Last Minute Goal Sends Panthers to Section Finals

A huge goal by Josh Della Puca in the last seconds of the Section I Class C semifinal in Pleasantville Tuesday is sending him and the Panthers' boys lacrosse team (#2) to the final vs. Bronxville.

Click the video above to view the last thrilling moments of Tuesday's game vs. the Hendrick Hudson Sailors (#3), commentated by Thomas Prizeman.

With just one minute to go, the Panthers and Sailors were tied 8-8, before Della Puca's goal in the last six seconds secured the 9-8 victory.

This win, said Coach Chris Kear, is the first time in the school's history that the team will head to the section finals.

Aside from Della Puca's winning goal, Baylor Rosenbaum and Brendan Halloran each tallied two for the Panthers. Charlie Montgomery, Greg Drillock, Pat Bathon and Nick Ware each also added a goal apiece for the team.

Christopher Doerr had nine total saves for the Panthers, including three "big saves in the fourth quarter to preserve the lead and the win," Kear noted.

"The team feeling is good," Kear said of the victory and upcoming finals. "The players have risen to all the challenges placed in front of them all season and are ready for one more. They have taken an uderdog approach all season. In all the local rankings from media outlets, we have been ranked below Hen Hud and Bronxville and the guys just want a chance to prove they are a better team than most give them credit for."

The Panthers go into the Bronxville matchup 15-4 for the season, a dramatic improvement compared to the 0-10 record the team held during its first year in the league.

"The players know that many of their opponents underestimate them so they try to use that to their advantage. I think they've opened the eyes of a lot of teams and Section 1 Lacrosse enthusiasts that Pleasantville is a program that can play with some of the 'established' teams in our area," Kear noted. "With that mentality, they have had 'upset' on their minds in almost every game this season so the Sectional Final is nothing different."

The finals, rained out on Thursday, will now take place on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at White Plains High School.