Blue Devil Lax Nipped by State Champs

After falling behind 5-0 last Friday night in a non-league season opener, the Huntington varsity boys’ lacrosse team staged a furious comeback to take a 7-6 lead with seven minutes remaining, but ultimately falling to state champion Cold Spring Harbor, 8-7 before a standing room only crowd.

Huntington led by a goal with less than four minutes left, but Cold Spring Harbor rallied to tie the game before scoring what proved to be the game winner with less than 40 seconds on the clock. The Blue Devils stormed back for one final scoring drive as senior Anthony Annunziata hit the crossbar as time expired.

Huntington head coach Julian Watts focused on the positive aspects of the game, instead of dwelling on what could have been. “We didn’t quit when we were down 6-2 at halftime,” Watts said. “We pushed them to the limit. It was an incredible atmosphere to play in. The fans were great.”

The Blue Devils took the loss as well as could be expected after pushing the state champs to the edge. “Good game,” said senior Aidan Carello, who is committed to play at Georgetown next year. “We had it, but some things didn’t go our way. It is what it is.”

Senior Anthony Annunziata won all 17 face-offs and added two goals and two ground balls. Senior Tyler Johnson had a pair of goals. Sophomore Colin Lennon, junior Brian Hrybenko and senior Michael Kline each had one goal and one assist. Kline added a pair of ground balls. Junior Tom Girimonti added an assist. Carello led the team with five ground balls.

Cold Spring Harbor took a 5-0 lead before the Blue Devils started to claw their way back, finally taking the lead late in the game. Huntington goalie Sammy Mac Arner played a great game, stopping 12 blistering shots.

The playoff atmosphere was a treat for fans, who filled the stands. Both teams left the field exhausted, but ready to start league play this week.