Girls Lacrosse: For the Hoegs, lacrosse is a family affair
TUCKERS 17, FALCONS 3
One can imagine hearing a vendor cruising through the stands, yelling out: “Get your programs here! You can’t tell the Hoegs without a program!”
That’s because the Mattituck/Greenport/Southold high school girls lacrosse team is packed with Hoegs, five of them altogether. That’s right, five!
Katie Hoeg, a junior midfielder, and her two sisters, eighth-grade attackman Riley Hoeg and seventh-grade midfielder/attackman Mackenzie Hoeg, are sisters. They are joined on the team by their cousins, junior midfielder Audrey Hoeg and eighth-grade goalie Claudia Hoeg.
They are halfway there to forming an all-Hoeg team.
The Tuckers’ assistant coach, James Hoeg, is the father of the three Hoeg sisters, and his wife, Karen, is the team’s scorekeeper.
Every game is a family reunion.
They have been happy occasions. With plenty of help from the Hoegs, the Tuckers have gotten their season off to a wonderful start, winning four of their first five games, the sole loss being a 10-6 season-opening defeat to well-respected Sayville. It’s a big boost for the Tuckers, who are in their sixth varsity season. Last year the team finished with its first winning record (9-7) and reached the playoffs for the first time.
All five Hoegs were in the starting lineup Friday and contributed in their own ways in a 17-3 pounding of a watered-down Deer Park team that was missing five of its regular players.
A heavy fog hung over the field in Deer Park, but through the mist it was unquestionably clear which was the better team. The Tuckers won 16 of 22 draws to set up an offense that outshot the Falcons, 25-11.
Audrey Hoeg and Katie Hoeg led the way. The picture of efficiency, Audrey Hoeg scored on four of her five shots. Katie Hoeg assisted on five goals to go with the three she scored herself. Mackenzie Hoeg had a first-half hat trick to help the Tuckers to a 7-0 lead by the time 16 minutes 19 seconds had elapsed.
Hailey Leitch brought Deer Park (0-4, 0-4) its first goal with 2:35 left in the first half.
The Tuckers, who won the battle for loose balls by 26-14, made it look easy at times. Trish Brisotti’s knack for skillfully picking up loose balls (she collected six of them) came in handy. She also delivered two goals and one assist. Pharlamu Sherpa, Jane DiGregorio, Mia Vasile-Cozzo, Ashley Burns and Riley Hoeg (two assists) also joined in the goal parade for the Tuckers.
The other goal scorers for Deer Park were Jenna Doolan and Julia Ribaudo.
