The first weekend of the LILJ Girls HSWL started off with a bang, as it now features three different divisions including middle school, junior varsity and varsity. Across each division led to a total of 28 games played between Saturday December 7th and Sunday December 8th to get the first week of pool play started, featuring both a number of returning teams as well as plenty of newcomers making their winter league debuts across both school and club teams. With week 1 in the books and week 2 getting started tomorrow morning, let’s go back and recap the week that was in the first week of pool play games!
YJ O’Sullivan 2030 vs Team 91 2029 Fire
In the first matchup in the LILJ Winter League for these two middle school club programs it was the seventh grade YJ O’Sullivan team taking on the eighth graders of Team 91 Fire to get Saturday morning started. This one was controlled by YJ O’Sullivan, jumping out to a quick start as the goals came in a flurry in the first half, jumping out to a 9-0 lead through the 20 minutes due to being able to hold a commanding edge in the number of possessions and creating 13 turnovers with great plays on the ride coming from their attack unit and a first half hat-trick for midfielder Lilly Arnone. The second half saw YJ O’Sullivan keep control of the game, outscoring 91 6-1 to get their first win in pool play by a final score of 15-1. For YJ O’Sullivan Lilly Arnone was a force on the offensive end, tallying four goals in the game and going 4-4 on the draw circle with two caused turnovers. Reese Mandello also found the back of the net three times with an assist while Kendall Logan added one goal, one assist with three ground balls and a caused turnover. For team 91 Allison Karp scored their one goal in the game while Elise Larsen forced two turnovers.
Team 91 2030 Frenzy vs YJ Curcio 2031
Game 2 on Saturday morning saw the 2030s of Team 91 Frenzy battle the 2031s of YJ Curcio. Much of the first half was back and forth with the score even at 3-3 before Team 91 went on a 4-1 scoring run to close out the first half and take a 7-4 lead going into halftime. In the second half Team 91 expanded the lead, getting a big offensive second half from Mia Arnone, scoring four second half goals and six for the game. Outscoring YJ 8-5 in the second half they went on to secure a 15-9 to open up pool play. In addition to Arnone’s big game Evelyn Avery recorded four goals and four assists and Kalina Jasinska added three goals, one assist and three ground balls. Leading the way in caused turnover for Team 91 was Francesca Dickson with three and Ashley Callahan with two. On the other side YJ Curcio was led in scoring by Molly McCabe and Cameron Falkman each with two goals, and Madeline Dircks forced three turnovers. On the draw circle Ashley Manolakes was a perfect 3-3.
Team 91 2031 Crush vs YJ O’Sullivan 2030
In game 3 of the day YJ O’Sullivan earned their second win to move to 2-0 in pool play as they defeated Team 91 15-3. Similar to their first matchup they jumped to a sizable lead early in the game, leading 9-0 through the first 20 minutes. Continuing to build their lead in the second half, YJ O’Sullivan outscored Team 91 6-3 in the second half to secure the win. Two goals each were scored by Kendall Logan, Lilly Arnone, Bryn Guariglia, and Avery Pescatore. Lainey Murtha led them in assists with four while Pescatore also added two. Defensively the team forced 12 turnovers led by Jordyn Cowdell with three takeaways. In the ground ball department it was Pescatore and Maggie Beach with a team high four gb’s. Team 91’s three goals came from the trio of Harley Leake, Reese Chirico, and Scarlett Lentini.
Team 91 Fusion 2028 vs YJ Friedman 2029
Opening up the JV Division in the HSWL it was YJ Friedman coming away with a big win over Team 91 Fusion 24-0. The offense for YJ Friedman was in high gear, getting big offensive performances from a number of players. Leading the way with four goals was Arianna Focarile while Natalie Tackacs was good for three goals and two assists as well as three goals and four assists for Avery Needle. Nicole Manolakes was also a feeding machine with four assists along with a goal. In the ground ball department it was Lainie Friedman with a game high four gb’s while YJ also got three ground balls each from Manolakes and Summer O’Neill. In total YJ Friedman forced 15 turnovers with Lainie Friedman and Ella Dragonette each forcing three and Summer O’Neill and Katy Lourenco forcing two.
