Week 1 of the playoffs in the LILJ Girls High School Winter League is in the books and there were plenty of great matchups over the weekend and throughout the week in the JV and Varsity brackets. This weekend it all comes down to the semifinals and championship games as the 2024-25 winter league comes to a close and champs will be crowned. Let’s review how the opening rounds of the playoffs unfolded before the semifinals get going tomorrow morning!
Comsewogue vs Westhampton Varsity
Opening up the playoffs in the AA bracket of the varsity division was a Suffolk County matchup between Comsewogue and Westhampton, this one was controlled by the Hurricanes who put forth a dominant offensive and defensive game. Outscoring Comsewogue 7-0 in the first half and 7-1 in the second half resulted in a 14-1 win as they advanced to round 2. Leading the charge offensively was UNC commit Reese King who put together a seven point game with three goals and four assists while going 5/5 on the draw circle with seven ground balls. Ava Derby (Maryland) scored twice and dished out three assists, Brie Provenzano (Quinnipiac) added three goals, and Maiya Boughal (Dartmouth) tallied two goals with an assist and three ground balls. Also adding one goal each for Westhampton included Reagan Schindler, Lily Johnson, Sofia Amodemo, and Tierney McEntee. Defensively they put on a clinic between their defenders and midfielders locking down one on one, and their ability to force a number of takeaways with 15 caused turnovers in the game. Hailey Donahoe had a game high four caused turnovers and Ava Derby and Reagan Schindler created two turnovers each. The Hurricanes were very efficient clearing the ball going 16/19 led by Ava Failla (Drexel) and Caeden Dorn (LIU) doing a stellar job of getting the ball up to their offense.
YJ Torre/Mitchell 2026 vs Cold Spring Harbor
Staying in the AA bracket of the varsity division, the 2026s of YJ Torre/Mitchell took on the Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks in the opening round of the playoffs and this game saw the Yellow Jackets advancing to round 2 with an 11-6 win over the Seahawks, outscoring them 5-3 in the first half and 6-3 in the second half. UMass commit Madison Sussi struck for a hat-trick and an assist to lead the YJ offense while Binghamton commit Sara Richardt added two goals and one assist. On the draw circle Gianna Calise (JMU) won 75% of draws going 3/4. On the defensive end Haily Stratton (UNC Charlotte) only allowed the six goals to Cold Spring Harbor while playing the whole game and was 50% in saves. Sophia Mele (Elon), Kamryn McCrary (JMU), and Carly Amato (UMass) each secured two ground balls, and creating two turnovers each was Amato and Casey Torre (Stony Brook). For Cold Spring Harbor Olivia Mulada and Ruby Spielberger each found the back of the net twice, and Sienna Koke and Kelly Callaghan (UChicago) added one goal each to round out the offense. Splitting time in the cage was Maya Soskin (Florida) and Audrey Davidian totaling 11 combined saves with six from Davidian and five from Soskin.
GC Tradition vs Long Beach
The third game of the day in the AA bracket featured Tradition taking on Long Beach, and what was a well contested game ended up in favor of Long Beach by a final score of 11-9. The first half saw Long Beach lead by as many as four goals before Tradition cut the deficit to two with the score 7-5 Long Beach at the half. Both teams played an even second half each scoring four goals resulting in the two goal win for the Marines. Sky Kilfeather (FSU) continues to put up big numbers for Long Beach as she scored four goals with two assists for a six point performance. Freshman Maya Kallelis came out scoring two early goals to help them jump out to an early lead and also added an assist, two ground balls and three caused turnovers. Delaney Chernoff (Denver) and Emma O’Donnell each added two goals along with two assists from Chernoff and five ground balls. Marianna Chimienti scored once with one assist and also forced three caused turnovers. In the ground ball department Julia Russo secured three gb’s in the second half. In the cage for Long Beach Saorsie Feerick (Hofstra) stopped five shots, coming up with pivotal saves in the second half to preserve their lead. On the other side Tradition got two goals each from Emerson Goettelmann (Rhode Island), Meaghan Lynch (Cal), and Stella Goettelmann. Gottelmann secured a team high four ground balls and Madeline Drago came away with three.
