Lyndonville will host combined varsity girls soccer team with Medina

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 March 2018 at 11:28 am

File photo by Cheryl Wertman: Lyndonville’s Anna Lewis (17) works the ball up field against Notre Dame during a soccer game in September 2015. Lewis wore the Medina Mustang uniform this year in a combined girls soccer team with Lyndonville and Medina. Next season, Lyndonville will be the host school for the combined team.

LYNDONVILLE – The Medina and Lyndonville girls varsity soccer team combined for the first time this past fall, the latest effort by the two school districts to share some athletic programs.

The soccer team will stay combined in the fall, but this time Lyndonville will be the host school and the team will play in the Genesee-Region League in Section V, instead of the Niagara-Orleans League in Section VI.

Medina is the host district for football and boys varsity soccer, while Lyndonville is host for a boys volleyball team.

The Lyndonville Board of Education approved the change last week with Lyndonville becoming the host school for girls varsity soccer, and the Medina Board of Education approved it on Tuesday.

Mark Kruzynski, the Medina school superintendent, said the shared sports programs have worked out for both schools by keeping programs, fielding competitive teams and reducing overall costs.

Some of the Lyndonville girls soccer games will be played at Medina, and the team will wear Medina uniforms for those games. Some of the Medina boys soccer games also are played in Lyndonville, with the team wearing Tigers uniforms.

“We’re hosting boys soccer and they’re hosting girls soccer,” Kruzynski said. “We see it is as a cooperation. It’s not Medina absorbing Lyndonville. There are savings for both districts.”

Each district continues to maintain its own JV programs, although Kruzynski said the districts are discussing whether it makes sense for shared services with some of those programs in the future.

Jason Smith, the Lyndonville school superintendent, said the district is glad to host the varsity girls soccer program. He said the shared programs has worked out well for the two districts.

“We’ve had a good relationship with Medina,” Smith said this afternoon. “We’re trying to keep things balanced. There is a lot of pride at both schools.”

Lyndonville students also have the option of being in the Medina Marching Band and many Medina students are part of the musical based at Lyndonville.

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