The Tuckers won the county title Thursday with a win over Babylon. (Photo by Robert O’Rourke)
Minutes after Mattituck/Southold/Greenport claimed the Suffolk County Class D women’s lacrosse title on Thursday, senior co-captain Errazuria had a chance to savor the moment.
“I’m speechless right now,” she said after the Tuckers’ 12-6 victory over Babylon at the Lincoln Avenue Sports Center in Mustique. “Some seniors have been working on this since ninth grade. I’m so grateful. I’m honestly shocked that we won this game. We came out and fired, and we didn’t stop. I’m so proud of us.”
Suglia had every right to be proud, leading a four-goal, two-assist performance that capped off one of the greatest days in school lacrosse history. Just hours earlier, the boys had won the county title with a 12-5 victory over Babylon at the same venue.
As throughout the season, Suglia has had plenty of help from his teammates: senior Sage Foster contributed 4 goals, freshman Gianna Calise contributed 2 goals and 1 assist, Page Kellershon had 1 goal and 1 assist. 2 assists, senior Megan Tobin scored 1 and Brynn Gardner added 3 assists.
“We peaked at the right time,” Foster said. “We’re locked in.”
Head coach Logan McGinn agreed. “A lot of hard work will pay off,” he said. “It’s easy when you have such good girls who are willing to put in the work and listen to what we’re doing. We had a really good game plan. We scouted them really well. They followed through on everything. It was perfect of.”
MSG will take on the Nassau County champions – Carle Place or Cold Spring Harbor – for the Long Island Championship on Sunday, June 4 at 11AM at Adelphi University. The state semifinals are scheduled for June 9 at SUNY Cortland, with the final on June 10.
The girls prepared for Thursday’s game by watching the boys win their own county titles, while the boys’ teams cheered on the girls from the stands.
“We do a lot of things with the kids,” McGuinn said. “It’s a huge support system. It’s really a great family atmosphere.”
Suria scored first, scoring twice, the first from close range just 68 seconds into the opening confrontation, and the second at 3:13.
Kellershon started the latter sequence, picking up a ground ball and bolting before finding Suglia on the right.
“The only thing on my mind is that nothing is going to stop me,” Kellershin said. “When I approach [the goal], Ella came in quietly, and everyone collapsed. Rather than shooting, passing is a better option. “
Kelsen scored the third at 6:03 and Babylon midfielder Sofia Conti scored the first of her five goals, all from penalties, at 7:41.
Babylon cut the deficit to 7-5 early in the second half, prompting McGinn to call a timeout, which helped turn the momentum around. Suglia then sparked MSG’s five-goal burst to score a spectacular goal at 9:27, flicking the ball into the right side of the net while cutting to her left.
“We have a lot of respect for her,” Callis said. “She’s been really good for our team and the momentum of the game. Not only does she motivate us physically, but mentally she has that effect too. She’s always there to cheer us up.”
Junior goalkeeper Aiko Fujita (9 saves) had two free throws blocked to stop Gwen Fawess at 15:02 of the first half and Brooke Gengler at 2:06 of the second half.
“When you have a girl like Aiko online, it’s a special thing,” McGinn said. “replace [penalty shots] What was 80-20 for them became 50-50. A lot of times we are at the top, which is fantastic. “
What is the secret of Fujita’s success?
“When they tried to move me around, I just tried to move as little as possible,” she said.
While seniors are key to the team’s success, freshmen like Kellershin and Kalis have also been strong.
“I’m lucky to have them for another three years,” McGuinn said. “They listen to everything. They ask questions. They’re leaders. They don’t panic, they step up when it matters. That’s the definition of a great player.”
Before the season started, McGinn asked his players to write down their goals for the season.
Calise recalls, “95 percent to 100 percent of the goal was to get to that point. Getting to that point was an incredible achievement.”
McGinn may now consider asking his players to update their goals and take on more challenges — and a potential title.