YJ Torre/Gaghan 2027 vs Huntington Varsity
In game four on the day in the AA bracket the 2027s of YJ Torre/Gaghan faced the Huntington Blue Devils, and it was a big win for YJ as they advanced to round 2 of the playoffs with a 13-5 win. Scoring goals in bunches, seven different players found the back of the net for YJ led by the four goals scored by Reagan Schindler. Megan Florio, Ellie Speidell, and Maeve Bourguignon each connected for two goals, and scoring one goal each was Lyla Coffey, Julia Voss, and Tierney McEntee. Schindler, McEntee, Florio and Stamatia Almiroudis each added an assist as well. As a team YJ had a 21-10 advantage in ground balls, led by a game high five ground balls from Leah Cohen followed by three each from Teagan Trentowski and Maeve Bourguignon. Coming up with two ground balls each was Aila Cahill, Sarah Langdon and Grace Jabour. In goal for YJ was Grace Belmonte who had a save percentage of 50% with five saves on 10 shots. Huntington’s Valentina Puccio (Hofstra) tallied a hat-trick to lead the team and Devon St. John (Cornell) and Olivia Puccio both scored once to round out the offense. In the second half for the Blue Devils Juliet Johnson was in goal and was 57% on saves with four saves on seven shots.
St. Anthony’s White vs YJ Napolitano/Chamberlain 2028
The first playoff game in the A bracket of the varsity division featured the St. Anthony’s White team against the freshman of YJ Napolitanto Chamberlain. In a game that was controlled by the Friars winning 19-3, the headline in this one was the play of midfielder Noelle Meenan who put together a dominant game with seven goals, three assists, three ground balls, two caused turnovers and winning 75% of draws going 3/4. Chloe Mullady and Anna Christie (Northwestern) also delivered big games for the Friars as they each connected for four goals and also dished out three assists. Contributing with one goal each was Juliana Gandolfo, Melania Moreo, Lila Surace, and Casey Torre (Stony Brook). Sofia Moschitta (Stony Brook) was 83% in saves for Friars and Grace Belmonte saved shots at a 50% rate. The three goals for YJ were scored by Isla Bareham, Kaylee FitzGibbon and Raegan Chamberlain.
Wantagh vs Commack
Game 2 in the varsity division A bracket was a Nassau vs Suffolk matchup between Wantagh and Commack that saw the Cougars come out on top over the Warriors 9-4. Commack’s Aubrey Maurer (UConn) struck for four goals and one assist along with five ground balls, four caused turnovers and a 60% winning percentage on the draw going 3/5. Emily Parisi (Sacred Heart) added a hat-trick and scoring one goal each was Izzy Atlas and Sarah Franke. In the cage for Commack Olivia Bezmalinovic totaled eight saves on 12 shots for a 67% save percentage. Despite the loss for Wantagh their goalie Madeline Gonzalez (Iona) once again had another top flight game in the cage as she stopped 14/23 shots going 61% in saves. Offensively for the Warriors Madeline Drago scored two goals and Sierra Gilhuley and Peyton Naus each scored once.