FLG Navy 2028 vs Team 91 2029 Thunder
In another battle between two Long Island club programs, the freshman from FLG came away with a 10-6 victory over the eighth graders from Team 91. In the first half FLG came out the gate jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the early stages of the game with the opening goal scored by Stella Efstathiou followed by back to back goals from Ava Bencivenga. After Team 91 got on the board on a low to low goal by Allie Lizza, FLG went on a 6-1 scoring run the rest of the first half to take a 9-2 lead into halftime. In the second half Team 91 aimed to turn the tide and they managed to get back into the game, with their defense allowing just one second half goal, winning the second half scoring 4-1 to cut the deficit to 10-6. However FLG’s first half cushion proved to be enough for the win. FLG was led by Ashley Arizonis’ three goals, one assist, four ground balls, two caused turnovers and 2-2 on the draw circle. In addition to the two goals scored by Bencivenga she was also 2-2 on draws with three ground balls. Kennedy Murnane and Abby Mitchell each added a goal, two assists and two assists, and in the cage Molly Giordano saved 54% of shots with seven saves in the game. Lila Newman led Team 91 in scoring with two goals while Allie Lizza scooped up four ground balls. Defensively Samantha Cafiero was a takeaway machine as she forced four turnovers. Katie Van Horn totaled seven saves with a 41% save percentage.
Huntington JV vs FLG Navy 2028
In the second of back to back games for FLG, this time they faced off against the Huntington Blue Devils JV, and earned a 9-5 win to move to 2-0 in pool play. This one saw them fall behind 2-0 in the first four minutes of the game before they rattled off five straight goals capped off by a Leah Grohotolski transition goal. After taking a 6-4 lead into halftime, the second half proved to be more defensive oriented for both teams as the scoring was only 3-1 in favor of FLG for the four goal victory. Addison Held’s hat-trick led the scoring for FLG while Ireland Pinner and Leah Grohotolski each scored twice. Ashley Arizonis made her presence felt on the draw circle going 5-5 in draw controls while also adding two assists. On the defensive side of the field Riley Iannotti and Carly Sullivan each forced two caused turnovers, and Molly Giordano was once again very stout in the net with seven saves and a 58% save percentage. On the other side Huntington’s leading scorer was eighth grader Nora Golden with two goals along with two assists. Fellow eighth grader Brianna Purcell was all over the field between the lines with three ground balls as well as three caused turnovers.
Westhampton JV vs YJ Babst 2030
In a clash between one of the top JV programs and one of the top club programs, it was Westhampton taking on YJ Babst and this one proved to be a win for the Hurricanes of Westhampton by a score of 13-7. Through the first 10 minutes of the game this one was a back and forth contest as the two teams were tied up at two, but Westhampton rallied off three straight goals to turn a 2-2 game into a 5-2 game as the run was capped off by a tremendous trail-check by Mackenzie Klammer to force the turnover and take the ball down the field to score. Ultimately it was a four goal lead at the half for Westhampton, leading 7-3, and they extended the lead in the second half, outscoring YJ Babst 6-4 for a seven goal victory. The Hurricanes saw multiple players fill up the box score. Mia Mastropierro tallied a hat-trick along with one assist, and Teagan Dorn, Kartsyn LoRusso, and Mackenzie Klammer each added two goals. Klammer also secured a team high five ground balls, while Filippa Halvorsen also totaled four while each creating two caused turnovers. Addison FitzGibbon found the back of the net twice for YJ Babst, and scoring one goal each was Jada Leonard, Maggie Giachetti, Hailey Rosati, Gabrielle Surdi, and Brianna Tomicic.
Westhampton JV vs Bayport JV
The reigning champions of the JV Division the Bayport Blue Point Phantoms opened up pool play against the Westhampton Beach Hurricanes to begin their quest to repeat as champions. In their opening game they earned a 13-6 win to start off 1-0. Establishing control of the game from the onset, the Phantoms built a 5-1 lead in the first half and would go into halftime with a 6-2 lead led by two goals each from Kaelyn Aiello and Liliana LiPuma. Bayport went on to increase the lead in the second half as they went on to win by seven goals. The freshman Aiello was a big time playmaker in the game, finishing with four goals and three assists for seven points while also making great plays on the ride, creating three turnovers. LiPuma along with Kylie Jensen each recorded a hat-trick, and Leila Rogers dished out three assists and a goal for four points. In the net for the Phantoms was Anastasia Cirone who recorded seven saves and had a save percentage of 54%. The Hurricanes were led in scoring by Teagan Dorn with two goals, while Katy Lorenco, Mackenzie Klammer, Karstyn LoRusso, and Grace Hart each scored once. Alina Cooper who was in the net in the second half and was 50% in saves with a total of seven.
