Huntington Tops No. 1 Comsewogue; Heads to Suffolk Finals
Dan Plant scored just 15 seconds into overtime to carry the Huntington boys' lacrosse team to an upset of No. 1 Comsewogue, 12-11 and send the Blue Devils to the Suffolk Class B finals next week.
The Blue Devil held an 11-8 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Warriors rallied for three unanswered goals to knot the score and send the game into overtime. Nick Saputo won the faceoff in the extra frame and Plant scored his third goal of the game just seconds later to send Huntington players and fans into delirium.
It was Huntington's biggest win in several years. The Men in Blue will take on Shoreham-Wading River for the county championship next Wednesday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m. at Stony Brook University.
Huntington took a 5-3 lead in the first quarter and held an 8-6 halftime advantage. The Blue Devils were seeded fifth in the county bracket and knew they would have to play their best game of the year to beat Comsewogue on its home field. The Warriors entered the contest with a perfect 16-0 record and were ranked third in the state.
In addition to Plant's three goals, Nick Saputo scored four times and contributed an assist. Jack Castelli (2g), Jack Cutrone (1g, 2a), Will Coffey (1g, 1a), Jim Roselle (1g), Tyre Brown (1a) and Ryan Mulligan (1a) pitched in offensively to put Huntington over the top. Blue Devil senior John McGrath stopped eight shots in goal, including several huge saves in the final minutes.
The two teams played awesome defense, with a fierce battle taking place at midfield. Fans from both sides spent most of the game on their feet. "It was a great game," assistant coach Eric Triolo said. "The kids played really hard."
Huntington head coach Paul McDermott was ecstatic with the victory and it made a splendid birthday gift for the Blue Devil veteran. Huntington used extensive scouting to develop a winning game plan and pull-off arguably the biggest upset in Suffolk this season.
No. 2 Shoreham-Wading River (16-2) advanced to the finals by turning back Eastport-South Manor, 12-10. ESM (14-4) tied the game in the third period, 9-9, but SWR rallied for three fourth quarter goals to seal its victory.
Tickets to the finals at Stony Brook University will be available at the gate for $6.