FLG 2027 vs Ward Melville
The 2027s of FLG and the Ward Melville Patriots played in what was arguably the game of the day on Saturday in the A bracket of the varsity division. In the first half FLG was in control as they built a lead of as many as four goals, leading 5-1 and 6-2 before the Patriots cut the deficit to 6-3 going into halftime. Coming out to open the second half the Patriots won the opening draw and Keira Pirozzi (Marist) immediately went to goal and scored to make it a 6-4 game. As they aimed to mount a comeback it was FLG still leading by two up 9-7 inside of four minutes remaining in the game when Pirozzi struck for her second goal to bring them within one, and then the Patriots young gun eighth grader Nicole Manolakes delivered what was her fourth goal of the game to tie the score at 9. With all of the momentum in favor of Ward Melville, they had a chance to win the game in the final minute and on a free position shot Sadie Banks delivered in the clutch with what proved to be the game winning goal and a 10-9 comeback win for Ward Melville. The four goals for Manolakes led the Patriots offense with Banks delivering three goals followed by two from Pirozzi and one from Keira Flynn. On the defensive end Addison Scott secured a team high four ground balls, two of which coming in pivotal moments in the second half when Ward Melville secured big defensive stops as they mounted their comeback. Lila Rutigliano also added three ground balls and two caused turnovers while Quinlan Heilbron scooped up two balls off the ground. For FLG Taylor Cavanaugh scored or assisted on seven of their nine goals as she scored four times and dished out three assists. Daniela Lago added two goals and Charlotte Radigan, Kylie Hagan and Charli Kaplan all scored once. Audrey Shen had a major impact on defense for FLG with four ground balls as well as three caused turnovers.
FLG 2028 Navy vs Westhampton JV
Opening up the JV bracket on Sunday was a club vs high school matchup between the 2028s of FLG Navy and the Hurricanes of Westhampton. These two teams didn’t disappoint as this game went right down to the wire. Westhampton held a lead of as big as three goals in the first half before FLG made a late surge to go into halftime only trailing by one with the score 5-4 Westhampton. In the second half FLG did in fact rally back to take a 7-6 lead, but Westhampton had their own response, tying the game with just under seven minutes remaining on a goal scored by Mia Mastropierro, and then taking the lead inside of three minutes to go as Mackenzie Klammer secured a huge ground ball and found Grace Hart for what proved to be the game winning goal as the Hurricanes held on by a final score of 8-7. Scoring two goals with two assists was Klammer while Mastropierro also scored two goals with one assist. Scoring one goal each was Katelyn Salerno, Teagan Dorn, Kasey Cangelosi, and Grace Hart. Alina Cooper in the cage in the second half delivered a clutch save in the final 30 seconds to keep Westhampton up by one as FLG looked for the tie. In the ground ball department Katy Lourenco had a team high four ground balls for Westhampton. On the opposite side for FLG, Addison Held and Leah Grohotolski each contributed with two goals, and the trio of Ava Bencivenga, Ashley Arizonis, and Madeline Kavanaugh scored one goal each, with Bencivenga also recording five ground balls. Molly Giordano ended the game with a 53% save percentage totaling nine saves.
YJ Friedman 2029 vs Tradition 2029
In the second game of the day on Sunday it was a 2029 matchup between YJ Friedman and Tradition in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. After getting a bye in the first round as the top overall seed, YJ Friedman showed why they earned the top overall seed as they secured a 12-4 win thanks to a dominant second half. In the first half goals were at a premium as YJ held a slight 3-2 advantage through the first 20 minutes of play, and in the second half is where they seized control, outscoring Tradition 9-2 to win by eight. Offensively Natalie Takacs and Ella Dragonette connected for two goals each, and seven different players added one goal including Nicole Manolakes, Cassidy Ferrara, Sarah Paci, Olivia Leopardi, Avery Needle, Ella Schopp, and Arianna Focarile. On the draw circle Sarah Paci was 50% going 3/6, and defensively Summer O’Neill had a team high three takeaways while Harper Kleet and Katy Lourenco forced two turnovers each. For Tradition, Maggie Baulch who was in the net in first half had a great showing with eight saves and only three goals allowed for a 72% save percentage. On the offensive end Kaila Hansman scored twice followed by Grace Wheeler and Ella Melendez scoring one goal each and Melendez winning 3/6 draws.
