​Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake senior Katie Lansley, right, races against Shenendehowa senior Rachel Stotz to the ball during a September game in Clifton Park. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
BURNT HILLS – After starting her varsity field hockey career in 2022, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake senior center midfielder Katie Lansley is looking to cap a brilliant run with the Spartans this weekend with another state championship.This season’s squad seeks a third consecutive Class B state title and fourth for the program since 2021. The Spartans – who feature four freshman starters in Carah DiCaprio, Taylor Loria, Lily Nafus and Riley Rodecker – return to action Saturday afternoon at Arlington High School in state semifinal play vs. Section 5 champion Pittsford Sutherland. Game time is 2 p.m., with a potential final looming on Sunday. No matter how things unfold, Lansley will be experiencing the final weekend of her high school field hockey career.”It hasn’t really hit me yet. It is kind of surreal, but it nice to have our season go as long as it can,” Lansley said.As an eighth grader, Lansley and fellow senior captain Grace Kogut shared the starting slot at right wing.”I think it was really beneficial for me,” Lansley said. “Going into that season, I had been playing field hockey since the third grade. That was, for me, a light bulb moment where I realized that I like playing field hockey and wanted to keep playing it in college.””She has grown tremendously from a player that was very timid and not real gritty in the beginning,” BH-BL coach Kelly Vrooman said. “We said to her, ‘You have the ability to play in college. That is how good you are – and you are at a high level already. You have to put the work in.’ She said she was interested and has put in that work.”Lansley dedicated herself to the game outside of just high school competition and made her college commitment during her junior season to play for coach Tara Zollinger at the University of Delaware.”I really fell in love the coaches. They are amazing.” Lansley said. “I went to watch them play. Just seeing them warm up, they are just so upbeat and positive. It seemed like a perfect fit for me.”Lansley enters play Saturday having tallied seven goals to go along with 19 assists this season. In addition to her production on the field, Vrooman said the senior’s daily routine, positive nature and steady play have provided teammates a great example to follow.”She controls the whole center of the field for us. We haven’t had somebody like that in the past,” Vrooman said. “Katie has been a big part of this and, thankfully, she has other girls around her that she has been able to bring up to her level. She probably leads more by example, whereas Kogut is very vocal. Katie is somewhat subdued and leads with her intensity level, (showing) where she wants everyone to be. She does a great job and the three captains (the third being senior goalie Isabella Yecies) have stepped it up, in general, and each ha