Photos by Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
It took a whole half for the Palisades Charter High School girls lacrosse team to wake up in Monday afternoon’s City Section semifinal game against Hamilton, but once it did, there was simply no stopping the Dolphins.
Palisades outscored the visiting Yankees 9-0 after intermission to win 15-4 and advance to the finals for the ninth time. In fact, the Dolphins have never failed to reach the championship game since the City sanctioned the sport for playoff competition in 2014. They lost the title game to Birmingham five years in a row, beat Birmingham for the crown in 2019, and lost to El Camino Real in 2021 and 2022.
The playoffs were canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m very proud of the effort you showed in the second half,” Coach Dexter O’Connell told his players afterward. “The first half was much closer than it should’ve been, but you pulled away in the second half and looked like the team I know you are. Now let’s go win City.”
Seeded No. 1, Palisades hosted third-seeded Birmingham for the championship Wednesday night at Stadium by the Sea. The Patriots dethroned No. 2 El Camino Real in the other semifinal, 9-8.
Emme Silberberg led the way with four goals and three assists, and Elah Blyumkin added four goals and one assist for the Dolphins, who led 6-4 at halftime thanks to six saves by goalie Catalina Brody. Marley Woods tallied twice, and Ella Kaplan, Nikola Wisener, Jianling Horton and Harlowe Hranek each added one goal.
In the nightcap, Palisades’ boys squad scored early and often en route to a 23-2 semifinal victory over North Valley Military Institute of Sun Valley. Palisades beat the Hawks 22-1 in last year’s semifinals.
Junior Axel Greve scored all six of his goals in the first half as Palisades built an insurmountable 14-1 lead. While the Dolphins trudged to the LAX Shack, the visitors provided halftime entertainment by forming a circle at midfield for a spirited game of Duck Duck Goose.
By the time the running clock ran out, nine Dolphins had scored at least one goal, and Palisades head coach David Bucchino was already thinking about the final two nights later against El Camino Real—a team the Dolphins beat 19-6 in the finals last year, and by scores of 12-5 and 15-4 in league play earlier this season.
Palisades’ boys have played for the City championship every season since 2014, taking the title every year but one (in 2015).
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