Team 91 Roar 2029 vs YJ Babst 2030
The 2029s of 91 Roar went head to head for the second time this winter against the 2030s of YJ Babst, this time in the quarterfinals of the playoffs in the JV division. After a one goal win for 91 in the first meeting, this time they used a strong second half to build a comfortable lead to win by a score of 11-4. Avah Robinson who’s been scintillating all winter once again delivered with a four goal performance to lead them in scoring. Adding two goals and two assists was Michaela Grever who continues her steady dose of both scoring and facilitating, while Addison Fox dished out three assists with a goal and Payton Ioannou recorded two assists and one goal. Rounding out the offense and scoring one goal each was Kaylee Obloj, Keira Pellizzi and Luca Spallina. Defensively 91 had 10 caused turnovers as a team as Addison Fox, Riley LaRocca, Samantha Miale and Vanessa Novelli each created two takeaways. In the cage splitting time was the duo of Lily Gentile playing the first half and Lily Parasmo playing the second half where Gentile was 50% in saves and Parasmo saving shots at a 75% rate. The offense for YJ Babst came from the quartet of Mackenzie Klammer, Jada Leonard, Julia Babst, and Hailey Rosati, each scoring one goal.
Harborfields vs Westhampton Varsity
In round 2 of the AA bracket in the varsity division it was a Suffolk Class C showdown between Harborfields and Westhampton. These two teams played an epic game that was back and forth and went right down to the wire. In the first half it was the Hurricanes jumping out to a 2-0 lead before the Tornadoes answered with consecutive goals of their own to even the game. Through the first 20 minutes of play goals were hard to come by as it was a goalie battle between Ava Kalmar for Harborfields and Maya Farnan (UPenn) for Westhampton and it was a slight 4-3 lead for the Canes at the half. The second half continued to be a back and forth game with each team holding a one goal lead at different stages of the half. Late in the game with 40 seconds remaining and the score tied 6-6 and Harborfields looking to clear the ball up field, Reese King (UNC) came up with a game altering caused turnover as she stripped the ball away from Olivia Eusanio which resulted in an empty net goal for Nikki Lee to put Westhampton in front 7-6 and they went on to win by that score. Offensively Nikki Lee struck for two goals including the game winner, King scored once with two assists, and adding one goal each was Ava Derby, Maiya Boughal (Dartmouth) , Meaghan Tufano (Hofstra) and Sofia Amodemo. In the caused turnover department Dagney Beasley had a game high three takeaways. Westhampton now advances to the AA semifinals where they will face Rocky Point on Sunday at 1pm. For Harborfields the sophomore Ava Kalmar continues to be a brick wall in the cage. Playing the first half Kalmar saved 64% of shots with seven saves out of eleven shots and now has a 53% save percentage overall with a total of 31 saves this winter. Offensively Harborfields got three goals and an assist from Nora Ruddy, two goals from Taylor Cavanaugh, and one goal and one assist from Juliet Gianfrancesco (FSC).
Manhasset vs Garden City
In the AAA bracket it was a winter league edition of the Lady Woodstick Classic between Manhasset and Garden City. This one was controlled by Garden City as they jumped out to big lead in the first half and didn’t look back, winning by a final score of 14-5. The Trojans saw five different players score two goals which included Michaela Molgano (UPenn), Deanna Prisco (Northwestern), Kyle Finnell (Northwestern), Averie Smith (Yale), and Grace Brantuk. Adding to the offensive outburst was Kathryn Monaco (Villanova), Kimberly Colucci (William & Mary), Arci Haffner (Holy Cross) and Katie Horn each scoring one goal. Defensively Brynn Reilly forced two caused turnovers and in the net Kate Connolly continues to play great in the net with nine saves and a 64% save percentage. Manhasset’s Rebecca Alcaraz and Natalie Mascitti (Hamilton) struck for two goals each with one goals scored by sophomore Danielle Perfetto.
