Leggio sees progress on field, if not scoreboard

GARRET MEADE PHOTO
Meagan Glenn of Mattituck/Greenport/Southold focused on her options during Friday’s game against Bellport.

She was pleased and encouraged by their progress.

At first glance, the Mattituck/Greenport/Southold Tuckers girls lacrosse team’s 14-2 home loss to the Bellport Clippers at Cutchogue West Elementary School on Friday seemed like another ho-hum loss in their inaugural varsity season, especially since they trailed by 10-0 at the half. But Tuckers Coach Kaitlin Leggio knows she can’t always measure progress on the scoreboard. It is the little things that Leggio is focusing on.

“Bellport is one of the top teams and even though we didn’t score much, it was one of the best games we played as a team,” Leggio said. “We took more shots, which is a huge step for us. We set up the plays. Now, we didn’t always execute the shots well enough to score, but the shots were there. I am proud of them and the girls are proud of themselves.”

The one-two punch of Meredith Weber (four goals) and Grace Healy (three goals, three assists) ignited the first-half explosion for Bellport, which raised its record to 7-7, 7-5 in Suffolk County Division II.

Mattituck/Greenport/Southold goalkeeper Emily Metz recorded 10 saves to keep the score from being even more lopsided. Sarah Hallock and Kim Mulrain netted second-half goals for the Tuckers, who dropped to 1-8, 1-8.

Last Wednesday, the Tuckers almost pulled out their second win of the season before falling short at home against the Center Moriches Red Devils, 9-7. The score was knotted at 7-7 with seven minutes left in the second half before the Red Devils scored twice to pull out the victory, their second in 12 games.

Mattituck/Greenport/Southold, on two goals apiece by Michelle Waters and Shannon Gatz as well as a goal by Hallock, led at the half, 5-3. Waters added two more goals in the second half as the Tuckers battled Center Moriches deep into the game, until the Red Devils struck for two quick goals in the final 1 minute 52 seconds to win it.

“We were playing so tough and so well in the first half, and we were scoring well, too,” Leggio said. “I told the girls Center Moriches would come out tough in the second half and they did. They just wanted it more than we did and they controlled and dominated the play.”

Metz made 19 saves in goal.

“Emily was incredible,” Leggio said. “She kept us in the game.”

Waters’ four goals almost were enough to lift her team to the win.

“Michelle is our top scorer,” Leggio said. “She is good one-on-one. She is tiny and quick and really scoots in there to get her shots.”

With three games remaining, Leggio wants her team to continue to get better.

“After we lost to Center Moriches, it hit the girls that time is running out on the season,” she said. “I want us to keep improving on things like our transition play. There was a time when we couldn’t get over the 50-yard line more than four times a game. Now we’re doing that more and that is a big accomplishment. We’re coming together as a team. We are starting to see where people are going to be. It is not 100 percent, yet, but we’ve improved a lot.”