The Huntington varsity boys’ lacrosse team rebounded from a tough one-goal loss on Wednesday to topple Longwood on its home field on Thursday afternoon, 14-7.
“The team moved the ball really well and played solid,” said sophomore Freddie Amato, who tallied three goals and five assists. “The defense played as a unit. Longwood was a good team, but we started to pull away after halftime.” The victory improved Huntington’s record to 2-1.
The Blue Devils took a 4-2 first period advantage and went on to lead 9-4 at halftime. Huntington outscored Longwood in the third period, 3-1 to put the game out of reach.
Patrick Durand had three goals and two assists for Huntington and Ryan Gorecki and Colby Martin added two goals each. Nat Amato, Luke Luckow and Jack Stewart all had a goal and an assist. Jack Krisch also scored in the game. Goalie Sam Bergman recorded 14 saves in the cage.
“I think we have a great chance of reaching our first goal of making the playoffs,” Freddie Amato said. “We’re like a band of brothers on and off the field. I just really enjoy playing and being a part of this team. The practices are really intense and competitive, which makes every single one of us better each day. I can’t wait to continue into the league games with these kids. It’s just a great team to be a part of.”
Huntington Opens Lead, Stops Bay Shore Rally
Emma Greenhill turned in one of the biggest games of her career as the Huntington High School senior tallied five goals and three assists to lead the Blue Devil girls’ lacrosse team to a 13-10 victory over Suffolk Division I foe Bay Shore.
Greenhill paced a potent Huntington offense, which opened an early 5-1 lead and held an 8-5 halftime advantage. Bay Shore rallied in the second frame to pull to within a single goal, but two late scores by the Blue Devils locked up the team’s second consecutive victory without a loss.
“The key to winning today was staying composed and calm,” said senior Amber Stieve, who played a key role on defense. “When we get frantic we start to lose our connection, but we started to settle down and play our game the way we know how. We used each other and finished big.”
Sarah Agrillo and Abby Maichin both had three goals for Huntington. Charlotte Maggio and Isabella Piccola also scored for the Blue Devils. Isabella Annunziata had a pair of assists. Marissa Stafford and Holly Wright also assisted on goals.
“Possession was the key to winning this game and the key to winning the rest of our season,” Maichin said. “Once we have the ball on our side of the field we are beginning to have enough trust in our offense to take the game into our hands.”
Greenhill was simply magnificent. While she scored five times in the game, several other shots hit the post or just missed wide or high. “I think it was a pretty good game,” she said. “We started out strong, but let them come back mid-game, which is something we definitely need to work on. But we all pulled it together and came up with a huge win.”
Huntington goalies Maya Santa-Maria (six saves) and Megan Bacik (two saves) combined to stop eight shots.
The game was filmed by Verizon FiOS for later rebroadcast. Greenhill was interviewed on camera on the field following the game.
Huntington coaches presented Wright and Stieve with special awards for their exceptional play following the game during a team meeting. Both players helped stop Bay Shore’s late game rally.
H-ton Boy’s Lax Nipped
The Huntington boys’ lacrosse team found itself in a back-and-forth game on a rainy day against Smithtown East on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils weren’t able to hold down, falling 5-4 in Suffolk Division I play.
Huntington trailed 1-0 after the first period and 3-2 at halftime. The Blue Devils rallied to tie the game in the third period. But Smithtown East scored two of the game’s final three goals to edge the home team.
Mike Abbondandelo, Freddie Amato, Luke Luckow and Colby Martin scored goals for the Blue Devils. Jack Stewart had an assist. Sam Bergman stopped 11 shots in goal.
Alyssa Amorison Scores for Ohio State
Huntington High School Class of 2015 member Alyssa Amorison is now a junior at Ohio State University. She plays on the Buckeyes women’s lacrosse team, which is 5-6 through its first 11 games.
Amorison has four goals and seven assists in nine games this spring. She has scooped up eight ground balls. The Blue Devil alum has 13 shots on goal from her attack position and has won a pair of draw controls.
Amorison earned five varsity letters with Huntington’s girls’ lacrosse team. Twice a captain of the squad, she was a three-time All-Division player for the Blue Devils. She had 18 goals and 31 assists as a senior and 30 goals and 16 assists as a junior. Overall, she scored 90 goals and assisted on 101 others over the course of five seasons wearing the blue and white.
Freddie Amato named to Newsday’s Top 100 players
Freddie Amato is on a roll. The Huntington High School sophomore is set to make a splash in Suffolk lacrosse circles this spring.
Amato has been named to Newsday’s Top 100 Long Island boys’ lacrosse team. The 6’1, 175 lb. teenager plays attack and midfield for the Blue Devils. He’s a potent scorer and exceptional playmaker and utilizes an aggressive style of lacrosse.