Long Beach vs Mt. Sinai
In a rematch from week 2 it was Long Beach against Mt. Sinai in the quarterfinals of AA bracket. Back in week 2 it was Long Bach getting the win over Mt. Sinai but this time around the Mustangs flipped the script and were sparked by a strong first half leading them to a 12-8 win. Mt. Sinai outscored Long Beach 6-2 in the first half, and the two teams played an even second half each scoring six goals. It was Alexa Spallina’s (Clemson) three goals and two assists leading the way offensively while winning 3/6 draws. Scoring two goals and dishing out two assists was Cady Flaherty (UVA) and Sophia Masone (Georgetown) and Lainie Friedman also scored twice. The trio of Ava Clark (LIU), Lila Callahan (Hofstra), and Olivia Romeo (Stony Brook) each added one goal and Romeo also scooped up a team high four ground balls. In goal for the Mustangs Katherine Arrington recorded six saves. Advancing to the semifinals Mt. Sinai will face the 2026s of YJ Torre/Mitchell on Sunday at 12:15pm. Long Beach saw their do-it-all midfielder Delaney Chernoff (Denver) tally four goals, four ground balls, two caused turnovers and win 3/6 draws. Sky Kilfeather (FSU), Maya Kallelis, Franky Decicco, and Marianna Chimienti scored one goal each. Saorsie Feerick (Hofstra) in goal recorded eight saves for Long Beach.
Bayport Varsity vs Garden City
After defeating Manhasset in their first playoff game Garden City headed to the quarterfinals to face the top overall seed the Phantoms from Bayport who earned a first round bye. Through the first 20 minutes of play it was a back and forth contest that saw the Phantoms hold a slight lead at the half by a score of 5-4. The second half is where Garden City took control of the game especially on the defensive end, holding Bayport to just two goals and outscoring them 6-2 resulting in a 10-7 win. For goalie Kate Connolly she stepped up with nine saves an a 56% save percentage. Kyle Finnell (Northwestern) led all scorers with five goals along with one assist while Averie Smith added two goals. Michaela Molgano (UPenn), Regan Backer (UVA), and Arci Haffner (Holy Cross) each found the back of the net once. Forcing two turnovers each for the Trojans was Grace Brantuk and Leslee Gaffney (American). Garden City moves on to the semifinals to play the St. Anthony’s Black team in the semifinals tomorrow at 5:30pm. The Phantom’s were led offensively by future Maryland Terp Ava Meyn’s four goals and one assist, while their sophomore midfielder Olivia Brady connected for two goals and Kailey Bruckner (Towson) scored once. In goal in the first half for the Phantoms was Sophia Diaz who saved 56% of shots saving 5/9.
South Side vs Rocky Point
In the second to last game on Tuesday evening it was Nassau Class C vs Suffolk Class C as South Side took on Rocky Point for the opportunity to play Westhampton in the AA semifinals. In the first half it was Rocky Point outscoring South Side 6-3, and in the second they held a slight scoring edge 5-4 to come away with an 11-7 to advance to the semis. Offensively it was sophomore attacker Cadence Adamo striking for four goals and one assist for a five point game. Kylie Lamoureux (Maryland) added a hat-trick and was 75% on the draw going 3/4 while Kaleigh Moeller (FSU) scored twice and secured a team high six ground balls. Scoring one goal each was Fiona Vu (Brown) and Lillian Wood (Saint Leo). In goal for the Eagles Breezy Henke (UMass) was an astounding 65% in saves with 13 stops on 20 shots. For the Cyclones Sienna Connolly (Northwestern), Annie Chimienti (Canisius) and Skye Korten found the back of the net twice with Charlotte Rathjen (UNC) adding one goal. Connolly also scooped up six ground balls while Rathjen and Reese Long added four gb’s. Tara Cody was in the cage for South Side and was just under 50% in saves with nine for the game.
