Blue Devils Play for Long Island Title Today at 2 p.m.

The Huntington girls’ lacrosse team will play for the Long Island championship today at 2 p.m. at Adelphi University. The Blue Devils (17-2) will square off against Nassau champ Massapequa (12-7). The winner will advance to the southeast regional playoff game at Lakeland High School and face the Section I champion.

Huntington toppled Ward Melville in overtime on Saturday, 8-7. Jenna Italiano (10 goals; 5 assists) scored the winning goal off an assist from Devon St. John (15g; 7a), 1:45 into the first overtime. It was Italiano’s second goal of the game. Grace Gordon (38g; 23a) and Valentino Puccio (33g; 10a) also scored two goals in the game. Sabrina Boyle (45g; 14a) and Bridget Callery (16g; 11a) also scored goals. St. John and Jolie Weinschreider (41g; 19a) had assists. Freshman goalie Juliet Johnson made six saves.

The victory marked Huntington’s first county championship in girls’ lacrosse since 1995 after appearing in the finals for the first time since 2007.

Italiano spent many long hours during off-season months refining her shot from close range and all that training paid off when she scored the game winner and was mobbed by her teammates.

The huge crowd repeatedly chanted “Let’s go Huntington!!” with the game on the line. Fans included Superintendent Beth McCoy, Principal Rochelle Brown and five Huntington School Board members along with other district officials.

The game was tense with a disciplined Ward Melville team giving Huntington all it could handle. The Blue Devils trailed after the first 12 minute period, 3-2. But then rallied by halftime to take a 5-4. Ward Melville took the lead again in the third period, 6-5. The teams traded goals before Huntington’s late game heroics.

Coaches Katie Reilly, Lauren Blackburn, Chris Taylor and Samantha Lynch joined their players in celebrating the victory. A post-game party in Huntington village followed. By Sunday the team was back on the practice field preparing for Massapequa.

Tickets to the game can only be purchased online at this link: https://gofan.co/event/3619892?schoolId=NYSPHSAA8