Blue Devils Win Long Island Girls’ Lax Championship

Whatever it takes. As long as the team gets the “W,” no one really cares who the star is on any given day. The Huntington girls’ lacrosse team raced out of the starting gate and built what proved to be an insurmountable lead to topple mighty Massapequa and lift the Blue Devils to their first Long Island championship in 30 years, 12-8 on Tuesday at Adelphi University.

Huntington’s offense was unstoppable in the opening minutes. Possession after possession resulted in a goal. The Blue Devils led 4-1 after one period and 6-1 at halftime against Massapequa, the two-time defending LI champs.

Huntington has pulled together as a team and is playing its best lacrosse. The Blue Devils have consecutively toppled four state ranked teams in the last 11 days and their confidence is running at an all-time high.

Does every player believe they can beat anyone? “Yes, absolutely,” captain Devon St. John (17 goals; 7 assists) said. “Bet on us.” The senior Cornell commit tallied a pair of goals, including a mind numbing shovel shot off a rebound early in the game against Massapequa.

Captain Jolie Weinschreider (44 goals; 19 assists) turned in another incredible performance with three goals. The junior Rutgers commit said there is only one thing on her mind as she presses the attack. “To get the ball in the back of the net,” Weinschreider said. “My dodges were working well today on my defenders. Our spacing and patience was unreal so it helped me attack the goal. We were able to pick apart their man defense. I am over the moon for our team right now. We played as a family and we made history. I wouldn’t want do this with anyone else.”

With all the scoring in the past two weeks it would be easy to overlook Huntington’s defense, but it’s been the ability of those Blue Devils charged with stopping some of the most powerful offenses in the state that was a key in winning the Long Island crown.

“The attitude of our defense at this point in the season is simple: keep doing what we’ve been doing,” sophomore Ava McDonald said. “The key for us is to just play our game and do it together. We trust each other and we know that when we play as one and do our job, we are one of the best defenses our opponents see.”

Junior Valentina Puccio (36 goals; 10 assists) was once again spectacular, scoring three goals. Senior Sabrina Boyle (47 goals; 15 assists) had two goals and an assist and won several critical draw controls in the final minutes.

Junior Bridget Callery (17 goals; 12 assists) tallied a goal and an assist. Senior Jenna Italiano (11 goals; 5 assists) also scored in the game. Freshman goalie Juliet Johnson was magnificent in the cage, deflecting or stopping a string of rockets fired at her from close range.

The team, the team, the team. It’s a philosophy that has been preached all year and the Blue Devils have bought into it. No one player is more important than the next.

“Personally, I feel our team wouldn’t be where we are without every player wearing a Huntington jersey,” said junior Cameron Smith, who has been vital to the defense in shutting down some of Long Island’s top scorers. “From our strong defense to our dynamic offense to our amazingly energized sideline, we truly wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the things we did without every single player.”

Whatever it takes. “That mindset made us champs,” said junior Isabella Palacios, another key defensive player. “We’re not letting it go.”

Huntington led 10-3 after three periods, but Massapequa made it a game in the final frame with a series of five quick goals, but they weren’t enough.

“Massapequa is a very tough, well coached team that has been in this situation before,” Boyle said. “They were playing for their third consecutive LIC and being able to take that from a team is very special. Our team is more focused on each other rather than our opponents. This team has the most belief, heart, grit and love for the game on this island.”

Huntington travels to Lakeland High School on Saturday for the southeast regional state playoffs. The Blue Devils will play the Section I champion at 5:30 p.m. The winner advances to the State Final Four at SUNY Cortland on June 13-14. The semifinal and final games are both scheduled at 11:30 a.m.