Huntington JV Girls' Lax Goes 10-4
The Huntington junior varsity girls' lacrosse team soared to a 10-4 mark this spring on the wings of strong play by a talented and well-balanced roster.
The Blue Devils' powerful attack was led by sophomore Nicole Gaimbrone who notched 32 goals and seven assists, won 25 draw controls and scooped up 64 ground balls. "She was instrumental in getting us the ball," head coach Kathy Wright said.
Huntington benefitted from a multi-faceted attack unit. Sophomore Maggie Askerberg contributed 23 goals and five assists. Sophomore Kelly Askerberg, who was skilled at transitioning the ball, scored nine goals and assisted on ten others. Sophomore Hannah Pipolo scored 24 goals and added 17 assists. She also picked 43 ground balls.
Freshmen Shannon Smith (3g, 1a) and Julianna Kimchy (3g, 1a) teased fans with a healthy dose of their developing talent as part of the attack unit. The duo is expected to help lead the attack in the future.
"The transition of the ball up the field was smooth and fast due to the speed of the midfielders," Wright said. Sophomore Kaylyn Johnson seemed to never tire sprinting back and forth. She tallied 25 goals, nine assists and 11 draw controls. Sophomore Annie Nugent (18g, 6a, 15 DC, 83 GB) was a speedster, routinely beating opponents to groundballs and changing the course of games.
Wright said that freshman Lucie Lavelle "played with heart every game. She was able to take the draw as well as transition the ball up the field." The line on Lavelle included five goals, six assists, 11 draw controls and 39 ground balls.
"Offense wins the game, but defense will win the championship," Wright said. If that's true, the Blue Devils are fortunate to have many rugged defenders. Powerful players such as sophomores Jessica Stern (1 DC, 35 GB), Tiana Thurmond (1DC, 34 GB) and Gabby Wilson (1 DC, 65 GB) and freshman Emily Maggio (1g, 1a, 4 DC and 42 GB).
"The defense was able to communicate, slide and transition the ball from goalie to midfield," Wright said. The coach described junior Bianca Creque (6 GB) as a "fierce defender." Freshmen Kira Bergman (8 GB) and Rachel Feltman (4 GB) "both helped the defensive team throughout the season," Wright said.
"The heart of the team is the goalie," Huntington's coach said and the Blue Devils had a great one in eighth grader Fiona Geier, who recorded 87 saves. Wright said the dynamic young player "brought the Huntington team to victory many times, making save after save and clearing the ball up the field."
The solid season pleased the coach. "This JV team played together as a cohesive team that supported each other on and off the field," Wright said. "This team was a joy to coach. The girls grew as a team and as individual players."