The Huntington High School varsity girls’ lacrosse team is entering the 2020 campaign with a sense of optimism as a veteran-laden lineup hopes to make a splash in Section XI.
The Blue Devils’ returning captains include Abby Maichin, Holly Wright and Maya Santa-Maria. The 2019 team compiled a 7-7 mark in Suffolk Division I and went 7-9 overall. After losing its first six games, the squad went 7-3 over its final 10 contests. Among the six consecutive defeats were one goal losses to Farmingdale (8-7) and Sachem North (7-6).
The coaching staff consists of Beth Vogelsang, Vincent Tannazzo and Carli Clementi. Maichin and Santa-Maria were named All-County last spring. Wright, Megan Agrillo and Marissa Stafford were all recognized as All-Division. Jordan Forte was Huntington’s Unsung Hero Award recipient.
Maichin tallied 46 goals and 24 assists, 10 draw controls, 10 groundballs and six caused turnovers as a junior at attack. She has scored 150 goals and added 53 assists over the past three varsity seasons.
“I’m super excited to get this season going,” said Maichin, who has been recruited to play lacrosse at Notre Dame University. “I’ve been preparing for this season for my whole lacrosse career and I can’t wait to end it with a bang. We have a great group of girls and now we just need to work on our chemistry and our foundation. We have a ton of talent. We just need to figure out how to put the pieces together. I can’t wait to finally get things going!”
Santa-Maria is the latest in a string of strong Huntington goalies. Last spring she stopped 116 shots, compiling a 53 percent save percentage. She has been recruited to play lacrosse at the University Michigan next year.
“I feel very confident that this year will be our year,” Santa-Maria said. “With almost every player returning, I know that we can really dominate on the field this year.”
Wright was a standout on defense for the Blue Devils last year. She also tallied three draw controls, eight ground balls, seven caused turnovers and even scored a goal. The teenager plans to play lacrosse at SUNY Cortland.
“I’m so excited for this lacrosse season,” Wright said. “I think we are going to have a great mix of girls all ages. The group of us seniors this year has been playing together for years and this is our year to prove ourselves. This season’s a little bittersweet for us because it just means graduation is a little bit sooner. I can’t wait to see how far our team will go. So excited to see what is in store for us this year.”
Agrillo excelled as a defensive specialist, displaying a rugged style of play. She also scooped up 12 ground balls, caused 11 turnovers and took one draw control. She is headed to Sacred Heart University in Connecticut next fall after the college recruited her to play lacrosse.
“I’m really excited for this season,” Agrillo said. “I’m really sad it’s going to be my last at Huntington. It’s going to be very hard to leave all of my teammates. This season will be awesome! I think that we have a lot of talent on our team and each player brings something different to the field. It’s really important we work together so that we can all put our skills together and have a successful season.”
Stafford excelled at midfield and defense last spring. She had 10 goals, seven assists, 27 draw controls, 14 ground balls and three caused turnovers. She has been recruited to play lacrosse at Cornell University next year.
“I feel really good about the upcoming lax season,” Stafford said. “I’m very excited and I think the team has a lot of potential to be great. I can’t wait to get back out there and play one last time for Huntington and leave it all out on the field.”
A talented midfielder, Forte enjoyed a fine sophomore season, tallying 22 goals and eight assists. She took 28 draw controls, picked up 23 ground balls and caused 10 turnovers. The teenager has given a verbal commitment to play lacrosse at Stony Brook University after she graduates in 2021.
“We have returned most of our starting lineup, which shows how dedicated to lacrosse this team is,” Forte said. “I am very confident in the team heading into the season that we have the potential to be one of the top teams in Suffolk County. We have been looking forward to season for several years now knowing the talent and potential we have. I am excited for the season to begin.”
The Blue Devils are also returning freshmen Laurel Bonn and Gianna Forte; sophomores Katie Browne, Gretel Cassell and Emily Plachta; juniors Alexa Amorison, Marina Durand, Julia Gorecki, Charlotte Maggio, Lisa Martin and Julia Steinberg and seniors Lena Annunziata, Emily Cheshire and Caroline Hartough.
“I’m very excited for the upcoming season,” Browne said. “We have a talented team with a lot of potential to go far this year. Working cohesively together will be essential for success.”
“I’m eager to get back on the field with my teammates and I’m excited to see where the season will take us,” Amorison said.
Juniors Megan O’Brien and Mia Redick are the Blue Devils’ managers/scorekeepers.
