Blue Devil Sports News
Emilie Pugliese is in the midst of a fantastic college lacrosse season for High Point University. The 2011 Huntington High School alum has played attack in eight games for the Panthers and scored 11 goals. She has also recorded two ground balls and two draw controls and caused one turnover. High Point is 6-5 after suffering one point losses to No. 7 Duke (10-9) and Virginia Tech (11-10).
The 5’3 Pugliese scored four goals against Presbyterian College last week to help lift High Point to a 21-3 victory. The Huntington grad is a redshirt sophomore after sitting out her freshman year after undergoing knee surgery. Last year she played in 10 games and notched five goals, two assists and seven ground balls.
Pugliese was a high school star for the Blue Devils, scoring 77 goals and adding 84 assists over the course of her scholastic career. She earned All-Division and All-County honors. She is an exercise science major at High Point.
Located in North Carolina, the High Point women’s lacrosse team is a serious contender for the Big South Conference championship this spring.
Martin Notches Game Winner
The Huntington High School boys’ lacrosse team defeated visiting Eastport-South Manor in two overtimes, 8-7. Billy Martin scored the game-winning goal off an assist by Ben Kocis with 2:25 remaining in the second overtime.
Huntington led 6-4 at halftime before the Sharks rallied to send the game into overtime. Don Tesoriero had a career best 22 saves in goal for the Blue Devils. Bryan Murchison won nine-of-15 face-offs.
Matt Whitcher had a goal and an assist for Huntington. Kocis, Tom Plant and Jeremy Gelb had two goals apiece for Huntington. Matt Whitcher added a goal and an assist. Martin had two assists. Christian Fiordelisi added an assist.
Career Day for Katie Reilly
The Huntington girls’ lacrosse team stormed past visiting Comswogue on Saturday morning at Blue Devil Field, 15-1. The Blue Devils rolled to an 11-1 halftime lead. Katie Reilly had a career day with four goals and seven assists. Emma DeGennaro added four goals and two assists.
Huntington’s offense was humming and appeared unstoppable at times. Alyssa Amorison notched three goals. Samantha Lynch had two goals and two assists. Emma Petrizzi and Hailey Bengston also put the ball in the back of the net for the Blue Devils.
Huntington goalies Anna Tesoriero (four saves) and Fiona Geier (two saves) were sensational in the net, combining to make six stops.
H-ton Alum Wins Award
Nick Saputo, a member of Huntington’s Class of 2011, was named Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week after helping lead Drexel University to a pair of wins.
Saputo dominated the “X” at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia by winning 22-of-27 face-offs. The former Blue Devil star also scooped up 12 ground balls in the Dragons’ 14-10 victory. The 22-face-offs tied a career-high.
Saputo continued his exceptional play at Delaware a few days later, going head to head with the Blue Hens’ talented face-off specialist, Tyler Barbarich, who entered the game with a .640 win percentage, just behind Saputo in the national rankings. Saputo was able to win 11 of 19 face-offs in the game, including 10 of 18 against Barbarich, as Drexel topped Delaware, 9-7.
Saputo has won 67 percent of his face-offs and was ranked fourth in the nation as of March 31. He is also third in the country with 10.2 ground balls per game.
Lynch Scores Nine Times
It was one of the most remarkable performances ever for a Huntington girls’ lacrosse player. Samantha Lynch scored nine goals and added an assist as the Blue Devils defeated host East Hampton/Bridgehampton/Pierson, 16-14.
Huntington held an 8-5 halftime lead before holding on for a two-goal victory. Katie Reilly had three goals and five assists. Alyssa Amorison tallied two goals and two assists. Emma DeGennaro notched a pair of goals. Emma Greenhill had an assist.
Taylor Moreno stopped eight shots in goal for the Blue Devils. Anna Tesoriero added two saves in goal.
Blue Devils Look Ahead
After compiling a 20-1 record, winning the league championship and reaching the Suffolk Class AA Final Four, the Huntington High School girls’ basketball team is looking ahead.
“We are going to miss Joelle Ceide and Emma Hughes,” head coach Michael Kaplan said about the team’s two seniors. “They brought something every day and were outstanding leaders.”
Next year’s team appears to be solid. “We are returning 10 players, all of whom have experience in what it takes to be successful.”
15 Players Score Goals
This just might be a new Huntington record. The Blue Devil girls’ lacrosse team turned back Southampton/Ross, 15-0. Huntington’s goals were scored by 15 different players.
The Blue Devils led at halftime, 7-0 and Huntington kept up their torrid offensive pace in the second frame.
Emma DeGennaro (three assists), Katie Reilly (two assists), Caitlin Knowles (one assist), Alyssa Amorison (one assist), Emma Petrizzi (one assist), Emma Greenhill, Mackenzie Maloney, Kelly Palladino, Anna Tesoriero, Brianna McDonald, Meghan Plant, Samantha Lynch, Heather Forster, Irina DeSimone and Cassidie Giammarino all scored for Huntington.
Taylor Moreno recorded three saves in goal for the Blue Devils. Fiona Geier made one stop in the net.
“Having 15 different people score, really shows what kind of people we have on the team and after this game we are really preparing for the tough season ahead of us,” Reilly said. “Anna Tesoriero, one of our goalies got to score and take the draw. That was probably the highlight of the game.”
Softball Bounces Back
The Huntington softball team bounced back from a several losses to even its record at 3-3 with a 13-1 victory over Bellport. Ellyn Byrnes collected four hits, drove in three runs and scored four times while also pitching a six hitter, striking out two and walking no one. Sarah Grassi banged out three hits and had four runs batted in.
Fiordelisi Stars in Lax Victory
The Huntington boys’ lacrosse team built up an insurmountable 8-1 halftime lead en route to a 15-5 victory at Hampton Bays. The Blue Devils were paced by Christian Fiordelisi, who scored four goals and added five assists. It was the team’s third straight victory.
Ben Kocis had four goals in the game and Tom Plant scored twice. Matt Whitcher, Tim Mattiace, Matt Pavelka and Ryan Casale also notched goals. Garrett Moya had a goal and two assists. Billy Martin assisted on two goals. Jeremy Gelb also had an assist.
Blue Devil goalies Don Tesoriero and Justin Weigold had two saves apiece in the net.
Booster Club Summer Camps
The Huntington Booster Club has announced its summer sports camp line-up and registration is now underway on the organization’s new website. There will be 26 separate camps. All camps (except tennis) are priced at $150. There is an early bird discount of $10 for those registering by May 1. Anyone that registers for three or more camps will receive a $25 discount.
“We strive to create a healthy, safe and competitive environment where our campers will work to improve individual and team skills, learn sportsmanship and self-confidence and appreciate the physical benefits of athletics,” according to the summer camp program brochure.
The camp brochure is posted on the Huntington School District’s website at www.hufsd.edu. To access the brochure click on the Athletics link and then on the Summer Programs tab on the left side of the screen.
Visit the Huntington Booster Club’s website at www.huntingtonboosterclub.com to register for the summer camp program. (While mail registration is also available the online option is the preferred method.)