YJ Babst 2030 vs Tradition 2029
One of the most competitive games of the day was a seventh grade vs eighth grade clash as YJ Babst faced Tradition in what was an 11-10 final score in favor of YJ Babst in what was a game that proved to be a game of runs. In the early stages of the game Tradition had the upper hand, leading by a score of 4-2, but YJ Babst would close the first half with a flurry, outscoring Tradition 5-1 down the stretch to take a 7-5 lead into halftime. In the second half YJ Babst continued to build on the momentum as they increased the lead to four, leading 11-7. Tradition would go on a run of their own, answering with three straight goals to cut a four goal deficit down to one with two minutes remaining in the game, but YJ Babst was able to hold on in the end for the one goal victory. Jada Leonard was their top scorer with three goals along with three ground balls, while Gabrielle Surdi and Brianna Tomicic each added two goals. On the circle Ally Voss was a perfect 3-3 in controlling the draw. For Tradition Kaila Hansmen totaled three goals with an assist, and Grace Wheeler and Ella Melendez each struck for two goals with also three caused turnovers for Melendez. Also adding two caused turnovers was Stella Trillhaase.
YJ Gaghan/Torre 2027 vs Westhampton Varsity
Opening up the varsity division was a pool 3 matchup between Westhampton and YJ Gaghan Torre where it was the Hurricanes getting an 11-5 win to start off 1-0 in pool play. In the first half they jumped out to a 3-0 lead as the first three goals were scored by Meghan Tufano, Reese King, and Tierney McEntee to give them the early advantage. They went on to lead 6-3 at halftime and expanded their lead in the second half, outscoring YJ 5-2 to pickup a six goal win. The future Tar Heel Reese King found the back of the net four times, while the Hofstra commit Meaghan Tufano tallied a hat-trick, followed by two goals from sophomore Tierney McEntee. Also adding three points was Wagner commit Shannon Killoran with two assists along with a goal. In the cage for the Hurricanes was the UPenn commit Maya Farnan who posted a 50% save percentage with five saves in the game. The talented team of sophomores from YJ were led in scoring by Julia Voss who was a perfect 3/3 on shots, with one goal each coming from Megan Florio and Caitlin Masera.
YJ Voss 2026 vs Bayport Varsity
The Phantoms and YJ Voss faced off as they each opened up pool play and it was Bayport in control of this one as they earned an 18-9 win thanks to a commanding first half where they jumped out to a 9-2 lead in through the first 20 minutes of play, while upholding the scoring advantage in the second half 7-5 for the nine goal win. Sparking the Phantoms included their senior Maryland commit Ava Meyn who was perfect on the draw circle going 3/3 and striking for four goals with one assist. The offense also saw big performances from their upperclassmen in senior Aubrie Eisfeld (Clemson) with three goals, senior Erika Kreuscher (Stony Brook) going for two goals and three assists. While junior Kailey Bruckner (Towson) tallied three goals with an assist, and Ava Adams totaled two goals and three assists. One of the islands top sophomores Olivia Brady added three goals while also being a force on defense coming up with three caused turnovers. On the other side, YJ Voss’ Taylor Murtha (Sacred Heart) put on a show, scoring four goals including one for the highlight reel as she split two defenders and fired in a twizzler. Also adding two goals and an assist was Mischa Fernandes (Stony Brook), while Lily Krollage (Flagler) and Caroline Scully recored a goal and an assist. In the cage Alyssa Tappin didn’t see a shortage of shots and totaled 13 saves.