Cold Spring Harbor vs South Side
In the second of two straight games for South Side, this time it was a matchup against a fellow Nassau County Power Conference opponent in the Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks. After playing each other back in week 2 in a game went to Cold Spring Harbor 7-5, it was another close contest this time around. Through the first 20 minutes of play it was a 6-6 game heading into halftime. The second half saw the Seahawks jump out to a three goal lead by a score of 11-8 before South Side rallied back for three consecutive goals to even the score. After Cold Spring Harbor jumped back in front 12-11, South Side needed two goals with less than three minutes to play. They scored the game tying goal as Annie Chimienti (Canisius) assisted Sienna Connolly (Northwestern), and then it was Chimienti to Charlotte Rathjen (UNC) moments later as her shot snuck just across the goal line to give South Side the lead 13-12 and they went on to win by that score. The duo of Rathjen and Chimienti was a dynamic force as they combined for 16 total points with seven goals from Rathjen and nine assists from Chimienti, the most assists of any player in a single game this winter. On the draw circle Rathjen was also 71% on the draw going 5/7. Connolly found the back of the net three times followed by two goals from freshman Olivia Mayerhofer and one goal and two assists from sophomore Skye Korten. For the Seahawks Ryan Reynolds (Maryland) led the team with four goals followed by two each from Jessica Romano and Olivia Mulada. Scoring one goal each for Cold Spring Harbor was Sienna Koke, Bridget Willcocks and Mary Gioules.
Comsewogue vs GC Tradition
Opening up Thursday evening it was a high school vs club matchup between Comsewogue and GC Tradition in the consolation bracket. The two teams played an evenly matched game that came down to the wire with Comsewogue coming out on top 10-8. In both the first half and the second half they out scored Tradition 5-4 to help secure the two goal win. It was the Binghamton bound junior Gianna McNulty delivering three goals with an assist to lead the Warriors in scoring and in points. Both Jackie Riviezzo (ESU) and Kamryn McCrary scored two goals each with also a game high three assists from McCrary. The trio of Madison Moccio, Abby Hughes and Emma Fernandes each tallied one goal to round out the offense and on the draw circle Fernandes was 83% going 5/6. For Tradition Rhylee Kirchner, Abby Wheeler (Lafayette) and Meaghan Lynch (Cal) all found the back of the net twice, with one goal each scored by Sophie Diefel (Binghamton) and Ali Karwelis. Keira Desmond was very stout in the cage, tallying 12 saves with a 55% save percentage.
ESM vs YJ Torre/Gaghan 2027
In the A bracket the ESM Sharks faced the 2027s of YJ Torre Gaghan and these two teams played a tightly contested game that went right down to the final minutes. Goals were at a premium throughout and in the first half ESM held a slight 3-2 through the first 20 minutes of play. In the second half YJ answered with three consecutive goals to take a 5-3 lead just over five minutes into the half, but the ESM defense which has been shut down throughout most of the winter pitched a shutout the last 14 minutes of the game. As the Sharks looked to overcome the two goal deficit, they trailed 5-4 inside of four minutes remaining when Alexa Quiery assisted Taylor Murtha to tie the game at 5. Two minutes later it was Katelynn Murtha with the ball rolling back to her right and scoring on a low to high shot to put ESM back in front 6-3 which proved to be the game winner for the Sharks as they went on to win 6-5. The clutch goal by Murtha was her third of the game to lead ESM in scoring. Lauren Valenti (Saint Leo), Taylor Murtha (Sacred Heart) and Ella Schopp added one goal each and dishing out one assist each was Alexa Quiery and Caitlin Masera. Defensively Makayla Coyle (Pace) and Sarah Cluff (Marist) each scooped up two balls off the ground and forced three turnovers with two from Coyle and one from Cluff. Madyn Warsaw was in goal in the first half where she stopped 6/8 shots for a 75% save percentage and in the second half it was Kat Dietz (Springfield) saving 50% of shots going 3/6. ESM will now face the 2027s of St. Anthony’s White in the semifinals on Sunday at 1:45pm. On the other side Maeve Bourguignon and Reagan Schindler scored twice and Tierney McEntee added one goal rounding out the offense. Bourguignon secured a team high five ground balls, and in the cage it was Ava Kalmar making eight saves with a 57% save percentage.
