Girls Lacrosse: John Jay girls upset by rival Somers in quarterfinals

Finja Degl keeps her eye on a loose ball for the Wolves. Jordan Kauftheil looks to get a shot off against Somers. Greg Kaplowitz photos

By JIM MACLEAN

It was not the finish the John Jay girls varsity lacrosse team was hoping for as the Wolves faced rival Somers in a downpour in the Section 1 Class C tournament quarterfinals May 29.

John Jay was the No. 3-seed hosting the No. 6-seed Somers, a team the Wolves had beaten by four goals earlier in the season, but anything can happen in the playoffs and this game belonged to Somers as the Tuskers advanced with a 9-5 upset victory.

With the loss, John Jay finished the season at 13-5 overall, another great season for the Wolves despite the disappointment of the loss in the playoffs. It was a hard ending for the senior class walking off the field in the rain. Senior captains Jane Brennan, Jojo Degl and Jordan Kauftheil were all starters as sophomores when the Wolves won a Section 1 title and advanced to the state final four two years ago, and all the seniors made their mark with a lot of victories on the field for John Jay during their career.

“So proud of all the seniors,” admitted John Jay coach Jessica McDonough. “They truly have made such an impact on our culture at John Jay.”

Against Somers, Jordan Kauftheil had a big game for John Jay as she led the Wolves with four goals. Micayla DeVeau also scored a goal, and Finja Degl had three assists.

However, it was not enough as Somers was led by the dynamic duo of Sydney Ingraham and Caitlin Mayfield. Ingraham finished with five goals and Mayfield had four goals as the duo scored all nine goals for the Tuskers.

Molly Gallagher was credited with three saves in goal for John Jay.

To get to the quarterfinals, John Jay opened the playoffs with a dominating first round victory over Byram Hills on May 23. The Wolves hosted the No. 14-seed Bobcats and it was never in doubt as John Jay pulled away for a 13-3 victory.

It was a team effort with eight different goal scorers for John Jay. Coco Inglis had a big game with a hat trick as she scored three goals and added an assist. Finja Degl also finished with three goals and an assist.

DeVeau scored two goals and assisted on another. Jojo Degl scored a pair of goals. Caitlin Brennan and Dylan Kauftheil each scored a goal and had an assist, while their big sisters Jordan Kauftheil and Jane Brennan each scored a goal. Amelia Inglis added an assist for the Wolves.

Gallagher finished with five saves in goal to record the win for John Jay.