Tuckers take County girls lacrosse title, play for L.I. championship Tuesday

From the opening faceoff, Mattituck/Greenport/Southold wanted to let Babylon know that they meant business, that the Tuckers were ready to take back the Suffolk County Class D girls lacrosse title.

They did just that. Gianna Calise scored only 11 seconds into the game, which started Mattituck on to a dominating 13-6 victory at Smithtown West High School on a windy Saturday morning. The triumph avenged an 11-8 defeat in last year’s final after the Tuckers captured the 2023 crown.

“It’s such an amazing feeling,” said junior midfielder Calise, who scored a game-high four goals. “Last year, losing that one game really set the tone on how we wanted this next year to roll out and play. I know we made that happen. I’m so proud of each and every girl.” 

Calise had a good reason to be proud. The Tuckers (10-8) had many contributors on both sides of the ball. Juniors Page Kellershon (three assists) and Olivia Zehil each connected for hat-tricks. Juniors Grace Quinn added two goals and two assists and Claire McKenzie had a goal and an assist.

“We played well. We had a really good game plan, and we executed it to a ‘T’. They made my job very easy,” head coach Logan McGinn said. “Our motto is be undeniable. Last year, we were denied the opportunity to hold the plaque. This year we decided we weren’t going have that. We’re just clicking and getting hot at the right time.”

The Tuckers’ season is far from finished. They will meet Cold Spring Harbor, the winner of seven successive Nassau County titles, in the Long Island Championship game at Adelphi University on Tuesday, June 3 at 11:30 a.m.

“We just play our game,” Calise said. “We can’t really necessarily think of them being as some big monster team.”

The Tuckers rolled to a 6-2 first-quarter advantage that was book-ended by vital goals at the opening and closing minutes. After winning the face-off, Calise was fouled and scored off a penalty past goaltender Addison Costa.

She knew it was important to set that tone early. “I’ve got to just think to myself that I’ve got to have this,” she said.

“They came on fire,” McGinn added. “Gianna is a gamer. I feel like every time we’re in this situation, she shows up. Today she was able to lead from the front. She came out inspired.”

McKenzie doubled the lead at two minutes and three seconds, putting away a Quinn assist from close range. 

“That set the standard for our team, and to let Babylon know that we were here to win,” Kellershon said. “We didn’t want another repeat of last year, that this was our game.”

Mattituck grabbed a 4-2 lead on goals by Zehil and Kellershon before the final 16 seconds of the quarter. Kellershon struck from the left side. Calise then set up Quinn, who fired a buzzer-beating shot from the left for that four-goal margin at the end of the quarter.

“It’s a huge deal,” Quinn said. “I knew Gianna would pass it perfectly. The adrenaline’s rushing. We just knew we had to get this goal to get the momentum.”

Added Kellershon: “I think it made the Babylon a little bit nervous.”

Mattituck never looked back. The backline of seniors Aly De La Noval and Ruby Villani and juniors McKenna Clark and Madison Smith, and sophomore goalie Emily Manwaring shut out the Panthers (8-9) attack in the second quarter as Calise and Zehil scored for an 8-2 halftime lead.

Enjoying a man-advantage after Babylon’s Lily Krollage was assessed a yellow card, Mattituck connected for three goals within 87 seconds behind Kellershon, Zehil and Calise for a 12-4 lead with 8:38 remaining in the contest.

“We’re a man up,” Zehil said. “We’re the better team already. We know we can score as many goals as we can when we’re up.”

Perhaps the most interesting of Manwaring’s six saves came when she denied DeLaney Busch (two goals) at 8:09 of the second period, knocking the ball away before it slowly rolled toward the net. 

“It hit the back of my leg, and then it hit the line,” Manwaring said. “I quickly grabbed it and made sure it didn’t roll in.”

Afterwards, the players celebrated their win, taking pictures with the championship plaque and eating donut holes. They realized there is a Tuesday’s big game looming.

“It’s great to win, but now it’s just on to the next one,” Kellershon said. “We’re preparing to fix the things that we did in this game to move onto the LIC.”