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Hoosick Falls at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Johnstown’s Madi Kollar scores a goal during the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Hoosick Falls on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Johnstown celebrates after scoring a goal in the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Hoosick Falls on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Hoosick Falls celebrates after winning the Section 2 Class C field hockey championship game against Johnstown on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
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