Excelsior vs Wantagh
In this matchup between the Excelsior free agent team and the Wantagh Warriors it was the free agents from Excelsior coming up with an 11-2 win to get pool play started with a 1-0 record. Jumping out to a sizable lead in the first half, they outscored Wantagh 6-2 the first 20 minutes, and 5-0 in the second half. Stony Brook commit Emma DiMaio led Excelsior in points with three goals and two assists, with three goals and one assist from Katherine Nabet (Jacksonville). Ava Rivera (Mercer) found the back of the net twice, and Grace Theofield dished out three assists. In the ground ball department Emma DiMaio and Katherine Nabet had a game high four ground balls and Ashlynn Renkowski (Cornell) recorded three. Grace Galvin led the team in caused turnovers with three on the defensive end. The shorthanded Warriors who were without key players in this one, saw Mia Dankenbrink and Isabella Sandoval each score a goal, with Sandoval and Katelyn Baudo also forcing two turnovers. Madeline Gonzalez posted a 50% save percentage, saving 11 of 22 shots on goal.
YJ Maget/Bert 2028 vs St. Anthony’s White
The freshmen phenoms of YJ Maget/Bert faced off against the super sophomores of St. Anthony’s and this one was won by the freshman as it was YJ coming out on top 13-8 in their first pool play game. This one was certainly up for grabs especially in the first half as the two teams played an evenly matched first 15 minutes with the score tied 4-4. YJ went on a 4-1 scoring run to take an 8-5 lead going into halftime. The three goal halftime lead increased in the second half as they outscored St. Anthony’s 5-3 to earn the win. The tandem of Fabiana Gallagher and Nora Ruddy combined for six goals as they each recorded a hat-trick, Jennavieve Lineman, Addison Kelly, and Katie Murphy were each responsible for two goals, with Lineman also going 2-3 on the draw circle. Charlotte Cavalone secured three ground balls on defense, and Aislin Lawton and Jamie Medico were active on the defense end as they each forced three turnovers. Despite the loss for St. Anthony’s Chile Mullady had a big game for the Friars with three goals and two assists, and Melania Moreo added two goals. On the defensive end for the Friars, Cassandra Rhodes was a standout with three caused turnovers.
St. Anthony’s Black vs Commack
The reigning champions from St. Anthony’s took on the Commack Cougars as each team opened up pool play, and this one an offensive shootout, as the Friars came out on top, winning this one by a final score of 18-11. The first half was a three goal advantage for St. Anthony’s, holding a 6-3 edge through the first 20 minutes of play, while the second half is really where both offenses took off, with St. Anthony’s winning the second half scoring 12-8. The Friars offense was spearheaded by FSU commit Katherine Rathjen who was virtually unstoppable at attack. With nine shots on goal Rathjen found the back of the net eight times along with three assists for an 11 point outing and three caused turnovers. Johns Hopkins commit Molly Hiney posted three goals and two assists from the midfield while going 4/7 on the draw circle. St. Anthony’s also got two goals each from seniors Peighton McNulty (Binghamton) and Madison Neary (Stetson), as well as a goal and two assists from Devan Lange (Princeton). The Cougars were led in scoring by FSU bound senior Amelia Brite with four goals, and Lili Pettit (Stony Brook), and Avery Rojas each scored twice. Emily Parisi (Sacred Heart) and Aubrey Maurer (UConn) contributed with a goal and an assist each with Maurer going 4/8 on the draw circle. Defensively Commack’s Kaylee McCann led all players with three caused turnovers.
