By Jordan J. Michael

GUILDERLAND –– The Lady Dutch lacrosse team hasn’t lost a Suburban Council game in three years. Take a minute to contemplate that.

Head Coach Gary Chatnik knows right off the top of his head when that last loss was. It was a game under the lights at the University of Albany against Bethlehem on April 19, 2007. Guilderland lost 9 to 6.

Amanda Santandrea, Kristen Cagino, and Jenna Crupi were there for that last loss in 2007 and, now seniors, they are still on the team to this day. Cagino had a goal, Crupi had two assists, and Santandrea made three saves in goal.

Do they remember?

Cagino and Crupi, both ninth-graders at the time, have buried any memories from that last Section II loss to Bethlehem. “It was so long ago,” said Cagino. “I really can’t remember.”

However, Crupi remembered beating the Eagles in the second match-up of 2007 because it aired on television. “We’ve always been able to click since then,” she said. “Losing really isn’t an option. It’s never a thought.”

“The expectations have been set extremely high for us,” Cagino said. “We’ve built this program up so high that we never want to fall.”

The exact number of Section II wins in a row is unknown, but the streak continued on Wednesday with an 18-to-3 win at home against Burnt Hills. Guilderland is now 11-0 in the Suburban Council and is looking for its fourth straight sectional title.

“This streak we have is very important,” said Erin Mossop on Tuesday. “It’s huge to the program and we plan on maintaining it.”

The streak was on its heels on Friday at Bethlehem and on Monday at Niskayuna. The Lady Dutch were down at halftime in both games, but came back with explosive second halves to win, 9 to 5, on Friday and 10 to 7 on Monday.

“We were ready for both games even though they were tough,” said Kelly Camardo, who had three goals and two assists against Niskayuna. “I think we need to come out stronger and get more excited.”

“It’s all about getting focused and not getting flustered,” said Mossop, who scored seven goals over the two games. “A bunch of us were worried, but we just went out there and fought our hardest. We played our game.”

Chatnik told The Enterprise that the team was rattled for the start of the Bethlehem game because Kat Keegan was taken to the hospital before the game after being hit in the head with a ball. “It took a while to get going,” he said.

Chatnik had been away from the team for three weeks, but returned to the sidelines for the Niskayuna game. “I think the second half against them was some of the best we’ve played all year,” he said. “The girls grew up a bit more.”

Personal issues kept Chatnik away from the sidelines, but he remained in contact with the team while Assistant Coach Jami Costello took over. “It’s not about me,” said Chatnik. “It’s about the team.”

“We always had plans for every game,” Chatnik said. “We’re all together as a program. We think alike and we all buy into the same idea.”

Costello said that the Lady Dutch missed Chatnik while he was away, but the team just focused on winning as it always does. “It was an adjustment, but the girls really matured and bonded,” she said. “It wasn’t a big problem.”

Guilderland has upcoming games against Colonie, Columbia, and Averill Park –– teams that it has already beaten this season by a combined score of 52 to 8.

Chatnik knows that his team can’t take any of those teams for granted and that’s always been the philosophy for the Lady Dutch. That’s probably why it hasn’t lost a Section II game for all this time.

“All of our opponents want to knock us off so badly,” Chatnik said. “This streak is nice to have, but we can’t be too crazy about it. The sectional, regional, and state hardware is what matters most.”