“Freddie has spectacular talent and he’s a great teammate, too,” said Julian Watts, Huntington’s head coach. “We feel he’s going to have a really big year.”
Amato also plays on the Blue Devil varsity soccer and basketball teams. He’s also a star in the classroom. The sophomore is on the high school honor roll.
Newsday names Emma Greenhill one of LI’s best
Emma Greenhill plans to make every day she has remaining in a Blue Devil uniform count. The Huntington High School senior is headed to James Madison University in the fall, but first she plans on turning in her best lacrosse season ever.
Greenhill has been named one of Newsday’s Top 100 Long Island girls’ lacrosse players. “It’s really cool to see that I made the Top 100 and that all of my hard work has been paying off,” the teenager said. “I’m super excited about this spring, I think with the amount of talent we have on our team, we can definitely make it into playoffs.”
In Huntington’s first game of the season against William Floyd, Greenhill notched three goals and three assists. She was named to the All-County team as a junior, tallying 34 goals and 12 assists.
The midfielder has signed an NCAA Division I letter of intent to play lacrosse for James Madison University. She’s on the Huntington High School Honor Roll.
Alum Emma DeGennaro Scores 5 Goals in College Game
Emma DeGennaro’s college lacrosse career has taken off this spring. The Huntington High School Class of 2016 member has started every game at attack for Brown University and tallied 25 goals and 10 assists. The Bears are 7-4 with conference games remaining against Cornell, Harvard, Columbia and Dartmouth.
Last Saturday afternoon against Sacred Heart, Ms. DeGennaro scored five goals and was given the game ball by the Brown coaching staff. She had 16 goals and three assists last year as a freshman.
Ms. DeGennaro captured All-County honors in field hockey and lacrosse for the Blue Devils. One of the most prolific scorers in Huntington lacrosse history, she notched 165 goals and added 67 assists during her high school career.
The 20 year old is planning to intern with Huntington UFSD’s public information staff once Brown’s spring semester ends.
Finley’s Top Football Players Honored
The top seventh and eighth grade football players at J. Taylor Finley Middle School were honored during the Blue Devil gridiron program’s annual awards dinner late last week in the high school’s large cafeteria.
Seventh grade coach Julian Watts discussed his team’s 3-2 season and the commitment and work ethic shown by the players. Special awards were presented to Anthony Annunziata (Outstanding Offensive Player) and Sammy Mac Arner (Outstanding Defensive Player), who both turned in exceptional seasons.
Eighth grade coach Ronald Wilson reviewed his team’s sensational 6-0 campaign. The talented squad outscored its rivals by a 236-52 margin. Special awards were presented to Ryan Porzio (Outstanding Offensive Player), Bryce Robinson (Outstanding Defensive Player), Jahiem Hawkins (Coaches Award) and co-Most Valuable Players Robbie Smith and Josiah Melendez.
HHS PE Teacher Shaves Head for St. Baldrick’s Day
Huntington High School physical education teacher Maria Canino raised $1,775 for the battle against childhood cancer during a St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser at which she had her head shaved for charity.
Ms. Canino has been a Huntington physical education teacher since September 2014. A member of Huntington High School’s Class of 2007, she obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees from Adelphi University and Stony Brook University, respectively. She is also certified in health education.
Ms. Canino has coached JV girls’ volleyball, soccer and softball. She is also an active member of the high school’s Natural Helpers club. She regularly attends and has been a guest speaker at the NYS AHPERD conference.
Blue Devil JV Football Players Honored at Dinner
Huntington High School junior varsity football players Aedan McDonald (Coach’s Award), Torin Bograd (Outstanding Offensive Player), Kyle Green (Outstanding Lineman) and Matt Stolfa (Outstanding Defensive Player) were honored during the gridiron program’s annual awards dinner last Thursday night in the high school’s large cafeteria. Blue Devil JV head coach Jim Byrnes reviewed the season before a crowd of 225.
The award recipients are an impressive group:
• Aedan McDonald: (RB/Safety) Rushed 45 times for 250 yards and five touchdowns. Also notched a pair of two-point conversions. Recorded 45 tackles, six interceptions and a fumble recovery on defense.
• Matt Stolfa: (RB/OLB) Rushed 28 times for 325 yards and a touchdown. Also tallied four two-point conversions. Made 40 tackles, including six for a loss and forced two fumbles on defense.
• Torin Bograd: (QB) Completed 22-of-40 passes for 358 yards and five touchdowns. Rushed six times for 30 yards. Notched three two-point conversions.
• Kyle Green: (G/DE) Recorded 20 tackles, including five for a loss.