Excelsior vs YJ Torre/Mitchell 2026
Coming in with a 1-0 record it was Excelsior facing the 2026s YJ Torre Mitchell who was playing in their first pool play game of the weekend. This was a matchup that was hanging in the balance and up for grabs the entire way. The two teams were even through the first 20 minutes of play, as the score was a 4-4 game at the half. In the second half Excelsior gained a slight edge in the scoring, winning the second half 7-5 to edge out YJ by a final score of 11-9. Excelsior was fueled by a well balanced scoring unit, between two goals each from Ashlynn Renkowski (Cornell), Olivia Kaelin (New Haven), Emma DiMaio (Stony Brook), Alyssa Lorefice (Rutgers), and Ava Rivera (Mercer). Excelsior was sharing the rock throughout the game with six of their 11 goals coming off assists, with three from Lorefice, two from DiMaio and one from Kaelin. In the ground ball department Grace Theofield (Binghamton), Kate Ross (LIU), and Kaleigh Renkowski (Quinnipiac) each recorded four gb’s. Setting the tone on the draw circle was Ashlynn Renkowski who was 6/7 in draw controls. In the net for Excelsior was Maribella Marciano (Lehigh) who recorded double digit saves with 10 and a 53% save percentage. For YJ Torre Mitchell Ava Tiedemann (LIU), Sara Richardt (Binghamton), and Madison Sussi (UMass all accounted for two goals, with one goal each from Lila Callahan (Hofstra), Eva Carvalho (Albany), and Olivia Romeo (Stony Brook). Mikaela Knott and Carly Amaro (UMass) were all over the field in securing ground balls with five from Knott and four from Amato.
Ward Melville vs Long Beach
In a Nassau vs Suffolk clash the Patriots faced off against the Marines with this game going in favor of Long Beach as they earned a big win to open up pool play by a score of 14-5. The first half slightly favored Long Beach, holding a 7-4 lead at the half with their last goal coming at the buzzer scored by Sky Kilfeather (FSU), assisted by Marianna Chimienti after a caused turnover on the ride by Shannon O’Shea. The momentum continued for Long Beach in the second half where they seized control of the game, outscoring the Patriots 7-1 for the nine goal win. Long Beach’s offense saw Sky Kilfeather tally seven points with four goals and three assists and Delaney Chernoff (Denver) record six points with four goals and two assists while also going 4/6 on the draw circle with four ground balls. Sienna Warren was good for three goals and Marianna Chimienti dished out three assists with a goal for four points. On the other side the Patriots scoring was led by the young gun in eighth grader Nicole Manolakes and sophomore Sadie Banks, each finding the back of the net twice. Defensively Peyton Phillips (UPenn) created two caused turnovers for Ward Melville.
Massapequa vs Sayville
The Class C State Champion Sayville Golden Flashes were back in action facing the Class A Long Island Champion Massapequa Chiefs. It was Sayville earning a big win in their first matchup, by a score of 14-3, outscoring Massapequa 7-2 in the first half and 7-2 in the second half. Offensively Morgan Farrell (Johns Hopkins) had a game high eighth points with five goals and three assists, and Sofia Cangelosi (Michigan) added five goals, one assist and was 3/4 on the draw circle. Adding two goals each was Abby Galaris (Wesleyan) and Sophia Buffardi (UNC). Carly Cangelosi (Rutgers) dished out three assists and created two caused turnovers with two ground balls. For Massapequa sophomore Ava Clark tallied two goals and Kali Humann scored one goal with one assist, while Molly Solnick forced two turnovers to lead the team.
South Side vs ESM
The Cyclones and Sharks went head to head in what was another Nassau vs Suffolk matchup which saw South Side defeat ESM 13-6. The first half was tightly contested as South Side held a slight edge through the first 20 minutes leading 6-4 at the half, but pulled away in the second half with a 7-2 run to come away with the win. For South Side’s offense sophomore Bobbie Creo put on an offensive display with four goals along with two assists for a team high six points. Annie Chimienti (Canisius) was a playmaker at attack with her distributing as she tallied five assists along with one goal. Sophomore Skye Korten also scored once along with an assist. From the midfield UNC commit added a hat-trick with an assist and went 3/6 on the draw circle. South Side was led in ground balls by Charlotte Testerman and coming up with three caused turnovers on defense to lead the team was Lexi Giannone. Tara Cody was in the net for the Cyclones, and was 50% in saves with six. For ESM Taylor Murtha (Sacred Heart) connected on two goals to lead the Sharks, and Caitlin Masera, Katelynn Murtha, Molly McGuire, and Ella Schopp each found the back of the net once, while Kate Valenti was 3/6 on draw controls.
