Lacrosse has been slow to grow at Newburgh Free Academy, but both the boys’ and girls’ teams are looking to make strong strides forward during the 2024 season.

The boys’ team posted four wins last season on their way to a 4-10 record, which was enough to get them into the Section 9 Class A playoffs as the third seed.

It was their first trip to the playoffs in program history, and even though the Goldbacks’ season ended with a 14-0 loss to the No. 2 Kingston Tigers, it leaves the Goldbacks hungry to get back.

Last year’s team won the games they needed to, posting wins over the Middletown Middies and Pine Bush Bushmen to post a 2-2 record in Class A, and they will enter the new season having lost only one senior: Longstick middie Elisah McLymore.

Returning to the Goldbacks will be face-off middie/attackman Niko Bucholz, defender Matt Patterson and middie/attackman Cole Mullarkey. They’ll be joined by incoming attackman/middie Tyler Wright and defender Clayton Delmonico.

“The team is looking to build off last year’s results and continue to push the program further,” Newburgh coach Jim Horton said.

The Goldbacks were scheduled to open their season against the Highland Huskies at Academy Field.

Girls
The girls’ team posted a 1-13 record last year and will have a new coach – Mark Wenzel – on the sidelines this year.

“We hope to continue to grow the program and draw attention to girls’ lacrosse in Newburgh,” Wenzel said.

The Goldbacks lost senior Ashley Meyers from last year’s team, but will return seniors Megan Torres, Ryleigh Maxwell, Malia Robinson, Michele Prado, Allison Woodward, Julia Leonard, Vivian Gage and Gianna Alisandrella.
“We want to continue to stay competitive,” Wenzel said.

Torres is not only one of the Goldbacks’ key seniors, she also is an ambassador for Morgan’s Message, which brings awareness of mental health issues to athletes.

The Goldbacks are scheduled to open their season on Tuesday against the Cornwall Dragons.