The Huntington girls’ lacrosse team will square off against Ward Melville in the Suffolk Division I quarterfinals field on Saturday at Blue Devil Stadium at 2 p.m. The winner will advance to Monday afternoon’s county semifinal round game.
Huntington finished the regular season with an 11-3 mark. The Blue Devils are seeded No. 3 in the playoff bracket. Huntington defeated Ward Melville, 13-7 on June 3.
Huntington’s explosive offense has relied upon Jordan Forte (42 goals; 27 assists), Regan Sansiviero (29g; 12a), Katie Browne (26g; 12a), Gianna Forte (20g; 7a), Charlotte Maggio (18g; 18a), Alexa Amorison (15g; 14a), Grace Agrillo (7g; 1a) and Kayleigh Bender (6g; 3a) to press a relentless attack.
“I think we look really good heading into Saturday’s playoff game,” Jordan Forte said. “We have been working hard and preparing all week. I believe that when we step on that field on Saturday, we have to come out with full energy and be ready to go right from the first draw.”
Coaches Beth Vogelsang, Vincent Tannazzo and Carli Clementi are expecting a closely fought game. Ward Melville (9-6) bested Half Hollow Hills (8-7) in the opening round of the playoffs, 18-3.
“It’s going to be a good game,” Amorison said. “Ward Melville is a very good team. We have been working hard to pull everything together and I’m confident in how we will play.”
The Blue Devil defense will once again be called upon to do some heavy lifting. Huntington’s “iron curtain” is comprised of several unsung heroes who have excelled at disrupting plays, intercepting passes, scooping up ground balls and repelling opponent’s offensive excursions into the home team’s half of the field.
Laurel Bonn, Tallulah Pitti, Julia Steinberg, Julia Gorecki and Gretel Cassell are the Blue Devils’ top defenders. Goalkeeper Lisa Martin has been outstanding throughout the season and has tallied 87 saves.
“I am excited for our first playoff game,” Agrillo said. “We all have worked so hard this year and I feel like as a team we are running at 100 percent. We have come a long way together in the last few months and as team we all contribute something. Let’s hope we win. It will sure be fun to be a part of it!”
Huntington has outscored its opponents over 14 games this spring by a 168-76 margin.
“The whole team is so excited for playoffs and we are determined to finish at the top,” Bonn said. “We have been practicing really hard and feel prepared for Saturday’s game against Ward Melville.”