Mount Sinai vs Ward Melville
In a matchup between two Suffolk County teams it was the Mustangs against the Patriots and this one went in favor of Mount Sinai as they held control of the game going on to win by a final score of 13-6, winning the first half scoring 8-4 and the second half scoring 5-2. For Mount Sinai’s offense, the UVA commit Cady Flaherty had a team high four goals, while Clemson commit Kyla Orlando connected on two goals along with three ground balls and a caused turnover. The quarterback of the Mustangs offense was Clemson commit Alexa Spallina who dished out six assists along with a goal and one caused turnover. Between the pipes it was Stony Brook commit Sofia Moschitta who was anchor on the defense, tallying nine saves with a 64% save percentage. Similar to game one for Ward Melville, it was eighth grader Nicole Manolakes and sophomore Sadie Banks each scoring twice to lead the offense.
ESM vs YJ Maget/Bert 2028
After opening up their first pool play matchup with a victory over St. Anthony’s White, the 2028s of YJ Maget/Bert were back in action on Sunday and picked up another win as they defeated ESM 11-8 to improve to 2-0 in pool play. The first half of the game proved to be the difference in which YJ outscored ESM 8-5 over the first 20 minutes of play, while the two teams were even in the second half, each scoring five goals. At attack it was Katie Murphy who had the hot hand, scoring five goals and a perfect 3/3 on 8 meter shots to ignite the offense. Jamie Medico also added two goals, and adding one goal each was Amanda Backer, Ilaria Florence, Nora Ruddy, and Fabiana Gallagher. Molly Hyland dished out two assists and went 2/3 on the draw circle along with two caused turnovers. Defensively YJ was anchored by Juliet Johnson in the net who saw 16 shots and made eight saves for a 50% save percentage. The Sharks offense got a hat-trick each from sophomore Katelynn Murtha and eighth grader Ella Dragonette and each were also 2/2 on the draw circle with one goal each coming from Taylor Murtha (Sacred Heart) and eighth grader Ella Schopp.
Harborfields vs St. Anthony’s Gold
Playing in their first game of the HSWL the Harborfields Tornadoes took on the gold team of St. Anthony’s in a contest that went right down to the wire. The first half slightly favored Harborfields as they lead by as many as three goals before St.Anthony’s closed the gap going into halftime, cutting the deficit to 5-4 after the first 20 minutes of play. After cutting into the deficit before the break, the Friars maintained momentum in the second half, going on to outscore Harborfields 8-5 to come out on top with a 12-10 win. For St. Anthony’s the junior duo of Meadow Szillus (Stony Brook) and Madison Sussi (UMass) accounted for eight of the 12 goals, each scoring four, along with two assists by Sussi and one from Szillus. Adding two goals, one assist and two caused turnovers was Johns Hopkins commit Molly Hiney from the midfield, while Devan Lange (Princeton) scored once and also forced two turnovers. On defense Blake Pasqualone led all players in caused turnovers, forcing three in the game. The Tornadoes were led by one of the top 2028s on the island in Nora Ruddy who didn’t shy away from the big stage against the St. Anthony’s upperclassmen, scoring six goals with two assists for eight points on the day. Maryland bound senior Sawyer Scarola added three goals along with two assists and sophomore Taylor Cavanaugh found the back of the net once.
Manhasset vs St. Anthony’s Black
Two powerhouses went head to head as Manhasset took on St. Anthony’s Black and it was the Friars who came away victorious in a close one as they defeated Manhasset 13-9, outscoring them 7-5 in the first half and 6-4 in the second half. Picking up where she left off from the Friars first game, FSU bound senior Katherine Rathjen continued to dominate on the offense end, filling up the scoring column with seven goals to lead the team in scoring. Molly Hiney the Johns Hopkins commit also added two goals, one assist and four ground balls. The Friars defense saw Julia May O’Connor (Syracuse) and Analisa LaMonica (Navy) each force two turnovers, and in the cage splitting time the goal was Jess Black (Army) and Sierra Grant (Binghamton) each making four saves. Manhasset’s offense saw Natalie Mascitti (Hamilton), Harper Lambert (Duke), and sophomore Danielle Perfetto each tally two goals, with also two caused turnovers by Perfetto as well. On the draw circle for Manhasset Joy D’Angelo was 75% going 3/4.
