Tessie Maerz’s second half goal broke a scoreless stalemate and lifted the Huntington field hockey team over talented Commack, 1-0.
Maerz scored what proved to be the game winner off an assist by Laurel Bonn. Huntington goalkeepers Lauren Holly and Carlee Schultz combined to stop six shots in the cage. Commack goalie Sophia Newman recorded seven saves.
“We are playing really well,” Maerz said. “Beating Commack was a big win for us and we are so excited to see how the rest of the season will go.”
The game played out under dark and misty skies on the Blue Devil Stadium turf field. But while the weather was gloomy, Maerz brightened the mood of her Huntington teammates and coaches Kathy Wright and Allison Conlon.
“We are all having so much fun playing on the field and we’ve seen great improvement in everyone’s skills,” Bonn said. “We love to win and that’s exactly what we are doing.”
The victory improved Huntington’s record to 5-3 overall. “We had a great win today,” said Grace Agrillo, one of the team’s key players. “It’s the first time in at least nine years that we beat Commack! It was a very back and forth and competitive game. We came out strong in the second half.”
Huntington has a well-balanced lineup featuring many skilled players. Holly is the only senior in the group.
“It was a very good win because Commack was ranked higher than we were at the start of the season,” junior Laura Curtin said. “We have games on Wednesday and Friday, which will be fun to play. This year, our playing skills have improved a lot and each game it is clear that everyone is improving.”
The team is striving to keep winning so it can reach the Suffolk playoffs. “We played an amazing game against Commack,” junior Kaci McDonald said. “We played to win. We have not beaten Commack since Coach Wright could remember, so this is a huge accomplishment for us. I believe what’s keeping us winning is playing as a team.”
The Blue Devil schedule features 16 games, running through October 23. Sophomore Olivia Polinsky called the victory over Commack “a big win for us,” and it was. But Huntington will need many more big wins if it is to reach its goals.