Excelsior vs YJ Maget Bertolone 2028
Staying in the AAA bracket of the varsity division it was Excelsior against the freshman phenoms of YJ Maget/Bertolone, and the free agents of Excelsior came out on top with a four goal win by a score of 11-7. They held a slim 4-3 lead at the half and added to it in the second half outscoring YJ 7-4. Coming back in a big way was the return of Rutgers commit Kate Theofield striking for a game high five goals and two assists for seven points, going 3/3 on 8 meter shots. Jolie Schiavo (JMU) contributed with two goals, and Ashlynn Renkowski (Cornell), Emma Greenberg (Florida), Emma DiMaio (Stony Brook) and Ava Rivera (Mercer) scored one goal each. In the cage and playing the entirety of the game was Maribella Marciano (Lehigh) where she made eight saves with a 53% save percentage. Excelsior now advances to the semifinals where they will face Sayville on Saturday at 4:45. For YJ it was six different players each scoring a goal between Fabiana Gallagher, Jennavieve Lineman, Natalie Woo, Amanda Backer, Addison Kelly, Jamie Medico, and Nora Ruddy. On the draw circle Lineman was 100% going 4/4.
YJ Voss 2026 vs St. Anthony’s Gold
The Friars gold team squared off against the 2026s of YJ Voss for the chance to play Sayville in round 2 of the AAA bracket, and it was St. Anthony’s with a big win by a score of 17-7. The offense was firing on all cylinders, scoring 11 first half goals and another six in the second half. It was Kiera Cameron and Cameron Pupke (Princeton) each recording a hat-trick and two goals each scored by Kaitlyn Poulos and Noelle Meenan. The combination of Poulos and Meenan were a combined 5/6 on the draw circle with Poulos going 3/4 and Meenan 2/2. In goal Gabriella Lemieux (LIU) played the second half where she was 50% in saves stopping 4/8 shots. For YJ Voss Kaleigh Howard and Julia Voss combined for six of the seven goals as they each scored three and Ally Voss also added a goal.
St. Anthony’s Black vs YJ Grazidei/Stadler 2027
The number one high school team in the country the St. Anthony’s Friars faced one of the premier club teams in the country in YJ Grazidei/Stadler. This one was a shootout between the two teams that saw the Friars edge out YJ by a score of 14-12, winning the first half scoring 8-5 and the second half going to YJ 7-6. St. Anthony’s relied on their heavy hitters, getting five goals and an assist from Princeton commit Cameron Pupke, and four goals and two assists from the future Florida Gator Emma Speed with also two caused turnovers by Speed. Defensively Sophia Novelli (Vanderbilt) secured two balls off the ground along with two takeaways, and in goal Sierra Grant (Binghamton) was 50% in saves stopping 4/8 shots. The Friars will now face Garden City in the semifinals tomorrow at 5:30pm. Katelynn Murtha recored a hat-trick for YJ and was a perfect 3/3 on the draw circle, and the trio of Olivia Brady, Juliann Brzeski, and Jadyn Stadler connected for two goals each. In goal Emery de Lauzon tallied double digit saves with 10 in the game.
Sayville Varsity vs St. Anthony’s Gold
Wrapping this week’s playoff action was a public vs parochial matchup between the Golden Flashes of Sayville and the Friars of St. Anthony’s gold team. St. Anthony’s earned their way into this matchup after a win against YJ Voss, but this one went in favor of Sayville coming away with a 14-8 win. Sayville showed how dynamic their offense can be as they got a game high four goals from Abby Galaris (Wesleyan) three each from Sophia Buffardi (UNC) and Sienna Lahmann, two from Sofia Cangelosi (Michigan) and one from Morgan Farrell (Hopkins) and Carly Cangelosi (Rutgers). Dishing out three assists was Olivia Razzano all of which went to Lahmann as they proved to be a dynamic duo. Paige Manning (Quinnipiac) secured three ground balls on defense and in the first half Victoria Alexander was 56% in saves stopping 5/9 shots. Sayville now heads to the semifinals where they will face the Excelsior team tomorrow at 4:45. Anna Christie (Northwestern) connected for five goals for St. Anthony’s along with three ground balls and Cameron Pupke added two goals with a 75% winning percentage on the draw going 3/4. On defense it was Meghan Langton coming up with three ground balls and forcing two turnovers.