YJ Grazidei/Stadler vs Garden City
One of the top club programs in the country YJ Grazidei/Stadler took on one of the best public schools in the country in Garden City and this one went in favor of the sophomores of YJ as they defeated Garden City 9-7 in the opener for both teams. Narrowly winning the first half 6-5 and the second half 3-2 for the two goal victory. Olivia Brady struck for a hat-trick in the game along with one assist and two goals each for Cadence Adamo and Madison Sussi. Emery De Lauzon in the cage made six saves with a 46% save percentage. Garden City was led in scoring by Leelee Gaffney (American) and Ari Haffner (Holy Cross), while on the draw circle Regan backer was a perfect 4/4 on the draw circle.
Garden City Tradition vs FLG 2027
In a matchup between two club programs, it was GC Tradition earning a win against FLG 13-8 as they open up pool play 1-0, getting off to a strong start outscoring FLG 7-4 in the first half, and adding to their lead in the second half winning the half 6-4 for a five goal win. At attack Kimberly Colucci put on a full offensive display, showcasing both her ability to fill up the scoring column and also creating for others tallying four goals and three assists for seven points. The scoring was well balanced for Tradition as they got two goals each from Rhylee Kirchner, Caileigh McDonough, and Emerson Goettelmann (Rhode Island). For FLG six of their eighth goals were scored by attacker Olivia Mulada and midfielder Danielle Perfetto, each striking for three goals.
Rocky Point vs Huntington Varsity
It was Class C Rocky Point up against Class A Huntington and it was the Eagles of Rocky Point opening up with a victory in their first game of pool play, getting a 13-5 win which was sparked by a big first half, outscoring the Blue Devils 7-2 in the first 20 minutes of play, and in the second half outscoring Huntington 6-3 to get the win. Kaleigh Moeller (FSU) poured in five goals to lead the team in scoring, along with three ground balls. Their do it all midfielder Kylie Lamoreux (Maryland) tallied six points with four goals and two assists as well as five ground balls. Adding two goals and two assists was their recent Saint Leo commit Lillian Wood. The defense for Rocky Point turned Huntington over 15 in the game, and Violet Freebody (Slippery Rock) came up with three caused turnovers, while the last line of defense was senior UMass commit Breezy Henke who was 62% in saves coming up with eight on 13 shots on goal. Huntington’s two leading scorers were Jenna Italiano (Molloy) and Valentina Puccio (Hofstra) each with two goals, and on the draw Rutgers commit Jolie Weinschreider was a perfect 3/3 on draws.
Huntington Varsity vs Comsewogue
In the second of two straight games for the Blue Devils, this time it was a matchup against the Comsewogue Warriors where it was Comsewogue winning their opener in pool play as they defeated Huntington 13-6, fueled by a commanding second half where they outscored the Blue Devils 7-2 after holding just a slight two goal lead at halftime. One of Comsewogue’s young guns Emma Fernandes in the 2029 class showed up in a big way, scoring five goals on five shots on goal lead the team in scoring. Jackie Riviezzo (ESU) and Mikaela Knott each scored twice, with Knott also recording two assists, and Abby Hughes (LIU), Gianna McNulty (Binghamton), and seventh grader Lilly Arnone all added a goal. Huntington saw Jolie Weinschreider (Rutgers) pour in two goals, and one goal each scored by Bridget Callery (Quinnipiac), Jenna Italiano (Molloy), Sabrina Boyle (Binghamton) and Valentina Puccio (Hofstra).
Cold Spring Harbor vs St. Anthony’s White
Wrapping up the final pool play game of week 1 it was the Class D State Champion Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks making their winter league debut, taking on the St. Anthony’s sophomores. The Seahawks jumped out to a sizable lead in the first half, sparked by Maryland commit Ryan Reynolds, and they built an 8-2 lead through the first 20 minutes of play, while slightly winning the second half scoring 3-2 to earn an 11-4 win and start off 1-0 in pool play. Reynolds totaled five goals and two assists for a seven point outing along with going 3/5 on the draw circle. Adding two goals each was Sienna Koke and Olivia Mulada, while the defense for CSH forced 21 turnovers, as Maggie Spehr led the team with three caused turnovers. For the Friars Chloe Mullady had two goals and Estee Mihos and Manuela Armada each added one goal. Grace Belmonte made 10 saves on 21 shots for a save percentage just under 50%.
