For Tuckers, Season No. 1 is over

A team has to believe before it can achieve. The Mattituck/Greenport/Southold high school girls lacrosse team may be on the road to doing that.

While the Tuckers concluded their inaugural varsity season with a 17-5 loss at East Hampton last Thursday and an 18-2 defeat to Comsewogue on Monday at Cutchogue West Elementary School, their coach, Kaitlin Leggio, knows that despite their record, the team has come far.

“Putting aside our record, we have come a very long way,” said Leggio, whose team finished with a 2-12 record, overall and in Suffolk County Division II. “We’ve had some lapses, but the progress we’ve made has been very positive.”

In the regular-season finale, the Comsewogue Warriors (6-10, 6-8), sparked by the one-two punch of Kristen Znaniecki (five goals) and Mary Kate McCormick (four goals, three assists), flew to a 12-2 halftime lead and cruised to the win.

Michelle Waters and Meagan Glenn netted the Tuckers’ goals. Emily Metz made 11 saves in goal for Mattituck/Greenport/Southold.

Last Thursday, the East Hampton Bonackers (6-10, 4-10) raced out to an 11-1 halftime lead, but the Tuckers made a better showing in the second half when they were outscored, 6-4.

The Bonackers were led by Summer Foley and Kelsi Thorsen, who had three goals each. Foley also had three assists. Allison Charde made 11 saves in goal for East Hampton.

Waters tallied a pair of goals for the Tuckers, while Kim Mulrain, Sarah Hallock and Caty Austin also scored. Metz recorded 15 saves.

“Our scores could’ve been much worse, but Emily came up big in goal so many times,” Leggio said. “She steps up and stuffs them. She has been amazing.”

Leggio also praised Waters’ ability to drive to the goal. “Michelle can take it one-on-one,” Leggio said. “Whether it is from midfield or closer in, no one can stop her.”

Leggio was disappointed the way the season ended because “we didn’t bring up our level of play. We know we can play better. We should be playing better. But we didn’t step up and do it. We didn’t bring our ‘A’ game.”

Still, she knows how far her team has come this season. “Now we know we can do this,” Leggio said. “We started doing what we’ve been working on. The girls know what we need to do for next year.”